Sanibel Island help

[Soulsearching]

Hi everyone, I'm going to be in Naples Florida visiting my in laws this week who are in their late Seventies and would love to drive over to Sanibel Island.

(For some reason I think I may be doing this alone, mother in law never goes anywhere without my father in law and my father in law golfs with my husband when we are down there, leaving me to entertain myself. I don't mind, I just wish she would take the day with me, she is very capable, but she never goes anywhere without him. I guess I do mind )

Can anyone recommend a place to have lunch, or dinner, budget friendly.

Also, besides sitting on the beach any and all recommended activities.

If there is anything else I should know either traveling their or when I get there, please advise.

 

[NewRVLady]

When you first get on Island , hang a left and go to the Lighthouse. The beach has TONS of shells on it-nice walk
This trip we didn't eat there
There are places at other end-The Bubble Room s semi "famous", but its on Captiva-next island-short hop

 

[ohcanada]

There is a very active Sanibel Island forum on Trip Advisor that has good information on beaches, where to park, eat...etc. They have local experts who also answer questions on the forum

 

[Lynne G]

Can take a boat charter out of the captiva yacht club, and shell on the beaches and look out for dolphins at the park at the one end of Sanibel. I agree, while not very cheap, the Bubble Room on Captiva is a great place for lunch.

 

[Jake&IzzyLand]

Eat at the mucky duck on Sanibel or the bubble room on captiva.

 

[FINFAN]

I was going to say Cheeburger Cheeburger because it is budget friendly, The Mad Hatter is pretty cool, good spot to enjoy the sunset but pricier. In case your IL's don't go, maybe they will join you for dinner in Naples, I personally love The Dock.

 

[eeyore45]

My parents live in Cape Coral FL, so we drive over to Sanibel Island, (I forget how much it costs to drive over to Sanibel) park the car where the bike rental is located - then we bike over to the Lighthouse and walk the beach up and down - be sure to bring a bag to collect shells, as most will tell you the best are taken by an hour after sunrise, but I'm always surprised at what washes around and can't resist collecting a handful. Sit and admire the dolphins that come by - get back on your bike and we stop at the Dairy Queen to eat a lunch - very fast food, but the kids enjoy it!

After we turn in our bikes we head over to the big outdoor mall - and wander around admire the knick knacks and what ifs, and usually find a place to spend some money on something I can't live without!

oh and as I head out, I usually always make a stop at the shell gift store and buy shells I'll never get to the beach early enough to pick up!

IF I remember correctly - the road right before the toll there is an outlet mall on the left hand side - it used to have a few stores, the usual outlet stores, but I bought some croc flip flops there that I absolutely love!

 

[Soulsearching]

I was going to say Cheeburger Cheeburger because it is budget friendly, The Mad Hatter is pretty cool, good spot to enjoy the sunset but pricier. In case your IL's don't go, maybe they will join you for dinner in Naples, I personally love The Dock.

Never got to Sanibel. I not happy about it. Sat in a chair half the day on the beach and read a book. Better than being in a condo all day.
Funny you should mention The Dock, that is where we are going tonight for dinner. lol

 

[Soulsearching]

Thanks everyone for posting!!!

Although I never made it there, I'm definitely making it next time.

My in laws were insistent that I don't go because the traffic would be so bad and that they did not want me to go alone. My husband just smiled.

So I sat in a chair at the beach and read a book, Better than being in a condo all day.

Thanks again.

 

[FINFAN]

Never got to Sanibel. I not happy about it. Sat in a chair half the day on the beach and read a book. Better than being in a condo all day.
Funny you should mention The Dock, that is where we are going tonight for dinner. lol

Have a great time~I have been many times, very sentimental place for me. My Mom used to order the grouper every time, lol...no matter how much I tried to coax her to try other offerings. I have read that lately it is not quite the same quality wise, but I just love the whole place so to me if food is off a bit t's still all good. Prob gonna be crowded there today, hopefully you can get table along the edge. My other Naples suggestion was going to be Kelly's Fish House over by Tin City. Another frequent spot for our family and food is great. Sorry you didn't get to Sanibel this time, but it will be there next trip

 

[Judique]

Thanks everyone for posting!!!

