Beach Vacation 4 Me New Year s Resolution 2013 Plan Your Vacation to Paradise! Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. We were blessed to have a full house again this year. That is truly the best part of the holiday for my husband and me. For our family, this is a time when we are all together that we can do some planning for the year ahead, and that means planning vacations. We have found that when you feel the bug to get a little sand between your toes (it s inevitable this time of year), sometimes you just got to get up and go. Our family would like to welcome you this year to the Islands we love! Beac h V a c a t i o n s 4 M e L L C JAN 2013 Island and Boca Grande are two locations where time has been forgotten. Rush hour is a time when you need to take a mad dash to the beach or roof top deck to see a breathtaking sunset. Perhaps only here does one so keenly appreciate the simple joys of island life. I had tried to include some interesting articles from my travels this past year. In addition, I have some wonderful homes featured too. The trend in reserving properties at both locations is occurring earlier and earlier each year. My recommendation is not to wait to make your plans for 2013. Feedback and reviews are something I take very seriously. I have included some cherished reviews on page two. Though these are all wonderful, we do take critical feedback about improvement seriously. The owners want to know how they can improve and have worked with the management company on the improvements you suggested. Owners have been painting, purchasing new furnishings, replenishing inventory, etc to make this season one of the best ever. Thank you for your constructive feedback as well as kind reviews. We (homeowners, management and me) realize there is always room for improvement. As always, my goal is to provide personalized vacation planning to both Island and Boca Grande. I know I share this sentiment in each time I write. My goal is to listen to your needs, match you with the perfect beach home and guide you through the travel maze. I do this from my thorough knowledge of each property and experiences I have had doing just what you will be doing..traveling! Whether you want to go low budget or all out, I have the answers to fit your needs. You can think of me as your travel coach. I am customer focused, open to feedback and truly want your vacation experience to be wonderful. Being a licensed Florida Real Estate broker and having over ten years experience, I can bring you a wealth of knowledge to plan the perfect vacation. I hope one of your resolutions for 2013 is to plan that family vacation you have been thinking about for so long. Why not plan to Revive, Refresh and Decompress this year on Boca Grande or Island. I promise I will find the perfect home to fit your needs. So grab flip flops and don t forget the sunscreen. Let s go to the beach! Contact Information Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker Phone 866-587-3200 Mobile 740-334-8840 www.beachvacation4me.com Inside this issue: Guest Reviews 2 Great Properties 3 Paddleboards & Golf Carts 4 Boats N Fun 5 Air Boat 5 Let s Rapp it up! 6
Page 2 REVIEWS WE LOVE TO SHARE Captiva Beach Sunset - 5 Bedroom / 5 Bath - Gulf Front - private pool - Two golf carts Although we drove only a short way from Miami, it seems as though we set foot in paradise, 1000 miles away. The weather was beautiful the entire week with only a 15 minute shower on Thursday. The house is absolutely fantastic! We are 3 generation family of 12 (6 adults 6 children and a set of 9 month old triplet girls. We never felt crowded and everyone had their own space. We enjoyed a week of great meals in your fabulous kitchen. We will be back! Available weeks of Feb. 23; March 2 and March 16 th Rum Cove 4 Bedroom / 5 Bath pool slips Landing rights 2 Golf Carts s I can't say enough good things about this lovely property. The house has beautiful decorator furnishings, high quality linens and nice touches throughout. The kitchen is very well appointed with new appliances. We cooked several meals for our whole group without a problem. We came for a family reunion and felt the setting met the requirements of everyone from grandparents to grandkids. The pool was a favorite! Also the location can't be beat. It is a short walk to the Island Club and a short boat ride or golf cart ride anywhere else you would want to go. The owners are incredibly nice and everyone we interacted with was super helpful. Truly a great experience. I can't wait to go back! Available weeks of Feb. 16; March 9 th For Big Groups we had another 5 bedroom property. These two homes make for great family reunions! Rock Star Beach House (2 Bedroom Sleeps Six) was wonderful and we thank you so much for making it available. My husband and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary recently and we were trying to come up with a dream trip to acknowledge such an important milestone. I am so glad we found and she helped us to decide on RSBH. Staying there was like staying at a friend's home. Relaxed and comfortable. Amy could not have made us feel more welcome when she greeted us at the water taxi with Kenzie. Amy was also very quick to answer any questions. Kudos all around to everyone! Your home is first class. Available weeks of March 23 and 30 th Booked Cinco de Mayo 4 BR/Sleeps 10 in beds Pool We had the most wonderful time at Cinco de Mayo on Island...the house was beautiful and comfortable at the same time, the location was ideal for a true getaway, we enjoyed sunsets on the beach every