24 hours in Sanibel Island, Florida

After a flood warning the day before I was afraid that we were not going to see the sun. I was wrong, it was a beautiful day in Sanibel Island. We went out for breakfast and were back before 10 AM to enjoy the full day at the beach.

Our hotel had complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas where I spent most of the day reading Harry Potter for the first time. There were so many birds to look at that day. I was impressed. There were not a lot of tourists so it was actually very quiet and peaceful. It was a perfect way to spend a Sunday. 

Sanibel Island

For the shots below I was standing in between the flying birds. They were not afraid of me at all. 

Dead Jelly Fish

The view from my lounge chair

Sunset from Sanibel Island, Florida

Last weekend, Andre and I went to Sanibel Island to take a break from the routine. When we got there on Saturday, it was raining. It rained so hard that there was a flood warning issued that afternoon. A few hours later, the sun came out again. We headed to the beach outside our hotel to watch the sunset. It was still a little cloudy and the beach was not facing west, but we still waited for the sun to come down. While we waited, Andre took some baby bump pictures of my expanding 6 month belly. 

Weekend Trip to Sanibel Island

Sanibel Island is located 2 hours south of Tampa. Andre and I visited this beautiful place last year in February. We only went during the day, but ever since we've been wanting to return for a weekend trip. I loved this place because I felt like I was somewhere in the Caribbean. Sanibel has an overall island feeling that I haven't seen anywhere else in Florida. This is where we are going next weekend, and I can't wait to be there again. 

Sanibel Island

 

Looking Ahead in 2012

My travel plans for 2012 are still in the air. Actually, there are no plans. I want to go somewhere exciting and new. However, I don't think I will be going somewhere any time soon. Planning a trip makes me have something to look forward to. My husband just started a new job which means no vacations for  a while and I should be good and not ask for any days off for a while. This situation leaves us with only short weekend trips. 

This year I want to plan a short trip to Key West. After 12 years of living in Florida I still haven't been to the Keys. Andre hasn't been there either. Last year, Airtran started a direct flight from Tampa to Key West at very reasonable prices. The hotels are always expensive in Key West, and I will probably have to wait until after April since Florida's high season is from November to April. I have also considered going to Puerto Rico for a weekend. Puerto Rico is my biggest travel disappointment to date. I liked San Juan, but it was expensive and in my opinion not really worth the price. Airtran and Jetblue have direct flights from Tampa to San Juan. I'm waiting for a flight from Tampa to Mexico and Dominican Republic. Those constant Cheap Caribbean emails make want to make me jump in a plane to an all-inclusive for a few days.  

Last year, we discovered Sanibel Island. This beautiful place is only 2.5 hours south of Tampa. I never expected to like it so much. It did have an island feeling and it is just one short bridge away from Ft. Myers Beach. We want to spend a whole weekend here and rent beach cruisers. There isn't much to do in Sanibel besides relaxing. There is a ferry that takes you from Ft. Myers Beach to Key West. I always wanted to do this trip, but it cost almost the same as the direct flight from Tampa. 

Sanibel Island, Fl

Sanibel Island, Fl

Another weekend trip that I want to do this year is to the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. I am not a huge tennis fan, but I love watching good tennis matches. Many years ago I went to this tournament, and loved the experience. I checked for tickets for the men's finals and the good seats are already sold out. I need to buy tickets now if I want to find some decent seats. 

I am a planner and I like to book things in advance. We have enough miles for 2 domestic tickets in Delta and we were thinking about going to California. My sister lives in San Jose, and San Francisco is one of my favorite Cities in the US. My sister is in Tampa indefinitely and we can't book our flights. She would kill me if I go to California when she isn't there. For now, I will keep dreaming about where to go in 2012 and hopefully won't go crazy with my 8-6 days.