Koeppe Family Vacation

CAPE CORAL2026

12 days of sun, sand, boats & family

☀️ June 7 – 19

🏠 Heated‑pool house 🚤 Freedom Boat Club 🏝️ Sanibel & Captiva 🐶 Bear & Goose come too

Travelers: Jason, Kim, Ashlynn, Logan & Holden — plus dogs Bear (Bernedoodle) & Goose (Bernese Mtn Dog).
Grandma & Grandpa (Dave & Janet) join the first 5 days.

Scroll to explore ↓

2 days · ~17.5 h driving

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.

Quick ≈ 10 min · potty Standard ≈ 30–40 min · charge + snack Extended ≈ 60–75 min · real meal + dog walk (once/day)

Saturday, June 6 Leave 3:45 AM · truck @100% · I‑77 → I‑26 → I‑95 (avoids Atlanta)

~7:45 AMCharleston, WV~45 minCharge + breakfast + dog walk

~12:30 PMCharlotte / Statesville, NC~60–75 minCharge + lunch + dog walk — the long one

~3:15 PMColumbia, SC~30 minCharge + snack

~7:00 PMArrive Sheraton Jacksonville 🏨Plug truck into hotel Level‑2 overnight, dinner, relax in the pool

⏱️ Drive ~12.5 h + ~3 h stops.

Sunday, June 7 Leave ~8:30 AM · full charge

~11:00 AMOcala / Wildwood, FL~60 minCharge + brunch + dog walk

~3:00 PMArrive Cape Coral 🌴Check‑in 4 PM — pool o'clock!

⏱️ Drive ~5 h + ~1.5 h stops.

🔋 The EV sets the pace — charge ~every 250 mi, never below 15%. The Kia just gases up during one of the truck's charge stops.

🐶 One adult walks Bear & Goose at every single stop.

Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨

Both nights booked

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

Hotel site ↗

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

View listing ↗

📍 4928 SW 9th Place, Cape Coral, FL 33914 · max occupancy 11.
🔑 Door code, WiFi & parking are in the Everything Hub ↓.

Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨

The fun list

Do 🌊

Drive times are from the house. Mix big adventures with easy pool days — no over‑scheduling.

🚤

Freedom Boat Club

~5 min · members

Cape Harbour Marina. Book 3–4 outings across the trip.

🌅

Sunset / Dolphin Cruise

~30 min

Gulf sunset with dolphins — a family favorite.

Captiva Cruises ↗Adventures in Paradise ↗

🌊

Jet Ski

~$110/hr

Holden + Jason. Logan & Ashlynn skip — sharks 🦈.

⛳

Smugglers Cove Mini‑Golf

~30 min · Fort Myers Beach

Pirate theme + live gators. THE family tradition. Open till 11 PM.

Smugglers Golf ↗

⛳

Tropical Breeze Fun Park

~5 min · Cape Coral

Mini‑golf with the world's longest hole + GellyBall. Closer alternative to Smugglers.

Tropical Breeze ↗

🥒

Pickleball

~10 min

Rotary Park (free) or Four Freedoms (indoor AC). Bring paddles!

🥾

Hikes

~7–18 min

Six Mile Cypress Slough, Four Mile Cove, Ding Darling/Sanibel. Lovers Key allows leashed dogs.

🐊

Myakka River State Park · ~1.5 hr north (near Sarasota) · full‑day wildlife adventure

~1.5 hr north · near Sarasota · plan a full day

One of Florida's oldest & largest state parks — about 37,000 acres of river, lake, prairie and oak‑palm hammock. A true full‑day wildlife adventure that works for the whole crew, grandparents included.

What you can do

Airboat & tram safari tours — Myakka Wildlife Tours runs among the world's largest airboats on Upper Myakka Lake, plus a narrated tram safari through the backcountry (great for the whole family + grandparents).
Canopy Walkway — a suspended treetop boardwalk through the oak/palm canopy + a 74‑ft tower for panoramic views (one of the few public canopy walkways in North America).
Wildlife — tons of alligators, plus deer, wild turkeys, and 100s of bird species; one of Florida's best gator/bird viewing spots.
Paddling & biking — kayak/canoe & bike rentals at the park; paddle the Myakka River & Upper Lake.
Hiking & the Birdwalk — miles of trails + a boardwalk out over the wetlands for birding.
Also: fishing, picnicking, historic CCC‑era structures.

