Florida Siesta

November Morning leaving MI

Time to slow down and relax here in southwest Florida after a couple of busy months.

Siesta Bay RV Resort

We escaped the cold just in time as it was snowing in Michigan the day we left.   We are now near Ft. Myers Beach at Siesta Bay RV Resort.

Birthday girl

After our late October-early November visit to Michigan and time in North Carolina to enjoy Ellie's 1st birthday, we headed south from NC and arrived in Ft. Myers after an overnight stay near Jacksonville.  We noticed we must have beat the big "snowbird" push as the traffic has been good and the park is not full yet.  I'm sure that will be changing soon.

Siesta Bay RV Resort is located near one of our favorite Florida destinations, Estero Island, Ft. Myers Beach.  The RV park is located about 4 miles from the bridge to Estero Island and about 3 miles from the causeway to Sanibel Island. 

Siesta Bay Resort

As November and December are not yet "peak" season, we got a very reasonable rate for the month we will be here.  The majority of the park is permanently placed modular and mobile homes, with maybe 20% RV spots.

Siesta Bay RV Resort

Great amenities with full hookups, club house with swimming pools, tennis, shuffleboard and pickle ball courts, exercise facility, etc.

There is a walking/biking path out on the main road and good shopping and restaurant options nearby  This may be a location we will come back to next winter for a longer stay.

Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grill, FMB

Doc's Beach House, Bonita Springs

It took me a few days to switch gears from our busy travel time to this slower pace here in Florida.  We are enjoying visiting some our favorite beach spots and restaurants.

Our time here is also providing some additional reduced activity time for Jim's injury.  His ankle and leg have continued to heal nicely and he got a good report from the doctor he saw in Michigan.  Still wearing either the boot or ankle support for a several more weeks, but can put full weight on it and more importantly, he can drive!  One more recheck in December when we are in Michigan and a couple more months of careful walking, he can expect a full recovery.

1st Place winner - tribute to California firefighters

Ft. Myers Beach is host to the Annual American Sandsculpting Championship every November.

Dancer sculpture

We went to the 32nd Annual installment and were very impressed.  This is a 10 day event with both professional and amateur competitions.

Sculpture under construction

We were so impressed with the amount of work and level of detail that goes into these sculptures.  The California firefighters tribute was definitely the favorite.

They block off a section of the beach (toward the southern end of Estero Island near Wyndham Garden hotel) for this event and bring in vendors, live music, and hold sand sculpting demonstrations.  Very nicely done, but with limited parking, they offer free shuttle bus service from Lover's Key State Park located south of the venue.

Beach erosion at FMB Pier & Pier Side Grill

Pier Side Grill

We couldn't help but notice the effect Hurricane Michael had on certain areas of the beach, including the area near the pier at Time Square on Estero Island.  Several years ago while we were here on vacation, we saw a beach restoration effort that greatly expanded the beach area.  Now it appears it is needed again as the beach is eroded up to the sea wall at Pier Side Grill.  However, we did NOT notice any of the "red tide" effects that have been in the news recently.

Embrace Change

Florida residency update:  Upon arrival in Florida, we needed to take care of a little business.  We got our Florida drivers licenses in what turned out to be a very quick and easy process.  Armed with the required documents, including our vehicle registrations that we had previously switched to Florida, it was a simple process to surrender our Michigan drivers license and obtain the Florida version.  After paying the approximately $50 fee each, we left with the new licenses in hand good for 8 years.  We were also able to take care of our Florida voters registration while we were there.  So we will be voting (likely absentee) in the wacky State of Florida in future elections.

Planning ahead:  Siesta Bay RV Resort has also provided a storage spot for the RV when we fly to Michigan for Christmas. The most economical storage yet, as they are only charging us $42 total to store the RV for three weeks.  When we return to southwest Florida, we have a reservation for the month of January at a park in Bonita Springs, just south of Ft. Myers.  The 1st of February we will travel to Maryland with the RV for a stay near Beth and Kevin for the arrival of their baby (very exciting!). Sometime in March we are planning on returning to Florida, perhaps Lakeland and the panhandle for the rest of March and April.

Looking forward to having our whole family together in Michigan for Christmas.  Happy Holidays!