Sanibel Trip 2014

This year's trip to Sanibel Island was low key and relaxing.  We had 5 glorious days of warm and mostly sunny weather, with a few afternoon showers thrown in here and there.  It was usually just enough rain to cool things off and we were quickly back on the beach in hot pursuit of shells.

As always, I had my copy of the Sanibel Captiva Handbook along.  This book is indispensable.  When I want to know something about one of the restaurants, I can quickly look it up.  When I couldn't remember the name of a souvenir shop we wanted to visit, I whipped out the Sanibel maps and quickly located it, complete with name and phone number.  This book is so handy.  If you missed my review on this years edition, go back and read it here.  Better yet, buy a copy for yourself.  It's also available for instant download on Amazon too.

One of our favorite restaurants on Sanibel is the Fish House.  I had a lobster roll that was excellent - stuffed full of flavorful, sweet lobster.  Chablis likes their seafood pasta.  But the real reason I go there is to get a slice of their key lime stuffed cheesecake.  It is out-of-this-world delicious.  I must confess, we took some back to our hotel on 2 different nights.  I can't stop eating it!

 Evenings this year were overcast, so we never really got a colorful sunset.  One night the tide was pretty low and we had a lot of beach area to wander.  We still enjoyed the birds flitting about and we were treated to some golden tones on the horizon.

This year we tried a new restaurant for us - The Green Flash out on Captiva.  We will definitely be going back.  It was a little more upscale than the restaurants we generally eat at, but the location has a killer view and we had a window table.  Our waiter was one of the finest we have ever had - very attentive and pleasant.  Our meals were top notch and beautifully presented.  I had the stuffed grouper and it was fantastic.  I think it was the best meal I had the entire trip.

After dinner we parked at the last public lot on Captiva and went for a long sunset walk on the beach.  We had some gentle rolling waves that evening and we found many nutmegs and olives.  I found this one shell half buried in the sand and liked the way the light was hitting it....

Again we had a cloudy sunset, but we returned with pockets full of shells, so we were happy.  We stopped at The Bubble Room and took a slice of Orange Crunch Cake back to the hotel for a little late night snacking...

We enjoyed the beach on Captiva so much the night before that we decided to return the next day and we walked all the way down to Red Fish Pass. 

It was a long walk and we made several stops to swim in the water, have a snack or just rest.  Once we reached the pass we had the beach area to ourselves.  I was disappointed in the lack of shells out there however.  After about half an hour a man and his 2 pre-teen boys climbed over the rocks and were strolling the beach near us.  The 2 boys felt it was necessary to keep picking up handfuls of sand and whipping them at each other while they ran around screaming.  The father kept drinking his beer and did a great job of totally ignoring them.  Really, have some control over your brats.  I was disgusted at the behavior of all of them, so we gathered up our things and headed back down the beach to our car.  Honestly, that was the worst behavior I've ever encountered on Sanibel.  Usually the people there have more class.

That evening we had another quick storm, but we saw a nice rainbow.  I always think that's good luck, don't you?

We walked around lighthouse beach and picked up a ton of tiny bubble shells.  We practically had the beach to ourselves.

I never get tired of looking at the lighthouse....

Our last morning found us with overcast skies again.  We had a quick breakfast at The Lighthouse Café where I like their pancakes and real linked sausages.  As we entered the sad lane to head for the airport, we stopped for our traditional last walk on the causeway, where we each pick up a shell to put in our pockets for the trip home....

As we were pulling out of the parking lot I glanced at my watch and realized we had about half an hour to kill.  I remembered that there was a geocache hidden on the beach on the opposite side of the causeway.  I floored it drove over there and we got out to take a look.  The geocache is called MacGyver This One and it's a good one.  Due to the nature of the cache I can't even show you any pictures of it, but I will tell you this.....   I knew it was going to be difficult, but I wanted to look at it and see what type of a special tool we'd need so I could bring it back with me the next time.  After searching for a little bit Chablis found the cache and after a minute of studying I ran back to the car for a needed item. After kicking off my flip flops and making several mad dashes, we determined that we needed to try something else. Again, Chablis did a great job of thinking like MacGyver and tried a different tactic. Success! With minutes to spare, we made the airport in time for our flight. This cache was well worth almost missing our flight and I gave it a hearty FAV point.  It was the perfect ending to our Sanibel get away. 

Even though we didn't net very many great shells this year, we still cherished our special trip.  We got to spend an afternoon on the water with Captain Brian and I finally got my horse conch.  Plus we got to kick back with The Shell King and his Queen and made 2 new friends in the process.  And we had all kinds of great food and found a new restaurant to add to our list of favorites.  You just can't beat all that, can you?

