Sanibel Island

Mike and I have just returned from a 1-week, 3-stop vacation in Florida.

First stop - Sanibel Island!

Sanibel Island is located on the Southwest coast of Florida on the Gulf of Mexico.

View of the condo from the beach

The weather in the Sunshine State is just lovely in March (a great escape from the terribly rainy Beaver State) and it provided a much needed reminder that the sun still exists. This trip was also made exponentially better by the fact that we were joined by Sara and Bobby!


Bobby's parents own a condo on Sanibel Island, which naturally influenced our decision to visit this part of the state. It was not a choice I regret, and I can't wait until we're invited back again. Sanibel Island is connected to the mainland by a causeway, and a good chunk of the island is a national wildlife refuge (however a larger chunk is devoted to condos). The island is also known for their beaches of shells, which were plentiful.

"Shell" bar washed up on the beach

We were only here for 3 days, but we spent the time wisely - on the beach.

There were many sand/shell sculptures on the beach - Bobby felt a special attraction to this one.

In addition to throwing the frisbee and football, playing cards, and drinking, we spent a wonderful amount of time reading (even Mike!). Out to dinner one night we discovered a local author, Randy Wayne White, who writes books that take place on the island. I devoured two of his books, Sanibel Flats and Heat Islands, on this trip, and can highly recommend them.

Shells ranged greatly in style and size - not surprisingly I was drawn to the very small ones.

This part of our trip was considered the relaxing part, and it was, it was.
Part 2 was a little more adventurous...

For a slideshow of more photos, click here.