The air is thick under a bright, unblinking sun. Rich and sensual, it shimmers with moist heat, smells of ripe vegetation, sings with the humming of insects and the cries of birds. Every now and then, it whispers with a slight, stirring breeze.

Out on the watery shallows -- beyond the lush terrain of gnarled mangrove roots, morning glories, Spanish needle flowers, strangler figs, sea grapes, wax myrtles, cabbage palms, wild coffee bushes and wild lime trees -- the birds stage their graceful ballet with a company of egrets, cormorants, ospreys and roseate spoonbills. Half submerged, head resting lazily on the muddy bank, an alligator lies motionless in the sun. In the dense undergrowth, a catbird cries.

This is the heart of the J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge, a 2,570-hectare natural jewel on the natural jewel that is Sanibel Island. And this, too, is Florida.

It may not be the Florida familiar to many Canadians currently planning their 2008 March Break or winter escape. It is certainly not the Florida of Orlando theme parks or Miami nightlife or Daytona Beach vulgarity (an aquamarine and pink nightmare of liquor stores, motels and T-shirt shops that could put the city in the running for Tackiest Place in the Whole U.S. of A.).

No, Sanibel has nothing in common with any of that. The charming barrier island and its sister island, Captiva, sit in the Gulf of Mexico along Florida's southwest coast, drawing visitors who appreciate the proximity of the Sunshine State but would just as soon avoid its crowded theme parks, frenetic nightlife and celebrations of breathtaking tackiness.

And yet the gem that is Sanibel-Captiva may be a hidden one for many. Canadians have long loved Florida, and more than two million of us -- the majority from Ontario -- visit every year. But judging by the numbers kept by the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau (which oversees tourism on the islands, as well as in mainland Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach), only 2.5 per cent of visiting Canadians make the Lee County area their destination.

Which is a shame for the other 97.5 per cent. Sanibel and Captiva Islands are lovely little pieces of paradise, especially when the winds blow cold and the snows have arrived to define the home landscape.

That's certainly what American writer Anne Morrow Lindbergh thought more than 50 years ago when, middle-aged and restless, she journeyed to Captiva Island and rented a small house on the beach. Each day, the wife of America's most famous aviator took long, solitary walks to discover not only the world's most intricate and beautiful seashells but also the truths in her own heart. The result in the end was a kind of inner peace -- as well as her little classic, Gift from the Sea.

The long uncrowded beaches of Sanibel-Captiva do indeed provide the opportunity for nourishing the inner soul, even with the vastly increased tourism since Morrow Lindbergh's day. Along the turquoise of the Gulf, endless stretches of sand are home after each receding tide to the most stunning shells -- conches, periwinkles, whelks and others, all in complex patterns and delicate colours. The area's beaches are rightly known as some of the world's best shelling beaches and 'the Sanibel stoop' (describing the posture of shellers out seeking their treasures) is a common sight.

Shops selling both seashells and decorative items fashioned from them can be found across the islands, and, for true shell aficionados, there is a whole institution devoted to conchology. The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, a stone's throw from the entrance to the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, welcomes visitors daily throughout the year.

The sister islands are still a prized, if pricey, destination.

Sanibel and Captiva have always revelled in being slightly rarefied.

For one thing, you have to pay to get in. The causeway linking Sanibel with the mainland (Captiva is at the far end of Sanibel) has a hefty toll of $6 U.S., which tends to discourage daytripping beachgoers.

Having just left the shopping-mall world of Fort Myers, with its mix of palm-treed wealth and urban grittiness, you know the moment you have crossed the causeway that you are in a different world, a trim community that, frankly, would never countenance a hint of slum development -- and one that clearly reveres its environment. Along with stringent building restrictions, Sanibel maintains a proscription against neon and traffic lights, one of its major attractions for visitors.

But don't for a second think that such a resolutely retro policy means that Sanibel is a sleepy little town. In fact, it's a beach town with a distinct touch of class, and it's crammed with tourists -- as well as with all the shops, restaurants and nightspots required to serve them. Day and night, the main drag, Periwinkle Way, is chockablock with cars, necessitating the presence of traffic guys and gals all day long at intersections. Traffic lights would probably be cheaper and more efficient, but they would be a poor fit with Sanibel's retro-posh reputation.

And the lack of neon signage has done nothing to discourage commerce, with boutiques selling everything from suncatchers, beachwear and fine art to fine gourmet foods, all at fine gourmet prices. The Dairy Queen on Periwinkle may have to be content with announcing its presence by means of a red wooden board illuminated by incandescent light -- but it has no end of customers on a steamy Sanibel night.

The nice thing is, the shops, bars and restaurants do not line the beaches, which are maintained scrupulously as natural preserves. You don't have to face the world of commerce and consumer spending unless you choose to do so.

You also don't have to face the prospect of ever being bored -- if, that is, you can actually get bored with sunning, swimming in warm aqua waters, playing beach games, shelling and going for endless walks along the sand, your attention drawn by double-breasted cormorants, royal terns, comical sandpipers, elegant egrets and busy squadrons of pelicans.

