Don't forget your socks!

We love living in SW Florida - the sun, the beaches, the great atmosphere. But, trying to find something to do with stir-crazy Travel Tots in the heat of summer (and the rainy season) can be difficult. I love going to the park, but I have to worry about dehydration, sunscreen, and finding a clean bathroom.

That's why I am so glad that we discovered Monkey Playhouse in Cape Coral! It's a super-clean indoor (AIR-CONDITIONED!) playground for babies through age 6 with tons of toys and activities. We went for a friend's birthday party, and the Travel Tots had loads of fun, and slept in the van the entire way home. The oldest Tots especially love the big ball pit and bounce house, and the Travel Toddler loves playing in the rice pit (much nicer than playing in sand that irritates little eyes and sticks in diapers).

Judi, the owner, is not only an amazing businesswoman, but also a mother of three and accomplished seamstress (check out her selection of gorgeous blankies and baby slings while the kids are playing!) She is constantly making changes, so it's never the same place twice!

For sanitary purposes, Monkey Playhouse requires all children to wear socks while playing inside, so don't forget to pack socks for everyone -moms and dads too! Monkey Playhouse allows outside food, so pack a picnic and relax in A/C bliss as your kiddos wear themselves out. Check out their website: http://www.monkeyplayhouse.net/ for coupons, specials, art class schedules, and really affordable birthday party packages.

Lighthouse Beach on Sanibel Island

On weekends that we aren't working on our house, the hubby and I like to pack up the Travel Tots and drive over the bridge to Sanibel Island, arguably the best place in the world to find tons of seashells. Our favorite beach so far has been the Lighthouse Beach. The Lighthouse isn't open to the public, but it's so scenic with the seagrape and beach wildflowers.

It's a great family-friendly beach, and the water is shallow for quite a bit. It has great bathrooms, and a nice place to rinse off your feet. Of course, it gets pretty crowded during Season (For those of you NOT from Florida, this is the time of year when those up north, affectionately known as "snowbirds", descend en masse to escape the arctic temperatures) No free parking to be found at Lighthouse Beach, but the lot is really close to the sand. If you are staying on Sanibel, it's best to bike! There are several bike rental shops in the area, and we've heard wonderful things about Billy's Rentals (http://www.billysrentals.com/)

We love to walk the beach, dip our toes in the surf, and peer around for interesting shells. The Tots enjoy sitting in the surf and feeling shells wash up on their legs. If you go early in the morning, you may be lucky enough to see the starfish in the shallow water, or get to play with the dolphins that venture almost close enough to touch.

For lunch, you absolutely must try Island Pizza at 1619 Periwinkle Way. I can't seem to find a good website, so I'll post it as soon as I find it! It's a little piece of pizza heaven. It's a very casual restaurant (so beach-y coverups are okay), and the waitstaff is amazing. They have crayons for the small fry, and video games for the young and young at heart. We highly recommend the Hawaiian pizza, or the Islander special - yum!

Iguana Mia in Ft. Myers

To celebrate the middle Travel Tot's 6th birthday, we headed to Iguana Mia in Ft. Myers for lunch. Iguana Mia is one of our favorite Tex-Mex restaurants, and the Travel Tots love the fun decor and options on the kids' menu. As parents, we enjoy the reasonable prices and family-friendly atmosphere.

As always, we were seated almost immediately, and our service was prompt and friendly. The Travel Tots amused themselves with the menus and crayons while we munched the warm tortilla chips and salsa. Our orders arrived quickly, flaming hot, and plentiful for a lunch order. The oldest Travel Tot's taquitos were scarfed down in record time, and the Travel Baby enjoyed throwing rice at his brothers.

The best part of our afternoon, however, was when our super-nice server had the Travel Tots don crazy huge sombreros, and took our picture for their website. All in all, it was a great experience, and we will definitely return.


Check out more great places to eat at www.floridafunsite.com!

Florida Fun Site starts blogging

As part of Florida Fun Site, we have decided to include a blog of places we love to visit. As the resident "Travelista" with three Travel Tots in tow, I was roped into writing it! This blog will chronicle the many adventures (and sometimes misadventures) of our ramblings across Florida, as we discover the best kept secrets and the little mom-and-pop places that make a vacation so special. Enjoy reading, and please let me know any suggestions of places to visit!