study, the swimming pool complex as
well as Ford’s house and his caretaker’s
house are all included in your visit. Mina
Edison originally planted many of to-
day’s lush, tropical plants on the 20-acre
property.
Fort Myers boasts several barrier is-
lands that are much loved vacation des-
tinations. The beaches, shells, protected
waters and low-key atmosphere are the
prime attractions of Sanibel and neigh-
boring Captiva.
Sanibel is connected to the main-
land by a nearly three mile long cause-
way that is made up of three bridges
connected by small man-made islands.
One of the joys of crossing the cause-
way is the panoramic view of the area
waterways. Keep your eyes out for dol-
phins and ospreys that like to hang out
in the area.
But the causeway is not just a con-
nection to 12-mile long Sanibel. The
islands along the causeway are parks.
Parking is free and there are restrooms,
picnic tables, and grills. Kayaks and
canoes and other non-motorized water-
craft can be launched here in addition to
beachcombing and swimming.
Once across the causeway
beaches are free but parking is not,
although it is free for bikes. Turn
left toward the lighthouse and stop
at an island favorite: Pinocchio’s
Ice Cream. They make their own
as well as gelato and sorbet,
with different flavors every
day. There are kids cones as
well as free “pup cups” for
four-legged family mem-
bers.
Unlike most Florida barri-
er islands, Sanibel runs east west
and does not have an underwater shelf
where seashells can get stuck, so multi-
tudes of shells wash up on the beaches.
Every March there is a three-day Shell
Festival that attracts worldwide shell
fans. Visitors soon find themselves do-
ing the “Sanibel stoop” in their quest for
shells — some even go out early in the
morning with flashlights.
The Bailey-Matthews Shell Mu-
seum is free during the festival week-
end but it is the place for shell fans any
day. In addition to the exhibits of shells,
history, and science there is a children’s
area. Downstairs there are regular tank
talks with a museum educator. Kids are
invited to sit on mats up front and they
knew the answer to most of the ques-
tions. At the end, everyone can get a
close up look at the living shells in the
tanks. All kids are offered a free shell in
the gift shop.
Beyond the beaches, the main at-
traction of Sanibel is the 6,400-acre J.
N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife
Refuge, named in honor of Darling
who was an ardent conservationist and
editorial cartoonist. Be sure to stop at
the Visitors Center with exhibits, a gift
shop and information on guided walks,
lectures and other programs. Kids can be
sworn in as junior rangers and receive
badges after answering questions (an-
swers can be found in the exhibits).
The 15 mph Wildlife Drive includes
hiking and bike trails, overlooks, board-
walks, canoe and kayak launch sites
and there are often refuge volunteers
stationed at lookout points with tele-
scopes focused on birds and other wild-
life. Some 245 bird species live here.
The drive is closed on
Fridays. Guided tram
tours offer 90-min-
ute narrated drives
along the Wildlife
Drive.
Dolphins
can often be spot-
ted swimming off
Sanibel’s beaches but
for the best chance to see
frolicking dolphins drive
to the tip of five mile long
Captiva (connected to San-
ibel by a small bridge) for
Captiva Cruises. Some days
all the planets are aligned in your
favor as they were on my recent cruise.
While waiting to board
our dolphin cruise, we
witnessed a magical
manatee show in the
South Seas Resort Ma-
rina.
and having a wonderful time. The en-
dangered manatees are very endearing
looking. They are remarkably gentle and
usually just swim, sleep, and eat huge
quantities of aquatic plants.
They are truly gentle giants —
weighing in at roughly 1,200 pounds al-
though some can grow as large as a ton
and half. They have large seal-like bod-
ies that taper to a tail with two forelimbs
and thick wrinkled skin. Manatees are
believed to have evolved from a wading,
plant-eating animal and share a common
ancestor with the elephant.
Onboard the flagship Lady, Chad-
wick, our captain said he hoped every-
one had the chance to witness the nearby
“manatee mayhem.” It was a perfect
day to be out on the smooth water. The
dolphins did not appear until late in the
90-minute cruise but they did not disap-
point, leaping and diving in the wake
of the boat. The cruises are very fam-
ily friendly with a naturalist onboard to
point out the wildlife and answer ques-
tions.
Sanibel Sea School offers camp
sessions for the day or half day as well
as a variety of specialized programs for
kids and adults. Dani Lacy, an educator
continued on page 51
Normally rather
slow moving, this trio
that included a mother
and baby, splashed,
dove and bobbed up
to the surface. They
seemed to be playing
May 2019 WNY Family 15