Reunion Resort - A private, exclusive oasis in the heart of the most popular vacation destination in the world

 

Reunion Resort pool photo by Steven Skelley

Reunion Resort
A private, exclusive oasis in the heart of the most popular vacation destination in the world
 
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
 
 
Imagine a private, exclusive oasis in the heart of the most popular vacation destination in the world that is family friendly, affordable, and filled with amenities that urban tower hotels can’t or don’t even try to offer. Such a place exists. It is the 2300 acre Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, Florida.
 

Butterfly World Coconut Creek, Florida - Three Acres Of A Butterfly Hobby Gone Wild

 

Butterfly World photo by Steven Skelley

Butterfly World - Coconut Creek, Florida
 
Three Acres Of A Butterfly Hobby Gone Wild
 
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
 
Illinois native Ronald Boender has loved butterflies ever since he was a child on his family farm. In 1988, he opened Butterfly World with three acres of butterfly aviaries, botanical gardens and a working butterfly farm and research center. The park then grew to include the two more aviaries to highlight “a rainbow of birds and hummingbirds, an interactive lorikeet encounter, as well as a skilled aviculture care.”
 

Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa - The Ponte Vedra Beach Resort that has it all

 

Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa

​
The Ponte Vedra Beach Resort that has it all
 
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
 
Close your eyes for just a moment and imagine your dream vacation. Does it include a beautiful beach with all the amenities, a spa with services to pamper you, beautiful natural surroundings where eagles soar overhead, refreshing swimming pools, relaxing hot tubs, delicious dining, beautifully spacious guest rooms and even a world-famous golf course? You don’t have to imagine any longer because your dream vacation destination is real and it’s called the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in sunny Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
 

Orlando North - Food, fun and entertainment in Seminole County

 

Orlando North 

Food, fun and entertainment in Seminole County
 
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
 
Just minutes north of Orlando Florida attractions, Seminole County is experiencing a cultural and entrepreneurial resurgence. Called Orlando North by those in the know, it offers “an easier, wilder way to do Orlando” with “pristine nature parks, less crowded restaurants and more affordable hotels.” We spent several days touring Seminole County meeting business owners.
 
Here is a list of Seminole County Tourism’s favorite food, fun and entertainment and our notes on Orlando North.
 

Two Fish Inn - Old Florida hospitality in a boater’s paradise

 

Two Fish Inn photo by Steven Skelley

Two Fish Inn

Old Florida hospitality in a boater’s paradise
 
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
 
Just minutes from bustling Fort Myers and the throngs of tourists of Sanibel, there is a place that may be one of the Florida Gulf Coast’s best kept secrets. The 17 mile long Pine Island is the kind of old-Florida community that is a breath of fresh air for those wanting something different. If laid-back, homey, quiet and friendly are assets that appeal to you, then Pine Island is the place to be and the Two Fish Inn is the place to stay.
 
Two Fish Inn owners Charlie and Jenny purchased the Two Fish Inn in St. James City on Pine Island and set the tone to match this unique community.
 
“We want our guests to feel relaxed. This is a place where you can just turn off your cell phone and computer and relax for a while,” Jenny told us.
 
The Two Fish Inn sits at the edge of a canal that leads out into the bay and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. Sitting on the dock, in the tiki hut, or in the pool and watching the boats sail by is a great way to unwind and enjoy a cold beverage.

 
The Two Fish Inn offers one and two bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens, living rooms, separate bedroom/bath and private patios.
 
Amenities include:
* Linens Bath Towels  
* Beach Towels           
* Queen/Full Beds      
* Iron/ Ironing Board
* Blow Dryer    
* Stove 
* Refrigerator  
* Microwave    
* Coffee Maker
* Cable TV       
* Dishes/Glasses
* Bike rentals
* Kayak rentals
* Propane Grills          
* Boat/Fishing Docks
* Tropical Pool
* Boat Rental (16ft. Skiff)       
* Fax/Copy Services (fee)     
* Fish Cleaning Station
* Herb Garden (useable)       
* Washer/Dryer (fee)  
* Wireless Internet      
* DVD Player/Movies
* Board Games           
* Gift Shop
 
Do you like to fish? Pine Island Sound, San Carlos Bay and Matlacha Pass are filled with Tarpon, Snook, Redfish, Flounder, Grouper, Tripletail and Sea Trout.
 
Captain Charlie offers fishing charters starting at $350 and include all licenses, tackle, bait and cold drinks.

           
Want to enjoy a beach day? Grab a boat or kayak and head on over to Picnic Island, just off the Southern tip of Pine Island. 
 
The Two Fish Inn is just 10 minutes by water from Sanibel Island, San Carlos Bay, Fisherman Key Island, Picnic Island, Sword Point, Merwin Key.
 
The Two Fish Inn in St. James City on Pine Island, Florida truly offers old-Florida hospitality in a boater’s paradise.
 
