Day-20 Captiva .. dinosaur dig & The Bubble Room!

Spending time with family in paradise is special.   The wonders of relationships and surroundings!
The many visits Barb & Barry blessed Mary and I with built so many memories.   I wanted our kids and Ruth Ann and David to experience these wonderful days.   In the future I hope Jon and Salli and Jim and Carol can do so also.   A Captiva Island vacation offers so many new experiences to us midwesterners or nothwesterners.     Let me tell you about today.

Cameron and I have been sharing archaeological dig stories for quite a while.   I thought we could have some actual dig experiences here.   Matt came up with the idea of burying some dinosaur bones in the sand at the beach.   My sister Sue found some kits at Joann's.   The first of two kits I buried today :

Here we are digging up this solid block of clay and sand :

Cameron found the block.   We took it to a table next to the pool by our condo.   For the next two hours, Cameron and I and Marty and David painstakingly chiseled and brushed away at the block.

Finally, we found a lot of dinosaur pieces.   After assembly, Cameron shows the results :

He's pretty proud of his work to uncover a T-Rex!    He & I played in the pool the next 1-1/2 hrs.
When we were working at this, Barbara & Ruth Ann & Jeanette & Matt & Jessie & Marty were treated to a wildlife show.   They were in the water when a manatee swam close by.   They were in the water while bald eagles flew overhead.    Dolphins were also putting on a show.   What an afternoon!

More excitement at the Fiess condo.    Matt was given a coconut by the landscaping crew.    Here they are back in their room  opening it.

Jeanette took a neat photo of a flower :

Here's Maggie playing in the sand :

And,  a visit to Captiva requires at least one dinner at  ..  The BUBBLE ROOM !
A fun 'retro' restaurant themed around every day being Christmas.  Named after all of the bubble lights that are hung all over.   1940's, 1950', 1960's movie posters, movie star pictures, aquariums, a model train running all around every room, old juke boxes, tables with glass tops which underneath hold old toys and baseball cards, and much much more.

Bubble bread and cinnamon rolls are brought out to tackle the pre-meal hungries.  Then many choices confront you in the menu.   Quite a few of us tried the fresh grouper cooked in a brown bag that had a coconut crust :

Then .. DESSERT!    The Bubble Room's cakes are legendary.  No pictures.   I want you to experience this after-meal reward yourself.   Most ordered these dinosaur-sized pieces for take-home!
Outside, afterwards, these monkeys were found in a cage :

Another fun day in paradise!   Tomorrow :   a bike ride to the library and maybe lunch at The Key Lime Bistro.    And. more fun activities on the beach and in the pool.   Choices, choices, choices!