SANIBEL SHELLING

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

By Shelby Deering

FIRST LEARNED ABOUT Sanibel

IIsland, Fla., when I was 7 years old. I remember poring over a book my parents had given to me titled Florida’s Fabulous

Seashells: And Other Seashore Life.

There was a section called Why

Sanibel Is So Special, and I was immediately drawn to the photos of shell piles. I soon traveled to Sanibel

Island for the first time. Even though

I live in Wisconsin, I’ve been to the island nearly every year to partake in one of my favorite activities: shelling.

Decades later, the island still boasts seashells so plentiful that you can hear jingling sounds as the waves bring them ashore.

“Sanibel is unique in many ways, but what really stands out are the seemingly endless amount of shells lining its beaches,” says Dorrie

Hipschman, executive director of

Sanibel Island’s Bailey-Matthews

National Shell Museum. “During winter storms, the crescent shape of the island helps trap shells that wash ashore in large numbers.”

With its curved profile and ideal positioning on the Gulf of Mexico,

Sanibel truly is a sheller’s paradise.

If you’d like to seek seashells by the seashore (say that five times fast!), here are some helpful tips to get started: FLORIDA | SANIBEL ISLAND

THE BEACHES OF FORT MYERS & SANIBEL

BEST SHELLING TIMES Expert shellers know the best daily and yearly times to score the finest seashells. “The best times to go shelling on Sanibel are at low tide, during a new or full moon and after a winter storm with strong, consistent northwest winds,” says Hipschman. “Complex, localized currents and waves from these northwest winds often push in shells from further out in the Gulf of Mexico.”

When I arrive at a Sanibel hotel, I always ask for a tide chart (most local hotels have them). Shelling during low tide means more beach is exposed, which makes finding shells easier, Hipschman explains.

Junonia sea snail

REBECCA MENSCH BAILEY-MATTHEWS NATIONAL SHELL MUSEUM

PROPER GEAR From an early age, I learned that Sanibel shelling and going barefoot don’t mix. “Shoes are a must due to the abundance of shells on the beaches,” Hipschman says. “If you have a pair of water shoes, that will work fine.”

As for a shell bag, Hipschman says, “mesh shell bags are the best. You can get them wet, and they dry quickly. They’re reusable, and they can hold a good amount of shells.” For tiny shells, also called micromollusks, she adds that a pill container with a lid works well.

If you’re not game to bend down several times during your shelling jaunt (locals call it the Sanibel Stoop), a scoop can be useful. Find them at area stores and the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum gift shop.

TYPES OF SEASHELLS I’ve been shelling so long, I can rattle off the names of Sanibel seashells as if they’re beloved old friends. For new shellers, I’d recommend stopping by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce to pick up an identification chart (you can also pick up a tide chart there) and the Bailey-Matthews museum has more comprehensive versions. Look for common, yet beautiful shells on the beach like the multihued Atlantic calico scallop, the striking lightning whelk and the quintessential Florida fighting conch.

There are three rare varieties that intrepid shellers keep in their sights: the lion’s paw, which looks like a large scallop; the orange and white Scotch bonnet; and the granddaddy of them all, the elusive junonia, a polka-dotted, deep-sea shell that seldom appears on the shore. TAKING THEM HOME While you’re sure to be mesmerized by the wideranging selection of shells and will want to add as many as possible to your bounty, beware that some have to stay on the shore. “It is important to note Florida banned the collection of live mollusks from all of Lee County’s beaches, including Sanibel,” Hipschman says.

If you plan to travel with the treasures you’re allowed to take, Hipschman says, “Within the United States, it is recommended to put shells in checked luggage. For international visitors, they may want to mail their shells back home. Every country has different rules for what can enter and leave the country.”

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Dewey Destin’s restaurant

Destin

Henderson Beach State Park was established for the preservation and protection of the region’s natural features, including the last remaining coastal scrub area in Destin. The park’s 60 campsites can be reserved up to 11 months in advance and accommodate tents or recreational vehicles with water, electricity, picnic tables and grills. Additional amenities include heated and air-conditioned restrooms with showers and coin-operated washers and dryers. Follow the boardwalk through 30-foot white sand dunes to the pristine, mile-long coastline where you can swim, fish and watch for wildlife.

