Florida

 

 Florida in February is our winter getaway and this year we chose Sanibel. Our good friends wanted to winter vacation with us as well, so we met Dan, Angelia, and 6 year old Abigail in FL. The boys stayed home for a quiet week of school, chores, eating with Grammer and Po. I like taking our kids on trips ,but I enjoy the couple trips too. We flew out on Saturday and arrived in the middle of the afternoon. It was overcast and fairly warm when we arrived. After an hour drive to the hotel, the sun came up so we could see a lovely sunset. We checked into our Marriott hotel room, then went to the hotel restaurant outdoor seating and watched the sunset with our friends. I was very chilly in the air condition building and it took me awhile to get used to it. The hotel was beautiful. In 2017 our family stayed in the condos right next door. I recall taking a walk through the Marriott back then. The Hotel was beautiful, the view was amazing, and the property was peaceful and beautiful. I loved everything about this place. We actually spent almost half the price by staying along the bay rather than on Sanibel even though this hotel was much nicer and classier.  While sitting outside, we saw two dolphins swim up and around the hotel and the docks. It was so awesome to see them. Next we walked to Bimini Tiki bar, an interesting bar raised with a fun lively atmosphere. They had swings for bar seating, Angelia ordered a giant fish bowl, and we got to listen to live music. What a great way to start off our first night of vacation!

It took me awhile before I could relax and start vacationing. Jayden was at a retreat over the weekend known as "The Walk". Part of her time there included her reading a few letters of encouragement from friends and family. As we were driving from the airport, I got a text from my mom that said Noah had only gotten the letter from me for Jayden. I read Noah's text wrong earlier in the week and thought he just wanted one from me. I had already typed and emailed a nice long letter for Jayden.  So as we were driving to our hotel, I scrambled and sent out a text to each of the boys and one to Jayden's 180 youth group leader Donna. I also asked Mark, but he didn't feel the need to. I felt sad and later Jayden did too. I don't think he fully understands the impact his role as dad is on his little girl. The boys sent a few short words as did the grandparents. I questioned whether I should ask Donna. I didn't know if she would be at work, if  she would have time to write a letter, and if it would be appropriate to even ask her. She graciously went right to it and wrote a very nice, long, encouraging heartfelt letter. I had to get them to Noah within the hour as he was leaving to make the long drive to the retreat where he would get to deliver them. Once I was able to get all the letters emailed, I could relax. 

Sunday we awoke to a cool overcast. morning. We had breakfast at the hotel and wandered around the hotel area to see the ocean, pool area and walked over to the spa. Our hotel is on a large property that is very spread out with beautiful palm trees and mangrove trees. There is a boardwalk bridge through the trees to the spa and tennis courts area with awalking path all the way around. Mark and I learned some interesting history of the area. The spa was once a stadium for pro tennis matches in an open colosseum open on top.  From the internet..."The 400-room Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa stands on the mainland side of the Intracoastal Waterway, not far from the causeway to Sanibel Island. This collection of 12-story hotel and condo towers on 85 acres has a different scale from resorts on the islands, yet it has some of the same feel. A boardwalk from the main tower leads through a mangrove swamp to an expansive fitness center and full-service spa.  Until the bridge was completed in May, 1963, the ferry was the only way to access the Sanibel and Captiva islands. In fact, the name Sanibel Harbour originated with the Ferry service. Remington Cowboys on horse was a thriving cattle shipping town in the 1800s. Florida cattle would be loaded at the port onto ships destined for Cuba. It was one of the home bases for the "King of the Cracker Cowboys" Jake Summerlin, who by the time he was 40 was one of the wealthiest of the Florida cattle barons. The town of Punta Rassa was lined with wooden buildings, including a hotel and several bars, which were frequented by the many merchants and cattle sellers. The original developers of the Sanibel Harbour Both were avid tennis players, and both conceived of Sanibel Harbour as a tennis resort. The Harbour Tower was part of the Sanibel Harbour development that included a hotel and tennis/spa complex and two condominium towers. The first structure completed in the development was the tennis/spa complex. Construction of this complex began in the fall of 1983. The tennis complex was conceived as a teaching tennis center. To further that goal, the developers hired a professional tennis player as the Center's touring pro. That pro was Jimmy Connors. He was given a five-year contract which included Harbour Tower unit #114 as part of his compensation. Jimmy Connors was to generate interest in the Resort by being the marquee attraction at tennis events held on site. What is now known as the Courtside Restaurant was formerly called Jimmy's. The original name of the stadium was Jimmy Connors' Instructional Tennis Center. The Center was the site of a number of prestigious tennis tournaments. In 1985 and 1986 Paine Webber sponsored its tennis classic at the Resort. The finals of both events were played by Ivan Lendel and Jimmy Connors. In both finals Ivan Lendel was the victor. Davis Cup matches were played at the resort in 1989 and 1992. Columbia Sussex, a private hotel company based in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, purchased the hotel from Liberty Mutual in 2007 and aligned themselves with Marriott Hotels. Marriott subsequently severed all business relationships with the two adjacent (Bay and Harbour) condominium towers, and currently markets the hotel and spa as the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa.

