Saturday, April 30, 2011

Matzaluna Moves to Top Spot for Dining on Sanibel





One of the very nice things about Sanibel Island is the wide variety of choices in restaurants. Our trips to Sanibel Island to check on our vacation rental properties always have us looking forward to a new adventure in eating out.


Though the truly casual places such as Schnappers and the Island-elegant such as Thistle Lodge are on either end of the spectrum, the middle is crowded with contenders for best.



We love Grandma Dot's for the easy, breezy (no AC) marina feel and great view. We enjoy eating at Traders because of the large menu and comfortable seating. There are dozens more.
And we have eaten at and enjoyed our meals at Matzaluna on many occasions.



But in the past couple of weeks, we "discovered" an aspect to dining at Matzaluna that has propelled it into the number one spot on our preferences.



The seating in Matzaluna is comfortable, the decor is delightful and the service has always been good as has the food. Yet, because I have to be gluten free, I have not been able to eat much in the way of Italian selections and have stayed with the chicken or fish entrees. The world has opened up with the introduction of a gluten free menu.



The General Manager, Sal, whose charge it is to over see the preparation of food, came to our table when he heard I wanted a meal that was gluten free and was considering the eggplant parmigiana. He explained that he could prepare it in two ways, grilled or fried, and that both would be gluten free. Well, other than home made eggplant parmigiana that was made gluten free, I had never had this dish out and was contemplating my choices.



Recognizing my dilemma, Sal said because it was a light night for business, and he wanted my feed back, he would prepare it both ways and I could have and evaluate both.



The eggplant in both styles had the added ingredient of ricotta cheese (in addition to the mozzarella) and that made the difference. I had never tasted eggplant this good, not even before my diagnosis of having Celiac Disease. It was not just good or even great, it was extraordinary.



That first experience was two weeks ago and we returned 2 nights ago and I did make the selection of the fried style and was once again bowled over with delight. My only "complaint" was that the portion was too large, but that was easily remedied with a leftovers package that sits tauntingly in the refrigerator.



To all you gluten free eaters out there (a growing number to be sure), put Matzaluna on your musts for your next trip to Sanibel Island. You won't be sorry, I promise that!

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Thursday, April 28, 2011

The Mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs

About an hour south of Inglis Florida Bed and Breakfasts and forty minutes north of Tarpon Springs FL Bed and Breakfasts is a curious place known as Weeki Wachee Springs. Mermaids swim in the waters of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, one of the first roadside attractions in the state of Florida, and certainly one [...]

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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Lisa From Island grooming knows how to garden, check out the tomatoes!

Lisa From Island grooming knows how to garden, check out the tomatoes!Lisa From Island grooming knows how to garden, check out the tomatoes! She has been doing a ton with her garden and look what has arrived! Yummy is to say the very least. �More to come on her and her gardening skills.

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Sanibel Island Captiva Island, Sailing Lessons, Sailing Charters, or Sunset Sails. New Moon Sailing Offers it all.

Sanibel Island Captiva Island, Sailing Lessons, Sailing Charters, or Sunset Sails. New Moon Sailing Offers it all. Sanibel Island Captiva Island, Sailing Lessons, Sailing Charters, or Sunset Sails. New Moon Sailing Offers it all. We had a great day on the island. Started with my friends at Courtney’s Tiki Bar for a drink (that Courtney [...]

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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

By: Bonnie Gross

Thanks for the question, John.

It's cold here (Fort Lauderdale) today! But that is really rare. I hope you're lucky and get one of our warm winter weeks when you visit. Florida's forecast was for a warmer than usual winter, but that doesn't exclude cold snaps (as we have today.)

Those wooden cabins on Cayo Costa are designed for hot weather and I doubt there's much you can do to stay warm inside if you hit a cold spell. The windows have Bahama-type shutters that can be closed to eliminate the breeze you seek the rest of the year. That will make the cabins a little dark, even during the day, so battery-operated lanterns will be important. Warm sleeping bags will help, of course.

Beyond that, the unpredictability of winter weather here is one reason you can still book cabins in January. If you look at cabins in March -- much more reliably warm and still dry -- Cayo Costa is pretty well booked up.

I hope this helps.

