I am going to Marco Island in May for a business trip. I understand that there will be some free time. It just so happens that the person I am attending with is a lighthouse collector too! Can anyone tell me if there are any lighthouses near there that we could visit? We will be able to rent a car and drive if necessary.

chris g

You can easily get to Sanibel and Boca Grande from Marco.
Derith

I second the Boca Grande and Sanibel. You won't be disapointed.

Try and go when Boca Grande is open. Marilyn Hoeckel the woman who is the Curator there makes the visit very interesting. You can't get up into the Lantern room, but you can see the inside of the rest of the Lighthouse. It's mostly set up as a Museum that includes the history of the area as well as the Lighthouse.

They have a nice Gift Shop also. You even get a bonus Lighthouse on the way to Boca Grande- Gasparilla Rear Range. They have information about it at Boca Grande.

The trip would take about 8 hours to drive, not including stopping time at the Lighthouses. It would be about 2 hrs to Sanibel, then about 21/2 hrs to Boca Grande from Sanibel and then about 3 1/2 hrs back to Marco Island from Boca Grande.

The drive from Sanibel to Boca Grande is a nice drive. We were there this past October. We were at Sanibel Island (not the Lighthouse, though) when the sunset happened and got some beautiful shots.

It would be a great day if you have a full day free.

Here's a link to my post about our trip to Sanibel and Boca Grande, plus a couple of other places on the way.
http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/Forum15/HTML/000221.html

Dennis



[This message has been edited by wheland (edited 04-08-2001).]

Gotta agree with Derith and Dennis. From Marco Island, Sanibel is really close. Boca Grande and the rear range light are a little farther away, but if the lighthouse is open it's a great place to spend and hour or so.
I will assume you are flying into Ft. Myers. If so the road to Sanibel is the same road the airport is on. I do network support work for US-Airways, and when I have to go to Ft. Myers I always try to run out to Sanibel.

[This message has been edited by Weasel58 (edited 04-08-2001).]

Thanks for all of the tips. I haven't seen the meeting schedule yet, but I am hoping for a big block of free time to do some lighthousing!

chris g

Chris, check out:
www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/light/gasparil.htm

Sorry I don't know how to make that where you can just click on it & go there. Maybe someone else will get that for you.
Also Cape Fl is only about 2hr in opsitte direction.

I will get directions from Sanibell to Boca & send to you. When in May are ya'll coming?

TGIFIF


[This message has been edited by GAIL (edited 04-10-2001).]