Overlooking Destin Harbor, nearby Dewey Destin’s restaurant serves up a fresh catch of the day, plus a variety of other seafood options in a casual setting.

The calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico are perfect for paddleboarding, and for those who have some experience, Paddle Tribe Co. also offers paddle yoga classes. Fishing enthusiasts will want to visit the Destin History and Fishing Museum where the history of the “Luckiest Fishing Village in the World” is honored.

GETTY IMAGES(4); DEWEY DESTIN’S

S anta Rosa Beach

Grayton Beach State Park on Florida’s Panhandle is considered prime camping real estate with 59 sites that can accommodate tents or RVs. The campgrounds are pet-friendly, have access to electricity and water and can be reserved up to 11 months in advance. If you’d rather not camp, 30 two-bedroom, onebath duplex cabins are also available and feature heating and air conditioning, a kitchen, screened-in porch, outdoor grill and a gas fireplace for cooler winter temperatures. A 4.5-mile hiking and biking trail leads to the backwaters of Western Lake, popular for fishing and paddling.

Start your day with coffee and a pastry at Black Bear Bread Company. They also serve breakfast sandwiches and tartines such as smoked salmon and avocado.

The Grayton Beach Bike Tour, offered by Eventure Tour Co. , guides electric bike riders through the beach town to Western Lake and the Gulf of Mexico.

Tierra Verde

Locals love to set up camp at Fort De Soto Park, south of St. Pete Beach, and enjoy all of the outdoor activities the park has to offer: fishing, canoeing, kayaking and boating, not to mention its nearly 3 miles of white sand beaches. More than 230 campsites for tents or RVs can be reserved six months in advance; each includes electricity, water, charcoal grills and picnic tables. Modern restrooms with showers, laundry facilities and a camp store are nearby. Campers can also hop the ferry or kayak over to Shell Key Preserve, accessible only by watercraft, for primitive camping. Free permits are required to camp.

Grab a bite to eat or toast the sunset with a waterfront view at Billy’s Stone Crab and Seafood restaurant, which has been serving locals and visitors for more than 40 years.

Add a bit of surrealism to your beachside stay with a visit to The Dalí Museum in downtown St. Petersburg, which houses more than 2,400 of artist Salvador Dalí’s works.

S iesta Key

Set up camp for up to 30 nights at Turtle Beach Campground on Siesta Key, known for its powder-soft white sand and turquoise waters. Reservations for the 40-plus campsites, which accommodate tents and RVs, can be made up to 12 months in advance. Each campsite includes electricity, water, sewer and free Wi-Fi; laundry facilities and restrooms with showers are centrally located, and a picnic area with grills is available. From May through October, there’s a good chance that campers will spot loggerhead and green sea turtles laying eggs that will hatch on the beach at night.

Take the free, openair trolley from the campground to Siesta Key Village, where you can find a variety of dining options, including Siesta Key Oyster Bar, which offers live music.

Campers can don their gear and enjoy some of the best snorkeling in the waters around Point of Rocks at Crescent Beach, which is a short trolley ride away.

Captiva

Accessible only by private boat, ferry (Captiva Cruises from Captiva Island, Punta Gorda and Pine Island; reservations required) or kayak, campers who stay at Cayo Costa State Park will feel they have the entire 9-mile-long island to themselves. Each of the 30 primitive tent campsites has picnic tables, ground grills and access to potable water, and the nearby restrooms have cold showers and flush toilets. Other than that, campers are on their own to enjoy fishing, swimming, snorkeling, shelling, walking and bicycling along the nature trails, as well as the 9.5 miles of undisturbed beach. Wildlife spotted from the island may include manatees, dolphins, shorebirds and even sea turtles that nest on the area’s beaches.

Make sure you visit The Bubble Room, an iconic restaurant on Captiva that has been serving lunch, dinner and fabulous desserts in its distinctive setting for 40 years.

If you don’t find enough shells on Cayo Costa, ferry over to the islands of Sanibel and Captiva and perform the Sanibel Stoop.

VISITSTPETECLEARWATER.COM; VISIT SARASOTA COUNTY; THE BEACHES OF FORT MYERS AND SANIBEL; GETTY IMAGES (2)

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The Dalí Museum

Siesta Key Oyster Bar

Campers have plenty of ways to pass the time, including museums, dining, beach time and of course,

fireside chats.

