♪♪ -I'm in a destination where the warmth of the sun invigorates your soul, where the beaches range from family-friendly to primordial.

It's a place where an abundance of protected habitats give way to soft adventures, where birdwatching is savored and seashells seriously collected.

It's where the knowledge of sustainably growing food is researched, cultivated, then shared with challenged communities all over the world, and where one of the greatest inventors of all time sought respite and inspiration.

It's an idea worth having and enjoying.

I'm in Fort Myers and the southwest coast of Florida.

[ Upbeat tune plays ] I'm Samantha Brown and I've traveled all over this world.

And I'm always looking to find the destinations, the experiences, and, most importantly, the people who make us feel like we're really a part of a place.

That's why I have a love of travel and why these are my places to love.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" is made possible by... -We believe watching the world go by isn't enough.

That's why we climb... ♪♪ ...pedal... and journey beyond the beaten path, on storied rivers, with a goal to ensure sure that every mile traveled turns into another memory.

You can find out more at amawaterways.com.

-The rhythm of the waves.

The calming sounds of nature.

On the Southwest Florida coast, there are wide open beaches and hundreds of islands.

Sometimes doing nothing can mean everything.

♪♪ Learn more at fortmyers-sanibel.com.

♪♪ -The world is full of breathtaking destinations and experiences.

AAA wants to help turn vacation dreams into reality.

Wherever you want to go, AAA has services to help you before, during, and after your trip.

Learn more at AAA.com/LiveTV.

♪♪ -All the untamed beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and American Southwest... experienced on a journey by rail.

Rocky Mountaineer, proud sponsor of "Places to Love."

♪♪ -The state of Florida has so much to discover, and I'll be exploring part of its southwest coast, where the city of Fort Myers provides an enviable gateway to nature, with a collection of beaches, islands, art communities, and keys.

And I'm starting my trip by heading immediately out on the water.

I'm on a mission of sorts to find a small treasure that has always eluded me, but hope to find today.

As we begin what is to be a small journey, the modern world slips into the distance.

The landscape becomes more wild and more exotic.

Florida emerges.

-One of my favorite islands is Cayo Costa Island.

It's a barrier island on the west coast of Florida, 8 miles long, just under 2,400 acres.

And when people come out here, they can't believe where they're at.

If they didn't know any better, they'd say they were dropped off on a little Caribbean island.

But you're right here on the barrier islands of Southwest Florida.

I'm Captain Brian Holloway, and I'm a Certified Florida Master Naturalist.

-I mean, this is the epitome of the totally unspoiled, pristine island.

-This -- Thankfully, yes, it is.

It has 12 different ecosystems.

377 different plant species on this island.

-And right now, I'm walking on what we're here for.

I mean, there's so much to see, but what we're here for is this.

And there's just, like, mounds of shells.

I mean, it's really just like Treasure Island here.

Just, like, look at this.

Oh, my gosh.

I'm rich.

-Actually, there's been documented on this island, Cayo Costa, where we're at, 167 different species of marine mollusk shells.

-This has to be one of the greatest pastimes there is.

Right?

Just looking for shells and really zeroing in on the shapes.

-Look at -- Zero in on that one.

Look.

-Oh, wow.

What is that?

-That is an alphabet cone.

-An alphabet cone?

-Yeah.

-Why do they call it that?

-If you look at it, it almost has, like, lettering on the sides.

Makes a sort of letter.

Look at this.

Here is a very small...

It's called a rice shell.

-That's a shell?

-Yeah, that's a shell.

It's a rice shell.

They'll make little leis out of this in Hawaii, actually, but we have some rice shells right here in Southwest Florida.

-So you have people who are avid shellers, and they come to you, and they must want specific shells.

-Some people do.

Some people like certain species.

Sometimes there may be, like, a certain type of shell and that some people like and other people don't.

But I'll have people that are just looking for a certain shell.

So I'm constantly scouting on the beach.

-My dream is to find a sand dollar.

A whole sand dollar.

-A whole sand dollar.

-And, like, this is a piece of a sand dollar, right?

-Yep, it is.

-That's a 25 cents.

-That is at least... -I don't want 25 cents.

