Monday we went up to visit our friends Suren & Junko who spend their winters at Maple Leaf Estates in Port Charlotte – about 50 miles to the north. We had an enjoyable lunch and visit with them. On our way home we stopped at the Miramar Outlet mall to finish some Christmas shopping.
Tuesday we spent the day at the beach. In the evening, we got together with our friends to celebrate Gilles’ birthday. The meal featured “Moose” which Richard and Gaetane had hunted this past hunting season. What a treat.
Wednesday we did some cooking in preparation for tomorrow’s community Thanksgiving dinner. Jennifer arrived at Ft. Myers airport shortly after eleven pm.
Thursday we all got up early and headed to the beach. Jennifer really enjoyed being in the sun and playing in the surf. We then headed back to Indian Creek for the Thanksgiving feast. We all had more than enough to eat. After dinner we drove out to Lover’s Key Beach for a short walk (since it was closing). Then we stopped in the tourist market area of Ft. Myers Beach.
Friday actually started with rain showers – first time since we’ve been here. But like all Caribbean islands, the sun finally broke through and we gathered up our gear for some more beach. For dinner, we visited the Parrot’s Key for a great seafood dinner.
Unfortunately the RV park’s wireless service (Tengo Internet) has decided to take Thanksgiving off, so we have been without service since Wednesday. Glad to see Tengo living up to their reputation.
Whenever we do get access, I will update the blog and post the pictures that go with this week and last week’s events. To see the photos click on : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/Week4
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Where did week three go??
Well I can’t believe it has been over a week since our last update. Not that we are enjoying ourselves!!
Last Saturday we went down to the beach for the Sand Sculpting Competition. It is an annual competition featuring mainly American sculptors with a few Canadians and Europeans thrown in for good measure. The event also featured a mini-bazzar of vendors selling food and wares. What a pleasant way to spend a few hours.
Sunday we attended church – with and added bonus of a pancake breakfast following the service. In the afternoon we headed back to the beach sand sculpting - but we brought our chairs and swimsuits this time.
Monday was another beach day – we met our friends down by the beach. Supper was another visit to the Schnitzel house with our four friends.
Tuesday was another day like Monday – getting repetitive isn’t it. After dinner we dropped into the local Outlet Mall for a few bargains.
Wednesday was supposed to be a cloudy / rainy day – so Paul headed off to Costco to get new tires and Jane came along for some shopping at the mall. We decided to have lunch at Bob Evans. We had to get back to Indian Creek for the Chili Cook-off contest – which was followed by a Chili dinner. We had a good evening with our friends. But eating chili in 85 degree weather somehow doesn’t fit – thank god for A/C.
Thursday was a quiet day at Lover’s Key Beach. We decided to treat ourselves to a seafood dinner that night and headed out the Parrot Key restaurant. What a treasure. We ate dinner on the dock watching the boats and various marine life. This place had live music and lots of people.
Friday we headed up to the Fort Myers RV show with Richard & Gaetane. Getting there was half the fun as their GPS (Charlotte) took a brain lapse. Nonetheless we got there laughing and toured some really BIG rigs. Always fun to dream. Made a quick stop at Camping World to pick up a water softener for Texas, and then we booted it back to Indian Creek for the month’s second ‘Happy Hour”. Free keg of beer, wine, limited food and a DJ – all for $9.00 a person. What a deal!
Saturday actually got out the clubs and four of us went Golfing!! Jane & Gaetane went to the outlet mall and to the pool. We teed off around 1:15 pm on a course that was not crowded. Thank goodness we had carts, because it did get a tad warm. But darkness comes early here as it does in the north – so chipping onto the 17th green was a challenge. We abandoned the 18th since we were now in total darkness. When we got back, the girls had prepared appetizers. We followed up this course with a call to the local pizzeria who delivers to the park.. This is what is missing at our summer digs at McGowan Lake!!
Yesterday after church (no pancakes this week ) , we headed to Sanibel Island for their
Taste of the Islands festival. We sampled food from several merchants and listened to some really good Jazz musicians. It got really hot, so we left the park and headed to the nearby Lighthouse beach where we planted our chairs for a few hours. Unfortunately the clouds rolled in so we didn’t spend much time in the water. We also saw people setting up for a beach wedding – this area seems to be a popular place for weddings.
