Ready, set, mark your calendars and plan a vacation! The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel in southwest Florida continues to provide new experiences this fall and early winter for visitors to Florida's unspoiled island sanctuary. For more information, visit www.fortmyerssanibel.com.

Google Glass at The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel
The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) is the first U.S. tourism destination to devise a promotional effort involving the futuristic Google Glass. Five Google Glass explorers visited the area one weekend in early September to participate in the "Find Your Island Challenge." Explorers competed to best document their local adventures through Glass via social media. Facebook fans can win a free visit to the area and a Google Glass device once it is available as part of the promotion. See www.fortmyers-sanibel.com/google_glass for details.  

Christmas Comet may light up the skies
The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel anticipates Mother Nature's cooperation by giving visitors a chance to see a once-in-a-lifetime holiday light show. Accommodations, nighttime cruises and attractions will offer opportunities to experience and celebrate the event.

Comet ISON (C/2012 S1) is expected to make its first pass by Earth from early November 2013 through early January 2014.  Nicknamed the “Christmas Comet,” ISON is already remarkably bright.  If it doesn't disintegrate or break up, the sun will melt off its ice, releasing gas and dust and forming a gloriously long tail that could stretch across a quarter of the sky. At the comet's closest swing past Earth, about 40 million miles away, the sky should be moonless, adding to the comet's glow. Area accommodations and attractions are planning special offers and tours to commemorate the comet:

The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village is offering a “Christmas Comet” package that includes rooms with enclosed balconies for viewing the comet, a $30 resort credit per stay and two “Christmas Comet” beverages per reservation. Rates start at $139 per night with a minimum of two nights. The package is available Nov. 1 through
Dec. 26, 2013. Details and reservations: 239-541-5000. Reference rate plan COMET. www.westincapecoral.com

Visitors may also view the comet from clear, dark skies over the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, where strict light ordinances mean no light pollution. Join a local astronomy club on specified days throughout the comet's visibility, between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Meet for a brief program and telescope viewing. The first 30 people to sign up can board a Tarpon Bay Explorers' pontoon cruise at Tarpon Bay Recreation Area to view the skies from the water. The events are hosted by "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge. For current information on Christmas Comet observation dates, visit www.dingdarlingsociety.org. To reserve a cruise spot, call 239-472-8900.

Gulf Coast Kayak in Matlacha plans to offer "Kayaking & Sky Gazing!" with     two hours of an evening, guided kayak eco-tour through the mangrove islands of Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve in search of Comet ISON. Rate: $50 per person. Group rates available. The package is available mid-November through December 2013.  Details and reservations: 239-283-1125. www.gulfcoastkayak.com

Captiva Cruises on Captiva Island plans to offer "Night Sky Astronomy Cruises."  Planets, stars and constellations will be identified and discussed along the way. Mythology and mysteries of the universe will be revealed under the magic of the night sky as Comet Ison makes the winter's sky more spectacular. Departure times vary on this 1.5 hour cruise.  For details and reservations: 239-472-5300. www.captivacruises.com
   
Visitors will find more information about the night skies of The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel with a visit to the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium in Fort Myers Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For details, visit www.calusanature.org or call 239-275-3435.

Apps enhance visitor experience. Nature Trail is the first of its kind at J. N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge
If you have a smart phone that downloads apps, you're ready to experience the latest innovation at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Designed to get techies outside, the Refuge iNature Trail along Wildlife Drive has two components, one for kids and one for adults. This is the first interactive trail of its kind in the 550-plus national wildlife refuge system.  www.fws.gov/dingdarling

The Florida Park Service launched a PocketRanger® mobile app for iPhones and Androids. The interactive guide allows visitors to plan their next adventure in local state parks including Cayo Costa State Park, Estero Bay Preserve State Park, Koreshan State Historic Site, Lovers Key State Park, and Mound Key State Archaeological State Park. It features photos, maps, park information, activity, and location search tools. 850-245-2112 or www.floridastateparks.org

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates and Edison State College announce the return of The Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival to southwest Florida for a seventh season Nov. 1 at Edison Ford, and Nov. 2 at Edison State College.  The Black Maria Film Festival is an international, award-winning festival that has toured the nation for 32 years and is hosted by museums and colleges throughout the country showcasing independent and experimental film and video.  The films include a variety of contemporary works drawn from the annual juried selection of award winning films and videos.  The Black Maria is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as an Academy Awards qualifying festival for short films. For more information and updates visit the Edison & Ford Winter Estates website at www.edisonfordwinterestates.org.