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Monday, April 25, 2011

70 Years of Shells on Sanibel Island

Largest and longest running Shell Fair and Show in the United States takes place on Sanibel Island, Florida. For Sanibel vacation rentals close to the fair, ResortQuest Southwest Florida offers hundreds of homes, condominiums and resort-style properties in locations such as Sanibel and Captiva Islands.

(PRWeb February 23, 2007)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/sanibel/shells/prweb507180.htm

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Anything Better Than Being Stranded in Paradise?

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Sunday, April 24, 2011

Sanibel Manatee Easy to See....so say some






At our little farewell wine and cheese with our French neighbors here in Naples, we were entertained with a variety of stories.


The funniest one was of the French family's recent trip to Sanibel Island. Like us, they love Sanibel, and, like us, do find some distinct differences between the main land and the Island.


Apparently, the mom and dad are accustomed to getting up early and going to the beach while the two daughters sleep in. And this one morning, they jumped into the Gulf for a refreshing swim, but it did not last long. No sooner were they in the water than the dad felt a heavy hit to his torso. He yelled, mom began a desperate swim away and both were amazed as a huge, bewhiskered face lifted from the water and sprouted water from its huge mouth. They, and all those watching from shore alerted by the father's yell, just thought this was hilarious.


To be honest, I would have been frightened to death were it me. And to be perfectly honest, we have never seen a Manatee on Sanibel Island. Dolphins yes, birds of all kinds, yes, alligators, yes, even a couple of glimpses of bobcats, but not yet a Manatee. Yet our French friends claimed that they saw Manatees every day during their stay on Sanibel.


I have to believe them. A Manatee is a pretty hard thing to miss. Manatees have a mean mass of 400 to 550 kilograms (880 to 1,200 lb), and mean length of 2.8 to 3 metres (9.2 to 9.8 ft), with maximums of 3.6 metres (12 ft) and 1,775 kilograms (3,910 lb) seen (the females tend to be larger and heavier). When born, baby manatees have an average mass of 30 kilograms (66 lb).


In addition to their pure bulk, they have a face one would not forget. They have a large flexible prehensile upper lip that acts in many ways like a shortened trunk, somewhat similar to an elephant's. They use the lip to gather food and eat, as well as using it for social interactions and communications.


And, they are "up in the air" a great deal of the time, again making them an easy target. Half a manatee's day is spent sleeping in the water, surfacing for air regularly at intervals no greater than 20 minutes. Manatees spend most of the rest of the time grazing in shallow waters at depths of 1?2 metres (3.3?6.6 ft). The Florida subspecies (T. m. latirostris) has been known to live up to 60 years.


Though sometimes attacked by sharks and alligators, their main threat is man. Hurricanes, cold stress, red tide poisoning and a variety of other maladies threaten manatees, but by far their greatest danger is from watercraft strikes, which account for about a quarter of Florida manatee deaths.


They are mutilated by propellers on a regular basis, and the descriptions posted are pretty horrifying.


As on land, operators of moving vehicles are told to "slow down"....a good piece of advice for their own well being as well as those of the creatures threatened by life in the fast lane!

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Saturday, April 23, 2011

Where to stay?

So I suppose the most pressing question after deciding to vacation in sunny Sanibel is where to stay. Luckily, there are many options to suit most lifestyles and budgets. We opted to stay in a at Sanibel Arms on the southeastern side of the Island. After researching all our options and deciding that a condo [...]

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For the Ultimate Sanibel Holiday Vacation, Check out http://www.sanibelholiday.com/

For the Ultimate Sanibel Holiday Vacation, Check out http://www.sanibelholiday.com/For the Ultimate Sanibel Holiday Vacation They offer tons of great rates and places to stay on your�For the Ultimate Sanibel Holiday Vacation We at www.sanibelcaptivadaily.com highly recommend this company for great service and super vacation! Don’t forget to check out the cool blog:�http://www.sanibelholiday.blogspot.com/

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Friday, April 22, 2011

Local Islanders having fun at Friday Happy Hour Tiki Bar West Wind

Local Islanders having fun at Friday Happy Hour Tiki Bar West WindLocal Islanders having fun at Friday Happy Hour Tiki Bar West Wind. Click below to see some fun pictures via IPHONE.