Good to know: open 8am–sunset, 365 days; entry ~$6/vehicle; it's a full‑day outing.

Official park page ↗Myakka Wildlife Tours ↗

🚴

Sanibel Bikes

~35 min

Billy's Rentals · 25‑mi path network around the island.

🐊

Everglades Airboat + Swamp Buggy

~25 min to launch

The big adventure. Gators guaranteed.

📚

Blinking Owl Bookstore

~25 min · Fort Myers

A cozy indie bookstore — Kim & the kids love a good bookstore browse. Quiet rainy‑day pick.

🎬

Movie Night

~15–20 min · North Fort Myers

AMC Merchants Crossing 16 — power recliners + dine‑in for a rainy / rest day.

See Movie Nights ↓

🏖️ Fort Myers Beach · ~25 min from Cape Coral

⚠️ Heads‑up: Lynn Hall Memorial Park's beach is open but its parking lot is closed for rebuilds through 2027 — park at Bowditch or the Beach Park & Ride. (The FMB Pier is still closed, rebuilding to ~2027.)

🦋

Bowditch Point Park

~25 min · island's north tip

17‑acre park: beach, nature trails, butterfly garden, paddlecraft launch ($2/hr parking).

Park info ↗

🛍️

Times Square

~25 min · walkable downtown

Shops, Kilwin's chocolatier, beachfront dining, street performers & sunset views.

🐚

Mound House

~25 min · museum Wed–Sat

Oldest structure on Estero Island, atop a 2,000‑yr‑old Calusa shell mound — museum + observation pier + kayak launch.

Mound House ↗

🪂

Water Sports

~25 min · on the Gulf

Parasail, jet ski, banana boats, dolphin & sunset cruises. Operators: Wind & Water, Holiday Water Sports, Good Time Charters.

Wind & Water Sports ↗

🏝️

Margaritaville Beach Resort

~25 min · day visit OK

Upscale beach club — lagoon pool, dining & live music, Gulf beach access. Open to day visitors.

Margaritaville FMB ↗

⛳

Smugglers Cove Mini‑Golf

~25 min · San Carlos Blvd

Already in the mini‑golf list above — pirate theme + live gators, open till 11 PM. It's right here on FMB.

Smugglers Golf ↗

Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨

Recliners + sunsets

Movie Nights 🎬

A rainy night, a rest day, or just a chill evening — here's the easy play.

🎬 The Breadwinner

Nate Bargatze & Mandy Moore · PG family comedy · 1h 35m · in theaters now

See daily showtimes →

🎟️ Showtimes for June 7–19 aren't posted yet — theaters release them ~1–2 weeks out. Tap a theater below for live times.

⭐ Regal Gulf Coast Stadium 16

IMAX nicest large‑format — the pick

~20 min from the house

Showtimes ↗

AMC Merchants Crossing 16

Dolby Cinema great for a comedy

~25 min from the house

Showtimes ↗

Regal Belltower Stadium 20

ScreenX closest to the house

~17 min from the house

Showtimes ↗

🍿 AMC Merchants Crossing 16

North Fort Myers · power recliners · dine‑in · ~15–20 min from the house.

See evening showtimes →

🎟️ June 7–19 showtimes aren't posted yet — theaters release them ~1–2 weeks out. Tap above to see the latest evening times closer to the trip.

🌙 Other great evenings

🌅 Captiva sunset (~8 PM) + Mucky Duck sunset dinner 🛥️ Sunset / dolphin cruise ⛳ Smugglers Cove mini‑golf — open till 11 PM 🍦 Ice‑cream run

Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨

Toes in the sand

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

Sanibel · Gulf‑front · ~24 min — closest!

$$$

Casa Ybel Resort ↗

Crow's Nest

Captiva · upscale Gulf sunset · reserve

$$$

Crow's Nest ↗

The Turtle Club

Naples · toes‑in‑sand splurge · ~48 min · book ahead

$$$$

Turtle Club ↗

Mucky Duck

Captiva · beachfront · no reservations

$$$

No reservations — arrive early for sunset.

