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Thomas Edison, America’s most famous inventor, first came to Fort Myers in southwest Florida in 1885 looking for a place to escape the cold northern winters. At the time, Fort Myers was a very small town with a population of 349 people. His arrival heralded a new era in the region’s history.
Not only was he a creative genius but he also was a lover of nature and recognized the area’s beauty and bounty. Though development has transformed the area, it is still possible to experience some of the world that Edison and his family and friends, including Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone, enjoyed.
This is the place for families who delight in miles of protected waters, world class shelling, top-rated kayak trails, dolphins, manatees, alligators, exotic birds, and biking on miles of bike paths. The emphasis is on education, conservation, and fun with many programs specially designed to spark the curiosity and imagination of children.
Start your visit to the Edison & Ford Winter Estates by posing for a photo with the statue of Thomas Edison under his amazingly huge banyan tree that highlights the front of the museum and laboratory area. The complex along the Caloosahatchee River is a National Register Historic Site and includes their homes, gardens, Edison’s laboratory and the museum.
Inside the museum, children’s excited voices draw families to the Smithsonian Spark!Lab, a new area designed as the place where visitors — young and older — become inventors. The lab invites everyone to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment and invent. Volunteers are on hand to offer suggestions about the possibilities at the various invention stations.
One three-year-old German girl was obviously delighted watching the results of her paper creation’s journey through a wind tunnel and up in the air. Others were intently creating their own soon-be-be flying saucers. What could be done with gears, wheels, and batteries? Several young visitors were intent on discovering the answers.
Nearby is the Orientation Gallery with exhibits on Edison’s life and his most famous project: electric lighting. Other exhibits revolve around the legacy of Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company. Thomas Edison’s 1916 Model T is on display. It was given to him by Ford for his birthday and represents their close friendship.
Are you a family of campers? You might be as surprised as I was to learn about the explorations of Edison, Ford, Firestone and John Burroughs into the great outdoors. Their trips throughout the United States helped popularize the idea of recreational camping. Some trips also included wives and children.
Their trips were fancier than today’s typical camping excursions. Photos show the men dressed in suits and ties, and they brought along dozens of staff including their cook. They traveled with early purpose-built camping vehicles, such as the “Chuckwagon” on display that Ford had constructed to carry food and water for the campers.
Edison’s favorite invention was his phonograph that marked the first instance in history that sound could be recorded and played back. Volunteers are on hand to talk about the impact of this invention that soon became a must-have in many American homes.
In 1886, the year after Edison bought the property, he brought his bride, Mina Miller Edison, here. (Of course, there is a Western New York connection to the story: his wife’s father was the co-founder of the Chautauqua Institution and Edison was a frequent visitor and wired the Athenaeum Hotel for electricity.)
Today, Edison’s house and guest house, the caretaker’s house, Edison’s study, the swimming pool complex as well as Ford’s house and his caretaker’s house are all included in your visit. Mina Edison originally planted many of today’s lush, tropical plants on the 20-acre property.
Fort Myers boasts several barrier islands that are much loved vacation destinations. The beaches, shells, protected waters and low-key atmosphere are the prime attractions of Sanibel and neighboring Captiva.
Sanibel is connected to the mainland by a nearly three mile long causeway that is made up of three bridges connected by small man-made islands. One of the joys of crossing the causeway is the panoramic view of the area waterways. Keep your eyes out for dolphins and ospreys that like to hang out in the area.
But the causeway is not just a connection to 12-mile long Sanibel. The islands along the causeway are parks. Parking is free and there are restrooms, picnic tables, and grills. Kayaks and canoes and other non-motorized watercraft can be launched here in addition to beachcombing and swimming.
Once across the causeway beaches are free but parking is not, although it is free for bikes. Turn left toward the lighthouse and stop at an island favorite: Pinocchio’s Ice Cream. They make their own as well as gelato and sorbet, with different flavors every day. There are kids cones as well as free “pup cups” for four-legged family members.
