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You are here: Home / Photo Blogging / On The Road / On The Road – cope – Sanibel and Cayo Costa

On The Road – cope – Sanibel and Cayo Costa

by WaterGirl|  June 24, 20205:00 am| 23 Comments

This post is in: On The Road, Photo Blogging

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On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.

From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.

Submit Your Photos

First Timers Week

Day 3.  Let’s give a warm welcome to cope!  My sister tries to go to Sanibel every year, for exactly the reasons cope describes below.  I keep coming back to the photo of the snowy egrets; I am captivated by it.  Sanibel is such a lovely place, thanks for sharing it with us.

We’re at 7 first timers, so it’s still not too late for you to send your photos in and be published next week.  I think the first two have enjoyed the experience, so what are you waiting for? :-)

~WaterGirl

cope

Looking over these pictures, taken on Florida’s Sanibel and Cayo Costa barrier islands, I am can see how generic they look. They are not instantly recognizable places, magnificent structures or remote, wild vistas. However, these are places that are important to my wife and me l for how they make us feel. We have never gone there and not felt invigorated, refreshed and even, after our son died, partially repaired. For all the bad thoughts and experiences of Florida we have had in our 30 years of living here, these have been our reviving places.

On The Road - cope - Sanibel and Cayo Costa 7
Sanibel Island

Stormy sunset from the gulf side of Sanibel Island. Pictures never do these sights justice.

On The Road - cope - Sanibel and Cayo Costa 6
Cayo Costa, gulf side

Slightly out of focus, slightly out of frame but look at those talons.

On The Road - cope - Sanibel and Cayo Costa 5
Sanibel Island beach

Snowy egrets grazing along the shore line.

On The Road - cope - Sanibel and Cayo Costa 4
Sanibel Island beach

My son-in-law casting for bait fish.

On The Road - cope - Sanibel and Cayo Costa 3
Gulf of Mexico off Sanibel Island

Things aren’t always peaceful in paradise.

On The Road - cope - Sanibel and Cayo Costa 2
Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island

“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” – Martin Buber

On The Road - cope - Sanibel and Cayo Costa 1
Sanibel Island beach

Over the years, I have taken many, many pictures of ospreys in this tree. The tree is just visible in the picture of the stormy sunset.

On The Road - cope - Sanibel and Cayo Costa
Sanibel Island beach

I don’t usually do much massaging of my pictures but made an exception for this one. I think I pushed it right to the edge of cartoon.

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Reader Interactions

23Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    June 24, 2020 at 5:24 am

    First Timers Week

     

    Why wasn’t this series labelled Virgins Week?

    Very pretty pictures. I want to go now.

  2. 2.

    eclare

    June 24, 2020 at 5:40 am

    Very nice and relaxing photos. They all look so peaceful.

  3. 3.

    spudgun

    June 24, 2020 at 6:46 am

    These are lovely, cope – I was born on a small island and lived most of my life near the Pacific Ocean. I’m an ocean\beach girl through and through, forever and ever.

    Thanks for posting!

  4. 4.

    p.a.

    June 24, 2020 at 7:13 am

    Sweet! Tks

  5. 5.

    raven

    June 24, 2020 at 7:17 am

    Sweet, I first went there in the late 70’s and when I visited a year back much of it had changed. The
    J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge was awesome!

  6. 6.

    Jack Canuck

    June 24, 2020 at 7:19 am

    Nice shots all, but I really like the ‘not always peaceful’ one – that’s a great image. It always amazes me how widespread birds like ospreys are – I’ve seen them (maybe a variant subspecies, but still…) in Queensland.

  7. 7.

    JPL

    June 24, 2020 at 7:33 am

    I can understand the urge to return because it is so beautiful.

  8. 8.

    Albatrossity

    June 24, 2020 at 7:52 am

    Great shots from one of my favorite places in the world. Thanks!

  9. 9.

    Elma

    June 24, 2020 at 8:01 am

    The last time I was in Florida, we stayed at Indian Rocks Beach.  Everyone went out at sunset to sit on the sand and watch the  sun set into the Gulf.

