Today is my last day at the beach and then I leave bright and early tomorrow for a quick, less-than-48-hour blog trip to Minnesota. (Talk about a change in climates, right!?) I’ve been having such a nice time with my family and even though it’s been chillier here than we anticipated, we’ve been spending most of our time outside, exploring the island and soaking up quality time together.
Here are some highlights from our trip so far:
- Bubble Room Cake
If you ever find yourself on Sanibel or Captiva Island, you must make your way to The Bubble Room.
My family and I always plan a trip to the quirky restaurant, but not for lunch or dinner. Dessert is the real reason why you visit The Bubble Room. Late Friday afternoon, we stopped in just before it closed after lunch and nabbed a few giant pieces of cake to dig into as a late afternoon sugary snack. We opted for the White Christmas cake (basically a coconut cake), orange crunch cake (their number one seller) and the chocolate torte. All three were fantastic, but the orange crunch took the cake. (<—Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)
- Biking Around The Island
My mom and dad brought their bikes from Jacksonville and Leslie and I rented two one-speed bikes from Billy’s Rentals so we could all cruise around the island and avoid the traffic that seems to backup at all times of the day. Biking is definitely the preferred mode of transportation on Sanibel Island and I just love it! We’ve been biking everywhere from the farmer’s market to coffee shops to lunch hot spots and the beach! Exploring Sanibel by bike has been a blast, especially since the cooler weather prevents lots of sweating as we bike about!
- Dolphin Sightings
Dolphin sightings are definitely not a rare thing when you’re walking on the beach on Sanibel Island and we’ve seen tons of the playful mammals splashing about and darting around for fish just off the shore. Dolphins and whales have always, always fascinated me and I love watching dolphins swim around in the ocean. Now I just have to see a whale in the wild…
- Sanibel Island Restaurants
Aside from the beach, perhaps my favorite thing about Sanibel Island is the fact that the island is home to a bunch of unique restaurants and shops. There’s actually an ordinance in Sanibel preventing formula (chain) restaurants and shops from opening up locations on the island which I love! Everything feels so unique and local and it’s neat to be able to visit somewhere and not feel like you’re surrounded by the same chain restaurants and stores you see all the time. This is probably why whenever I blog about Sanibel, I cannot help but highlight the restaurants we visit!
- Beach Walks
Put me on a beach, and I swear I could walk for hours. Smelling the salty air, feeling the cool water rush in between my toes, listening to the sounds of crashing waves and enthusiastic seagulls… There’s nothing better! We’ve enjoyed our fair share of beach walks over the past few days and I hope to get in another long one today before I have to leave tomorrow.
- Dinner at Gramma Dot’s
There’s something my whole family loves about the cozy atmosphere at Gramma Dot’s, a local seafood restaurant located right on the Sanibel Marina. Though I’m not usually a fried food lover, I cannot get enough of their fried oysters.
They’re so darn good and I was grateful my mom and sister wanted to share a batch to start. I also began my meal at Gramma Dot’s with a cup of their clam chowder, which is an absolute must if you ever visit the local hot spot. It’s wonderful!
- Shell Collecting
Sanibel beaches are well-known for the massive amount of seashells on the beach. The island runs east to west, whereas most islands run north to south, and is a barrier island that extends out into the Gulf of Mexico, causing it to act like a plateau where millions of seashells wash upon the shore. Shelling is one of my all-time favorite island activities and I spent a few hours wandering up and down the beach yesterday, collecting shells to bring back home with me! (I am hoping to fill a tall, decorative glass jar with the shells.) We found lots of gorgeous shells to add to our collection yesterday and I hope to make it out to the beach again this afternoon to do a little more searching!
- Sunday Morning Farmer’s Market
The farmer’s market on the island is a great one and after breakfast yesterday morning, we biked over and walked around, sampling fresh produce and purchasing a few treats. The salt water taffy booth was a personal favorite!
Now I’m off to enjoy my last full day of vacation on the island. I hope you have a great Monday!
Question of the Day
- Share one highlight from your weekend below!
P.S. I’m having some issues with the formatting of this blog post. I apologize for the funky layout and oversize images! I’m working to try to get it resolved without dropkicking my laptop…
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That cake oh MAN! It looks incredible! And collecting shells is the best 🙂
Wow, that cake looks amazing, I’ve been craving sweets so bad, that’s not helping! A highlight from my weekend would definitely have to be my husband and I’s valentine’s night dinner! Every year we go to this fancy dinner and a murder mystery combination, it’s always a fun time, we actually won the prize for getting the correct answer and won a gift card for another date! score!
hey julie!! did you happen to find any sea glass on the beach? or know of any other good beaches for that near there? i’m visiting florida next year and heard there’s not many good spots 🙁
Bubble Room Orange Crunch cake is the BEST! We have a time share in Sanibel and go every June. Loooove it.
Glad you got to the Bubble Room, quirky but great cake. We love Sweet Melissa’s or Cips on Periwinkle.
Have you been to the Island Cow? When I went to Florida a few years ago we enjoyed the food there so much that we had to go back the next day. The fish was so fresh that it is actually making my mouth water just thinking about it. I hope you enjoyed your time at Sanibel Island!
Bring extra warm clothes with you! Our temps in MN are going to be quite low the next few days! Maybe you could bring us some of the warm Florida weather. 😉
I love Farmers Markets! They are one of my favorite things to do in the summer time! I can’t wait for them to be back in season in Ohio!
