We're back, Beaches!!! :D

OMG friends!!  If EVER you get the chance to go to Captiva Island in Florida... PLEASE... don't go!! If you are anything like me you will then find yourself devastated at the idea of returning home and then you'll be packing up and selling all of your material possessions in order to get back there!! ;D  It's BEAUTIFUL!!!  I've absolutely found my heavenly place! :D

We left our house on the 28th and headed up to Omaha to spend the night at a hotel near the airport since our flight was so early in the morning. The flight was just dandy and we arrived in Texas in fine spirits!  We had a few hours to kill in Texas which was fine, folks are friendly there!!  :D

While we waited... Rex thought it might be fun to have us try a little crunchy snack..

Salt and vinegar flavored fried crickets.   Sheesh!  And then, as a parent, you have to set the example and try them...  Bleurgh!  The worst part is getting legs stuck between your teeth!! :D

Millie enjoyed her flight and especially enjoyed the view!! 

We were ALL pretty happy to arrive in Florida!

Beautiful plants 

and palm trees.... and we hadn't even left the airport !! :D 

We picked up the car and headed out of Fort Meyers via the Publix grocery store for supplies, over the causeway and off to the island!!

Our apartment was on the first floor...

Entry..

Kid's room

Master room with en suite

Kitchen and dining

Goof ball...!

Living room and screened in deck

The apartment from the back, screened in deck...

We dumped our stuff, checked out the lovely rooms and then.... well what would YOU have done?!!?  Headed for the beach of course!  We just had to go down stairs, along a little path and there it was, in all it's glory!  The Gulf of Mexico!!  WARM beautiful ocean water! :D  I was in heaven! 

Rex goes in to test the waters!

Millie's first taste of the ocean!

On the path to the beach taken from the screened in porch

There was a swimming pool just across the parking lot...

And the water was deliciously warm!

When it rained, the floaty made a perfect shelter!

We wandered around a lovely shopping area and I stumbled upon this sign in the parking lot.  Once I realised what it said I wouldn't get any closer to take the picture!! ....  

Do Not Feed Alligators, $500.oo fine !!  Huh!?!  Jessie wondered what on earth you might have with you that you would feed to the alligators???  Apart from your limbs of course....

So it was back to the ocean where the current was strong and the waves were high!

I loved to take morning walks in the sunrise..

So peaceful

There were shells shells shells......

 

I liked to find heart shaped ones.....

Strange holes.....

With creatures in them!

Jessie is inspecting a turtle nest, they are protected sites.

Millie liked to EAT shells.....  ahem...

A walk to the marina  

Where we saw 

Manatees.... !!  Just hanging around!  

A mother and her calf 

Every morning there were lizards basking on the walls....

More crabs....!

This shell is OCCUPIED!!!

***Stalks off clumsily***

Out for lunch at the local store....

... and it POURED with rain!

When it rained we were forced to find other entertainment.... like making faces....

Or hiding in cupboards...!

More beach walking... see how the shells wash in on the tide!!  Pokey pokey!

Millie became an old hand at waves...!

The kids on the way to the beach...!

Floaty surfing!!!  Too much fun!

A picnic in the sand!

Floaty surfing even fun for the bigger kids...!

A Cruise....!!

Leaving the marina!

Pelicans..!

Oh! And jumping Dolphins!!

Geppetto's for fabulous ice cream!

Out to the lighthouse to swim with the dolphins... or in this case, the pelicans!  The dolphins were there, just a bit too far out to swim with. 

Of course we stopped for this guy!! 

We took a trip to a nature reserve and walked the mile around....  

Spotting an alligator in the water....   eeep!!

The last morning walk on the beach....

A heron didn't care how close we got, he wasn't moving!

Silly baby!

Ibis!

Ibisisis....  Ibi???

This time we walked all the way to the end of the island....

And saw a bench to rest on.... but.....

Look who was already here laying some eggs no less!!!

I've never been so in awe of anything in my life!!  We didn't want to disturb her but she was HUGE and just incredible to watch.  She finished up laying, turned her enormous self around and headed slowly back to the water...  one wave washed over her, she sculled with her fins .... and she was gone.  Wow.  

Later the kids headed out to build sandcastles.

Jack and I worked on a sand village!

Jessie sat and searched for molluscs

One more ride on the causeway 

And it was back to the airport and headed back home.  

I'm coming back, someday........