“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost

Monday, February 27, 2012

Look Who I Ran Into On Vacation...

Hello friends! I am back from a wonderful break. My husband and I took a nice trip down to Sanibel Island Florida. We had a great time going to the beach, eating fresh seafood and taking in the sights. Boy were we surprised to meet up with a couple of old friends. Many of you may already know that I live in Minnesota, but I am not sure if you know that we are also lucky enough to be the home state of these two characters.




Yes that is right the Jolly Green Giant and the Pillsbury Dough Boy are official residents of Minnesota. We found them hanging out and greeting visitors at the Islander Trading Post on Sanibel Island. I guess, just like us, they needed a little get away from the cold temperatures of Minnesota. If you were dressed like that, would you really want to stick around all winter? Besides visiting with old friends, we also checked out the beach and some great seafood restaurants.





The beaches are as beautiful as ever and the shelling was great. We found several wonderful fresh seafood eateries but Doc Ford's was one of our favorites. The food and drinks were incredible! The Crab Cakes were delicious with a delightful Jicama coleslaw on the side. I ordered the Shrimp and Grits that were the best I have ever had. Even my husband, who is not a grits fan, thought they were delicious. We shared a small sample from the Rum bar and I enjoyed a Mojito.

Captiva Crab Cakes appetizer  -  with Jicama coleslaw




The Island Mojito

 

Shrimp and Grits





On one of the days on Sanibel, we took a tour of the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge and saw some amazing birds, such as the Spoonbill and this pretty little heron, which I can't remember the name of. We learned the importance of mangroves in holding the islands together 
in the event of hurricanes.




Spoonbill and seagull



Red Mangrove






Found in front of the Island Cow



The sun sets over Salty Sam's Marina.


Our week in paradise is over now, back to the real world. It was nice while is lasted!




17 comments:

  1. That is so funny! You would think the Dough Boy would be more brown... LOL! Sounds like a great trip!

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    1. I agree about the Dough Boy, he should be toasty! Thanks Louise!

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  2. How adorable!! Great pics and it looks like you had a wonderful time. That chair is a conversation piece itself! Welcome back :)

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    1. Thanks Jane. I have more pics of the chairs, I will post later. They are also quite cute!

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  3. Sounds like you had a great holiday! I'd love to go to Florida one day and your pics are great!

    Megan @ Storybook Love Affair

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    1. The Gulf Coast of Florida from about Tampa all the way to Key West is so Beautiful and the beaches are gorgeous. My heart broke last year when the oil spill happened and we didn't go last year. I am happy to say the beaches look lovely and Florida was spared the worst. I hope the long term effects of the spill can be dealt with over time without horrible consequences.

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  4. Looks like a great holiday in Florida. I always wondered if the Jolly Green Giant was real and now I know. Love his sweetcorn!
    Gordon Rigg

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    1. Thanks for stopping in Gordon. I hope you clicked on the links and read all about the Green Giant's origin. He also has a side-kick called Sprout. My husband and I were cracking up laughing when we saw them standing there!

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  5. Looks like you had a great holiday. Thanks for sharing your pics, I love the one of the sunset.
    I just found and followed you on Pinterest - I only joined today so I have no idea what I'm doing - so it was lovely to find someone I recognised to follow.

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    1. I am following you back too! Check out my Vintage board for illustrations.

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  6. what a fantastic looking trip! great blog!

    C

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  7. Fabulous pictures - you have made me wish I could jet off there right now! That meal looks delicious.

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  8. Oh, sounds like a lovely getaway! And haha about finding the Jolly Green Giant *and* the Pillsbury Doughboy hanging out together. Isn't amazing what little bits of Minnesota turn about when you're traveling!!

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    1. I think half of Minnesota is in Florida. As you know the Twins start their spring training too. We also ran into some Boston Red Sox fans down there, they were celebrating their new spring training field...;they were pretty fun to talk to.

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  9. It looks like a wonderful trip! And I had no idea that Mr Pillsbury and Mr Giant were Minnesota natives!! See how educational it is to read blogs !!

    hugs and happy day,
    Dana

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    1. Glad this was educational for you Dana! You are right, blogs are very informative!

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  10. Wow, welcome back! I see from your pictures that you really had a great time there. I like that bird and the seashells. Thanks for sharing your beautiful memories.

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