-You want the whole dollar.

-I want the dollar.

So because there are pieces, I could possibly find a sand dollar?

-Yep.

Yeah, they're very fragile.

So a lot of times, they'll break up.

♪♪ -Oh, my gosh.

-Is that the whole sand dollar?

-Ohh.

-It sure is.

-Oh.

-Ah.

-I'm seriously gonna cry.

Dreams came true today, Brian.

Thank you.

-That's right.

You're welcome.

[ Bird screeches ] -From the wild Florida of Cayo Costa, I make my way to nearby Cabbage Key, a lost-in-time island that fulfills people's need for a slower pace.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, there's been an inn on this island since 1944, and many of its cabins date back to the '30s.

One thing's for certain -- The laid-back vacation vibes set back then are still pretty much adhered to today.

Rob Wells, who grew up on the island, makes sure of it.

-My parents bought Cabbage Key back in 1976, and I was 3 years old at the time.

I feel very fortunate to have grown up in this kind of experience.

-This is your backyard.

-I know.

-You know this trail like nobody.

-I know.

-How many acres is Cabbage Key?

-We're right around 100 acres.

-And how much is actually developed?

-This development is about 20 acres of the 100.

-And just being here, there are no cars, right?

-Right.

-No paved roads.

-It's only accessible by boat.

-It's just blissfully simple.

You don't have to stay on Cabbage Key to feel that bliss.

Most people boat in to enjoy lunch at the Old House, a restaurant that's been open for 60 years and is known for its moneyed decor.

♪♪ On any given day, there is approximately $70,000 worth of bills taped all over the restaurant.

How did the whole thing get started?

-When a dollar bought you more than it does today.

These crusty old salts would say, "If I come back here, and I don't have any money, I'm gonna write my name on this dollar.

I'm gonna put it on the wall."

And it was an early form of banking, really, so that they'd have something to buy a drink when they came back years later.

-And whatever money falls from the ceiling is given to charity, roughly $15,000 to $20,000 a year.

There are any number of reasons why someone would want to spend their winters on the Gulf Coast.

Eating stone crabs certainly qualifies.

But the city of Fort Myers has the distinction of attracting those who chose its restful location to work on extraordinary things.

This beautiful vacation home was built in 1885 for one of the world's greatest inventors, Thomas Alva Edison.

-I'm Alexandria Edwards, historian here at Edison & Ford Winter Estates, born and raised in the beautiful Fort Myers area.

And I first started coming to the estates for summer camp at the age of 10 years old.

-Are you surprised as a historian and a guide how much people just want to peep into other people's homes, especially famous people?

-Honestly, not really.

I mean, there is so much to see inside these homes.

So people just really want to look inside and see all that there is to offer.

You know, there's a lot to see from all the different angles.

-Yeah, 'cause you want to get clues of people's lives, right?

So, is the furniture original?

-Yeah, so, the furniture is all original, and it's amazing how well it's done, you know, throughout all these years.

-Are we seeing other inventions of Thomas Edison as we look into his home?

Like, I get the light bulb, but are there other things that we don't know that he invented that are here?

-So, on the table, you'll actually see one of his phonographs.

That was actually the first device that could record and play back sound.

That was one of Edison's favorite inventions that he actually considered his baby.

-Now, I would say that is a chandelier.

Did he invented that, as well?

-Since that wasn't made using candles... -Yeah.

-...and electrical wire, he really wanted to term it electrolier.

However, that was just something that Edison came up with.

It didn't really stick.

No one else really called it an electrolier besides Edison.

-So Thomas Edison didn't want to give any credit to candles anymore.

Like, we are done with candles.

We are doing light bulbs.

-He was all about the electricity.

No candles, no kerosene lamps that we used to see before he came here.

-Sitting along the Caloosahatchee River, the Edison estate is also a 20-acre botanical garden with 7,500 plants from 450 different species over six continents.

And if you're wondering why this is called the Edison & Ford Estates, it's because Henry Ford spent his summers next door.

At one time, Ford actually worked for Edison in Detroit.

In fact, it was Edison who encouraged Ford to leave that job and pursue his dream of creating a gasoline-powered automobile.