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ALASKA | ATTRACTIONS

WHITE PASS & YUKON ROUTE RAILWAY Skagway Built during the Yukon Gold Rush in 1898, today the real treasures aboard this narrow gauge railroad — an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark — are the glaciers, gorges, mountains, waterfalls, tunnels and bridges on display as the vintage train RIVERBOAT DISCOVERY Fairbanks The Binkley family, owners of Riverboat Discovery, have been in the steamboating business for five generations . A three-hour journey takes passengers from Fairbanks to sites like the kennels of the late four-time Iditarod dogsled champion Susan Butcher and an Athabascan Indian village. GETTY IMAGES

HOMER Anchoring the southern end of Sterling Highway , the artsy town of Homer sits on a split jutting out into beautiful Kachemak Bay. From the waterfront, visitors are of the North in Fairbanks. The collection of more than 1 million artifacts is organized into 10 categories: archaeology, birds, earth sciences, documentary films, fine arts, ethnology/history, insects, mammals, plants and fish/marine invertebrates. And if you can’t make an in-person visit, the museum offers virtual activities, exhibits and video tours at

greeted with a breathtaking panorama of snowcapped peaks, glaciers and fjords promising outdoor adventure, while the creative types who inhabit the town lend it a decidedly bohemian vibe.

JOCELYN PRIDE/STATE OF ALASKA

SITKA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK Sitka Sitka National Historical Park protects between an indigenous Tlingit tribe and Russian traders . Park highlights include the restored Russian Bishop’s House, where visitors can learn about colonial Russia in North America, and a collection of striking Tlingit and Haida totem poles.

ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY The Alaska Marine Highway ferry system leads the way to communities and areas not otherwise accessible by car. Passengers can walk, bike or drive right onboard — a convenient and budget-friendly way to experience areas like the Inside Passage or Aleutian Islands.

RIVERBOAT DISCOVERY

climbs almost 3,000 feet in just 20 miles.

CHILKOOT/ISTOCK

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA’S MUSEUM OF THE NORTH Fairbanks Thousands of years of Alaskan natural and cultural history are on display at the Museum the site of a battle

uaf.edu/museum/virtualmuseum.

BRIAN ADAMS/STATE OF ALASKA

GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE Covering a vast expanse of 3.3 million acres, Glacier Bay National Park is the highlight of Alaska’s Inside Passage, with its dramatic glaciercarved fjords, rugged coastline and swaths of protected temperate rainforest. With only three hiking trails, but more than 700 miles of coastline, this park is best explored by boat, especially during summer when humpback whales and orcas pay a visit to the bay.

10Best.com is your source for what’s tops in travel, food and culture, providing inspiration to explore the world around you.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

STEP AWAY FROM THE iPAD. Take a break from tweeting. And don’t even think about checking your email. For your next vacation, consider going cold turkey by ditching all your tech tendencies and completely unplugging. The goal here is to cure your case of digital dependence and actually get a good dose of R&R.

“To truly relax on vacation, we need time away from technology,” says Chris Bailey, author of Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction and The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention and Energy. “The best research that I’ve found suggests that it takes about eight days for our mind to get used to a new (and lower) level of stimulation. Obviously, many of our vacations are not this long. But, by stepping back from tech as much as possible while we step back from work, we can settle our mind significantly.”

Here are some destinations that make it extra easy to take a needed breather from the grip of your gadgets:

THE ABACO CLUB ON WINDING BAY; GETTY IMAGES

WATER-LOVERS UNITE

THE ABACO CLUB ON WINDING BAY

Great Abaco, Bahamas

Replace the cellphone beeps and the email alerts with the sound of crashing waves and the gentle chirp of Abaco parrots. The Abaco Club on Winding Bay specializes in helping you completely forget about social media and such.

“If we’re not careful, spending too much time using technology can affect our mental health,” Bailey warns. “Our desire to stay on top of what’s happening in the world can lead us to anxiety- scroll through the latest news updates and social media posts.

“Technology can also speed up our perception of time, leading us to fast-forward through large parts of our day. It’s never been more critical that we take a step back from technology.”

Getting yourself to a secluded spot can help with that. And Great Abaco, about 200 miles east of Palm Beach, Fla., fits the bill when it comes to exclusive getaways. After all, The Abaco Club, located along the island’s western shore, is known as one of the most luxurious private resort-style communities in the Bahamas.

