Sanibel Island vs. Captiva vs. Fort Myers

map

Now that I am mostly recovered from bronchitis for a week and a half, I am ready to think vacation!  Pretty soon school will be out, and everyone will be talking about their summer plans.  Do you need some ideas?  Here's our next trip and the current travel research I'm doing.  Maybe you are wanting some sun and surf and will like the sound of this.  My family is taking a late spring break from May 5-12th.  We prefer Gulf beaches since they are warmer and have less undertow than the Atlantic.  Safer swimming for us non-Olympic athletes.   Now, you might think that Florida is the place to go in the winter, not summer.  But reconsider:  In most of Florida, the summer is considered "off season".  So the rates are better.  And the Gulf water is really warm by the summer.   In my favorite book 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up, Sanibel Island is chosen as one of thirty destinations on the topic "On the Water."  Sanibel Island is one of the little islands between Sarasota and Fort Myers with sugary sand, wildlife preserves, and limits on high-rise developments. The big draw here is 200 different species of shells.  The east-west position of the island in relation to the ocean currents is the reason for the large quantity of intact shells.  There is even a shell museum: Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum.    Mr. Frommer himself has recently stated Sanibel Island is one of his favorite places on earth.  The beach houses on Sanibel rent for one month at a time by city regulation, though there are plenty of condos.  However, my husband has requested we stay in a house this time where we will have more space.  Space to get away from each other.  Though vacations are about being together as a family, I understood what he wanted.  Sometimes one needs a little elbow room, even on vacation.  So there is my dilemma.  We don't very well have a month to vacation on Sanibel.   Captiva , just north and connected to Sanibel, doesn't have the month rental regulation on their houses, so that is good, but there are fewer to choose from.  Here is a nice one: http://www.vrbo.com/248793.  But at $1700 per week, that is a little steep for a bargain hunter like me.  The house is awfully pretty though!  No calendar online so I can't check the availability without emailing the owner.  Sometimes even email takes too long, you know?  So now I've been thinking why not try Fort Myers?  Fort Myers has more rentals, so more choices; which for the traveler means a better deal.  It is really close to Sanibel, so it seems to me that the water temperature and water quality would be very similar.  Though not oriented east-west, so there won't be the huge quantity of shells.  We could stay in Fort Myers, enjoy the convenience, and drive over to Sanibel Island.  Heck, we could even drive to the Everglades.  Fort Myers to Everglades City, the northwest city of Everglades National Park is 66 miles, about 1.5 hours. Here are two nice condos right on the water in Fort Myers: www.vrbo.com/209684 pink shell  http://www.vrbo.com/4063 Smuggler's Cove.  The Pink Shell is $815/week and sleeps 6.   The Smuggler's Cove is $838-1027 and sleeps 5.  Now for houses, check out these:  http://www.vrbo.com/15894   This one is $1300/wk with a private pool and hot tub and is on a cute little canal.  We rented a house once in Dauphin Island with a canal and boat dock and my kids had a ball jumping off the dock and trying to land in our blow-up raft.  http://www.vrbo.com/253123  This second one is $750/week plus cleaning with a private pool.  To me, that seems like a steal, but it is booked for our week. 
         Hanging out on the beach in the sun and breeze always gives me a good appetite.  For that reason, we prefer to rent condos and houses on vacation instead of hotel rooms.  With four children, I get tired to eating out (and paying for eating out) at least two meals a day for a week.  With a real vacation rental, you get a full kitchen and can make a simple dinner after everyone is showered and ready to chill in the air conditioning.  Cooking on vacation may sound like a punishment. But for me, Stouffer's lasagna, a glass of wine, and all of us piled on the couch watching tv and playing board games, sounds like relaxation.  However, trying out new restaurants is part of the fun of travel.  Unless you end up at the one with the most billboards that turns out to be just mediocre.  Do yourself at favor and jot a list of the top Fort Myers restaurants on this link, courtesy of Trip Advisor.  I think we will go with #2 Kenwood Lane Grille. I like the way the reviewers called it a hidden gem. 
What to do in the area? (besides lie in the sun and swim)
Do you know this trick?  Buy a membership to your local science museum and then visit whatever science museum that offers reciprocal membership is in the area of your vacation destination.  Not really a trick, I guess, but I always feel so smart walking into a science museum on a rainy day of vacation and getting in with my big family for free.  While all the other tourists stand there adding up the ticket prices.  Here's the link for the list of science centers and museums that offer reciprocal admission with a membership:ASTC Passport Program  Right in Fort Myers is the Imaginarium of Fort Myers.
   Another option for a rainy day: The Edison and Ford Winter Estates Museum and Lab  $20/adult, $11/child.  This would be very interesting for those without kids or with kids too old for the Imaginarium. 
   To see wildlife, here are some options:  Right on Sanibel, there is the J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge  With a name like Ding Darling, it has to be fairly cool.   Inside Ding Darling is an outside company offering kayak tours, walking tours, etc.  Tarpon Bay Explorers Nature Tours and Rentals   Another is  Shark Valley Tram Tours.  I'm not sure why they call it Shark Valley.  There are alligators, but no sharks.  Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.  This one is right in Naples, very close to Fort Myers. Everglades Island Air Boat Tours   This tour leaves from Everglades City, which is the northwest corner of the Everglades, closest to Gulfside beaches.   Manatee Guides.  This is an outfit that takes you out in kayaks for several hours to paddle to see either manatees, or dolphins, or birds.  Of all the tour companies in the area, this one is the highest rated on Trip Advisor.  Just make sure your tour is with Tim, the primo naturalist for this tour company. 
   On the way home, I am tentatively thinking of Huntsville, Alabama for our stopover spot from Ohio to Florida.  We don't drive through the night.  Just can't seem to do it like everyone else.  Not driving through the night causes our drive to take two days, but we prefer it to falling asleep at the wheel.  Several years ago, we tried to stop in Huntsville, Alabama, on the way from Dauphin Island, Alabama but we left the Gulf too late and it didn't work out.  What's in Huntsville, Alabama?  NASA is! The U.S. Space and Rocket Center  And guess what?! They are on the ASTC passport program.  So we'll get in free!  An extra fee IMAX shows.  And if anyone wants to stay on a week for space camp.  Just kidding; Space Camp costs the equivalent of several vacations.  The non-rich need not apply.  Huntsville is twelve hours from Fort Myers.  So, we'll leave in the morning, drive all day.  Sleep in or near Huntsville.  The next day, we'll spend all day checking out stuff like the Saturn V rocket that took Neil, Buzz, and Michael up to the moon.  Then we'll sleep again around Huntsville and drive home the next day daydreaming about whether the space program will revive in time for one of my sons to become the next man to take the "one giant leap for mankind."

