Downtown Ft. Myers

 Getting on the bus for our fifth and final field trip, I was more excited than any of the others. We were to go visit downtown Ft. Myers and analyze the city to see if it was a self-sustaining place. Self-sustaining in the sense that it has what every resident needs; places to live, work, eat. We took the scenic route, going past the Edison Mall, the Edison house, and one of the biggest Banyan trees around. Professor Wilkinson told us how special our mall was, it was the first of its kind to have two big stores at either ends, with shops in between. The Edison house itself was unique in that right next door there was the exact same house, just a mirror image of it. Right past it was the Banyan tree, far bigger than I had ever seen. Before stopping in downtown, we went to little museum a few miles away that showed who and what lived in Florida eons ago and also what the land's topography was like. We were cramped in the little space but the tour was neat. It began with huge skeletons of Mastodons, Saber-toothed Tigers, and Giant Sloths but quickly transitioned to the native people. The things that they did with incredibly crude tools and man power was astonishing. They engineered canals, farmed a large amount of food, and prospered. The tour then transitioned to more recent times and the cattle industry that helped southwest Florida flourish. We saw other important pieces and learned of how Ft. Myers got its name. As we left the museum, we headed to a small house that was on the grounds. It was an old style bungalow, having windows and doors on all four sides. The whole home was smaller than my bedroom, something I found incredible. We then headed back onto the bus and made our way to Bicentennial Park, which had statues of Thomas Edison, Firestone, and Henry Ford. This was the first time I had been to downtown Ft. Myers, it was complete opposite of what I expected. The buildings were visually appealing, the hustle and bustle of the city apparent. We then walked up the street and turned right, stopping to discuss the area. The place we were at is going to be changed into a channel, lined with shops in an effort to filter the water and bring more commerce into downtown. It made me excited at the possibilities of how my town was changing around me.  Heading down the street further, we made another right into the front of an art museum. Out front, there were two giant round metal cylinders with words cut in them. One of them told the story of the Native Americans and the other about Edison. Both of them were impressive. We then had a few minutes to do as we please and explore the downtown area. There was a local pizzeria that served an excellent piece of supreme and made some awesome brownies. We then met behind the local Starbucks, where there was a mural on the building above. It showed how the local area had changed over the years. It was quite interesting to see it through a different perspective than I was used to. Then, we went into the building next door, the Indigo Hotel to see the top floor. After a couple elevators full, we got to see downtown Ft. Myers in its entirety. Before we started, our professor asked if downtown Ft. Myers could be a liveable city. Liveable meaning having everything needed on a daily basis for life; places to work, restaurants, stores to shop, and available homes. Seeing the city from this view, it was apparent that this was more than just an idolization, it was actually right in front of me.