It became evident upon arrival that every day in Fort Myers was going to be a good day.
A world of water sports and activities from jet skiing, kayaking, sailing to surfing, parasailing, deep sea fishing and lots more await in sunny Southwest Florida.
And there’s boat cruises on the bay, nature walks, cute locally-owned shops, antiques, beautiful grand (open air) shopping centers Coconut Point Mall, a great culinary scene and, rest assured, many activities to please your unique desire, whether like us, it’s an easygoing mother/daughter getaway or a solo, family, Girls’ Trip or romantic vacay.
My “elder millennial” daughter and I arrived midday and immediately had lunch at our hotel, the beautiful Shangri-La Springs, located in Bonita Springs, just south of Fort Myers. Even if you aren’t staying there, I would suggest trying a meal at their Harvest & Wisdom restaurant and take a stroll around the grounds. The hotel boasts a 4-acre working, organic farm and so their menu is full of dishes made with ingredients from the farm. I was so impressed from the moment of checking in that I’ve written a blog about it. Check it out for deets on this stunner that will exceed your loftiest expectations of comfort and service.
Post lunch, we headed to Little Hickory Island Beach. We saw families picnicking, kids with beach toys, people flying kites, but we also saw people alone, taking selfies, reveling in their solitude. We saw couples hugging on floats in the water and kids doing their best to stay afloat on boogie boards. My daughter, a shell collector, found a fighting conch shell and a lightning whelk!
After a few hours of good ole “fun in the sun”, we dusted the sand off, changed clothes and headed to locally owned Petar’s restaurant. Petar’s is an intimate eatery with darling wicker seats that my daughter said reminded her of restaurants in Paris. With a kitchen visible to the patrons, we watched as owner and Chef, Petar and his diligent staff carefully and calmly prepared the dishes. Our salad, bread, and dishes were so fantastic that we didn’t have room for dessert! After Petar’s, we decided to head back to our hotel for the evening. It was a simple day, filled with simple pleasures and the perfect start to our Good Day partnership with Visit Fort Myers.
The following morning, the manager, Lee, in keeping with Southern hospitality, gave us a tour of the expansive grounds of our hotel. So lovely and picturesque, they serve as a backdrop for all manner of occasions. The hotel treated us to facials in The Spa.
I have had facials before, but their Aesthetician, Michelle, is truly gifted! When you’re in the area, treat yourself to a spa treatment – it will not disappoint.
Downtown Coffee and Wine Company has crafted coffee drinks and small bites that make a perfect lunch. My daughter had ricotta toast with a side of bacon and a lavender lemonade. I had my usual iced americano and a turkey club. We gave both two thumbs up. There is mainly covered outdoor seating with umbrellas and wicker seats, reminiscent of an Old Florida style that looks out to the main street and cuts through downtown Bonita Springs, but we did opt for indoor seating to check out more of the menu on the wall, before an afternoon at the sunny beach!
Ready for the focus of the day, we headed to the famed Sanibel Island. My daughter is a shell collector, and I obviously am an avid traveler, so we had both read, for different reasons, about the wonders of Sanibel Island. I had heard that it is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the United States, and she had heard it was one of the best for shell collecting, so it couldn’t missed.
After a 45 minute drive from Bonita Springs, we crossed over the Sanibel Island Causeway, and our excitement grew. We headed towards the Sanibel Lighthouse, parked and walked to the Lighthouse Beach Park.
The sand was white, and yes, there were shells galore! Just feet after stepping on the sand, we passed a family with two little boys who had just discovered a starfish! It was a first for me and my daughter to see one in its natural environment! Stately snowy egrets meandered around the beachgoers, looking for their latest catch. Shell collectors of all ages shuffled along the shore looking for sand dollars, while others found the perfect spot and dug and sifted through the sand. Content on her own, I left my daughter to search for shells and I walked to the Sanibel City Pier. The pier was chock-full of people fishing… but I’ll be honest, it also made a great backdrop for a mini photoshoot!
Skin salty, sandy and tanned, shells collected, and memories of a good day on Sanibel on our minds, we decided to head back to Bonita Springs for dinner. Coconut Jack’s Waterfront Grille turned out to have great food to accompany its water views. The outside seating area is set up to look like a tiki hut. Our Gulf grouper, shrimp tacos, and coconut shrimp were plentiful and scrumptious!
Nothing beats a sunset on the beach, right? After dinner, we headed back to Little Hickory Island Beach and in our search for the perfect spot to watch the sunset, we passed sea turtle nests – a first in my travels. Even though we had been there just a day before, somehow we missed the yellow roped off areas protecting the sea turtle nests.
We picked our perfect spot, and noticed that other beach goers appeared to also be glued to the gradual inching down of the bright Florida sun. It was a slightly cloudy evening which ended up obscuring the sun, but made for some beautiful sites and photos. With the beach closing at dusk, we headed back to the hotel for another good night’s sleep after another indisputable good day.
We woke up on our last full day in Bonita Springs excited for our dolphin cruise with the Estero Bay Express at the Fish Tail Marina. Captain Justin and his first mate Devon were so funny with their well practiced banter as we headed out from the marina. Only a couple of minutes out we had our first sighting! Captain Justin would skillfully navigate towards the dolphins and educate and entertain us with his knowledge of the area and marine life. Devon was busy scanning the bay for our next sighting. Everyone aboard was totally impressed with the remarkable number of dolphins, as well as pelicans, tropical birds, and marine activity we experienced on this cruise. An experienced crew seems critical, and Devon and Justin were the best.
Our last major outing of the trip was to The Wonder Gardens, a botanical garden and refuge to over 300 rescued, rehabilitated and non-releasable birds and reptiles. We loved seeing the alligators, flamingos and ibises, but our favorite was a very social cockatoo who would climb down in his enclosure, make eye contact with us – and chat! I think Liz has a new best friend, who even expressed his love for her repeatedly.
You can’t leave downtown Bonita Springs without trying ice cream from one of the many locally owned shops. Coming highly recommended, we tried the mango ice cream at For Heaven Shakes.
Excellent choice! Whether you like action and adventure, or enjoy a more leisurely vacay, whether you want to experience nature or eat your way through a city, whatever makes a good day for you can be found around the Fort Myers area – and all with lots of sunshine year round!!