COVER STORY : Beat the Heat | Staying cool in North Fort Myers
There are many places to stay cool during the high summer temperatures in North Fort Myers, whether it be a dip in the pool, shopping, eating a tasty treat, or getting lost in a book.
North Fort Myers Community Pool Supervisor Amy Pendarvis said the pool is open seven days a week during the summer, offering residents a great way to stay cool in the hot Florida sun.
The North Fort Myers Civic Association is offering free admission and a snack, or small lunch, every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Aug. 9 to the first 75 children and seniors who enter the pool. The free passes are given to children 17 years old and younger, and those 55 and older.
Pendarvis said those who are eligible will receive a free ticket — covering their fee for the day.
“We usually reach capacity on Saturday and Sunday for sure, unless there is poor weather,” she said, adding that several times throughout the weekdays they hit capacity.
The pool is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Pendarvis said Monday through Friday they also have summer camps that visit the pool during operating hours.
The daily fee is $2 for children 17 and younger, and senior citizens and $3 for those 18 to 54 years old. There are also yearly passes, and a six-month pass that are affordable.
The pool also offers swimming lessons before open swim, as well as a junior lifeguard camp that is held in July.
The pool is at 5170 Orange Gove Blvd.
Ice cream!
Looking for a sweet treat that’s on the cool side?
A tried-and-true to stay cool this summer is pausing for an ice cream treat.
Wonderland Cookie Dough and Ice Cream, at 5781 Bayshore Road, Suite 1108, offers 44 flavors of ice cream and 12 flavors of edible cookie dough.
Owner Jeff Smith said they just franchised their first store on Treeline Avenue and Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.
“We sell Royal Scoop ice cream,” he said.
The edible cookie dough flavors include chocolate chip, brownie batter, celebration sugar cookie with sprinkles, mint chocolate chip, peanut butter cup and cookies and cream. There are also seasonal flavors, such as apple pie and pumpkin pie.
The shop is open from 1 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 12:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, 12 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
“Stop in and get a cool, sweet treat,” Smith said.
Stop … and shop
Looking to get out of the sun?
Another option to stay cool this summer is to take a stroll in air-conditioned comfort.
Paradise Vintage Market — a 32,000 square foot space that offers 250 spaces — offers that option and a whole lot more.
“It has been open here since 2023 because we had to move from our old location after Hurricane Ian,” Paradise Vintage Market managing partner Beth Meyer said of the old Hope Chest location. “We have been really happy to be a part of the community here. It is larger, about a third larger. It is the largest antique mall, vintage market in Southwest Florida.”
Vendors rent space and shoppers pay at a central cashier at the antique mall. The market is currently at 90% capacity, as it is always transitioning as people move in and out, while others are only there during the season.
“We have just about everything you didn’t know you really needed,” she said.
Items range from rocks, crystals, fossils, and seashells to vintage clothing, collectibles, glassware, and home décor.
“After the hurricane we had customers coming in and looking for a piece of China that may have been damaged, replaced lights, lamps, furniture and rugs and looking for vintage items similar to items they had before the hurricane,” Meyers said.
The market is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
From September through June there is also an outdoor market, more resembling a flea market from 5 a.m. until noon on Saturday mornings.
“We have a core group and then after 5:05 a.m., if we have any space available then they are welcome to set up if it is somebody new,” Meyer said. “We have a limited number of outdoor vendors. The merchandise is not the type of things we have indoors.”
The market also hosts a Vintage Road Show where they go into communities and clubs providing members with an opportunity to bring in an item they can identify and provide information about. She said they have done it all over Lee County.
“We are grateful to be a part of the North Fort Myers community,” Meyer said.
Paradise Vintage Market is at 13821 North Cleveland Ave.
Don’t forget an old . . . and favorite standby
Just want to kick back and enjoy a good book? Or opt the kids into a program that fun, educational or both?
North Fort Myers Public Library is also a great destination to beat the heat, as there are many programs offered for young and old alike, as well as a plethora of books to check out.
FILE/MICHAEL PISTELLA
The library is at 2001 N. Tamiami Trail.
NFMNL
This column/release/story appears in the latest issue of the North Fort Myers Neighbor Living magazine, available at locations throughout North Fort Myers.