Sanibel Island, Florida
December 8, 2010
This has not been our best trip to Florida. Unseasonable cold has forced me into jeans and jacket just to walk the beach on Amelia Island—not what Sue and I drove 700 miles south for in December. We will drive 400 miles farther south to Sanibel Island just to find warmth, if only for a day. This photo was taken there from our screened balcony at the West Wind Inn.
We stayed at the West Wind Inn on our first visit to Sanibel in 1990 and returned several times over the years. It was comfortable, unpretentious, and right on the beach, where I loved spending hours collecting seashells. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge was a short bike ride away. On one ride, we passed an alligator right beside the bike path. One night from our room, we watched an evening thunderstorm electrify the sky. We fell asleep to the sound of palm fronds clattering in the wind.
In March 2020, during our spring trip to Florida, the exploding pandemic upended our travel plans. When our reservation at the Lodge at Wakulla Springs was canceled, Sue and I decided to head south again to Sanibel. We found a small house to rent a short walk from the beach, where we relaxed for a couple of days before heading home.
Unlike many businesses on Sanibel Island, the West Wind Inn survived Category 4 Hurricane Ian on September 28–29, 2022. It will reopen. We won’t be able to return to Sanibel anytime soon. But one day, we will.
Picture Perfect is a series of occasional short posts, each focused on a single image that captures a memory from travels past.
David Romanowski, 2022
Bike Walk Drive 
The view from your balcony is lovely. It looks like a very quiet and peaceful place to enjoy your stay. I’m glad they made it through the recent hurricane. It is certainly a place worth revisiting.
LikeLike
Unfortunately, West Wind Inn has gotten very expensive, one reason why we looked for someplace new to stay last time we visited. You can’t beat its location though.
LikeLike