First, rent a cabana, cottage or estate home where you’ll have access to a 2.5-mile private beach as well as a top-rated Scottish-style links golf course and award-winning restaurants to distract you from all things technology related. Next, choose your water-sport adventure du jour: snorkeling, kayaking, catamaran sailing and paddleboarding are all available.

Enjoy dinner at The Cliff House where you can sample the catch of the day. And then unwind in the infinity pool overlooking Winding Bay.

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SUNSET KEY COTTAGES; GETTY IMAGES

HELLO SUNSHINE!HELLO SUNSHINE!

SUNSET KEY COTTAGES

Author Chris Bailey offers these tips for setting your tech aside on vacation:

Disconnect with intent. You’re more likely to not check email if you enable an auto-response message saying you’ll be away, and you’ll be less likely to check Instagram if you post an update saying that you’ll be doing a two-week digital detox.

Plan ahead. Stepping back from technology can let us slow down, reflect and take stock of our lives. But doing so can also make us restless — this is why it’s important to replace the time we would usually Key West, Fla.

Sunset Key Cottages just off Key West makes a grand escape for a digital detox. For starters, the fact that you can only get to this small island via ferry or private boat means it’s a place where you can truly escape the crowds. Better yet, once you’re there, the only form of transportation you need are your own two (bare) feet. No cars are allowed and the island is quite small, so it’s easily walkable.

Here, it’s common to while away the day lounging poolside, taking part in Saturday morning yoga or strolling through the garden on a tour led by a staff horticulturist. And be sure to treat yourself to a deep therapeutic massage and detoxifying mud treatment at the spa. At sunset, continue in sloth mode by taking a dip in the ocean and watching sailboats pass by. Come evening, fill your belly at the resort’s fine-dining restaurant, Latitudes, with crowd pleasers like mushroom ragu linguine and Caribbean lobster tail with

DISCONNECT TO CONNECT

sweet potato risotto. spend using technology with something else. Be sure to have plenty of activities to occupy your mind: books, board games and family outings included.

Remember, your mind is predisposed for distraction. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re craving a hit of mental stimulation from Instagram. But also remember that you deserve a break.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

THE RITZ-CARLTON

EASY BREEZY

THE RITZ-CARLTON Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman has the island lifestyle down pat. It’s everything you hope an island resort would be, and it’s smack dab on the famous Seven Mile Beach . This AAA five-diamond property will have you at “hello.”

The luxe hotel is divided into two buildings. One faces a lagoon, the other faces the ocean. Connecting the buildings is a long corridor packed with local art. Beachside activities include boogie boarding, snorkeling and scuba diving . Afterward, snag a cabana where a beach attendant will deliver cocktails and casual bites. Kids and adults can enjoy the Ambassadors of the Environment program, created by famed ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau , for its kayak trips through mangroves and night snorkeling excursions. It’s a glamorous property, but also family-friendly. You can stargaze alongside an astronomer, enjoy a movie night or schedule a kids’ tuck-in with milk and cookies.

TROPICAL LUXE

INN ON 5TH Naples, Fla.

“People relax in different ways, and smartphones are becoming a dominant way that people take a break,” says Anna Lembke, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University . “The problem is that it takes us away from the people and things in our real life — our kids, spouses, friends who are vying for our attention.”

The Inn on 5th offers plenty of ways to reconnect with your family. Whether you and your crew choose to spend hours in the Gulf of Mexico’s turquoise water or strolling the Eurocentric, walkable downtown area, it’s easy to unwind.

“Relaxing on vacation is hard for most modern people who are used to running around juggling a too-busy schedule, but finding ways to relax without technology is important,” says Lembke. “My tip is to bring one phone for the whole group that stays turned off except in cases of emergencies. Otherwise, leave all devices behind.”

When hunger strikes, indulge in a meal at Truluck’s Seafood Steak & Crabhouse or the Ocean Prime restaurant and lounge on the property or numerous dining options located nearby . When you’re ready to explore, take a daytrip to the Everglades in search of stingrays and sea sponges. While you’re there, mail messages on sea-grape leaves at the nearby post office. Stop by Marco Island if you have time and book a ride on the Dolphin Explorer for the chance to play biologist for a few hours. As part of a working research project, you will help identify the dolphins.

GETTY IMAGES; INN ON 5TH