Hot Air Balloons, Pre-Kentucky Derby Fun

Here's a quick idea for a trip you could take if you are free two weekends from now, April 27-29th.  During the weekend before the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky, lots of fun events are planned before the arrival of the really serious horse race crowds.  I've been wanting to go check this out for a few years now and it just won't work out for me.  This year my children are playing in a soccer tournament.  Last year, the hot air balloon weekend conflicted with the Easter holiday.    Fast horses are fine, but hot air balloons are why I'd like to go.   The U.S. Bank Derby Festival Great Balloon Race begins on Saturday morning April 28th at 7am.  About thirty hot air balloons are scheduled to race.  This balloon race is a hare/hound-type chase in which the lead balloon, the US Bank balloon, launches first and then is chased by the other balloons, the "hounds".  The chasing balloons don't land, but try to drop a bag of Kentucky bluegrass seed as close as possible to the X at the landing site of the "hare" balloon.  The grass seed is a little corny, but I bet it's a pretty site to see all those hot air balloons lifting into the sky.  To me, it's a thrill to see one hot air balloon by chance while driving, so I bet approximately 30 balloons is a real spectacle.  The night before the race sounds even cooler:  Friday night April 29th at 9pm at Bowman Field, the hot air balloons light up to music.  Spectators and the balloonists gather at an airfield, look at the balloons and picnic in the grass, wait for sunset, then watch the field light up to the glow of the balloon's burners.   Admission to this static luminary show is a Pegasus Pin which you can buy at lots of Louisville retailers including Meijer and CVS.  Also $5 for parking.  Watch this Utube overview of the hot air balloons.      This link is of the Friday Night Glow.



