Our final day in Sanibel concluded with a bang.
Ryan and I were up nice and early and went for a walk on the beach after I grabbed a quick snack of a Luna bar and several handfuls of granola.
The walk from our condo to the lighthouse and back is exactly three miles. It’s the perfect distance for a morning or late-afternoon stroll and I’ve loved completing the walk every day! I’m going to miss it tomorrow.
On our walk this morning we saw a dolphin swimming just off the shore which was pretty neat!
And then two little boys tried to swim with it and scared the dolphin away. I don’t blame them for trying. I think everyone secretly hopes they’re the “dolphin whisperer” and will magically be able to swim with wild dolphins.
After our walk, everyone was awake and we met up for a late breakfast at The Island Cow, the same place we visited on Friday for lunch.
Another funfetti muffin to start!
My aunt, sister and I all ordered poached eggs with grits, breakfast potatoes, toast and fruit and really enjoyed our meals. I also had a taste of Ryan’s breakfast burrito and loved his meal choice as well.
After breakfast, we spent the afternoon on the beach, soaking up the sun (with sunscreen!), reading, talking and walking along the shore. My dad was traveling for work and wasn’t able to join our gang until this afternoon, so we were all excited when he arrived around 2:30 p.m.
We enjoyed a shortened cocktail hour outside our condo before heading off to an early dinner at The Green Flash, a nice restaurant on Captiva Island.
The drinks kept comin’ at dinner and our meal was very good.
Vodka + Water + Lime for me… I’m a vodka girl through and through when it comes to liquor.
Along with our drinks, we shared an appetizer of parmesan artichoke hearts and a basket of warm bread with butter.
I had a bit of the artichokes and two pieces of bread which were both decent.
My entrée was definitely the highlight of my dinner experience. Bring on the mussels and garlic bread!
My goodness, the broth that came along with my mussels was fantastic. I had everyone dipping bits of their meal into my remaining broth because it was that tasty.
After dinner we had only one thing on our minds.
A trip to The Bubble Room.
There’s no place quite like The Bubble Room on the planet. It’s a restaurant where knickknacks rule and creepy toys pop out at you around every corner. It’s both magical and freaky all at the same time.
Aside from the stimulating décor, we always make sure to make a trip to The Bubble Room during any visit to Sanibel for their phenomenal cakes.
We ordered six of the humongous slices of cake for our group to share to bring back to the condo.
I know it may look a little strange, but the orange crunch cake is their number one seller and it tastes fantastic. In between layers of moist cake is a brown sugar and almond crunch layer that is unlike anything I’ve ever had in a slice of cake before. So delicious!
My favorite cake was their coconut cake but everyone else agreed that the orange crunch reigned supreme.
Sugar coma, for sure. I’m quite ready to get some vegetables and healthy food back in my belly tomorrow but tonight’s vacation eats were pretty amazing!
Time to face plant into bed.
Goodnight!
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
You and Leslie look great! Where are your dresses from?
That food sounds so delicious – making my mouth water!
I love vodka + tonics with a lime. 😉
But now I am hooked on Citrus Vodka + tonic + a lime. Gotta try it. So good!
Mmmmm caaaaakee….;)
Wow – so many good eats in one post! I can’t decide what looks tastiest!
I’m a vodka girl through and through as well 🙂
I’m a vodka girl too…vodka/club soda/lime is my tipple!
Where’s Sadie?
So glad you had such a great last day! All that food looks AMAZING!!
Random question but who’s the younger guy dining with your family? I’m going to feel really stupid if you’ve had a brother all along and I didn’t know about it.
Sounds like you’ve been having an awesome time! That cake sounds so amazing! 🙂
Ah where’s Sadie? Looks like a fun trip though!
Wow, looks like a fantastic vacation. I just had mussels in Florence, and Anthony couldn’t understand my obsession with the broth after the mussels were gone. The wine broth is definitely the absolute best part!
