Naples Light Walk A Few Miles From Home
Naples , a
great place for a stroll! During the Holiday season, these giant
houses do their best to out-do each other in the house decoration
department.
A great place for a dose of holiday cheer on a cold
evening, bundled up, bring your friends and make a full circle
of the island.
We joined Carri Fox and friends for a journey
around the island.
Naples is a series of islands located in Alamitos Bay in Long Beach,
California. Naples consists of three separate islands, all with
canals running into the bay. The streets on the island all have
Italian names. The center of Naples features a large fountain, which
over the years, has grown to become a popular meeting spot.
The major thoroughfare in the Naples area is 2nd Street, with
Pacific Coast Highway the closest major street.
The Long Beach community of Belmont Shore is to the west of Naples,
and the Peninsula is to the south, across Alamitos Bay. The city of
Seal Beach is to the east.
Put On Your Walking Shoes
Did You Know? -
When you look at the photos of Naples old and new, you can't help but
wish the "Treasure Island" of blue channels and bays had never changed.
Though they once were for tourists to enjoy, today Naples is a series of
manmade islands that contain residences. The homes are beautiful, but
not real useful to tourists vacationing in Long Beach and Southern
California.
You can still fall in love with Naples and enjoy it, however, thanks to
its public canals that are especially charming on a gondola ride. The
Gondola Getaway is the biggest tourist attraction in Naples, which
consists of the islands filled with narrow streets and houses, a plaza
with a beautiful water fountain, and some shops and convenience stores
on 2nd Street.
For those who prefer a bit more sport than watch a gondolier row you
around the bay, consider renting a lightweight kayak near the Leeway
Sailing Center where the gondolas launch daily.
The Alamitos Bay is the kid-friendly, family-friendly, beginner's best
place to take up the sport of kayaking. You'll often see lap swimmers
ply the bay waters, watch sabot sailboats (that were invented here),
kayaks and kids and adults having fun in the watercraft or just in the
water.
To enjoy the Naples gem, fashioned after an Italian waterfront
community, head down 2nd Street and turn at Bayshore Drive to find the
kayak rentals, gondola rides and a small sand beach that's across the
bay from Naples (which doesn't have much in the way of beaches.)