Last night we met up with our four friends and headed out to the Pink Cadillac for a quick dinner. Are you getting the hint that my BBQ is not getting a lot of service this month??
Oh well, it’s sunny again and we need to go.
Last Saturday we went down to the beach for the Sand Sculpting Competition. It is an annual competition featuring mainly American sculptors with a few Canadians and Europeans thrown in for good measure. The event also featured a mini-bazzar of vendors selling food and wares. What a pleasant way to spend a few hours.
Sunday we attended church – with and added bonus of a pancake breakfast following the service. In the afternoon we headed back to the beach sand sculpting - but we brought our chairs and swimsuits this time.
Monday was another beach day – we met our friends down by the beach. Supper was another visit to the Schnitzel house with our four friends.
Tuesday was another day like Monday – getting repetitive isn’t it. After dinner we dropped into the local Outlet Mall for a few bargains.
Wednesday was supposed to be a cloudy / rainy day – so Paul headed off to Costco to get new tires and Jane came along for some shopping at the mall. We decided to have lunch at Bob Evans. We had to get back to Indian Creek for the Chili Cook-off contest – which was followed by a Chili dinner. We had a good evening with our friends. But eating chili in 85 degree weather somehow doesn’t fit – thank god for A/C.
Thursday was a quiet day at Lover’s Key Beach. We decided to treat ourselves to a seafood dinner that night and headed out the Parrot Key restaurant. What a treasure. We ate dinner on the dock watching the boats and various marine life. This place had live music and lots of people.
Friday we headed up to the Fort Myers RV show with Richard & Gaetane. Getting there was half the fun as their GPS (Charlotte) took a brain lapse. Nonetheless we got there laughing and toured some really BIG rigs. Always fun to dream. Made a quick stop at Camping World to pick up a water softener for Texas, and then we booted it back to Indian Creek for the month’s second ‘Happy Hour”. Free keg of beer, wine, limited food and a DJ – all for $9.00 a person. What a deal!
Saturday actually got out the clubs and four of us went Golfing!! Jane & Gaetane went to the outlet mall and to the pool. We teed off around 1:15 pm on a course that was not crowded. Thank goodness we had carts, because it did get a tad warm. But darkness comes early here as it does in the north – so chipping onto the 17th green was a challenge. We abandoned the 18th since we were now in total darkness. When we got back, the girls had prepared appetizers. We followed up this course with a call to the local pizzeria who delivers to the park.. This is what is missing at our summer digs at McGowan Lake!!
Yesterday after church (no pancakes this week ) , we headed to Sanibel Island for their
Taste of the Islands festival. We sampled food from several merchants and listened to some really good Jazz musicians. It got really hot, so we left the park and headed to the nearby Lighthouse beach where we planted our chairs for a few hours. Unfortunately the clouds rolled in so we didn’t spend much time in the water. We also saw people setting up for a beach wedding – this area seems to be a popular place for weddings.
Last night we met up with our four friends and headed out to the Pink Cadillac for a quick dinner. Are you getting the hint that my BBQ is not getting a lot of service this month??
Oh well, it’s sunny again and we need to go.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Week Two in Fort Myers
Well the uninvited guest from McGowan has been dealt with, and Jane is much happier. We can now return to using our oven for a bread box.
Last Sunday we went to the “Taste of the Town” which was held in a downtown Ft Myers waterside park. The sun was shining and the place was filled with locals and tourists enjoying the food and the music This annual event is a fund-raiser for the Ft. Myers Junior League. The best food we tasted was a decadent cake from the Bubble Room Restaurant on Captiva Island. It was funny to see every second person carrying pieces or whole cakes from this small stand. We were glad we got there early because they sold out by mid-afternoon. What a nice way to spend the afternoon…. And the parking was free.
Monday night we joined two couples we have met (Gilles & Marion, and Richard & Gaetane) for a dinner at the local Schnitzel house. Great food and a fun evening.
Tuesday Paul washed the roof of our trailer – nice to get all the summer goop off. Then we were back to Lover’s Key Beach for another hard day at work.
