Beach Vacation 4 Me It s Time to Rediscover Your Summer Vacation! When I think of summer vacation, I have fond memories of my dad coming home from work on the Friday evening before he would sing V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N In the Summer Sun. Now this dates me as it was sung by Connie Francis. The lyrics always make me smile as well as reflect on the summer vacations we had on Cape Cod. This newsletter is full of many ideas to assist you in rediscovering your summer vacation. It s time to take it slow, look around and savor two of the most spectacular barrier islands of southwest Florida. I guarantee you won t want to leave! Included in this newsletter you will find a great deal of information about Boca Grande and North Captiva Island as well as some of the surrounding areas we visited this year. We have a spectacular new home to introduce to you! I know you will enjoy reading about the Captivation Beach House. Let me just say it will WOW you! Mangoes, Tarpons and Turtles..it s that time of year! Matias from Boats and Fun has sent us some information on the many fun things they are offering. We even had some guests submit their top ten list from their Senior Spring Break trip to Boca Grande. Remember you can think of me as your travel coach. As your navigator I will provide you honest realistic information about traveling to one of these fantastic barrier islands. I pride myself in being customer focused. It s hard to believe this will be my tenth year doing a job I love so much. Experience has brought me great wealth of knowledge that I can share with you. Being a Florida licensed real estate broker I will provide an abundance of information about the properties and surrounding areas. I look forward to helping you rediscover your summer vacation. So come on, grab your flip flops and don t forget your sunscreen, let s go to the beach. Introducing Captivation Beach House Relax above the coconut palms in this remodeled luxury 4 BR/5 BA beach house. This secluded Preserve home has Ocean to Gulf Views featuring a screened Pool and Bar/ Gaming Area - Resort Privileges, Two golf carts: 6 passengers and 4 passengers; Sleeps 14 Captivation is close to beach, Island Club and Preserve, yet a private, quiet hideaway! We are accepting reservations beginning June 8 th. Don t miss out on the opportunity to stay is this luxury home. Let me just say it will WOW you! Details of our remodeling: Enjoy your Upper Captiva Vacation in a 2013 remodeled home towering over the Preserve. Captivation has large open spaces suitable for 2 large families or 4 couples, sleeping 11 in beds. Enjoy the fresh air on the large decks which circle both levels of Captivation or escape the heat in a private, nicely appointed screened pool and spa and the adjacent bar/gaming area - perfect for afternoon and evening relaxation. Witness the amazing 360 Degree views from the expansive vaulted ceiling 2 nd floor great room. Enjoy a margarita from the roof deck which gives you a view of the entire island and the spectacular sunrises and sunsets. New paint, new wood flooring, new furniture, new kitchen appliances, 6 brand new flat panel TVs and Direct TV just waiting for you in this lightly used home owned by caring owners. Captivation is ideal for large family gatherings, with great spaces to escape, relax or entertain on island time. Bring the kids and babies! Contact Information Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker Phone 866-587-3200 Mobile 740-334-8840 Beac h V a c a t i o n s 4 M e L L C MAY 2013 www.beachvacation4me.com Inside this issue: Properties 2 Tarpon Season 3 BYOB 3 Mangos 4 Loggerheads 4 Senior Trip 5
Page 2 Great Properties Summer openings Captiva Beach Sunset on North Captiva - 5 Bedroom / 5 Bath - Gulf Front - private pool - Two golf carts Sleeps Fourteen Two Weeks remaining this summer: Week of June 29 and Week of July 27 Conch House 3 Bedroom 2.5 Bath pool with Tiki Bar Steps from the beach, relax on our 4th floor view deck s June Specials: Availability June 1 thru the 22nd Key Lime Time - 5 Bedroom / 5 Bath, Pool, Hot tub, Sleeps 12 300 feet from the Gulf Available: June specials now Crew s Nest 3 Bedroom / 3 Bath sleeps up to ten, pool, two golf carts, One week remaining in June 16 23rd Last half of July is open. Reservations Please!! If you are a person who likes to order on-line or forgo the phone conversation to schedule plans for your vacation, www.ncicr.com is the North Captiva Island Club on-line reservation tool. Along with scheduling your water taxi, ordering groceries, request a boat slip; you can now book your dinner reservations at the Boat House Restaurant. Many guests have commented this has been very helpful in making their plans. Boats and fun is ready for this summer! We have upgraded our boat and wave runner fleet and have purchased new professional grade standup paddle boards. Several of our new Boats and Fun crew members bring exciting expertise as never before! Heather is an experienced surfer and yoga fitness paddle board instructor. Captain Eric is a world class fishing captain, who has fished all over world, and has hosted his own fishing show on ESPN. Also the rest of our amazing crew of Robin, Alberto, Mike, Santiago and Matias, are ready like always to take you boating, jet skiing, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, dolphin touring, island hopping, or anything fun to do on the water. "Get wet, have fun, and make memories." Boats and Fun is ready to make your vacation at North Captiva Island as exciting as you want it to be! www.boatsandfun.com 1(800)991-3259 Submitted by Matias
Page 3 Tarpon Season Starts in MAY Growing to lengths of more than eight feet and weighing more than 280 pounds, it is easy to see why the tarpon is one of the most sought after saltwater gamefish in the world. It's habitat is close to the shoreline so fishermen of all types and skill levels can catch them. If you have ever had the privilege of hooking up on a big tarpon then you know the exhilaration and thrill of testing yourself in battle against one of the most sought after gamefish in the world. This distinction is easy to see at first glance as the tarpon starts a series of spectacular acrobatic leaps in the air that will have your heart pounding, your rod bending and your drag screaming. You better hold on! Fishing for the tarpon can at times be an excercise of patience and discipline. You may be surrounded by large schools of rolling tarpon containing hundreds of fish and they will not hit anything you throw at them. Other times, it is a feeding frenzy. So, go fishing for tarpon every chance you get, that next world record catch may be waiting just for you. B.Y.O.B. Bring your own boat! There is nothing more fun than boating when you are visiting Southwest Florida. Many folks who own their own boat will ask about bringing a boat on vacation. On Boca Grande boats can be launched at Uncle Henry s Marina. http:// www.unclehenrysmarina.com You can launch your boat and rents slips as well. For guests bringing a boat to North Captiva, boats can be launched from the Fisherman s Co-op (this must be arranged via the North Captiva Island Club) or they can be launched at the Pineland Marina http://www.pinelandmarina.com. There are some special properties on the island that offer slips with their rentals. Check out the homes listed below: These homes book up quickly during the summer months. So remember you can B.Y.O.B. on your vacation to Southwest Florida. B.Y.O.B. Homes that include a slip... Dolphin Den 3 BR/2.5 BA with Pool, Hot Tub and Slip Included Very few dates remaining This home is pet friendly too. It s a family favorite! Rum Cove Pull you boat right up to the house Slip located at the harbor The Rum Cove dock can accommodate multiple boats or large boats. 4 BR/ 5 BA with Pool, Pool Bar and two golf carts You won t want to leave this house awesome pool bar with TV poolside June 22 available; July 6 and 27th weeks available Rum Point 5 BR/3.5 BA with Pool, dock and two golf carts July is booked, but we have some June specials now! This house is fun, poolside and inside (pool table) Sleeps up to 12 people. Great Family Home!
