So, you’ve been staying at one of the gorgeous Sanibel Island hotels for a few days but the kids are getting a bit “itchy” to go out and “do something”. While you could use your laptop to scout out some Sanibel events you could just as easily plan a nice little day trip to any number of excellent spots in the area.

For instance, you could drive for just under two hours and make a visit to the remarkable national park known as The Everglades. Here you could see endangered species and rare animals like Manatees, crocodiles, and an array of colorful birds. You could explore the River of Grass and try to spot all three types of mangrove trees, flightless Anhinga birds, and even an alligator or two.

Closer to the Sanibel area you could introduce your kids to the private “getaways” of such historic and famous people as Thomas Edison or Henry Ford. Their estates are now museums open to the public and both give an interesting view of men who helped to shape our modern world.

Of course, some of the better Sanibel Island hotels often provide guests with an array of options for a day trip as well. This might be a guided bicycle trip all around the 25+ miles of formal bicycle paths that fill the island, or it could be a family-friendly trip to the Lighthouse. Some spots will happily deliver their guests to the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge for a day of education and fun, and others consider a day of chartered fishing as the perfect “day trip” too.

If a day on the greens is your ideal way to enjoy a day trip away from the hotel, there are two top of the line courses that provide non-residents with full-access to the greens as well.