 
Combined with the Derby events, here are my other ideas:

Louisville Slugger Museum   This museum is a baseball history museum with a working factory.   Here's their information: Admission:
$11 - Adults (13-59)
$10 - Seniors (60+)
$ 6 - Kids (6-12)
Kids 5 and younger are free.   To see the bats being made, take a guided factory tour.  Guided factory tours begin at 9:00 am and last about 25 minutes.  The last factory tour of the day is one hour before closing.  The website indicates that when the factory is not in full production, they will do bat making demonstrations.   Everyone receives a miniature souvenir bat at the end of the tour!
Hours: Monday through Saturday 9:00-5:00
Sunday 11:00 -5:00
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
800 West Main St.
Louisville , KY 40202
1-877-7-SLUGGER (877-775-8443)


Another option for early Friday or Saturday or Sunday afternoon: The Speed Art Museum. http://www.speedmuseum.org/ They have an interactive children/family area, Art Sparks,  where kids can make stuff with the really good art supplies that art people buy.   Also something that turns your body into art on a giant psychedelic screen.  Admission to Art Sparks is included with museum admission.  Hours: Friday 10a-9p.  Saturday 10a-5p. Sunday 12p-5p.  After your kids are done painting with paints that you didn't have to clean up, you can walk around the museum and get a little cultured.  If your kids aren't much into art museums, pick up a museum guide and have them navigate to the correct gallery and then be the first to spot the art that you describe from the guide.  For kids too big to be so easily won over, you could also engage them by telling them about Van Gogh cutting off his ear.  (the real story from abc news)

	 Traveling exhibit: Renoir to Chagall: Paris and the Allure of Color, til May 6 

Beach Sand Memories

photos left to right: Shell Island, FL; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Coronado, CA

Please allow my travel blog to digress slightly into DIY home decorating.  This is my beach sand wall.  It has been several years in the making.  I think it is neat how all sand and the shells that are tossed around with the sand look different when they come from different bodies of water.  So on every trip, we bring home some sand and put it in a bottle with a corresponding photo.  I've been trying to alternate personal photos with beach close-ups or landscapes.  Our family joked about bringing home an empty bottle with gravel from Disney World, but decided to leave it at just sand.  These shelves were the simplest things I could come up with; just a piece of glass and some brackets.  I try to group the photos so there's always room for the next trip.  Sand from different bodies of water look different based on, you guessed it, their composition.  The fine white sand from Siesta Key is almost all quartz.  Hawaiian sand, of which I have none, is black from the basalt of volcanoes, broken down into grains.  The sand in the bottle from Coronado, California appears gold from flecks of mica.  Colors and textures can be varied based on the amount of fossilized shark teeth, coral, shells and how ground up those things are.  The very thick layers of broken shells on a beach that hurt your feet when you walk on them are called shell hash.  Comparing to Gulf beaches, I've noticed that the shell hash at the Outer Banks is  more finely ground, kind of like beach glass.  I suppose the difference in wave strength and currents between the Atlantic and the Gulf would have something to do with this.  Well I guess this is a home-decor meets geology post today.

