Sanibel Island

Day 29:Saturday, August 14, 2010
Sanibel Island

On our second-to-last day on the road, we pointed our RV toward one of our favorite campgrounds, Periwinkle Park on Sanibel Island.

Along the way we stopped at another highly-recommended dive, J.R's Old Packing House Cafe in Sarasota, Florida. Despite the word "cafe," this place is an honest-to-goodness dive. We would not recommend touching anything that has fallen on the floor.

Andrew was just confused from the minute we set foot in this fabulous place - which is more of a live music venue than a restaurant. The tables don't match, the chairs really don't match (April sat on a padded wicker outdoor chair and Mark a wooden bar stool), and the menu doesn't really match the rock-out decor (they specialize in Cuban sandwiches). Either way, the food is good and Drew staked his claim on these black beans much like an Astronaut would do on the moon - but with a little pirate flag.

They were really good... we couldn't blame him.

Behind the restaurant, we encountered a collection of homeless folks who had set up shop in an abandoned apartment complex with a huge front porch. They had a little cafe of their own going with a beer fridge, a "no shirt, no shoes welcome" policy, and a general appreciation for hanging out. They also seemed to really appreciate our rig and couldn't seem to know enough about it or our trip. Sometimes you can feel the most blessed in the muddy backyard parking lot of the dirtiest restaurant you've ever eaten at as you climb into your second home, step over an assortment of shoe choices, and place your baby in his premium designer car seat.

Sanibel welcomed us with cooler weather, amazing bike paths, and some quality beach time just before sunset.

For dinner we visited the always welcoming Lazy Flamingo, which just might be one of the friendliest places to take your kid out to eat ever. They even say so on the menu. It's so nice not to feel like an ass when you walk in the door to spend money somewhere. Maybe airlines should try this sort of thing. If you're ever in the area, we can't recommend it highly enough - and all of the waitresses will flirt with your kid to keep him entertained. They might flirt with your husband too - which is fine by both of us as long as they keep the beer flowing. Tomorrow, home...