We have just returned from a weeklong vacation on Sanibel Island, a small island off the west coast of Florida, near Fort Myers. Sanibel is a good example of how development can coexist with nature. The island is a protected habitat area and building is strictly regulated. We rode bikes, walked the beach, swam, and relaxed (I had time to work a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle! I was very happy.) I have uploaded some of our photos to my Photobucket site; unfortunately I haven't figured out how to put them in order, and my time has run out for figuring out this computer stuff tonight. So here is a link to the random photos--if I have a chance, I'll reorganize them later. (This sounds just like the way I always used to handle printed photos...)
Some of the pictures are from Everglades City/Chokoloskee Island; we stopped by there on the way to Sanibel. Everglades City is legendary as a smuggler's haven. In the 1980's, illegal drugs were the backbone of the town's economy. In 1983, the DEA staged a massive raid on the little town, arresting nearly every adult male they found (200 people went to jail.) We didn't find any evidence of that history when we drove through; instead we toured a historic general store and enjoyed placid scenic vistas of Florida Bay.