night and moonrises on the roof of the house as well. It was great to be able to walk to the beach and the pool - and we had such a blast on our day-long boat tour of nearby islands with Matias as our captain of the Boats and Fun tour. Loved the screened-in porch and outdoor shower, too. For a group of old college friends who wanted a beautiful and homey-feeling place to get away together, reconnect and reminisce, Cinco de Mayo was perfect. Available week of March 9 and March 16; Special rate for 6 nights available beginning March 3 rd. Reel Paradise If you are looking for a relaxing and beautiful getaway, reel paradise will not disappoint! They have all the amenities needed. The pool area is perfect with a really nice tiki bar area with a grill and mini fridge. The kids loved playing in the pool. It is perfect because you can spend the day at the beach, which is super close, and then hang out at the pool in the afternoon. You can grill out while the kids play. We also love the open layout of the kitchen/living room area. It also has a nice size screened in porch, which is very helpful in keeping the bugs away (mosquito and no-see-ums) I can go on and on about this home... we really enjoy our stay here every year!!! Available week of March 9th ($1800 plus tax) and March 16 th. ($2200.0 plus tax)
Page 3 Great Properties Great Dates Available ByDesign Gulf front 6 Bedrom duplex Internet Sleeps 12 or 6 if you only need one side. Many owner updates! One side is open for March 30th. Lazy Dolphin 4 Bedroom / 4 Bath Private pool Internet sleep 8 Just added a sleep sofa. Coral Reef 4 bedroom / four bath Pool Internet Two golf carts Available 2/2 2/9 then April 7th on. What the Shell 4 Bedroom / 4 Bath Pool Internet swimming strokes, first aid, April Dates and Summer is booking fast. March 15th to 21st six night special Island Queen. Four Bedroom / Four Bath Pool Sleeps 8 Boca Grande Tarpon Tales Five Bedroom / Five Bath Pool Sleeps 14 Steps from the beach Available 2/16, 3/9 Special rates available only for remaining dates in January and February Sunset Cottage - 2 Bedroom / 2 bath Pool Sleeps six Boca Grande Shore Lane Four Bedroom / 3.5 Bath Beach Front Location, Location, Location Filling Quickly!! Availalble 3/10 to 3/23 Open Dates available in February and March
Page 4 BOATS and FUN 2013 Paddleboards and more At Boats and Fun we believe on delivering the very best customer experience. To accomplish this we start by treating everyone like our friends or family and doing everything like we would do it for them. With that we have been thinking on how we could make your time even better. Paddleboards Paddleboards are the new thing, and we herd that our customers didn t just want a stand up paddleboard but they wanted a really good paddleboard, so we are proud to say that we now have professional grade paddleboards for rent at Boats and Fun! Golf Cart Rentals Over the last few years we have herd that our guest really needed another option with having another golf cart, We have decided to start a pilot golf cart rental program offering a limited number of golf carts as we learn how we can delivery the very best experience and equipment. And they are available to reservation right now. Photography Another big part of having an amazing trip, vacation, anniversary or wedding is being able to remember it and what better way to do this that with some great images that captured some of the best moments. Matias Photo is has been capturing that special moments from weddings to family portraits for over 8 years in SW Florida and now its new home base is, Matias Photo specializes on weddings and families with rates that affordable for everyone. Boat Rental Fleet Our boat fleet has never been better this year we have upgraded over half of the fleet to be able to offer larger and better boats, so not only will you be able to have a reliable boat but one with plenty of power and the little luxuries that you would not expect from a rental boat. As always we offer Jet ski tours, fishing charters, totally customized trips, taxi and great gift shop to make sure your time is amazing!! Article from Matias Barbero Paddling with Mel - Kayak Guide Over the Thanksgiving holiday my husband and I were invited to take a kayak tour with Mel the guide. We set sail from Barnacle Phils with Mel as our leader. He reviewed all the safety features prior to our expedition. His knowledge of the area and wild life was amazing. He shared many amusing history tales during our travels. It was great fun and definitely a spectacular work out! Don t forget your sunscreen a big bottle of water. Contact Barnacle Phils for this awesome experience!! The Inn Bakery - Boca Grande On our recent day trip to Boca Grande, my daughter and I recharged with a cup of coffee from the Inn Bakery. What a spectacular surprise we found. Located at 384 E. Railroad Avenue in Boca Grande, the baker is open daily. This casual café offers a wide variety of signature coffees, morning pastries, desserts, inventive lunch fare and afternoon snacks, all under the direction of The Inn s culinary team. For the lunch crowd, the bakery offers a variety of sandwiches, soups, chili and sides. Signature sandwich selections include blackened tuna nicoise and spicy shrimp salad, as well as classic favorites like pesto parmesan ham and double Gloucester cheese. We both left with a delicious cup of coffee (iced coffee for my daughter), but know we will return for some yummy treats on our next trip. The Inn Bakery is a wonderful place to enjoy a casual cup of coffee or treat with a friend.
