Sand, Seashells and Sun!

Answer 1

The southwest coast of Florida is a great place to take a family vacation. The Naples-Fort Myers area of Florida is bordered to the east by the Everglades and to the west by the Gulf of Mexico. Visitors can take advantage of any number of interesting places to visit, play, shop and dine. One family vacation idea that is sure to provide some fun is a seashell adventure.

Sanibel Island is perhaps the world’s most famous spot for collecting seashells. The Island, just off the coast of Fort Myers, sits in the perfect spot of the Gulf as each day the current deposits millions of shells upon its shore. Bring some buckets and let the kids hunt for those special shells. Hopefully, your back won’t give out as you do the Sanibel Stoop to collect your shells.

Just a few miles north of the Caloosahatchee River is the Shell Factory. If you did’nt find all the specimens you wanted on Sanibel Island, you can pick them up at one of the largest retail stores specializing in shells and other marine items. Whether you want a few Sand Dollars, Starfish or Sea Horses, you’ll find them here. There are many varieties of shells, both small and large. Conch shells, Periwinkles and all of the shells found in the area are placed in large bins. You can buy individual shells or they will sell you shells by the pound. The Coral pieces are beautiful, but, quite expensive. Depending on size, quality, type and rarity, prices can range from well under $100.00 to more than $2,000.00.

The kids will also enjoy the Shell Factory. After running around the store and maybe picking up a few seahorses and a box of salt water taffy, they’ll be begging you to take them to some of the other features at the Shell Factory. A small, man-made lake, filled with rubber watercraft is the aquatic version of bumper cars. There is also a nice zoo where the kids can interact with some of the animals.

After your day at the Shell Factory, you can head out to dinner at one of many family friendly restaurants. after dinner, go back to the hotel and rest up for tomorrow.