Florida's Lee Island coast

The region is blessed with an idyllic climate year-round and more than 80 kilometres of white-sand beaches, with some of the best shelling to be had in North America. The tiny twin islands of Sanibel and Captiva, especially, are renowned for treasures from the sea.

Sit on the sand and watch the people. They're walking along and, suddenly, bend over in the "Sanibel Stoop." Understandable along these shores, ranked among the world's best shelling beaches, where the really dedicated can find around 400 species.

There's a lot more to do than shell-stoop, however, and you'll find activities and adventures for every member of the family: golf, cycling, tennis, and great fishing (the area is considered the world's capital for tarpon fishing), plus a few unique heritage and eco-tours.

You can join a narrated boat safari to the natural habitat of the endangered West Indian manatee; do hands-on scientific experiments in the Imaginarium: Hands-on Museum and Aquarium; take a jungle cruise up the scenic Caloosahatchee River; join a sailing lesson with the well-known Offshore Sailing School; and don a leather flight jacket, helmet, and goggles for a two-passenger, 1940 bi-plane flight. And these are only a few of the many choices available. When you can tear yourself away from the beaches, Fort Myers is well worth a visit.

Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were not only best friends; they were also next-door neighbours here. Locals describe their town as "Thomas Edison's greatest discovery." They'll admit the inventor is better known for light bulbs, but his winter home, laboratory, botanical gardens, and museum (on the Caloosahatchee River) make interesting sightseeing. (Wait until you see the light bulb that still burns in Edison's workshop. Why don't they make them like that now?)