 We explored Sanibel island and crossed the bridge and walked the beach area near the east end by the lighthouse. As the day went on, the sun would come out for a few hours, then the clouds would cover the sun. The temperature lingered around70, however that sunshine made all the difference in the world. You wanted a sweatshirt when the clouds covered and in the sun you could be in a bathing suit. We noticed people riding their bikes, a person in their bathing suit or tank top would pass someone wearing a coat zipped up with a hood. We walked the beach for a long way, watching boats, birds, and lots of shellers. These people were dedicated shell gatherers with bags and special shell scoopers. We drove to a hotel on the beach called the Sundial and had an amazing calzone.  Some of our new connection group friends stay there every year and told us it is their favorite spot. The sunshine and sand felt amazing. There is only one road/bridge onto Sanibel and one way out. Traffic at the wrong time of day is the difference between a 15 minute drive and a 2 hour drive. We found that out the hard way. In the evening we met up with Buhr's for dinner and talked about our day. Abigail feel asleep the instant she sat in the car and slept through the entire meal laying across a chair on her mom's lap.  I had been missing Jayden and hearing from her. We talk everyday, text, snap, and call. She left on Thursday to attend her retreat and I have not been able to talk to her at all for 4 days. I was anxious to hear from her and finally late in the evening she sent a text that she had an amazing time and would call me later. She also said she met her roommate who was really nice, however the first night had to go home sick and now she too was very sick. Bummer.

Monday morning Mark and I started our morning with a Spa massage at the hotel spa that was once a tennis colosseum. It was amazing and relaxing. I was done before Mark so I took a walk around the courts and the sun was perfect. I Marco video chatted with some friends as I took in the views. Mark and I like to walk on vacations, so we continued our walk out and around the front side of our resort, we may or may not have been on some private property.  Mid-morning, Jayden called me and was excited to tell me about her retreat, but she had little voice to talk, was coughing, weak, and had a fever. I was really worried about her and wanted her to see a doctor. I was concerned for covid, bronchitis, or mono. She just didn't sound good. Later in the day Noah took her to urgent care where she tested negative for covid and positive for influenza. She was a very sick little girl. Covid is so overrated. 

Mark and I drove to Love island in Fort Meyers for a kayak trip. Similar to Sanibel, Fort Meyers island has only one bridge in and one out. They are both popular, busy, and crowded. We signed up for our kayaks, they pointed us down a road and we were on our own. We picked out a kayak, threw in some life jackets, grabbed oars, and hopped in. Not knowing we checked in at the end of the day, we had a short time before our gear was to be returned, so our trip was about an hour. That was good for me, any longer and I may have gotten sore. Mark and I shared a kayak and it was a leisurely cruise through the mangroves. Throughout the day, the sun would hide and cool off, but it was just perfect while we were out on the water with sunshine. It was a pretty stroll with birds and scenery. There are manatees in the water, none of which were out while we were boating. It was still a great activity and we like to get some physical activity on vacation too. 

