Looking for a family-friendly Florida South Gulf Coast vacation rental with white sand beaches, baseball spring training, and day trip proximity to Sanibel Island and Everglades National Park? Fort Myers, a top national resort choice since the first Royal Palm Hotel was built in 1898, has many money-saving vacation rental apartments, condos, and homes. Choose a beachfront vacation rental, or opt for walking proximity to the friendly downtown and fishing pier. Choose from over 100 golf courses. The whole family will enjoy Fort Myers' walking and hiking trails, nature preserves, bird and wildlife viewing, fishing, and boating.

Use the money-savings from your Fort Myers vacation rental to treat the whole family to a day tour that includes an Everglades boat trip. An Everglades airboat ride can bring dolphins and alligators almost to touching distance. Take a half-day sunset sailing tour, or a full-day sail viewing dolphins, rays, and seabirds. Board a fishing boat to catch snapper, grouper, cobia, mackerel, amberjack, tarpon and shark. For a change of pace, try a guided kayak tour of manatee habitats or the new kayak launches at Bunche Beach.

Fort Myers was still a wilderness frontier town when Thomas Edison arrived in 1885, and bought riverfront land to build his Seminole Lodge winter home and research laboratory. Edison’s friend, Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, built his Mangoes winter home next door in 1915. Today, a museum offers guided and audio tours of the Edison-Ford Winter Estates homes, 20 acres of botanical gardens, and Edison’s winter laboratories.

Make your Fort Myers vacation rental home your base for watching Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball spring training. Watch Red Sox Grapefruit League games against the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, and other teams at City of Palms Park near downtown Fort Myers. The Minnesota Twins have their spring training camp nearby in south Lee County. Take a short ride out to Hammond Stadium to watch the Twins. During the regular baseball season, treat the whole family to a Sky-Suite, Drink Rail, or Lawn Seating to watch the Fort Myers Miracle, a Class-A Florida State League Minnesota Twins affiliate.

Play the city-owned Eastwood Golf Course, one of the top U.S. public courses. Take the kids mini-golfing at Castle Golf. Listen to Classical and Pops concerts by the Southwest Florida Symphony. Try the family buffet at the Broadway Palms Dinner Theatre. In March, combine your money-saving vacation rental with a visit to the Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival. Don't forget to stop downtown to learn about pirates, cattle raising, and the Seminole Indian wars at the Fort Myers Historical Museum.