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Update 7/21/16: The Edison & Ford Winter Estates is offering a special ticket price from July 25-31 for players to hunt for Pokèmon along the riverside. Collier County Museums will hold Pokèmon Lure Parties starting July 30.
Update 7/20/16: The Naples Zoo is hosting another Pokèmon meet-up July 30 and an ongoing photo contest.
Update 7/18/16: The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has released a map with its extensive Pokèmon attractions.
Just like I trapped a Charmander yesterday, Pokèmon Go has trapped me. Only a few days ago I was part of the Never Pokèmon movement, silently judging the small crowds wandering my development seeking out cartoon monsters. Now, I’m looking for excuses to “walk the dog” because a Rattata might be near the mailbox.
The Pokèmon Go craze has swept over the world swiftly, more or less happening over the past week or so. The long and short of it if you’re unaware of this game (and, yes, I’m now silently judging you for not knowing) is that it’s a free app that you download to your smartphone that leads you on an augmented reality hunt to catch Pokèmon monsters. You can stay around your neighborhood or venture out. Part of the fun is discovering the hot spots around town where you can catch or train Pokémon.
Southwest Florida is just starting to reveal itself in the world of Pokémon. Centennial Park in Fort Myers has become a meeting ground, for example. The Naples Zoo has become a destination, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today (July 15), it’s placing lures around the grounds to attract Pokémon.
A few other events coming up:
A Pokemon Go Picnic is scheduled for noon this Sunday (July 17) in Centennial Park in Fort Myers. Already, more than 300 people have signed up.
Satisfy both your inner child and adult with the Pokèmon Go Bar Crawl starting at 7 p.m. July 23 in downtown Fort Myers. Millennial Brewing Co. has been offering rides on its golf cart for hunters.
If you’re looking to join up with other fans:
The Lee County Pokemon Go and SWFL Pokemon Go Locations are private groups on Facebook where you can share favorite places to catch the little monsters. Pokemon Go SWFL and Pokemon Go Region: SWFL are open groups.
Several Google Maps have started up with good locations, too. The Poke Radar has an extensive listing of locations worldwide but needs some help from the Southwest Florida community to fill it out.