Unforgettable sunsets are one of the premier amenities of living in Southwest Florida. 

People line up just about every evening at some of the local sunset hot-spots to relax and take in the magnificence and unique beauty of this celestial event.  On Fort Myers Beach you'll find laid back crowds claiming space on the pier as live music from the Beach Pierside Grill sets the tone for the festivities.  On Captiva, the destination is always the beach in front of the Mucky Duck with pints of Guinness and clusters of like-minded individuals who love to applaud the successful completion of, yet, another regularly scheduled natural rhythm.  Cape Coral has its own well-organized "Sunset Celebration on the Pier" down at the Yacht Club Basin on the first Wednesday of every month.  There you'll find musicians, food, and craft vendors.

But, there's something about seeing a sunset from the water which adds a whole new dimension of appreciation to this daily occurrence.  Did you know there's a sunset cruise you can board without ever having to leave the Cape?

Read more: Cape Coral Sunset Cruises

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"

-- The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution

Looking for an outpost in Southwest Florida where you can exercise your Second Amendment rights without breaking the bank? Perhaps you should acquaint yourself with the Cecil M. Webb Public Shooting Range in Punta Gorda.

Read more: Cecil M. Webb Public Shooting Range

Living The Season: Hot Mulled Apple Cider

Apple picking is an autumn tradition for many New England families.  The parents herd all the children into the car and head out across the hills and valleys of winding country roads. 

The apple orchards exude colonial storybook qualities.  Gnarled trees, ripe with fruit, stretch out in a semi-symmetric maze.   Tourists with wooden bushel baskets walk amidst the rickety barns and log fences.  Migrant harvesters with their wheelbarrows and ladders tend to their seasonal employment.  Most often there's a petting zoo on the premises where the children torment innocent farm animals.  Sometimes a hayride pulled by a tractor will serve as the mode of transport to the main picking area.  The journey is bumpy, with rustic scents of mud, falling leaves, and farm animals giving way to fresh air among the apple trees.

Read more: Living the Season - Hot Mulled Apple Cider

October has swept onto Sanibel Island, bringing with it the first cold front of the year and the promise of another tropical Halloween.

Here on the islands, it can be tough to get in the autumnal mood.  Our weather loses some of its humidity, but temperatures stay in the mid-eighties.  The leaves on our trees don't change color and fall.  Tourists and returning snowbirds crowd the stores in flip flops and shorts...no sweaters and long pants here. 

We've got an autumn of a different kind, one that requires a little effort on our behalf.  Our autumn isn't delivered to us, we need to get out and find it.  Late night scary movies.  Trips to the grocery stores to see the festive produce displays.  Pumpkins and gourds strategically placed around the house.  Or, how about watching the autumn sun go down over the Gulf of Mexico while reading ghost stories among family and friends?

Read more: Doug Alderson Weaves a Sanibel Tale