Travel insurance funds backup plans

November 26, 2012
Travel insurance funds backup plans
By Scott J. Wilson
Los Angeles Times


If you're spending a lot of money on a trip, consider buying travel insurance to protect yourself against the unexpected. Key things to know:

Typically, travel insurance reimburses you for such things as nonrefundable cruise deposits or airfares when weather, illness, natural disaster or terrorism cause your trip to be canceled or delayed. Plans differ slightly from one another, so be sure to read the fine print.

Some policies cover medical expenses incurred outside the U.S., and may pay for emergency evacuation in case of a serious injury or health problem. Some providers will not cover pre-existing medical conditions.

You can buy travel insurance through a travel agent, your tour company or sites such as InsureMyTrip.com, Squaremouth.com and QuoteWright.com. The cost typically is 4 percent to 8 percent of the trip's price. You may get a better rate if you buy a policy within 14 days of making the first deposit for your trip.

If you want the option to back out of your trip and get your money back at any time, some carriers offer "cancel for any reason" coverage at an extra cost. The price is around 10 percent of the trip's cost.

If you have a dispute with a travel insurance provider, consider contacting your credit card company, or the hotel or tour operator, and asking for a refund.

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Reservation Central provides travel insurance to all of our guests through TravelGuard. Get a quote and purchase your policy today to protect your upcoming Sanibel Island, Captiva Island or other Southwest Florida vacation at http://www.rescen.com/travel-insurance/
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121126/BIZ01/211260317#ixzz2DLCJ1XLi

Captiva Holiday Village Schedule of Events

Hoteliers, merchants, attraction owners and restaurateurs of Captiva Island have been preparing for the third annual Captiva Holiday Village that will kick off Friday, Nov. 23 and continue through Dec. 8.

The three-weekend-long Captiva Holiday Village launches its 2012 spectacular the Friday after Thanksgiving with fireworks, tree lightings, holiday readings, musical performances and more.

Each special-themed weekend, will be a fun-filled extravaganza of sight and sound, set against the backdrop of the Gulf of Mexico and evening sunsets. During the event weekends, visitors will enjoy everything from decorated golf-cart and lighted boat parades to Junkanoo and fire dancers, live music and even a Marching Mullet Parade.
All the Village festivities, the island offers easy access to an abundance of water sports: kayaking, guided fishing, parasailing, world-renowned shelling and wildlife cruises to the outer islands.

  As a highlight of this annual event, local hoteliers and restaurants have once again teamed up to offer six free two-night Captiva Holiday Village weekends for the 2012 event.

Captiva Island resorts, inns, cottages and vacation homes are also offering lodging specials in conjunction with this year’s event. To make a reservation, please visit www.ResCen.com or call 1-800-290-6920.

The latest 2012 event schedule is as follows:

Friday, Nov. 23:

‘Tween Waters Inn Tree Lighting Ceremony and fireworks

5 to 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 24:

South Seas Tree Lighting and Children’s Classic Holiday Reading

Chadwick’s Square South Seas

5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Sunset Arias on the beach at ‘Tween Waters Inn

5 to 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 28:

Walking History Tour

With Richard Finkel of Captiva Cruises at McCarthy’s Marina

11 a.m.

Sunset Cruise

Demystifying Wines - Wonder about what temperature a Barbera wine should be served or what the cork can tell you about the quality? Join Gordon Huller on this special sunset cruise to learn more. Call 472-5100 for reservations.

5:00 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 29:

Sanibel Captiva Art League “Paint Out” Plein Air at Tween Waters Inn

10:00 am

“Holiday Surprises” Captiva Memorial Library

2:30 pm

Captiva Historical Society presents Captiva Memories Vol. 1 - CCA Community Center

4:30 pm

Friday, Nov. 30:

Coconuts!

Paint coconut greeting cards, weave fish ornaments from palm fronds, taste Queenie’s coconut ice cream, learn about varieties of coconuts, and ethnobotanical uses of the cabbage palm.

Under the tiki at Jensen’s Marina

11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Mullet March

Starts at Jensen’s Marina

4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Joyous Jam

Five-piece band Jim Morris & The Big Bamboo Band on stage. Food and liquor booths. Bring lawn chairs. No coolers allowed.

