-- Charles Dodgson
Today, I was one of those tourists who does things the locals know are stupid but the yokels think it's the right thing to do. The sort that cranes their neck up at skyscrapers in New York City, snapping photos and begging for their pocket to be picked. The sort that insists on eating at the Spanish Steps in Rome even though there's only a McDonald's there, and there are wonderful trattorias just blocks away.
In this case, I went swimming in the Gulf of Mexico.
We'd gone to Sanibel Island, to visit the "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Depending on traffic, it's either a 40-minute or two-hour trip from Naples to Sanibel Island. Going there it was 40 minutes.
The refuge is named for a famous editorial cartoonist from the early 20th century. This one actually has a lot of wildlife. We saw plenty of birds, and you could even see fish leaping out of the waters. My favorite part was when we encountered this flock of spoonbills. They're brilliant pink birds with a beak that looks like, well, you know. After this, we headed down to Bowman's Beach, for a picnic lunch.
This is the second time I've been to a beach while in Florida. Both times, the waters have been essentially empty. Floridians know that it's only March, and the water's not quite comfy for a dip. But I've been told that Florida has wonderful beaches and beautiful green water, and I was determined to take advantage of it. (I've also heard only to swim at beaches. Taking a dip in a river, or poorly fenced in swimming pool, is apparently a great way to feed the gators. But since I was at a beach, that wasn't a concern.)
Sometimes, when you go into the ocean, the water starts out very cold but soon feels comfortable. In this case, it started out very cold, but soon felt merely cool. Still, I spent about 10, 15 minutes splashing around.
Leaving took significantly longer. On our way back, we encountered a large traffic jam. I suspect it was caused by a nasty accident, because we stopped by a gift shop, She Sells Sea Shells, just as the traffic was snarling up. Their power was out, as were all the other ones on the island. The cashier said she suspected someone tried to drive under that bridge again, whatever that bridge was. She Sells Sea Shells has plenty of shell- and fish- themed items. My favorite thing in the store was a life-sized, almost realistic looking replica of a manta ray. It would have been completely realistic except for the googly eyes. So getting back took about two hours.
That wraps up my time in Naples. Tomorrow, I'm heading up to South Carolina.
In this case, I went swimming in the Gulf of Mexico.
We'd gone to Sanibel Island, to visit the "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Depending on traffic, it's either a 40-minute or two-hour trip from Naples to Sanibel Island. Going there it was 40 minutes.
The refuge is named for a famous editorial cartoonist from the early 20th century. This one actually has a lot of wildlife. We saw plenty of birds, and you could even see fish leaping out of the waters. My favorite part was when we encountered this flock of spoonbills. They're brilliant pink birds with a beak that looks like, well, you know. After this, we headed down to Bowman's Beach, for a picnic lunch.
This is the second time I've been to a beach while in Florida. Both times, the waters have been essentially empty. Floridians know that it's only March, and the water's not quite comfy for a dip. But I've been told that Florida has wonderful beaches and beautiful green water, and I was determined to take advantage of it. (I've also heard only to swim at beaches. Taking a dip in a river, or poorly fenced in swimming pool, is apparently a great way to feed the gators. But since I was at a beach, that wasn't a concern.)
Sometimes, when you go into the ocean, the water starts out very cold but soon feels comfortable. In this case, it started out very cold, but soon felt merely cool. Still, I spent about 10, 15 minutes splashing around.
Leaving took significantly longer. On our way back, we encountered a large traffic jam. I suspect it was caused by a nasty accident, because we stopped by a gift shop, She Sells Sea Shells, just as the traffic was snarling up. Their power was out, as were all the other ones on the island. The cashier said she suspected someone tried to drive under that bridge again, whatever that bridge was. She Sells Sea Shells has plenty of shell- and fish- themed items. My favorite thing in the store was a life-sized, almost realistic looking replica of a manta ray. It would have been completely realistic except for the googly eyes. So getting back took about two hours.
That wraps up my time in Naples. Tomorrow, I'm heading up to South Carolina.
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