Ford, Edison, and Naples

Today was an historic day of sorts, or at least historical.  I got to play the history nerd and I spent the day at museums of sorts.  I visited the Henry Ford and the Thomas Edison estates and got to see how the other half lived.  Nice spreads, if you don't mind getting lost in your own home.  They have kind of made them into time capsules and that is always fun.

I made it to Naples and got to see historic Naples as they call it.  Quaint.  I found it kind of funny--let's just say this.  I am pretty sure that the real history had a bit more diversity than was portrayed in the official version on display and referenced.  Also, all of it is put out there like this is some sort of paradise, and that life has been, is, and will be darn near perfect.  324 days of sunshine a year, perfect average temperature and on and on and on.    Except for the hurricanes, yellow fever, things that can eat you in the woods and water, a sun that can fry your innards, a very very red county and things like that.  Otherwise this place is darn near perfect...

I gave up doing much around 4:00 and just went for a walk.  The waterfront and the fancy part of town is nice, though a bit out of my income bracket.  I really want to eat at least one decent meal, and while I thought money wasn't much of an object, I revised that pretty quickly.  I browsed one menu where the cheapest item on the menu was $26.00, and that was an appetizer!  I am certain that there are good, reasonably priced places to eat, but I have not found them yet.  There are a ton of middle of the row chains, and lots of "family" type places. And some appropriately sleazy places in strip malls.  I think the vast middle is served by mediocrity and there are a few very good expensive places and then there are lots of places that have easy to chew food with the senior menu on the front rather than on the back page.  It's in big type, too.

I did stop at one nicer place and try a drink that was suggested.  Supposedly, the better quality, aged rum, rum about 15 years old is supposed to be good when sprayed with a little lime juice.  Maybe the rum was too old, or not old enough or the lime was old or something but I have to say I was not a fan.  I even drank two different kinds, just to make sure.  Don't say I didn't give it the ol' college try.  I am a fan of old things--they do get better with age, just like me.   I like really old scotch and port, for example.  Rum, I think, belongs in drinks with umbrellas.  Though old stuff (and people) are expensive and if I ever found someone mixing a $100 bottle of rum with pineapple juice I would be a bit disappointed.

Tomorrow is baseball--mid-80s, the Redsox, and stadium food.  Might be kind of fun, and perhaps I might even find a photo tomorrow.