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Thursday, April 21, 2011

Biking in Sanibel

Our family rides bikes a lot. So when we found out there was a bike path on Sanibel that you could effectively ride from one end of the island to the other we were ecstatic. We didn’t bring our bikes with us since it would’ve been a hassle and because we normally ride mountain bikes, [...]

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ResortQuest Vacation Rentals Partners with CROW, the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, this Holiday Season

ResortQuest Southwest Florida, offering over 150 vacation rentals on Sanibel and Captiva Islands, partners with The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife support the wildlife of Southwest Florida.

(PRWeb December 05, 2007)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/resortquest/crow/prweb574072.htm

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Royal Shell Vacations Inc. Sanibel Island-Captiva Island via the www.sanibelcaptivadaily.com

Royal Shell Vacations Inc. Sanibel Island-Captiva Island via the�http://www.sanibelcaptivadaily.com/   Check out�Royal Shell Vacations Inc.Sanibel Island-Captiva Island via the www.sanibelcaptivadaily.com by going to�Royal Shell Vacations Inc. via the www.sanibelcaptivadaily.com We hope this site helps you with you for ??�?Royal Shell Vacations Inc. via the www.sanibelcaptivadaily.com

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Tuesday, April 19, 2011

South Beach Miami - An International Beach Destination With Dining, Dancing and Upscale Clubs

I have a friend I met while in college recently come back for a visit. He’s French and is used to international type beaches, shops, cafes and clubs and often brags that there isn’t anything like them anywhere else in the world so while he was here I set out to change his mind. [...]

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Even a Hot Dog Tastes Like Gourmet Cooking on Sanibel






As Joe and I advertise blatantly on our website, we are fussy. We got into the vacation rental business because we are so often disappointed with accommodations and bought several of our own so that we could make them the way we want. We insist on a comfortable king sized bed, lots of cooking aids, good electronics and decent linens in our places, as much for our selves as for our rental guests.

We are equally fussy about food and ambiance....most of the time. We don't mind paying more for fresh ingredients, a nice presentation of food including the table setting, good service and a pretty restaurant.

There are several restaurants on Sanibel that meet our needs in all of those respects and we do go there when we want to eat out on the Island.

But we were on Sanibel today doing further inventory on our Toucan House and bringing over some things from our Naples condo to prepare for some updates to Toucan House.


It was a bright, sunny, breezy day and we needed to take a break so we went to lunch.

We were in a bit of a hurry to return to the tasks at hand, so we went to Schnappers, the closest thing you can get to fast food on the Island. The bright colored "shack" is exactly what you would expect inside. Simple, easy, limited in choice but not in taste.

My hot dog (without the bun) and french fries were so particularly good, better than ever, in fact, that I had to ask at the eatery if they had changed cooks, or formulas or owners. No, I was assured, everything was exactly as it has been for years. I told them things were crisper and more delicious than ever and all seemed pleased.

But not nearly as pleased as I. The crispy dog and crispy fries hit the spot. And sitting under the umbrella at the outdoor table feeling the breezes and watching few cars pass by was all I needed to feel on island and on point.

Even fuss pots like us can appreciate the simple things in life, and life on Sanibel can make even the simplest things feel absolutely grand!

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Monday, April 18, 2011

Romance at El Colibri Hotel and Spa, Cambria, CA

Relax and unwind at El Colibri Hotel and Spa Our teenage son, newly armed with his driver’s permit, was anxious to log some behind the wheel hours. What better way for him to rack up the miles than to drive from the San Francisco bay area to California’s central coast? With my husband acting as [...]

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Sunday, April 17, 2011

Sanibel Island Through A Child's Eyes





Though I am kind of embarrassed to have left this blog sit idle for so very long, I really had to write this post.

For several years, I have been gifting books about Sanibel to the little boy of my second cousin.

He is an adorable little boy, precocious and precious and, like his mom, very fascinated by animals and nature. He is not yet in school, but as articulate as a first grader and as good a reader as well.

So I have given him the wonderfully educational book put out by C.R.O.W, the calendars with extraordinary photos of the birds of Sanibel and, most recently, the book DILLO which tells the tale of a baby Armadillo living on the island.

His mom has told me that every night for the past year, he insisted that she read him some pages from DILLO before going to sleep. He now knows what comes next, and like those fans of cult movies, can recite the words out loud simultaneously with the reading.

