And Away We Go!
Leaving the Midwest on our way to Sanibel Island and then to Miami, where we embark on a 14-day Regent cruise, MIAMI TO MIAMI, A BLISSFUL ESCAPE aboard the Seven Seas Grandeur.
It’s been a while since we’ve packed our bags for travel. Our last cruise, the 2025 World Cruise aboard the Seven Seas Mariner, was life-changing and memorable, but it came with a bit of a physical cost. After we disembarked, I had a strange syndrome related to being on board a ship for 5 months, a rather uncommon thing called Mal de Debarquement Syndrome.
No longer dizzy, I’ve consulted with doctors throughout the months and we’ve recently come to an agreement — Sherpa and I will give a short cruise a try, and if all goes well, we’ll do the longer cruise we’ve had planned for a year in the late spring. Cross your fingers with me, that all goes well!
It was a quick hop and a jump from our regional airport to O’Hare where we rushed from the far end of Terminal B to the far end of Terminal C, a brisk walk of about thirty minutes.
We arrived at the gate just as folks were hustling into the plane, but all was well. We were snug in our cramped seats by the time the last folks boarded. Thus ended the worst part of getting to our destination — that slog through O’Hare.
I did have time to quickly grab a photo fo the United Tunnel alight with shifting colors. That magical space almost made the trek worthwhile.
Two hours later we flew over the coastal barrier islands, and noticed the Sanibel Causeway, the rebuilt bridge linking Fort Myers, Florida and the mainland to the popular islands, Sanibel and Captiva.
If you have followed Bo and Sherpa Travel the World, you are probably aware that we have a few priorities when we travel together — we search for craft breweries for Sherpa, art museums and galleries for Bo, and nature spaces, especially birding areas, for both of us.
So immediately after picking up our rental car, we headed to the closest brewery on our route to the islands. Luck was with us, and we visited a great brewery, Fort Myers Brewing Co., for a tasting flight of IPAs for Sherpa and a late lunch for both of us.
Sherpa ordered a flight of four beers:
High 5 IPA. 5.9% ABV, 59 IBU. Sherpa’s Take: an entry level IPA, a great beer for someone who wants to give an IPA a try. Hoppy and smooth. It does have a pleasant, lightly bitter finish. 6.5/10.
Mosaic Grouper 7% ABV. Sherpa’s Take: a very nice beer! Fragrant aroma, creamy mouthfeel. Hazy, hoppy, and citrusy. 8.5/10.
Blood Orange Jellyfish IPA, a fruity IPA. Hoppy and layered, with a vaugely sweet finish. 6.5/10.
Bomb Flower, IPA —Imperial/Double. Smooth and layered, a pleasant IPA. 7.5/10.
The brewery is in a warehouse in a quiet industrial area. Shaded picnic table outside and more seating inside. Snacks available inside. But we were able to enjoy sandwiches — a Nathan’s hot dog and a patty melt with fries— from the food truck which began serving at 4 PM. A welcoming space for all — we visited with construction workers enjoying an after work beer, couples with frisky dogs, and families with small, even friskier kids.
We booked a Historic Cottage at Tween Waters Resort on Captiva Island, a rather large resort with pools, spa, several restaurants and lots of water sports. We didn’t really take advantage of all the extras, though. All we wanted was a cottage with a waterfront view and super easy access to the beach, plus a full kitchen so that we could cook breakfasts and fix our lunches.
When I was here with friends in 2020, we stayed in one of the hotel rooms towards the rear of the resort area, but I did take a few peeks into the cottages when they were open for cleaning and always wanted to return with Sherpa. In 2020, the interiors of the cottages were more traditional. However after Hurrican Ian hit the area in 2022, the interiors of the cottages were redone. We found the space cozy, convenient, and practical.
Our first evening we checked into the resrt around 5:30 PM, unpacked, then walked across the road to the beach for a picture perfect Florida sunset.
The cottages take on a different feel when bathed in the light of sunset. Our space is the front cottage in the middle of the photo. Pretty, yes?
The next morning, after a heary breakfast, we drove a few miles south to the J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge and began what would turn into a two day birding marathon. This little Green Heron is just a sample of the dozens of different bird species we observed. Most of the photos I took were with my “big” camera, my Canon EOS R5, but I did snap this photo with my phone camera. All the other birds will be shared in a birds-only post coming soon.
We stopped birding only for lunch at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille — seafood-heavy appetizers and a shared piece of Key Lime pie. Food was fine; pie was sweet and tasty, but not the best. (That goes to the pie we had a few years ago at Marker 88 in the Keys.) We rated the Key Lime Bistro’s pie a 6.5/10.
After along afternoon and early evening birding at several island hotspots, we stopped at Key Lime Bistro for Blackened Sanpper for Sherpa and Seafood Paella for me. Excellent food and service. The place has been entirely rebuilt after the hurricane, but it was a pleasant place to eat. We brought our piece of pie back to the cottage for a late evening snack, but forgot to take a photo. Good pie. Another 6.5.
The end of an excellent day of sun, ocean, birding and enjoying the cool, but balmy to us weather. Tomorrow: another Sanibel Island day.
The cottage looks quite nice. I love that it was there on the beach. And the Darling park is fabulous. I owe a debt of gratitude to you for seeing that as well as the wonderful shell museum. Enjoy the trip. It sounds fabulous.
I love Sanibel, haven't been since the hurricanes, but glad to see businesses are flourishing again!