Needing a breather from wearing layers of corduroy and wool during the harsh winter, we traveled to the Southwest tail of Florida for a long weekend of island hopping.  Admittedly, the weather along the Gulf of Mexico drops during January and February, but tourists, mainly from the Mid-West with a sprinkling of Europeans, pull out their linens and fashionable sweat-suits to absorb the fully developed resort communities nestled within lush tropical vegetation.  If your goal is to relax and decompress your brain, you will be in paradise.

Finding the wide road that leads to the toll bridge onto the first island is a bit hairy after a day of traveling.  You must pass through a crass city and desolate subdivisions.  In some areas, skip stopping to ask for directions, just in case it’s not safe.  Once you maneuver through the zigzagging highways, you suddenly happen upon a sun-washed coastline.  I rolled down my window to take in the euphoric scents and mesmeric sounds.  Houses on stilts line the waterways and boats parade merrily from sunrise until well after sunset.

Sanibel Island’s main attraction is to collect shells from the beach.  Sanibel faces the Gulf of Mexico and is blessed with high tides depositing assortments of shells twice a day.  You are permitted to arrive with a bucket and haul as many shells from their natural environment as you like, as long as you do not remove any that house a living creature.  For those who are not familiar with how to recognize a living creature within a shell, have no fear.  There is no policing; however, please consider the value of every life no matter how small.  Pets are allowed on the beaches in Sanibel, but do take a bag and scoop any contributions your favorite companion deposits on the ground.  Bathrooms are provided so you can change clothes or spend all day in the sun without taking a break.

If the beach doesn’t keep you entertained the entire weekend, you can rent bikes, canoes, boats, and kayaks.  If you are 16 years or older, you can purchase a fishing license and throw a line either from the pier or from a deep sea vessel.  Golf and tennis is popular.  The most visible attraction is the lighthouse located on the south tip of the island.  If you stay alert, you will spot osprey and eagles nesting in the area.

Sanibel Island is more for busy tourists while its neighbor, Captiva Island, allows nature to dominate the scenery.

A bridge connects Sanibel Island to Captiva Island where development has been reluctant to clear the gorgeous jungle.  Captivating is the best description.  There is more of an old town feel to Captiva compared to Sanibel, but most everything you need can be purchased prior to 8 p.m. when the businesses close.  Plan to spend double what you are accustomed to paying for bags of chips and boxes of crackers.  Expect heavy foods with menus featuring fried fish and buttered starches.

We stayed in a rental home located at the tip of the island in Captiva.  Shops and restaurants are walking distance, but don’t wear stilettos.  The island décor includes gravel driveways and dirt paths.  Tourists prefer athletic shoes and campy sandals.  Beware the constant traffic racing to the larger resorts.  It feels safe and lazy in the isolated community but its popularity attracts lots of people in a hurry to have fun.

For a flavorful view of the sunsets, families gather at the Mucky Duck restaurant.  Live music stirs the playful atmosphere where you can pass the time by swinging a ring toward a tree to catch it on a hook or fight little old ladies for their picnic tables.  At long last, the sun kisses the horizon and a chill rises through your sleeveless dress.

Have no fear.  After a long dinner, you have an early evening walk back to your resort and timeless moments entertaining yourself in private, whether in your swimming pool, hot tub, in front of the tube or with a book.

Having exhausted the thrill of sun bathing in the rain and wishing the Jacuzzi could grow even hotter, you can visit a historic church and stroll through its old cemetery.   There are upscale clothing stores and general stores with fancy crackers.  If you are like me, shopping for merchandise you can purchase back home at a lower price does not hold your attention.  Make sure you visit the state parks for hiking, biking or even driving around the lakes and exotic foliage.  The area is superior for bird watching, even if you haven’t previously noticed the flying creatures.  Flocks of roseate spoonbills, snowy egrets, and tufted-tailed ducks cover the numerous lakes.  It is a precious sight.

For a more adventurous day, take a day cruise to the nearby islands.  The options are endless.  You can join a group picnic where there will be music on an undeveloped beach, or travel to an exclusive island for lunch at a café.  An excellent choice is Useppa Island.

Useppa Island can only be reached by boat and one must have permission to dock at its marina.  En route, you pass rustic houses on stilts where fishermen live during the season.  The homes cannot be rebuilt after being destroyed by the elements or hurricanes.

Useppa Island is a collection of white homes, all privately owned by members of the Useppa Island club.  In order for non-members to stay on the island, you must either be a guest of an owner, or sign up for a trial membership by paying a large deposit, possibly higher than the cost of your room at the inn or house rental fees.

If you take the plunge and choose to pay the monthly membership fees and purchase a home on the island, don’t sell your primary residential home.  Owners are not permitted to live on the island year round.

The name, Useppa, was derived from mispronouncing its main resident, “Joseffa,” during the late 1700s.  The Spanish pirate, Jose Gaspar, kidnapped the Spanish princess, Joseffa de Mayorga.  When Joseffa refused his advances, he imprisoned her on the island as punishment.

A boardwalk and bridges lead you across the island.  You are surrounded by blooms of snake cacti hanging from exotic trees.  The path winds amid Old Florida architecture in white wood with wide windows.  The artistic owners decorate their porches with clever signs and rare shells and turtles dig holes within a few feet from your toes.  An elegant inn serves a filling lunch and saves you enough time to swing on the beach as ships sail passed, little more than a swimmer’s distance away.  Amenities include a human-size chess board, a crystal clear swimming pool, and immaculate tennis courts.  A historic museum sells books and Native American jewelry and a lovely bait shop sells finer resort wear.

The islands located along Florida’s southwest coast are geared toward family vacations.  Hearty meals, languid days on the beaches, and light nature hikes leave plenty of time for congregating in your room at the end of the day.  Don’t anticipate any night life or zealous activities.  It is beautiful and a definite escape from a tense lifestyle and the setting of my fantasy novel, Lochness.