A trip to the islands

Last year Jacob read the book A Land Remembered which was about life in Punta Rassa, Florida. When we checked up where Punta Rassa was, we found out that it was a small spit of land just before you cross the bridge to Sanibel Island! I'd read there was a marker there honoring the cattle industry there and Jacob's mom and I decided we'd go down there and find it.

We got the other two grandsons, Alex and Vincent, to go with us so we took off for the 2 1/2 hour drive south. None of them are crazy about a long car ride but I figured they had their phones to keep them amused.

As you can see, Vincent did not take it well! We did make a stop at a Burger King as we got off the interstate for a bathroom break and drinks. When we got to the Punta Rassa boat ramp (after searching for a spot for a car), we found what we think was the marker right across from the ramp.

My daughter decided to take a walk out on the jetty that goes under the bridge to the causeway. The boys all had to go out on the small walls built into the water and do their dances.

The jetty led under the bridge and at the end point, we saw a great blue heron.

After making our way back to the car, we drove across the bridge and causeway and made it to Sanibel (one of my favorite spots for rest and relaxation).  Since it was lunch time, we drove to Captiva Island which is attached to Sanibel by a short bridge. My favorite dining spot is The Bubble Room. When we got there, the boys were a little surprised at its appearance. "It looks spooky," one of them said. "Are the waiters dressed as clowns?" 

Once we got in they were amazed at the decor. It's all stuff from the 1920's to 1950's. Toys, pictures, bubble lights (hence the name), a train that runs around the perimeter of the rooms. Every table is a shadow box. Two of the boys just decided to share a basket of their home made chips and the other got chicken strips. My daughter got salmon and I got a muffaletta. 

While waiting for our food, I took the boys on a tour of the restaurant, which has three stories. They pulled out their phones and took pictures of the oddities. One room is dedicated to antique Christmas decor. There was a diving suit (like Spongebob, they said) and a couple of jukeboxes that caught their attention. I had them pose for a couple of pictures.

The Tunnel of Love

Moe and Larry

Curly or Shemp?

After we finished our meal, we walked outside to a waiting area and got a couple more photos.

We headed to the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, which happened to be free that day! (Usually it's $5 for a car to go through). Because it was the middle of the day, we didn't see any exciting wildlife but we did see a lot of birds ... and a man apparently getting arrested (no photos). There were 6 or so police and wildlife cars involved. Of course, that got the boys attention!

But here they are checking out the birds in the lake.

And this is what they were looking at.

After that, we drove the 2 1/2 hours home (with a rest stop for a bathroom break) and ate some of the cake we brought from The Bubble Room.

It was a fun adventure! I hope to have a few more before they get too old to travel with Grandma.