Sometimes, the best outdoor experience is simply relaxing… while plotting the next one.
So with that in mind, the ’Tween Waters Inn adventure team went off the grid this month and built in an idyllic seaside day in which sun-worshipping, sandcastle-building and page-turning replaced paddling, peddling and volleying at the net as the go-to priorities for a sunblock-infused, can’t-miss escapade.
It’s all right there off Captiva Drive.
But for the uninitiated, there are still a few ground rules.
Give a kid a mask and snorkel and you’ve made a friend for life.
Early-risers get first choice of lounge chairs that fill up fast alongside a heated, Olympic-size pool. But there’s no need to shackle yourself close to the Oasis Pool Bar, because staff will come by often to replenish your beverage choice of the day. The covered wading pool is an ideal place for young children, and the hot tub will relax your muscles in between Phelps-quality pool laps.
Grab yourself a TWI-stamped Tervis tumbler in the lobby and put it to good use by filling to the rim with complimentary chilled water from self-serve coolers that are easily accessible poolside.
Of course, if you find yourself needing a break from chlorine and craving salt water, Valhalla awaits just a few steps west alongside the Gulf of Mexico. There’s no public beach parking, which limits the number of people you’ll encounter while relaxing on one of the blue-topped lounge chairs available for rent.
Sit back and relax as the kids build sandcastles, chase sandpipers and do the Sanibel stoop while filling their buckets with oodles of shells. Cool off with a dip in the water, but be warned. While Minnesotans and North Dakotans find 77-degree waters a perfect escape from their ice-bound home, the Florida locals consider anything less than low-mid 90 degrees as roughly akin to cruel and unusual punishment.
Who likes the ‘Tween Waters Inn on a lazy Saturday? This guy.
But let’s not kid anyone, even with chattering teeth it’s still paradise.
And whether you’re on vacation, a local or an adventurer seeking his next quarry, a respite day at ’Tween Waters never disappoints.
