Hurricane season is quickly approaching, so now is the time to start getting prepared. In this post, I will be sharing our favorite hurricane supplies that we were so thankful to have during Hurricane Ian and Milton. Be sure to read to the end, as the last...
With the approaching two-year anniversary of the devastation wrought on Sanibel and Captiva Islands by Hurricane Ian, it seemed like a good idea to spend a week exploring the islands to see, first-hand, how the recovery efforts are progressing.Our home base for the...
NOTE: This post was written in January of 2023. For an updated post written in August of 2024, see Sanibel and Captiva Today: Two Years After IanIs Sanibel Island open to the public after Hurricane Ian?Are visitors welcome on Sanibel Island yet?Is Sanibel ready for...
Open Sanibel Public BeachesMarch 6, 2023 UPDATE!!! Sanibel public beaches & parking lots have started opening! The following Sanibel beaches are now OPEN!Tarpon Bay Road Beach. $5 per hour for public parking. There are 76 parking spaces.Blind Pass Beach Park....
Sanibel and Captiva Islands got hit hard by Hurricane Ian, but they are slowly rebuilding and recovering. You may want to support Sanibel and its recovery by coming for a visit, but are not sure what is even open yet!Check out this guide to see what activities, shops,...
The following first-hand account was taken from the personal Facebook page of Angelika Geerlof, a resident of Sanibel Island, Florida, who survived the terrifying winds and catastrophic storm surge of Hurricane Ian that devastated the island on September 28, 2022.I...
Bimini Bait Shack, a fun seafood restaurant, tiki bar and grill with the theme of the tropical paradise of the islands of the Bahamas, sustained major damage from Hurricane Ian but survived surprisingly well and is now working steadily toward recovery and reopening in...
2024 UPDATE: To see how the Bubble Room is doing today, see our post Sanibel and Captiva Today: Two Years After IanNo trip to Captiva Island was ever complete without at least one visit to the iconic Bubble Room Restaurant, the place where it was always Christmas!...
Oh, how we all loved our Sunday trips to browse and shop the lovely Sanibel Farmer's Market! So many wonderful vendors with so many beautiful, fresh and tasty things!But even though the Sanibel Farmer's Market is currently not open at their Sanibel location since...
I am so excited to announce that the Sanibel public library is now open after Ian! It reopened to residents on December 1, 2022, for a very nice gift for the holidays!Here is the update from the Sanibel Library:The Library reopened to the public today, wonderful to...
Miraculously, the beautiful historic Chapel by the Sea on Captiva Island still stands after the devastation of Hurricane Ian on September 28, 2022. However, the structure and property did sustain some damage that will be repaired in the coming weeks and months....
After Sanibel & Captiva Islands were devastated by Hurricane Ian, many of you have been wondering how you can help. I decided to start compiling a list of volunteer and donation opportunities so we can all help beautiful Sanibel and its residents recover....
Hurricane Ian was no match for the residents of Sanibel. They are showing their strength, resiliency, and HOPE through the SIGNS they leave. Sanibel is slowly recovering from Ian due to the love of its people. It will return, and stronger and more beautiful than...
Sanibel Island was decimated when strong winds and a deadly 18' high storm surge from Hurricane Ian came rushing over and swallowing up the island on September 28, 2022. But God made nature incredibly resilient, and both the island wildlife and the people who...
Slowly but surely the beautiful beaches of Naples, Florida are opening up after Hurricane Ian! Of course, caution should still be used, but here is a list of the open beaches in Naples and Collier County! ENJOY!Naples, Marco Island, & Collier County Beaches Open...
Hurricane Ian and its horrific storm surge severely damaged the entire island of Sanibel, and the restaurants were no exception. The great news is that many are working hard to rebuild and come back better than ever! One by one, the restaurants are reopening....
J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Sanibel Island, Florida was hit with a devastating blow when Hurricane Ian swept through on September 28, 2022. All refuge lands and waters are currently closed.Like the rest of the island, most of the vegetation...
Almost six weeks after Hurricane Ian ravaged the SW Florida coast, all of the Naples beaches remained closed to the public, except for one*: Vanderbilt Beach North on Gulf Shore Drive. So we decided to visit our much-loved beach and see the damage as well as the...
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in North Naples was known as "Old Florida" since it preserved the beautiful native flora and fauna of southwest Florida in its natural state. Driving into the park was reminiscent of my childhood vacations to Florida in the '70s.So when...
So many of us are heartbroken not only for the beautiful Sanibel and Captiva Islands that were devastated by Hurricane Ian, but the island shops and businesses that were affected as well. It will be many months or years for many of these shops to be able to reopen...
Beautiful Vanderbilt Beach, also known as "Vandy Beach," in North Naples was completely devastated by the historic storm surge of Hurricane Ian. This was one of our regular go-to beaches as it was the beach closest to our home. It also was home to popular...
Note: For our August 2024 update on Casa Ybel and Thistle Lodge, see our post Sanibel and Captiva Today: Two Years After IanMany of us have many lifelong memories that were made at the beautiful Casa Ybel Sanibel Resort, from family vacations, to weddings, to...
Ocean's Reach Beachfront Condominiums were one of our favorite places to stay on Sanibel. Beautiful views of the Gulf from your balcony for your morning coffee, and just a short walk to Coconuts next door at Casa Ybel for an afternoon refreshment and beachside...
The Lighthouse Cafe is one of those must-visit destinations when visiting Sanibel Island. I can't tell you how many times we've eaten there...well, probably at least once per each visit, which was more than I can count!The Lighthouse Special was my "usual"...a...
2024 UPDATE: To see how Sanibel and Captiva Islands are doing today, see our post Sanibel and Captiva Today: Two Years After IanHurricane Ian swept ashore on September 28, 2022, leaving devastation to many SW Florida communities in its wake. Many fans of Captiva...
Stay updated on how Jerry’s Foods is doing after Hurricane Ian.
Marco Island was greatly impacted by Hurricane Ian that swept through the night of September 27 through the day September 28, 2022. Surprisingly though, beautiful Marco faired pretty well during the hurricane. There was much less flooding and damage than farther...
First of all, a heartfelt thank you to all who reached out to see how we were doing through Hurricane Ian and how you could help. Unfortunately, without power, internet or cell service, as well as just trying to get through it all, it was difficult to...