So, where to begin... Kalee and I took the kids to Sanibel, Florida last week. The trip started off by leaving our house at 6:30 AM to catch a flight from Kansas City to Dallas to Ft. Myers. From there it was a 40 minute drive across town and the causeway to Sanibel Island, home of the sprawling metropolis 6,066 people.So if you're wondering, it's true, Sanibel does have a small town feel. One 2,000 sq-ft grocery store, 2 gas stations, and no traffic lights.
Some call Sanibel's beaches the "shelling capitol." As a barrier island at the southern end of Pine Island Sound, Sanibel sits at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River, that connects Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico. The waters around the island are very shallow, and the current is favorable to deposit large amounts of bivalve and gastropod shells on the shore. So what's the main thing to do on Sanibel? Go to the Beach!
The Kids had a great time. Sand castles, shell hunting, and splashing in the ocean where the aim of the day. That is if we could get them out of the pool. Our kids love to swim and weren't super keen on the idea of swimming with SHARKS! Of course there weren't any, but I did see a dolphin surface once. Speaking of dolphins, is a Mahi-mahi a Dolphinfish or Dauphinfish (or just a Dauphin)? Marketeers couldn't decide either so it's Durado in Latin America and Mahi-mahi every where else. No body wants to eat Flipper!
So, on Thursday, Papa took everyone on a sight seeing cruise, officially called the Captiva Dolphin Watching and Sunset Cruise. We saw both, plus a manatee!
Our Manatee friend was hanging out right next to the dock at the marina. It was a good thing that we came early to the cruise slip, or we would have missed a chance to almost touch Fred over here. I'm calling him Fred, although he could have been a she, and we would have to call her Freddie like my 5th grade teacher. Anyway, we could have touched him, but then we would have been arrested like that lady who got thrown in jail for "riding" one. I'm not sure how far she rode one, because Fred here mostly didn't move at all except to catch an occasional breath.
So back to the cruise... We did see dolphins! Jane here and her whole pod gave us a show by jumping through the Lady Chadwick's wake. At one time there were at least ten of these streamlined bottle nosed dolphins jumping and twisting through the air. 
I'm not sure who was getting the better show with all the work Sarah and Mike were going through trying to get a picture of the kids with Papa and Lala. Well they did get a few pictures I guess. And we saw the sunset too. Just as promised, Dolphin Watching followed by Sun Setting. What a performance!
The next day were back to the beach for more sand castles and salt water. This time we we actually convinced the kids to walk out into the water, and even out to the sand bar that sits about 30 yards from the shore line. There the water depth drops back down to about 2 feet, and through the crystal water you can see baseball sized snails sliming their way across the sand. Disgusting or amazing depending on how you look at it.
Best part of the trip? A bit of the Caribbean with out leaving the US of A. Your money spends one-to-one, gas is cheep, and most people speak your language where ever you go. Oh, not to mention you can drink the water.