And if you think you're guilty of bringing work with you on vacation, wait till you get a load of this.

♪♪ Wow.

This is a very impressive lab.

I wasn't expecting this at all.

I'm sure it surprises most people who come here.

-It really does.

I mean, when people look in here, they're just like, "Wow."

Look at all these original materials that since Edison has been here, nothing has been created.

These are all the original materials that he experimented with.

It actually is set up to where it looks like he was working, he was taking a break, and then he was gonna come back and continue on his research for the day.

-On one side, you have what looks to me like a lab.

And then on the other side, it looks like a workshop.

-Yes.

Everything in this laboratory was done in-house.

I mean, if he wanted something, he had to build it himself.

-There wasn't the tool yet to make what he wanted to do, so he created the tool and the process, as well.

-Yes.

-Was this lab set up for one particular project or many?

-He really wanted to find a natural source of rubber here in the United States.

So, by the time his laboratory was built, he had already done experimentation with the phonograph and the light bulb.

So really, his goal was to experiment with some different plant samples, to extract latex, to come up with a source of rubble here.

-Wow.

So how many plants did they test?

-They actually tested over 17,000 different species.

Edison's philosophy was that, "If I can find 1,000 ways it didn't work, I'm just 1,000 ways closer to finding the solution."

So that is the methodology that Edison applied throughout this entire project.

-The goldenrod plant came close, but in the end, not close enough.

I guess his real legacy isn't all of his inventions, which were incredible on their own, but this idea of persistence and that you never give up, right?

The key to success is that you always try just one more time.

-Yes.

You never give up.

-So, at ECHO, you are learning and researching how to grow things in the most challenging climates.

-What can you do if you don't have any soil, which might be the most difficult place to grow food in the world?

And how can we use trash around us or resources that we have to grow the food that we need?

-Wow.

I'm spending the day working alongside some of the dedicated workers at a research farm located in Fort Myers that has a global reach.

It's called ECHO.

-So, we have seven different regions of our farm.

Five are tied to climate, and two would be the needs of the community, like the urban garden where we are in the community garden.

-What eco region are we in right now?

-We're in the tropical highlands, parts of the world -- -We're in the mountains.

-Yes, the mountain.

-Ah.

Is this the highest point in Fort Myers?

-This is the highest point in Fort Myers, yeah.

I'm Noah Coleman, and I'm an intern here at ECHO.

ECHO is an agricultural development organization that focuses on transmitting knowledge to farmers, Peace Corps volunteers, and missionaries all over the world, those that are facing some of the hardest challenges in agriculture today.

Farmers in many tropical highland regions, they have altitudes that exceed 2,000, 3,000 meters.

And there are folks that are trying to grow on marginal land that's constantly facing issues with erosion.

And what we're doing here is demonstrating practices that can help mitigate those issues and provide opportunities for folks that are dealing with those conditions to feed their families.

-We try to work through community leaders who already know the challenges of their community and can share that information with the people who they serve.

-How many countries do you reach out to with this knowledge?

How many do you work with?

-190 countries around the world.

-That's just about all of them.

-Almost all of them.

-And here in the United States?

Because we have obviously food deserts, too.

We have food insecurity.

It's a huge issue here, as well.

-That's right.

ECHO works with organizations who are feeding their communities, too.

-Wow.

Alright, so, what are we doing here?

-This is a banana stalk.

The bananas would have been coming out of the top.

This guy is already done with production.

And so what we're gonna be doing is chopping it down.

This part is often used for nothing.

People just chop it down and leave it in the field.

But you can actually create silage, which is a feed supplement for animals.

[ Pigs snorting ] -So zero waste.

-Zero waste.

-Alright.

I feel like I'm playing tennis here.

-It's basically, pretend you're Venus Williams and you're, like, going for it.

-Got it.

Alright.

Here we go.

-Ohh!

Not even close.

[ Laughs ] -You might need one more whack, but -- -Alright.

-I received my first machete when I was 4 years old, on my 4th birthday.

-My parents gave me my first machete when I was 12.

-Oh, that's awesome.

-And what kind of animals would eat this?

Pigs, goats?

-We'll be feeding it to our pigs for sure.

