How many times in the last few weeks have you heard, or said yourself, 'I'm just so tired of winter'? Despite some welcome spring-like weather, we're not ready to put our winter clothes into storage. And while some people may be planning spring break getaways to warm sunny places, most of us are stuck here in Chicago. So to combat the winter blues, let's pretend we're in Florida.

Related Links

Lobster and Lump Crab Meat Crusted Sea Scallops

http://www.casaybelresort.com/

http://www.captivakayaks.com/

http://www.shellmuseum.org/

http://www.fortmyerssanibel.com/

We'll get a taste of the Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel from Chef Mark Davidson of the Casa Ybel Resort. He's sharing his recipes for Lobster and Lump Crab Meat Crusted Sea Scallops, served with Coconut Jasmine Rice with Mango, Arugula and Tomato. Davidson is the executive chef for the historic Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant at Casa Ybel Resort, located on the shell-studded beaches of Florida's Sanibel Island. Davidson graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and has more than 20 years experience as an executive chef, working in a number of prominent Florida restaurants. His creations exude creativity, with many recipes showcasing the vast seafood that the destination is well-known for.

Thistle Lodge was built by the Reverend George Barnes in the 1890s as a wedding gift to his daughter. The Lodge quickly became the favored gathering spot for historic icons and celebrities seeking escape, including Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Today, the restaurant's guests enjoy flavors of Europe, America and the Caribbean indoors or al fresco under on the covered patio. Casa Ybel Resort was recently listed in Travel + Leisure magazine as one of the Top 20 Family Resorts and 500 Greatest Hotels in the World. Condé Nast Traveler has ranked the resort among one of the best places to stay in the world. Natural and secluded, Casa Ybel Resort epitomizes the sanctuary, old-island spirit of Sanibel. One- and two-bedroom suites along 23 acres of beachfront property offer ideal getaways for couples and families alike. Casa Ybel Resort is known for its enviable views of white sand beaches and the Gulf of Mexico, premier style, and service.

Greg LeBlanc, owner of Captiva Kayak Company and Wildside Adventures will take us to the beach, as he explains the do's and don'ts of hunting for sea shells. According to LeBlanc, more than 100 barrier and coastal islands snuggle up to the Lee County, Florida shoreline, home to 50 miles of sandy white beaches that shelter some of the best shelling in the United States. Tourists and residents alike search the beaches for Neptune's treasures. Some don miner's hats with lights, arising before sunrise to find the best specimens washed ashore.

Sanibel Island is widely celebrated for its shelling potential. Even the island's configuration encourages shelling. While many islands face northwest, Sanibel runs in a more east-west direction. It is shaped like a crescent facing south into the Gulf of Mexico. The continental shelf off of the west coast of Florida is very broad and shallow extending approximately 80 miles out. The gradual incline towards the land acts as a smooth ramp onto which the shells wash up to the beaches without the interruption of offshore reefs that block and break them. The seasonal weather also effects the shelling. Winter cold fronts with their strong northwest winds wash the shells towards the coast and the upwelling of the currents deposit the shells onto the beaches. The healthy estuarine and marine environments also play a major factor. The estuaries, where fresh and salt water mingle, provide food and habitat for the shells. Peak shelling season in the Fort Myers/Sanibel area is May through September.

Above all, shelling requires patience. No one area is good all the time and no collection worth viewing was ever found on one outing. Yet there is something innately appealing about shelling that keeps most people coming back time after time, year after year. Morning, evening or midday, shell seekers throughout the islands and mainland coasts of The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel assume the famous 'Sanibel Stoop' or 'Captiva Crouch,' position to gather ever more gifts from the sea.

The area yields some 400 species of multi-colored seashells that can be collected without mechanical means or dive gear, in waters 20 feet or less. From the commonplace scallop and clam to the exotic tulips, olives, fragile paper fig shells and the rarest of them all, the brown speckled junonia. The largest species is the horse conch which can grow to a length of approximately 24 inches. The smallest, the unidentified skeneidae, which reaches a size of only 1/16 of an inch, is called micromullesc. Shells are generally divided into bivalves and univalves or gastropods. Prime examples of these and thousands more are exhibited at the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum on Sanibel Island, the only shell museum in North America.

Shelling is actively pursued all along the southwest Florida coastline. It is especially good in less populated areas, like North Captiva and Cayo Costa islands, known for their starfish, conch and sand dollars, Le Blanc explains.

Lee County treasures this natural visitor attraction. Shell activists naturally seek to preserve this stellar natural resource and protect live shells from being over-harvested and endangered. As of March 2002, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, at the request of the Lee County's Board of County Commissioners, banned all live shelling throughout the Fort Myers/Sanibel area. However, collection of uninhabited shells, ones where the animals or mollusks are already dead or gone from the shell, is unlimited and encouraged.

The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel is one of the few places in the world where a person can make a living as a shelling charter captain. Many local marinas and resorts run shelling charters. Greg LeBlanc is one of the area's leading shell authorities. The Lafayette, LA native moved to southwest Florida and started WildSide Adventures, a kayaking business, in 1987. Eventually, LeBlanc partnered with Barb Renneke to create the Captiva Kayak Company and WildSide Adventures, located at McCarthy`s Marina on Captiva Island. The business offers a variety of tours for all ages and skill levels showcasing the ecology and cultural history of the area. In addition to the tours, kayak, canoe, and sailboat rentals and sales are available. For more information, call toll-free (877)EZ-KAYAK or log onto www.captivakayaks.com For more information on the Fort Myers/Sanibel Island area, log onto www.FortMyersSanibel.com

The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel: Florida's welcome change-of-pace

The Florida of days long past, with unspoiled white sand beaches, exotic wildlife and lush subtropical foliage, still can be found in the Fort Myers and Sanibel Island area in the southwestern portion of the state.

This subtropical paradise is a favorite vacation spot for visitors from around the world. Here, visitors escape the more congested areas of the state for a feel of old Florida that no longer exists. This area is proving to be the perfect sanctuary for families to reconnect with loved ones in a quiet, natural setting. With surroundings conducive to refocusing on what's really important in life, visitors are finding a sense of inner peace as they submerse themselves in alluring natural wilderness.

There's a variety of accommodations to fit any budget and perfect year-round weather for an abundance of recreational activities and adventures for every member of the family, including unique nature- and history-based tours and activities (including renowned shell collecting), golfing, biking, incredible fishing, shopping, spa experiences, and much more.

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