“You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.”—Paul Prudhomme
“I didn’t mean to gain weight, it just happened by ‘snackcident’.”—Unknown
What’s not to love about vacation? Time to rest, recover, and consume ridiculous amounts of tasty food. However, in order to do that, one must “earn” those calories. Thus, what better way to warrant devouring all of those scrumptious calories than through exercising in new, motivating locations? Never mind that the rest of the time is mostly spent sitting–surfside with a book, on a couch scrolling through social media, or in a lanai nerding out on an Internet interest? It’s all about balance—right?
Naples, Florida is the perfect location for foodies and fitness alike! This gulf-side city offers a seemingly endless selection of dining and workout adventures. From casual, open-air, bayside dining, to formal, four-course meals; from eclectic yoga studios, to year ‘round out-of-doors adventures; and everything in between, Naples has much to offer both. In fact, there are so many options; it is hard to narrow down your choices, especially when staying for a short amount of time. Therefore, here are a few of the highlights John, my husband, and I discovered on our most recent trip; but trust me, there is SO MUCH MORE!
To begin, name your athletic pursuit, Naples most likely offers it! Golf? Check! Swimming/paddle boarding/scuba diving/kayaking? Check! Running/walking/hiking/biking trails/paths? Check! Truly, the list seems endless! I happen to love yoga and group fitness classes, while John loves self-motivated gym workouts, and we did not have to drive far to find either of those!
Yoga studios were abundant in Naples. Unfortunately, I was only able to visit three: Naples Yoga Center, Yoga Lab, and Yoga House. I cannot say enough about all three sites! They were each aesthetically pleasing, extremely clean, and the instructors, with whom I encountered, were knowledgeable, friendly, and motivating. Specifically, Christine Salmons at Yoga Lab; Cesar Rios and Amy Lucky at Naples Yoga Center; and Lisa Frey at Yoga House were all talented instructors who offered challenging and rousing workouts for mind, body, and spirit!
Meanwhile, John and I both worked out at the nearby L.A. Fitness Club. Wow, what a great facility! Offering not only the usual cardio equipment, weight machines and free weights, but also possessing areas for swimming, group cycling classes, group fitness classes, basketball gym, separate baby sitting area filled with colorful play and climbing equipment as well as its own smoothie/juice bar. John made good use of the free weights, machines, and cardio equipment, while I tried out a cycling class, fitness classes, and made us of the cardio equipment. One of the managers, whose business card I have sadly misplaced, was quite accommodating and helped us find the best short-term membership deal specifically designed for vacationers.
Now for the fun-stuff . . .food, food, and more food!
We decided to break our drive to Naples into two days. On our first day, we drove as far as Orangeburg, SC. There, we stayed in a new hotel, Tru by Hilton. It was within walking distance to Ruby Tuesdays, so we decided to head there for dinner. Honestly, Ruby Tuesdays are typically not my top favorite places to eat, but this location certainly hit the spot. Bartender and waiter extraordinaire, Webb, amused me in his attempt to sympathize with the fact I have celiac disease, “If it makes you feel any better I’m allergic to morphine!” Plus, General Manager, Anthony Dealoia, like Webb, was a great conversationalist! Overall, this was the perfect place to shake off the road dust at the end of a long day.
Aw, Naples . . .it was so difficult to choose where to eat once we were there. John would text me one on-line menu after another, trying to find the best gluten-free friendly spots in which to dine (Not that John needs to eat gluten-free, but he knows the challenge I often face when dining out.) Here are a few we tried and really loved.
Due to a minor staff miscommunication, our condo was not quite ready for us when we arrived after a full day of driving. Therefore, since it was dinner time anyway, we decided to stay out of the car and walk to the restaurant literally steps away, DaRuMa, a Japanese Steakhouse. Jeff, bartender/waiter, was welcoming and informative with regards to food choices. He made excellent food recommendations for both John and I that met our unique, but very different, food loves. We would both recommend this spot one short block from Vanderbilt Beach.
Another wonderful spot in which dined, not once, but three times, was Naples Flatbread. Why? Besides being delicious and offering an expansive menu, there were also abundant gluten free options, and NFB has one of the best happy hours in Naples! (John and I have learned that if you are traveling on a budget, and you’re willing to eat dinner early, happy hour deals are often the way to go.) Plus, did I mention the NFB staff? Manager/bartenders Conner Cerrito and Kyle Gilbert, along with Michelle Mejia, who also happens to be a free-lance writer, served up ample laughs, stories, cold drinks, and 100% delicious food! It goes without saying that this is a spot we would highly recommend.
Two fun and festive eateries, also possessing great happy hour menus, include Agave as well as Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar. Offering an abundance of gluten-free fare, both of these restaurants were obviously a local favorite as they were packed with business. While their menus were overall different, their tasty dishes, attentive service, and celebratory atmospheres make both of these spots recommendable.
One of our condo neighbors, Donna Wolf, recommended a restaurant called, The Dock, Waterfront Dining at Crayton Cove. Oh. My. Heavens. What a lovely spot to dine, relax, and, you guessed it, enjoy Happy Hour specials. Our waitress/bartender, Ashley, was extremely helpful and considerate. She worked diligently to ensure we had a positive “Dock-side” experience. In fact, we enjoyed the location, food, and Ashley so much that we came back for a second night, a few evenings later. The food and drinks were stupendous, the service was outstanding, and did I mention how nice it was to dine on the Naples waterfront? Yep, this is one more place John and I would 100% endorse! (Thanks Donna! Also, thank you Robin Waeltz for the delightful conversation—fellow educators unite—and great insight into living in the Naples area.)
Last, but not least, I have to mention, Haley Beaman, bar manager and notable waitress at Top Dawg Tavern in Columbia, South Carolina. Driving for long hours on the road makes one tired, hungry, and sometimes even grumpy. However, when dining on delectable food while meeting someone as friendly, energetic, and outgoing as Haley, it eased away the road weariness on our return trip home. This restaurant was in fact, one of several recommendations by the Hampton hotel in which we stayed. It also happened to offer a discount to those staying at the hotel.
See what we did there? We weren’t able to make Happy Hour at Top Dawg, but we were still able to find a deal on a great meal, super service, and pleasurable atmosphere while stopping for the night. Definitely, this is a dining spot worth visiting when traveling in the area.
Food, fitness, surf, and sand . . .take us back to Naples!
One final note, I cannot say enough about all of the pleasant Uber drivers during this trip. Special thanks go to Thomas, Ritchy, Herve, Fred, Hunter, and Craig. While we know it is your job to be safe, efficient, and sociable drivers, we still appreciate your outstanding service.
From our home to yours, John and I wish you safe, happy, and food-filled vacations!
Other Wonderful restaurants that did not make it into the original newspaper article due to space include . . .
AZN: Azian Cuisine
Skillets Restaurant (with gluten-free bread, pancakes, and waffles!)
The Crust (With a gluten-free crust!!)
Epiphany Gluten-Free Bakery (100% dedicated gluten-free: serving up all gluten-free products as well as offering vegetarian/vegan, paleo, keto, and other food allergy-free options)
Steph Simply 