A sampling of some of the beautiful shells native to Sanibel 
Lighthouse Point Beach (Dans Photo Art- Flickr)I spent my birthday on beautiful Sanibel Island, located on Florida's Gulf Coast. It's a place that feels like it's far more than a mile or two offshore. It's home to great natural beauty and known worldwide for its sea shells. Shell seekers from around the country and all over the globe come to comb the beaches and enjoy the small-town charm and slower pace of this beautiful island. Some of these photos were ones I took and others are courtesy of my friends on Flickr. I just wanted to showcase the diverse beauty and some of these shots I wasn't able to get myself. Thanks to so many of you, especially Patricia van Essche, for your kind birthday wishes and thoughtfulness! You made my day!
Beautiful local bougainvillea in one of my favorite colors - cerise. (Saul Zackson-Flickr)
A majestic native bird - the Roseate Spoonbill (JMI Images) 
Can't help liking a place that has such appealing names for their roads, like "Periwinkle Way"!
A unique little indoor-outdoor eatery we tried, The Island Cow. 
Approaching the causeway that links the island to the mainland 
Newspaper anyone? (Nazcreative - Flickr) 
Sanibel Pier at Sunset (Swantho - Flickr) 
Palms against the sunset (ARKramer - Flickr) 