Kudos
USA TODAY and 10Best.com recently named Lovers Key, south of Fort Myers Beach, among the 10 least-known Florida beaches. The article says: “it's one-fourth of a state park, home to a resort and an enduring haven for couples in pursuit of blissful isolation. Also, Gasparilla Island was cited for its "Epic" Tarpon Fishing.

U.S. News & World Report recently ranked Sanibel Island's Bowman's Beach at #10 on its list of 12 Best Beaches of the World in 2013. “You'll look out over a shore littered with colorful seashells as you claim your spot on Bowman's Beach,” the global publication states.

The League of American Bicyclists has designated Sanibel Island a Bicycle Friendly Community because of its shared-use path system; convenient bike parking in front of stores, at the beach, and at parks; bicycle master plan that strategically improves bicycle safety and comfort; and promotion of bicycling for health, transportation, and recreation. www.bikeleague.org.

Gasparilla Inn & Club in Boca Grande and Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Myers were recently added to the Top 100 list of spas by Conde Nast Traveler for 2013. The rankings were based on treatments, staff, facilities, number of treatment rooms, basic massage and overall ratings.

AAA has awarded The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village its coveted Four Diamond rating for the first time since its opening in December 2012. The waterfront property was recognized as a premier establishment by AAA's professional inspectors, a distinction fewer than four percent of the nearly 59,000 properties reviewed achieve. www.westincapecoral.com

ConventionSouth magazine has recognized Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs as “Green Meetings Approved” for 2013 - 2014. Groups and meetings attendees that share this commitment will not only appreciate the resort's efforts in sustainability but also receive 3 percent off their master bill with Hyatt's Meet and Be Green Package.  www.coconutpoint.hyatt.com

The National Public Works Association has given its prestigious Small City Rural Community (SCRC) Public Works Projects of the Year Award to the City of Fort Myers for its recently completed Riverfront Downtown Detention Basin project. The $5.3 million project adds a new dimension of waterfront that will serve as an amenity to residents and visitors and stimulate further improvement to downtown Fort Myers. www.cityftmyers.com

Sanibel Moorings resort on Sanibel Island has received a Florida-Friendly Landscape Certificate from the Lee County Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program for its botanical gardens. The program recognizes gardens using sustainable plants and fertilizers, water efficiency, recycling, wildlife-attracting measures, and other green initiatives. www.sanibelmoorings.com

In addition, a $1 million Blind Pass project has been completed. The pass straddles the northern end of Sanibel and southern tip of Captiva and was dredged for environmental purposes. The dredged sand was used to nourish a half-mile of critically eroded shoreline on northern Sanibel. Taking care of its beaches is a priority for Lee County, which has 4.7 million visitors a year. Nourishment projects such as these ensure the beauty of the beaches, as well as their environmental health for protected species such as sea turtles and nesting shorebirds.

Attractions
Twelve photographic images, which have been on display underwater aboard the USS Mohawk CGC Veterans Memorial Reef since June 2013, will rise to the surface for a showing at the Lee County Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers. The Sinking World exhibit will remain on display until Oct. 26, 2013. www.artinlee.org.

The historic Everglades Wonder Gardens has reopened in Bonita Springs following a change in ownership and a renovation. Visitors can wander the newly created paths, see pink flamingos, alligators, a swinging bridge and a butterfly garden. The park also includes landscape photography in John Brady's Everglades Gallery and a picnic area. The park, located at 27180 Old U.S. 41 in Bonita Springs, is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information, call 239-992-2591.