For more information, visit http://www.twofishinn.com/
 
For LGBT travelers, VisitFlorida offers a Travel Guide just for you - VisitFlorida LGBT Getaway Guide
 
Article by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong. Copyright 2015 Sunny Harbor Publishing. Contact Us: Sunny Harbor Publishing, PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321-446-7552. Email: SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com

Keywords: Two Fish Inn, St. James City, Pine Island, Sanibel Island, San Carlos Bay, Fisherman Key Island, Picnic Island, Sword Point, Merwin Key, Superior Small Lodgings, Steven Skelley, Thomas Routzong, FL, Florida,, gay travel, gay Florida, Gay Travelers Magazine,

Florida.com - deals on restaurants, concerts, sporting events and more

 

Florida.com - deals on restaurants, concerts, sporting events and more
 
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
 
Florida is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Whether you are a Florida resident or a traveler enjoying all the Sunshine State has to offer, you’ll want to get the best deals on restaurants, concerts, sporting events and more. Florida.com has been offering travel information and deals since 1994.
 
We asked Florida.com CEO David Kaleky to tell us more.
 
Can you please describe Florida.com in one sentence?
 
Since 1994, Florida.com has been providing visitors excellent travel information and deals in Florida. 
 
How did Florida.com get its start?
 
We got the domain when it was free in 1994. A company charged us $150 to register it. He then offered to buy it back from us, to which we obviously declined!
 
What does Florida.com uniquely offer to the potential traveler?

 
All travel websites have to offer the same basic rate for hotels. We can get around that by having a paid-to-join private area. We have 1000’s of hotels from Florida to Dubai at considerably lower rates.
 
I can show you examples where travelers can save $600 or more for a 4.5 star hotel compared to all the other sites.
 
The membership fee is paid for with one trip, with plenty left over. We also offer discounts on attraction tickets, ski resorts, Vegas and Broadway and much more.
 
How much does Florida.com cost someone looking for a good hotel deal?
 
$59.00 lifetime access will save a traveler $100’s if not $1000’s.
 
Why is Florida such an excellent travel destination?
 
We recently did a survey and found most people like the beaches.
 
However, from the South Beach nightlife, to Orlando attractions to Destin beaches and the Keys scuba diving, there is no end to why people come and live in Florida.
I am writing this to you outside, it is 81 degrees on Jan 2.  So we can say weather is also tops on that list. Of course you feel this, since you are in Rockledge!
 
Conclusion
 
Florida.com promises the best deals on restaurants, concerts, sporting events and more for only a $59.00 lifetime access fee.
 
For more information, visit http://www.florida.com 
 
Facebook users can visit https://www.facebook.com/Floridacom

Haulover Beach - South Florida's World Famous Clothing Optional Beach

 

Haulover Beach - Miami, Florida

Haulover Beach by Albert Pantaleon

Haulover Beach

South Florida's World Famous Clothing Optional Beach

By Steven Skelley & Thomas Routzong

Haulover Beach in South Florida is a) one of the most beautiful beaches in the world b) one of the most popular of Florida's many beautiful beaches c) a huge income source for the Miami Dade Park system and d) legally clothing optional!

Nude recreation is nothing new. Canadians, Europeans and South Americans have had clothing optional beaches for decades. Historians attest that the Olympics were originally contested in the nude.

More than twenty years ago, the Miami Dade park system responded positively to resident and visitor requests for a clothing optional beach at Haulover. The decision to designate Haulover Beach as clothing optional was a good one. Haulover Beach has been listed as one of the top ten beaches in the world by numerous travel publications.

South Florida Free Beaches/Florida Naturist Association, Inc. founded the clothing optional section of Haulover Beach Park in Miami in 1991 and mentors it through its volunteer Beach Ambassador program, establishing the model for an urban nude beach.

Though local officials originally balked at allowing a clothing optional beach, the South Florida Free Beaches/Florida Naturist Association, Inc. was able to prove public support, the legal right of beachgoers to equal access facilities for clothing optional recreation, and millions of dollars in unused funding that was specifically designated for the beach park. The efforts of the South Florida Free Beaches/Florida Naturist Association, Inc. resulted in huge financial and tourism gains for South Florida - Haulover Beach is the most visited tourist attraction in South Florida!

On some days, Haulover Beach draws as many as many as 10,000 beachgoers - that's with a $6.00 parking fee per car! Parking fees alone bring in more than $1,500,000 annually. Tourists coming to Haulover Beach spend an estimated $500,000,000 in South Florida during their visit. How many other Florida beaches generate that kind of income just by being open-minded and responding to the desires of residents and vacationers?

Haulover Beach is just yards from the busy traffic of A1A and yet it is completely unnoticeable because of foliage and sand dunes. Visitors park on the west side of A1A and walk through a tunnel under A1A to the beach. There is ample parking but the beach is so popular that it may be difficult to find a space on weekends or holidays.

According to the Miami Dade Parks Department, Haulover Beach has "pristine white sand shores, open ocean surf, various shaded picnic facilities, beautifully landscaped sand dunes, and concession stands. The beach is ideal for surfing as well as swimming...The entire beach is guarded by well trained lifeguards, who will inform beach patrons of existing weather and surf conditions. Across the street from the beach, Haulover Park has a full-service marina, tennis courts, sundries shop and kite shops."