When his birthday was coming up, mommy and daddy offered a trip to Disney World as his gift, having taken him to the various natural museums on previous trips. He (remember we are talking smart young child here) said he wouldn't mind going to Disney World but that he would like to get to the Bailey Tract on Sanibel where much of DILLO takes place. In fact, truth be told, he stated that if he had to choose, he would prefer Sanibel Island over Disney World.

Well mom and dad are no fools and it was an easy choice for them. Why deal with the crowds in Disney World when the beach beckons and Sanibel is not yet inundated with winter warriors and snow birds? And so the 3 of them came to Sanibel.

And they walked the Bailey Tract, rode their bikes through Ding Darling, got up with the sun to gather shells on the beach and rejoiced in the calm, gentle waters of the sea green Gulf. They visited C.R.O.W. and the Periwinkle Campground Zoo, marveled at the tropical birds at Jerry's, went canoeing and took a boat cruise to see the dolphins dance.

Each night they ate out or in and then told stories on the lanai about adventures taken and imagined.

In short, it was a magical experience, for all 3 but especially for my precious little third cousin.

Weeks have gone by, and when ever and where ever he can, the little guy expounds on his experience with Sanibel. Ask any question...."what birthday gift did you like the best?", "where would you like to go?", "where would you like to live?", "what would you like to do next year?" and the answer is always the same.

Sanibel Island.

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Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation?s 19th Annual Tennis Tournament on April 8-9-10

It’s that time of year again when great tennis comes to Sanibel Island at the Dunes! The 19th Annual SCCF Tennis Tournament begins on Saturday, April 9th and runs through Sunday, April 10th with an opening reception on Friday night, April 8th. Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Doubles are the categories and the deadline for entries [...]

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Saturday, April 16, 2011

Where to stay?

So I suppose the most pressing question after deciding to vacation in sunny Sanibel is where to stay. Luckily, there are many options to suit most lifestyles and budgets. We opted to stay in a at Sanibel Arms on the southeastern side of the Island. After researching all our options and deciding that a condo [...]

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Friday, April 15, 2011

Winter Driving on Daytona Beach is More Fun than Driving Up North

As I watch the news, I see drivers up north getting stuck in snow storms and I think how nice it is to be able to drive on the beach. It’s a much nicer, more friendly environment and getting stuck in the sand isn’t nearly as awful as getting stuck in the snow. Winter is [...]

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Warmer, Sunny Sanibel Sunday

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Thursday, April 14, 2011

March events at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa invites everyone to take their chances on winning a 2011 Buick Enclave, a trip to Ireland, or enjoying the stand-up humor of comedian Bob Saget, all of which are part of the exciting March events at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Bob Saget will perform live at the Hard Rock event tent on Sunday, March 13. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the show starts at 8:00 p.m. General admission tickets are $40 and are on sale at the Hard Rock Store and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Guests must be 18 years or older to attend.

Every Tuesday in March Seminole Player?s Club cardholders can enter hourly drawings for $1,000 from 1:00 p.m. ? 9:00 p.m., and a grand prize for a 2011 Buick Enclave. This contest ends March 29. On St. Patrick?s Day, March 17, there will be hourly drawings from 3:00 p.m. ? 8:00 p.m. for a $500 free play and two grand prize drawings at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. for up to $20,000 cash or a trip to Ireland.

Player?s Club cards are free to all visitors 21 and older. For more details visit the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino website.

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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Royal Shell Announces Price Break On Sanibel Vacation Rental Weeks

Sanibel Island 039 s largest manager of vacation rental condos and homes Royal Shell Vacations now offers a seven-night stay in a two-bedroom beachside condo for just 800.00. Taxes included representing an additional saving of 11 .

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New Visitor at Sanibel

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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Share Your Favorites With Us

Sanibel Lodging is Plentiful Sanibel is a beautiful place that you need to visit often. There are various lodging options available here. You could go for the hotels, resorts, condos, or cottages, but first I would check out this awesome sanibel vacation rental. However, that’s an opinion and the choices are vast. Take a look [...]

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Monday, April 11, 2011

Best Bait Store on the Island

So I have to post about the wonderful experience I had at ‘The Bait Box’ during our visit to Sanibel. Their staff provided us with accurate information regarding what to use with our normally fresh water rods and reels. After a few days of watching dolphins and pelicans catch fish, and getting lots of [...]

