In the Know: Get lost in your own backyard

When you move to a new area, it’s best to become a sponge: Get to know your community inside and out. Drive around. Get lost.

To help you immerse yourself in the community, an item called “Get Lost” will be a feature in future columns. It’s merely an invitation to “get lost” in the vacation resort area you live in or are passing through.

This “get lost” advice remains just as useful to Floridians who have become accustomed to their everyday surroundings. It’s beckoning you to become a tourist again and rediscover your home. Take time to take it all in again. Improve your mental map.

This comes in handy when deciphering outdated maps. Because of the area’s rapid growth, maps only a few years old are missing many new streets and are woefully riddled with errors. Keep that in mind.

Of course, to get anywhere, you need to know about our network of roads. It’s important, and probably the No. 1 topic for “In The Know” questions. Everybody has questions about roads.

The Trail

Let’s start with U.S. 41, also known as Tamiami Trail East and North, or simply known by locals as the East Trail or the North Trail.

The intersection where the North Trail (Ninth Street in Naples) turns into the East Trail (Fifth Avenue South in Naples) is known as Four Corners.

The East Trail cuts across the end of the peninsula to Miami and toward the Upper Keys. The northern section of Tamiami Trail ends in Tampa — making the Tampa-to-Miami (Tamiami) connection — although U.S. 41 continues on to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

In Fort Myers, Tamiami Trail is called Cleveland Avenue. South of Fort Myers to the Collier County line, the route is known as Tamiami Trail South. While addresses along the Trail in Bonita Springs are listed as U.S. 41 South, some Bonitans refer to the route as “New 41” to differentiate it from Old 41 Road.

It’s confusing, but necessary to know. Many area businesses regularly use these terms. It gets even more confusing when you consider that other Gulf Coast communities such as Venice and Sarasota have their own Tamiami Trail North and Tamiami Trail South designations.

When using the Trails, it’s best to have a street address. Numbers are especially easy to narrow down to the block with the numbered side streets in Naples.

Best north-south routes

The best obvious north-south routes are Goodlette-Frank and Livingston roads. Goodlette zips by the police station, main post office, the Zoo and Coastland Center mall, with easy access points to downtown Naples, and all major east-west arteries.

Livingston, the baby on the block, provides a quick jaunt north from Radio Road in East Naples, but the road needs to be extended south to Davis Boulevard, maybe even to Rattlesnake Hammock Road, if it’s to be on everybody’s list.

Livingston provides a great connection to other east-west routes up to Bonita Beach Road, and runs by Collier County’s soon-to-be megapark with its massive water attraction.

In Old Naples, Gulfshore Boulevard, Sixth Street and Third Street are usually good routes to take when traveling parallel to the coast because of the lack of stop signs.

Worst north-south routes

Unless going to a specific business, avoid Airport-Pulling Road and the North Trail. Both north-south routes are packed with businesses and are just too busy. Lots of traffic. Lots of lights.

Best east-west routes

The best east-west route is Vanderbilt Beach Road, followed by sections of the East Trail and Golden Gate Parkway. Vanderbilt provides access to the beach and major north-south routes, connects Naples’ Ritz-Carlton resorts and provides easy access to the Pavilion, Galleria and Naples Walk shopping centers before ending (for now) at the Sweetbay on Collier Boulevard, or County Road 951.

When the lights are with you, the East Trail moves fast. Unless slowed by overpass construction, the drive from U.S. 41 or Goodlette to Airport and sometimes Livingston clips along Golden Gate Parkway, not to be confused with Golden Gate Boulevard in Golden Gate Estates.

Worst east-west routes

If possible, avoid Immokalee Road, Pine Ridge Road and Golden Gate Parkway east of Airport-Pulling. All often have too much traffic congestion.

Changing names

When traveling east to west, you’ll notice that many major routes change names when they cross Tamiami Trail: Immokalee Road becomes 111th Avenue North, Pine Ridge Road becomes Seagate Drive, Davis Boulevard becomes Sandpiper Street, Shadowlawn Drive becomes Bayshore Drive, and Rattlesnake Hammock Road becomes Thomasson Drive.

These local facts are a start to what you need to know to best appreciate and navigate the area. Enjoy the journey and look for more tips in weeks ahead.

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Tim Aten is news editor of the Naples Daily News. E-mail questions for this column to intheknow@naplesnews.com.