The Bubble Room

Captiva · iconic · no reservations

$$$

Bubble Room ↗

Cape Coral Waterfront

Close to home

$$–$$$

Gather at Tarpon Point · Marker 92 (the Westin) · Bimini Basin.

Gather ↗

Fins Seafood & Dive Bar

Cape Coral · close to home

$$

Fresh seafood with a laid‑back dive‑bar vibe — casual and fun, no fuss.

Lobster Lady Seafood Market & Bistro

Cape Coral · 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.

Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille

Sanibel marina · casual island icon · ~35 min

$$–$$$

Laid‑back island favorite — seafood + live music, easy and good for the whole family. (Also a Fort Myers Beach location.)

Doc Ford's ↗

🐶 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) · Love Boat Homemade Ice Cream (Sanibel — the beloved scoop shop).

🛒 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 ✨

Just the two of us

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 ✨

Ashlynn · Logan · Holden

Family Fun & Adventures 🤙

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.

📣 Tell us your top picks! Text Dad which ones you're IN for.

Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨

The first stretch · Jun 7–11

Slow Days 🌴

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 ✨

Calendar holds + draft texts

The Plan 📅

Calendar holds

🚗 Depart — Sat Jun 6, 3:45 AM

🏨 Overnight — Sheraton Jacksonville (Sat)

🌴 Arrive Cape Coral — Sun Jun 7, 4 PM

🏡 Check‑out — Fri Jun 19, 10 AM

💬 Family text · draft

🌴 CAPE CORAL 2026 🌴 Sun Jun 7 → Fri Jun 19! We roll out Sat Jun 6 at 3:45 AM — big drive day, overnight at a hotel with a pool near Jacksonville, then an easy Sunday to arrive ~3 PM. Two cars (Dad's truck charges, the Kia gases up) — we stop together every couple hours. Bear & Goose come too. Pack: swimsuits, pickleball paddles, beach gear, dog leashes/bowls/bags. Grandma & Grandpa join the first 5 days. Get excited! 🎉

💬 Kids' options text · draft

Cape Coral trip is locked 🌴 (Jun 7–19)! Tell me what you're IN for: 🚤 Boat club · 🌅 Sunset cruise · 🏝️ Sanibel beach + shelling · 🚴 Bike day · 🐶 Dog beach · ⛳ Pirate mini‑golf (gators!) · 🌊 Jet ski (Holden?) · 🐊 Everglades airboat · 🍤 A nice oceanfront dinner · 🫧 Bubble Room. Reply with your top picks!

Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨

The catch‑all reference

Everything Hub 🧭

🏠 House info

🏡 Sunshine Escape — Pet Friendly · Pool · Hot Tub
📍 4928 SW 9th Place, Cape Coral, FL 33914 · max occupancy 11
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, after 4 PM / Check-out Fri Jun 19, by 10 AM
Host: Distinctive Beach Rentals · Booked on Kim’s Airbnb · conf HMFNJCXTRX
View Airbnb listing ↗

🔑 Arrival & access

Door code: 3671 then press ✓ (checkmark) — or * if the keypad has no checkmark. The code only goes live at your 4 PM check-in, not before. Wrong entry? Press ✓/* and re-enter. To lock: press any button.
WiFi: network “Sunshine Escapes” · password funinthesun
📷 Point your iPhone camera at this code to join the WiFi — tap the banner that pops up.
Parking: up to 6 cars in the driveway — please don’t use the garage.
Pets: domestic dogs, no weight limit (Bear & Goose ✔) · leash laws apply · no pit-bull / aggressive breeds.
Provided: only a first-24-hr starter of TP, paper towels, hand soap & trash bags — bring/buy the rest.
📩 Full details live in the guest portal invite in Kim’s email.

Made with love for the Koeppe family ✨