S GULF COAST -- If you re a South Floridian, you likely save a
visit to Sanibel and Captiva for summer, when hotel rates are a bargain. But if
you live in Minnesota, high season rates are just the price you pay for
escaping two feet of snow.
For Natalie and Josh Ralph of
Minneapolis, traveling with son Colin, 1 ½, and daughter
Lucabella, 4 ½, the area s low-key atmosphere was an added attraction. It s a
bit quieter than other places in Florida, said Natalie. And of course, the Twins are here.
That would be the Minnesota Twins, whose Spring Training match against the L.A.
Dodgers brought a baseball-loving crowd.
On Day Three of our Florida Spring Break Odyssey,
we joined families, couples and permanent Spring Breakers i.e, Snowbirds in the
village charms of Sanibel and Captiva islands.
Not that all was quiet. Dairy Queen was packed,
bicycle paths were in full use, and the traffic on Periwinkle, Sanibel s main
drag, stretched for blocks. In this laid-back burgh where motorists stop for
gopher tortoise crossings, nary a horn blasted, and drivers generously let their
fellow motorists break across the stream to dodge into Ace Hardware. On Captiva,
the quirky Bubble Room restaurant was, well, bubbling, and even on a 50-degree
day, sunset drew a crowd at the Mucky Duck.
Two and a half years after Hurricane Charley
smacked the area, both islands are pretty much back to normal, say tourism
officials. Sanibel missed the worst of the storm and looks as if nothing
happened. Captiva, which took a direct hit, is also back in action. Even
South
Seas
Plantation closed for 18 months post-storm is nearly 100
percent, with renovated rooms, a smart new pool and new eateries. The tree
canopy is gone, but with $140 million of improvements, if you haven t been here
before, you d never know what was missing.
So is it s beach still the best for shelling, as
some have claimed? No such thing as the best shelling beach, said Bill Cassel,
innkeeper at the cozy Captiva Island Inn. It s like the lottery. You find em
where you find em.
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