at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates (www. EdisonFordWinterEstates.org) — where you can tour the homes, gardens and laboratories of two of the greatest minds in American history (along with a fascinating, interactive museum everyone in your family will love). If you prefer the great outdoors, then make plans for Sanibel Island’s legendary J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge (www.FWS.gov/Refuge/ JN_Ding_Darling). The largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States
consisting of more than 6,400 acres, the highlight of the Refuge is a 4.2 mile loop trail (walk or vehicle) that brings you up close and personal with a wondrous array of wildlife — by land, water and air. And for a walk on a different kind of wild side, make way to artsy, funky Matlacha (www.PineIslandChamber. org) at the roadway threshold to Pine Island— where you’ll find personalities just as colorful as the arts and crafts. Either way, be sure to bring your comfortable shoes and camera. JUST ADD WATER and around Sanibel and Captiva in a historic, nature-filled and altogether wet and wild tour. Prefer to surround yourself in luxury? Then book voyage aboard Image Yacht Charters (www. ImageYachtCharters.com) for the pampered experience of a lifetime — be it for a few hours, a day, an overnight vacation or a multi-day excursion to destinations from the Keys to the Bahamas. And as you can imagine, you can set sail at numerous points of departure across Southwest Florida — and even more fun, learn how to sail at Offshore Sailing School (www.OffshoreSailing. com), billed as “America’s number one sailing school” with instruction locations on Captiva Island and Fort Myers Beach.
There are a lot of ways to get out on the water (or even above it) — and you’ll want to take the opportunity to make a splash here in Southwest Florida any and every chance you get. Beyond a host of friendly and experienced charter captains for fishing or sightseeing, you can go big and explore our beautiful barrier islands aboard Captiva Cruises (www.CaptivaCruises.com). A favorite among TripAdvisor visitors, Captiva Cruises offers six unique tours including dolphin watch and wildlife, sunset, island hopping, sailing and more. If you like your water adventures with a bit more speed, you’ll want to hop aboard the Sanibel Thriller (www.SanibelThriller.com) — a 55-foot super catamaran that rips up, down
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