I visited Ding Darling with my grandparents when I was a kid. It was an experience I'll never forget. My recent attempt to enjoy the sights of Ding Darling was a failure. I live in Naples, so it is a long trip from my house to Sanibel. I had called Ding Darling the day before I planned on going there and had my wife write down the times the tram left for the tour- she wrote down 10am, 2pm and 4pm. My wife and I packed some water and headed to Ding Darling the next day, which is a trip that takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. We use the GPS on my phone and traveled on I-75 and through Fort Myers to get to the toll to go across the Sanibel Causeway. It was the most expensive toll I have ever had to pay- a whopping $6.00 to cross a bridge. I paid it and we continued on our way. Sanibel is a very nice town filled with beautiful greenery and many little shops. We drove until we arrived at Ding Darling.
There was a Hybrid Vehicle Parking Only spot in the parking lot, which is something I have never seen before. I parking by Honda Civic Hybrid in the spot (picture shown below) and headed inside to buy our tickets. However, the cashier said the tram was on the other side of Ding Darling and was just about to leave, but that she would call and have them hold for us. It was only 1:00pm and I thought we were an hour early. The tram was scheduled to leave at 1:00pm, not 2:00pm as I thought. So, we quickly walked out of the shop, down the stairs, and out to my car to drive to the other side of Ding Darling. Just as we were about to pull out, the friendly cashier stopped us and said the tram was already at its maximum capacity. My wife and I thought about staying until the next tour at 4:00pm, but then we would not be able to get to our 6 month old daughter's babysitter in time to pick up our daughter. So, we pulled out of the parking lot and spent the next 1 hour and 20 minute drive home in disappointment.
~Max G.
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