Cape Coral Vacation

somersetcat

Senior
Oct 2, 2019
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Anyone ever vacation in Cape Coral Florida ? How close to beaches ? Traffic ? Places to Eat ?

Thanks for any imput !
 

Ineverplayedthegame

All-Conference
Aug 12, 2005
5,139
4,960
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I was there in February visiting friends and my observations were it’s someplace that old people go who like to eat out and drink heavily.
Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Also restaurants stop serving early.
Friends said with one bridge to Sanibel and one to Ft. Meyers beach, you need a boat to get there during the season.
 

numberonedad

Heisman
Sep 16, 2009
6,685
13,854
0
Cape Coral is at least 20 minutes from the beaches if traffic isn’t bad. If you wait until noon to go it will take you 35-40 minutes. There are tons of restaurants in the Cape. Cape Coral is big. If you are on the north end it will be longer to get to the beach. You would be much better off to stay in South Fort Myers
 

Punkin Puss

Senior
Nov 6, 2019
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Venice, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Lido Key

All better than Cape Coral
This Siesta has sand like talcum powder, Lido is nice you can park close.
I prefer further north Coquina beach has picnic areas under pine trees.Then ride the trolley up Anna Marie Island nice views of Tampa Bay from there and many shops and cafes.
 
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JDHoss

Heisman
Jan 1, 2003
16,470
40,055
113
When we were exploring the area a few years ago to see if it was somewhere we might retire to, we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn on University Blvd. We got a great rate for a 2 week stay and were maybe 10 minutes from Ft Myers Beach and the Sanibel/Captiva causeway. We spent two weeks exploring the area from Marco Island up to Boca Grande. All of it was very nice.
 
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Atrain7732

All-American
Dec 11, 2009
3,783
7,024
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Fort Myers or Sanibel/Captiva. Skip Cape Coral.

I have a business in Cape Coral and I concur with this statement. I also have a store in Bonita it’s a pretty nice spot too about 45 mins south of cape.

If you are locked into Cape tho, it’s pretty close to the beach depending on where u are staying (15 mins) and same for downtown. There are some decent nightclubs and restaurants around downtown tho. Big blue brewery, never mind, boat house, rum runners, rusty’s, nauti parrot and backstreets are all decent spots IMO.

I don’t actually live there tho I’m about 45 mins north. Someone else who lives there may be more helpful. Hope u have fun tho wherever u end up.
 

CatInCanuckLand

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Apr 24, 2021
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You HAVE to visit Sanibel Island during dawn/dusk. Be sure not to wear long sleeves or long pants! The bugs that bite are very healthy for your skin. My doctor told me to let them bite for two-four hours.
 

Kybluedude

Heisman
Nov 19, 2005
9,398
12,075
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When we were exploring the area a few years ago to see if it was somewhere we might retire to, we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn on University Blvd. We got a great rate for a 2 week stay and were maybe 10 minutes from Ft Myers Beach and the Sanibel/Captiva causeway. We spent two weeks exploring the area from Marco Island up to Boca Grande. All of it was very nice.
Curious- where did you eventually
decide to retire in Fla?
 

JDHoss

Heisman
Jan 1, 2003
16,470
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Curious- where did you eventually
decide to retire in Fla?
We moved to Fort Pierce in St Lucie County almost 3 years ago. Love it here. We're an hour and a half or so north of Miami on the Treasure Coast. Most of our days are spent at the beach, fishing, kayaking or hiking, or some combination of those things.
 

Kybluedude

Heisman
Nov 19, 2005
9,398
12,075
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We moved to Fort Pierce in St Lucie County almost 3 years ago. Love it here. We're an hour and a half or so north of Miami on the Treasure Coast. Most of our days are spent at the beach, fishing, kayaking or hiking, or some combination of those things.
I’ll be. Haven’t heard much of Ft Pierce. Interesting. I did have a friend whose parents moved years ago to Jensen Beach and I found that very random. He said they vacationed there one year for a week and loved it. Dad liked to fish and golf. Mom liked the Catholic Church there and people. Up and retired there. I thought that was pretty cool and you did the same. Took the untraveled road.
 
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JDHoss

Heisman
Jan 1, 2003
16,470
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I’ll be. Haven’t heard much of Ft Pierce. Interesting. I did have a friend whose parents moved years ago to Jensen Beach and I found that very random. He said they vacationed there one year for a week and loved it. Dad liked to fish and golf. Mom liked the Catholic Church there and people. Up and retired there. I thought that was pretty cool and you did the same. Took the untraveled road.
Jensen Beach is very nice. We looked at a few places there as well as Stuart, but wanting a condo, it was hard to find a place that would accept one that was 26 lb. We had a great realtor who found the right place for us. He called me on a Friday afternoon and asked me if there was any way possible we could come down from Tennessee by Monday. He said he had a place that was going on the market that Monday and it wouldn't last long. We just happened to be down there on vacation already, so we met him the next morning, and he was right about it not lasting long. We made an offer and the lady accepted it the next day. We're 2.5 miles off the ocean, but by the time we drive to catch the South causeway, it's about 6 miles to the beach. The Fort has some really nice, uncrowded beaches, a small, but neat historic downtown area with restaurants and bars, as well as some really good mom & pop restaurants scattered about.
 
