LAURA ARCHAZKI-PACTER / Staff

Vineyards kindergartners in Mrs. Perry'­s class prepare to board the Naples Trolley under the direction of their driver, Mark Bowman. More than 150 kindergarten students and their teachers enjoyed a tour of the community, including 25 stops at local landmarks and destinations, such as the Naples Philharmonic, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Coastland Center and area beaches.

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Vineyards Elementary School kindergarteners and their teachers recently enjoyed a trolley tour of their community, thanks to the school’s Parent Teacher Association, which provides one field trip per grade level per year.

“This is the first time using the trolley system,” said PTA President Carrie Fales. “They will simplify the tour detail to the kindergarten level.”

The tour included 25 sites around the city of Naples and Collier County.

Kindergarten teacher Heather McElroy jumped aboard the trolley, sharing the excitement of the trip with her kindergarteners after a brief overview of the tour from trolley driver Rad Weaver.

Weaver’s spiel included the history of the teddy bear, as he recalled the origins with President Ted E. Roosevelt, an avid hunter. Weaver explained that Roosevelt could not bring himself to shoot his first bear and when they made a replica of it, the teddy bear was born.

“I will show them Naples and the beach, but it is important to talk about history and Everglades restoration, too,” Weaver explained.

McElroy said the outing provided students with a better understanding of their community, replacing previous annual outings.

“We used to go to the Naples Dinner Theatre,” she said, “After the theater closed, a parent recommended the idea of the trolley ride.”

Not surprisingly, children had a lot to say about the various locales they visited.

“I had fun because I got to go by Bobbin Hollow, where I ride horses, and I saw the train station,” said Elizabeth Skubinski.

Six-year-old Brielle Bellamy shared her preferred highlights.

“We drove by my grandma’s house, Waterside Shops, and the Philharmonic,” she said. “I saw the “Nutcracker” at the Philharmonic.”

The overall favorites of the kindergarten students were the Naples Train Depot, The Philharmonic, the Ritz-Carlton, Coastland Center, and local beaches.