Your trip looks like so much fun, Julie!! What are you headed to MN for? Make sure your bring your boots and warmest jacket along with you. It’s been single digits temps around here for the last few days. Boo!!
Those are some huge cakes! They look delicious! I love being at the beach and the way it makes me feel too. We go every summer with a group of friends and I love being able to spend quality time with everyone and create memories. Glad you’ve had such great time! Good luck with the weather in Minnesota 🙂
I’v been whale watching (and even saw a few while we were out) and I’ve also seen lots of seals and sea loins, but I’d love to see a dolphin in the wild.
That cake sounds amazing!
The best part of my weekend was my snowy run with my running group 🙂
That sounds like some trick packing! Stay warm!
That cake looks amazing too. Sanibel is gorgeous!
The best part of my weekend was spending it at home, working on our farm with my husband, dog, and six new chicks peeping away. We chopped back the blackberry bushes (that would be the royal we, as it was mostly my husband while I helped carry them around to the back), made mushroom risotto and stuffed local squash, drank 1/2 glass of champagne (giving birth in 5 weeks!) and got good sleep. Excellent way to spend the long weekend. 🙂
Blackberry bushes, baby chicks, risotto, and a farm? Sounds lovely! Very picturesque.
Hahaha, blackberry bushes – picturesque until you have to cut them or be near them. After all the cuts and scratches, a dump is probably a more desirable picture. However, the rest was indeed quite delightful 🙂
oh my goodness. I’m currently in Boston, buried under 6 feet of snow, so those pictures are just amazing to me!
I had a great Gal-entines day yesterday with my BFF…eating almond butter blondies, drinking wine, and watching sex and the city for hours. Only thing that could make it better would be to be on a beach!
That’s awesome! Looks like you guys have really have had a great time. I’ve lived in Tampa for almost ten years now, and still have not made it down to Sanibel. I’m adding it to my list now…
I went to Captiva/Sanibel with my family a few summers ago but we were forced inside by a horrible tropical storm :/ We got to enjoy the bubble room and a few other restaurants but the sunshine in all of your pictures makes me so jealous!
Welcome to MN! Me and all the other Minnesotans commenting here will be glad to have you visit, even though we won’t get a chance to say hi, sounds like. Cold here, but not a lot of snow (way less than the Northeast). You lived in Chicago – you’ll be fine! Just remember the scandinavian saying, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.”
Go to HELL’S KITCHEN – best food and HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER! Mpls. They serve breakfast (and everything) all day. Things to try: lemon ricotta hotcakes (MUST!!), mahnomen porridge, sausage bread with the homemade pb and jelly/jams (and you can buy the peanut butter to go, so if you don’t eat here, get a jar to bring home! You will not be sorry, Ms. PBfingers!) Crazy insanely delicious bison burger (so juicy), sweet potato fries, deviled eggs, and so much more. But the hotcakes can’t be missed, even if you have to share! (topped with fresh blackberries etc.)
long time MN reader,
Kim
I LOVE the Bubble Room– such a fun and quirky restaurant and the cake is amazing
Minnesota?! From the sounds of it you should have a huge minnesota friend meeting date someday. Minneapolis truly has some great restaurants. Enjoy your visit! 😀
That cake looks amazing! I love when places aren’t commercialized! Hilton Head Island is similar but it is getting worse and worse with chain restaurants! The small mom and pop places are always the best!
I loved that I had a chance to go home this weekend and get back safely! With ‘all the snow’ we had in Missouri, I was thinking I would be snowed in with my family in St. Louis! But the time we had together was great, as always. I love the fact that on the island they have an ordinance against ‘chain’ food and stores! My Aunt actually mentioned Captiva Island while I was visiting this weekend! She said it is on our list of places to visit this year or next for sure!
Looks like such a fun trip!! 🙂 I have never visited Sanibel, but my husband’s family has and it really looks amazing.
Next time you’re in Sanibel, take the drive to The Mad Hatter – a bit on the pricey side, but a wonderful gourmet restaurant that will be sure to impress! My family and I go there every year when we’re in Sanibel. I also love the Bubble Room for the giant pieces of cake – so, so good! 🙂
Im pretty sure I’d love to be at the beach right now! This ice storm is bad news bears!
If you or your husband ever come to southern california, my brother is a captain of a whale watching boat and they see whales ALL THE TIME! Seriously, so amazing.
My favorite part of the weekend was just relaxing and being in the sun. We’re a little too spoiled with our amazing weather in so cal right now:)
We try to always visit the Bubble Room (for cake), Gramma Dot’s (for lunch), Sanibel Café (for breakfast), Cheeburger Cheeburger (burger and onion rings), Pinnochio’s (ice cream) and Lighthouse Café (for breakfast). We usually visit other restaurants too, but these are always at the top of our list. So looking forward to our Sanibel trip in June.
I can never get over how much you look like your mom and Leslie looks like your dad . Best of both worlds I guess?
(I am only one with brown eyes in my family for 3 generations …. hmmmmmm)
That cake looks awesome! I also LOVE collecting seashells. Last time I was at the beach (in Washington) I found a bunch of sand dollars. It was the happiest day. Sounds like you guys had a great trip.
Hi Julie! This post makes my Buffalo bones so jealous! I am headed to Florida next month though and looking forward to some sun and temps over 0 degrees! We are headed to Treasure Island – wondering if you have any recomendations for the area?