J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island held a ribbon-cutting for its new Wildlife Education Boardwalk to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of the freshwater trail and its two-level observation deck. The new 300-foot boardwalk connects Indigo Trail to a fence at the perimeter of the Sanibel School. The refuge has renamed the trail to reflect its appeal to wildlife-lovers of all ages and the replicated animal tracks and scat that will be added in Phase 2 of completion. The boardwalk, constructed primarily with recyclable materials, crosses a brackish wetland heretofore inaccessible to the public. The two-level, covered observation deck creates an outdoor classroom, where school groups can congregate and refuge visitors can learn more about the habitat they are seeing -- up-close views of alligators, wading birds, and other refuge fauna and flora. www.dingdarlingsociety.org

Also at the Refuge...the inaugural Upcycle! Art Fest will take place on Sanibel Island, April 26-27, 2014. The festival, hosted by the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) to benefit the Refuge, is the island's first fine arts and crafts festival to require the 60 percent usage of repurposed and re-envisioned materials. The festival will demonstrate the importance of recycling and conservation, plus offer visitors opportunities to purchase one-of-a-kind pieces and even try their hand at recycled art.  Artists in all media from around the U.S. are expected to qualify for the juried show. www.UpcycleArtFest.org
May 21-Aug. 15, 2014, the refuge presents free daily activities at the Education Center. Family beach walks, bike tours, estuary exploring, wildlife wonders and animal tracks are just a few of the programs. For a schedule, visit  http://www.dingdarlingsociety.org/admin/media_upload/SummerPrograms2013.pdf

As part of an expansion at the Captiva Memorial Library, the Captiva Island Historical Society will open a room of historical displays and touch screen computers. Work is expected to be completed by January 2014. www.sccf.org 

Leoma Lovegrove, an impressionist/expressionist Pine Island artist, recently created a mural to cover the side wall of the Matlacha Island Post Office facing incoming traffic. The Catch of Matlacha Island mural measures 12 x 65 feet and features Lovegrove's signature fish paintings embellished with rubble collected from the recent replacement of Matlacha's 1968 landmark bridge. 239-822-4109, www.leomalovegrove.com.

Alico Family Golf Center is planning to open a driving range with family amenities in January 2014 on 30 acres at the intersection of Alico and Lee roads in Fort Myers. It will include a 5,000-square-foot clubhouse, a sports cafe, at least 18 holes of miniature golf, a PGA teaching school, six dozen grass tee boxes, and an extensive short game area.

Southwest Florida Yachts of North Fort Myers has announced plans to relocate to Tarpon Point Marina in Cape Coral. To celebrate the firm's 30th anniversary, it will combine by November 2013 all of its power and sailing chartering, brokerage, and power/sail school operations at the marina, which lies adjacent to the Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village. www.swfyachts.com

Glowgolf, a Kansas-based operator of indoor glow-in-the-dark miniature golf courses, opened a location at Coconut Point in Estero. It features a 27-hole course and an area for birthday parties and group events. A laser maze attraction will be added later. www.opryglowgolf.com

Work begins soon on the Southwest Florida Performing Art Center in Bonita Springs, expected to open in January 2014. The 27,000-square-foot center will host national entertainers and include two restaurants and a sangria bar with a sangria waterfall dropping from a 40-foot ceiling. www.artcenterbonita.org or 239-389-6900.

Accommodations
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs has “hired” two new greeters for guests arriving to the resort. Two 140-pound Newfoundland dogs named Hoss and Honey Bear take their places at the front desk. The breed is known for their sweet temperament, gentle nature and kindness to people. 239-390-4280. www.coconutpoint.hyatt.com

Dining
Sundial Beach Resort & Spa on Sanibel Island has opened three new dining venues to the public. Sea Breeze Café offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Waterview opens for dinner only. Both overlook the beach and main pool. Poolside Turtles Tiki Bar and Café serves lunch and dinner. Happy hour specials and weekend live entertainment are offered. www.sundialresort.com or 239-481-2011.

Wine Spectator awards were presented to two area restaurants for their wine selections. Angelina's Ristorante in Bonita Springs was one out of 850 worldwide restaurants awarded the Best of Award of Excellence. Restaurants receiving Awards of Excellence include The Gasparilla Inn Main Dining Room, The Pink Elephant and The Temptation Restaurant in Boca Grande; Key Lime Bistro on Captiva Island; Blue Water Bistro and Ruth's Chris Steak House in Estero; Bistro 41 and Sunshine Grille in Fort Myers; Bayfront Bistro in Fort Myers Beach; and Il Cielo on Sanibel Island. www.winespectator.com/restaurants

Doc Ford's opened its third local restaurant on Captiva Island at the entrance to South Seas Island Resort. Open to the general public, the 300-seat restaurant serves the same cuisine and libations inspired by murder-mystery protagonist Doc Ford and his travels through Florida, the Caribbean, and Central and South America in novels by Sanibel author Randy Wayne White. www.docfords.com