Wednesday Paul washed the sides of the trailer – now all that’s left is waxing. Wednesday was also Gaetane’s birthday, so we all went out to Terra Nostra, an Italian seafood restaurant – and celebrated the event.
Thursday Jane finally found the aqua-fit class. Then we took Gilles & Marion with us to the beach. When we returned to the resort, we all got together for an impromptu happy hour.
Friday Jane was back at aqua-fit. Paul went our shopping for tires, and started visiting RV storage places. He did find a good spot, so our Titanium will have a safe parking spot.
We don’t want to brag but this is probably the nicest stretch of beautiful weather that we have had on vacation in many years. The locals are complaining about how badly they need rain but we obviously are enjoying it.
We finally managed to get our act together and downloaded our pictures of our trip.
See our pictures at : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/FloridaTripNovember2010
Last Sunday we went to the “Taste of the Town” which was held in a downtown Ft Myers waterside park. The sun was shining and the place was filled with locals and tourists enjoying the food and the music This annual event is a fund-raiser for the Ft. Myers Junior League. The best food we tasted was a decadent cake from the Bubble Room Restaurant on Captiva Island. It was funny to see every second person carrying pieces or whole cakes from this small stand. We were glad we got there early because they sold out by mid-afternoon. What a nice way to spend the afternoon…. And the parking was free.
Monday night we joined two couples we have met (Gilles & Marion, and Richard & Gaetane) for a dinner at the local Schnitzel house. Great food and a fun evening.
Tuesday Paul washed the roof of our trailer – nice to get all the summer goop off. Then we were back to Lover’s Key Beach for another hard day at work.
Wednesday Paul washed the sides of the trailer – now all that’s left is waxing. Wednesday was also Gaetane’s birthday, so we all went out to Terra Nostra, an Italian seafood restaurant – and celebrated the event.
Thursday Jane finally found the aqua-fit class. Then we took Gilles & Marion with us to the beach. When we returned to the resort, we all got together for an impromptu happy hour.
Friday Jane was back at aqua-fit. Paul went our shopping for tires, and started visiting RV storage places. He did find a good spot, so our Titanium will have a safe parking spot.
We don’t want to brag but this is probably the nicest stretch of beautiful weather that we have had on vacation in many years. The locals are complaining about how badly they need rain but we obviously are enjoying it.
We finally managed to get our act together and downloaded our pictures of our trip.
See our pictures at : http://picasaweb.google.com/pjkralik/FloridaTripNovember2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
McGowan's illegal alien
Thursday was an overcast / rainy day, so we explored the shopping areas, made a trip to Camping World, and found a neat fruit stand that sells key lime & chocolat ice cream cones - I settled for the vanilla and orange. On the way home we tried out a Five Guys Burgers & Fries - and we voted this "a must return to" restaurant. Since they are building lots of them in this area, it won't be too difficult to do.
Friday we went to a craft fair at Shell Point retirement residence - not your typical residence, more like a Hilton residence. Think we went just to get in the guarded gates to see the grounds and facility. Back at Indian Creek we attended the first "Happy Hour Friday" 4 to 7 pm at one of the halls on site. A nine dollar ticket got you all the beer, wine you wanted and some food - plus a live DJ for dancing. We met up with Gilles and Marion and had a good time.
Today was beautiful and sunny - but a bit colder (still in shorts). At breakfast when we went to get our toast we realized that our suspicions were correct - we had smuggled in a 4-legged visitor from McGowan Lake. Think one of Earl's friends wanted a ride south. Our bread was half eaten, and the trail was left behind. As we watched TV after the happy hour, Jane commented that she heards noises in the ceiling but I didn't want to believe her. I guess she is right again. Well traps have been set, and I will have to go underneath to find the entrance/exit holes. What fun. Meantime I'm just waiting to hear the traps snap!!
One of the joys of travelling with a librarian is that Jane is a voracious collector of all types of local flyers, newspapers, brochures etc. Her side of the truck is chuck full of information. But one of the blessings is finding out about local events. Tonight we made our way to a local church that was hosting an "All you can eat Shrimp Dinner" which included homemade beans, cole slaw, corn bread and a mountain of shrimps. Also included were two drinks (beer, wine, soft drink) and an ice cream sundae - all for the princely sum of $15.00 each.