The drive out of Fort Meyers was crazy busy and everyone came out for the night life and dinner. We too wanted to eat at a Fish place on the water, so we parked, walked quite a ways, and waited. It was worth it and Mark likes the Dixie Fish house restaurant right on the water. We watched as the sun went down and watched all the boats in the night sky. I had an amazing coconut colada, that night be my new favorite drink ever! Tuesday was cool and dreary. Mark started out every morning at spa steam room. We also had breakfast at the hotel every morning with a buffet of choices. I just got a bowl of oatmeal each day. It fills me up and doesn't load my stomach up with empty calories. We knew the forecast would be cool and rainy so we chose to make it the day we went to the  Edison and Ford  museum. We walked part of the area on our own, and had a guided tour for the remaining. It was very interesting and enjoyable. When our tour guide asked if we had any questions, Abigail would shoot her hand up with a question. Her questions were always well thought out, articulated. She made sure she always had a question which gave people a laugh. She is an inquisitive little thing. She is a princess for sure and even wears the crown to show it.   Internet...Visitors to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates will enjoy more than 20 acres of historical buildings and gardens including the 1928 Edison Botanical Research Laboratory. Open to the public since 1947, Edison Ford is a National Register Historic Site and is one of the most visited historic home sites in America. Thomas Edison first came to Fort Myers in 1885. He was a well-known inventor in search of a warm escape from the cold northern winters. On his first trip to Southwest Florida he purchased more than 13 acres along the Caloosahatchee River. Edison returned to Fort Myers in 1886 with his new bride, Mina Miller Edison. For the next six decades the Edison family enjoyed their winter retreat. In 1947, Mina deeded the Estate to the City of Fort Myers. Nearly all of the furnishings in the Edison Main House and Guest House are original to the Edison family. The original design of the Main House included a kitchen and dining room. In 1906, the Edisons remodeled these rooms to serve as family bedroom suites, since the newly renovated Guest House had a kitchen. The Main House includes a library, study, bedrooms and Edison’s den. Originally the Guest House was owned by a business partner of Thomas Edison. When their relationship ended, the house was purchased by new owners. In 1906, the Edison family bought the home and began using it as a Guest House. Famous guests included Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, President-elect Herbert Hoover, and many others. The Guest House includes a sitting room, dining room, kitchen, guest bedrooms and quarters for serving staff. Edison Caretaker’s House-One of the oldest buildings in Fort Myers was on the site when Edison purchased the property from cattle baron Samuel Summerlin in 1885. The original “cracker” style house was used by cattlemen as they drove their herds South. Edison expanded the house, adding a kitchen, garage, and chauffeur’s quarters. Edison’s caretakers lived on the property all year long while maintaining the estate. Swimming Pool Complex- Built in 1910, the 50′ x 20′ swimming pool is believed to have been constructed using Edison Portland Cement and was one of the first residential pools. In a 1928 remodel, the Pool House with changing rooms and a shower, and Tea House were added. Edison had a concrete cistern built in order to provide large amounts of potable water for domestic use in 1919. The new cistern was designed to store rainwater captured from the roof tops of Seminole Lodge. Edison’s Study-Edison’s Study located behind the Moonlight Garden, was built in 1928 after Edison’s 1886 Electric Laboratory was moved to Henry Ford’s museum, Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan.  The Ford Historic Home (THE MANGOES) Henry Ford’s Winter Estate-In 1914, Henry and Clara Ford, along with their son Edsel, visited Fort Myers at the invitation of Thomas Edison. They enjoyed the visit so much that two years later, Ford purchased the home adjacent to the Edison Winter Estate. The two-story riverfront home was built in the Craftsman architectural style. The Ford’s sold The Mangoes in 1945 to a private family who then sold the estate to the City of Fort Myers in the late 1980s. The Ford Winter Estate was opened to the public in 1990. The Ford Caretaker’s Cottage was originally a garage and caretakers’ residence. Today, visitors can enjoy light refreshments including locally made ice-cream and purchase unique books and gifts in the historic Ford Cottage Shoppe.

After our tour, we were cold and hungry. We went to a fish restaurant, Pincher's. At 4:45 it was a packed house with all the gray hired crowd (snowbirds). The guys had Oysters fried conch, we all got a lime beer, I had fish tacos.  Wednesday we did some morning shopping nearby, then stayed around the pool area to enjoy the sun. With a good book, an occasional cold drink, a dip in the pool, lounging on a poolside chair, made for a relaxing day. 

In the evening we met up with the Buhr's for a nice dinner at the hotel's steak house. It was located across the walk bridge on the property near the tennis courts. We had a wonderful fine dining experience. I had a mouth watering filet mignon. It is great to know that not all restaurants are short on staff and going downhill. We have had all good dining experiences, something we have taken for granted. Since the pandemic, it is hard to come by. Abigail had her mac and cheese and watched her iphone movies. 

Thursday the Buhr's headed for home, and we started the day early renting bikes on Sanibel and riding through through a wildlife preserve. It was a nice ride on our bikes with flat trails and some boardwalks. We saw all kinds of interesting birds. We had our lunch at Doc Ford's and spent the afternoon laying on the beach. I finally got a little sun on my skin. Our timing to leave the island wasn't so good and we hit the late day crowd leaving. The traffic was inching along, so we pulled over at an ice cream shop for a snack and to let some of the traffic flow. Later we sat out in the hot tub only to find that everyone in the hot tub was from someplace in Iowa, which led to lots of conversations about all kinds of Iowa things. I talked with a young couple that just got married that were both ISU students. It never fails when on vacation, we always end meeting people from Iowa. 

Friday we went to Sanibel to walk on the beach and sit in the sand one more time. We knew that it would be a long time before we would enjoy sunshine and beach weather. It was fun to watch the different birds. We found a tree packed with pelicans. I didn't know they lingered in trees. They would watch the water and at the right time, swoop over and nose dive down to do their fishing. Mark joked that if you weren't careful walking under the tree you might get an unwanted milkshake dumped on you. In the afternoon, we made our way back to the hotel to lay around the pool. The crowd near the pool had been drinking all day and the more they drank the louder they got. It was very annoying, but it was still a day poolside. We found an Italian restaurant off the beaten path for dinner. 

Saturday was our last day before the flight home. We took a walk from our hotel to the edge of the Sanibel bridge and walked under it and along the shore. We loved our vacation destination and hope to return again.