Oct17Highlights6
Ah, October. Finally begins the months-long break from the summer’s 90-plus heat. And while we may not have fun crunchy maple leaves underfoot or romps in the snow, we have beaches, backwaters and parks aplenty in which to maximize our alfresco activity. Two of our favorite ways to get outside? The Ding Darling Days (Oct. 15-21) at Sanibel’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, and Fall Festival (Oct. 28-29) at Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery. The former delivers a week of affordable family fun every year—nature crafts, environmental presentations, trail tours, paddle adventures, you name it. The latter gives you a chance to meet world-class nature photographer Butcher and his wife, Niki, plus swamp walk-leading park rangers of Big Cypress National Preserve, as they share the love of their inspirational backyard. Lace up your sneakers and get to it.
dingdarlingsociety.org, clydebutcher.com