The Fort Myers area has both a rich history and lovely beaches. Inventor Thomas Edison built his winter home and laboratory here in 1885. Edison's home, botanical gardens and laboratory, as well as the home Henry Ford built next door, are now favorite tour stops for visitors.

Just a few minutes drive from the city, Fort Myers Beach offers a fun, beach-town atmosphere. Tiny Sanibel Island and its sister island, Captiva, offer breathtaking views of sand, sea and sky. With more shell varieties found here than anywhere else in North America, Sanibel is considered one of the best places in the nation for shelling. Romantic Captiva's beautiful, white beaches are legendary. Anne Morrow Lindbergh often visited Captiva and used the island as the setting for her book "A Gift from the Sea."

Called the "City of Palms" because of its palm-lined avenues, Fort Myers is a hub of activity. Shopping malls, restaurants and nightclubs offer respite from the nearby beaches and more than 100 barrier islands. Thomas Edison and his friend Henry Ford both made their winter homes in Fort Myers. The two properties are separated by a fence, which both families named "The Friendship Gate." Today their estates, including Edison's laboratory, are open for tours.

Sanibel/Captiva has its shelling and out-island charm, Fort Myers has its history, North Fort Myers has its diversity, but Fort Myers Beach is where the action is. This is where you'll find a more typical beach lifestyle of sun tanning, tee shirt stores, great restaurants, and browsing in wonderful shops.

Cape Coral didn't exist until 1958 but has developed into one of the newest vacation destinations in Florida. Today it is the largest city in Lee County in both land mass and population. Affordable living has drawn many young families to this lovely waterfront city. With its many canals and waterways, it is often thought of as the Gulf Coast's version of Venice, Italy.

Captiva Island, Sanibel Island's northern neighbor, is one of the most beautifully preserved and well-known areas on the Gulf Coast. The nation's foremost authority on beaches, Dr. Stephen Leatherman (also known as Dr. Beach) has recognized Captiva's beaches as the country's most romantic two years in a row, noting as their key features the abundance of shells and overall tranquility.