Page 5 STUCK EM DEEP ~Florida Air Boat Adventures~ Stuck em Deep is the first guide service in our area to offer outdoors enthusiasts authentic Florida fishing and hunting adventures by airboat - the most environmentally friendly vessel propelled in a forward direction by an aircraft-type propeller and powered by an automotive engine. Adventures encompass saltwater and freshwater fishing/ bowfishing; gator hunting; frogging; and scenic tours through some of the most beautiful estuaries Southwest Florida has to offer. Our 16 ft. custom Scorpion Airboats are powered by state-of-the-art Water Thunder motors, and the top of the line electronics by Lowrance. Experienced Captains are licensed and insured. All equipment and licenses are provided. So whether ya want a night filled with bowfishing, or just an hour ride gliding into the evening setting sun - all you need is a smile, camera, and beware of the addiction! ** Starting in February ** Article from Bo Johnson Island Bike N Beach - Boca Grande On our typical black Friday trip to Boca Grande, my daughter and I get our Lilly Pulitzer fix at the Palm On Park. We then rent a golf cart and zip down to South Beach Grill for our grouper Ruben as we enjoy the gulf views. This year we were out of luck with renting a golf cart and knew the 2 mile walk to South Beach was not on our plan so we ventured in to the Island Bike N Beach shop. What a fun time we had with our bike rental. It was a blast. The Bike N Beach shop is located at 333 Park Avenue. The staff at the shop fitted us with bikes that were the perfect size. They provided baskets for our packages and had helmets for us as well. The rental price was fair and we all said we would do this again. The Tropic Ten Boca Grande WOW Amazing Remodel TASTEFUL RELAXATION awaits you at TROPIC TEN - a bright sun filled beachfront townhome that has been beautifully updated to include every amenity desired for an ideal beach vacation. The Tropic Ten features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, pool, tennis, beachfront and more. Our recent remodeled kitchen includes modern appliances, granite countertops, mini bar with freestanding high capacity ice maker, freestanding 48 bottle wine refrigerator, and is stocked with virtually every type of pot, pan, cup, glass, and small appliance made.
Page 6 Introducing Limited Time offer New Rental Only available week of March 23 and 30 Accepting reservations now! Escape Beach House 4 BR/2.5 BA Approximately 600 feet from the Gulf Private Beach Access Sleeps up to 7 people $3000.0 plus sales tax for a 7 night stay Exit housekeeping and golf cart included LET S RAPP IT UP UP!! Some of my Favorite Things on Boca Grande & 2012 1. Chartering the Just For Fun for a sunset cruise you can do this too! 2. Day Trip to Boca Grande renting Bikes from Bike N Beach 3. Sandie s Grocery Service what a joy arriving with all my groceries stocked in the house 4. Jet ski Tour with Boats and Fun 5. Bartenders Suzie (aka Brian) and Hillary at the pool bar 6. Mantees, Dolphin and Turtles 7. The Grouper Ruben Sandwich at South Beach Grill Boca Grande 8. Having a chardonnay enjoying the sunset from the roof top 9. Hike through the state preserve on Thanksgiving morning 10. Fishing with Captain Bo Tenacity Guide Service 11. Participating in Island Clean Up 12. Lunch on the Pink Elephant Boca Grande 13. Close encounters with Sea Turtles 14. Tarpon Fishing Boca Grande Sound Unbelievable site to see 15. Pizza Party with dear friends on 16. Spending a weekend with 14 college students from Elon University 17. Watching the Florida Gators with my favorite Gator Fans at the Cinco De Mayo!