Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Sketchbook Tuesday-Sanibel Island, FL

Hi Everyone!

               Welcome back to the Lighthouse Series!

This week we will be visiting Sanibel Island on the West Coast of Florida.


  This is a very popular place with the shell crowd, the best shells are to be found on Captiva.  My husband and I visited Sanibel in early June before the official summer "tourist season" and found it to be a lovely island setting, miles of sandy beaches, glorious sunrises and sunsets and a great place to "chillax".  It was pretty HOT there with little to no breeze so we did a lot of chillaxing by the saltwater pool (first time in a saltwater pool and it was fabulous) and napping under the palms; when the breeze picked up in the late afternoon hubs fished and I looked for shells.

  We found most of the larger conch style shells in the water, still alive but we weren't sure about taking them from their native habitat and so we left them for others to enjoy.


              The Sanibel Lighthouse was different from other lighthouses I'd previously visited, it is an interesting open metal framework.
           
           

Click HERE  to read some interesting history about Sanibel Light and it's keepers.  I'm always amazed by these brave men and women that are called Light Keepers and this story is no exception.  If you are interested in reading more I would suggest this book: Sanybel Light An Historical Autobiography by Charles LeBuff.  It is a fascinating look into the lives of a Light Keeper and his family.   Also it is a comprehensive History of Sanibel Island, its lighthouse, and the National Wildlife Refuge.  Worth reading!

Come back and join me next week when we head up the coast to Georgia to visit Tybee Island Lighthouse.  Until then, grab your sketch pad and pencil and head out on an adventure today!!

Sketch on!
Suzy

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pretty sketch for a pretty place. Love to nap on the beach some day. xox

Susan Schanerman said...

Hi Susie -
Not quite sure how I found you but glad I did. Sanibel is one of my all-time favorite places in the whole wide world!! Believe it or not, I lived there in the 1980s!! I posted 3 different "Sanibel Impressions" on my blog on Dec. 10,11,13 - I thought you might enjoy them!! If you happen to eat at the Sanibel Cafe and Richard one of the owners is there - Mention that we connected online - He'll flip!! Enjoy the magic!!