DETAILS

Naples, Fla.

GETTING THERE: There are numerous flights to Fort Myers, Fla., from the three Washington area airports. Nonstop service is offered by AirTran from BWI and Reagan; Southwest from BWI; US Airways from Reagan National; and United from Washington Dulles. During sales, round-trip flights go as low as $139 but typically are about $220 round trip. From Fort Myers, it's about a 40-minute drive south to Naples.

GETTING AROUND: A rental car is the best way to explore the Naples area. All the major rental companies operate out of Southwest Florida International Airport. Expect to pay about $400 for a weekly rental during high season. If you take a taxi to Naples, a downtown trolley makes stops at Vanderbilt Beach, the shopping areas and many hotels.

WHERE TO STAY: For families or large groups, renting a condominium is an attractive alternative to staying in a hotel, especially if you intend to cook Thanksgiving dinner. Many require a minimum one-month rental, but it's worth asking, because some are happy for last-minute, short-term business.

My family has a two-bedroom condo on the 18th tee at Vanderbilt Country Club (8250 Danbury Blvd., 239-348-2662, http://www.vanderbiltcountryclub.com/). The friendly gated community has several swimming pools, tennis courts and a full restaurant. Rentals start at about $1,800 a month.

One of the larger rental companies is ResortQuest (26201 Hickory Blvd., Bonita Springs, 800-237-2010, http://www.naplesvacation.com/). The Web site lists a single-family home for $3,000 a week.

Naples has a Ritz-Carlton to suit the beach lover and another for golf addicts. If you're a bit of both, the hardest decision might be choosing which one. Both offer every imaginable luxury, and guests are free to use the facilities at both. The original Ritz-Carlton Naples (280 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., 239-598-3300, http://www.ritzcarlton.com/) is the grande dame, oozing Mediterranean opulence. Guests walk through a lush mangrove forest to get to the beach, where the staff waits on your every need. The hotel has a spa, heated pools and tennis courts. The newer property is the inland Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort (2600 Tiburón Dr., 239-593-2000, http://www.ritzcarlton.com), home to Greg Norman's daunting Tiburón Golf Course and the Rick Smith Golf Academy. Double rooms at both properties start at $359 per night.

The Inn on Fifth (699 Fifth Ave. S., 888-403-8778, http://www.innonfifth.com/) is centrally located, which means you don't have to go far in search of fun or food. But that also means it can be noisy. Rooms are beautifully decorated in this former bank building, the beach about six blocks away. Rates are between $190 and $360 a night.

Good-quality budget hotels are hard to come by in Naples, but one good option is the Inn by the Sea (287 11th Ave. S., 800-584-1268). The bed-and-breakfast is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and located in Olde Naples, which means you can skip the rental car. The inn, which charges about $160 a night for a room, provides free beach towels, chairs and bikes.

WHERE TO EAT: Big and boisterous, Campiello Ristorante (1177 Third St. S., 239-435-1166) is the place to be seen. The most popular spot is the outdoor bar, where revelers have their choice of designer martinis ($9 for the key lime, $8.50 for a hurricane alley). Campiello has wood-oven pizzas (about $12) as well as such elaborate entrees as pan-roasted grouper for $26.50 and a pork loin chop milanese for $19.50.

A decidedly different type of Italian restaurant is Gabriello's (Tamiami Trail and Old U.S. 41, North Naples, 239-596-9144), where owner Toby Gabriello greets customers with a smile and a hug. It's cozy bordering on kitschy. You can dance to live music most nights, which is a good thing, because Toby serves heaping portions of pasta, veal and steaks. Entrees are about $18.

For a quiet French meal overlooking the water, reserve an outdoor table at Marie-Michelle's Restaurant on the Bay (in the Village at Venetian Bay, 4236 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 239-263-0900). The food is some of the best in Naples, the setting unmatched. The bouillabaisse has just the right amount of saffron and pernod, and the Chilean sea bass is never overcooked. Dinner entrees run from $21 to $35.

BEACHES: Read about Naples's several award-winning beaches at http://www.floridastateparks.org/. On Black Friday, my family can be found at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park (end of Immokalee Road, 239-597-6196), whose gorgeous white sand is unmarred by commercial activity. There's a concession stand, a boat launch and nature tours. Five bucks will get you and a car full of loved ones in for the day. For a little more excitement, try the beach at Naples Pier (12th Avenue South, 239-213-3062, http://www.explorenaples.com/).

GOLF: There are more golf courses than beaches in Naples. Tiburón Golf Course at the Ritz-Carlton (239-594-2040) is probably the most famous and most challenging. Designed by pro golfer Greg Norman, the two courses offer British links-style golf. (A round in November runs $170; greens fees drop in the offseason and later in the afternoon.) The Connolly family holds its Thanksgiving day turkey tournament at Vanderbilt Country Club (see details above). Guest fees are $65.

You'll have to drive a few miles out, but Valencia Golf and Country Club (Interstate 75 at Exit 111, 239-352-0777, http://www.valenciagolfandcountryclub.com/) is worth it. It's a steal at $59, including golf cart.

The Web site Florida Golf ( http://www.fgolf.com/courses.htm) offers information on courses across the state. Several resorts offer hotel-and-golf packages, including Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club (851 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., 800-455-1546, http://www.naplesbeachhotel.com/) and La Playa Beach and Golf Resort (9891 Gulf Shore, 239-597-3123, http://www.laplayaresort.com/).

WHAT ELSE TO DO: The Philharmonic Center for the Arts (5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., 800-597-1900, http://www.thephil.org/) is home to the Naples Museum of Art and the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. The winter schedule is packed, with Broadway shows, a lecture series, Woody Allen's jazz band and the Miami City Ballet.

The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens (1590 Goodlette-Frank Rd., 239-262-5409, http://www.napleszoo.com/) gets good reviews. One of the most popular attractions is the Night Eyes Tour, in which visitors use night-vision goggles. General admission is $15.95.

INFORMATION: Naples, Marco Island and Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau, 800-688-3600, http://www.paradisecoast.com/, or Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, 239-262- 6141, http://www.napleschamber.org/.

-- Ceci Connolly