Southwest Florida Christmas Fun with the Snowbirds

Yep, it’s Christmas…  I can’t hardly believe it!

Well, I thought I would share some holiday cheer (and some definite laughs) this year by sharing a light-hearted video about our beloved “snowbirds” that descend upon Florida over the holidays to get out of that VERY chilly weather up north…

So, sit back and have a chuckle and Rob and I want to wish all of our faithful readers a very Happy Holiday and hope that Santa brings you everything that you asked for…

Until next week… Ho! Ho! Ho!

Sandy and Rob

p.s. What about a new home under the tree?  LOL  Visit Sanibel Beach Homes to see if it will “fit”…

Your Sanibel Sunset Dinner Cruise Awaits!

Ok, who’s up for a lovely sunset cruise?

Just over the Sanibel Causeway at the Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa, you can catch an affordable sunset cruise with all the fixin’s…

Their 100 ft private luxury yacht will glide you around the bay for 2 glorious hours while you dine on a large buffet of entrees and desserts… yuuummm!

Below you can see the menu and the pricing – but if you need more information, you can head over to Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa to read about all the details.

If you get a chance to go, please come back here and comment below to let everyone esle know just how wonderful it was… weee’ll be waiting!

Enjoy and have a great weekend,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  SanCap One Source Realty is here for you!

Bicycle Trekking – Sanibel to Captiva or Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park

Are you a biker? Do you enjoy longer bike trips that take you all day to get through?

If so, then there are plenty of opportunities for you in and around Sanibel and Captiva.

We have some of the most beautiful trails that wind through lovely wildlife reserves, as well as over bridges and sand dunes, all with spectacular views.

Even outside of Sanibel and Captiva, over on the mainland, there are amazing trails that will take you through mangrove orchards and sabal palm trees.  One such place is the Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park where you can easily spend the day enjoying the different trails and lookout points over the water.

One couple moved to Florida recently and shares their experience, which I thought was a nice way to introduce people outside of Florida to this low-maintenance outdoor activity with plenty of high-impact nature and wildlife.

You can read all about it here:  Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park

Ok, that’s it for this week, hope you can get out and enjoy the trails this weekend!

Have a good one,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  Sanibel Beach Homes

What is Sanctuary Island on Sanibel?

Sanctuary Island on Sanibel is a beautiful and exclusive golf-course community that is nestled within the J.N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge on the northwestern corner of Sanibel.

It is the only private golf course on the island and was designed by Arthur Hills giving it world-class status.

The Sanctuary has 465 glorious acres that is home to all sorts of wildlife and 272 gorgeous homes overlooking the golf course, as well as nature’s playground.

Just because you don’t live in the Sanctuary doesn’t mean that you cannot become a member and enjoy the golf, tennis, pool and fitness center.  There’s also a full-service clubhouse which is a great meeting spot for the Sanctuary’s social events and group activities like book clubs and the like.

You can check out all the details right here:  The Sanctuary Golf Club

Well, that’s it for this week…

Have a good one!

Sandy and Rob

p.s. Homes on Sanibel Island in your price rage are available… Call us!

The Local Music Scene on Sanibel and Captiva Islands is HOT!

There is one thing for certain and that is that Sanibel and Captiva Islands do not lack for great music!

The locals know that any night with Marty Stokes and the Captiva Band will be a night of blues music to remember…

Having grown up on the islands and with a family island heritage dating back to the 1800s, Marty and his close group of friends have been showing off their incredible talent for many years.  They also have a great CD that you can get through their webiste which I’ve linked to here:

As well, we absolutely cannot forget Danny Morgan and his talented group of musicians who have been entertaining and performing at island weddings and events for nearly 30 years!  Danny also has a couple of great CDs that you probably have already heard…maybe even at the Fort Myers Airport.  Yes, he’s that popular!

These guys have been pleasing crowds night after night right here on Sanibel and Captiva and, dare I say, that no trip to the islands is complete without taking in one of their fantastic shows!

They are just a huge hit with locals and tourists alike…

You can check out their schedule and locations by heading over to their respective websites, so get out there and enjoy an amazing night of music and dancing!!

Have a great weekend…

Until next week,

Sandy and Rob 🙂

Sanibel Island Has Mosquitos?

I laughed outloud as I wrote the title of this post! 🙂

Of course we have mosquitos on Sanibel Island… where in Florida are there no mosquitos, right?

Well, with the Fourth of July Parade and Festivities coming up tomorrow, I’m here to tell you to always be prepared with plenty of strong mosquito repellent.

One year I forgot and boy, did I ever pay for it!