My most recent trip was to Curacao, part of the Dutch Antilles in October 2011.  Curacao is 45 miles off the coast of Venezuela, and, since I have not been to Europe, the farthest from home I have ever been.  Foreign soil is not allowed to be brought into the US due to microbes and insects.  Small quantities of sand, rocks, and pebbles are.  However, I had an interesting experience in security on our way home.  As I was walking through the metal detector, a security guy ominously stated that he needed me to open my bag that had just gone through the Xray conveyor.  I didn't think I had anything to worry about but felt nervous all the same.  After I unzipped it, he lifted off my top pile of clothes to find an empty plastic bottle packed with sand.  He paused and then said business-like, "OK, so I see you have a souvenir here from the beach.... I'm just going to analyze it."  So he takes this sticky tab, puts it on the water bottle that wasn't even mine since I found it bouncing around some cliff rocks, and then sticks the tab under some computer/scanner thing.  Very high tech.  Then he says ok and releases me.   This was a curious interaction.  He would have seen that it wasn't soil as soon as he eyeballed it.   However, Curacao's sand is a very fine grain.  The only thing I could come up with is that the density of the sand looked like cocaine on the Xray.    I probably have seen too many cop shows, but that's all I could come up with.. Which is funny since I look like a soccer mom and not someone that would be transporting a pound of cocaine. 

photos clockwise from bottom left: Tulum, Mexico; Nags Head, NC, Cumberland Falls, Kentucky

clockwise from upper right: Lake Michigan, Chicago, IL; Siesta Key, FL, Warren Dunes, MI;

These sands are left to right: Coronado, CA, Tulum, Mexico, and Lake Michigan at Chicago.  The Coronado sand reflects the shiny gold particles.  Actually it's flakes of mica, but it shines like gold.  The sand from Warren Dunes in Michigan is identical to the sand from Montrose Beach in Chicago.  These beaches are on the same body of water, though many miles apart.

Panama City Beach, Florida



Panama City Beach sunset

A little early evening boogie boarding

 

 

 

PCB, Florida

This trip to Panama City Beach, Florida,  was taken June 2009 with our friends Dave and Jodie and two of their little ones.  We rented a three bedroom condo in the large complex of Gulf Highlands.  We rented from a family member of our friends, but here is an example of a simple and affordably priced condo at Gulf Highlands.  http://www.vrbo.com/407190  VRBO is an organized site.  Using the top words on the vrbo site, you can search lots of other condos either at Gulf Highlands, the PCB area, or expanding as broadly as you like. I like to start researching an area by reading the owner's descriptions of their rentals.  This will give me a feel for the area and what the area has to offer.   Panama City is on the Florida Panhandle, the strip of the state that lies horizontally.  It's not as long of a drive from the north as the beach towns further south along the Gulf.  Our friends drove all night but we are not night-drivers so we stayed over midway from Ohio.  I actually wasn't expecting a lot from this beach.  We were mostly going in order to spend time with our friends.  All I knew of Panama City was associated with spring-breakers and partying twenty-somethings.  It is actually a nice and very convenient spot to soak up some weeklong sun and salt water.  One drawback is that there is some traffic.  This is a fairly built-up area.  Lots of restaurants and places to buy swim suits.  However, the traffic is not worse than lots of busy suburbs across the U.S.  In exchange for some traffic and a busy road, when you want to run out for steaks to grill or after-dinner ice cream, the stores are right there. The go-cart track we visited was really close to the condos and beach. 





Post office of Seaside, where the movie The Truman Show was filmed





           Despite PCB's commercial feel, there are quiet areas around.  During one evening, my friend Jodie and I drove out to Seaside, a quaint little beachtown with the most fabulous shops.  Really museum quality art works and crafts.    You can park and stroll around and drool over beautiful glass figurines, pottery, and jewelry.  This is also the place people go dressed in white to take photos.  Filming of the movie The Truman Show was done here.  They have this quaint little post-office which looks like the oldest post office ever, but, alas, it is not.  But it is one of the most photographed post offices in the country.  Hey, we here in America like our superlatives. 



 



13 mile bike trail along these beach towns

           On another day we drove over to Grayton Beach State Park to experience a different beach.  Here are some interesting things about this area:  There is a 13-mile bike trail, the 30A bike path, along this area including through the cute little beach town of Seaside.  Zoning restrictions prevent billboards and high-rises to keep the view along the trail very natural.  There are sand dunes and dune lakes along here also.  Apparently Walton County is the sixth most biodiverse area in the United States because of these dune lakes.  In June of 2009, I didn't know about this bike trail.  Or perhaps it wasn't completed.  Also I am sorry to tell you that on the day our group went to Grayton Beach, the lure of the television and air conditioning was too great and we left earlier than I would have liked.  This is an aspect of vacation planning that I haven't figured out yet:  How to not let the television win. 



