CAPE CORAL2026
12 days of sun, sand, boats & family
☀️ June 7 – 19
Travelers: Jason, Kim, Ashlynn, Logan & Holden — plus dogs Bear (Bernedoodle) & Goose (Bernese Mtn Dog).
Grandma & Grandpa (Dave & Janet) join the first 5 days.
The Drive Down 🚗
Tallmadge, OH → Cape Coral, FL. We split it across two days with a hotel‑pool stop near Jacksonville. The EV sets the pace — we stop together as a convoy.
Saturday, June 6 Leave 3:45 AM · truck @100% · I‑77 → I‑26 → I‑95 (avoids Atlanta)
Sunday, June 7 Leave ~8:30 AM · full charge
🐶 One adult walks Bear & Goose at every single stop.
Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨
Where We're Staying 🏡
Overnight: Sheraton Jacksonville Booked ✅
10605 Deerwood Park Blvd · ~2.8 mi off I‑95
- 1 King — Jason + Kim · conf #84905758
- 1 Two‑Queen — the kids · conf #84936025
- Refundable · $364.34 total
- 🐶 Pets free (any size) · 🔌 on‑site Level‑2 EV charging — plug in overnight
- 🅿️ $10/night parking
Home Base: Sunshine Escape Booked ✅
Pet Friendly · Pool · Hot Tub — entire home in Cape Coral, FL.
- Entire home · sleeps 11 · 4 BR · 7 beds · 3 baths
- ♨️ Private pool + hot tub · 🛥️ Gulf‑access canal w/ boat dock + tiki hut
- 🐶 Pet‑friendly — Bear & Goose welcome · ⭐ 4.71 (7 reviews)
- Check‑in Sun Jun 7, 4 PM → check‑out Fri Jun 19, 10 AM
- Host: Distinctive Beach Rentals (10 yrs hosting) · conf HMFNJCXTRX
Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨
Do 🌊
Drive times are from the house. Mix big adventures with easy pool days — no over‑scheduling.
Freedom Boat Club
Cape Harbour Marina. Book 3–4 outings across the trip.
Sunset / Dolphin Cruise
Gulf sunset with dolphins — a family favorite.
Jet Ski
Holden + Jason. Logan & Ashlynn skip — sharks 🦈.
Smugglers Cove Mini‑Golf
Pirate theme + live gators. THE family tradition. Open till 11 PM.
Tropical Breeze Fun Park
Mini‑golf with the world's longest hole + GellyBall. Closer alternative to Smugglers.
Pickleball
Rotary Park (free) or Four Freedoms (indoor AC). Bring paddles!
Hikes
Six Mile Cypress Slough, Four Mile Cove, Ding Darling/Sanibel. Lovers Key allows leashed dogs.
Sanibel Bikes
Billy's Rentals · 25‑mi path network around the island.
Everglades Airboat + Swamp Buggy
The big adventure. Gators guaranteed.
Blinking Owl Bookstore
A cozy indie bookstore — Kim & the kids love a good bookstore browse. Quiet rainy‑day pick.
Movie Night
AMC Merchants Crossing 16 — power recliners + dine‑in for a rainy / rest day.
Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨
Movie Nights 🎬
A rainy night, a rest day, or just a chill evening — here's the easy play.
🍿 AMC Merchants Crossing 16
North Fort Myers · power recliners · dine‑in · ~15–20 min from the house.
See evening showtimes →🌙 Other great evenings
Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨
Eat 🍤
Waterfront is the priority — aim for 1–3 really nice on‑the‑water dinners. Maps show how close each spot sits to the water.
Thistle Lodge
Crow's Nest
The Turtle Club
Mucky Duck
No reservations — arrive early for sunset.
The Bubble Room
Cape Coral Waterfront
Gather at Tarpon Point · Marker 92 (the Westin) · Bimini Basin.
Gather ↗Fins Seafood & Dive Bar
Fresh seafood with a laid‑back dive‑bar vibe — casual and fun, no fuss.
Lobster Lady Seafood Market & Bistro
Grab the fresh catch to cook at the house, or dine in. A fun "one day" outing — pick a night and make it the plan.
🐶 Dog‑friendly patios
Blue Giraffe (Sanibel) · Keg & Cow · Ceno's (Cape Coral).
☕ Coffee & treats
Yonutz Donuts (~8 min) · The French Press (dog patio) · Sanibel Bean · Latte Da (Captiva ice cream).
