My 23 year old daughter and I decided to treat ourselves
to tropical paradise and escape the winter chill in Chicago.
Flying into Fort Myers proved to be easy and affordable
easing our fears that we wouldn't be able to navigate. With
that in mind, I would recommend renting a car with a GPS
navigation device.... it simply made our excursions out at night
stress free since the island can be darker without the city
streetlights we have back at home!

Unit 201E is owned and beautifully maintained by someone
who has your comfort in mind. Its located on the west side
of the island and just steps away from the beach. I was
a little confused by some of the other reviews of Blind Pass
Condominiums and could only evaluate that their units were
at the further most point of the development. This particular
unit is at the closest point to the beach... steps to the
tennis courts, across the bridge over the lagoon and you
are already on the beach. My daughter and I were able to
enjoy the in unit provisions of coolers, beach mats, chairs,
umbrellas and towels.... there are even floaties and sand toys
for the kiddies! The shelling was phenomenal.... lets just say
we cleared out one suitcase to take our treasures home!

Checking in was a breeze... if you opt to arrive later in the
day or on a Sunday when the office is closed, there is easy
access to your key in the lock box. The office was very
available during the week to answer any questions, helpful
with rentals of bikes and simply made the stay very easy.
While the development itself is older, it also makes for
mature and beautiful landscape.... everything is maintained
to the max and the pool is fenced with plenty of lounges and
easy access to the club house/bathrooms. But who can resist
the gulf breezes?

We left winter chill, at the end of November .. going into the
first week of December and found each day to be perfect
weatherwise. We have been in Florida in March so this was a
first for us and we found it delightful.... mid 80's everyday,
low humidity. We woke up to sunshine and swaying palm trees.
Without fail we would head for the beach... the sun is still
strong at that time of year, so do use the sunscreen! The shelling was irresistable and so relaxing that even though
we would plan ahead to consider an excursion, we found ourselves spending the day on the beach, shelling & reading.
We were visited almost daily by dolphins and after driving through the bird sanctuary, we discovered every bird there
was at our shore ... simply too relaxing for words! While the
beach had enough people to be content with, at no time did
we feel it was crowded. Without fail, we would start our day
on the beach and then end it toasting the sunset.
From that point we would head either into Captiva or Sanibel,
both are of equal distance from this condominium which
added to the charm. We could have dinner in Sanibel,
shop and then head to Captiva for outdoor music and dessert...
what more can you ask for? There is plenty to do on Sanibel
in terms of shopping, cruises to watch the dolphins, restaurants;
and the same said for Captiva. Do check out the jazz at
Ellingtons.... they have a wonderful young star and the music
and decor is tops. There is a two drink minimum if you decide not to dine and listen from the bar; but its well worth it.

The interesting thing is that we were drawn more to the
atmosphere created by the owners of this condo unit. The decor
is beautiful, tropical and tasteful. Comfort is at the heart of
it with a perfectly appointed kitchen with all the appliances.
We ended up cooking 2 meals a day and going out for
dinner each evening. But if you want to stay in, there are also
grills by the pool. The in unit wash/dryer keeps your packing
to a minimum, which I will remember for our next stay....
The bedrooms were large and comfortable.. my daughters
bedroom had two double beds and a large private bath.
The master has a king bed with its own private bath tub and
shower! Families can easily stay here but what I liked about
the layout is that if you are traveling with another couple,
you can certainly still maintain privacy because the bedrooms
are separated from each other, each one is on either side
of the living room.
There is a large dining area, and a large living room with
stereo, dvd player, tv, books and games. The owners were
thoughtful enough too to provide plenty of menus and reviews
of local restaurants and places to go. It was helpful too to read the guestbook to see what everyone enjoyed the most in terms of eateries and places to go. The condo was filled with beautful
natural light and the unit was very quiet, we slept like babies!
The decorating had me pretending it was my new island home!

We'll stay here again in a heartbeat. We visited friends a few
years ago at their rental in Captiva and it was double the price and did not begin to compare..... we couldn't have been happier with our stay.... from the easy drive to and from the airport,
the sunny weather and the comfort of our 'island home'.... you
won't be disappointed!