[ Pigs grunting ] Not only are we providing nutrition and access to information about that nutrition, but we're showing how everyone can get involved in the mission of feeding the hungry all over the world.

♪♪ -Matlacha is a tiny fishing village known for its one narrow street with art galleries to explore and laid-back fish joints to eat and drink in.

Bert's Bar is a favorite, especially with Skip Bowman on the steel drum.

It's an island so pint-sized, you have to keep zooming in on a map just to find it.

But what brought me here today is the gallery and artwork of a woman who had a lot to do with putting it on the map.

-My name is Leoma Lovegrove, and I'm a painter, and I live on Matlacha Island.

And this is the heart of it right here where I love to paint.

I don't like to paint on a straight white canvas.

I am an expressionist impressionist painter.

And what that means is impressionist doesn't like straight lines.

So I spend most of my time when I'm painting breaking up the straight lines.

So that's where the expressionism comes in just by splattering it and just really having fun with it.

[ Brush squeaking ] Hmm, that's not gonna work.

So we're more about shades of color.

And then I just throw paint on it.

-What came first, Leoma Lovegrove and her incredible colors, or Matlacha and its incredible colors?

Did you come here, and this was already a colorful village, and you decided to kind of -- -It was a fishing village.

I don't even think it was really safe.

I mean, there were some wild characters running around this town.

-You're not a wild character at all.

-It was a little rough and tough, so, you know, I painted polka dots and bright colors on my building.

And the minute that we embraced tourism here, that's when things started happening.

And then I started painting everything.

-Yeah.

-[ Chuckles ] I have been painting my whole life, so I should be able to paint a painting in less than an hour.

If I'm painting live, those are my best paintings because of all the brush strokes.

You can kill a painting just by over-painting it.

So when I paint live, they're usually 3 1/2 minutes to 5 minutes, and they're very fresh, and those are my best paintings.

And that's what I like to paint the best, in front of a crowd.

-You really change people's emotional state.

As soon as you walk into your gallery, even one of your paintings completely changes someone's mood.

-I want my art to always appeal.

I never want to offend anybody.

Some of the museum artists, you know, you really want to, you know, shock people.

But I think I can just shock people with color, you know?

-Well, that's the impression.

[ Chuckles ] I never thought I would be anything else.

It was never a question for me.

I was born an artist.

I really don't care what I paint as long as I'm painting.

And I like to paint for the public.

When people look at my art, I want them to feel good.

But if I had my choice of painting anything, I'd paint you.

[ Laughter ] -Indoors or on the beach, this is a familiar sound on Sanibel Island.

Seashells are so respected and in such abundance that there's even a National Shell Museum here to prove it.

It's the only accredited museum in the United States devoted solely to shells and the ingenious little creatures that create them.

But I'm enjoying these once-mobile homes this way.

Alright, so, today I'm learning how to make an owl, right?

This?

It's Monday, and I'm at the Sanibel Community House joining Donna Wilmot, Lynn Butkowitz, and Sarah Jacobson for their weekly meeting of The Shell Crafters.

And here are all my shells?

-Yep.

-Okay.

-Alright, so, we'll start with the eyes.

-What beach on Sanibel do you find googly eyes?

[ Laughter ] Alright, so just, like, a little dot in the middle?

-Just a dot in there, the safest way.

-The Shell Crafters have been meeting weekly for decades.

Every Monday, they create one-of-a-kind pieces of art, including animals, jewelry, and even floral arrangements.

And you should see their stash.

Alright, what do you like to do, Lynn?

-I like to do the animals, 'cause they're more forgiving, and you don't have to have them symmetrical like you do with the flowers.

-Oh, the flowers are the hardest?

-Right.

-A shell crafting class is held every Monday, as well, 10:00 a.m. sharp.

It's free, but you pay for supplies.

Children are put on the easiest of animals, while adults will try jewelry or even flowers In the children's category, I was still, well, struggling.

Are you putting them behind the shell?

-Now, see, because I did mine -- The way you did yours, you did yours upside-down.

-[ Laughing ] I made a mistake from the second shell, and no one told me?

-I watched it happen, but you got yours to stand, so I was impressed that yours was standing.

