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Marco Island, Florida, isn’t well-known for shelling, but we must have come just at the right time this winter. We arrived just after a storm and found plentiful shells along the beach each day, especially toward the south end of the island, near the rocks.

We walked each day on the beach and always brought a grocery bag along, in case we discovered a “must-keep” shell.

We found literally hundreds of the Fighting Conch one day, as apparently there is a nesting bed beyond the rocks off the coast. These were mostly live, though, so we spent quite a while throwing them back into the Gulf.

Craig’s favorite passtime during the trip was identifying the shells and choosing which he’d keep.

He sorted the shells into categories: sharks eye, banded tulips, augers, conch, even sand dollars.

And the bleach-water mix helped remove the stench. He even found a small horseshoe crab shell, removed the soft tissue and bleached it as well.

These will be excellent trades at Collector’s Corner this winter!

Marco Island Series: (more to come)
Marco Island Views
Kids as Cooks
Kids as Cooks Part II
Shelling 101
Key West Express

Florida Series:
Disney World
Sanibel Island
Fort Myers
Everglades

Affordable Family Travel Series:

Creativity and Flexibility
Renting Condos and Timeshares

The second meal our kids cooked for us required a little help, which Uncle Bill gladly provided. Cajun shrimp with Parmesan asparagus. YUM!

“You cut the asparagus where it naturally breaks…”

And here Craig is dicing apples for his signature apple/Cool Whip/Snickers salad (which, of course, isn’t salad at all:)

How do you spell, “AWESOME?”

Marco Island Series: (more to come)
Marco Island Views
Kids as Cooks
Kids as Cooks Part II
Shelling 101
Key West Express

Florida Series:
Disney World
Sanibel Island
Fort Myers
Everglades

Affordable Family Travel Series:

Creativity and Flexibility
Renting Condos and Timeshares

During this winter’s Florida vacation, we decided it was time for the kids to start cooking some of our meals. We tend to eat pretty well on vacation because we stay in a condo and have access to a full kitchen. Why not teach the kids about cooking while we have some spare time!

The first meal they tackled together was supposed to be kabobs until we found out we didn’t have a grill. So it turned into sauteed steak strips and farm-fresh peppers and mushrooms. Yum!

Cutting the vegetables…

Sauteeing the steak…

Mmmm-Mmmmm Good!

Marco Island Series: (more to come)
Marco Island Views
Kids as Cooks
Kids as Cooks Part II
Shelling 101
Key West Express

Florida Series:
Disney World
Sanibel Island
Fort Myers
Everglades

Affordable Family Travel Series:

Creativity and Flexibility
Renting Condos and Timeshares

Over Christmas we vacationed on Marco Island, Florida. I wish I could trade below-zero days for 70-degree days more often!

We enjoyed walks on the beach,

sunsets,

and climbing on the rocks at the south end of the beach.

Believe it or not, this is the moon over the Gulf at about 6 AM. The sunrise had just reached past the buildings inland and must have been strong enough for the moon to reflect this strongly. It looks more like the setting sun, doesn’t it?

Marco Island Series: (more to come)
Marco Island Views
Kids as Cooks
Kids as Cooks Part II
Shelling 101
Key West Express

Florida Series:
Disney World
Sanibel Island
Fort Myers
Everglades

Affordable Family Travel Series:

Creativity and Flexibility
Renting Condos and Timeshares