84 AMERICANWAY
MAY 15 2007
WhattotakeontheWater:
Sunscreen,
sunglasses, afloppy hat, apersonal flotationdevice
(Florida law requires aCoast Guard–approved,
readily accessiblePFD), insect repellent, a com-
pass, amap, binoculars, a cell phone, awhistle,
water shoes (toprotect your feet from sharp
shells), andplenty of drinkingwater.
Placestostayalongthetrail:
Tropic
Star of Pine Island JugCreekCottages, Pine
Island (239-283-0015); BokeeliaTarpon InnBed
&Breakfast, Pine Island (
,
239-283-8961); andLovers KeyResort, Fort
MyersBeach
, 239-765-1040).
Camping is currently permitted at CayoCosta
Island, Picnic Island, andKoreshanStateHistoric
Site (on theEsteroRiver).
tiP:
During the off sea-
son—mid-January throughApril—many hotels
offer discounts of up to60percent.
Placestoeat:
GrammaDot’s SeasideSaloon,
Sanibel Island (239-472-8138); SandyHook Fish
&RibHouse,Matlacha (239-283-0113);Moretti’s
Waterfront SeafoodRestaurant,Matlacha (239-
283-5825); andBarnaclePhil’s, NorthCaptiva
Island (239-472-6394).
thingstodo:
Visit the J.N. “Ding” DarlingNa-
tionalWildlifeRefuge onSanibel Island (
.gov/dingdarling, 239-472-1100); take a dolphin
cruisewithCaptivaCruises (
.com, 239-472-5300); hunt for seashells on
Bowman’sBeach onSanibel; take theAfrican
QueenFerry fromPinelandMarina toCayoCosta
StatePark (
239-283-
0015); or head toBocaGrandePass, just north of
Pine Island, where some of theworld’s best tarpon
fishing can be found.
kayakoutfitters:
GaeaGuides, FortMyers
, 866-256-6388); Royal
PalmTours, FortMyers (
800-296-0249); TropicStar Cruises, Pine Island
239-283-0015); and
TarponBayExplorers, Sanibel Island (
bayexplorers.com, 239-472-8900).
forarea information:
LeeCountyVisitor
&ConventionBureau (
.com, 888-231-6933).
forPaddling-trail infoanddoWnload-
ablemaPs:
.
Bluewaymaps are also available frommany hotels,
state parks, and kayak outfitters.
aqua socks and receive the same attentive
serviceandmouthwateringgrouperasParis
Hiltonwould.
“We’re still a little undiscovered,” says
onePine Island resident, “and a lot of good
things comewith that.”
VincedroPs off
the four of us —Debby,
me, andRick and Janet (husband andwife
kayakers fromSt. Petersburg, Florida)—at
the dock at Cayo Costa State Park, which
is 2,416 acres of hardwood hammock and
lovely beach abutting the Gulf of Mexico.
We slide our kayaks into thewater.Within
minutes,weare trackingapairofmanatees,
watching the water’s mirrorlike surface for
telltale ripples.
Thedocilegiants—picturesea lionswith
elephantiasis—giveusmore thanahump-
back sighting. Then the still morning ex-
plodes, andagreat plumeofwater, flungby
a powerful fluke, soaks Rick. He manages
to retain his aplomb and his upright posi-
tion, though Inotehe takes a fewbackward
strokes.
“Never seen that before,” he says. “Maybe
they’remating.”
During the next several hours, we slide
across the lightly ruffled waters of Pine Is-
land Sound. We skirt the eastern edge of
Cayo Costa, making our way past several
mangrove islands that not one of us rec-
ognizes, despite themaps Rick and I carry.
We’re hoping to find our way to Cabbage
Key, where there’s the bar at which Jimmy
Buffett purportedly penned “Cheeseburger
in Paradise.” We eventually find both key
andbar, andwe toastournavigational skills
withcoldbeers.Afteranotherhourorso,we
even find our way back to Pine Island. We
hone in on themarina by simple, and alto-
gether pleasant, means: The marina is the
only signofmanalong themangrove shore.
thenextmorning,
I paddle with Connie
Langmann,ownerofGaeaGuides,andwith
some 20 other kayakers. It’s a Sunday, and
the second day of Pine Island’s first Calusa
Blueway Paddling Festival, a low-key gath-
ering that includesvariouspaddlingoutings
aswell asdemonstrations at a local park.
Our outingbeginswith a stroll along the
Calusa Heritage Trail, the archaeological
siteonPine Island thatwasonce theCalusa
Indian village of Tampa.We followConnie
through the hot morning as she explains
how theCalusamade themostof theirenvi-
greatcalusablueWayPaddlingPrimer
