FLORIDA’S PARADISE COAST
Love Eat Travel with Michelle Valentine is a national PBS travel series exploring the food, culture, people, and unforgettable experiences that make destinations worth discovering.
In this episode of Love Eat Travel with Michelle Valentine, Michelle Valentine explores Florida’s Paradise Coast, where Naples, Marco Island, and the Everglades create a diverse Southwest Florida escape. Gulf beaches, historic communities, working waterfronts, and wild wetlands reveal a region where nature and coastal culture are deeply connected.
Michelle Valentine journeys by swamp buggy through Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and steps into the water with wetland ecologists to understand this rare Old Florida ecosystem. On the waters surrounding Marco Island, she joins dolphin researchers to observe wild bottlenose dolphins and learn about their vital place in the marine environment.
She discovers Southwest Florida’s stone crab tradition from the working waterfront of Goodland to elegant Gulf-front dining in Naples, explores Marco Island history and its garden of plants once used by settlers, and strolls the streets of historic Old Naples. From ancient landscapes and marine wildlife to fresh seafood and local stories, Florida’s Paradise Coast offers experiences found nowhere else.
PLAN YOUR TRIP
WATCH THE FULL EPISODE
EPISODE LOCATIONS
The Dolphin Explorer
Take to the waters surrounding Marco Island aboard the Dolphin Explorer, where sightseeing supports an ongoing study of Southwest Florida’s wild bottlenose dolphins. Michelle Valentine speaks with four researchers and observes dolphins in their natural habitat, and learning how individual animals are identified by their dorsal fins. She also explores mother-and-calf relationships, feeding habits, and the dolphins’ role as an important indicator of the health of the marine ecosystem and food chain.
Dolphin Explorer
951 Bald Eagle Drive, Marco Island, Florida 34145
(239) 642-6899
Kirk Fish Company
Discover the working waterfront of Goodland at Kirk Fish Company, a family-run fish house rooted in Southwest Florida’s commercial fishing community. Michelle Valentine speaks with a member of the multigenerational family behind the business and gets an up-close look at the region’s stone crab tradition, learning how this prized local catch makes its journey from the Gulf to tables across Florida’s Paradise Coast.
Kirk Fish Company
417 Papaya Street, Goodland, Florida 34140
(239) 394-8616
The Turtle Club
Experience classic beachfront dining at The Turtle Club, where coastal cuisine and Gulf views capture the relaxed elegance of Naples. Over a cocktail, Michelle Valentine learns about the transformation of this historic beachfront restaurant before settling in at an oceanfront table for a lesson in the proper—and elegant—way to enjoy stone crab. Fresh local seafood and beautiful Gulf views make it a quintessential Florida’s Paradise Coast experience.
The Turtle Club
9225 Gulf Shore Drive North, Naples, Florida 34108
(239) 592-6557
Old Naples Walking Tours
Stroll the charming streets of historic Old Naples with a knowledgeable guide and uncover the stories behind one of Southwest Florida’s most distinctive communities. Michelle Valentine learns how Naples grew from a small Gulf Coast settlement into the celebrated destination it is today. Her tour concludes at a historic cottage, where she discovers the area’s tradition of elegant outdoor events and the people who helped shape Naples through the years.
Old Naples Walking Tours
Meeting location: Rodgers Park Gazebo, 1106 Third Street South, Naples, Florida 34102
(239) 777-4357
Marco Island Historical Museum
Journey through thousands of years of Marco Island history at the Marco Island Historical Museum, where exhibits bring the region’s remarkable past to life. Michelle Valentine explores stories of the ancient Calusa, then steps into the museum’s lush garden with local women to discover the fruits, herbs, and plants that sustained early settlers.
Marco Island Historical Museum
180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island, Florida 34145
(239) 389-6447
Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Enter a rare remnant of Old Florida at Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, home to the largest remaining old-growth bald cypress forest. Towering cypress trees—some more than 500 years old—rise above a remarkable wetland landscape that sustains abundant wildlife. Michelle Valentine joins Corkscrew’s wetland ecologists for a swamp-buggy journey through the sanctuary, spotting alligators, deer, wild pigs, and a variety of birds. She also steps into the shallow swamp waters to better understand how water supports the plants and animals throughout this intricate ecosystem—and why protecting it matters.
Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
375 Sanctuary Road, Naples, Florida 34120
(239) 348-9151
ACCOMMODATIONS
SEASON 2 IS SPONSORED IN PART BY
RELATED ARTICLES
