Southern Camping Trip 2024 / Day 32

Moore Haven KOA

Moore Haven, Florida

Saturday, March 2, 2024  

December 2021 photo of the Sanibel Lighthouse

Today's photo of Sanibel Lighthouse under wraps for sandblasting and painting

Marc-  Today with Roberta we visited Sanibel and Captiva Islands just Northwest of Fort Myers.  Our first stop was a walk on Sanibel Beach to visit the Lighthouse and find some seashells.  Sanibel is famous for its quantities of seashells.  The beach seemed the same as it was in 2021 when we visited here.  The Lighthouse Point and the lighthouse structures were significantly altered.  Hurricane Ian on September 28, 2022 devastated Lighthouse Point taking away approximately 300 feet of shoreline and all of the wooden US Coast Guard structures including two Lighthouse keepers homes and a machinery shed.  The Lighthouse and the 3 structures were built in 1884 and had withstood previous storms.  Many of the hotels and homes on both Sanibel and Captiva were destroyed or severely damaged by the hurricane.  The beaches and most of the vegetation have recovered.  We also visited the Shell museum and aquarium, as well as the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge.  The birds have returned and the fishermen reported good fishing.

Sanibel and Captiva Islands are the two Southern Islands connected by bridges.

Our favorite restaurant on Sanibel has survived and reopened.  The food is still excellent.