Visitors to Sanibel Island won't have to wait much longer for hand-cut-from-scratch doughnuts and fresh roasted coffee when Bennett's Fresh Roast doughnut and coffee shop moves into its first Sanibel Island location in October.  Bennett's will include indoor seating for 40 people and patio seating for 10 people. The new location will have the same hours (6 a.m.-3 p.m. daily) and offerings as the current shop located in downtown Fort Myers. www.BennettsFreshRoast.com

2013 milestones
The Lee County Visitor & Convention and Bureau was established in 1983 to maintain and build year-round tourism in Lee County. To achieve this goal, the VCB works closely with the local industry to increase domestic and international visitation through integrated programs targeting key markets.  One-in-five people in Lee County are employed in tourism.  Tourist tax collections for calendar year 1984 were $1.9 million. For fiscal year 2011-2012, tourist tax collections were $26.5 million. www.leevcb.com

Southwest Florida International Airport opened in 1983 and provides nonstop service to more than 42 domestic and international destinations including service to Mexico, Canada and Germany. It is located three miles east of I-75 and 15 miles southeast of downtown Fort Myerswww.flycpa.com.

Chico's began as a small boutique in 1983, selling Mexican folk art and cotton sweaters on Sanibel Island. The shop's friendly environment and unique styles connected with customers in a special way that quickly evolved into over 700 Chico's boutiques nationwide, a monthly catalog and round-the-clock shopping.  www.chicos.com.

2014 milestone celebrations
The Gasparilla Inn & Club celebrates its 100th season beginning in October with a Centennial Celebration that will continue through July 6, 2014. In honor of this special milestone, the resort is offering special rates. Situated in the heart of Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island, The Inn occupies more than 180 acres with breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico and Charlotte Harbor. It was a century ago that The Inn was originally built for well-to-do northerners at a time when Florida was first becoming a vacation destination.  The National Historic Landmark property is the largest surviving wooden hotel in Florida and one of the original resorts in the state. Details: 941-964-4500 or visit www.gasparillainn.com

Celebrating 100 years in 2014, Babcock Ranch offers visitors the perfect setting to immerse themselves in nature as they find themselves face to face with wildlife in an Old Florida setting. In 1914, E.V. Babcock founded Babcock Florida Company and purchased 156,000 acres of land in Florida. His son, Fred Babcock transferred 65,000 acres of this land to the state in the 1940's. Today, this state land is called Fred C. Babcock / Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area. The remainder of the property, some 90,000+ acres is known today as the Crescent B Ranch. Visitors enjoy a 90-minute buggy tour through the Babcock Ranch and Telegraph Cypress Swamp. Experienced guides offer in-depth descriptions of birds, animals, plants, and the cattle and horses that are raised on the ranch. Visitors will see alligators, and many other animals found in Southwest Florida and will visit a museum featuring Florida history, Babcock operations, and natural history artifacts. The museum itself is actually a movie set used by Warner Brothers in the 1995 film "Just Cause" (starring Sean Connery) that was shot in part on Babcock Ranch. A three-day celeberation event is planned for Feb. 14-16, 2014.

Offshore Sailing School turns 50 this coming year. Headquartered in Fort Myers, Fla. with eight sailing vacation and commuter locations in southwest Florida, the company has taught more than 130,000 adults and their families to sail or sail better since it was founded by an Olympian and America's Cup sailor. To celebrate this milestone, Offshore Sailing School owners, Steve and Doris Colgate, are planning several events and contests to take place over the course of the year. January 2014 will kick-off with an essay and photo contest for graduates of the school as well as interested sailors. Highlight of the year is pro-am sailboat racing with sailing on the Gulf of Mexico.  Details and locations:  239-985-7511 or visit http://www.OffshoreSailing.com

Transportation
Airberlin airlines (www.airberlin.com) will increase service to Fort Myers with the addition of a fourth flight this winter. From Nov. 1, 2013 to April 30, 2014, the German airline will offer weekly nonstop flights between Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and Dusseldorf on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. This summer, airberlin runs three weekly nonstop flights between the two cities. www.flylcpa.com or 239-590-4504.