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Spring Is the Best Time for Home Improvements

Ok, who’s ready for spring to get here? �I know I am! And what better time to perk up our homes with some easy home improvements than in the spring? Spring cleaning with some uuuumph! Lucky for us,�Michael Spreckelmeier, President of Progressive Builders, is putting on two workshops to help us do just that… Tomorrow, [...]

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Sunday, April 10, 2011

2007 Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix Boat Race

ResortQuest Southwest Florida offers Lido Key accommodations for out-of-town visitors, conveniently located near the boat race. The Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix Boat Race takes place Sunday, July 1, 2007.

(PRWeb June 29, 2007)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/Lido-Key/Boat-Race/prweb536886.htm

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Saturday, April 9, 2011

Disney Vacation Club

Where will your next Disney vacation take you? Walt Disney World just outside of Orlando would seem like the most obvious choice for the Sunshine State, but did you know that the Disney Vacation Club also has properties in Florida beach locations such as Vero Beach, Miami, Daytona Beach and the Florida Keys?

Visitors to the Orlando theme parks will see plenty of Disney Vacation Club booths on Disney property or even in the heavily traveled areas such as Florida Mall and International Drive. There are over 500 destinations worldwide, so members of the Disney Vacation Club can return to Florida for their next Disney vacation or choose an even more exotic beach location like Hawaii, Aruba or the Canary Islands or ski the slopes of Austria, British Columbia or Colorado when they purchase a real estate interest in a Disney Vacation Club Resort.

Disney Vacation Clubs combine the benefit of sought after locations with the high end service that Disney guests have come to expect. For more information, visit the Disney Vacation Club website or call 1-888-864-0458.

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Best Christmas Gift? Condo E201 at Discount





It's been an odd time for vacation rentals all over Florida.

The confluence of 3 factors have greatly slowed down tourism to the Island of Sanibel.

Oil never hit Sanibel, but the perception it did had an impact on traffic to the Island.

The overall economy made people leery to spend money on leisure.

And, the tighter squeeze of financials led many owners who only utilized their vacation homes for personal use put them on the market for rental, creating not only a glut of vacation rentals but many places for rent under market value.

All of these were bad enough in the aggregate, but then the Christmas and New Year's holidays falling on Saturdays, the usual day for changeover on Sanibel, complicated matters even more. In general, folks like to be ensconced in their vacation accommodations the day of the holiday.

So it's been quite a challenge to get those two weeks booked at our condo, E201 in Blind Pass Condominiums.And thus far I've failed for the week of December 18 to December 25 considered Christmas week.

The usual $1740 rate is now reduced to $1540, and we will consider reasonable offers of even less. Taxes and fees will apply.

Christmas on Sanibel is magical. The green of the Island is ablaze with lights....holiday light, star light and moon light. Cheer is in the air. Shopping is easy and gay.

Consider it. Imagine it. Do it.

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Friday, April 8, 2011

Sounds of Smooth Jazz Come to Florida's Gulf Islands

ResortQuest Southwest Florida offers Anna Maria Island accommodations for out-of-town visitors conveniently located near Jazz on the Islands

(PRWeb June 26, 2007)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/Anna-Maria-Island/jazz-festival/prweb535674.htm

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Thursday, April 7, 2011

Spring Break on Sanibel and Captiva Flats

Spring Break on Sanibel and Captiva Flats If you are down here for spring break, you are one of the lucky people in the country! Spring weather here on Sanibel and Captiva is unbeatable if you ask me! The temperature is near perfect and the�humidity�is next to nothing. If you are on the Sanibel and [...]

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The Historic Rossetter House Museum and Gardens

If you should tire of relaxing on the beach, boating, and playing in the surf during your next Melbourne Beach Florida Bed and Breakfast Vacation, consider a trip to the Historic Rossetter House Museum and Gardens. The museum and gardens include the James Wadsworth Rossetter House (built in 1908), the William P. Roesch House (1901), [...]

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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Lyon, France: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Lyon, is France?s third largest city and is well known for its picturesque�old town�with medieval architecture that is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Situated in south eastern france Lyon can be easily reached, by train, plane or car from Paris and is well linked to other French cities and many neighboring countries.�� The [...]

