Away at home: trying to get away while staying close to home sounds like an oxymoron, but it's the modus operandi for the executive traveler this summer - Executive Travel

South Florida CEO, August, 2002

This may not be the year for the protracted vacation to distant lands -- Europe, Asia or South America. Beyond the security issues, executives who have battled a weak economy, international crises and a battered stock market are reluctant to leave the office for a long vacation. So, one must be able to get away while staying close to home and office. This doesn't mean you can't drop out and relax. In fact, dropping out is only a few hours away by car, and you can aim your vehicle south, west or north. If you want to go east, it'll have to be by boat. But even this route is close to home.

Go West, Young Man

By Richard Roffman

If you can only handle a couple of hours in the car, the best place to escape is Naples or Marco Island, otherwise known as Collier County. The nice thing about Naples is that it's, well, different than the East Coast. Yes, it's the same tropics, beautiful pastel colors, waterfront properties (the Gulf of Mexico) and excellent food. But the first thing you notice is that it's ... quiet. There is a pervasive sense of hush -- no rushing, no hype and no sense of urgency. Gone is the insanity of I-95 and the crush of traffic. Just driving there - crossing the Everglades either by scenic Tamiami Trail (built by Barron Collier in 1928), or whizzing across on high-speed I-75 -- lifts the nervous energy from your body.

Naples itself is one of the fastest growing towns in Florida, but it's all relative. With a population of about 35,000, it remains puny by South Florida standards. Old Naples, the restored part of the original downtown, is still very Old Florida, and the newer waterfront plazas are well designed. Third Street South, Naples' central business district at the turn of the century, is the latest trendy place. There are now more than 100 shops, art galleries and restaurants housed in the restored buildings. Nearby is Fifth Avenue South, the ritzy shopping promenade, home to numerous galleries (there are actually 94 art galleries in Naples). For some reason, there is a preponderance of Southwestern-style art stores -- perhaps because, traditionally, Naples has been a haunt for tourists from the Midwest, whereas South Florida has always catered to Northeasterners.

There are several new shopping plazas on the waterfront, including the Mediterranean-style Bayfront on the Gordon River inlet, where courtyard jazz concerts are regularly held. But the must-see venue is Tin City, a mix of tin-roofed buildings along a waterfront, dockside boardwalk. This is the best place to go for seafood restaurants on the water, or for nautical-themed shops.

For accommodations, Collier County has a healthy collection of luxury hotels, along with a few historic properties. You can go the funky route, to places like the Olde Marco Inn (the original Inn was built in 1883) on Marco Island, or the recently restored Inn on Fifth in downtown Naples. On the posh side are properties such as the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, or the Hilton Naples & Towers. We chose the luxury route, and stayed at La Playa Beach & Golf Resort.

The five-star hotel La Playa, part of Noble House Properties, just re-opened after undergoing a $45 million transformation. It's located on a five-mile stretch of pure white sand on the Gulf. The hotel makes a conscious effort to exude a sense of Old Florida, with crystal chandeliers, plush cane and wicker furniture, marble flooring, and barrel-tile roofs. Old Florida art is found throughout the buildings. With 189 guestrooms (most directly facing the beach) and eight Gulf-front suites, La Playa radiates comfort. Rooms are well appointed, with iron-framed beds equipped with mosquito netting. Another nice touch: Most rooms come with a well-stocked library, in case you forgot to bring your reading material. La Playa's Baleen restaurant is also excellent.

The hotel, naturally, comes with all the water-driven pleasures you'd expect: three pools, including a lagoon area with cascading waterfalls, as well as catamarans, parasailing and wave runners. There is also an Indonesian-inspired private spa, and a Robert Cupp-designed 18-hole golf course. But the beach is the thing, with the kind of sand that South Floridians only dream of: white, powdery stuff, with an excellent smattering of sea shells. And there is one thing here you can't find in South Florida: a sunset over the water.

The rest of Collier County is an outdoor wonderland, from the "Ten Thousand Islands" surrounding Marco Island -- where you can canoe or kayak -- to a long list of nature preserves that you can explore, like the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary or the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve. But, to be honest, summer didn't seem like the best time to explore these areas. We decided to save the hiking for a winter visit, and headed to the beach with a picnic instead.

Lay Playa Beach & Golf Resort

www.laplayaresort.com or 800-237-6883. For more information about Collier County, visit www.classicflorida.com.

Up The Coast: Vero Beach

By Tina Wingate

The first thing we noticed upon arrival in the sleepy little town of Vero Beach was the fact that it was utterly silent and seemingly empty. Granted, it was getting to be a little late, but this was Friday night. Where were the cars full of kids cruising A1A, bass pounding? Where were the throngs of bar hoppers? Thankfully, they were nowhere to be found. The only company we had was the muffled roar of the waves pounding the shoreline just outside our suite in the oceanfront Vero Beach Hotel & Club -- a welcome and soothing respite from the hustle of South Florida.