When you need a break from all that, you can play golf or tennis. You can go sailing, snorkelling, sea-kayaking or deep-sea fishing. You can go barrier-island-hopping by water taxi. You can take workshops on manatees and marine ecosystems. You can check out the intriguing history of the area with sites honouring everything from the legacy of the native Calusa people who once called the area home, to the grand twin estates of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison in Fort Myers. You can opt for a memorable visit to the Ding Darling Refuge, either on your own or on a guided tour. You can take a cruise out of Captiva and watch for frolicking dolphins.

And you can eat very, very well, whether it's a gourmet burger you're after with an indescribably good wedge of key lime pie, or a sumptuous dinner featuring fresh local seafood.

It should be noted that a Sanibel vacation is not a bargain-priced getaway. Accommodations, especially during holidays and peak season (generally the beginning of February to early April), tend to come with high-end price tags. If, for example, you wanted to stay amid the luxurious creature comforts of the ultra-smart South Seas Island Resort at the tip of Captiva, you could expect to pay more than $6,700 U.S. a week in March for a three-bedroom beach villa. (A one-bedroom tennis villa at the same resort runs a more reasonable $3,080 U.S.)

But you don't have to go ultra-posh to pay prices that are significantly higher than elsewhere in Florida. Studio accommodation in March at Sanibel's perfectly pleasant Sundial Resort runs to $2,260 U.S. a week. A one-bedroom Gulf-front condo at Sandalfoot, also perfectly pleasant, is $2,065 U.S.

Of course, if you choose to stay in one of the islands' many villa or condo options, you'll be saving eating-out money. And you'll be laying in a few groceries. In that case, either of Sanibel's two main food emporiums, Bailey's and Jerry's, can cater for your every need with the finest of seafood, meats, produce, fresh baked goods, wines -- you name it. But the bill at the end won't be anything like the one you paid last time you were at Loeb or Loblaw's. In fact, many visitors who rent accommodation with kitchens end up doing the bulk of their food shopping at one of the large grocery retailers in Fort Myers before arriving in Sanibel.

Then they cross the causeway and forget all about the prices.

Wrapped in warm breezes and lolling about on an unspoiled shoreline, they begin to feel that such concerns are not only vulgar but irrelevant. For the next little while, they realize, they will be enjoying the serene privilege of a small taste of heaven.

Janice Kennedy is a senior writer at the Citizen.

If You Go...

Getting there: Air Canada and WestJet can get you pretty close to Sanibel Island. Both airlines fly from Ottawa to Tampa (21/2 hours by car from Sanibel) and Orlando

(31/2 hours by car from Sanibel), with a few direct flights available. Or, with connections, you could simply fly right to Fort Myers, which has a regional airport serving southwest Florida. Both Air Canada and WestJet have direct flights to Fort Myers from Toronto. From Fort Myers, it's a half-hour drive to Sanibel.

Where to eat: You will not go hungry on Sanibel and Captiva:

- For possibly the most romantic dining experience of your vacation, reserve a table at the Thistle Lodge at Casa Ybel, 2255 West Gulf Dr. It features seafood and sunsets, both to die for.

- Redfish Blufish, 751 Tarpon Bay Rd., is famous for its innovative cuisine in tapas-sized presentations that are simply gorgeous

- Doc Ford's Sanibel Rum Bar and Grille, 975 Rabbit Rd., offers not only a long and impressive list of potent potables, but also some mighty fine eating, from both land and sea.

- Other culinary delights? Burgers and milkshakes at Cheeburger Cheeburger, 1975 Periwinkle Way. A campy step into yesteryear at The Bubble Room, 15001 Captiva Rd. Lunch at the funky Cabbage Key Inn, accessible only by boat, which you can get from Captiva. And -- don't leave the islands without sampling this -- a wedge of fresh Key Lime Pie at Gramma Dot's (634 N. Yachtsman Dr.).

- If you're cooking back at the condo, do your gourmet grocery shopping at Jerry's (1700 Periwinkle Way) or Bailey's General Store (2477 Periwinkle Way). Both are fabulous.

Staying there: Choices for accommodation and dining on Sanibel and Captiva cover a staggeringly broad range. There is a great deal of online help to assist you in your travel plans, but one of the best sites is operated by the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau, which is responsible for Sanibel and Captiva. Not only does it offer everything you need to plan your island vacation, it will also send you a free 152-page guide book. Go to: www.fortmyers-sanibel.com

Manitoba

Music Will Mark Massive Bird Migration

Some 400,000 birds can't be wrong. Oak Hammock Marsh, an internationally recognized wetlands conservation area and tall grass prairie near Winnipeg, is the place to be in October for migrating waterfowl -- and for wildlife watchers.

The non-profit Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre will host a 'Migration Magic Farewell Weekend Concert' Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in its multimedia theatre.

A string quartet from the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra will perform while visitors view projected images of some of the 300 bird species that visit the marsh throughout the year.

Tickets to the 90-minute program, including a wine and cheese reception during intermission, cost $30.

At sunset on most fall evenings, massive numbers of ducks, Canada geese, snow geese, shorebirds and tundra swans stage a dramatic fly-in to the marsh from surrounding fields, where they feed on grain to gain strength for their migratory flight south.

The centre describes the birds' return to their overnight accommodations in the marsh as 'a spectacular symphony of sounds and sights.'

'It's a magical moment,' says Jacques Bourgeois, the centre's special events co-ordinator. 'The whole sky becomes dark with birds. It looks like smoke.'

See www.oakhammockmarsh.ca or call 1-888-506-2774.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2007

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