A matchbook from about 1970 of Tropical Acres Restaurant. The first image is the outside of the book. The second image is the inside.
They are still going strong with great steaks and a great piano player to accompany the fine meals. They are celebrating 60 years this year.
Notice the pine rocklands with their scrubby South Dade pine in the background. Since it doesn’t look like anything along the Tamiami Trail, I’m willing to guess this is the Musa Isle Seminole Village along the Miami River, a tourist attraction that was around until the 1960s.
An old time traditional downtown department store, Gattle’s is among the last of its kind in Florida. Dealing in fine linens since 1904, they’ve branched out to exquisite home décor, including Daum art glass, shell-studded lamps and mirrors, and pastel alligators for your walls. Heck, they even have a lingerie department, which the associates pointed out several times (wink, wink) was through a separate entrance.
Linens are their forte. You’ll find plush Egyptian towels, traditional linen tablecloths, and Hamburg House custom embroidery for those important monograms. But most of all, you’ll find a slice of genuine Florida that’s almost gone … but still hanging on in Naples. Just wish my photo of the store interior had turned out!
Gattle’s
1250 3rd St. S, Naples
239-262-4791
Savage reptiles! Knighthood! Dragons! Alligator wrestling! Here’s the Alligator Farm I remember from my youth …footage from the Wolfsonian archives.
Mercel-Wenzel in Delray Beach
On Atlantic Avenue in downtown Delray Beach, Mercer Wenzel is one of Florida’s last old-time department stores. Established in 1930, it’s probably the only two-story old-fashioned department store left in the state.
The current owner – who bought the place in 1957 – still works in the men’s department. Selling sensible resort wear for men and women, children’s clothing, and home décor in a setting where Sinatra croons; yes, you can find old-fashioned handkerchiefs, robes, and slippers here, too. Open 9-5 Mon-Sat.
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