by Laura Weisskopf Bleill
Spring break is coming up, and many of you will be seeking sunshine and the beach. Our Florida vacation in late February was a little bit lighter on the beach and sunshine parts than we would have liked – it’s been a fairly cool winter in the Sunshine State this year. Although we picked our hotel for its proximity to the beach and its beautiful child-friendly pool, we still managed to fill our days with a ton of fun for the kids – and the parents.
I am super lucky that my parents not only took us on vacation, but they planned it and tried to make to make it as easy as possible for us. We stayed at the Pink Shell Resort in Fort Myers Beach, just a short drive away from the airport. We had a two-bedroom condo-style room complete with a full kitchen, eliminating the need to eat at restaurants for every meal. The resort itself was very kid-friendly with a zero-depth entry pool; activities every day for children 4 and up; and a kids menu at the restaurants presented on a View-Master toy.
Because of the weather – it was not just cool, but often the breeze on the beach made it unpleasant – we weren’t able to do as much maritime activities as we would have liked. Still, we found plenty to do. Some of the highlights:
- We saw manatees lounging in a winter refuge area called Manatee Park, where they gather in the wild because of the warm waters. A public park, admission there is $1 per hour for parking.
A manatee mom and baby hanging out at Manatee Park, a winter refuge. (Photo by Laura Weisskopf Bleill) - We spent a morning on beautiful Sanibel Island, which is another short drive away from Fort Myers Beach. We saw amazing birds (roseate spoonbill, anyone?) and even an alligator as we drove through the J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.
- The food. We here in Central Illinois are often seafood deprived, so we ate enough fish and seafood to last us awhile. One of our favorite restaurants was a casual, very child-friendly place called the Shrimp Shack (several locations).
- Fort Myers Beach itself is a fun, if not a bit hokey, beach town. There’s a lot of ice cream to be had. My daughters got addicted to the Superman flavor at Kilwin‘s. It was a little bit of a drive, but we also loved the unique concoctions at The Royal Scoop in Bonita Springs.
All in all, we had a great time – even if we were still pretty pale when we got home. The change of scenery, the palm trees, and the smiles on the kids’ faces was worth it! Thanks Mom and Dad!
What are you doing for Spring Break? We’d love to hear about your family-friendly getaways, whether it’s a day trip or a trip around the world. If you’d like to write about your vacation, drop us a line at editor@chambanamoms.com.
NOTE: I received no compensation from any of the places mentioned in this post.