Our last destination was Sanibel Island. We didn't know we had saved the best for last. We enjoyed every minute of our trip and every location we visited. But Sanibel was special, probably for two main reasons:

Firstly,we weren't tourists, we were beach bumbs. Total, 100 percent relaxation. We left the condo we had rented for three things only in the three days we were there: the beach (a couple of times a day), once to eat out and once to go check out Captiva, a smaller and more remote island.

And secondly, the shelling. Sanibel is known for it. And we collected many. Each morning, we'd go out to the lanai with our coffee and marvel over our sweet collections. Then we'd go for a walk on the beach and come back with more beautiful shells.

Sanibel's 6500 residents are quite proud of their conservation efforts, with 61 percent of the island set aside for conservation. It has 23 miles of unspoiled shoreline and 25 miles of bike paths. At night it stays dark in an effort to protect the nesting sea turtles from becoming disoriented and to encourage continued nesting. The skyline remains low with building restrictions no higher than tree-top.