Every year the Lee County Mosquito Control District spends the week leading up to the 4th of July festivities spraying the area like crazy to kill the mosquito larvae before they hatch, but unfortunately this past week has not cooperated with the rain and winds that we’ve had, so there may be a “few” more mosquitos than we would all like to see.  You can read the article that they posted today regarding their efforts right here:  Lee County Mosquito Eradication.  Despite the weather, it looks like they will still have most of the area sprayed before all the events begin this weekend, which shows the incredible effort being made on their part!

So, a big thanks go out to them from all of us…

Well, we look forward to seeing you all out and about at the parade and events tomorrow and if I run out of mosquito spray will you lend me some of yours?  😉

Have fun and enjoy the long weekend,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  SanCap One Source Realty is hot, hot, hot!

The Sanibel School – Top National Honors

As another school year winds down and kids start getting excited that the summer is finally almost here, one Florida school contines to outshine all the rest, and that school is The Sanibel School K-8.

Consistently ranking in the top 5% of all Florida grade schools with test scores in the 95% range over a period of years, The Sanibel School is really something for those of us on Sanibel Island to be proud of, whether you actually have kids attending the school or not.

Below are two charts, as well as a link to the test scores and the relationship of our students as compared to other schools throughout Florida, so that you can see for yourself:  The Sanibel School Test Scores .

Impressive results for a school of under 400 students from K-8 and an average class size of between 40-50 children and a teacher to student ratio of 1 : 17.  Not bad.

So, have no fears when it comes to putting your kids into the schools on Sanibel Island, they are some of the very best that the U.S. has to offer!

Until next week, have a good one,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  Don’t forget to check out our main website at www.SanCapOne Source.com

Where is Santa Now?

If you’ve ever wondered where Santa Claus hangs out as the elves are preparing the gifts and loading up the sleigh for his long Christmas journey, well wonder no further…

Santa hangs out on Sanibel Island… soaking up the rays!

If you are spending Christmas on Sanibel or Captiva Islands, you can find Santa in the most unlikely of places, he tends to just pop up here and there at different restaurants and shops often unannounced.  We think that he likes the element of surprise in his visitors’ faces!

Well, Rob and I wish you the happiest of Christmas’ and hope that you are sharing this wonderful time of the year with family and friends.

We all have a lot to be thankful for this year and we want to thank you, dear reader, for reading along with us each and every week!

Enjoy a relaxing Christmas week,

Rob and Sandy

p.s.  Don’t forget to make your way over to our main website for all of your Sanibel and Captiva Island Real Estate needs.  See you soon!

How Are You Spending Your Thanksgiving Holiday?

Ok, truth be told, I ate too much!

I just love Thanksgiving, don’t you?

I love helping prepare all the food and setting the table and watching everyone “dig in”… there’s just sonething about it.

As I originally hail from Chicago, you can imagine all the food piled up and all of us wearing our heavy sweaters as the first winter storm had already hit, and then after lunch plopping down on the sofa and getting a good spot to watch football for the rest of the afternoon in a near “food coma”.

Ahhh… Not on Sanibel Island.  Now, the only sweater I wear is when the air conditioning is too cold!  And I’ve got too much scenery outside to help me walk off my Thanksgiving feast, rather than keeping me inside to watch TV.

So, it’s true that life’s a little different here on the islands at Thanksgiving than it is in the North, but you know what, it’s still has the same message and that it is the one day of the year that we all Give Thanks!

So, thank YOU, dear reader, for reading along with Rob and I over the past few months and we hope that your holiday season has gotten started with a big bang…  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Have a relaxing (rest of your) long weekend,

Rob and Sandy

p.s.  Don’t forget to make your way over to our main website for all of your Sanibel and Captiva Island Real Estate needs.  See you soon!

What’s It Like To Live On An Island?

Many people ask Robert and I what it’s like to live on an island?  Obviously, these people are looking to purchase property here and have spent time vacationing on different islands, but to LIVE full-time on an island somehow seems much different to them.

It’s true, it does take some getting used to, I admit.  When I moved from Chicago to southern Florida 17 years ago, that in and of itself was a bit of a culture shock!  Bitter cold winters to the humidity of southern Florida is quite a change.  But, when I moved to Sanibel Island just 5 short years ago, it was a fairly easy transition for me.

Robert has lived on Sanibel for 30 years, so he’s definitely used to it and explains to people that having the “mainland” only 3 short miles away (via the Sanibel Causeway Tollroad) is reason enough to feel the exhileration of living on the ocean, while having the security of knowing that if necessary, you can just scoot over to the mainland and get what you need (for example, particular shopping, medical emergency or fleeing a hurricane – which thank goodness, doesn’t happen that often!).

So, come on down and make that dream that you have always imagined become a reality.  Be bold.  How great will it be to tell everyone, “Oh yes, I live on this gorgeous island… and you?” 🙂

Until next post,

Sandy and Robert

p.s.  Don’t forget to make your way over to our main website for all of your Sanibel and Captiva Island Real Estate needs.  See you soon!