-This is gonna be a very special owl.

A carefree social hour with island residents as you make pretty things with shells, and you found your group.

It's just lovely, 'cause you just kind of get lost in thought, and then -- and then you get to make art out of what you found.

Can I do the reveal?

I think I'm done.

-I think he's adorable.

I really do.

-Oh, he is.

-Oh, good job.

-That's great.

Great job.

Awesome.

-Ladies, do you see my first owl?

-Yeah.

-Nice?

-Yay.

-Yay.

-Am I welcomed into the Shell Crafters?

-Alright.

-Yes.

We'll see you on Monday.

-See you next Monday.

That's right.

[ Laughter ] -The green heron is one of the world's few tool-using bird species They create fishing lures with insects, earthworms, twigs, feathers, and other objects.

[ Toilet flushes ] -I will never pass up award-winning bathrooms, and you'll want to use them before you set out to explore the incredible J.N.

"Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

67% of Sanibel Island is designated as a natural wildlife habitat, and "Ding" Darling is home to 245 species of birds.

I feel like I'm looking at an impressionistic painting where you just kind of see splotches, right?

But then you start to zero in, and things come into view.

Like, now I'm just seeing that there's possibly 10 birds in those mangroves alone.

-That's probably the best way to do it in nature, is to find a spot and then to just stop and look, because there's so much happening around us.

I don't think people take enough time to stop and look around.

I'm Toni Westland, refuge ranger at the J.N.

"Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

-We love birds, and I think there's -- After, of course, COVID, there's been a massive appreciation for birds, because it brought so many people no matter where you were, such joy.

-You could go out.

-When they come here to the refuge, what are the birds that they want to see?

-So, they want to see the roseate spoonbill, because it's bright pink.

It gets pinker with age.

They get this dark stripe on their shoulder.

You know, they got this flat bill.

It just looks, you know, like a Dr. Seuss book.

It's very magical.

-This refuge exists on Sanibel because "Ding" Darling, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, loved the unspoiled beauty of the island so much that he was instrumental in purchasing 6,400 acres of it to keep it safe from development.

Today, you can walk, cycle, or drive through the refuge along the 4-mile wildlife road for a nominal fee.

And there are so many ways to enjoy some of the most beautiful and thriving bird life you'll ever see.

-You know, a lot of people think they're at a national park.

This is actually a national wildlife refuge managed by the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service.

There's over 568 of these special places across the United States.

We are America's best-kept secret.

-I think all nature inspires all artists.

I have lived in Southwest Florida for nearly 25 years.

You know, the sun shines all the time and the colors are always brighter.

This is where I'm most inspired.

[ Bell dings ] -This was actually a place that Thomas Edison came to relax and unwind and take a break from his research.

-And the sunsets are like some that I've never seen anywhere else.

-We know people come for the beaches, which are amazing, but they need to get off the beaten path.

There's so much to do and explore and so many different nature adventures to have.

-When protected lands are in abundance and so are the ways to appreciate them, when optimism is painted on using large brush strokes, when a sense of delight can be found perched on trees, wading through water, or covered in sand, that is when we share a love of travel.

And that's why Fort Myers and the southwest coast of Florida are places to love.

-For more information about this and other episodes, destination guides, or links to follow me on social media, log on to placestolove.com.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" was made possible by... -We believe watching the world go by isn't enough.

That's why we climb... ♪♪ ...pedal... ♪♪ ...and journey beyond the beaten path on storied rivers, with a goal to ensure that every mile traveled turns into another memory.

You can find out more at amawaterways.com.

-The rhythm of the waves.

The calming sounds of nature.

On the Southwest Florida coast, there are wide open beaches and hundreds of islands.

Sometimes doing nothing can mean everything.

♪♪ Learn more at fortmyers-sanibel.com.

♪♪ -The world is full of breathtaking destinations and experiences.

AAA wants to help turn vacation dreams into reality.

Wherever you want to go, AAA has services to help you before, during, and after your trip.

Learn more at AAA.com/LiveTV.

♪♪ -All the untamed beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the American Southwest... experienced on a journey by rail.

Rocky Mountaineer, proud sponsor of "Places to Love."

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