Today I drove out early to Bowman's Beach on Sanibel Island to walk and look for shells. After hiking for 2 hours in the sand and water, I drove to Sanibel Siesta Resort to meet my cousins who were here on vacation from Michigan. We went for lunch at the historic Thistle Lodge.
In the mid 1880's, when Reverend George Barnes's boat ran aground near Sanibel Island, he discovered a breathtaking tropical paradise of seashells, lush foliage, majestic birds, tropical fruits, and brilliant sunsets on miles of white sand beaches. He immediately claimed 480 acres and built a church and a cottage, Sanibel's first. Over time, the cottage evolved into a 30 room inn, one of the earliest resorts on the island. In the 1890's his daughter, Georgia, married a resort guest from Kentucky, who built her a grand manor on the resort property. Named Thistle Lodge, it quickly became the favored gathering spot for celebrities and statesmen seeking escape, including Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.
Today Thistle Lodge still welcomes guests as a fine old-island restaurant overlooking the same white sand beach where Reverend Barnes found his paradise on earth.