  10. 10.

    Auntie Anne

    June 24, 2020 at 8:03 am

    Sanibel is one of the places on my list.  You’re right – there’s something reviving about island beaches.  The pictures are great, and I thank you for a moment of escape this morning.

  11. 11.

    Laura Too

    June 24, 2020 at 8:13 am

    Beautiful, thanks!!

  12. 12.

    MelissaM

    June 24, 2020 at 8:42 am

    That waterspout picture is lovely! Thanks. Being from IL, I didn’t get to see the ocean until I was an  adult. Then we did a Hilton Head vacation at a beach house paid for by my MD BIL and wow!

    So Sanibel now on a travel list.

  13. 13.

    arrieve

    June 24, 2020 at 8:48 am

    I love that waterspout. Beautiful pictures.

  14. 14.

    Mike in Oly

    June 24, 2020 at 8:55 am

    Beautiful. I lived in Ft. Myers in high school and loved visiting Sanibel Island. Wonderful natural area.

  15. 15.

    WaterGirl

    June 24, 2020 at 9:00 am

    @Baud: You’re hired!

    The next one of these will be called “On the Road Virgins Week”.

  16. 16.

    dnfree

    June 24, 2020 at 10:14 am

    Those are beautiful!  We have only visited once, with my brother and his wife who winter in Fort Myers, who took us to see the Ding Darling refuge (well worth the trip) and drive the trail.  It was awesome, but then it took us two hours in a traffic jam to get back to the mainland. They said people who get lodgings on Sanibel usually plan to stay on the island most of the time, not make frequent trips back and forth.

    https://www.fws.gov/dingdarling/VisitorInformation.html

  17. 17.

    stinger

    June 24, 2020 at 10:44 am

    Wonderful pictures!

  18. 18.

    TomatoQueen

    June 24, 2020 at 10:56 am

    @dnfree:  That’s for sure, as Sanibel is long long two-lane roads and Ding Darling after a storm is known for professional-size potholes. The place to stay is where I honeymooned a thousand years ago: a cottage at the Tween Waters Inn, a funky place with a fabulous garden and stray cats. Great shelling beach across the road, and if you want to hike in the mangroves, there’s a little creek where you can find snook.

  19. 19.

    J R in WV

    June 24, 2020 at 11:00 am

    Sweet!  Thanks for the brief trip to tropical paradise!

  20. 20.

    Cowgirl in the Sandi

    June 24, 2020 at 11:59 am

    I love Sanibel.  We have stayed there several times when we had our Airstream.  One of the coolest things about the island is how many people rent bikes and use the many bike paths to get around instead of their cars.  ALL of the parking lots for shops, restaurants, etc. remind tourists (and others) to look for bikers.  It’s a lovely place – once we get there, we never leave except when we have to return to the mainland.

  21. 21.

    phein60

    June 24, 2020 at 12:28 pm

    Work took me to Ding Darling a few times.  Wonderful place, great people.  They used to host quite a few volunteers, as many Fish & Wildlife Service refuges or hatcheries do.  If you’re looking for something to do in retirement, there are worse options https://www.fws.gov/volunteers/ .

    If you do go to Sanibel, it’s worth making the drive to the north island, Captiva, just to see some of the monstrous mansions people crammed in along the way.  Try to get to the Mucky Duck https://www.muckyduck.com/ well before sunset and dine outdoors.  The Bubble Room https://www.bubbleroomrestaurant.com/ for dessert is a treat in itself.

  22. 22.

    WaterGirl

    June 24, 2020 at 4:05 pm

    cope, I’m so glad you submitted your photos!  perhaps our BJ woodstock should be held there.

  23. 23.

    cope

    June 24, 2020 at 5:13 pm

    @WaterGirl: My pleasure, glad to oblige.  I think Cayo Costa would be perfect for the festival.  It’s a couple of sand bars north of Captiva, accessible only by water.

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