What To Do This Weekend?

There is always something great happening on the Islands of Sanibel and Captiva!

Have you tried Captiva Cruises? Captiva Cruises offers a variety of cruise destinations around Southwest Florida from half day to whole day trips! Here is a sampling of cruises offered:

Cabbage Key/Useppa Island Lunch Cruise. Choose your island destination and enjoy a narration on the history and wildlife along the way. Cabbage Key and the Dollar Bill Restaurant is a true "Old Florida" island hide-a-way. Useppa Island, with lush vegetation and pink pathways, is the site of the historic Collier Inn and award-winning history museum.

Dolphin & Wildlife Adventure Cruise. Spotting the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin is always a highlight for visitors to Southwest Florida and Captiva Cruises offers the perfect family cruise that provides the opportunity to see dolphins playing and birds feeding in Pine Island Sound.

Night Sky Astronomy Cruise. Captiva Cruises' naturalist identifies planets, stars and constellations, mythologies and mysteries, and features of the Milky Way Galaxy, as well as the greater universe. A truly magical way to experience the night sky on the water.

Reservations for all cruises are required. Call Captiva Cruises at 239-472-5300 or go to www.captivacruises.com for more information and to make reservations.

Here is Ann, a Team Petel employee, along with her husband and friends enjoying the Sunset Catamaran sail offered by Captiva Cruises!

Feature Property!

Stratford Place!

The perfection location in Southwest Florida! Beautiful renovation on this 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo with over 1,500 sq feet. Beautiful tile, fresh paint, renovated kitchen, central vac. This unit offers deeded carport and golf cart storage. Swimming pool and clubhouse! Be close to shopping, beaches and the airport in this 55+ community.

Click Here to link directly to this property.

Click Here to link directly to the Team Petel website.

Or call John Petel directly to schedule a showing! 239-560-4960

Captiva winner of 'Best of the Best Resotred Beaches' contest

By Shannen Hayes

                To celebrate 10 years of honoring Best Restored Beaches, the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) recently hosted a “Best of the Best Restored Beaches” online contest asking people across the nation to vote for their favorite restored beach.

                Captiva’s beach was declared the winner of the ‘Florida Gulf Coast Beaches’ category after garnering more than 10,000 votes of the 27,000 that were cast.

                “I think that it really is a testament to our community spirit,” said Captiva resident and business owner Sandy Stilwell. “We sent it out to our friends and family and asked them to vote and as a team we did it.”

                Navarre Beach, in northwest Florida, took the top community beach category and earned the highest overall votes. It also was the only other winning beach in the state.

                Since all the beaches already have been honored for their success, and survival, this contest wasn’t about which one is the better restored beach, but simply the ones that did the best job to get out the vote.

                Another motivation behind the contest was to remind people that so many of his country’s favorite beaches have been restored. It was a way to highlight the importance of sound costal management, as well as the need to maintain our costal infrastructure to keep it healthy and wide for all users.

                For the past 40 years, beach restoration has been the preferred method of shore protection in coastal communities. Beach restoration is the process of placing beach0quality sand on dwindling beaches to reverse or offset the effects of erosion.

                The main reasons for restoration are storm protections, habitat restoration and recreation. During economic hardships, the beach can become and even more desirable vacation destination. Each year, governments take in $320 in taxes from beach tourists for every dollar it spends on beach restoration.

                In addition, well over half of the nation’s gross domestic product - $7.9 trillion – is generated in 673 counties along the oceans and Great Lakes, according to the NOAA’s National Ocean Economic Program.

                Winning beach communities will be honored at a special ceremony during the 2013 ASBPA National Summit, to be held next year in Washington D.C. Complete descriptions of each of the breaches that were in the running for Best-of-the-Best beach are online at www.asbpa.org.

This Week's Recipe - YUM!

The Best Breakfast Quesadillas

Ingredients:

Quesadillas:

1 Tbsp. butter
2 slices bacon, finely chopped
1/4 cup shredded potatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped smoked sausage
2 green onions, sliced
4 eggs, beaten
Pinch paprika
1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese or jalapeno cheddar
2 12-inch flour tortillas
Nonstick cooking spray

Tangy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce:

3 Tbsp. salsa verde
2 Tbsp. minced red pepper or seeded red jalapeno
1/2 cup sour cream
Pinch cayenne
1 Tbsp. chopped chives

Directions:

In a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, add butter. Add the bacon and cook for 3 — 4 minutes until slightly crisp. Add the potatoes, sausage, and onions and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently until the potatoes develop some color. Add the eggs and paprika. Cook until the eggs are set. Remove the egg mixture to a bowl. Wipe skillet or griddle clean.

Spray skillet or griddle with nonstick spray. Place a tortilla on the skillet and fill one half of the tortilla with half of the eggs. Top with half of the cheese. Fold to form a half-moon and cook for 2 — 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut quesadilla into wedges and serve with dipping sauce.

To make the dipping sauce, mix together all ingredients and set aside. Serve with the quesadilla wedges.

Sanibel Historical Village named the Best Place to Get In Touch With Old Florida

Submitted by Emilie Alfino

                The Sanibel Historical Museum & Village has been named the Best Place To Get In Touch With Old Florida by Florida Weekly newspaper, it was reported in the paper’s May 2-8 edition.

                “Sanibel did an unusual thing for an island dependent on tourism,” the newspaper reported. “Instead of bulldozing its historic buildings to make way for high-rises, it banned high-rises and set aside land for a recreated historic village. Here island leaders moved, clustered, and meticulously restored Sanibel’s treasures.”

                “This is a very rewarding achievement for us here at the village,” said Manager Emilie Alfino. “Our board members, our docents and staff are all very committed to the village and what it means for the preservation of Sanibel’s history. The village’s mission is to protect, share and celebrate our island’s history, and to educate those less familiar with it so they can better appreciate the island and its pioneers.”

                The Florida Weekly article continued, “Visitors can also tour typical island-style cottages, a post office, store, and even a [replica of] a 1900 packing house. Wander back in time through an old-Florida time capsule at 950 Dunlop Road.”

                The Sanibel Historical Museum and Village is located at 950 Dunlop Road, next to BIG ARTS just past Sanibel City Hall. Summer hours, now in effect, are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Adult admission is $5; people under age, 18 and members are free. Single memberships are $50, and other levels are available. Call (239) 472-4648. The museum’s mailing address is PO Box 413, Sanibel, 33957. The museum’s website, www.sanibelmuseum.org, is undergoing a redesign right now but remains open and available for use.

Island Reporter  (May 11, 2012)

Feature Property!

Boater's Delight! Call John Petel today to make an appointment to see this wonderful canal home. Located on a wide and deep canal with direct access to San Carlos Bay this home has an 80 foot dock, 16,000# boat lift and amp service! Pull up to your dock and spend the evening relaxing by the pool. Retire to your top floor master retreat. Updated kitchen with granite! 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms.

Click Here to link directly to this property.

Click Here to link directly to the Team Petel website.

Sam Bailey's Island Nights!

The 19th annual Sam Bailey's Islands Night is Wednesday, May 16 at Lee County Sports Complex. All islanders are invited to join in the fun as the Fort Myers Miracle takes on the Charlotte Stone Crabs. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., the pre-game parade around the ballfield starts at 6:15, and game time is 7:05. Tickets are free and available at Bailey's General Store and most island businesses.

Sponsorships are still available at $100 each. proceeds support local charities. Call Bailey's at 239-472-1516 or send your check payable to: Islands Night, 2477 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957. If you will be participating in the parade, call Bailey's to reserve your spot.

(Island Sun May 4, 2012)