When I read about Seashells of Sanibel Condo #3 on a cold winter day last December, I knew it was exactly what I needed; a quiet place to get some writing done, walk on the beach and explore the island. It was easy to talk a fellow writer into joining me after I was fortunate enough to find a few days in January that were still available. Condo #3 was exactly as described on the web site, recently updated in fresh island décor with an emphasis on comfort, and so spacious we felt a little guilty that we hadn’t brought our families. The kitchen is modern with new appliances and enough dishes and pots and pans for the most industrious cook, if that’s your thing. My friend and I were mostly interested in brewing tea, and maybe a pot to boil some pasta for a quick salad made from ingredients purchased at Bailey’s General Store a few blocks away. We also found a great deli and bakery section at Bailey’s where we purchased items for picnic lunches on one of the condo’s screened-in lanais, surrounded by enough lush tropical trees and plants to make us feel we were on our own private island. Dinners were special events as we checked out the local restaurants where we found menus to suit even the most discriminating palates. The Island Cow was a fun place with atmosphere and good food. We enjoyed our early morning jaunts to the private beach, just five minutes away, as we tried to beat other early birds to the most beautiful shells left by the morning tide. And speaking of early birds, a tour of the Ding Darling Bird Sanctuary on the island was the perfect place to take our cameras and capture some exotic shots of the colorful inhabitants. I’ll tell you about the Gators next time. Louise and I plan to go back this coming winter, but we will be generous and take separate vacations this time so we can take our families. By the way, we didn’t get a great deal of writing done, but we came home refreshed and with lots of new material to write about.