Our Weekend Getway to Sanibel

For our 2yr Anniversary, Mark and I decided to take a little trip to Sanibel Island. We both had a wonderful time. We left Friday evening after work and drove the 3hrs to Sanibel. We got a little lost at first and ended up on Fort Myers Beach. So we called up the owners and they were able to help us get back on track. The Island was very dark at night. When we finally arrived at The West End Paradise Resort, we were so thankful. The place was cute and cozy. We were the only ones there that weekend. The garden was very pretty and relaxing. The next morning after breakfast, we took a walk around the grounds and admired everything. There was a canoe and a little pond. We declined on the idea since there was a warning sign in the pond (Alligators). With us being the only ones out there, we thought that might not be wise. Anywhoo, we had access to bikes. We took a morning ride around the area. The cool breeze was refreshing. We later met up with the owners and checked in and they gave us a handy dandy map of the island. We found the beach!! It was right around the corner. We were able to ride our bikes over there and admire he quiet clean beach.
We decided to venture out to J.N "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. “The refuge consists of over 6,400 acres of mangrove forest, submerged seagrass beds, cordgrass marshes, and West Indian hardwood hammocks. Approximately 2,800 acres of the refuge are designated by Congress as a Wilderness Area. The J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge was created to safeguard and enhance the pristine wildlife habitat of Sanibel Island, to protect endangered and threatened species, and to provide feeding, nesting, and roosting areas for migratory birds. Today, the refuge provides important habitat to over 220 species of birds. The entire complex is approximately 8,000 acres.” http://dingdarlingsociety.org/
We were able to ride our bicycles throughout the refuge. We even spotted an Alligator as we entered the park. He was crossing the road we road our bikes on. Oh course I had to snap a picture of him. We road many, many miles. Needless to say, we were tired afterward.
For lunch we dined at The Island Cow. Afterward we browsed a few shops and had a frozen mocha drink at a café. The coffee was a bit too strong.

That evening we decided to hang out on the beach till the sunset. It was cool and pretty. We practically had the beach to ourselves. The sun began to set. It was gorgeous!!
Dinner time and decided to head over to Captiva Island. Captiva Island was about 15 minutes from where we stayed. We ate dinner at The Bubble Room. It was a strange little place. Yet interesting. It had everything you could think of it the place- (clowns, Hollywood legends, disco balls, beads hanging- odd!!) Where we sat, these little men were lined up looking down on us. How strange and freaky we thought. Ha ha ha!!!
Sunday we took another morning bike ride and spent some time on the beach. We built sand castles and shelled. It was nice. The rest of the day we browsed little shops and just enjoyed our little getaway weekend.
It was wonderful to get away for the weekend with each other and just be carefree and have fun. To play in the sand like a little kid, to ride bikes all day and not worry about what’s next.

We enjoyed our Anniversary weekend away and we thank God for another year and more to come.
You gotta enjoy life with those you love; friends, family, your spouse, your pets (smile). Just enjoy life to its fullest.