Whether you traveled miles away and had a super fun time or had an uneventful, restful spring break, this was a time to unwind. My spring break was a mixture of both, which is the perfect way to spend a few days in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, with my family.
Tuesday, March 25
This morning I was all smiles while driving to the airport. That was until half the airport was shut down during spring break for some unknown reason and uncovered parking on the top floor was the only option. Since this set me back for time, I rushed to the gate, which increased excitement. Once I got on the plane, I immediately opened my book, “Mad Honey” by Jodi Picoult, an author I recently discovered who is now one of my favorites.
As we started to descend for landing, I could feel the humid air, and I was greeted with the warm Florida sun as I headed into my destination’s airport. As my family walked towards the rental cars, my dad grew adamant about having a navy blue minivan.
We went to Publix to get some staples for the week: bottled water, eggs, fruit and lots of snacks. A full cart later, it was time to check out and see the Airbnb. As we pulled up to the light blue and white house, I helped unload the groceries, picked my room, organized suitcases and got ready for the beach. The warm sand texture beneath my feet made me feel happy to be on vacation. After a few hours of peak sun time and swimming in the ocean, it was time for dinner. We went to a restaurant called Fresh Catch, where I had scallops with vegetables—it was delicious.
Afterwards, it was time to settle in for the night at the Airbnb, as we had a long travel day to Fort Myers Beach.
Wednesday, March 26
Beach all day!
By 10 a.m. I was at the beach and ready for the day. I went on long walks up and down the shoreline, where I found cool seashells and wildlife. When it was low tide I was able to find sand dollars, crabs and a baby starfish. My brother and I swam in the ocean and saw dolphins right by us, which was super cool to see up close.
We got bikes for the next couple of days and explored downtown and purchased some sweatshirts, then went right to the beach. Between drowning myself with sunscreen, tanning on the shore, and swimming in the ocean, the sun was starting to set. The sunsets over the ocean are so pretty over the ocean, as this city is located on the west side of Florida. We went to acutely decorated restaurant called Parrot Key Caribbean Grill, where I ordered a Caribbean jerk chicken tropical salad that was amazing. Of course, we needed a sweet treat later and couldn’t pass up on key lime pie. Once we got back home, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” was the movie choice of the night.
Thursday, March 27
Thursday was an adventurous day that started at Dolphin Cove, where we rode WaveRunners and got to see so many dolphins jumping in the air and swimming around the WaveRunners. Our tour guide told us the best spots to see some dolphins and even shared some facts—dolphins eat 15 tons of fish a day. This was the best part of the trip, as I don’t get to be feet away from my favorite animal very often.
After two hours of sightseeing, it was time for an early lunch at Margaritaville, which consisted of shrimp tacos and spicy slaw Later, I went for a walk and collected more seashells; I laid out a towel and then read my book for hours. Something about reading on the beach is so relaxing.
For dinner we settled for pizza on the beach. However, looking at pizza places nearby and reading reviews like “garbage tastes better than this pizza,” it was decided that we would go to the store and make our own pizza. I sat on the beach while my family made dinner. My family brought some pizza down for me as I watched the sunset. As it started to get dark, we packed up for the day and got into comfy clothes, where we then finished the rest of “Ralph Breaks the Internet.”
Friday, March 28
Another excursion we booked was fishing. We packed some sandwiches for the boat and drove to the dock, where we met Captain Mike.
He showed us the best fishing spots, he showed us numerous fishing spots, and I caught an amberjack, which is a pretty grey and yellow fish. That was something I was not expecting. After about four hours of fishing, it was time for the beach once again.
The water was warm throughout the trip, which was nice considering I was afraid it would be cold. It was a very windy day and sand was blowing everywhere on the beach. I didn’t mind since I don’t get to be on a beach often, but umbrellas and towels were flying everywhere. I was ready to leave the beach after having sand blow in my eyes for hours.
We returned to the Tuesday night restaurant, Fresh Caught, and I got sesame-crusted ahi tuna with Thai rice and roasted vegetables. This was by far the best meal of the trip. Once I got home, I watched “Cruella” and went to bed.
Saturday, March 29
I had wanted to try MoJoes Coffee Bar all week so on my final day I decided to try it. The acai bowl had strawberries, bananas, granola, honey and coconut flakes on top. It was such a cute little truck that I will for sure go back to next time I’m in Fort Myers.
I got ready for the beach and started walking down. I did my routine of reading, walking and swimming, trying to soak in every minute on the last day. That was until it started raining so I had to pack up and go back to the Airbnb. After a little early evening thunderstorm, I got ready for dinner at JWB Grille. This was an amazing restaurant with a beach view. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and not the best sunset but either way the view was gorgeous. I ate grilled blackened shrimp and eventually stopped at a nice cream shop for chocolate chip cookies.
My family and I went home to pack everything and then get some sleep for an early morning travel day.
Sunday, March 30
The 3 a.m. alarm hit and I was up. Our flight was at 5 a.m. so it was a very early morning.
As I packed a few last-minute toiletries and chargers, we were out the door and headed to the airport. After the rental car was returned and we passed through security, it was time to board the plane. I slept the entire flight because I was exhausted. We landed in Milwaukee, and 30 minutes later we were parked back at home. I got ready for the day and repacked and organized all my belongings I was going to take back to school and packed my car for a road trip back to school. A few gas stops and energy drinks later, I was back at the University of Missouri, where I unpacked all my clothes and went to bed right away.
Spring break is one of the best weeks of the year. Families go on vacations and students get a break from school. Whether you went to the beach and had sun time like I did in Fort Myers Beach or you stayed home and binge-watched your favorite show, I hope it was relaxing and joyful.