Surviving Sanibel: Sand, Shells & Sunsets Trip Report - UPDATED 7/13 - Page 6 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
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There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
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If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Great start Amy. OMG your food looks delicious. So sorry to hear about Nora's Brother and her trip being cut short, but at least she was surrounded by family the entire time. that everything went well with his surgery. More please Amy.
Great start, Amy! for Nora's brother. Bypass surgery may be pretty routine these days, but it's still a pain in the... chest!!! Especially when you get the hiccups! I've had it, and they do do miracles these days!
Good lookin' food and sunset!
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Wonderful first day! I love the silly photos of Nora and FFF--what a fun pair. Also the photo of Nora, FFF and your mom on the beach. ( Angela! ) Good for you driving that big car!
I hope Nora's brother's surgery goes smoothly. Too bad she has to leave early, but at least she's seen Sanibel and had a great break with family.
So we set the alarm for 7am so that we would have time to eat breakfast and relax before heading out for the day. We headed downstairs they have a little breakfast area where you can make your own waffles, prepared hot food such as scramble eggs, sausage, potatoes. They had Muffins, bagels, toast, english Muffins. Oatmeal, Cereal, yogurt and fresh fruit. Then they had a fruit salad and strawberries and whip cream to put on the waffles. Coffee, Milk, Orange Juice, Apple Juice, Fruit Punch, Hot Chocolate, Tea and water to drink.
After breakfast I took some photos of the dining area, lobby, business center, exercise room and pool since I hadn't done so already.
So after taking photos finishing breakfast and taking coffee to go for everyone but me, we headed back upstairs and gathered our beach gear so we could head to Sanibel!
We were quick over the causeway and over to lighthouse Beach which has quick easy access to the beach for those who have issues walking so it was great for Mom and Grandma since both have issues with walking. Nora fell in love with the beach and while we were wading in the water 4 stingrays went swimming by so that was my cue to get out of the water and to just sunbathe! yes I am still afraid of fish!
Grandma doesn't know how to swim so mom and Nora stayed with her, and a nice lady next to us lent us her floatation device to have FFF hold onto.
I was getting overheated so I went and sat in the car with the a/c going for a while, Mom got overheated so she joined me, and then Grandma decided to get in too! Nora was LOVING it and she wanted to soak up the beach, sun, and water for a while longer since she is landlocked in AZ. So she told us to go back to the hotel, get freshened up, cooled off and whenever we were hungry for lunch to go pick her back up! She had her cell so if she got too hot I could run back and get her quickly!
So we headed back to the hotel and freshened up, stopped at Walgreens first though to pick up a few things we needed and some postcards and then headed back over to pick Nora up maybe 90 minutes later.
Nora loved it and I think wants to plan a vacation here with her DH for the winter time
We headed down the island over to Captiva for lunch at the Bubble Room. We found a parking space, laughed at mom for having so much trouble parking, and headed inside. Very fun place theme wised, Nora was impressed with how much they could cram into it we were seated right away, and we decided on our meals.
We all had She Crab Soup to start. I had the Bubble Burger with Cheese, Mom had the Mae West Chicken Sandwich which she split with Grandma. Nora had the Vegetable sandwich which I forget the name of but it had "grows" in it Might be Anything that grows but don't quote me on that. For dessert we all shared a slice of the Orange Crunch Cake.
Everything was delicious, but personally, I am to the point where we will go so mom can have the soup and I can just have dessert. The food was good, nothing wrong with that, but we have gone 3 times now and I am starting to recognize the cobwebs now. Not impressed with the dusting skills there.
One of the servers who was singing while cleaning the tables and just was a hoot to interact with ...
Tons of Disney things in the restaurant!
After we took the last few photos we headed outside and just let our selves digest our meals, and so Nora could call and check in on her brother. Things were going well but it was going to be a while before he would be out of surgery. Then we did the 24 hour check in for her flight for Sunday and decided to head back over to the hotel to let Nora freshen up and to relax. We're on vacation, to spend time with each other so we weren't worried about an itinerary etc.
Heading over to the hotel, we saw a dolphin swimming under the causeway, and took that to be a good sign
Up Next...Saturday on Sanibel Part 2
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Another wonderful update Amy. Glad you all enjoyed the beach. Sorrybto hear most of you were getting Overheated. Lunch sounded delicious and the restaurant looked fun. More please.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Sounds like a fun day so far! I think I would have freaked a little if I saw a stingray in the ocean next to me. Although I don't mind most fish, the whole stingray things is a little unnerving.
I' m glad Nora got to enjoy herself a bit in amongst all the worrying. Seems to me you are all having a pretty relaxing vacation, considering... and HEY!!! What's a few cobwebs when you're on vacation?!!
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Angela! ) Good for you driving that big car! 
Holly: 
yes I am still afraid of fish! 
Lisa 
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