Page 4 Loggerhead Turtles Each summer from May through August, something wondrous happens along our beaches: An ancient mariner, the loggerhead sea turtle, leaves the water during the night and crawls ashore to lay her eggs in a sandy nest. The task of excavating a nest may take her over an hour to accomplish. The turtle - weighing several hundred pounds - laboriously digs a nest cavity with her rear flippers. She then deposits approximately 100 pliable ping-pong ball sized eggs into the chamber, covers them with sand and returns to the sea. After roughly a two-month incubation period, a cluster of tiny hatchlings emerges from the sand and scrambles to the Gulf. Unfortunately, their sea-finding ability can be disrupted by lights from buildings and streets. Confused, the hatchlings wander inland and are crushed by vehicles or die from heat exhaustion in the sunlight. Loggerhead Turtle Facts: Loggerheads are air-breathing reptiles, scientific name Caretta caretta The common name refers to the turtle s large head Loggerheads are the most common sea turtles in Florida. Weighing 250-400 pounds, adults can grow to more than three feet in length. Hatchlings are two inches long. Nesting occurs from May through August. Hatching may extend through October. The nest cavity is 18-22 inches in depth. Incubation period of the eggs in their sandy nest is 55-65 days. Danger of Extingtion Most adult loggerhead turtles nest every other year or every third year, laying several clutches of eggs during a nesting season. Only a small percentage of hatchlings survive to maturity! Loggerhead turtles have existed on Earth for millions of years with little serious threat to their survival - until recently. Pollution, lighted beaches, loss of nesting habitat, drowning in shrimp nets and other fishing gear have contributed to the drastic decline of these and other sea turtles. Mango Mania! Did you know that no other states report the production of mangos? Consequently, Florida is the main United States producer of this fruit. Mango Mania is festival held at the German American Social Club, 2101 S.W. Pine Island Road, Cape Coral starting July 13th. Festivalgoers can taste and buy their fill of just-picked mangoes of assorted varieties, many not available in supermarkets. They can learn how to grow their own and buy a tree. There's music, dancing and even some non-mango comestibles for anyone who simply can't live on mangoes alone. If you don t have time to go to the festival, order mango s from the market or stop at one of the local fruit stands on the way to the marina. The fruit vary in shape (kidney, round, oblong, oval) and weight ranges from a few ounces to five pounds. Although the fruit will ripen on the tree, it is usually picked green and will ripen quickly. The fruit is just delicious. Why not celebrate your own mango mania while visiting North Captiva!
Page 5 Olde Fisherman House Marina Olde Fish House Marina From their docks to your table! My husband and I are always searching for restaurants to recommend to our guests. I am not sure how we have missed this one over the years of traveling to North Captiva. Located at 4530 Pine Island Road NW in Matlacha, the Olde Fish House Marina eatery offers some the freshest seafood in the area. Boats regularly unload their catch right at the docks. The atmosphere is very laid back with picnic tables. The menu is located on a black board and you order right outdoors (take out). Mike and I shared a snapper Ruben. It was delicious. We both commented on the unique coleslaw that came with our meal. The recipe included coconut and pineapple. It was awesome. In addition to the prepared dishes, you can also purchase fresh fish at the marina store. Whether you want a bite to eat on the way or returning from the Island, we highly recommend the Olde Fish House Marina. It is scrumptious. Senior Trip to Boca Grande! I thoroughly enjoyed hearing from some friends that recently stayed on Boca Grande for their Spring Break in March 2013. For many of these families it was their daughter s senior year of high school. There was an abundance of stories from week at Boca Grande so I asked them to provide me their top ten list. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Southbeach Restaurant Fishing with Bo Johnson www.fishtenacity.com Bo & Deidra are a blast! Golf Carts fun to ride around with safe sidewalks to ride on. Overall super fun! Cute Downtown Delicious ice cream shops in town - Loose Caboose and Dolphin Cove Cafe The Light House great place for photos Pizza from Sisters restaurant Eagle Grill Miller s Dockside highly recommend Charlotte Harbor Clam Chowder Having a pool at their house great location too! Easy walk to the beach. The island was very clean and people were friendly.