Category Archives: Island Info

Island Info, Just for fun

Sanibel Tolls, 10 things to know!

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Sanibel Tolls,

If you do not have a few minutes to read the following post about the Sanibel tolls and the surrounding areas, consider this a QuickStart Guide to the toll charges and info for the Sanibel and Captiva Causeway.

Tolls for Cars: $6

Tolls for Motorcycles: $2

Bicycles are Free

Larger vehicles: $3 per axle

There is no charge to leave the island.

The causeway is open 24/7/365

You can use the statewide Sunpass transponder but you will be charged the full amount. Discount passes are available for locals at The Leeway Center.

If you do not have money or a transponder you can choose to go through the toll without stopping. Your license plate will be photographed and a bill will be sent to you for approximately $10. If you are in a rental car, the rental company may charge additional fees for collecting the payment.

Bicycles are allowed over the causeway. It is a stunning view and I would strongly recommend it! However I would not recommend it for young kids. The easement on the side of the road is wide but the barriers are fairly low.

The Causeway is 2.8 miles long consisting of two islands and three spans

QuickStart Guide over ….

Sanibel tolls, booth, sanibel Causeway, Punta Rassa, boat Ramp
Park under the Sanibel Causeway is a great spot to watch the sunset

The area around Punta Rassa and the Sanibel tolls:

When you visit Sanibel and Captiva you will inevitably have to drive across the 2.8 mile long Sanibel causeway. Before you get to the Sanibel tolls, you will approach along Summerlin Road. On your way you will pass the historical Bunche Beach and The Sanibel Outlet Mall  (formally The Tanger Outlet Mall). Drive a little further and you reach Shell Point Retirement Community. I make this trip a couple of times a day (see the video of my motorcycle commute below) and this is how this blog post transpired: I was on my way to the studio the other morning and there are several billboards on the approach to Sanibel.  At the entrance to Shell Point Retirement Community there are two billboards on opposite sides of Summerlin Road, I realized that I photographed both! Two separate businesses, one promoting the Shell Point Retirement Community and the other for the new Japanese Steakhouse called Shima, located at The Sundial Resort on Sanibel. That’s a first… ‘how cool’ I casually thought 🙂 But then I started thinking about all of the REALLY interesting things that happen on the last few miles of Summerlin Road, the area right before you get to the Sanibel Causeway and the toll booths. The area commercially coined ‘The Gateway to Sanibel’. I thought I would share some local knowledge of the area that I live and share some info that I think you may find interesting and useful.

Sanibel Causeway, toll booth, Captiva, Toll prices, punta rassa, boat ramp
Sanibel Toll Booth, three lanes onto the Island, one off. Right two lanes are cash only. Head through the left (yellow lane) if you have a transponder.

Punta Rassa is the area where the toll booths and the boat ramp are located. Named by the Spanish Conquistadors in the mid-16th Century (Punta Rasca, later changed to Punta Rassa, means ‘smooth’ or ‘flat point’ in Spanish). In the 1800s it was used by ranchers to load their livestock onto boats for export to Cuba. It was also the home of the Sanibel Ferry before the causeway was built in 1963. In 1898 Punta Rassa was the location for one of the main communication links between USA and Cuba. It was in the form of a telegraph cable that stretched about 160 miles along the seabed to Cuba. This telegraph was instrumental in the start of the Spanish-American War. A message was sent from Cuba that the USS Maine had been attacked in Havana Harbor, this caused outrage in the USA, which subsequently started the war.

Punta Rassa, boat ramp, fishing, saanibel Island, Fort Myers, Gulf of Mexico
The Punta Rassa boat ramp with the Sanibel Causeway in the background

A couple of miles before you get to the Sanibel Tolls via Summerlin Road you will pass John Morris Road. If you take a left down John Morris you will find Bunche Beach. Bunche Beach was at one time designated a ‘Coloreds Only’ beach. It is named after Ralph Bunche the first African American to win a Noble Peace Prize. Fortunately, it has come a long way since those days. It is a great spot to walk or hang out (as I’m sure it was back then). It has great views of Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel and you can walk about a mile to your left and about a half mile to your right. The whole area has been given a makeover recently, with improved parking and a building with facilities. You can also rent paddle boards and kayaks at Kayak Excursions. They are located at a concession stand about halfway along John Morris Road on the right hand side. The kayaking is phenomenal, not overcrowded with plenty of wildlife to see. The water in this area is part of The Great Calusa Blueway. I often take my kids to Bunche Beach for a sunset walk (see the video below). It’s great for kids at low tide; shallow pools, shells, and lots of marine life to be caught in nets.Bunche_beach_sunset

