Return to Tampa - Road Trip to Solomon's Castle

(Tampa, Florida) 85 degrees, clear blue skies

We left Sanibel yesterday (very reluctantly) and headed back to Tampa to pick up our RV at MacDill AFB.  We took one more drive through the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. We came upon a group of photographers taking pictures of something special with very fancy cameras.  What could it be???

It turned out to be a huge flock of Roseate Spoonbills and an immature Wood Stork.  It was an amazing site. 

They were beautiful and fun to watch.  The wood stork looked a little embarrassed to be surrounded by all those pink birds. 

Claire and Mike

Afterwards we drove to Fort Myers to have lunch with Claire and her son Mike.  Claire was John's mothers (Lois) best friend.  She gave us some great pictures of a trip they had taken together out west when they were teenagers.  They visited many National Parks until their car broke down and had to be towed home.  It was a great adventure for two young women. 

Claire also  had pictures of Lois as a Marine and her wedding.  It was a nice visit and they treated us to a nice lunch.  John and his sister used to come down with their  parents and visit Claire and her husband in the 60's.  

Today was a good day for a road trip.  We decided to visit Solomon's Castle and it is a scenic 1 1/2 hour trip from Tampa. We went with another couple camping at MacDill AFB (Berkley & Karen).  The castle was built by Howard Solomon, an artist from Russia.  He  purchased the land in the 70's and shortly later discovered that he owned a swamp.  He was quite a craftsman and slowly built this castle complete with moat (swamp).

We had a nice lunch lat The Boat in a Moat restaurant located on the property  You walk through a ship and eat under some pretty live oak trees.  The food was very good and there were some great desserts too. 

Lunch @ Boat in a Moat (John, Karen, & Berkley)

We took the $10 tour afterwards of the castle.  Solomon is a master at recycling all types of material to build his artwork and castle.  Much of his work is humorous and certainly unique. 

Lion built from oil drums

There were many stained glass windows throughout the castle

It certainly was a unique day trip. 

Fun With Family & Friends - Sanibel Island Florida



Bird Watchers - Bob, Debbie, & John


(Sanibel Island) 85 degrees, not a cloud in the sky

We have spent a fun filled week in Sanibel.  It was so wonderful to be able to spend time with my brother and his family.  We were also very happy that Harry's brother in law and family  joined us.  We rented this lovely home for a week and the time just went by way too quickly. 

Here are a few pictures of the house.  We have rented several homes before (Yellowstone, Smokey Mountains, and Yosemite).  They have all been very nice but this was our favorite...to date. 



Home interior - 4 bedrooms



The beach was only a few minutes away and we had a golf cart to load all our lawn chairs., umbrellas and towels.  "Our" beach was uncrowded and Debbie especially enjoyed looking for sea shells. Alison and Natalie's goal was to get a great tan before going back to school. 

Debbie and her sea shells



Jackie and Harry



Sisters - Debbie and Jackie

Walking out to see the "un" sunset



Cool Pirate Castle and Fort





Natalie and Alison



We had many great meals together.  Occasionally we cooked but for the most part we went out for dinner. The Bubble Room is a very unusual restaurant on Captiva Island.  Your waiters are Bubble Scouts and the decor...well you will just have to check it out.  It is a very unusual and eclectic place. Desserts are their specialty. 



Island Cow



Here is one of our favorite lunch and breakfast places.  The couple who cleaned the house we rented also worked here and had recommended it to us.  The food and service were fantastic.  I especially enjoyed their coconut french toast.  Yum!

Frozen Margarita's anyone??

John biking at the reserve

We explored J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Reserve several times  (free admission with a Golden Access card).  One day my brother and I went kayaking.  It was also a great place to bicycle and bird watch.  We loved this reserve! 




Canoe/kayak trail at Tarpon Bay

Kayaking with my favorite brother in the Sea Eagle

I love this place!

This was a very special week for all of us.  We hope to return here again very soon!

What happens in Sanibel we talk about all week!