Although I never made it there, I'm definitely making it next time.

My in laws were insistent that I don't go because the traffic would be so bad and that they did not want me to go alone. My husband just smiled.

So I sat in a chair at the beach and read a book, Better than being in a condo all day.

Thanks again.

Awww...sorry you didn't just go.......I am mother in law age and would have loved to go with you, eat out, sit on the beach and watch the sunset.

 

[manning]

Eat at the mucky duck on Sanibel or the bubble room on captiva.

Mucky Duck is also on Captiva, not Sanibel.

 

[wishesuponastar]

Sorry you didn't get to go.

I have a question. Where do you find parking on Sanibel? We went about 10 yrs ago and didn't find any parking except at a hotel. Maybe we didn't look enough.

 

[FINFAN]

Sorry you didn't get to go.

I have a question. Where do you find parking on Sanibel? We went about 10 yrs ago and didn't find any parking except at a hotel. Maybe we didn't look enough.

Lighthouse Point, , Tarpon Bay? You have to pay a few bucks an hour. Bowman's is pretty large too, further down. There's Blind Pass on Captiva...been a while since I was there as well but those are one's we use

 

[NewRVLady]

Thanks everyone for posting!!!

Although I never made it there, I'm definitely making it next time.

My in laws were insistent that I don't go because the traffic would be so bad and that they did not want me to go alone. .

Thanks again.

Actually we were there on a Thurs at end of Feb (peak Snowbird time) and there was a traffic cop directing at the 4 way stop sign when you first got on the island....the line of cars was actually scary!
So we just went shell looking at lighthouse and got an ice cream and left island-I sort of wanted to drive longer-but the traffic DID scare me-LOL

 

[eeyore45]

Sorry you didn't get to go.

I have a question. Where do you find parking on Sanibel? We went about 10 yrs ago and didn't find any parking except at a hotel. Maybe we didn't look enough.

I think that's why my mom has us going to the bike rental place, park there, ride bikes up to the point, get all the shells, walk around, etc then on the way back stop at Dairy Queen, get the car - then we go shopping at the outdoor mall... (we've gone during Spring Break, one year we woke up to pouring rain, mom insisted we were still going! Got there as the rain ended, no lines! and it didn't rain the rest of the day!)

 

[Xrayest]

I spent five days at Fort Myers Beach during the 1st week of March. During that week, my sister and I drove over to Sanibel & Captiva Islands 3 times. Key points : leave early from wherever you are to get there. We left FMB by 9:30 a.m., which was a 20 minute (or so) drive to the causeway. The trafffic coming into FMB at that point was horrid. The toll to get onto Sanibel was $6 ~ it's "free" to get off of the islands. Once over the bridge, drive right to head towards Captiva, left to drive to the point where the lighthouse is. I found the beach in Captiva to be the best. The water was almost a turquiose blue. The parking at the beaches is by the hour, with kiosks at each beach, that do not make change (FYI). It's wise to have plenty of dollar bills when you go as I'm not sure if the kiosks take credit/debit cards (they probably do). We went to the beach in Captiva, Bowman's Beach, and Lighthouse Beach. FYI ~ the walk from the parking area to Bowman's is quite a hike compared to the others.

If you like to "shell", there is a site called Iloveshelling.com from a gal who resides on Sanibel. She has a blog where she lists the various types of shells that can be found in and around the beaches, and has helpful hints of when to go. As an aside, I read that it was pretty much a crime to take living shells from anywhere in Florida- which we would not anyway since I think it's wrong and unnecessary. We found about 10 shells from Florida Fighting Conchs that were empty of their inhabitants. This was at various times of the day, but mostly at Captiva. We also found various beautiful shells on all of the beaches (zero beach glass though).

As far as eating : we ate at the Island Cow (reasonable price-wise) and some pizza place that was on the main road (I forget the name, and found it when I "Googled" pizza places on my cell phone). For anyone who is craving a DD coffee while on the islands - there is a "make it yourself" DD in a gas station/convenience store.