Book Review - The Sanibel Captiva Handbook





I recently won a copy of the 2013 edition of the Sanibel Captiva Handbook and it is so good that I just had to share it with you!  Whether you’re an experienced Sanibel traveler or  a new island visitor, this book is stuffed full of information that will delight you.  

 

 

The Handbook is written by long time Sanibel residents who know what they’re talking about and they take pride in sharing their knowledge with the public.  Not only is it an excellent all-purpose guide to the islands filled with in-depth maps, it’s also overflowing with tidbits of history, practical advice and the names and phone numbers to virtually any place on the island that you may need.  Let me break it down a little for you.

First of all, I love the convenient travel size – at 4.5" x 7" it has the  perfect dimensions to toss in your handbag, beach bag or glove compartment.  The handbook contains 24 chapters and some of the highlights are as follows:

Chapter 1 jumps right in with information on how to get to Sanibel from the airport, climate and seasonal expectations, quick facts about the island, and the all-important speed limits.

Chapter 2 gives a thorough overview of the island, a definite plus for first time visitors, but as a frequent vacationer I could perfectly picture each stop in my mind’s eye.  The tour begins at the Lighthouse and heads west to Captiva and then back again.  Complete with attractions of note along the way, I particularly liked the way they included approximate mileage from point A to point B.

Chapter 3 is fun for the history buff in your group because it shares a brief history of the islands and the major players involved in its development.  I was pleased to glean some new fun facts from this chapter.

Let’s face it – part of the draw of Sanibel is the miles of beaches and they are well documented in Chapter 4.  I especially liked the useful information about accessing the beach area in front of the residences, the names of all the beaches, where they are located and what the charges are for parking.  Parking laws are strictly enforced, so pay attention to the regulations.    

I couldn’t wait to get to Chapter 5 because it’s all about the shelling!  This chapter starts off with a humorous nod to the famous “Sanibel Stoop” and its northern counterpart.  Only I’m not going to tell you what it is – you’ll have to get the book to find out!   There is a wide abundance and variety of shells on Sanibel and the handbook explains why this is a shelling mecca, how to begin and plan your shelling excursions and is followed by a vibrant 8 page guide showing  some of the more popular Sanibel shells.

If fishing is your thing, then Chapter 6 is written with you in mind.  Do you need a fishing guide or want to know where the fishing specialty shops are located?  The book has that covered.  Confused about local species, size and limit requirements?   You should be able to find out everything you need to know about whatever fish you’d like to catch, all right here.  As for actually catching the fish – well you’re on your own!

Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 10 cover local water sports like jet skiing and boat rentals, bicycling around the islands with detailed maps and rental establishments, hiking along the documented walking trails and where the golfer in your party can get his golf on.

Bird watching is a popular island pastime and Chapter 11 will tell you how to do it and where the best spots are.   There’s also a handy list of some of the bird species you are sure to see on your visit.

Chapter 12 details the native wildlife that inhabits the islands and yes, alligators are included on that list.  Pay attention to the advice on these pages and you’ll enhance your wildlife experience.

Are you interested in the local culture?  Chapter 13 will let you know what activities to expect, where to go and what the general island dress code is.

Accommodations are diverse and plentiful and new visitors to the islands are sometimes confused about where to stay.   Chapter 14 has outstanding maps that detail all your options.  The biggest problem you’ll face is trying to narrow down your choices.  Some vacationers find a good place and stick with it, returning year after year to a favored setting.  Others opt to try something new each year.  Whatever you prefer, there isn’t a shortage of accommodations to choose from and it’s really helpful to look at the maps here and see where everything is located.  The end of this chapter has a current list of accommodations, complete with addresses and phone numbers, which I found very helpful.

Chapters 15 and 16 will direct you to the local grocery stores, convenience stores and best of all, the restaurants!   The dining guide comes complete with a map showing all the restaurant locations and a listing of their addresses, phone numbers, business hours and available websites.  This chapter was a huge plus for me and I especially appreciated the web links.

No vacation is complete without a little souvenir shopping and Chapter 17 does not disappoint with its shopping guide map and accompanying store names and phone numbers. 

Is there nightlife on Sanibel?  Well of course, it’s just subjective as to what extent of activity you’re looking for.  Chapter 18 will steer you to the locations where you can sit and watch a sunset or boogie the night away if you so choose.

Chapters 19 and 20 have the “odds and ends” and interesting places to go for the adventurer in your party.

And rounding out the book we have Chapters 21 thru 24 with a thorough phone directory of emergency numbers, quick reference services, important phone numbers and places to visit for Island Worship.

The hand book concludes with Tidal Predictions for the current year and this is a helpful addition for shellers who like to pour over it while they plan their shelling excursions.

