Rewiring in Ft Myers: Sanibel and Captiva

December 31, 2015

Tonight I am staying with two excellent hosts I met through Warmshowers last year when I biked up the east coast with Happy (Where's Tom): Jim and Kathy Convery. They both truly epitomize the spirit of Warmshowers, and I can't thank them enough for their generosity.

So my first order of business was to check out and make my way to the home of Jim and Kathy, where they fed me a great homemade breakfast. Jim and I had planned to bike Sanibel and Captiva, something he had recommended we do last year (as had other friends) but something we had not budgeted time for. But today was the day, and I was not disappointed. Jim proved an excellent guide.

So off to Sanibel, which requires a major waterway crossing:

Crossing San Carlos Bay while looking back at Punta Rassa.

After crossing the main bridge and causeway, we entered another realm. Sanibel is definitely geared towards cyclists, and there were plenty around. You really have to change your thinking, as there are plenty of riders out just for the day and probably not as experienced as Jim and me. Rewiring, rewiring, rewiring! We have all day, after all!

Next stop (and something I likely would have missed if doing this solo) was the JN Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

A view from within the JN Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

The road is perfect for biking. It is one-way, and cars must stay to the right and park on the right as well!

The park is full of exotic migratory birds.

I imagine the causeway we were riding on was man-made (and wouldn't be possible to build today), but it has been here a while and seems settled into the natural environment.

From there, we headed north to Captiva, crossing at Blind Pass and catching a view of the local beach scene.

The beach scene at the crossing from Sanibel to Captiva (Blind Pass). Of course, the Gulf-side beaches further up the coast are much deeper, but I liked the intimate setting of this one.

We then made our way to Captiva central and had a fantastic lunch at Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grill. I passed on the rum but was happy to share a beer with Jim: HI-5 IPA. That, along with an out-of-this-world grilled grouper sandwich, and I was in heaven . . .

As is usual, the return is always quicker (in the mind) than the outbound trip, mostly because you are retracing familiar territory. So I took the time to get some pics of the trail system.

Weaving among palm trees along Sanibel Captiva Road.

Some parts are well protected from the adjacent roadway.

The trail through the BIG ARTS Center where Jim has a pottery shop.

This intersection at Periwinkle Way and Casa Ybel Road is so busy it requires a "director of traffic" and a separate bicycle phase where all car traffic is stopped to allow bike crossings in all directions!

While it was New Year's Eve, we had no plans. Instead, we enjoyed each other's company over homemade pizza. Delicious homemade pizza. And homemade means even the dough, a specialty of Jim's, was homemade. Delicious!

My first homemade pizza. Kathy did the upfront chopping, and Jim made the dough. Assembly by Tom.

Today's ride

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Today's ride: 47 miles (76 km)
Total: 274 miles (441 km)

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