After dinner we walked the Fort Myer Beach tourist area - saw a bride step out of a limo and head to a beach restaurant to party with her guests. This area is still off season so the maitre d's were trying to encourage us to try their restaurants - but we will have to return on an empty stomach.
Glad we get an extra hour of sleep tonight so we can do more exploring tomorrow.
Friday we went to a craft fair at Shell Point retirement residence - not your typical residence, more like a Hilton residence. Think we went just to get in the guarded gates to see the grounds and facility. Back at Indian Creek we attended the first "Happy Hour Friday" 4 to 7 pm at one of the halls on site. A nine dollar ticket got you all the beer, wine you wanted and some food - plus a live DJ for dancing. We met up with Gilles and Marion and had a good time.
Today was beautiful and sunny - but a bit colder (still in shorts). At breakfast when we went to get our toast we realized that our suspicions were correct - we had smuggled in a 4-legged visitor from McGowan Lake. Think one of Earl's friends wanted a ride south. Our bread was half eaten, and the trail was left behind. As we watched TV after the happy hour, Jane commented that she heards noises in the ceiling but I didn't want to believe her. I guess she is right again. Well traps have been set, and I will have to go underneath to find the entrance/exit holes. What fun. Meantime I'm just waiting to hear the traps snap!!
One of the joys of travelling with a librarian is that Jane is a voracious collector of all types of local flyers, newspapers, brochures etc. Her side of the truck is chuck full of information. But one of the blessings is finding out about local events. Tonight we made our way to a local church that was hosting an "All you can eat Shrimp Dinner" which included homemade beans, cole slaw, corn bread and a mountain of shrimps. Also included were two drinks (beer, wine, soft drink) and an ice cream sundae - all for the princely sum of $15.00 each.
After dinner we walked the Fort Myer Beach tourist area - saw a bride step out of a limo and head to a beach restaurant to party with her guests. This area is still off season so the maitre d's were trying to encourage us to try their restaurants - but we will have to return on an empty stomach.
Glad we get an extra hour of sleep tonight so we can do more exploring tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Crispy Critters
After two days at Lover's Key Beach, we look like the typical sun burned northerners. Even Jane who does not usually burn, forgot how hot the sun can really be - haven't seen such a red face in quite a while. Not sure where this beach got it's name, but we did meet a young couple on the beach tram who are planning their spring wedding at this beach. How appropriate.
Nonetheless, we had two great days at the beach - helped us to rest and catch up. The forecast for the next two days is scattered showers, so looks like we will start to check out the Outlet malls.
We are starting to meet folks in the park (usually at the pool in the late afternoon). This park has limited events and activites (compared to Texas) so we have to plug in and not miss an event. Tomorrow Jane will check out the craft fair.
Nonetheless, we had two great days at the beach - helped us to rest and catch up. The forecast for the next two days is scattered showers, so looks like we will start to check out the Outlet malls.
We are starting to meet folks in the park (usually at the pool in the late afternoon). This park has limited events and activites (compared to Texas) so we have to plug in and not miss an event. Tomorrow Jane will check out the craft fair.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Fort Myers Beach
We arrived at Indian Creek RV Resort in Fort Myers Beach shortly after 3pm. We were promply shown our site, and I must say we are rather pleased with our November home. It took a few tries to perfectly position the trailer (something difficult to do with the narrow streets and the permanent homes surrounding us on 4 sides). But we got hooked up and started unpacking the inside of the rig. We then set out for the pool to cool down - it was 85 degrees when we arrived.
No BBQ tonight. We opted for a grocery store barbequed chicken. Jane is really impressed with these US grocery stores. You don't need to bring in your cloth bag, and you get multiple plastic bags with every order. After just a few days, I think we have enough plastic bags to last us the month on garbage duty.
It will be nice to wake up tomorrow and not have to travel. Think we will grab some chairs and head for the beach.
No BBQ tonight. We opted for a grocery store barbequed chicken. Jane is really impressed with these US grocery stores. You don't need to bring in your cloth bag, and you get multiple plastic bags with every order. After just a few days, I think we have enough plastic bags to last us the month on garbage duty.
It will be nice to wake up tomorrow and not have to travel. Think we will grab some chairs and head for the beach.
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