(above) Look at the color of that water!




 Shell Island.  There is good snorkeling along that rock jetty.

 Our excursion to Shell Island was our favorite. A shuttle boat leaves from St. Andrews State Park http://www.floridastateparks.org/standrews/ .  This park has a nice beach, nature trails, kayaking, etc.  Shell Island is a mostly deserted island with a Caribbean quality beach.   Unfortunately, the shuttle over isn't cheap.  It is $16.95 for adults and $8.95 for children.  The boat goes back and forth every 30 minutes until 4pm.     Sitting in the sand, my friend and I discussed whether or not it was the nicest beach we had ever been too. We decided that, as it was quiet, clean, gentle, and beautiful, there wasn't much more we could ask for. We ate our packed lunch on the beach.  The little kids played on the sand, the big kids boogie boarded, and the adults took turns snorkeling along the rock jetty.  The state park rents snorkel gear at the boat launch, but we brought our own.  If you are a beach-lover, a quality snorkel and mask are a good investment.





You might like this trip if:

1. You want a warm beach that isn't all the way down into Florida. The Florida Panhandle is a nice compromise for those driving from the north. By the summer, the water is nice and warm, but it, well obviously, isn't as far south.


2. You don't mind condos a plenty. This is not a beach house town. This is a place of hotels and condos. For beach houses, try Dauphin Island just west in Alabama. On the bright side, when there are this many condos so close together, you can get a good deal.  The tourist has the advantage here over the real-estate owner.





Race City, Panama City Beach

3. You like things convenient. There are many ice cream stands, fast food joints, minigolf, beach side restaurants, and grocery stores in close proximity. 









For a rainy day, here's something to try:

WonderWorks  science museum, $18.99 child, $22.99 adult; 9910 Front Beach Road, PCB, Florida

That is, if you don't have problems like I do of competing against the television.

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

map/directions



In June 2010 the Brosius Family went down to Mammoth Cave for a few days.  I had been wanting to check this place out for awhile.  Since this trip, we've made it our go-to stay-over spot to break up a long trip.  Mammoth Cave National Park has a lot to offer. 

We rented a convenient but very rustic little cabin at Jellystone Park Camp Resort in Cave City.  The Savannah cabin that we chose was basically like camping but with walls, two small sinks, a toilet, and a tv.   I could hear the cricket chirping outside like it was in the room with me.   But it was far better than a tent.  Did you guess that I'm not much for camping?  The Savannah cabin in peak season is $134/night.  From Memorial Day to Labor Day, their 300' waterslide and minigolf is included in the price of camping or cabins.  We didn't have much time for the pool and waterslide, but I went down the slide a few times with the kids, and it is steep and fast.  Jellystone Park at Mammoth Cave

Entrance to Historic Tour at Mammoth Cave NP

Here's a bit of science for you:  the temperature of a cave is an average of the warmest and coolest above ground temperatures of the area.  In Kentucky, that means a cool and damp 55 degrees inside the cave.  We drove from Jellystone to the national park in nice warm clothes which I had packed specifically for the cave tour.  Back at the cabin, I insisted everyone wear their pants and sweatshirts and  I put thin gloves in my pockets, just in case.  Once we arrived at the park, we observed people all over the grounds in normal June-appropriate summer clothes.  My then-thirteen-year old daughter began second-guessing my advice on clothing and begged could she "please change into normal clothes?!  Look how other people are dressed!  I'll be fine in shorts!" etc.  I was pretty sure I was right about dressing warmly, but I acquiessed anyway.  She changed in the van and began the cave tour in shorts and a t-shirt.  Boy, was she cold!  I felt the situation was score 1 for me on "Listening to your Mother".  She should have known mothers are always right!  I knew I was right as we walked down the paved road toward the cave entrance.  You start to feel noticably cool air, round a bend, and then bam! it hits you.  Like the strongest air-conditioner ever known to man.  Except it doesn't click off periodically.   Jim and I and our four children took the Historic Tour, which was recommended by a friend as the best introductory tour. It was a little like an underground hike, not strenuous but active. A few narrow squeezes, but no crawling. I was anticipating being more into the science of the cave and the feeling of being down in the ground, rather than the history of it, but the history of it was very interesting. This tour accepted 100 guests which I thought would be too many to hear anything. However, there is one guide at the lead and one in the rear of the group. At larger clearings, the first guide stops the group and everyone gathers around the area of interest.  Once the rear guide signals that the stragglers are caught up, the lead, speaking guide begins demonstrating and telling about that particular section's features. There was no issue with not being able to hear. The Historic Tour didn't include any really spectacular stalagtite formations like the Frozen Niagara tour, but was a longer tour and a better overview of the cave system. Even the stairwell at the end leading us back out of the cave was quite a feat of engineering and a marvel to gape at.  Next time I'd like to take a more strenuous and adventurous tour. The National Park Service explains each tour and any physical considerations. Check out the link here.