🛒 Groceries
Publix Coral Shores (~5 min) or Instacart for arrival day · Aldi for a budget grocery run · Sam's Club for bulk · Prawnbroker fish market for cook‑at‑home nights.
Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨
Kim & Jason 💛
Kim's wish list: family time, Jason actually RESTS, the pool & spa, quiet time to READ a book, no normal routine — and no running.
The Sunrise
One morning, leave the house ~5:15 AM in the pitch black, thermos coffee in hand, and drive to Sanibel Lighthouse Beach (Point Ybel) — the one beach near here that faces east — to watch the whole sky wake up over the water (~6:36 AM mid‑June). Just the two of them.
Sunset Date Nights
Captiva Beach (named most romantic in FL) + a sunset cruise out on the Gulf as the sky turns gold.
Quiet Pool & Reading Time
The heated pool + spa at the house. Kim with her book; Jason genuinely off the clock.
A Couple "Just Us" Dinners
Crow's Nest or Thistle Lodge — slow, on the water, no rush.
Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨
The Kids 🤙
Your lineup — pick your battles between adventure and beach‑bum mode.
Jet Ski
Holden's in! Logan & Ashlynn skip — sharks 🦈.
Freedom Boat Club Days
Out on the water, multiple times.
Sanibel Bike Day
25 miles of island paths to explore.
Dog Beach
Bear & Goose off‑leash at Bonita Dog Beach.
Smugglers Cove Mini‑Golf
Pirate theme + live gators.
Everglades Airboat
Fast, loud, gators. The thrill.
The Bubble Room
The wackiest, most fun dinner on the islands.
Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨
Slow Days 🌴
The first stretch, while Dave & Jan are with us, sets an easy, unhurried pace — lazy mornings, quiet water, nowhere to be. The good stuff, without the rush.
Lazy Pool Mornings
Coffee by the pool, slow starts, nobody on a clock.
Calm Shelling Beach
A relaxed morning collecting shells on world‑famous Sanibel sand.
Easy Sunset / Dolphin Cruise
A gentle evening on the Gulf with the dolphins — no rush, just the golden hour.
Coffee & Treat Runs
An ice‑cream or donut run, a quiet coffee — small, easy outings.
Reading by the Pool
A book in the shade, toes in the water, the afternoon wide open.
An Early Dinner
A leisurely island dinner on the early side — good food, no schedule.
Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨
The Plan 📅
Calendar holds
Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨
Everything Hub 🧭
🏡 Sunshine Escape — Pet Friendly · Pool · Hot Tub
Entire home in Cape Coral, FL · sleeps 11 · 4 BR · 7 beds · 3 baths
♨️ Private pool + hot tub · 🛥️ Gulf‑access canal w/ boat dock + tiki hut
🐶 Pet‑friendly (Bear & Goose welcome) · ⭐ 4.71 (7 reviews)
Check‑in Sun Jun 7, 4 PM / Check‑out Fri Jun 19, 10 AM
Host: Distinctive Beach Rentals (10 yrs hosting) · Booked on Kim's Airbnb · conf HMFNJCXTRX
View Airbnb listing ↗
📍 Exact address + WiFi + access codes from Kim's Airbnb reservation — add here.
🧔 Jason
- Swim trunks, beach/boating hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
- Computer + lapdesk + power cords / bricks
- Phone chargers
- Drone + memory cards (in the POD — check if reachable)
- Boating shoes
👩 Kim
- Swimsuits, cover‑up, sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
- A great book (or two!)
- Sandals, a nice dinner outfit
🧒 Ashlynn · Logan · Holden
- Swimsuits, beach clothes, sunglasses, sunscreen
- Sandals, a casual dinner outfit
- Chargers, headphones
🐶 Bear & Goose (dogs)
- Leashes, collars w/ tags, food + bowls
- Waste bags, dog towel, bed/blanket
- Rabies / vax records, any meds, favorite toy
🏡 Shared / house
- 4 beach chairs (bring)
- Spring Float pool floats (check how many we have)
- Beach blanket, beach toys, frisbee, cooler, reusable water bottles
- ⚠️ Beach towels — the house has NONE, buy them
View ↗
View ↗
View ↗
View ↗
🎧 For pool / downtime
Download Audible books, podcasts, and YouTube videos ahead of time so they're ready offline.
🐾 Dog beach
Bonita Dog Beach (off‑leash, ~40 min) for Bear & Goose to run free.
Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