Sanibel Island Treasures ... and a ''Best¨ Beach Challenge

During our three weeks on Sanibel Island, we transitioned from ''vacation'' mode to ''everyday living'' mode. The ''daily grind'', as Doug jokingly referred to it, involved twice daily beach walks and/or bike rides as we explored different parts of the island. Sights like the magnificent colors of the evening sky dancing with the ocean waves were starting to feel almost ''routine'' to me ... Not good ... this beauty should never be taken for granted. 

As I looked out over the blue water, heard the crashing of the waves, and savored the warm sunshine on my face, I felt more than just a little bit guilty. Everyone is experiencing a different type of winter this year. The pandemic continues to present challenges to so many people, and I am feeling guilty that our ''challenge'' is to hang around Florida as we patiently wait for our chance to receive the vaccine. So in an attempt to lessen my guilty conscience, I would like to send a little sunshine your way as I look back and appreciate the ''small treasures'' that surround us and wait to be noticed and celebrated every day.

Beach Treasures ...

A star-fish hoping someone will throw him back ... we lent a hand!

Parents having just as much fun as their children building castles in the sand!

Mountains of shells ... do I need any more?

A beachside wedding promise to love and adore!

Wildlife Treasures ... 

Real life lawn ornaments begging for lunch,

or vultures trying not to get their feathers in a bunch.

Roseate Spoonbill, so pretty in pink,

and Gopher Tortoise, more friendly than one would think.

Flora Treasures ...

Mangrove roots ... what is up and what is down?

Leaves of every color just hanging around.

Flowers so unique, delicate, and small,

the colorful details are sure to enthrall.

Sunset Treasures ...

Where the sky touches the sea,

is always the best place to be.

The ''Best'' Beach Challenge

I can't say that we are experts, but during our few weeks of twice daily beach walks, we got to be fairly knowledgeable of beach ''quality''. So when our friend Dave (who has spent a fair amount of his vacation life walking the beaches also) said that he though Tigertail Beach on nearby Marco Island was better than the Sanibel Island beaches, we had to check it out for ourselves. So here is my ''unscientific'' evaluation of:

Bowman Beach on Sanibel Island

and

Tigertail Beach on Marco Island

Sand Quality

• Bowman Beach: White and not so fine with many mounds of shells. I would advise wearing shoes to walk unless your feet are really calloused from years of going barefoot as a kid.
• Tigertail Beach: White, fine, good-for-bare-feet type sand.

Ease of walking on the beach

• Bowman Beach: miles of wide and relatively flat, compacted sand
• Tigertail Beach: mostly flat, but depending on the tide, you sometimes lose sight of the beach and may need to climb around beach tree sculptures and other obstacles.

Shell collecting

• Bowman Beach: Shells EVERYWHERE, but you have to get in the water to find the really big and rare ones.
• Tigertail Beach: Be ready to take a two mile hike to the northern end of the island in order to find the really neat ones ... including sand dollars!

Parking and facilities

• Bowman Beach: Large amount of parking, picnic areas, and bathrooms close to the beach, but be prepared to pay $5/hour to park.
• Tigertail Beach: A good size parking lot for $8/day, but you will need to walk about a half mile through a lot of loose sand to get to the ocean beach area ... oh, and remember to use the bathroom facilities in the parking lot, as there are no facilites on the beach.

Crowds

• Bowman Beach: It is farther from the main entrance onto the island, so it doesn't get super busy early in the day, but because it is the best place to see the sunset, the crowds gather at the end of the day.
• Tigertail Beach: Once you reach the beach area, it is HUGE, so you can easily enjoy your own space.

And the winner is ???

I will let you decide. All I really know is that ...

Whatever beach you choose to seize,

let the sunshine and ocean breeze

put your mind and soul at ease.

And that is what we all need right now ... even if it only comes from looking at pictures of beaches while planning for that future beach vacation.

Life doesn't always go as we expect, but let's all hang in there and support each other. By taking time to notice and appreciate the ordinary everyday beauty around us ... whether during a walk in the snow or on a sandy beach ... you can enjoy an abundance of treasures!

Sanibel Island ''Vacation''

Hard to believe as we looked at the blooming tropical flowers surrounding us that this was not our first choice of where to be hanging out in January. In normal times, we would be seeing simular beauty as we walked the streets of Medellín, Colombia. But in this not-so-normal winter, we needed to make other plans.

And hard to believe as we walked the beach that this was not even our second choice of where to be spending the winter. With travel limited to the United States, maybe this was the year to explore the beaches of Hawaii?? Airfare was reasonable, and condo rentals were plentiful, but there were still too many questions surrounding the feasibility of traveling that far away in the era of Covid. We hope to plan that trip in a more normal travel future.