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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Top ten California beach camping sites - part three

Barbra StuterWhen it comes to tent camping locations, you won't find many in Southern California. Most of the campgrounds right on the beach require that visitors are in "self contained" vehicles, which is just as well.&nbsp...July 09, 2009

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2007 Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix Boat Race

ResortQuest Southwest Florida offers Lido Key accommodations for out-of-town visitors, conveniently located near the boat race. The Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix Boat Race takes place Sunday, July 1, 2007.

(PRWeb June 29, 2007)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/Lido-Key/Boat-Race/prweb536886.htm

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Monday, April 4, 2011

Oil Spill Not on Sanibel (yet) but Still Raising Questions of Who's to Blame, Who will Pay?






Like the tricolored heron pictured here, who "shades" the water with his wings to better see the fish below the surface, we all need to take a better, deeper, more historical look at the Gulf spill.

Though it has not reached Sanibel Island, and perhaps, with luck, will not reach Sanibel Island, its impact is felt up and down the west coast of Florida.
But as the onion unravels about the spill, the more unsettling the truth becomes.

A couple of weeks ago, BP claimed it was not their accident, but that they would take responsibility for it.

Well, I'm not sure just whose accident that were saying it was, but the information out there certainly points to their finger prints.

On a Sixty Minutes interview of Mike Williams, a Transocean engineer on the Deep Water Horizon who barely survived the explosion, fire and swim to safety, Mr. Williams was very credible and very clear that BP was very culpable.

First there was the issue of the obviously too quick approach to the drilling at the behest of BP who was losing money because the drilling was taking too long.

Second, there was the issue of the broken annulor, a piece of apparatus that was supposed to be a safety valve of sorts. BP knew full well that the annulor was broken.

Third, there was the process of the expeditious closing of the well, which was determined by BP and which was the final straw in creating the explosion.

If these observations and accusations by Mike Williams are proven accurate, there is no way that BP can take the stand it was not their accident.

And, to be fair, they have stated publicly that they will make good for the damage done to the environment and to the industries, largely fishing and tourism, that are suffering and will continue to suffer from the spill.

Giving the company the benefit of the doubt, accepting that they will do as they have offered, the question still remains as who is really going to pay?

Clearly, it's the earth, once again sullied by man's continual quest to spent less time in making more money.

The question of whether it is wise to allow off shore drilling has been answered with Deep Water Horizon. But is any one listening?

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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Vision Airlines extends $19 fare sale to Florida through Sunday

Due to an overwhelming response from travelers�of Vision’s�$19 seat sale, the airline�is extending the promotion through Sunday, March 27, 2011 at midnight, for travel through May 21, 2011. Vision Airlines announced the $19 seat sale to celebrate the official launch of non-stop, low-fare flight service between Northwest Florida Regional Airport (VPS) and 15 southeast markets [...]

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Tide Charts

Now featuring monthly tide charts for Sanibel and Captiva Islands up to 1 year in advance, calculated to Point Ybel (Lighthouse Point). Includes sunrise/sunset times and moon phases to help on your shelling quests

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Friday, April 1, 2011

Fort Lauderdale celebrates centennial

With a longstanding reputation for being a Spring Break paradise, Fort Lauderdale celebrates 100 years of surf, sun and sand with a weekend of special events. To commemorate Fort Lauderdale's Centennial, the City of Fort Lauderdale the Centennial BeachFest kicks off on Saturday, March 26 from 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.. The BeachFest extends from Las Olas Boulevard to The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale and offer free music, street performers, and fireworks at midnight.

The highlight of the Centennial BeachFest will take place on Sunday, March 27, 100 years to the date when Fort Lauderdale became a city. This free, family-friendly event will have live entertainment on the Riverwalk from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Since its founding in 1911, Fort Lauderdale has grown 75 percent, making it the fastest growing city in the state. The 1960 movie ?Where the Boys Are? put Fort Lauderdale on the map as a Spring Break travel destination for college students, and by the 1980s more than 300,000 partygoers flocked to Fort Lauderdale for their spring vacation.

Today, Fort Lauderdale prides itself on being accessible to visitors of all ages, with less emphasis of college parties and more upscale hotels, restaurants, and luxury shops. For more information about the centennial events, visit the official event website.

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