Naples, fall 2023.

Another Naples Florida work trip. This is for the fall 2023 season. Which started Sunday the 10th, at 4:00 am (🫠).

First flight, BOI to MSP

There (at MSP) I was introduced to what an espresso martini is, never have I ever had one.

Two beverages on a counter, one in a martini glass, garnished with coffee beans, the other in a ceramic mug with a straw, both with a frothy top.

After an almost 5 hour overlay – and a beer or two – our next destination was Fort Myers, FL, MSP to RSW.

This one is probably the longest flight of the two, I little over 3 hours. It kind of sucks. We also took off late as they needed to deice the plane before taking off.

View from an airplane window showing a wing covered with frost over an airport tarmac, with another airplane and gate visible in the background under an overcast sky.

View from an airplane window on a rainy day, showing a wing of the aircraft and raindrops on the glass.

Thus, we arrived much later than planned and famished. Very uneventful evening after that, quick dinner, hotel check-in, and sleep!

Monday

Field day, cucurbits evaluation (squash, and watermelon)

The day started great, we may or may not have gotten stuck in the sand with our truck, though (🫠).

A white pickup truck stuck in deep ruts on a sandy dirt road with fields on either side and a clear blue sky overhead.

Otherwise, a perfect fall Florida day in the field.

Rows of green crops growing in an agricultural field with plastic mulch, under a cloudy blue sky.

A person walking between rows of lush, green crops with blooming yellow flowers on a farm, under a cloudy blue sky.

Rural landscape with a dirt road leading through cultivated fields under a dramatic sky with scattered clouds.

A ripe watermelon growing in a garden, surrounded by its leaves and vines.

Two types of zucchinis, one striped and one solid dark green, growing on a plant with large leaves.

Spot the off-type there (😉)

Truly, the weather was perfect!

After a long first day, it was time to wind down but also meet up with other colleagues for supper. Not before doing some computer work as well. We found this little cute bar in Downtown Naples,Old Naples Pub, Naples

A display featuring a guitar, a hat, festive decorations, and a collage of historical photographs and newspaper clippings on a wooden wall.

It was small and cozy but very inviting. And of course, they had gator bites for appetizers so, I mean, when in Florida… 🐊

Then we head out for dinner, at this place called,The Dock, Naples

It was a really nice spot and by the dock or marina. We were the only people sitting outside with the view of the marina and Christmas decorations in the distance.

A wooden sign with the words “The Dock” painted in gold cursive letters against a blue background, mounted on a wall with horizontal siding.

A nighttime view of a marina with several moored boats and waterfront buildings illuminated by ambient lights in the background. A sign with “No Trespassing” is visible in the foreground.

An outdoor dining area at night with empty tables and chairs, Christmas decorations, tropical plants, and ceiling fans.

A decorated Christmas tree with red ornaments and white lights stands outdoors at night, flanked by tropical plants. A large red bow adorns a nearby post and wrapped presents rest at the tree’s base on a white fluffy mat.

An outdoor dining area at night with tropical plants and hanging basket planters, illuminated by warm lighting. Ceiling fans and heaters are installed above. Tables are set with white chairs arranged around them, and some decorative red bows are visible.

An outdoor patio area at night with wooden walls, decorated with hanging plant baskets and three Christmas wreaths with lights. Wooden surfboards are mounted on the wall, and there’s a wooden bench with striped cushions. The scene is lit by ambient lighting,

The food was great, obviously mostly seafood (no pictures, however). I remember having some kind of pasta with lobster and probably the best cornbread I’ve ever had in my life. It was more cakey than bready.

Tuesday, day two.

Sweetcorn evaluation. Nothing too exciting, we only had less than 1K plants to evaluate, finding two off-types. It took us a little over 10 minutes. Once the data was collected, we decided to go out to do some computer work over brunch.

We found this little place called, The Rooster, Naples

The Rooster

A cozy cafe interior with rustic wood tables, red chairs, bench seating with cushions, menus, condiment bottles, wall decor including planters and artwork, and a counter in the background.

It is a very southern cuisine style. I was tempted by the chicken and waffles but that I can find almost anywhere. So I went for some Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Benne with Poached Eggs & Citrus Hollandaise. And a Hummingbird Cake to finish it off.

A plate of eggs Benedict with a side of roasted potatoes, garnished with fresh herbs, on a wooden table.

A slice of carrot cake topped with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries on a red and white patterned plate with a fork, placed on a wooden surface.

So good!

Then we needed a space to do some more real computer work. So we found a spot at the, Ridgway Bar & Grill, Naples.

Here was pretty much at the heart of downtown Naples. The people here were weird, well, pretentious Floridians or perhaps not even Floridians and more like snowbirds. Every conversation we overheard was about expensive cars, boats, and typical entitled people like complaints. It was an interesting perspective to witness.

Outdoor restaurant setting with a row of black wicker chairs, menus on the tables, and a large ceiling fan above; festive decorations, including a Christmas tree, are visible in the background.

Tuesday evening. A colleague from Woodland, happened to also be in town on a different project, so we agreed to meet up for dinner at the Divieto Ristorante, Aventura. An Italian restaurant. I had a hard time making up some of the stuff on the menu unless I read the description. And omg, they had a tomahawk steak.

Part of a restaurant menu featuring two steak options: a 40 oz. tomahawk steak priced at $136.95.

A purchase that my boss advised against it (😅). We suggested ordering it, eating it between all of us, and splitting the check (😁).

The worst part about this restaurant is, they have no beer! And their wine list was so massive, I had no idea what to go for. Eventually, I went with the server’s recommendation which was a DiNotte Mezzacorona Red blend. It was pretty good and I thought it’d be a very expensive wine. I looked it up, turns out, that it is about a 10.00 USD bottle of wine u less I found the wrong thing.

Anyway, we had some CARPACCIO DI MANZO as an appetizer,

Thin slices of beef topped with fresh mushrooms, arugula, and shaved parmesan cheese, drizzled with white truffle oil. Served with focaccia bread.

The entree, a DIVIETO SPECIAL STEAK

Enjoy this house specialty. Grilled to perfection skirt steak in our signature mushroom-Madeira wine sauce. Served with mashed potatoes.

All pretty tasty and spendy. After some rock paper scissors to who would pay for dinner, in the end, there was no real winner (I mean I won, however) since we ended up spilling the bill anyway. Turns out, Italian restaurants can be pretty expensive.

And that was pretty much the trip. It was full of good food, good times with colleagues, and good weather.

Then, all over again on the way back. RSW TO MSP, MSP to BOI.

Some of the movies were watched during this trip.

🍿 A Compassionate Spy (2022)

A Compassionate Spy poster

🍿 Fast X (2023)

Fast X poster

🍿 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves poster

🍿 Gran Turismo (2023)

Gran Turismo poster

🍿 Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One poster

Gabz @Gabz