Keylime Bistro, Andy Rosse Lane

5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Fire Dancing

Andy Rosse Lane Beach

6 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 1:

Mullet Festival

Jensen’s Marina

10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Fishing, cooking demos, book signing, music. Fun for all ages.

Join the Junkanoo making Recycled Rhythm Instruments

Corner of Andy Rosse Lane & Captiva Drive

1 to 3:00 p.m.

Junkanoo Parade

Andy Rosse Lane

3 p.m.

Boat Parade

Roosevelt Channel. Get cruise tickets from Captiva Cruises 472-5300

Public parade viewing: Green Flash Restaurant, Jensen’s Marina, McCarthy’s Marina, Tween Waters Marina

6 p.m.

Boat Awards

Keylime Bistro, Andy Rosse Lane

8:30 p.m.

Tuesday Dec. 4:

Talk by Amy Bennett Williams, editor of Tropicalia and author Images of the Caloosahatchee. Also speaking Woody Hanson, grandson of the Seminole’s White Medicine Man.

Wakefield Room at ‘Tween Waters

7 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 5:

Boat Cruise - 1000 Years of Fishing in Pine Island Sound boat cruise

McCarthy’s Marina with SCCF’s Kristie Anders. Call 472-5100 for reservations

9:30 a.m.

Captiva Storm Readiness by Doris Holzheimer and Island Hurricanes by SCCF’s Kristie Anders

Captiva Civic Association

2:00 p.m.

Boat Cruise - Winter Stars Over Captiva with Richard Finkel of Captiva Cruises

$30.00 per person. Call Captiva Cruises in advance for reservations 472-5100

6:30 pm

Thursday, Dec. 6:

Sanibel Art League “Paint Out” Plein Air

Andy Rosse Lane

10:00 am

Mangrove Mamas: Who Lives Amidst the Mangroves with a live touch tank

‘Tween Waters Marina Deck

11:00 a.m.

Sea Grass Seining with SCCF Scientists

Captiva Kayak

Fee $30 person for kayaks

1:30 pm

Books make the Best Gifts

Captiva Memorial Library

2:30 p.m.

Captiva Memories: Earth, Wind and Water

Community Center

4:30 pm

Friday, Dec. 7:

Sanibel Luminary Evening

5:30 to 9 p.m.

Sunset Arias

Beach at ‘Tween Waters Inn

5:00 to 6:30 p.m.

“America’s Darling” a new documentary on the life of Jay Norwood Darling

Wakefield Room at ‘Tween Waters

7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 8:

Golf Cart Parade

Decorated Golf Cart Parade starts at South Seas Resort traveling down Captiva Drive.

3:30 p.m.

Captiva Luminary

7 p.m.

Captiva Luminary Stroll throughout the Captiva Village area and Chadwick’s Square

Photographic Sampler at the Captiva Memorial Library Collection

Catch the trolley from South Seas Island Resort to ‘Tween Waters Inn with three stops in between to enjoy shopping, entertainment and food.

Sunday, Dec. 9:

Carol Sing at Chapel-by-the-Sea

Post carol reception at Captiva Civic Association Hall

7 p.m.

Fort Myers, FL TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice 2012

Fort Myers, FL has made the list of the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice 2012 for the top 10 destinations on the rise in the United States!


The City of Palms is located in southwestern Florida, on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River. Most visitors go to Fort Myers for the deep-sea fishing, the golf courses and the famous white sand beaches and islands that line the Gulf Coast. Attractions include the winter estates of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, as well as nearby Naples and the islands of Sanibel and Captiva. For wildlife spotting, try Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve—TripAdvisor travelers love taking photos along the boardwalk trail.

Plan your visit to the Fort Myers area with Reservation Central today! Visit www.ResCen.com or call our local Reservation Office at 1-800-290-6920

10 great places for families to escape the snow

Larry Bleiberg, special for USA TODAY

2:58PM EST November 8. 2012 - With winter on its way, it's time to start planning a sunny family getaway. But don't limit your escape to a familiar resort or theme park, says Jennifer Miner, one of the three founders of TheVacationGals.com blog. "The surprise of a new place on vacation is something that's so wonderful," she says. Miner and her two partners, Kara Williams and Beth Blair, share tips for seasonal getaways with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.

