Flight Report – AC 1237 – RSW to YYZ

After five days on Captiva Island, it was time for me to head back home.  It was a gorgeous sunny day with balmy 24° C weather.  I wish I had a bit more time to enjoy the good weather, but I was okay not spending extra time on Captiva.  Since my flight wasn’t scheduled until 1:40pm EST, a few of my colleagues and I drove back together around mid-morning to make sure we got there in time for check-in.  During the hour-long drive, I tried to take in as much of the scenery as possible.  Captiva and Sanibel Islands are certainly interesting islands that are completely different from each other – Captiva being more of a sleepy retirement community while Sanibel being a busy beach destination for tourists.

Taking the Sanibel Causeway back to the Florida Mainland

After a quick stop to buy some gas for our rental car, we finally arrived at the airport around 11:24am EST.  Because Southwest Florida International Airport is relatively small, check-in with Air Canada was extremely quick for me.  While it should have taken me about 5 minutes, I had to fight for my right to waive the $25 baggage fee as an Aeroplan Visa card holder.  It was a successful fight and only the second time within the past couple years I have been a member of this program where this benefit has been honoured.

Southwest Florida International Airport

Security took a bit longer than expected, though.  There were essentially two lines passengers could choose from – TSA Pre-Clearance/NEXUS Pass Holders and regular passengers.  Since I don’t travel to the United States enough to justify paying for an annual NEXUS Pass, I had to wait in line with the regular passengers.  That probably took me about 10 – 15 minutes to get through.  Not too bad of a wait, but still kind of long for a small International Airport that doesn’t get the same amount of traffic like the airports in Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale or Miami do.

Southwest Florida International Airport - Concourse B

With an hour or so to spare before boarding, my colleagues and I decided to grab some lunch at Beaches Boardwalk Café as it was the only restaurant in our Concourse that was available.  The only other options we had here were Burger King and a small bakery.  Since I didn’t take any pictures here, I will summarize my experience instead of posting a separate “Airport Eats” article.  Beaches Boardwalk Café can accommodate up to 60 – 70 people with some tables available on the outside of the café – like a pseudo-patio within Concourse B.  I ended up eating a Cobb Salad to tide me over and washed it down with a pint of Hi 5 IPA brewed locally by the Fort Myers Brewing Company.  Service was kind of slow due to the lunch hour rush, but the television sets were tuned into European soccer action to keep me occupied – Spanish league action if I am not mistaken.

Getting ready to depart Southwest Florida International Airport

Following lunch, my colleagues and I headed towards Gate B3 only to find out we had been moved to Gate B1 instead.  It was literally just two gates over, though, so not really a big deal for us at all.  Even though we boarded on time, there was a 20-minute delay in departure as the flight crew had to wait for a few late passengers to arrive.  A bit irritating for sure, but beyond my control, of course.  The flight configuration was 3 x 3 – the same as it was on AC 1234.  Luckily, there was no one in the middle seat and the lady who sat along the aisle moved back a few rows to grab an available window seat.  Bonus!  I wasn’t expecting to have the entire row all to myself for the flight home.

One final look of Fort Myers before the journey home

We took off shortly after 2pm, which kind of scared me a little as we experienced noticeable turbulence for a few minutes.  It was kind of like the experience I had in Orlando the previous year.  Once that subsided, I decided to watch “Battle of the Sexes” again.  Steve Carrell and Emma Stone put in great performances in this one as Bobby Riggs and Billy Jean King respectively.  While it is labelled a “black comedy,” I didn’t find it to be that funny as I did entertaining.  The style of filming was a bit unusual for this one until I realized afterwards that it was directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Ferris – a famous husband-wife duo who have directed some of the most memorable music videos of the late 1990s and early 2000s.  I have enjoyed some of their previous work with the Smashing Pumpkins and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Just some of the in-flight "snacks" I had to pass the time

I was also kind of hungry at this point.  Personally, I don’t believe in buying meals on North American flights.  But since I wasn’t sure what I was going to have for dinner once I got home, I figured it was best to eat now rather than risk the chance of hunger later on.  Since my flight was already paid for, I decided to go all out and order a trio combo for about $20 CDN.  That included a roast beef panini sandwich, a cup of chicken noodle soup, and a can of Goose Island IPA.  I even asked for complimentary water and tomato juice, which was a bit ridiculous consider how crowded my table tray was at this point.  No complaints about the panini or the beer on my end, but the soup wasn’t good at all.  You could tell that the Air Canada staff just poured hot water into the container, but the noodles were still stuck together when I got it.

