You are a traveler from somewhere in the northern parts of the US. You’ve heard about this warm place that people go to during winter; a place where it seems like it’s summer all year round due to its climate. You hop off the train and you find yourself in a small yet rather welcoming spot in Fifth Avenue of Naples, Florida, where you can see an automobile shop, a gas station, a liquor store and a small bank all tightly fitted in a nice little corner which you’d learn quite soon enough that the place is indeed aptly named Four Corners.
Welcome to the City of Naples circa 1920.
During the roaring 20’s Naples, was a small and quiet town. Not much roaring going about around here except probably the roaring sounds of the construction of US 41, a massively ambitious highway project that would link Tampa and Miami and would be pivotal in this small town’s economy in the future. Yet, here you are, standing at the dusty crossroads of a humble town, wondering what all the fuss is about. You may see people on horseback every now and then and while others are on these horseless machines called the automobile (which had been around for a few years already but still have not seemed to get the hang of seeing) all the while feeling the cool salty breeze from the Gulf of Mexico.
Unlike today, there were no big hotels, world-class golf courses, exquisite art galleries and many of the nature parks that are accessible this day are still untamed marshlands yet people still flock to this quaint town that’s so beautiful it was named after that town in Italy. ‘So, what gives?’ your 1920’s traveler self might ask. Well, one thing that had always been with Naples, even before it was settled was its gorgeous beaches. It was only when people found it that they start talking about it, but it was always there, waiting for some romantic poet to appreciate it.
Now, the sub-tropical heat of the area may be too much for a northerner like you and after you’ve seen the sheer beauty of the beach, presumably by the Naples Pier, you may be looking for something to cool yourself down. This is where the first-ever ice cream shop in the City of Naples can help you. Ice cream was a new form of desert back in those days so you’re in for quite the treat.
You can even bring the ice cream to the beach with you to enjoy yourself some ice cold sweets while watching the sun go down the gulf. And then it hits you – now it’s all clear. The reason why Naples, Florida, this obscure underdeveloped town in the southernmost point in the country, attracted so many people (some of whom are even prominent figures like Edison, Ford and Firestone) is the divine and glorious sunset only Nature herself could paint. The serene beauty of the fiery dancing colors in the sky is what made this trip worth it. The experience would leave you so stunned and breathless, you won’t even notice the ice cream melting in your hand.