Frontier Airlines (www.flyfrontier.com) will begin new nonstop service between Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and Wilmington/Philadelphia in Delaware (ILG) on Nov. 16, 2013. This is the first time nonstop service will be offered between RSW and ILG. Twice-weekly flights will operate on an Airbus A320. www.flylcpa.com or 239-590-4504.

United Airlines (www.united.com) will begin nonstop service between Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and Denver International Airport (DEN) on Dec. 21, 2013. United will operate a weekly flight on Saturdays through Jan. 4, 2014. Daily service between Fort Myers and Denver will run Jan. 7 through April 7. 239-590-4504, www.flylcpa.com.

MetJet (www.metjet.net)  will inaugurate weekly nonstop service between Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and Cancun, Mexico (CUN) starting Dec. 7, 2013. The airline will also bring back its weekly nonstop service to Green Bay, Wis., (GRB) starting Oct. 12. www.flylcpa.com or 239-590-4504. 

Silver Airways (www.gosilver.com) has begun daily nonstop service from Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) to Orlando, Fla., (MCO); service to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (FLL); second daily flight to FLL and Key West, Fla (EYW). www.flylcpa.com or 239-590-4504.

Sun Country airlines (www.suncountry.com) is now offering year-round weekly nonstop service between Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP). www.flylcpa.com or 239-590-4504.

Upcoming special events and festivals
24th Annual J.N. "Ding" Darling Days, Sanibel Island
Oct. 20-26, 2013
239-472-1100
www.dingdarlingdays.com
"Ding" Darling Days include a week of eco-activities with free refuge tram tours, live wildlife presentations, kids activities, Federal Duck Stamp artist presentation, art day, family day and more. Birding and kayaking tours, environmental speakers, a nature photography contest, and the Junior Duck Stamp Awards will fill the week with environmental activities for all ages. The festival celebrates the birthday of the refuge's namesake, conservationist and Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Jay N. "Ding" Darling. The event kicks off with Family Fun Day on Oct. 20. For detailed schedule, visit website.

28th Annual Oktoberfest, Cape Coral
Oct. 18-20 and 25-27, 2013
German-American Club
239-283-1400
www.capecoraloktoberfest.com
Hosted by the German-American Club, this huge celebration includes German culture, food, music and dancing. Highlights include authentic live entertainment with large musical groups from Germany, along with enough German food and beer to make anyone do the “Chicken Dance.” Kids will enjoy the carnival area. Call or check website for schedule and ticket information.

Creative Coast Weekends
Matlacha, Bokeelia, St. James City
November through April 2014
Second weekend of each month
239-283-0888
www.floridascreativecoast.com
It is all about art in this quaint fishing community and beyond!  Enjoy special events, live
entertainment, gallery openings, classes and entertainment for the entire family. Galleries and shops extend hours on Fridays and events and workshops are available on Saturdays and Sundays.  Check website for list of participating galleries and a calendar of events.

8th Annual Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival, countywide
Nov. 1-3, 2013
www.calusabluewaypaddlingfestival.com
Named a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society, the festival showcases the 190-mile Great Calusa Blueway paddling trail, which helps stand-up paddle boarders, kayakers and canoeists explore southwest Florida's waterfront communities. This signature eco-event includes a family fun race, a kayak fishing tournament, paddling clinics and demonstrations, seminars, wildlife activities, archaeological events, guided tours, and more. Check website for schedule and information.

31st Annual Taste of the Town, JetBlue Park, Fort Myers
Nov. 3, 2013
239-277-1197
www.jlfm.org
This annual favorite charity fundraiser sponsored by the Junior League of Fort Myers, brings together “tastes” from local restaurants, music, children's entertainment and more to its first new venue in 20 years: JetBlue Park. Guests will sample delicious food and enjoy local bands on the grounds. Adult admission: $5, children under 12 are free.
This year marks the 31st Taste of the Town event, which began in the early 1980s as a public picnic called “The French Picnic,” in which Junior League members prepared and served all the food. Since then, Taste of the Town has developed into a locally anticipated event, bringing an average of 10,000 guests from all over southwest Florida. Funds raised contribute directly to the Junior League's volunteer programs, which currently include programs to fight childhood obesity, support at-risk youth and provide local mini-grants.

