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Sanibel Island Florida – a wonderful vacation

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I am completely out of control.  I bought a new camera two days before we left on vacation so naturally I wanted to learn how to use it.  I must have taken a thousand photos throughout the week but haven’t even scratched the surface of it’s capabilities.  My traveling husband, being the awesome photographer he is, took twice that many.  My sister-in-law Rita also took pictures and we all had phone cameras too.  I didn’t think that eventually all these pictures would need to be reviewed, maybe edited and then put into a post, or two, or three.  So … this week is vacation week at Saving Room for Dessert!  I hope you like beach pictures because we’re going to share our adventure with you.

Every few years we pack up and head to Sanibel Island for some much needed rest and relaxation.  We’ve stayed at this same complex since 1992.  It’s our heaven on earth and at every turn we’re reminded of a lifetime of wonderful family memories.  On several occasions we’ve stayed in a condo owned by Pat and Lee Olsen.  They are the nicest people in the world and are always available to ensure our vacation stay in their home at Pointe Santo de Sanibel is the best it can be.
They own two units, one on the ground floor and this gorgeous unit on the 4th floor.  Since we didn’t have children on this trip we knew our sister-in-law Rita would enjoy the views from the roof top deck.
The kitchen is roomy and fully stocked with everything you need to cook up some terrific meals.
This unit (B43) has a king size bed with a private exit to the screened in porch and roof top deck.  The entire condo is decorated with beautiful paintings by Pat Olsen (owner).
Each unit has a view of the fresh water pond, clubhouse, pool and beach.
View from the roof.
For many years there was a three legged alligator living in the pond but we didn’t see him this time.
View of the beach from the pool.
I can’t get enough of the beautiful landscaping at this complex.  It is always beautiful, well maintained and perfectly tropical.
Beach chairs are available for all guests and little Tiki huts are perfect for cooling off in the shade with a cold drink.
We are outdoor people so the natural landscaping is very appealing.
This is where you can find me – laying in my chair under the palm trees (say hi sister-in-law Rita!).
September and October are the slowest months on the island so if you really want to get away from it all, now is the time.
View of the pool from the beach.
The clubhouse by the pool offers activities such as kids movies with popcorn, crafts and root beer floats.  For a small fee your children can make shell critters while you lay by the pool or enjoy a swim.
Sea turtle nests are common on the beach and are monitored by Wildlife Officers.
Having a roof top unit was perfect for shooting sunrise.
This is way better than going to work 🙂
My husband took some gorgeous photos with his wide angle lens (14-24 mm).
Beauty like this will make you want to get up early!
I’m always fascinated with the flowers and trees so I went out to practice with the new camera.
As I mentioned the complex does a great job with the landscaping and maintenance.  This is the parking lot side of our building.  So pretty!
Osprey are everywhere on the island.  Half the island is a wildlife preserve (more on that in another post).  I shot this from our roof top but was very far away so please excuse the fuzzy focus.  Gosh he/she has beautiful long legs!
Then at the end of the day you’ll be treated to a famous Sanibel sunset.
Have you ever heard of HDR?  High dynamic range imaging combines three different exposures of the same subject to create a greater range of colors and depth.  This is the first time I tried HDR and quickly learned  if you want to achieve the best effect the subject should be stationary.  Of course I picked a shot where the water was moving, the birds were moving and the people were moving but I thought it was a fun and turned out kind of pretty.  Everybody was watching a wedding party taking pictures on the beach.
This sunset was so interesting.  The blue streak could be seen across the entire sky.  Fascinating!
My husband went out on the beach late one night to take some long exposure star pictures.  He did a great job!
These were taken at a 20 to 30 second exposure time.  I love this!
If you’re interested in renting a condo for your family vacation – please give Pat and Lee a call.  They would love to hear from you. They have a website complete with photos from both units at Vacation Sanibel. We’ve stayed in their ground floor unit on a previous visit but this time we rented in B43.  We were not compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.
Sanibel Island is on the Gulf of Mexico, north of Naples, south of Tampa and just outside Ft. Myers, Florida.
Please check back for more posts of our perfectly awesome vacation!  (Only 3,000 more photos to go ha ha!)  Thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia

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