As we realized this week, we are happy to have been able to follow the migrating monarchs to Sanibel Island on the southern Gulf coast of Florida. We were able to reserve a spot at the only RV park on the small barrier island, so Periwinkle Park and Campground is our home for the next few weeks. As we started to explore the area around us, we felt like we have arrived at the perfect ''vacation'' spot ...

... even for people like us who are always on vacation.

At $62/night, it is a little more than we are used to paying, but definitely less than the condo rentals on the island, and we get to take our kitchen and bedroom with us. It is really nice having the beach just a half mile away and the bike trail right out the front gate. We have a full hook-up site that is (mostly) separated from our neighbors with island palms and greenery. The park owners are tropical bird and primate lovers so we are surrounded by ...

many feathered friends like ''Pumpkin'' squawking to greet us each morning,

as well as acrobatic squirrel monkeys entertaining all in their central garden area.

And having the Dairy Queen right down the street serves as a good reward for Doug after putting in a full day's ''work'' of biking and beach walking.

Getting In and Around Sanibel Island

Sanibel Island, a popular beach vacation destination, is easily accessible from Fort Myers, Florida by a man-made causeway. With miles of sandy beaches and numerous wildlife preserves, Sanibel sounded like it could provide plenty of ''fun in the sun'' activities to keep us entertained. And it has not disappointed. While there is plenty of day traffic coming from the mainland to the beaches, we have allowed Baby Beest to be in ''vacation mode'' as we can walk or bike to wherever we want to go on the small island. And that's a good thing because the very limited parking at the Sanibel beaches runs $5/hour.

Biking and walking are the way to go! The island has over twenty-five miles of bike trails alongside the main roads that lead to the many beaches and natural preserve areas. Needless to say, we are enjoying getting our daily bike rides and walks in as well as collecting some of the numerous sea shells that blanket the beaches. 

Anyone want some sea shells???

I just can't pass picking up a few of these tropical treasures during our beach walks!

Sanibel Island Wildlife Refuges

Over fifty percent of Sanibel Island contains protected wetlands and wildlife refuges including the most famous, the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Our hikes so far have revealed ...  

numerous local and migratory birds admiring their reflection while hunting for lunch in the many inland bodies of water,

stealthy iguanas hiding in the trees as we pass by (do you see him??),

and Doug's favorite, the gopher tortoise waiting for a safe opportunity to cross the bike trail.

Doug's search for the elusive alligators, however, continues to be (so far) unsuccessful.

Sanibel Island Beaches

Follow the boardwalks for Sanibel's other treasure. At the end lies the pristine white sand beaches that draw most people to this vacation paradise. Lighthouse Beach, on the eastern edge of the island, seems to be the most popular as it is located nearest to the lodging and restaurant district. 

But our advice ... leave the crowds behind and drive or bike to the more isolated western side of Sanibel Island. Bowman's Beach offers more parking, picnic, and restroom facilities, and much better sunset views. It has a larger and more sandy beach area, and if you walk just a little ways along the shore, you will have your own private piece of tropical paradise. A little further down the road (at the point where Sanibel Island ends and the bridge to Captiva Island begins), Blind Pass Beach gifts you with another sandy beach area along with great shelling opportunities ... especially if you time your visit to coincide with low tide.

Vacation ''Souvenirs''

As the Covid-19 vaccines start to be distributed, we are hopeful that tropical winter ''vacations'' will return ... especially for our friends in the north. In the meantime, we would love to send you some beach scenery ''souvenirs''.

Maybe ...

a white ibis looking fairly grand,

or a smiling sea shell man in the sand,

or flowering bushes so colorful and bright,

or a gumbo limbo tree ... a twisted delight.

Which one can would you choose??

Yes, our time on Sanibel has seemed a lot like a vacation ... minus eating in the restaurants, visiting the museums, and hanging out with the crowds. Travel is not totally normal yet, and that is ok with us as we want to do our part to slow the spread. Daily we read stories about our hard working healthcare and essential workers, and we want you to know that we appreciate all you do for our community. Thank You!! Hope is on the horizon with the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccine, but in the meantime, we will stay hunkered down in Florida and hopefully pass on a little sunshine through our blog posts. 

Always remember that ...

as the new year is set in motion,

we join the shore birds in hopeful anticipation

of the return of our dear friends for a sunny beach vacation!

PS ... I want to dedicate this blog to the memory of my eighth grade English teacher, Mrs Culnane who passed away this week at the age of 101. She started her career after raising her children, taught for 44 years, and retired at the ripe ''young age'' of 93. I think of her with every comma, prepositional phrase, and dangling participle. I am grateful for the many ''composition'' assignments that she gave us that fueled my love of creative writing and journeling at a young age. To all the teachers out there ... be assured that you are making a positive impact on the life of your students!