Ahem, where’s miss Sadie? Can you tell a few of us are having withdrawals? 🙂 Looks like you’ve fantastic time though! 🙂
mmmm that CAKE looks fantastic!!
i’ve enjoyed reading about your mini-vacation on sanibel island, julie! i spent a day at the island in july 2010, on vacation in florida. the best part was renting a bike to tour around…such a lovely spot! glad you had such a fun saturday with your family!
I wish I were on vacation right now! I think that the orange cake would be awesome – the filling sounds great!
A funfetti muffin! How FUN!
And those cakes look so wonderfully colorful!
I must have missed the funfetti muffin the first time around! That sounds like the best thing ever!
You look so tan! I’d like some sun… right about now :).
Aw, the Bubble Room in Orlando was always decorated way cooler than the one on Captiva. The day it shut down was a dark day in my childhood haha.
The cake looks amazing! You are lounging on a beach while we have a winter weather advisory. What was that about you wanting to live in NC???
The Kidless Kronicles
I’m also a vodka girl! I think it’s because it’s was the first kind of alcohol I ever tried. Was vodka your first too?
Haha, I am definitely one of those people who secretly wishes they were a dolphin whisperer! The main character in one of my favorite books (“A Ring of Endless Light” by Madeleine L’Engle) has a special connection with dolphins, and I always thought that would be the coolest thing 🙂 I’m a vodka girl, too! Grapefruit vodka + grapefruit-flavored sparkling water is my current preferred drink!
Between the funfetti muffin, parmesan artichokes and slices of cake, I’m drooling over here!
I must visit Sanibel! This place looks great. Is it ritzy? or just more remote? Oh, and I’m droooooling too.
Mussels and vodka… Sounds like a dream vacation!
Brown sugar and almond crunch layer? Swooning…
I’m jealous of your get-away! Looks like so much fun, and that cake looks delicious!
Dolphins are amazing! My dad used to have a little john boat with a flat bottom and once we had dolphins swimming around us. It was awesome. Like I could’ve touched them if I put my hand in the water but I was scared lol.
Your trip looks amazing so far! I love that you guys took a family vacation! And the cake! OMG, the cake! Need I say more!
Is it weird that I am secretly hoping Leslie and Ross end up engaged in the future? You guys are all so cute together and I love that your sister is dating a very close friend to you and Ryan. It’s gotta be comforting knowing your lil sis is dating a great guy, because those can be hard to find!
Have a great remainder of your trip!!!!
Wow, what an amazing trip filled with delicious-looking foods!! I want that cake, and I want that funfetti muffin!! 🙂
Ever since I tried vodka it’s been my go-to drink. I started out with tequila and learned that my body does not go well with that! Vodka it is!
I must admit, Im a little jealous of a vacation right now- that sounds so fun! I bet you’re ready to get back into your normal eating routine though- vacations are so hard to stick to the diet!
I would have to go with the red velvet.
ahhhhhhhh i love every little thing about this post — as this is exactly what my family does!!!! We always make our special night out on the island at the Green Flash, and then head to the Bubble Room for dessert and bring it back home to the condo to enjoy 🙂 I love the run to the lighthouse, too. Do it every morning!!!
So glad y’all are having a great time!!!
Ross and your sister are getting serious, ehh? How long have they’ve been dating? 🙂
All that food looks so good – and that cake looks amazing!
How fun to see a dolphin. I saw a few at Clearwater over the summer and I was so amazed. They were following a boat which I thought was so cool!
That orange cake and being by the ocean all sounds SO awesome!! Glad you all had fun 🙂
That cake needs to…as Julie would say…get in mah bellaayyy!
LOVE the bubble room!! gotta have the orange crunch. next time you’re up there you should try the Mucky Duck
Mm all that food looks so good! that bubble room looks soo weird! ha!
Just found your blog and I’m so glad I did! I live in Orlando 🙂 That dinner you had sounds AMAZING. I think I need to add SaniBel on my list of wknd trips 🙂 Excited to keep reading your blog!