Springtime Fun
Outrigger Easter Egg Hunt
March 27, 2005-02-28
239 463 3131 x115
Robo-Bugs: The World of Giant Insects
Imaginarium Hands-On Museum
Friday, Jan. 28, 2005 – Sunday, May. 8, 2005
239-337-3332
Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival and Parade
Saturday, Mar. 12, 2005 – Sunday, Mar. 13, 2005
239-463-6986
Gypsy
Broadway Palm Theatre
Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005 – Saturday, Apr. 23, 2005
239-278-4422
The Producers
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
Tuesday, Apr. 5, 2005 – Saturday, May. 7, 2005
239-481-4849
Fort Myers Beach Film Festival
The Beach Theater
Thursday, Apr. 21, 2005 – Sunday, Apr. 24, 2005
239-765-0202
Fort Myers Beach Air Show
Friday, May. 13, 2005 – Saturday, May. 14, 2005
239-477-1820
Nextel Professional Tarpon Tournament Series
Boca Grande Pass
Sunday, May. 29, 2005
941-255-1581
Did you know?
Quick Facts about Sand Dollars
Sand Dollars Are Not:
- Shells (mollusks)
- Mermaid money
- Made of sand
- Naturally white
Sand Dollars Are:
- Skeletons or “tests” of a marine animal
- Related to sea lilies, sea cucumbers, and star fish
- Covered in tiny, moveable spines
- Brown in color while still alive and unbleached by the sun
If you’ve ever taken a walk down Fort Myers Beach, you’ve probably picked up a sand dollar or two.
Sand dollars are from the class of marine animals known as Echinoids, and there can be an abundance of them
on the beaches of Southwest Florida.
Although they look like little fuzzy cookies, not many sea animals are interested in eating sand dollars.
Their skeletons are too hard, and their edible parts are too small.
Since a sand dollar doesn’t have feet or fins, how does it move? Like its cousin the sea urchin, the sand
dollar has five sets of pores arranged in a petal-like shape. The pores allow sea water into its internal
water-vascular system which then allows for propelled movement.
Do sand dollars live as “families”? Not exactly, but you’ll often find many sand dollars together. That’s
because they live in groups on the ocean floor. This is partly because they all prefer the same type of real
estate – soft-bottomed areas. They also stay together in order to easily reproduce.
Hopeful collectors of sand dollar “tests” should comb beaches as the tide recedes. The ideal time
for collecting is after a storm, as many of the sand dollars that have died are pushed ashore by the strong wave action.
Outrigger Beach Resort
6200 Estero Blvd.
Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931
Phone:
(800) 658 9989
Fax:
(239) 463-3629
Email:
rooms@outriggerfmb.com
www.outriggerfmb.com
Call and ask about our Play the Resort Special Summer Packages |
My Sand Dollar Story:
A “Valuable” Lesson
Vacations are full of life lessons – they remind us to relax, remember the bigger picture, and reconnect with
loved ones. For me, my last vacation at The Outrigger Beach Resort offered another lesson: be careful
what you promise your six-year old kid.
It had been an idyllic father-son week of flying kites, eating ice cream, and building sand castles. The
only glitch was Jack’s never-ending begging for a body board.
“No,” I told him, “What on earth are you going to do with it once we get back to Minnesota? It’s
too expensive for just a week’s use.”
“No fair,” Jack moaned. He stood on the beach and watched another boy on his body board glide
across the shallow surf at the beach’s edge.
“Sorry, tiger,” I said. “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
And that’s when it hit me. Money doesn’t grow on trees, but dollars are known to show up on the beach. Sand
dollars, that is.
“I’ll tell you what,” I said, “for every sand dollar you find, I’ll give you a real dollar. Then we’ll go up
to Times Square and buy whatever you want.”
Jack scanned the beach. “I bet I can find enough sand dollars to buy a body board,” he said with determination.
I bet not, I thought with a smile. In the five days we’d been at the resort, I’d only
seen a dozen sand dollars. Enough to buy a tee shirt.
The sun was setting – with a glorious sky behind it, lit up with shades of purple and orange – so Jack
and I decided to get dinner at The Deckside Café and start the sand dollar search the next
morning. Later, as we got ready for bed, the weather grew ominous. All night, it
blew and rained. Outside our window, I watched a palm tree bend with the gusting wind.
Finally, I fell asleep to the sound of the ocean.
The next morning, Jack was up at the crack of dawn. You’d have thought it was Christmas, he was so
excited about searching for dollars.
“Dad,” he said, tugging on my bed sheets. “Get up!”
I brewed a hot cup of coffee in our kitchen, then headed down to the beach. The weather
was perfectly serene again. The storm was long gone.
With a deep breath of fresh air in my lungs, I was just about to say, “What a gorgeous morning!” when I saw them.
HUNDREDS of sand dollars.
My bank account flashed before my eyes. My credit card balance ballooned with every sea urchin I saw.
I’d have to take out a second mortgage on my house.
“I’m RICH!” Jack screamed. He raced across the beach and began picking them up.