Bridge on River Styx Trail, Mammoth Cave 

During the next morning and afternoon we took a canoe trip down the Green River with Mammoth Cave Canoe and Kayak.  Here is the trip we choose: "Half Day Trip - Dennison Ferry - 8 miles - Our shortest trip taking 3 to 4 hours depending on river level and your pace. Excellent trip for beginners or those with small children. Great scenery, limestone bluffs, a small cave (canoe accessible depending on water level). No Rapids. Class 1. Never closed due to low water level."   I think it actually took almost 5 hours. This was fun and the kids liked it.  Though my husband was tired of paddling by the end.  We brought a lunch and ate in the canoes and on a little island along the way. I also brought a fly swatter in case of deer flies.  I had read a tip about this.  However, there were none.  Only tons of dragonflies that landed on my paddle when I rested between strokes.  During lunch on the island my three older kids (at the time 13, 10, and 9) were enjoying swimming across the river from the island to a spot where a rope had been hung.  They'd swim across, grab the rope on the other side, hold the rope for awhile letting the current stream by, let go, then swim back to the island downriver a bit, swimming hard before the current took them past the end of the island.  Now mind you, my kids are pretty good swimmers. And of course they were wearing life jackets.   But instead of enjoying their excitement of their little adventure, I was being anxious, afraid they would not swim hard enough and miss the end of the island.  Worst case scenario, they miss the island, I swim in after them, catch up to them, and we float along til the rest of the family came alone with the canoes.  It would have been no big deal.  Instead I nagged my husband and put an early stop to the fun.  It was a personal defeat for me knowing that I had given in to being the worry-wart mom who is too scared to let her kids enjoy an adventure.  In retrospect, I disappointed myself and my family.  I'm going to keep working on this.  Controlling my need to control a situation. It was a good lesson for me about parenting and control.  At any rate, I must keep working on this;  I'd like to canoe with alligators in the Everglades eventually. 

So, if you are heading south through Kentucky, or just want a two or three day get-away, consider this trip.  Here's what we spent:

• Jellystone Park 137.80/night for two nights          $276
• Green River Canoeing for 6 people                       $91
• National Park Service Historic Tour tickets for 6    $60
• plus some food for the cabin, some fast-food, and gas to get there.

What kids (and you) learn from traveling

What your kids (and you) learn from traveling:

• A lot of things you see on tv and read in books are real. 




Wright Brothers Monument, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

•  When my son sees the Golden Gate Bridge in Monsters vs. Aliens, he knows it is real.  He walked across it.  When we watch Dolphin Tale, we have a point of reference because we have been to oceanside aquariums.  The Wright Brothers really existed.  My son stood where their plane flew for the first time. 

• The world is accessible



Cara and Cameron at the entrance to ChinaTown, San Francisco

• Taking city busses all over San Franciso. Walking all over downtown Toronto.  Navigating plane changes on the way to Disney World.  The world is a big place.  But with some skills, it is largely and marvelously accessible. 

• You learn about each other and have time to enjoy each other.