Flying over Downsview Airport upon our descent on Toronto

We landed just after 4:30pm EST – about 20 minutes early – as the sun started to set.  While going through Customs was relatively quick and easy, there was a massive lineup and Baggage Claim due to several planes arriving in Toronto within minutes of each other.  I don’t think I have ever seen Baggage Claims this busy before.  It must have taken me at least 10 – 15 minutes to wait in line before exiting towards the taxi pickup area.  Nevertheless, I had arrived safe and sound back home wondering when my next trip would be.

Beautiful Winter sunset over Lester B. Pearson International Airport

AC 1234 – YYZ to RSW

Operated by: Air Canada 

Aircraft:  Airbus A321-200 (twin-jet); Seat: 38A

Cabin:  Business: Meal / Economy:  Food for Sale

Depart: 01:52PM EST – Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) – Concourse B, Gate B1

Arrive:  04:39pm EST – Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – Terminal 1, Gate F36 

Flight Time: 2:47; Non-Stop Flight – 1240 Miles/1995 Kilometers; Date:  January 26, 2018

Tasty Travels - Cantina Captiva

After arriving from Toronto that resulted in me having a late afternoon lunch, I didn’t get hungry again until around 8pm.  While Captiva Island has quite a few different restaurants, many of them close super early.  I don’t know if this is typically the case or the fact that I was here during late January, which is low tourism season around here.  That being said, I ultimately decided on having some Mexican food at Captiva Cantina.

Cantina Captiva

Located less than a ten-minute walk from the South Seas Island Resort along the main road, Captiva Cantina is easy to find.  As it was already pitch dark when I arrived, the neon lights welcomed me in despite the patio being completely void of patrons.  Upon entering the restaurant, I was completely shocked to find the place near capacity with a party of about 30 women celebrating a special occasion.  What that was, I am not sure as they finished dinner only a few minutes after I arrived.

First time trying Carta Blanca

Once Jay arrived, we sat at a table near the front with less than 30 minutes until close.  We started off with some tortilla chips for an appetizer, which included some salsa and guacamole dip.  I decided to wash this down with a bottle of Carta Blanca – a Lager brewed in Monterrey, Mexico.  While I have had a few different Mexican beers through the years, this was a new one for me.  The jury is still out on this one, but at 4.5% ABV, it was light enough for me after a long day of travel.

Chicken Chile Poblano

Now that I was completely hungry at this point, I opted for the Chicken Chile Poblano.  This entrée included two grilled chicken breasts in a spicy chile poblano sauce with a side order of sautéed vegetables and Mexican rice.  While the poblano sauce was decent, the Mexican rice was a bit underwhelming.  I am not sure if they just refried the bean sauce because it was almost closing time and weren’t expecting any more orders, but I would have expected a little bit better for an $18 US entrée.  It did come with a small cob of corn that I did not expect, however.  Meanwhile, Jay ordered a Chicken Fajita sandwich thinking it was a smaller entrée.  However, it nearly covered his entire plate resulting in him having to taking back some of it to the hotel.

Cantina Captiva - A "Taste of Mexico" Off the Gulf of Mexico

While waiting for the waiter so we could settle our bill, I took in some of the interior décor.  It was interesting to see into the kitchen from our section while admiring the dollar covered walls of the restaurant.  Where this tradition originated from, I have no idea.  But I always smirk when I see this as it almost immediately brings me back to past quirky establishments I have been to on my travels.  Two places that quickly come to the top of my mind are this dive bar in Fort Worth about a year ago and this kitschy restaurant near Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.  Although I don’t have a lot to compare it with, Cantina Captiva certainly hit the spot and is one restaurant worth checking out on this sleepy little island.

Some of the American Dollar Bills adoring the walls of Cantina Captiva

Cantina Captiva

14970 Captiva Drive

Captiva, FL 33924

Open Daily:  11:30am – 10:00pm EST

Phone: (239) 472-0248