 

Overall, the Sanibel Captiva Handbook would be an excellent addition to your personal library.  It’s written with a light touch and a charming sense of humor by long time island residents.  The book is full of helpful and important information and makes planning a trip to Sanibel a breeze.  It’s really nice to have such detailed maps, phone numbers and information at your fingertips.  From booking a hotel to shelling on the beach, or dining out and ending the day with your feet in the sand and your eyes on the sunset, this book will point you in the right direction.  I only wish I had a trip to Sanibel in the near future so I could immediately put this book to use!

Copies of the Sanibel Captiva Handbook are available on the Sanibel Captiva website and it currently costs $ 13.95 plus $ 3.00 shipping.   The book can also be purchased at about 12 different locations on the Island including Jerry’s, Baileys, CVS and all the bookstores, as well as at South Seas and the Captiva Island Store.

Please come back tomorrow – I snagged an interview with one of the handbook authors JB Reynolds.  JB discusses his personal connection to the islands, the history of the book, and how its evolved over the years since it first published in 1970.  I think you’ll be interested in reading his interview.

 

I won a copy of The Sanibel Captiva Handbook in a give-away and I reviewed it because of my affinity for Sanibel Island.  All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review.

Sanibel Island, Day 3

Our third day started out with a gorgeous sunrise, which we watched from the roof top deck. 

After grabbing some specialty coffees and scones from the coffee bar at Baileys, we headed out to McCarthy’s Marina on Captiva where we were to meet Capt. Brian at 8 am for our private cruise.  You can check out Capt. Brian’s blog and cruise info here:  http://captainbrianonthewater.blogspot.com/

Let me just start by saying that we had a fantastic time.  Capt. Brian had a large cooler stocked with ice on board, where we stowed our drinks and lunch bags.  The skies were a clear blue, the sun was warm and the breeze was light. 

As we got under way, Capt. Brian pointed out Ding Darling’s cottage and we got to witness a rare sighting of frigate birds (we thought he said FRIGGIN' birds, which gave us all a good laugh)

We also saw a dolphin cruise by, all before we cleared the northern tip of Captiva.  Capt. Brian is well versed in the history of the islands and kept us entertained with stories all the way to the northern end of Cayo Costa  As we nosed the boat toward shore, we noticed turtle tracks on the beach leading to and from a nest made less than 10 hours earlier. 

Not only did I want to visit Cayo Costa because of the shelling, but I wanted to find a geocache that is rarely found because of its remote location.  We hiked down the beach picking up shells and sand dollars along the way. 

First we found the cache....

And then we took a moment to snap a picture of us phooning on Cayo Costa. 

We slowly meandered back up the beach and when we reached the boat, Capt. Brian surprised us with a fresh watermelon that he had sliced up especially for our cruise.  I have to tell you – that personal touch really showed me what a great guy he is and how much he cares about his clients. 

We enjoyed our snack on the beach and then continued hunting for treasures.  We found a couple of great things – Almost immediately I found a guadia nautical.  We also found a lot of beautiful sand dollars and Chablis found a huge arrowhead sand dollar.  I had never seen one of those before.  Chablis also found a very large star fish. 

He was still alive so we took some photos and placed him back into the water.  But the find of the day was the seahorse that Wendy found.  It was lying dead in a tangle of seaweed.  And it was in pristine condition!  It’s almost 4” long.  It’s a real beauty and Wendy was thrilled beyond words. 

 Here is just a portion of what we found....

All too soon our 4 hour cruise was drawing to a close.  We climbed back into the boat and pulled our lunch out of the cooler to eat on the ride back.  We had a simple lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but we had made one for Capt. Brian and he seemed to really appreciate the thought.  We had barely eaten half of our sandwiches when a pod of dolphins swam up.  All thoughts of lunch were forgotten as we scrambled for our cameras so we could take some close up shots.  What a thrill!

On the ride back to port, Capt. Brian let Laurie take the helm (a brave move on his part) and he climbed up front to point out some things of interest and to entertain the girls.  He had them in stitches.

After the cruise Capt. Brian showed us some of the shells from his personal collection.  All in all, it was a lot of fun and I highly recommend a cruise with him.  It was a real highlight of our trip.

We then stopped at the Captiva Chapel by the Sea to walk around.  The history of this cemetery is really interesting and you can read about it here:  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flswphs/cem/captiva/index.html

After that we stopped at Blind Pass to check out the shelling on the Captiva side.  I have to say I was rather disappointed this time.  The shell piles were not as large as last year and the shell selection was poor.  I did get to take some nice photos of the pelicans as they flew around and dove for their lunches. 

We called it quits early and headed back to the condo, where we cleaned up and then headed out for a yummy dinner at the Hungry Heron.  Afterwards we did a little souvenir shopping...

stopped at Jerry’s Market to look at the birds outside...

 and then stopped on Periwinkle to grab another geocache.  It's someplace on this tree, but I won't tell where!

We then headed out to the causeway to watch the sun set. 

What can I say except that it was the end of another perfect day!!