Why kite shops? There is an annual Kite Festival! According to the Miami Dade Parks Department website, "Kites of all shapes and sizes from around the world will fill the sky for this...annual seaside kite festival... featuring food, music and activities for kite-lovers of all ages, including kite competitions, kite-building classes and kites for purchase. Festival Admission is FREE. Parking is $6."

The clothing optional section of Haulover Beach is clearly marked with signs stating, "Beyond this point you may encounter nude sunbathers." There are multiple, manned lifeguard towers for swimmers' safety. Vendors selling food and renting beach umbrellas and beach chairs line the rear of the beach area. Volleyball courts are available and beachgoers of all ages, sizes and shapes join in impromptu volleyball games more for fun than competition.

The North and South sections of the clothing optional area of the beach are separated by a lifeguard tower. Traditionally, couples and families seem to set up their blankets, umbrellas and chairs to the South of the lifeguard tower while GLBT beachgoers seem to set up just North of the lifeguard tower.

Everyone is welcome to sit wherever they like though and people from all backgrounds, ages, races, sizes and shapes walk the shoreline and talk freely. One beachgoer told us, "It is a very liberating feeling. Everyone is the same here. People don't hide behind their clothes or judge anyone because of their clothes here. People just walk up and start a conversation. I wish there were more places like this!"

Michael Kush of South Florida Free Beaches/Florida Naturist Association, Inc., believes that nudity has been a part of civilized human culture for thousands of years. "The Greeks held the willingness to appear nude as a hallmark of 'civilized' culture.Greek historians Herodotos and Thukydides state unequivocally that the Olympics were held in the nude. It is widely attested by ancient sources that both the athletes and their coaches were required to be nude for the Olylmpic events," he said.

Haulover Beach is located at 10800 Collins Avenue, Miami, FL. For more information visit -  http://www.miamidade.gov/parks/parks/haulover_park.asp

Parking is free for those who display a Handicap placard.

The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau welcomes LGBT travelers. Their website states, "Miami has a thriving Gay and Lesbian Visitors Center that promotes Miami as a year-round, gay and gay-friendly tourist destination. One of the world's hottest gay destinations, Miami Beach is high-energy and high fashion with exciting nightlife and 7 signature events throughout the year."

They offer a webpage dedicated to LGBT travelers at http://www.miamiandbeaches.com/camp/lgbt11/index.asp?ucid=MM2011-000332

For more information on South Florida Free Beaches/Florida Naturist Association, Inc.,  visit -  http://www.sffb.com

Directions to Haulover Beach:

From the North:

• Take I-95 south
• Exit East (left) onto Ives Dairy Rd. Go 1.2 miles to Biscayne Blvd. (Use right lane because there is a barricade separating the right turn lane).
• Turn South (right) onto Biscayne Blvd (US-1). Go 2.2 miles.
• Turn East (left) onto SR 826 Sunny Isles Blvd. Go 1.6 miles.
• Turn South (right) onto Collins Ave Rt. A1A.  Go 0.8 mile to first parking lot on right.

From the South:

• Take I-95 or US-1 north.
• Exit East (right) onto NW 125 St (SR 922) across Broad Causeway to Collins Ave.
• Turn North (left) onto Collins Ave (Rt. A1A). Drive 1.4 miles through Bal Harbour and cross bridge to Haulover Parking Lot.

Haulover Photograph by Albert Pantaleon - Courtesy of South Florida Free Beaches/Florida Naturist Association, Inc., http://www.sffb.com

Article by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong. Copyright 2011 Sunny Harbor Publishing. PO Box 560318 Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321044607552. Email: SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com 


Keywords: Haulover Beach, Haulover, naturist beach, nude beach, nudism, Florida nude, Florida nude beach, gay, gay beach, gay Florida, Steven Skelley, Thomas Routzong, gay travelers magazine

Vigeland Sculpture Park & Museum in Oslo, Norway

​Vigeland Sculpture Park & Museum in Oslo, Norway

By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong

Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo, Norway is a world famous tourist destination that is visited by tens of thousands each year. With more than 200 nude sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron symbolizing the emotions and experiences of human life, Vigeland Sculpture Park is a must-see in Oslo.

According to the Vigeland Park literature, the Wheel Of Life "sums up the dramatic theme of the entire park: Man's journey from cradle to grave, through happiness and grief, through fantasy, hope and wishes of eternity."

The unique sculpture park is Gustav Vigeland's lifework with more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron. Vigeland was also in charge of the design and architectural layout of the park. The Vigeland Park was mainly completed between 1939 and 1949.

Art lovers and photographers could easily spend several days here appreciating and contemplating Gustav Vigeland's view of the human experience.

The Vigeland Park is the world's largest sculpture park made by a single artist, and is one of Norway's most popular tourist attractions. The park is open to visitors all year round. You can learn more about Vigeland Sculpture Park at http://www.vigeland.museum.no/en/vigeland-park

Article and photos by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong Copyright 2019 Sunny Harbor Publishing Sunny Harbor Publishing, PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956 Phone: 321-252-9874 Email: SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com