“Woah, tiger!” I called after him, realizing what was going on. “They’re still alive!”
Jack held a brown sand dollar in his hand. “What do you mean?”
“Sand dollars are living creatures,” I explained. “They got swept ashore with the rough weather last night.”
We looked at the dozens of sand dollars in shallow pools of water. They were clearly still moving.
Jack’s mood changed suddenly. “We have to save them,” he whispered.
I put my hand on his shoulder. “You’re right,” I said. “You’re absolutely right. Let’s get to work.”
For the next two hours, we tossed hundreds of dollars back into the ocean. And with them, we
tossed Jack’s possibility of a body board. But he had a smile on his face the entire time
we worked. He ran up and down the beach and recruited anyone who would listen. “You’ve gotta help,” he
pleaded. “It’s our only hope.”
By mid-morning, Jack had found twenty sand dollars that had already died. We put them in a bucket and
carried them back to the room.
Jack hung his head over the bucket. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you,” Jack apologized to the sand dollars.
I smiled and patted Jack on the back.
“But now my dad owes me twenty dollars,” Jack continued, “which is a pretty good thing.”
Later that day, we took the Beach Trolley to a tee-shirt shop in Times Square. Jack scanned the
rows and stacks of shirts. They had every color you could imagine, with pictures
of dolphins, sail boats, manatees, and sunsets.
“Which one do you want?” I asked, thinking we’d be there at least an hour, trying to decide.
“That’s easy,” Jack said, pointing to a shirt hanging from the ceiling. “The one with the sand dollar.”
The Edison & Ford Winter Estates
Lee County’s Historical Treasure
My husband, George, and I have been coming to Fort Myers Beach for almost twenty years. For
many winters, as we left the cold of Pennsylvania behind, we’d pat ourselves on the back and
say, “Boy, aren’t we smart? We found this great vacation destination long before the rest of the world!”
Little did we know, Thomas Edison discovered southwest Florida’s wonderful offerings a few years before we did.
He was one of the very first “snow birds,” when in 1885 he built a vacation estate
and laboratory along the Caloosahatchee River. Of course, Edison was known
for his ingenious inventions, such as the phonograph. But it’s my opinion
that the smartest thing he ever did was find beautiful Fort Myers.
A tour of the Edison and Ford Estates is a great way to spend an afternoon. We learned that Edison and
his friend Ezra Gilliland built two homes on riverfront property, plus a laboratory
so that Edison could enjoy "working vacations." (George and I laugh when we think
about the vast amount of “work” we get done on vacations – “researching” local restaurants,
solving crossword puzzles, and collecting sand dollars.)
In 1915, Edison’s good friend Henry Ford purchased the adjoining property. Between the two estates, Ford and
Edison owned seventeen acres of riverfront property. Together, Edison and Ford spent many winters inventing,
experimenting, and relaxing in southwest Florida’s warm sunlight.
“Amazing,” George kept saying as we toured Edison’s chemical laboratory. Throughout the laboratory,
everything remains true to how it was when Edison was there. We weren’t aware that
Edison was deaf, and that he was able to take fifteen minute naps that were so
undisturbed that they were as good as a few hours sleep. We also were unaware that Ford and Edison
spent so much of their talents and finances in search of a natural source for rubber.
Of course, my favorite part of the tour was the Botanical Gardens. It’s one of the
most complete tropical gardens in America, and is home to more than a thousand
varieties of plants from all over the world. The estate’s Banyan tree, which was a
gift from Harvey Firestone in 1925, is from Calcutta, India and towers at approximately 400 feet.
Originally the gardens were intended for Edison’s experiments. He was interested in plant products and
byproducts, which he used in many of his scientific investigations. Later Mrs. Edison added her touch
by including roses, orchids and bromeliads.
Another must-see stop while touring the estates is the museum. One of the displays is Edison’s unique Model T
Ford, which is a prototype model given to Edison by his friend, Henry Ford.
Clear for Take-Off
The Metro PCS Fort Myers Beach Air Show 2005
You’ll be flying high with fun and excitement at this year’s Fort Myers Beach Air Show. Held on May 14 and 15, 2005, the Air Show is
great entertainment for kids of all ages. Bring your sunglasses, binoculars, and cameras, and sit
back and enjoy the warm white sand of Fort Myers Beach while airplanes soar above.
There will be stunning aerobatics and military demonstrations, including the Air Force Viper East F-16 Demonstration Team.
Military Show:
Viper East F-16 Demo Team
United States Special Operations Command
Civilian:
Bob Cox: “American Thunder” Warbird Experience
Kirby Chambliss: Chambliss Aerobatics
Fred Cabanas: Island Aeroplane Tours, Inc.
When the fabulous flying is over, stick around and enjoy Fort Myers Beach, which offers a variety of shops, restaurants, and
other entertainment. Consider ending your day with live music performance at the Tiki Bar at The Outrigger Beach Resort, or
a meal at the resort’s casual Deckside Cafe.
For more information on Air Show performance times, visit www.FMBAirShow.org
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