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Sanibel
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 [Times photo (1996): Scott Keeler] A visitor performs the Sanibel stoop as she searches along the shores of the island. |
By JANET K. KEELER, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 19, 2002
Island living provides plenty of opportunities for shelling and lets you feel how the other half lives. |
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All around us are the azure waters of Pine Island Sound. Fishing boats bob on either side of the bridge, and an occasional dolphin flips in the air. Off to the left we see the eastern tip of Sanibel and the skeletal lighthouse poking up through Australian pines. We've waited long enough to exhale.
Seven days of nothing but fun stretch before us, and the stresses of work, school, baseball, piano lessons, gardening, laundry, etc., evaporate like a sidewalk puddle on a steamy Florida evening. We know it will end too soon, but we try to put that out of our minds as we cross the causeway, leaving Fort Myers and the real world behind.
At that moment, we decide to play the Florida Lottery rigorously, so that we can join the 3,000 lucky people who live full time on Sanibel and its barrier-island cousin Captiva, where the median home price is $1.5-million. Sanibel is somewhat cheaper, but a condo with any little view of the gulf is likely to cost at least $750,000.
The islands' citizenry swells to 15,000 in the winter months, and license plates from New Jersey, Michigan and New York are as common as sunburns.
In truth, Sanibel is not the way Florida used to be, as people often say; it is the way wealthy conservationists want it to be now.
No high-rise condos line the Gulf of Mexico, and signs along the beach warn against the taking of live shells. The J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge takes up one-third of the island, which is about 2 miles wide and 12 miles long. Sanibel-Captiva Road, the only way to reach Captiva Island by car, was shut down most of April 20 while walkers and bicyclists celebrated Earth Day and the island's natural wonders.
 [Times photo (1996): Scott Keeler] |
| Shells are a major tourist attraction for Sanibel, also home to J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.
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There are no streetlights on Sanibel, though some would argue there need to be. A well-tanned Sanibel Police traffic officer keeps cars moving through the island's main intersection, Periwinkle Way and the causeway, the only road off the island. The line of cars waiting to turn onto the causeway can be miles long during the height of the winter tourism season, while the 5 p.m. traffic most any day is heavy as people leave work and head back to more affordable Fort Myers.
Islanders fiercely protect their unusual haven and its environment. They were able to stave off strong advances by McDonald's by passing a law prohibiting drive-throughs. That's when McDonald's finally stopped its attempt to set up golden arches in paradise and sold its prime piece of island real estate.
(There is a Dairy Queen on the island, the only fast-food outlet you will find. It was grandfathered in and is said to be DQ's most lucrative store.)
While we love Sanibel for the shelling and the laid-back atmosphere, we also like to see how the other half lives ... the half that seems to have lots of money. There's some fancy shopping, especially in Periwinkle Place, where it is not uncommon to watch a very tan man at Congress Jewelers buying a $30,000 ring, necklace and bracelet for a very tan woman.
We always bring home some trinkets priced well below Mr. Tan Man's budget. This year it was a sea horse lantern ($47) and a pair of beach glass earrings ($20) from the End Result and a coonskin hat from a day-trip to the Everglades. I kid you not.
Back on Sanibel, there are lots of art galleries showcasing local artists and plenty of restaurants. We especially like Gramma Dot's Seaside Saloon at the Sanibel Marina, tucked away from the bustle of the main drag. Dot's is plenty busy, though, for both lunch and dinner -- and it's hot temperaturewise, too. Ceiling fans feebly attempt to cool the place even in April. But rich oyster po' boy sandwiches and thick clam chowder make up for the swelter. The food and watching the luxurious yachts pull in. Where do these people get their money?
One way to enjoy Sanibel is to get off it. Many guides will take you by boat to one of the less inhabited barrier islands for a day of shelling. We are partial to Capt. Betty Reed, who takes us to the white sand beaches of Cayo Costa where we fill up our shell bags with hundreds of gems. Our St. Petersburg house is loaded with bowls and bowls of fighting conchs, olives, jingles, sand dollars, scallops, coquinas and one prized junonia plucked from the ocean floor while snorkeling.
Capt. Betty is a wonderful guide who is good with children and especially knowledgeable about shells. She'll always slow the boat for photo opportunities of dolphins.
After a morning of shelling, she takes us to Upper Captiva Island for lunch at Barnacle Phil's, reachable only by boat. Of course, we eat grouper sandwiches.
Afterward we motor on to the Waterfront Restaurant in St. James City on Pine Island for some wicked apple cobbler topped with a gigantic hunk of vanilla ice cream.
The best time to go to Sanibel, providing your last name is not Rockefeller, is after Easter and before Thanksgiving. Accommodation rates drop significantly, and a two-bedroom, two-bath condo on the gulf can be yours for about $800 a week. Not bad considering the same condo is probably more than double that in March.
Large houses rent for more than $10,000 a month and condos go for $3,000 a week during the season.
If you go to Sanibel, find a place on the water. We like to go to the east end of the island, not far from the 1884 lighthouse. In the evening we walk on the sandbars at low tide, marveling at the Florida conchs inching across the sand. "Just down to the lighthouse and back," we always say, promising that evening's cook we'll return in time for dinner.
A school of feeding dolphins entertained us on our walk, and at that moment, we felt as rich as anyone.
IF YOU GO
To get to Sanibel, take Exit 21 from Interstate 75 to Daniels Road west, crossing U.S. 41 to continue on Summerlin Road (County Road 869) leading to the Sanibel Causeway and toll booth.
WHERE TO STAY: Sanibel is loaded with accommodations, pricey and otherwise. Go in the off-season -- after Easter through November -- when prices are lower. The eastern tip of Sanibel, the "lighthouse end" as it's commonly called, is quieter than the area around Periwinkle Way, which houses most of the island's restaurants and shops.
There are dozens of condominium complexes plus hotels offering standard rooms or efficiencies. For more information, contact the Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce at (941) 472-1080, or log on to its Web site, www.sanibel-captiva.org. Also, many owners rent their condos or homes to vacationers. A number of rental agencies handle the properties, including ResortQuest International, (941) 472-4883, and ReMax of the Islands Rentals, (941) 472-5050.
WHERE TO EAT: For an island that caters to people with money to spend, the food is surprisingly forgettable. Some exceptions:
Schnapper's Hots, 1528 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel; (941) 472-8686. A good spot to stop for a hot dog or sausage with the works. Great french fries and a perfect place to take the kids after a day at the beach. Takeout only.
Gramma Dot's Seaside Saloon, Sanibel Marina, 634 N Yachtsman; (941) 472-8138. Older, local clientele dine mostly on seafood at this popular lunch and dinner spot. Homemade potato chips come with sandwiches, and they serve real key lime pie.
Katie Gardenia's, Forever Green Shops, 2055 Periwinkle Way, (941) 472-1242. Katie founded Captiva's famous Bubble Room and brings her flair for fun plus a great menu to Sanibel. She calls the cuisine New American and serves Cuban sandwiches, cedar-planked salmon and Caribbean seafood stew.
SHELL GUIDE: Contact Capt. Betty Reed at (941) 472-4547 to book shelling trips to Cayo Costa Island. It's best to book her before you leave home or you might find her boat, A Piece of Cake, already full. The trip is about $65; lunch at an island restaurant is not included.
GOOD READING: Newly published Sanibel & Captiva (Coconut Press, $19.95) by Julie and Mike Neal, Sanibel residents, is probably the most comprehensive guide on the market. The book includes interviews with residents and tourists about their favorite spots on the islands. Lots of accommodation and dining information.
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111
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