Balmy Florida

I have always enjoyed traveling and have frequently combined my love of traveling with my love of beaches - vacationing in many beachside towns in both the U.S. and abroad. While many of these vacations have been quite relaxing and enjoyable, I always enjoy coming home to Naples and to Vanderbilt Beach in particular. This is especially so in the summer. I know that I am home when I step out of the air conditioning at the airport in Fort Myers and into the warm, humid and balmy air that immediately envelops me like a warm blanket and lets me know that I am back in the tropics. Each time I feel the embrace of the balmy air after returning from a trip I think to myself - "Ahh, I'm home."

For years people have imagined summer in Florida to be too hot and too humid to be enjoyable, but it's simply not the case in Naples or on the coast of Southwest Florida, also known as the Paradise Coast. I love summers in Naples. Guests at our hotel, the Vanderbilt Beach Resort, must agree because we remain very busy in the summer. Why? Well, in my opinion it’s because the summers here are "balmy" and not hot. In fact, the word "balmy" is probably the best way to describe summer in Naples and on the Paradise Coast of Florida in more ways than one.

The dictionary definition of the word "balmy" is "pleasantly warm," and while much of the interior of the state of Florida (and the entire eastern seaboard of the U.S.) can be downright hot during the summer, Naples and its beaches are generally balmy with the heat of the sun being tempered by a breeze blowing off the Gulf of Mexico that creates a salt laced air conditioning effect. It drops the temperature just enough so that the air feels warm and welcoming. And while I admit that the rare breezeless day can sometimes get a bit hot, the average day at the Vanderbilt Beach Resort is warm and pleasant and it's easy to spend the entire day lounging on the beach while also enjoying the warm (and also balmy) Gulf of Mexico waters. In fact, the water is so calm, warm and pleasant that it's easy to spend hours or the entire day in the water. You can swim, play, wade, float, paddle or just enjoy a cool drink while chatting with friends. Locals do this in Naples all summer long, anchoring their boats close to shore and spending their free days relaxing on the boat, beach or in the warm Gulf waters when they are not enjoying the outstanding inshore and offshore fishing.

But the summer days are nothing compared to the nights. After the sun sets, the sea breeze typically continues and may even pick up a bit. While the air cools down from the day, it stays wonderfully warm, and it is hard not to relax deeply while sitting outside or enjoying dinner and drinks at restaurants with ample outdoor seating like the resort's own Turtle Club. And at the Turtle Club and the Vanderbilt Beach Resort guests are often treated to an amazing light show put on by the thunderstorms far offshore that display dazzling lightning flashes that Floridians affectionately call "heat lightning." A walk on the deserted beach at night in the warm balmy breezes, with the smell of salt in the air, the view of the stars above, and the heat lightning in the distance can easily and quickly make worldly problems seem small, restore any damaged soul and make you feel relaxed and happy to be alive.

And that's exactly why "balmy" is the best word to describe not only the weather, but also the atmosphere at our Olde Florida style resort in the summer. After all, the word "balm" is commonly defined as, "something that has a soothing and restorative effect." And the warm air and salty warm water in Southwest Florida in the summer are so pleasantly warm that they act as a balm to the soul - soothing and restoring people who need and seek relaxation as a respite from a fast paced, hurried and worried world. Time spent in our balmy air and salty warm water can restore you and make you feel relaxed, rejuvenated and alive. And this is just what a vacation or holiday should do for you.

Summer days and nights in the tropics in Naples are so balmy and restorative that it's not uncommon for our guests to continue adding days to their stay because they do not want to leave the Paradise Coast. During a time when it seems that the world is awash with problems, this restoration is needed more than ever, and we feel privileged to be able to welcome guests with warm hospitality and help them experience it.

So come and visit us and let yourself be embraced and restored by the balmy air and waters of Naples. We'll be glad to welcome you. Just be sure to keep your calendar open to add those few extra days onto your stay!