It's been thirteen days since Hurricane Ian decimated Fort Myers Beach, raging through Florida and beyond. Today, I'm posting thirteen favorite photos of the area taken during happier times.
It’s been thirteen days since Hurricane Ian decimated Fort Myers Beach, raging through Florida and beyond. Today, I’m posting thirteen favorite photos of the area during happier times. You’ll find seashells peppering the shore like sprinkles on a vanilla cake, statuesque great blue herons, and high-pitched ospreys squeaking maw, maw, maw. Plus, plenty of dolphin smiles. The sun is warm. Tourists smile too. This nook of Southwest Florida has been my Flovember home-away-from-home for six years. The bridge in the background connects my beloved Lover’s Key and Fort Myers Beach. The lost lives can’t be replaced, but the beauty will heal and endure.
Follow my feet…
The plane always veers over Big Carlos Pass, between Lover’s Key and Fort Myers Beach, before making a beeline for the Fort Myers International Airport. I recognize it because it is my happy place.
P.S. There’s over 1,000 beloved travel posts here!
Share this post
sharonwagnerstudios
Sharon Wagner is a supernatural writer, inexhaustible travel blogger, and illustrator of children’s books, including Maya Monkey. A creative from birth, she never stops dreaming of magical worlds to unravel with words. Her debut novel, The Levitation Game, launches this summer. When she’s not traveling the jungles of Central America, Sharon lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two cats.
I’ve been to Sanibel Island twice. Looking for shells is so relaxing. Beautiful sunsets. Ding Darling, Bailey’s, The Island Cow (which I found out burned this past summer), Bailey’s. I never got to Ft Myers Beach but I’ve seen some of Ft. Myers-the Edison-Ford Estate’s plantings, a boulevard lined with majestic palm trees, ECHO. Enjoyed your photos. I can easily see why the area was your happy place. Ian broke my heart, too. The residents have many hard days ahead of them.
Beautiful photos! Fort Myers Beach looks like a beautiful place to explore. I heard that Ian roughed it up but people will work together and bring back its beauty. Thanks for the visit and enjoy your day.
I never realized how Fort Meyers was basically a sand bar but after seeing your overhead photos I can see why the storm surge was so disastrous. When Hurricane Sandy hit NYC about 10 years ago that storm surge also destroyed many many houses and businesses. My friend lived on a sand bar community called Breezy Point and her home was destroyed by the surge, To order to rebuild, she had to raise her house on stilts, or else she would not get insurance
It’s nice you have these photos of better times. Very sad what happened. But yes, the beauty will return.
Wow, wonderful photos that you have, so full of life and beauty.
That’s such a pretty area. Let’s hope both the people and the place can recover.
Beautiful.
I live on the west coast of Florida north west of Tampa. We were incredibly lucky to have missed landfall and it breaks my heart when I see the destruction around Fort Myers. Love all your lovely photos from happier times.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
I’ve been to Sanibel Island twice. Looking for shells is so relaxing. Beautiful sunsets. Ding Darling, Bailey’s, The Island Cow (which I found out burned this past summer), Bailey’s. I never got to Ft Myers Beach but I’ve seen some of Ft. Myers-the Edison-Ford Estate’s plantings, a boulevard lined with majestic palm trees, ECHO. Enjoyed your photos. I can easily see why the area was your happy place. Ian broke my heart, too. The residents have many hard days ahead of them.
Beautiful photos! Fort Myers Beach looks like a beautiful place to explore. I heard that Ian roughed it up but people will work together and bring back its beauty. Thanks for the visit and enjoy your day.
I never realized how Fort Meyers was basically a sand bar but after seeing your overhead photos I can see why the storm surge was so disastrous. When Hurricane Sandy hit NYC about 10 years ago that storm surge also destroyed many many houses and businesses. My friend lived on a sand bar community called Breezy Point and her home was destroyed by the surge, To order to rebuild, she had to raise her house on stilts, or else she would not get insurance
It’s nice you have these photos of better times. Very sad what happened. But yes, the beauty will return.
Wow, wonderful photos that you have, so full of life and beauty.
That’s such a pretty area. Let’s hope both the people and the place can recover.
Beautiful.
I live on the west coast of Florida north west of Tampa. We were incredibly lucky to have missed landfall and it breaks my heart when I see the destruction around Fort Myers. Love all your lovely photos from happier times.