Month: May 2018

With Linda P. behind the wheel of our big boat Nissan Pathfinder and me riding shot gun with my I- phone’s GPS, we were off to Sanibel Island.    The drive was about an hour and a half.  Ever since Linda Psomas and her husband Tom had been to the island,  all we ladies had heard  was how wonderful Sanibel was for finding shells.   Janet, Linda H.  and I couldn’t wait to witness this bountiful supply for ourselves!

Our first stop was the Visitors Center and then we headed to Lighthouse Beach.  While the beach was nice, we DID NOT see a lot of beautiful shells.   In fact the sky was somewhat unsettled and at times,  dark and cloudy.  Linda assured us it would be better on another beach.

After that Linda P. drove us west on  the island stopping at Island Inn, the hotel where Linda and Tom had stayed,  for a quick trip down memory lane.    Next on to Captiva which is a little island  to the north connected with a bridge over Blind Pass.  When we got to Bowman’s Beach the tide was coming in.   NO AMAZING  SHELLS here either.   So, it is a mystery where they all went?  Or were all of these long-told tales just fish stories?

At this point our peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunches were wearing thin.   We headed for the Dairy Queen we had passed when we first came onto the island.   (Sanibel passed a law forbidding chains and a ban on any buildings higher than two stories, but  one Dairy Queen and one Subway were grandfathered since they were here before the law in 1974. )

J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge was last on our list.  We were late to tour the educational building but opted to drive through their sanctuary.   It was raining but we still saw some pretty cool birds who didn’t mind the rain at all!

 

After our refuge drive we decided to  call it a day.  We headed back over the causeway linking Sanibel to the mainland.   The causeway  was opened in May of 1963 replacing a ferry service  and was improved in 2007. This causeway’s opening resulted in an explosion of development  until the city of Sanibel passed laws to restrict growth fearing the loss of their quiet, small island feel.   Campared to Marco Island, Sanibel and Captiva are more laid back with smaller homes, cottages and hotels.   I especially marveled at the biking paths that covered the island.   No wonder Linda  and Tom have such fond memories of Sanibel Island.   Too bad the shells disappeared!

Upon our return, Janet, our head cook, whipped up spaghetti and meat sauce  with garlic bread, salad, and fresh cantaloupe.  A delicious meal to end a long day of exploring Sanibel Island.    We’ll have to have a relaxing beach day tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A vacation is never complete without a trip to Urgent Care.  I am happy to report that this time it was to a dental office.   Linda Hasson’s tooth was bothering her ever since our flight.   Looking up dental offices on our phones, she found one that could see her at 9am.  After an X-ray, it turned out that the pressure from the plane caused her aching tooth.  Given a prescription for an antibiotic, we then found a Publix with a pharmacy.   Our ailing comrade took  one and in a short while was feeling much better.

So back to Tigertail Beach.   While we knew we could walk there from our condo we thought driving there would shorten our trek.  After paying eight dollars to park we soon  realized that it really didn’t save us any steps.  There were two ways  to the beach. One way was to walk all the way back to our condo and walk along the beach, or  we could wade through the lagoon.  Linda Hasson declared, “I am not going through that smelly lagoon!”, and headed back to our beach.  That left the three of us with the dilemma of what to do.  Of course Linda P and I opted to forge the lagoon. Deciding not to  miss the adventure Janet decided to join us, so off we waded. The water got up to our waists.  The lagoon bottom was squishy and uneven.   We held our bags high and managed to reach the trail to the beach without falling, a real feat.  We were proud ourselves!

 

After cleaning up from our Tigertail lagoon and beach adventure,  we went to Tin City  in Naples.  This is a speciality shopping area along the water front in Naples.  It is open air and reminded me of a farmers market.  The shops abound in four buildings with restaurants sprinkled in between.   We wound up eating at another Pincher’s restaurant right on the waterfront.   We topped off our seafood entries with key lime pie, creamy and delicious.  Tearing out  coupons from a tourist flyer, we  got them for free!

Again a fun day, full of firsts.   A visit to dentist, paying for an eight  dollar  parking spot we didn’t really need, crossing a muddy lagoon, finding shell trees and a live Florida conch along the beach, window shopping at Tin City and finishing off the evening with yummy key lime pie!   Life is good in Marco Island!

 

 

 

 

 

After a very long winter and a very wet spring, I was really looking forward to a trip to Marco Island, Florida with my college friends.   Since 2007 we have taken annual trips.   This year we decided on Marco Island.   My one friend, Linda Psomas,  has always shared her wonderful shelling experiences at Sanibel Island some 20 years ago. Since Marco Island is just a bit south, we thought it would be an ideal place to spend a week.    Finding a condo on VRBO, Linda made our reservations.  After booking flights to Ft. Meyers and reserving a car, we were ready for a sunny fun “girls” week.

Marco Island is the biggest barrier island in Southwest Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands area.  It is just south of Naples and has a tropical climate, with a distinct wet and dry season.   It’s wet season is from June to October. (We were hoping that  the rains waited until June.)  Spanish explorers gave the island the name La Isla de San Marcos after the gospel writer St. Mark.  The first hotel was opened in 1896 which is known today as Olde Marco Inn.   Clam Digging became the main industry in the Ten Thousand Islands area in the early 1900’s.  The Doxsee Clam Cannery flourished from 1911 until 1947.  Marco Island’s  big push to attract tourists started in the 1960s.  As a result the SS. Jolley Bridge, the causeway to get to the island,  opened in 1969. The biggest development took place in the 1980’s and 90’s. The estimated population of the island is around 18,000.

 

Janet Sanders and Linda Hasson met us at the Charlotte airport.   We were on the same flight to Ft. Meyers.  After we landed, we went to  pick up our car.  I thought I had reserved a small SUV.   Unfortunately it turned out to be a bit bigger-a Nissan Pathfinder.    Linda P. and I were the designated drivers and while we were not thrilled,  we decided to keep it.    We certainly didn’t have any trouble fitting our luggage in this monster!

Heading for Winn Dixie which was only about a half mile away,  we got in some groceries to hold us over until we made a bigger run on Sunday.

On Sunday morning after our coffee and breakfast on the balcony, we headed to the beach.   I have never seen a beach so wide.  Of course, Linda P. immediately went on her shell hunting.   She’s a shell-aholic!

After cleaning up from the beach, we did a bigger grocery run.  Next was finding a seafood restaurant.   Heading south on Collier Boulevard we found Pinchers whose logo was a Big Red Lobster.   Just as the logo implied, the menu was teaming with seafood.   We were all pleased with our selections.   No serious cooking for us; eating out is one of the highlights of our trips.

Returning to the condo with full tummies, three of us decided to catch the sunset.  Walking to the right of our condo, we walked along the  Tigertail Lagoon.

All in all, we had a great day exploring our condo and beach front.   A more in depth exploration of Tigertail Beach will be on our agenda for tomorrow.    Who know what new adventures await us?