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lex cath

Heisman
Jan 6, 2016
7,782
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We moved to Fort Pierce in St Lucie County almost 3 years ago. Love it here. We're an hour and a half or so north of Miami on the Treasure Coast. Most of our days are spent at the beach, fishing, kayaking or hiking, or some combination of those things.

JDH is IRCC still a juco baseball powerhouse ? 🍺
 

JDHoss

Heisman
Jan 1, 2003
16,470
40,055
113
JDH is IRCC still a juco baseball powerhouse ? 🍺
They've struggled in recent years, but hired Joe Torre's nephew in 2018, and have been trending slowly upward since. Been meaning to go to a game this year. They have a nice facility and there's a good pizza joint just down the street from it.
 
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Shydog

Heisman
Sep 11, 2013
6,883
11,103
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They've struggled in recent years, but hired Joe Torre's nephew in 2018, and have been trending slowly upward since. Been meaning to go to a game this year. They have a nice facility and there's a good pizza joint just down the street from it.
we vacation at Ft Pierce often, have family there and we like it. I have been all over Fl esp Bonita Springs area but I like Ft Pierce/Vero as well as anywhere in FL. less traffic than the left coast and less crowded beaches with parking! When my younger wife retires in another year we plan to snowbird in that area! A question, where do you do your hiking?
 
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BlueVelvetFog

Heisman
Apr 12, 2016
13,898
19,157
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Jensen Beach is very nice. We looked at a few places there as well as Stuart, but wanting a condo, it was hard to find a place that would accept one that was 26 lb. We had a great realtor who found the right place for us. He called me on a Friday afternoon and asked me if there was any way possible we could come down from Tennessee by Monday. He said he had a place that was going on the market that Monday and it wouldn't last long. We just happened to be down there on vacation already, so we met him the next morning, and he was right about it not lasting long. We made an offer and the lady accepted it the next day. We're 2.5 miles off the ocean, but by the time we drive to catch the South causeway, it's about 6 miles to the beach. The Fort has some really nice, uncrowded beaches, a small, but neat historic downtown area with restaurants and bars, as well as some really good mom & pop restaurants scattered about.
Have you seen “Florida Man” yet?
 

JDHoss

Heisman
Jan 1, 2003
16,470
40,055
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we vacation at Ft Pierce often, have family there and we lie it. I have been all over Fl esp Bonita Springs area but I like Ft Pierce/Vero as well as anywhere in FL. less traffic than the left coast and less crowded beaches with parking! When my younger wife retires in another year we plan to snowbird in that area! A question, where do you do your hiking?
In St Lucie county we go to Indrio Preserve, the Savannahs Preserve (which stretches into Martin county) and the McCarty Ranch Preserve.

In Indian River county we like Fort Drum Marsh Preserve, Pelican Island, Jungle Trail, Sebastian Inlet State Park

In Martin county we like Jonathan Dickenson St Park and the Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park.

In Palm Beach county we like the Loxahatchee Preserve.

In Okeechobee county we like the rim ditch trail around the lake and the Kissimmee Preserve State Park which is also an excellent Dark Sky park for stargazing.
 
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KyCatFan1

Heisman
May 6, 2002
30,866
31,591
113
This Siesta has sand like talcum powder, Lido is nice you can park close.
I prefer further north Coquina beach has picnic areas under pine trees.Then ride the trolley up Anna Marie Island nice views of Tampa Bay from there and many shops and cafes.
Siesta Key is real nice but my God you better have a wagon or cooler with off road tires on it. Thought I might not make it to the water dragging the cooler through that sand the length of probably multiple football fields. So much for relaxing. [laughing]

That was the first time we went. The second time, there was a huge beach volleyball tournament going on and I think they added even more sand. Seemed way deeper to me and made it much worse to get through. It still was a great beach. Parking was absolutely horrible there though.
 
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blubo

Heisman
Oct 14, 2014
22,273
85,178
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Gulf coast beaches are beautiful but that white sand is hard to walk through if you’re towing coolers, beach cart etc. i like the atlantic beaches more. the sand is firm enough for bicycles, strollers or playing bocci. went to hhi, sc for 6-7 years. loved it.
 

JDHoss

Heisman
Jan 1, 2003
16,470
40,055
113
Siesta Key is real nice but my God you better have a wagon or cooler with off road tires on it. Thought I might not make it to the water dragging the cooler through that sand the length of probably multiple football fields. So much for relaxing. [laughing]

That was the first time we went. The second time, there was a huge beach volleyball tournament going on and I think they added even more sand. Seemed way deeper to me and made it much worse to get through. It still was a great beach. Parking was absolutely horrible there though.

Not cheap, but it's worth every penny if you spend a lot of time at the beach.