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Create your own self-enclosed world of two on the shores of Fort Myers & Sanibel.
Romance Develops on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel
The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel has proven itself as the classic setting for love immortal for centuries, no matter whether the relationship is but a fresh bud, a fragrant blossom or the seed of a family tree.
By Chelle Koster Walton
The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel has proven itself as the classic setting for love immortal for centuries, no matter whether the relationship is but a fresh bud, a fragrant blossom or the seed of a family tree.
By Chelle Koster Walton
  Heating things up |
The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel has proven itself as the classic setting for love immortal for centuries, no matter whether the relationship is but a fresh bud, a fragrant blossom or the seed of a family tree.
First Date
So, the time has come for that first big getaway together, alone. Where to go to get to know each other better in a setting romance-guaranteed? Warm, sun-toasted beaches: check. Intimate inns and ultimate pleasure resorts: check. Starry skies uncluttered by light pollution: check. Cozy tables for two with water views and food for the mood: double check. Lively clubs and pubs to dance and toast your love: you bet! The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel has all that and then some.
Create your own self-enclosed world of two on the seashore at Lovers Key State Park. Cocoon the days away or step out and watch the birds (and the bees, if you wish) on a double kayak sunset or moonlight tour with Gulf Coast Kayak in Matlacha, or a bicycle built-for-two ride along Sanibel Island's bike path. Head to Fort Myers Beach for sunset cocktails and beach boogie in the sand and on the rooftops.
Found a Mate
OK, so now it's official: you're a bona fide couple, but that doesn't mean you don't need to steal away from time to time to keep passions flamed and love in perspective. What better perspective than a sunset on Captiva Beach, voted the most romantic by Stephen "Dr. Beach" Leatherman, the nation's foremost beach connoisseur.
Allow your love to deepen as you share your common interests: a romantic comedy at a local theater, a leisurely stroll along the nature boardwalks at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve or Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, intricately designed gardens at Koreshan State Historic Site and The Edison & Ford Winter Estates, a cruise to Lee County's far-flung, Robinson Crusoe-like islands, downtown Fort Myers' street festivals and upbeat night scene. Step into one of Sanibel Island's custom jewelry shops for a memento of the occasion in the form of a tiny golden sand dollar or jeweled scallop shell. No harm in taking a peek at diamonds while you're here, right?
Set the Date
Are those wedding bells I hear? Well,
 Enjoy each other and gulfside beauty |
Pick your own special bridal path from traditional churches or a quaint chapel by the sea, shell-strewn beaches white and supple as a bridal veil, tropical gardens decorated by Mother Nature, Victorian resort gazebos set seaside. Many local resorts employ staff wedding planners, experts at taking your lifetime event from rehearsal dinner and one-of-a-kind ceremony to suitably themed reception and sweet, sweet honeymoon. Celebrate your new life together with a champagne cruise into the sunset or a picnic on a deserted Cayo Costa island beach.
Celebrate
Charles and Anne Lindbergh celebrated 10 years of marriage when they first visited Captiva Island and Fort Myers. Thomas and Mina Edison honeymooned in Fort Myers and spent 25 winters at their Fort Myers home during 45 years of steady love and companionship. Henry and Clara Ford often wintered next door during their 59 years of marriage.
Make your own history as you commemorate the endurance of your relationship (I personally think you should do this every year!) in a place where love is always in bloom. Celebrate with friends and families at a big to-do in a breezy, full-service beach resort or sneak off just the two of you to a charming inn where champagne and beachscape greet your arrival. Visit the winter homes of the Edisons and Fords. Schedule a spa treatment and a round of golf, together or separately. Hire a fishing charter or board a deep-water excursion out of Fort Myers Beach. Celebrate over candlelit dinner the level of comfort and deep love your life together has created.
Never Too Late
It's all about the two of you now: no kids to keep entertained or work distractions to tend. So be selfish and self-engrossed. Rekindle the flame in the leisure of a beach-view condo, where you can choose to nest and eat in or put on your party duds to hit the theaters and jazz clubs downtown or on Sanibel Island.
Hop aboard a luxury yacht for a lunchtime cruise to historic Useppa Island or Cabbage Key or dinner cruise to nowhere. Comb the beaches for shells to enhance your lifetime collection. Perhaps you'll find a rare lion's paw, its two parts joined together by an invisible glue like the love that has hinged your lives and awaits reawakening as the two of you face each other in a time and space all your own.
If You Go:
Cayo Costa State Park, 941-964-0375, www.floridastateparks.org/cayocosta
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 239-348-9151, www.audubon.org/local/sanctuary/corkscrew
Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 239-334-7419, www.edison-ford-estate.com
Gulf Coast Kayak, 239-283-1125, www.gulfcoastkayak.com
Koreshan State Historic Site, 239-992-0311, www.floridastateparks.org/koreshan
Lovers Key State Park, 239-463-4588, www.floridastateparks.org/loverskey
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, 239-432-2004
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