Sanibel Island, Fla. By Paul Goldfinger. February, 2013.

Sanibel Island, on the southwest coast of Florida, is a place with bike paths everywhere. You can bike to the beach, along Gulf Drive, or take the path via the Sanibel-Captiva Road to the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge or the Shell Museum.  Other destinations include Dairy Queen, Island Cow for breakfast or the local book store.  The main drag through the island is Periwinkle Way.  As you drive there, a tree-lined bike path runs parallel.

I like to watch the young families pedal by, usually with each bike having seating for two, with the little kids in the rear seat  (with or without pedals that move  but don’t help propel the bike.)  Oftentimes, in front, in the point position, is an older child who is worldly and can ride a 2 wheeler well enough to lead the crew along.

Everybody looks relaxed, and you can almost feel the family harmony created by a stress-free bike ride all together.  They don’t seem like they are working to accomplish a task—it’s just taking a ride with each other.   If they do that everyday for one or two weeks, I imagine they will strengthen their  bonds and feel something special about being in their family, and that idea seems happy and energizing in a world where families often fail.

—Paul Goldfinger

Some times a family can seem like a lovely bunch of coconuts. Here’s Danny Kaye with a song that the family can sing..together.