Archive: Around Town

The Sullivans have been out and about on special pre-snow bird assignment in Cape Coral, Florida for the past week thanks to some generous friends. We left Syracuse in forty degree weather and rain and returned 8 days later to colder weather and rain with heavy frost the next day. In between, we were treated to glorious sunrises from our condo balcony or on the beach at nearby Sanibel Island and sunsets from a beach or boat in the Gulf of Mexico or a nearby estuary.

We had the use of a well appointed kitchen, but our kind hostess had also left us a book of restaurant menus, maps and suggestions along with the latest AAA Florida Guide Book.  We tried a local restaurant, which was a lot nicer on the inside than the outside generic strip mall stucco would predict. We had great service and a fine tasting meal but Mary decided to try something new; Fried Grouper with asparagus and hollandaise sauce, and unfortunately learned the hard way that this is not a combination for tropical climates unless the egg yolk based sauce is cooked and expertly kept at the proper temperature. It can happen even in the best restaurants and we would certainly go again, just not to eat anything with hollandaise.


The Publix or Winn Dixie markets are the big chains in the South so we went out for supplies to make Jim’s famous oatmeal pancakes and some dinner. We also located a ferry to take us across the bay for lunch at Cabbage Key in the only restaurant on that island. While the burger was good, the fun was watching the anoles (small lizards) and the very large gopher tortoise native to the island out on his morning stroll between the burrows of his competing girl friends. The interior of the restaurant literally papered with dollar bills signed and stapled to the walls and ceiling in the dining room.

If you decide to visit Sanibel Island, be sure go very early or very late to avoid rush hour traffic that can tie up even the improved bridge. Before folks got out of church was a good time for us. Try to stop at the visitors’ center just over the bridge for maps, brochures and a pile of useful coupons.  We had a free night at a Holiday Inn so we were able to book a short stay on Sanibel Island, one of the best shell collecting areas in the USA. Hurricane Charley ran right over the island several years ago and destroyed much of the beachfront property so many of the hotels have been redecorated or rebuilt. The restaurant in the hotel has an enormous upside down tree trunk that was deposited in the parking lot by that storm. If you stopped for the coupon there is one for a two for one dinner deal during happy hour.


There are more elaborate places to stay, but the staff went overboard to make us comfortable; they made sure we had a handicap accessible room gave me a wake-up call so I could be on their beach at sunrise, and Keith, the grounds keeper, who grew up on the island, even climbed a coconut tree to get two for me to take home. The sunrise and full moonset occurred at about the same time last week, so I was out there at 6:45am with my camera. There were already two other shell pickers on the two mile stretch of white sand beach that I could see. The rain from the night before left a few clouds to make the sunrise more glorious, but it gave me a bonus too; a rainbow on a wisp of remaining cloud as the sun sent its rays across the bay


If you get to the Fort Myers area, don’t miss Sanibel and the adjoining Captiva Island. We spent an afternoon at the Ding Darling Nature Preserve with a picnic lunch in the estuary where we saw the first and only alligator on the trip. We were picked up at our hotel for a trolley ride to a sunset dolphin cruise in the bay and we were not at all disappointed as the dolphins played with our wake then ran out ahead of us in the channel. We even got to see the manatee that lives in the harbor where fresh and salt water mix before our boat left for the evening.

The islands have become so developed that there are only 4 or 5 beach access points with hefty parking fees unless you eat at the “Mucky Duck” or one of the nearby restaurants within walking distance. We liked the “R.C. Otter” for its gaudy pastel paint job, very good food at reasonable prices, and really good live music. If you want true Captiva kitsch, the “Bubble Room” with it’s gorilla cage and late 50’s toys is a must  and the servings there are huge.

Our last full day we were back on the water for a trip to Cayo Costa, a state park where Hurricane Charley blew the south east trip, for the best shelling yet. It was 94 in the shade, so Jim went back to the boat were he helped the captain solve his computer problems while Mary turned into a 5 year old with shell bag and scoop in hand for two hours. She had to send back two flat rate boxes of shells because they would not fit in the luggage; seriously.


When we left it was 96 degrees with 95% humidity  We realized why most folks wait a month to go down there, but we’re still hoping our friends let use the apartment again next year.

----
v5i41