Cameron pretending to hold up the Epcot sphere

• While standing in line for water slides last month at Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio, I got caught up with my 15-year-old's life.  I listened; she talked.  It was a mother's dream.  A nice lengthy stream-of-consciousness kind of discussion that would have never happened at home.
• One of my ring tones is a recording of my son Cameron giggling hysterically.  We were in line at Epcot, having a great day, and my husband had been making him laugh.  He had been laughing so much that he no longer needed a reason.  We were all laughing at the sound of him laughing.  When I hear that ring tone, I feel the pleasure again of time spent together.   

•  Everyone's life is not as peachy as your own.  
• When my daughter stepped over the feet of a man passed out on the sidewalk at nine in the morning in the Haight in San Francisco, she saw a different reality from her own.  In Chicago when we explained to our son why they guy standing in the road asking for money was tremoring so badly, he cried.    Bad things that happen to people do not only happen on the news or on tv.  They are real. These are important emotions for developing empathy and gratitude.   Middle class America is a terrific place to be.  But it isn't everyone's reality.

• Home is always a nice place to come home to.
• Despite how wonderful a trip was, everyone sleeps better in their own bed.  Whether a child misses their dog or their toys, looking forward to being home breeds gratitude.  A long drive helps bridge the gap from the fantasy world of vacation to the comfort of home.  Of course no one wants to leave the beach, but whether you drive home from the beach or home from the airport, arriving home is a comfort.  Being stuck in the car helps you transition from the wonder of the trip to the good feeling of walking in your door.

• A sense of adventure



Warren Dunes, Michigan

• Riding boats, mastering a snorkel, walking through cities, climbing up an enormous sand dune, hiking unfamiliar trails, deciding what bus to take, picking a museum.   One's sense of control is altered on vacation.  Enjoying adventure requires a tolerance for the unknown and a sense of "it'll be fine" and "I can do this."  Life can be unexpected.  Traveling can be like practicing for the unexpected.   Practicing for life.

Siesta Key, Florida

map | weather     

A beautiful senset at Siesta Key

Siesta Beach made the #1 spot for 2011  according to  Dr. Beach, (link here)  Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, Director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research.  So we thought we would try it out.  Last July, the Brosius Family: Jim, Pam, then 14-year old Cara, 11-year old Josiah, 10-year old Cameron, and 7-year old Maddox headed south.

The condo we chose we found on vrbo.com. (link here) I strongly recommend vrbo and renting condos and houses as opposed to hotel rooms.  See my other post about how renting from a private owner works and the benefits of houses and condos over a simple hotel room.  Our condo was part of Midnight Cove II.  This is on the bayside of the road, across from Midnight Cove I.   I walked over to the beach from the condo several times to watch the sun set and the walk was maybe 3 minutes.  But with all our boogie boards, snacks, sand castle building gear, we actually dumped it all in the van and drove it across the street for most of the week.  As guests of Midnight Cove, there was a beach umbrella guy stationed at the walkway waiting to use his handy-dandy drill to set your beach umbrella and drag over some chairs for you.   

By July 2011 when I walked down to the edge to grit my teeth and get in the ocean, the Gulf water was surprisingly nice and warm.  I know a beach is awfully warm when I can walk right in without my usual act of standing and look imploring at my husband, whining about how cold it is. As if he can do anything about cold seawater, you know?  I was pleasantly surprised by the water temperature all week.  Siesta Beach is known especially for its floury sand which stays cool under your feet. Another source called it sugar sand, but to me it was floury.   The difference is that it is 99% quartz. Siesta Beach is a natural sort of beach with lots of diving pelicans to watch and protected sea turtle nests taped off.  From the photos of Cameron on the beach, you can see there are people about, but we certainly weren't crowded.   These Gulf beaches have some decent waves, but the undertow is not anything like on the Atlantic side.  You swim way out and sometimes find a sand bar that you can stand up on to catch your breath.  I normally like sleeping in on vacations, but on one morning, my teenager and I got up early and took a long walk on the beach.  Her talking, me listening.  It was a lovely way to start the day.

