SOUTHWEST FLORIDA - For the first time since my photojournalist Jason Sill and I started taking these daytrips, we got out of the car and on a boat and tested out our sea legs. We would've driven if we could, but for today's trip, the spot is only accessible by boat. We paid a visit to Useppa: one of Southwest Florida's barrier islands.

Useppa is home to only about a hundred people and visitors are kept to a minimum. In fact, only one boat per day brings guests from the mainland. Once you get here, it may be hard to leave. Richard Dimmitt, a full-time Useppa resident says "I think people are really in a sense of awe because they see a place that has been well-managed."

Karen Miller, a first-time visitor agreed. She says "you don't see a large population, everything is small, only one waiter to accommodate everyone. Everything is so individualized and private."

When you visit Useppa, you're invited to have lunch at the Collier Inn. The Inn was actually once home to Barron Collier himself. "If you blink, you could be back in the 20's or 30's where this island began with Barron Collier and his buddies sailing in from the northeast and tarpon fishing, and regaling on the island all night," says Dimmitt.

Collier turned the island into a vacation getaway for the rich and famous. Guests came to fish, golf, and soak up the sun. Decades later, the island served as a training ground for the Bay of Pigs invasion. Finally, Useppa returned to private ownership in the late 1970s.

Another Useppa homeowner, Paul Miller explained the history of the island like this. He says "everywhere you walk you see ghosts. There are walls that have lost their purpose. They were built back in 1910 and what do they do now? They just stand there. You have to imagine what was there, but there are ghosts all over the place. Go through the museum and you see that sense of mystery about the place."

Take an audio tour at the museum and discover the island's rich history for yourself. Useppa traces its history back thousand of years. The Calusa tribe once inhabitated the island and later, Useppa was home to a Cuban fishing village. Even legends of the pirate Gasparilla haunt Useppa, though islanders aren't buying the tales.

The island's main thoroughfare is the Pink Promenade. Banyan trees and tropical vegetation line the century old sidewalk. You can take a stroll and experience island life at a slower pace. "It's a place that connects with a lot of people that appreciate a sort of wild place. It's a place that hasn't been overdeveloped, and overused, and over-habitated," Dimmitt told us.

When the time comes to jump the boat and leave the island, you'll head back to the real world, leaving island life behind. But as things move forward in the real world, sometimes at a furious pace, you know that Useppa stays stuck in a much slower, and peaceful time.

If you want to visit Useppa here's the best way.

Captiva Cruises
10:00 am - 3:30 pm
Reservations: 239) 472-5300.

If you are interested in an extended stay, you need to contact the Useppa Island Club for more information on what is called a "get acquainted" visit.

Contact the reception center at 239-283-1061 for more information.