Sanibel and Off Island: Viva La Difference!

In the previous post we talked about one destination off Sanibel Island, the beautiful city of Naples.

But regardless of whether your off island sojourn is Naples or another destination, you are bound to observe some very distinct differences between the Island and main land.

How do they differ?

Let me count the ways.

The Island, by definition is finite. It is 12 miles long and 5 miles wide. Go longer or wider and you are in the water!

Of course, the land outside the Island is almost infinite. You can drive off Island for miles and miles. Forida itself is very large. "The Sunshine State" is the 2nd-largest state (after Georgia) east of the Mississippi River, and ranks 22nd in size among the 50 states.

But much more than size distinguishes Sanibel from the miles and miles of towns just across the causeway.

Drive the roads of Sanibel, and you will not encounter one traffic light. Nope, not one. You can't go very far off island without hitting a traffic light. It does make a profound difference in your driving experience.

Even in the quiet areas on the mainland, you will hear the ubiquitous siren of an ambulance or EMS vehicle several times a day. I don't think I have heard a siren on Sanibel more than once or twice in all the months I have spent on Island. Sanibel has a hushed tone, day and night.

The tall buildings that line the major roads off island can be seen from miles away. No building is taller than a palm tree on Sanibel. The vistas are uniformly green from almost anywhere on the Island.

Restaurants of all kinds exist on and off Island. There are many choices where ever you are. One distinction, however, is the absence of fast food eateries on the Island. Other than the Island's Dairy Queen, the big name fast food chains do not exist on Sanibel. All the restaurants are independently owned with a unique style in decor and often unique menus as well.

But perhaps the greatest difference between on and off Island is the pace.

Cars whiz by on mainland. Cars slow down on Island. But, you will not see many cars in most months on Sanibel. Instead you will see people biking and walking and strolling. The Island mentality takes hold immediately and you just slow down your pace and ratchet up your enjoyment of the simple things. Watch an egret in flight. Stop and eat an ice cream. Take in a beach sunset. You have all the time in the world on the Island of Sanibel!