Mark H. Bickel | Fort Myers News-Press
It was a record year for Southwest Florida International Airport for total number of passengers who traveled to and from the Fort Myers airport.
Last week it was reported that RSW finished 2022 with 10,343,802 passengers, eclipsing the previous record set in 2021.
Taking it one step further, the airport has shared the 2022 rankings for the commercial airlines that have routes in and out of RSW. It’s not a competition. There is no trophy awarded that we are aware of, but it is something travelers might find interesting to know as they pass the time in the terminal waiting to take off or waiting for a loved one to arrive.
Delta heads the lineup.
Read the full article on news-press.com.
Are you flying in to Southwest Florida International Airport soon? Contact David to find your home in Southwest Florida. Email or call David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Dave Osborn, Diana Biederman | Naples Daily News
The 2023 Naples Winter Wine Festival live auction Saturday generated millions of dollars at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburon.
Last year, the Naples Children & Education Foundation awarded more than $22.6 million to 50 Collier County nonprofits supporting underprivileged and at-risk children. The foundation is the founding organization of the Wine Festival, which raised more than $23 million last year, the majority of which was collecting from live bidding of auction lots Jan. 29, 2022.
The fundraiser, since its 2001 inception, has raised nearly $270 million for the foundation.
Here’s the lots and their winning bids:
Lot 1: An Ode to Krug Clos du Mesnil
Two twosomes scored a four-day trip to Champagne and Krug Clos du Mesnil vineyard. The lot includes a visit and vertical tasting of Clos du Mesnil plus an “in the middle of the vineyards” lunch experience. Chef Arnaud Lallement of the Michelin-starred L’Assiette Champenoise will prepare a private dinner, followed by a musical experience in the Krug Yurt….
Sold for: $260,000
Lot 2: King of the Road and Prince of the Cellar
The lucky winner owns a completely restored 1968 Vintage Ford Bronco with a new steel body finished in “Naples Cabernet Reserve Red” and a custom oak leather interior with diamond stitching…and a collection of 25 large format bottles from each of the 2023 Naples Winter Wine Festival’s participating vintners.
Sold for: $480,000
Lot 3: Test Your Vintner’s Palate at the Napa Valley Reserve
One couple’s dream of becoming vintners comes true with a membership to Napa Valley Reserve plus six cases of Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Visit the winery, work the harvest and get involved in blending. …Accommodations at Meadowood Napa Valley and dinner at The French Laundry round out this experience. Business class airfare from Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco is included for four.
Sold for: $180,000
Read all about the 50 lots sold and see photos and video on naplesnews.com
Contact David to find your new home in Southwest Florida. Email or call David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Phil Fernandez | Naples Daily News
It’s a question many have been asking about Captiva’s South Seas Island Resort ‒ like Naples resident Charles A. Turner this week:
“When are they projecting to reopen?”
In what’s been described as a close to billion-dollar battering by Hurricane Ian, the storied South Seas Island Resort has set sail for a September reopening.
That would put it close to the one-year mark of the earth-shattering storm that slammed Southwest Florida Sept. 28.
“We estimate we had eight-and-a-half feet of storm surge,” said Greg Spencer, CEO of Winter Park-based Timbers Resorts, the compound’s owner since 2021. “We took a pretty good hit. Almost every building on the property needs a new roof.”
The targeted date wouldn’t be lost on Spencer, who first talked last year of Ian’s timing.
“Ironically, our one-year anniversary was the day the storm hit,” said Spencer, who referenced the renovation price tag. “We estimate it’s going to be anywhere from $800 million to a billion.”
Read the full article on naplesnews.com
Contact David to find your new home in Southwest Florida. at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Here are 5 birds you can see there.
Chad Gillis | Fort Myers News Press
Everglades National Park is a place of wonder and beauty.
Encompassing 1.5 million acres of a subtropical paradise that’s unique to South Florida, it’s the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi River, and the park is famous for its plethora of birds, from bald eagles to wood storks and roseate spoonbills.
Home also to the endangered Florida panther, black bears and Burmese pythons, Everglades National Park is truly expansive. It’s home to one of the most productive ecosystems on this continent, evidence by the sheer volume of wildlife that can be found here.
A reddish egret feeds in the shallows at Bunche Beach in Fort Myers. The species is one of more than 300 that make Everglades National Park the top spot for birding in the nation, a report says.
The park was recently named the best birding park in the nation by Travel Lens. With more than 300 bird species roaming the park, we decided to cut the list down to five extraordinary bird species that can be found in Everglades National Park.
Read the entire article and enjoy beautiful photos of Roseate spoonbill, White pelican, Reddish egret, Snail kite, and Painted bunting on news-press.com.
FInd a home in beautiful Southwest Florida. Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Laura Layden | Naples Daily News
Southwest Florida’s job market remains healthy, despite Hurricane Ian.
The region’s unemployment rate fell to 2.7% in December.
That compared to 3.3% in November – and 2.6% a year ago.
The latest data, released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, shows total employment rose by 3.7% over the year in the three largest metro areas, made up of Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.
The job count in the three counties grew by 18,900.
These five industries added the most jobs over the year:
Education and health services (+6,200)
Construction (+3,700)
Trade, transportation and utilities (+3,000)
Government (+2,000)
Financial activities (+1,700)
The only industry losing jobs: Leisure and hospitality, or tourism (-500).
While Ian has taken a toll on tourism, the industry still employs 81,700 in the three metros – even with myriad storm-damaged coastal hotels and resorts still closed, as they repair, rebuild or rethink their future.
Tourism industry rebuilds…
Read the full article on naplesnews.com
Contact David to find your new home in Southwest Florida. at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
