Bob and I moved up to Fort Myers for a few days. The downtown is modern and new, thanks to Hurricane Charlie in 2004. Fort Myers is called the Palm City, and the streets are all lined with gorgeous royal palms. It has a wonderful tropical look.
We especially enjoyed exploring the three barrier islands in the Gulf off Fort Myers. The island of Fort Myers Beach is a typical beach town much like you would find in the northeast with ice cream and t-shirt shops everywhere. It is now the start of college spring breaks, and also winter breaks for other schools, so the crowds are increasing and the traffic here was intense.
Sanibel and Captiva Islands are the jewels of this area. They both have limited development with no high rises. This is a relief after the waterfront developments on Marco Island near Naples. Captiva’s beaches are white with delicate pink shells everywhere and long stretches of natural areas. Sanibel had more homes and businesses but the beaches were the same. Bob and I watched three dolphins fishing in the shallows along the shore on Sanibel for more than an hour. We were tempted to walk out into the water, but didn’t want to disturb them or scare the fish away. It was quite a show.
We had a wonderful time at the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. This world famous refuge is home to a wide variety of water birds. We got close to Roseate Spoonbills and many egrets. It is a birders paradise.
After Fort Myers we headed up to Sarasota for a few days. This area also has beautiful barrier islands and we checked out all the beaches on Siesta Key, Lido Key, Longboat Island and Anna Maria Island. The county has done a great job of providing many public beaches with ample parking. It’s really interesting how the sand varies just a little on each beach. Some are powdery, others more coarse, some have shells, but they are all white and pristine. There is no visual evidence of the Gulf oil spill in southern Florida. I am so glad to see this.
Downtown Sarasota is really nice with lots of great restaurants. The people are friendly and the attitude is mellow. I would also love to get involved and volunteer at the nearby Mote Marine Lab with dolphin and turtle rehab.
The weather has been fabulous for the past three weeks – highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s. This is exactly what I am looking for in a new home. Bob also appreciates the great warm clear water for swimming and boating. Could this be the place?
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