The area to the left of Summerlin Road along the final mile approach to the Sanibel Tolls is perfect for fishing!  It’s not very obvious but take a look at high tide and you will see lots of locals wading out onto the grass flats (preferred hideout of sea trout and other species) Its like going ‘back-bay fishing’ without the need for a charter boat! You will need a fishing license if you are not a Florida Resident. Look for gaps in the foliage and you will see where people park. Want a real Florida fishing experience? Get an awesome custom rod made by local fisherman Dan James at Dan James Custom Rods. Just around the corner from Punta Rassa is the preferred tackle shop of locals and guides, Andersons Tackle Inc located on McGregor Blvd, it has the gear the fishing guides use, quality products like Calusa cast nets, not the touristy junk that a lot of stores carry. Need a spot of lunch? head over the road to The Crackerbox Resteraunt , the second oldest restaurant in Fort Myers. Nothing fancy, just real Florida. If you are the sort of person that would not want to wait for your server to finish singing Karaoke before getting you a beer, this may not be the place for you:)

Cracker Box Restaurant, the second oldest restaurant in Fort Myers, Nick Adams Photography
The famous Cracker Box Restaurant on McGregor Boulevard

For all you shoppers out there The Sanibel Outlet Mall is a hot favorite. Located just a couple of miles before the Sanibel tolls and causeway at the intersection of Mcgregor and Summerlin. It is a great place to hit after an early checkout or on your way to the island. Shops include: Polo, Coach, Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Sunglass Hut, Gap etc .

Lastly, The Sanibel Causeway has to be among the most beautiful journeys in the world, enjoy the view, take a deep breath and savor:) The best thing about it is, you have to do it all over again when you leave…. or maybe not:)

Sanibel tolls next to the boat ramp, punta Rassa, sanibel, Nick Adams Photography
Sunset from the boat ramp at Punta Rassa
Sanibel Tolls, Sundial Shima Resteraunt billboard, with photography by Nick Adams Photography
Sundials, Shima Restaurant billboard
Sanibel Tolls, Shell point commercial photography, photography by Nick Adams Photography, on Summerlin Road Fort Myers
Shell Point Retirement billboard

 

 

Family Portraits, Island Info

Sanibel Museum a Must Do!

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A Sanibel museum is a “Thing to Do” while your are visiting Sanibel and Captiva Islands.

A Sanibel museum to visit

One Sanibel Museum is the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum

Now in its 20th year, The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum on Sanibel Island is the only museum in the United States that is solely devoted to shells and the mollusks that make them.

Ours is a natural history museum that exhibits beautiful shells from around the globe. Our world-renowned malacologist and two Marine Biologists are joined by highly educated docents to offer a wealth of knowledge, surprising facts, and rare insights into the lesser-known complexities of shells. Yes, there’s science (and a lot of it!) and we also cover many cultural, historical and culinary facets of shells.

Still, our greatest asset is an innate sense of curiosity and wonder about shells. We have a lot of fun here at the Museum; we thankfully never stop learning and sometimes even get a little goofy about new discoveries – whether brought to our attention by a guest, gleaned from our own research, or found within the larger scientific world. Come see us; you’ll be glad you did!

 

The other Sanibel Museum is the Sanibel Historical Museum & Village

Sanibel Historical Museum and Village was founded in 1984 with a mission to preserve and share Sanibel history. The story of Sanibel is told from the Calusa and Spanish eras to the early pioneer families who settled on the island in the 1800s. It tells of warriors, adventures, fishermen, farmers and proprietors.

Seven historic buildings were moved from their original island sites to the Historical Village. Each building has been restored to its original state. Volunteer docents share the stories of Sanibel with almost 10,000 visitors a year. Join us as we follow the footsteps of the past.

Sanibel Museum

Family Portraits, Island Info

Sanibel Toy Store-visit after your portrait

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Sanibel Toy Store

A Sanibel toy store is a must visit after your family portrait with Nick Adams Photography.Sanibel Toy Store

Nanny’s Children’s Shoppe

Nanny’s is children’s boutique and Sanibel toy store that has been on the island since 1982.  It has been voted by consumers as the best children’s store on the islands since 2012,Nanny’s Children’s Shoppe was established on Sanibel Island in 1982.  In 1999 Nanny’s was purchased by Jan Gabrielson who kept the traditional children’s shoppe an island tradition and over the years successfully established a loyal customer base.  Rick and Paisha Dowden and Paisha’s parents, Jeff and Brenda Beigh, purchased Nanny’s in July of 2013. “Nanny’s was always an island tradition for us.  Every year we’d visit the children’s store and were sad to hear that she was closing.  We decided to purchase Nanny’s from Jan to keep the island’s traditional children’s shoppe open.”

Needful Things

Needful Things is a collectible Sanibel toy store that sells Hello Kitty (thousands of items) Cats Meow Sanibel Village, Re-Ment miniatures, pranks, candy, trading card games, and hundreds of really strange things!

Our kids love to visit here!

Sanibel Surf Shop

This flagship Sanibel toy store is located in Sanibel at Jerry’s Shopping Center. Sanibel Surf Shop is undeniably the islands most
unique, “Everything Under the Sun” beach outfitter. Tee shirts, sweatshirts, and sandals for all ages. Souvenirs, snorkelgear, towels, chairs, beach umbrellas, pool and beach toys. Books from local authors, like Randy Wayne White. That’s just to name a few of our items. One trip is just never enough.

