Field Trip #5 Downtown Fort Myers

The last fieldtrip was an interesting one since I have never visited downtown Fort Myers or it's surroundings. I was suprised by how close every historic landmark was to each other and mostly within walking distance. I first started my tour at Centennial Park and enjoyed a nice walk around the park in the sunshine afternoon. I located the "Uncommon Friends" fountain that included Edison, Ford, and Firestone. All 3 were Fathers of the American Industial 20th Century.

Next, I made my way towards the Fort Myers Yacht Basin and for the first time saw the Caloosahatchee River. I was astonished at how many yachts and boats were on the piers.

I visited the First National Bank that was built in the early 1900's. It was interesting to learn that this bank was around during the Great Depression and like most other banks during that time, closed for a "bank holiday." It's architecture and structure on the outside was similar to the Old Lee County Courthouse.

Lastly, I drove by the Southwest Florida Historical Museum. I peeked inside since the museum was closed and saw a lot of neat artifacts and historical content. I could see Mummy displays and outside there was a banner to see King Tut. I feel like this museum did not relate to Colloquium as much because it was more historical than environmental. During this field experience, I learned that downtown Fort Myers has a lot of interesting history I was glad to learn about. I was unaware it had so many historic places and buildings. I don't think I could possibly redesign the urban area better because everything is within walking distance and the downtown layout is easy to master. I would encourage more community engagement by advertising more local events and try to create less attraction to the numerous bars there are. I feel like if they posted catchy flyers about downtown's history, people would become engaged and want to learn more about their town's past and how it impacted society then and today.

http://www.downtownfortmyers.com/Attractions/