{"id":97171201,"date":"2015-04-17T10:00:18","date_gmt":"2015-04-17T10:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/?p=97171201"},"modified":"2015-08-10T19:03:38","modified_gmt":"2015-08-10T19:03:38","slug":"sunshine-seashells-and-sandy-beaches-5-ways-to-totally-rejuvenate-your-soul-in-sanibel-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/sunshine-seashells-and-sandy-beaches-5-ways-to-totally-rejuvenate-your-soul-in-sanibel-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunshine, Seashells, and Sandy Beaches: 5 Ways to Totally Rejuvenate Your Soul in Sanibel Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guys. Sanibel\u2019s beaches are made of seashells.\u00a0<\/em>Rumor has it, when the locals garden in their backyards, they’ll actually find entire conches, clams and scallops, perfectly preserved in the dirt.<\/p>\n

Jealous. All I ever find are worms.<\/p>\n

Seashells aside,\u00a0I know what you’re thinking: a 14-hour layover in an airport sounds like no fun at all when you could be dipping your toes in the sand, feeling the tides roll in from the Gulf of Mexico.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Katrina Koski<\/p><\/div>\n

Sanibel Island is only a 45-minute\u00a0drive from Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, and is super accessible via the\u00a0causeway<\/a>, which\u00a0crosses the three miles over San Carlos Bay.\u00a0You’ll find a relaxed mix of locals, retirees, and families of all ages camped out along the shore (for those who like to avoid all the crowded beaches and Spring Breakers).<\/p>\n

\"Sanibel<\/a><\/p>\n

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your swimwear, slather on the\u00a0SPF, and leave the real-life worries behind you, with any one of these\u00a0five\u00a0activities.<\/p>\n

1. Susie Sells Seashells by the Sea Shore<\/h3>\n

You don’t have to know who Susie is, because you’ll have no problem finding shells on your own. The island’s curved coastline brings\u00a0a daily inventory of new shells to add to your collection.\u00a0This makes the island one of the top destinations for shelling<\/a>, which\u00a0is something you didn’t even know you\u00a0needed in your life until you got to the beach and realized\u00a0how many different kinds of shells exist.<\/p>\n

Seriously.\u00a0So <\/em>many.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"331\/365:<\/a><\/p>\n

White shells, orange shells.<\/p>\n

Purple shells and tiny shells. Tiny purple<\/em> shells.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

Katrina Koski<\/p><\/div>\n

A fair amount of these gigantic\u00a0shells with growths\u00a0that are a little creepy, because they probably once housed sea creatures.
\nThis totally doesn’t trigger\u00a0your trypophobia<\/a>. Nope, not at all.<\/p>\n

\"Trypophobia\"

Katrina Koski<\/p><\/div>\n

You get the point.\u00a0Walk the shore with your kids, your dog, your friends, or just your own thoughts. It’s a great way to unwind when you’re too antsy to sit and people watch (although that’s also definitely a great way to pass the time).<\/p>\n

2. Hit those waves<\/h3>\n

There are plenty of ways to get active in the water, but if you want a real workout, try paddle boarding. It looks deceptively easy, but even\u00a0if you do\u00a0manage\u00a0to stand up,\u00a0the waves do their best\u00a0to knock you right back down. This one really works your core muscles.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Katrina Koski<\/p><\/div>\n

It’s absolutely gorgeous on the water, and not crowded at all. \u00a0If, like me, you start to think the falling off part just isn’t fun anymore, you can totally dangle your legs on either side of\u00a0the board and row your way out to the nearest buoy (take that, gravity). While you’re out there you can watch the birds dive for their dinner, feel the wake as the boats go by, and maybe even meet up with\u00a0a manatee or dolphin who wants to say hello.<\/p>\n

As for other water activities, if\u00a0you’re into kayaking, snorkeling, or scuba diving, there are plenty of places to rent the equipment and launch yourself into the water.\u00a0Just\u00a0make sure you’ve got the SPF covered, no matter what you decide to do. This is not a drill.<\/p>\n

3. Bike your way along the island<\/h3>\n

\"In<\/a><\/p>\n

The best way to get a feel for life on the island is to grab a bike and hit the trails<\/a>. Bike trails\u00a0span the entire island, and there’s\u00a0a designated\u00a0lane\u00a0on some of the main roads, in case\u00a0you feel like checking out the local color.<\/p>\n

\"Bubble<\/a><\/p>\n

Call it an adventure and just explore! Find a lighthouse, check out a new beach, or grab a bite.\u00a0It’s a small island, so the risk of getting lost is fairly low, but if you do get turned around, the locals will be happy to help point you in the right direction.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Get in touch with your outdoorsy side (because\u00a0yes, you actually do have one).<\/h3>\n

Watch your step! Salamanders are probably playing tag right under your feet (and you had no idea). Don’t worry though \u2013 for the most part, they hang out on the palm trees. And it’s\u00a0adorable.<\/p>\n

You don’t even have to leave the beach to go on a mini Sanibel Safari<\/a>. You might even see a dolphin hanging out by the shoreline.<\/p>\n

\"d2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

You’ll of course see plenty of seagulls hanging around, but it’s the\u00a0terns that take turns diving for fish in the water. Pelicans and cranes also like to hang around and find a nice lunch, completely unphased by the occasional\u00a0splash (when yet another human falls off the paddle board).<\/p>\n

If you’re really, really quiet, and respectful of the lights-off policies along the beach, you might even get to watch the sea turtles<\/a> hatch and make their way to the water. Turtle nesting season runs from May 1st to October 31st, and I’ve heard it feels a little bit like magic to witness.<\/p>\n

5. Relax!<\/h3>\n

You’re on a beach. There are palm trees to your right, crashing waves to your left. The sun is hot on your skin and you could fall asleep right about now (with sunblock on, right?). Is this not\u00a0the definition of a day well spent? \u00a0Beaches are the best place to just laze around, soak up some vitamin D, and catch up on your reading.<\/p>\n

\"333\/365:<\/a><\/p>\n

On Sanibel Island, you’re definitely\u00a0within walking or biking distance to a beach. Scope out a good spot, park it, and people watch.<\/p>\n

\"Chairs\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Just don’t forget that sunblock! Seriously though.<\/p>\n

\n

You’re still reading this? Go on, hit the beach!\u00a0Before you go, tell us: Where’s your favorite place to visit\u00a0in\u00a0Fort Myers<\/a>?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Guys. Sanibel\u2019s beaches are made of seashells.\u00a0Rumor has it, when the locals garden in their backyards, they’ll actually find entire conches, clams and scallops, perfectly preserved in the dirt. Jealous. All I ever find are worms. Seashells aside,\u00a0I know what you’re thinking: a 14-hour layover in an airport sounds like no fun at all when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":97171218,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,61,70,66,114,31,96],"tags":[250,297,366,43,365,111,364,363,361,362,30,113],"class_list":["post-97171201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaches","category-family-travel","category-family","category-interests","category-travel-photography","category-trending-stories","category-wedding-travel","tag-beach","tag-beaches","tag-exercise","tag-florida","tag-fort-myers","tag-instagram","tag-rsw","tag-seashells","tag-shelling","tag-shells","tag-travel-2","tag-travel-photography"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97171201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97171201"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97171201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97172598,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97171201\/revisions\/97172598"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97171218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97171201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97171201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97171201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}