Toys Ahoy

Collectors and kids of all ages love to visit this Sanibel toy store to see unique and fun toys featuring Playmobil, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Madame Alexander. You’ll also find many educational games, books, a variety of stuffed animals, collector’s cards, tin toys, nesting dolls and Dover books at Sanibel’s best toy store .

 

 

Family Portraits, Island Info, Testimonial

Family Portraits and Bad Weather, Sanibel Lighthouse Beach

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Sanibel Photography

Sanibel photography is always fun but when you have a run of bad weather, it can make it challenging. We tried to photograph the Hebb family over a the coarse of their stay and we had some unusually bad weather that week. So we took the unusual step of rescheduling during the day (rather than sunrise/sunset). Luckily we had a spectacular window, bright sun and blue skies. There was even some blooming Railroad Vine or Beach Morning Glory as it’s also known.  According to The South Florida Plant Guide They describe the Railroad Vine as follows: “To call the unique railroad vine a fast growing ground cover is almost an understatement. Like a turbo-charged express train, it makes tracks so rapidly you can almost watch it grow.”  Check out The South Florida plant Guide it’s a great resource for local plants.

Anyway back to the Hebbs, we managed to get some terrific shots, the kids did great. So much so we received this amazing compliment…..

“I just received my pictures and they look fantastic!  I wanted to say Thank you again even though the weather seemed to be against us at every turn!”

Shooting during the day does have its pluses. Magazines sometimes prefer bright sun type pictures for a lot of shots. Some editors think ‘bright=happy’. While it’s not as flattering as low light photography, we can certainly help softening harsh shadows with the use of external camera flash. The only real drawback to full sun shooting is that it can hard on your eyes. Some people really struggle with squinting during a high sun shoot. If you have sensitive eyes I would not recommend doing a beach family portrait in full sun.

Sanibel photography is certainly more challenging than you might think but with the right tools and willing subjects it is definitely worthwhile.

Thanks to the Hebb family, it was great to meet you guys, come back and see us soon:)

sanibel photography, Railroad vine, Beach Morning Glory
Railroad Vine Boys
sanibel photography, beach walk, beach portrait
Stroll along Lighthouse Beach
sanibel photography, beach walk, beach portrait, kids beach photography
Boys hand in hand
Family Portraits, Island Info

Sanibel Photographer/Lighthouse beach

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Sanibel Photographer at the Lighthouse Beach

Sanibel photographer Nick Adams has many locations that he regularly uses but the Lighthouse is one of his favorites. Nick recently photographed the Rutt family from Colorado at the Lighthouse. It was a less than impressive evening but Nick stated that “the Sanibel Lighthouse is always a good choice during inclement weather situations. If we can reschedule then we will but our clients cannot always do that.  The good thing about the Lighthouse is not only do you have the lush tropical colors of the foliage but geographically speaking, you can always walk around the tip of the Sanibel Island to shelter from the wind. We are also blessed with some beautiful driftwood that has washed up on the beach over the years”. The Sanibel photographer added whimsically: “What’s better than driftwood for a family beach portrait?”. The Lighthouse is located at the most southeasterly tip of Sanibel Island. The Sanibel Lighthouse is a mecca for shelling and dolphin watching. Shelling is fantastic because geographically the Gulf of Mexico predominantly travels from north to south.  As it passes by the bottom end of Sanibel Island the water swirls around the end of the island and deposits sea shells, driftwood and other ocean artifacts.  For this reason, if you were to start walking from the Sanibel Lighthouse towards Captiva along the beach, the further you go, the less shells you will find. The dolphins also enjoy the tip of the island for a different reason. The tide is very strong as it travels past the end of the island. It’s either on its way to the Caloosahatchee River or leaving the Caloosahatchee River out to the Gulf of Mexico. For that reason a deep channel has naturally been carved into the seabed. If you walk out from the end of the island you will find the water very shallow and then after a few yards you will feel the seabed drop away. The seabed drops from to around 5′ to around 25′-30′ in a matter of a yards. This channel is horseshoe shaped and follows the contours of the tip of the island. If you go to the lighthouse at low tide the channel becomes more like a river and you can quite often find dolphin herding fish along the channel. They coral them into a dead end, where the fish will meet an untimely demise:( It is a sight to see, lots of splashing and dolphins in large numbers, it’s pretty spectacular. A great way to see the dolphins up close is by boat. The Sanibel Thriller runs a trip out of the Sanibel Marina on the East end of the Island.  Reserve a seat towards the back, its the best place to see the dolphins from. You will also get a 90 minute tour of the island.

Nick received wonderful compliment from the Rutt family:

“Just an FYI…the pictures turned out fantastic like always.  I am sure we will be seeing you next summer J”

Forever grateful to have such great clients, on behalf of Nick we would like to say a big thank you… and we definitely look forward to next year:)

Lori Adams

sanibel photographer
Just Hanging
Sanibel photographer
Sanibel Driftwood
Sanibel photographer lighthouse
Pretty in Pink