Up the West Coast

After leaving the Flamingo campground in the Everglades, we crossed south Florida on Highway 41 (the Tamiami Trail). This road through the Everglades and the Big Cypress Swamp runs parallel to a canal. The shore of the canal opposite the highway is apparently a favored resting spot for alligators. We saw dozens, probably hundreds, of these big leathery reptiles - five feet and longer - sunning themselves and probably waiting for lunch to pass by. As I kept the RV going in a straight line, Tracey gawked at the gators.

We spent the night at a campground near Naples and did some overdue laundry and made use of the swimming pool. Then we moved on up Florida's west coast to Sanibel Island. You get to Sanibel by crossing the San Carlos Bay over a high bridge and a causeway from Fort Myers. Once you're on the island, you realize right away that you've arrived at the essence of laid-back. Drive up Periwinkle Way, the main street, and restaurants and cafes call out with names like The Island Cow, Lazy Flamingo, The Bubble Room, Sweet Melissa's, and Red Fish Blue Fish. There's a casual, down-home, uncomplicated feel about the place.




Sanibel Island is probably best known for the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service website, the refuge is part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States. It is world famous for its spectacular migratory bird populations. We spent part of a morning driving through the refuge, stopping at various spots to observe the birds in their watery habitats.




We stayed at Periwinkle Park, a place even more down-home than the rest of Sanibel. Apparently the only RV park on the island, it's laced with gravel lanes and has it's own sanctuary of exotic birds and a duck pond. We really enjoyed our stay at Periwinkle Park and would gladly go back.

Sanibel is full of great bike trails and there's much to see. While riding on a path adjacent to Periwinkle Way one day, my rear tire went flat. As I considered my options, I looked up to see a sign that read "Billy's Bike Shop." The nice folks at Billy's had me back on the road with a new inner tube in about ten minutes.

If seashells are your thing, Sanibel is the place to be. With over 400 species of shells, Sanibel beaches are considered the best shelling beaches in North America. Because the island runs east to west rather than north/south, its beaches easily capture shells carried by the currents coming up the Florida coast.

Looking for shells ...


Sanibel Lighthouse ...