Gulf Coast: Circuses, mythical creatures and Ernie Els’ favorite layout

The Ritz-Carlton Naples is a luxurious place to start on the west coast, although you’re only cheating yourself if you don’t head into the Everglades and check out the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters. The Skunk Ape is Florida’s version of Bigfoot. Skeptics abound, but there’s no scientific evidence that Mickey Mouse is real either, and that hasn’t stopped the sale of millions of his T-shirts.

The way southwest Florida is growing, you might soon find the Skunk Ape sipping a latte at a Starbucks. Imagine a modern-day Oklahoma land rush, only most of the Sooners are retirees from the Midwest looking for arthritis-friendly weather.

Built in 1930, the Naples Beach Golf Club was the first golf course in the area, which remained relatively quiet (compared with South Florida) for decades. Until recently. A new course has not been built for every new resident in the past 20 years. It only seems that way.

But that doesn’t mean every city looks and feels the same, mainly because there are no real cities. Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota and Bradenton have historic cores surrounded by miles of real-estate developments. Tourists come here for the beaches, not the attractions.

Circus pioneer John Ringling was one of the first. He bought a few islands and set an aristocratic tone that still rings around Sarasota. If you want to spend $450 for a pair of sunglasses, St. Armand’s Circle on Lido Key is a good spot. For a bit less, Longboat Key Club has 45 plush holes.

Leaving Sarasota, you can take I-275 and enjoy the view from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. You’ll end up in St. Petersburg, which isn’t entirely comprised of retirees, but you will have no problem finding an Early Bird Special.