Tuesday, April 6, 2010

13. Reflect on the field trip to Downtown Fort Myers.

I first just want to say that I was very impressed by downtown Fort Myers. I had never been there until the field trip and had a skewed opinion of the city. People always told me it was in a bad neighborhood, it was dirty, etc. but it was one of the nicer major city's I have ever visited. In the past, it seemed like residents of Fort Myers used downtown to obtain most of their goods and services. Whether that be going to the market to pick up groceries, purchasing materials to make clothing, or simply using the park as a place to gather. Now with the increased population and development in the area, downtown seems to be a place where people visit to see the historic sites of Fort Myers and visit for vacation. Just as you showed us with the song, socially downtown, used to be "the place to be", now it is simply another area to visit and purchase things you need. The use of the river has most definitely changed over time. In the past, locals used the river as a means of transportation and source of food. They would travel on home-made boats and fish in the river to provide food. The river does still provide a means of transportation for people with boats and yachts, but it just seems to be different now. It is again more of a tourist location, that people frequent to simply "check out" and it is not a necessary tool for survival. Overall, I really enjoyed the field trip, it was nice to see the historic sights and beautiful waterways. I hope to go back there again soon!

No comments:

Post a Comment