The Chamber

When you go to Sanibel/Captiva, The Island's Chamber Of Commerce is a must stop. It is one of the first island themed buildings as you cross over the causeway. 

This cute little place is a wealth of information with a funny sign at the entrance. It is filled with island related magazines, maps, guided tour information and much more. They even have a weekly handout of activities on both islands that also include the sunrise/sunset and tide schedules. The staff manning the center are helpful, friendly and kind.

Our first stop several years ago, we encountered a volunteer who told us a little story behind Captiva's Historic graveyard at the Chapel by the Sea.  We were so intrigued by what we had heard, we set out the next day and did some exploring in the graveyard by the sea.

Don't pass up this little gem. Stop in, pick up some brochures and maybe if you're lucky, there will be a story teller waiting on you.

The End....Till Next Time

The time has come when all great trips come to an end. We will be leaving the Island today but will take many memories home with us. This is our last sunset and sunrise. 

Good Morning

Start your morning off with a good stretch...

and this sunrise. 

Orange Day

I'm one of those people who loves just about everything orange. Orange protein drinks, orange jewelry, orange clothes, and orange flavored foods.

One place I wanted to check out while on the island was Bennett's Fresh Roast. I found them on Trip Advisor in the Fort Meyers area a couple of years ago and started following them on Facebook. When I saw that they opened a new location on Sanibel, I knew it was a must "go-to" on out next trip. They are famous for their in house roasted coffee and fresh hand cut donuts. There were many flavors to choose from but my eye caught the Orange Crunch. It looked as good as it sounded and after one bite, I was not disappointed. If you're ever in Fort Meyers/Sanibel area, I recommend you stop in for snack.

Our friend Laurie had dinner at The Bubble Room on her last trip to Sanibel and recommended that we check it out this trip. After reading an article in one of the local flyers, we learned that they are famous for their desserts. One in particular is, that's right, you guessed it, Orange Crunch Cake. After watching the sunset, Bill and I headed over to the famous eclectic place to see what all the hoopla was about. It's a quirky little place with an enormous amount of Hollywood and Christmas memorabilia from the thirties and forties. Bill had a slice of Tropical Breeze and I had the Orange Crunch. The slices were huge and could easily be shared. Both cakes were moist and flavorful. I took more than half of mine home and well, one of us ate everything but the kiwi decoration.  

Dinner Time

For the past couple of afternoons, the pelicans have been fishing in front of the condo. It's amazing to watch these birds glide across the water

 and then dive head first for their meal.  

Island Fun

Animals can be so funny. I was walking back from the fishing pier and looked up to see this Great Egret walking along the railing of this condo. At first glance, I thought it was a statue mounted on the railing, until it started to move and talk to his reflection. Here's what happened next. 

Hello feather friend! New to the area?  Would you like to take a tour of the island?

   

 I'd invite you in for some fish before we leave, but I can't find my keys. 

No, they're not in my pockets. Do you see any pockets on me? I'm not a Pelican. 

Stupid bird, this is going to be a long tour. 

The Island Cow

The Island Cow was on the agenda after a long travel day. The Jimmy Buffett  motife helps you settle into the Island mode.

If you don't know what you want to eat, this is the place to go. The menu is a 11 ×17 fold out filled with tastebud options. Bill & I shared a Taco Trio meal that came with black beans and rice. We ordered a side of fries because we thought our tacos would be small. When our order arrived, we were surprised by how humongous they were. We split all three tacos and my favorite of the three was the blackened mahi with the sweet and spicy mango salsa. Bill liked the crunchy fried grouper the best. We didn't finish the fries. 

If you're on the island, and want some udderly good eats, we recommend this fun, wacky, little dive.

I

Grocery Stores

Sanibel has two grocery stores. Bailey's General Store (circa 1889) and Jerry's Foods. Because the Island prices are a little steeper, we stop at a Publix on our way to pick up the majority of our food for the week.

We like Bailey's General Store, but we love Jerry's Foods. The store is the anchor to a unique shopping plaza. The entrance is lined with tropical foliage and nestled along the walkways are large cages of tropical talking birds. Jerry's has a small cafe where they serve daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner specials. We've had a yummy breakfast there before and the prices were reasonable. 

I think the real reason we keep going back are these.

It's A Florida Year

This year we are vacationing in Florida. In April we took the Jeep & went camping in The Keys. After that trip we decided that camping is a good idea; until you go camping. We are giving away the tent along with the sleeping bags and are now the proud owners of the largest new fangeled blow up bed. 

This trip we are headed to our favorite place in Florida, Sanibel/Captiva. It's our place to really unwind and I transform into a crazy person & try to bring home all the shells from the island. We are taking a more comfortable ride and driving the Escape. The Jeep is a cool vehicle but not for long trips. We rented a condo on the bay front in a regime where we stayed a couple of years ago.

Stay tuned, I'll keep everyone updated more frequently this trip. We have all the luxuries of home.  No buying fans because it's stinking hot outside, no waking up at the crack of dawn because the sun is up (well maybe to go shelling), no running down the road to the wash house in the middle of the night and certainly no worries about this guy sneaking up on you.