  

My son Cameron learning to use his wakeboard at Siesta Beach

Point of Rocks, Sarasota

Just a short walk south down the beach is a snorkeling area called Point of Rocks.  This is a very shallow area and was fun for me to check out while I still kept track of my eight-year old Maddox learning how to use his mask and snorkel.  A decent assortment of living things with visibility up and down from day to day, depending on the waves and some storms further out.  I think even the plant life growing on the rocks is beautiful when you are submerged, floating, and just watching it all undulate.


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As Jim and I are scuba divers, we left the kids in the condo watching tv for the morning on our third day and did two boat dives.  This is not an area known for reefs, but we will take any chance to get in more dives under our belts.



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(above) Cara and Maddox getting a feel for

the sea horse's prehensile tail

(below) Cameron aghast at the smell of the sea snail

Later in the week we bought a combination ticket for the Sarasota Bay Explorers Sea Life Encounter and Mote Aquarium.  Driving south along Highway 41 took us past the huge "Unconditional Surrender" statue of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square on V-J Day.  We took the last boat tour of the day with Sarasota Bay Explorers after enjoying the beach for the morning and early afternoon.  There were approximately 20 people on the boat.  We drove around the bay while the naturalists pointed out some dolphins and manatees swimming in the distance.   They had to keep a good distance from the manatees as they are protected, and you have to catch a quick glimpse when they come up for air, but spotting them was enjoyable and especially thrilling for my 14-year old for whom it was love at first site.  The naturalists then drag a net on the bottom and pull out  whatever creatures they find for us to view up close and personal.  Each creature either goes right into their fish tanks on board, passed around, or demonstrated by the naturalist, depending on the hardiness or fragility of each creature.  We all thought it was pretty special, seeing a puffer fish zoom around the little tannk and getting to feel and examine things not living in a touch-tank, but fresh out of the wild.  Here's a link so you can check it out:  Sarasota Bay Explorers Boat Tour 

  

Our kids in front of the Mote

Our last excursion took us south through  keys to Mote Marine Laboratory.  This is a very serious research facility and an asset to this area.  Now that we have been there, I have been reading or hearing bits about it on the news.   Highlights of the day were my daughter gazing rapturously at the manatee munching lettuce and my boys stretching into the sting ray pool to stroke the sting rays as they swam round and round the pool.  My favorite was comparing the size of Maddox's head next to a little baby sea turtle swimming next to the glass.  It was soo small!  The combo boat tour/aquarium ticket was $36 

for adults, $29 for kids.  Just the aquarium is $17 for   adults, $12 for kids.  Check out the link above.

  

Now for all you penny pinchers out there, here is the damage:  

-condo rental via vrbo.com, Saturday to Saturday. $650 This was a steal.  

-sleeping in Tennessee on the way there... $81  We don't drive at night.

-groceries for the week...  $266  This was more food than we needed.

-2 nights to sleep in Atlanta ...$133 and a fun day at Six Flags Over Georgia during our drive home, food and admission... $222  Broke up the drive since, again, we don't drive through the night.

-Mote Aquarium and boat tour for 6... $188

-Gas to drive our minivan from Bowling Green, Ohio to Florida and back........wait for it...wait for it... $550.  Yes, this is unfortunate.


So, does this trip sound like it would suit your family?  Then here's your To do list: 

1.  Pick a week.  vrbo and other condo rentals are generally Saturday to

     Saturday.  January through April is considered high season; May 1st to August low

     season.

2.  Pick a vacation house or condo. See my other post about tips for using

     vrbo.com.  Turtle Beach and Crescent Beach are also right in this area.

3.  Wait to buy your tickets.

  You can buy your tickets for the boat tour and aquarium that

     day on a rainy day or when you need a break from the sun. 

4.  Stock your supplies.  Buy some groceries on the way to the condo so you don't have to

     get back in the car once you are there.  Don't forget coffee so you can wake up with a

     walk on the beach, coffee in hand.

5.  Talk to the locals.  Ask a local the time of sunset so you can all be there to see the sun

     sink into the Gulf.

Dr. Beachvrbo.com