Palm Springs, Calif.
This desert getaway appeals to all ages, Williams says. For adults, there are spas, golf, shopping and restaurants, while kids will love the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the hands-on Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert, or a family hike to 49 Palms Oasis at nearby Joshua Tree National Park. 

Puerto Rico
You may not need a passport, but this Caribbean island offers an exotic international getaway close to home for families, couples or singles. There's plenty of natural appeal from kayaking in a bioluminescent bay where microscopic algae glow in the dark, to jungle hiking in El Yunque National Forest, Williams says. Or soak in history wandering the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan. Visit on a Sunday and watch kite fliers at Fort San Felipe del Morro, a stone citadel. 

Lake Charles, La.
Celebrate Mardi Gras family-style at this southwestern Louisiana city, where the parades and festivities play up tradition more than titillation. There's also opportunity for beaches, biking, and exploring marshland along the 180-mile Creole Nature Trail All-American Road, says Blair. "The food is so good, and the scenery is just pretty with Spanish moss and big oak trees and swamp land." 

Island of Hawaii
It's volcanoes that draw Miner to the Big Island of Hawaii. "You can go and see the lava flowing into the ocean and the island getting bigger." One of her favorite excursions is hiking through Thurston Lava Tube at Volcanoes National Park. "For kids who have a little bit of Indiana Jones in them, it's an incredible place." And for beaches, the island's Kohala coast can't be beat. 

Carlsbad, Calif.
This northern San Diego County town attracts families to its Legoland theme park, but for Miner the appeal goes further. "This is a beachy community," she says. "It has a nice small-town feel." You can watch surfers tackle the waves, and even sign up for surfing school to try it yourself. 

Atlanta
Lots of folks switch planes in Atlanta, but Williams says it's a great place to spend some time. Family favorites include the massive Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca Cola Museum, which has a giant tasting room where visitors can try scores of the company's beverages sold around the world. Tip: Watch out for Beverly, the bitter Italian soda that's so bad, it's good. For an active outing, Stone Mountain offers hikes, a tram ride and even a ropes course. Although the city occasionally gets snow, it quickly disappears. 

Turks and Caicos
This Caribbean nation with powder-white sand keeps sun lovers happy, but there's also enough variety to break up beach days, says Blair. Activities include a conch farm a former cotton plantation and humpback whale watching. But the common denominator is a laid-back pace. "You go with the flow and relax," she says. 

Sanibel Island, Fla.
You'll get a beach vacation, but so much more at this Gulf Coast Island near Fort Myers. The island's location makes it one of the best places to find seashells in the country. "Who wouldn't love shelling on the beach and wading in the mellow, mellow waters?" Williams says. Biking's easy on the flat island, and so is kayaking at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. 

Tucson
You get a feel for Mexico and the Wild West in this laid-back Arizona city, says Blair, a former resident. She suggests starting with a visit to Old Tucson Studios, which celebrates the movies filmed here with sets, cowboy gunfights and stunt shows. Another day, visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, a combination zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden. "It's an environment that's so unique and so different," she says. 

Los Angeles
The West Coast megalopolis is already on many vacation lists, but city resident Miner says LA is more than Hollywood and beaches. One of her favorite stops: La Brea Tar Pits, where saber- tooth cats and mammoths emerge from archaeological digs while city traffic zooms by. "It brings home the fact that our time is just on a dot on the planet," she says. Other favorites: Universal Studios theme park and sprawling Griffith Park. 

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To make your Sanibel Island or Captiva Island, Florida vacation and escape the snow ... call Reservation Central at 1-800-290-6920 or visit www.rescen.com

Taste of the Islands on Sanibel something to CROW about

The 2012 Taste of the Islands takes place Sunday. / Special to news-press.com
Written by Annabelle Tometich

For 31 years, Taste of the Islands has brought together some of the best restaurants on Sanibel and Captiva – and this Sunday the event is at it again.

A celebration of the many independent restaurants that dot these Gulf-front islands, Taste of the Islands brings together 20 locally operated eateries, all with one mission: raising money to benefit CROW, the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife.

From 12:30-5 p.m. Sunday, Taste of the Islands will serve up food, live music from local bands Rocker and Stolen Fruit, kids activities, a server competition and a new, silent auction at the Sanibel Community Park at 2231 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.

