I had a free day so I hopped in the car and headed down to Sanibel Island for a visit. I have a long list of places to explore here in Florida and Sanibel was near the top.

It was a blustery, but sunny, Tuesday afternoon and thankfully, the island wasn’t very crowded. I started at the historic lighthouse on the eastern end of the barrier island. Built in 1884, the open, iron skeleton tower gives this lighthouse a unique look (compared to others I’ve visited).

While I strolled the beach looking for shells, I wasn’t as intent as the others who were practicing the “Sanibel stoop” (bent over, peering at the shell piles, hoping for rarity). To be honest, I was mostly just enjoying the beauty of the day.

The only imperfection was the brown water in the bay. According to a recent news report, the tea-colored water was the result of releases from Lake Okeechobee. The excess rain from Tropical Storm Sally raised the water level and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wanted to reduce strain on the Herbert Hoover Dike.

Overall, a wonderful introduction to a popular location!