Florida Local Custom Tips by deecat Top 5 Page for this destination

Searching For Seashells by the Seashore!

Unlke other Florida beaches, the Lee County beaches are left natural. By leaving the beaches natural, seaweed remains on the shore in what is called a wrack line created the the tide. This line ensures that the birds and other wildlife are't robbed of a valuable food source.
The Lee Island Coast is "home to over 400 species of shells." Thanks to the ideal Gulf Currents, more shells wash up here than at any other place in North America!

Allan and I, like countless other visitors and residents consider "searching for seashells by the seashore" a favorite pastime.
Note: They do have a "live shelling" law that encourages you to leave all live shells and take only the uninhabited treasures found along the beach. "Live" means any shell with a creature still inside. These are shells that you may find on the Lee Island Coast:
Sunray, Venus, Thorny Sea Star, Horse Conch, Florida Fighting Conch, Sand Dollar, Lightning Whelk, Angel Wing, Common Nutmeg, Shark Eye, True Tulip, Calico Scallop.

Both Allan and I found shells, and the ones that I found, I gave to my little neighbor girls (ages 3 and 5). They adored them, and play with them, pretending that they are on the beach collecting shells. And, that keeps me connected to my wonderful memories of "searching for seashells by the seashore"!

An American College Tradition: Spring Break

Every spring hordes of college students from around the country head to Florida for a week-long "Spring Break" vacation. As depicted in the famous movie, "Where the Boys Are", many students traditionally head to Fort Lauderdale in southern Florida on the Atlantic Ocean.

Others flock to central Florida's coast in Datona, where they are able to drive their cars on the hard sand beaches. Both Fort Lauderdale and Datona have attracted students for years; however, recently, Panama City Beach, located on the Panhandle, near Tallahassee, has grown in popularity as the place to be come Spring Break.
The cities where these beaches are located enjoy a boost to their economy, but the locals detest the congested traffice, the increase in crime and vandalism, and the alcohol-related incidents associated with the influx of college-aged students.

As long as Florida maintains its reputation as a state with some of the world's most famous beaches, then college students will continue to spend Spring Break in Florida, and the girls will continue to search for the perfect beach "where the boys are!"!