“We draw from the best local independent eateries in all of Florida,” event chair Melissa Congress said in a press release, “and that is what makes the event so special.”

Admission is $5 with children 10-and-under free. Food and beverage tickets will be for sale at various tents throughout the park.

Participating restaurants include: Bailey’s Sanibel Catering & Takeout, Blue Giraffe, Bubble Room, Chip’s Sanibel Steakhouse, Cip’s Place, Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, George and Wendy’s Sanibel Seafood Grille, Gramma Dot’s, Island BBQ, The Jacaranda, Matzaluna the Fun Italian Restaurant, Old Captiva House at ’Tween Waters Inn, Over Easy Cafe, Pinocchio’s Original Italian Ice Cream, Sanibel Deli & Coffee Factory, Sanibel Oasis Cafe (formerly East End Deli), Sanibel Fish House, Sea Star Cafe, Timbers Restaurant and Fish Market, and Traders Cafe.

For more on Taste of the Islands visit tastesanibelcaptiva.com.


If you go

The 31st annual Taste of the Islands

• What: Dishes from 20 Sanibel and Captiva restaurants, live music, competitions, a silent auction and more — all to benefit CROW, the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife.
• When: 12:30-5 p.m. Sunday
• Where: Sanibel Community Park, 2231 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel
• Admission: $5, children 10 and under free
• Parking: Guests must park in designated lots. There is free trolley service to and from these lots, unless noted — Bank of the Islands (Casa Ybel Road and Periwinkle Way); on Dunlop Road: BIG Arts, City Hall and Sanibel Public Library; Dunlop Road West Side (park and walk); Herb Strauss Schoolhouse Theater (park and walk); Sanibel Congregational Church, St. Michael’s and All Angels Episcopal Church (park and walk); The Village Shops (park and walk)
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To book your next Sanibel Island or Captiva Island vacation to experience the Taste of the Islands or for any time, please visit www.ResCen.com or call Reservation Central at 1-800-290-6920 | 239-472-1010

Guinness confirms Sanibel Stoop record

Guinness confirms Sanibel Stoop record

November 2, 2012
 Special to the Reporter (sancapnews@breezenewspapers.com) , Island Reporter, Captiva Current, Sanibel-Captiva Islander 

The message was delivered in a letter to the Sanibel Community House last week confirming that the assembly of islanders and visitors doing the Sanibel Stoop at Bowman's Beach in February had been accepted as an official record.

"We are pleased to welcome you to the very select club of Guinness World Records title holders."

The record attempt was staged by the Sanibel Community Association (SCA), which operates the Sanibel Community House, as part of the celebration surrounding the 75th anniversary of the Sanibel Shell Show & Fair.

The Community House has been the longtime home of the Shell Show and Fair, which was first hosted in the 1920s by Hallie "Granny" Matthews in the lobby of the Matthews hotel on the beach. Over the years, the Shell Show & Fair has grown to become one of the world's most prominent events in the shell collecting world.

The official tally of "stoopers" registered and confirmed for the event was 478, although more than an additional 300 unregistered participants were also observed to be on hand. The record set was for the category of "Largest Treasure Hunt Game." To be counted officially a participant had to identify themselves, sign in, and participate in a treasure hunt for shells on the beach.

Sanibel Island, Florida shell covered beaches

Official participants at the event received a commemorative event T-shirt sponsored by Congress Jewelers,. Now that the record is official, the Community House has plans to create a new T-shirt proclaiming Sanibel's championship status.

A diverse group of island organizations and individuals supported and assisted the effort, which was captured by news cameras and succeeded in attracting significant national media attention. The Lee County Visitors & Convention Bureau promoted the event and provided a helicopter for filming.

"We wanted to do something special to call attention to the 75th anniversary of the Shell Show & Fair, and to reinforce Sanibel's position as a special place for shelling," said Marge Meek, Sanibel Community Association president. "The Guinness Record attempt captured the idea that hunting for shells can be a lot of fun, and there's no better place than Sanibel to do that."

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To visit the record setting Sanibel Island, Florida beaches in the Gulf of Mexico, call Reservation Central at 1-800-290-6920 / 239-472-1010 or visit us on-line at www.ResCen.com