I bet you didn't know that Sanibel Island is the shell capitol of the US. In fact, it is the third best place in the world for shells. Shell hunting is another thing my kids can do for hours and I think it's tied in with with the same thrill they get from gold panning and diamond digging, it's all about the treasure hunt. After checking into our hotel and getting into our beachcombing gear, we headed to the shore. Walking towards the water, our jaws dropped. In our entire lives, we'd never seen so many shells, the entire beach was just covered in them up and down as far as the eye could see-in fact, we couldn't even see the sand. We wondered what kind of natural phenomenon was bringing all these shells to this location. I gave each kid a ziplock baggy and let them wander around. Every few minutes I'd hear the urgent call..."Mom, Mom, come here, look at this really cool shell". Most of the shells looked like little white clam shells but there were plenty of other unique ones to find scattered in the mix. The trick was finding them in one piece after the'd been crashing in the waves of the ocean. Sure enough, my kids with their eagle eyes came up with a nice collection of some beauties.
The beach at Sanibel Island is a DO NOT MISS. Natural wonders are the most beautiful and the most awe inspiring and I cannot think of a better and more relaxed way to enjoy the company of your children than wandering the shores looking for natural treasure. Later on you can see and learn about what you found at the Bailey Mathews Shell Museum.
