What to do Indoors on Sanibel Island

I was catching up with my friend from Chicago Tuesday night and made a dire mistake: I complained about how chilly it was in Sanibel. She asked me what the temperature was and when I told her it was in the mid-50s she barked out a laugh.

Even though I grew up in the Midwest, I am a total whiner now when it comes to “cold” weather. Watching the weather report later in the evening, I got a better perspective on just how good I had it. Unbelievably, 45 record low temperatures were broken around the country. I was staring at temperatures below zero and just couldn’t fathom it. Despite the chilly day we had, it would actually be in the 70s and 80s the rest of the week.

It’s easy to get spoiled by the weather here. A few months ago, I did a post comparing the annual temperature fluctuations on Sanibel Island to those of Chicago (Sanibel Island Weather) and shows perfectly how mild the climate here really is.

When it does cool off a bit, our family likes to try and take advantage of the many indoor activities available on the island. Just because it’s a bit too nippy to spend the day by the pool at one of our favorite Sanibel Island Hotels, Sundial, doesn’t mean we can’t have fun! If you’re visiting and run into a dip in temperature, here are a few great places to visit:

• Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum: Visit the vast collection of locally found shells and learn about the gems of our shores.
• Sanibel Lighthouse: Take a peek at this still operational lighthouse, built in the 1880s.
• BIG Arts: From plays to ballets to art exhibitions, Big Arts is the cultural mecca of Sanibel Island.
• Sanibel Historical Museum and Village: Learn about the history of the island and explore historical buildings that help tell the tale of Sanibel.
• CROW Clinic: The Visitor Education Center at the CROW Clinic is a great way to learn about creatures that inhabit Sanibel Island.

No matter what the read out on the thermometer tells you, Sanibel Island is an absolute paradise filled with never-ending opportunities for fun, exploration, learning and relaxation.