Unlike most Florida barrier islands, Sanibel runs east west and does not have an underwater shelf where seashells can get stuck, so multitudes of shells wash up on the beaches. Every March there is a three-day Shell Festival that attracts worldwide shell fans. Visitors soon find themselves doing the “Sanibel stoop” in their quest for shells — some even go out early in the morning with flashlights.
The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum is free during the festival weekend but it is the place for shell fans any day. In addition to the exhibits of shells, history, and science there is a children’s area. Downstairs there are regular tank talks with a museum educator. Kids are invited to sit on mats up front and they knew the answer to most of the questions. At the end, everyone can get a close up look at the living shells in the tanks. All kids are offered a free shell in the gift shop.
Beyond the beaches, the main attraction of Sanibel is the 6,400-acre J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, named in honor of Darling who was an ardent conservationist and editorial cartoonist. Be sure to stop at the Visitors Center with exhibits, a gift shop and information on guided walks, lectures and other programs. Kids can be sworn in as junior rangers and receive badges after answering questions (answers can be found in the exhibits).
The 15 mph Wildlife Drive includes hiking and bike trails, overlooks, boardwalks, canoe and kayak launch sites and there are often refuge volunteers stationed at lookout points with telescopes focused on birds and other wildlife. Some 245 bird species live here. The drive is closed on Fridays. Guided tram tours offer 90-minute narrated drives along the Wildlife Drive.
Dolphins can often be spotted swimming off Sanibel’s beaches but for the best chance to see frolicking dolphins drive to the tip of five mile long Captiva (connected to Sanibel by a small bridge) for Captiva Cruises. Some days all the planets are aligned in your favor as they were on my recent cruise. While waiting to board our dolphin cruise, we witnessed a magical manatee show in the South Seas Resort Marina.
Normally rather slow moving, this trio that included a mother and baby, splashed, dove and bobbed up to the surface. They seemed to be playing and having a wonderful time. The endangered manatees are very endearing looking. They are remarkably gentle and usually just swim, sleep, and eat huge quantities of aquatic plants.
They are truly gentle giants — weighing in at roughly 1,200 pounds although some can grow as large as a ton and half. They have large seal-like bodies that taper to a tail with two forelimbs and thick wrinkled skin. Manatees are believed to have evolved from a wading, plant-eating animal and share a common ancestor with the elephant.
Onboard the flagship Lady, Chadwick, our captain said he hoped everyone had the chance to witness the nearby “manatee mayhem.” It was a perfect day to be out on the smooth water. The dolphins did not appear until late in the 90-minute cruise but they did not disappoint, leaping and diving in the wake of the boat. The cruises are very family friendly with a naturalist onboard to point out the wildlife and answer questions.
Sanibel Sea School offers camp sessions for the day or half day as well as a variety of specialized programs for kids and adults. Dani Lacy, an educator at the school, led our free community beach walk. She likes to tell her young students that she has “super powers” and can identify every shell. We tried but we were not able to trip her up. Her enthusiasm for the sea and beaches was contagious.
Biking on Sanibel is one of the most popular activities for the entire family and even four-legged members. There are 22 miles of bike paths and it is easy to bike to the beach, to a restaurant or to Ding Darling National Refuge where bikers can travel along the Wildlife Trail. Bikes can be rented for the afternoon, the day or week.
Billy’s Bikes offers an amazing array of bikes for every family. There are tricycles for adults and children, two and four seat surreys, extra seats for toddlers and young children, tandem bikes, children’s bikes and even trailer attachments for children and pets. They also provide beach wheelchairs and Segway tours.
Travel Tip of the Month: For information on Fort Myers and the islands visit: fortmyers-sanibel.com or call 239-338-3000 or 1-800-237-6444.
Deborah Williams is a veteran travel writer who lives in Holland, NY. Her work has appeared in national and international publications and she is the recipient of the Society of American Travel Writers’ Lowell Thomas Gold Travel Writing Award.