Cape Coral CoCoNut Festival, Cape Coral
Nov. 8-10, 2013
239-573-3121
www.cocofest.com
Sun Splash Family Water Park
The Cape Coral CoCoNut Festival celebrates Cape Coral's reputation in the Lee County area for coconuts, multi-cultural food, boating, fishing and wildlife. The festival will feature a national musical act, gymnastic entertainment, carnival rides, water-ski shows, tropical food, contests, coconut crafts, fireworks, and more.  Visit site for schedule.

Taste of the Islands, Sanibel Island
Nov. 10, 2013
239-472-3644
www.crowclinic.org
Taste of the Islands is back for its 32nd year to celebrate three Sanibel signatures – community,
cuisine and the wildlife organization CROW (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife).  The event takes place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Dunes Golf and Tennis Club, where the public may enjoy a wide variety of tastes from more than 20 local restaurants.  Also enjoy live entertainment, a silent auction, T-shirts and other items for sale from CROW's gift shop.

27th Annual American Sand Sculpting Championship, Fort Myers Beach
Nov. 22-Dec. 1, 2013
239-454-7500
www.fmbsandsculpting.com
Come join the fun on Fort Myers Beach for the 27th Annual American Sand Sculpting Championship and Beach Festival! Sponsored by the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce, this fun-filled event will include world-class master sand sculptors, a state championship contest, amateur contest, quick sand speed sculpting, sand sculpting demonstrations and lessons, chain saw art, flying colors, a kids activity area with bounce houses, slides, and more than 60 vendors. Scheduled for 10 days this year, the first week will include the Master Solos and Amateur divisions. The second week includes the Master Doubles and State Championship divisions. Awards ceremonies will be on Nov. 24 and Dec. 1. More than 1,000 tons of sand will be piled and sculpted.

The 29th Annual Christmas Luminary Trail and Open House, Sanibel and Captiva islands
Dec. 6 and 7, 2013
239-472-1080
www.sanibel-captiva.org
This popular event draws visitors from all over the world as they join local residents to
celebrate the season.  Three miles of luminary candles line Periwinkle Way from 5:30-9 p.m. on Sanibel Island on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8 on Captiva Island. Businesses are decorated for the holidays with 2,000 candles illuminating the island pathways, storefronts and homes.

39th Annual Holiday Nights at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers
Nov. 24, 2013-Jan. 4, 2014
239-334-7419
www.edisonfordwinterestates.org
Edison & Ford Holiday Nights at the Estates reflect the many contributions of Thomas
Edison, Henry Ford and their families.  Discover the fun of a bygone era as your tour begins and make this a holiday tradition for your family.

This season marks 128 years since the famous inventors visited and fell in love with southwest Florida. Over the years, Thomas and his wife, Mina, created a magical, tropical estate with stately residential buildings, research complex and acres of exotic gardens.  During the holiday season, the Estates' 20 acres of gardens and historic buildings are seasonally decorated. Unique gifts are available in the Estates Museum Store, Garden Shoppe and Ford Cottage Shoppe, featuring a vibrant show of art work celebrating the creative spirit in southwest Florida. See website for admission and details.

Captiva Holiday Village, Captiva Island
December 2013
www.captivaholidayvillage.com
Joyful sights and sounds will fill the beaches, bays and lanes of this quaint and cozy village.  Packed with holiday activities for everyone in the family, this event includes nightly entertainment, tree lightings, Junkanoo Parade, Santa visits, decorated boat and golf cart parades, musical performances, fireworks, and much more. Check website for details and complete schedule.

76th Edison Festival of Light Grand Parade, Fort Myers
Feb. 15, 2014
Parade starts at 7 p.m. at Edison Stadium and continues to the Fort Myers Downtown River District.
239-334-2999
www.edisonfestival.org
During February, Fort Myers celebrates the birthday of its most illustrious historical resident, Thomas A. Edison, in befitting fashion. Edison, who built a home on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River and spent 46 winters there, invented the light bulb. So it's appropriate that the month of activities culminates with a lighted night parade. Invention
competitions, parties, craft shows and a 5K run are all part of the festival.  Celebrating 76 years, the month of February is filled with special events.  Visit website for details.

For the latest information on the area's many accommodation choices, events and activities, visit www.FortMyers-Sanibel.com. 

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel in southwest Florida includes:  Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Cape Coral, Pine Island, Boca Grande & Outer islands, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres. A media kit and images are available upon request.