North Captiva, here we come!! This time we are bringing friends! The Bonofiglio's came along for our Spring Break adventure and we couldn't have been happier to spend the week with them. It's only been 20 years since Patrick, Svids, and I were on this island together...
The first morning we went to the spot where we saw manatee last year and sure enough, this little guy peeked out of the water right at Evie! Then another would pop up, and another, and another! Throughout the week we spotted up to 8 at a time in this cove. We saw the manatee every single day. Evie loved them for about 2 minutes and then she was ready to move on. Laney and I could sit there all day and watch them. We went to see them several times a day.
Carson's favorite part of the island, he gets to drive that golf cart!
Carson and I went kayaking across the harbor to hang out with our manatee friends up close and personal.
Fancy drinks at the pool, yes please!
No caption needed :-)
Laney spent a lot of time trying to open a coconut. She did finally get one open but to her disappointment, there was barely anything inside.
Evie, on Laney's shoulders, on Carson's shoulders...ta da!
Courtney, Ben, Luke, Ellie, and Drew were all vacationing in Ft. Meyer's not far from the island, so they hopped on the fairy and spent the weekend with us! It was the highlight of my kids trip. It really was the best time ever, I could not have been happier having my best friends and our families all enjoying the sunshine!
Luke and Carson were off on their own right away. Swimming, kayaking, and biking.
And I was off with my girls!
Ellie and Laney are inseparable when they get together.
Evie wanted to kayak this year too! She made it about an hour, way more than last year!
Look at this crew! Ahhhhh! My people, I love them all so much.
We didn't have any fun together as you can see :-) We had this "turtles nest" way up top above our room where you could see out all over the island. The sunrise and sunsets were amazing from up there.
Found this little guy on my morning run.
Spot It!
The girls had their own foot massage spa for us on the beach.
Can you say Bloody Mary?!
Turtle crossing!
Amanda and I slipped out to Barnicles one night while the guys made the kids some pizzas. Just two girls having the BEST time at an island bar. Take me back!
Popsicals for breakfast....only on vaca!
Starfish!
Sadly, Patrick's Aunt Kelly passed away while we were on our trip and we missed the funeral. She was known for her big smile, funny attitude, and margaritas! She was one lady that I always loved, she made me feel so comfortable at huge Brang family gatherings and she always offered me one of her margaritas. Patrick thought we should have a special margarita in honor of Aunt Kelly. Here's to you Aunt Kelly. Heaven gained a good one.
The only thing I would change from this trip is that I would have liked to have seen some dolphins! Everyone else saw them, all over the island at all times of the day. I was looking ALL THE TIME, and nothing. Those manatee though, they made up for all the dolphins I didn't get to see. This island really is something special. It's simplicity is what really draws me in. There's a pool and a tiki bar/restaurant and other than that, it's all just exploring. You want to kayak, great, just go grab one and go. Put it back when you are done. Want to bike ride on the beach? Same deal. Our biggest decision at any time of the day was beach or pool? It's so easy, so relaxing, so bright and beautiful. The internet is scarce and it forces everyone to unplug. I really don't know if we will find another place that beats it. I know we haven't seen the last of North Captiva Island.
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