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June 30, 2010
Posted June 30th, 2010 at 9:54 pm by Michele Harrison
I wanted to take a moment to let everyone know that there is no oil on our beaches here in Naples!
With all the coverage lately showing oil coming ashore in other areas of the Gulf of Mexico, it is important that we get the word out that Collier County has not seen any of it yet on our coastline. In fact, the Naples Daily News reported that the county’s summer marketing campaign has focused on the message that the beaches are clean and the county is open for business. According to Collier County’s Tourism Director, Jack Wert, surveys have shown that the the “unspoiled environment” and the “white, sandy beaches” were the most influential factors bringing visitors to our area lately.
Stated in a recent report given to County Commissioners:
- “There were 111,700 visitors staying in hotels or other short-term rentals last month, up 3.9 percent from 107,500 in May 2009.”
- “Hotel occupancy rose 2.3 percent in May, compared to the same month a year ago.”
- “The total economic impact of tourism reached nearly $98.3 million last month, up 5.4 from a year ago.”
Even with the above positive statistics related to tourism, I think there is some concern that exists out there about vacationing on Florida beaches in general. People have to be told explicitely that our area is fine; otherwise, they assume our beaches look like the ones they are seeing on the national news.
Make sure to spread the word!
Categories: 55+ Living, Boating, Environment, Human Interest, Naples News
Tags: beaches, Collier County, Collier County Tourism Director, county commissioners, economic impact, Florida, Florida beaches, Gulf of Mexico, hotel occupancy, hotels, Jack Wert, Naples, Naples Daily News, no oil in Naples, short-term rentals, tourism, unspoiled environment, white sandy beaches —
May 25, 2010
Posted May 25th, 2010 at 8:17 pm by Michele Harrison
What do you really know about the oil spill? Have you been able to follow everything that has been going on? Does some of it seem a bit confusing?
I know that I have heard a great deal of information about the spill, but I have not always been able to follow the explanations given. They sometimes get a bit technical and are hard to understand. For those of us not completely up to speed with the oil and gas industry, I thought it would be helpful to pass the below link along…
http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9033573&contentId=7061702
Granted, the link takes you to a section on the BP website, which some may say can be seen as slanted in their favor, but at least it gives detailed information to help explain what has been going on with the containment and clean up efforts. This section of the site contains: write-ups, images, videos and diagrams to help users understand what is and has been going on with this whole situation.
When you can find a few minutes, I would suggest checking it out!
February 24, 2010
Posted February 24th, 2010 at 9:15 am by Michele Harrison
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ride on a camel? Did you know that camels can carry as much as 1,000 pounds on them during a safari causing them to be known as “ships of the desert?” Even if you haven’t ever thought about this before, doesn’t it sound kind fun and intriguing? Well, the Naples Zoo has just started offering camel rides to patrons visiting the zoo this season.
With the Zoo always looking to promote conservation and education, they have decided to offer camel rides for the first time in the Zoo’s 41 years of being open. The Zoo is trying to get people to learn about “strange” animals, and boy does this speak to that. These animals weigh 2,000 pounds and stand 8 feet, 6 inches tall. The two at the zoo right now actually came to Naples in a semi-truck.
According to National Geographic, camels have been domesticated for approximately 3,500 years. The camels at the zoo are Arabian camels (also known as dromedaries) and have one hump. It is reported that camels can travel up to 100 miles in the desert without water because of the fat stored in their humps that they break down into water and energy for survival in such harsh conditions. These animals also don’t sweat, so when they actually consume water they can conserve it for very long periods of time. I have read that if they are really thirsty they can consume 30 gallons of water at one sitting…yikes!
If you are up for a little fun and adventure, you should head over to check this out at the Zoo off Goodlette-Frank Road. The rides cost $5 on top of zoo admission, and are available from 11am to 4:45pm daily. The two camels’ names are Joshua, 12, and Josephine, 11. The owners of the animals, the Sears, say the camels are bathed every day and don’t spit. Apparently, they have raised these two animals since they were born as “preemies” at their farm called the Hole in the Wall Farms, a nonprofit animal sanctuary in Ohio. Hopefully, you can find some time to go check it out.
Enjoy and send pictures!
Categories: 55+ Living, Environment, Human Interest, Naples News
Tags: animal sanctuary, Arabian camels, Camels Camel rides, conservation, education, Florida, Goodlette-Frank Road, Hole in the Wall Farms, Naples, Naples Zoo, National Geographic, safari, ships of the desert, water —
January 6, 2010
Posted January 6th, 2010 at 9:15 pm by Michele Harrison
Like many others in Southwest Florida, I have a great respect and appreciation for nature and the wildlife that inhabits our area. I know how lucky we are in SWFL that we get to experience the raw beauty of so many species living in paradise. Unfortunately, many people today living and working in highly populated cities may never take the chance to experience nature at its best like we get to every day.
While it is somewhat common for us to see dolphins, fish, birds and manatees in our waterways, we had a unique situation occur a few days ago when a leatherback sea turtle came ashore. For those of you who have been following the news, you know that she was first spotted on Monday morning on the beach at Delnor-Wiggins State Park in Collier County where they figured her weight to be between 500 to 600 pounds. She looks absolutely beautiful from the images! According to the Collier County Parks & Recreation organization, it is the first time in history that one of these types of turtles has come on our local shores. Apparently, she had made her way to us all the way from Costa Rica.
At first they thought she may have been nesting due to patterns she had made in the sand, but now they think she may have been affected by the cold weather. She was helped back into the water where she eventually swam out of sight. Then she popped up in Bonita Springs yesterday morning and officials decided to go ahead and get her transported to the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida. Upon evaluating the turtle they found her to be in critical condition, but they have since stabilized her and are monitoring her around the clock.
I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about this because it makes me proud to live in an area that has so much respect and compassion for nature. People here take situations like this very seriously and do whatever they can to help. Personally, I try to get involved as much as possible and am actually a member of both the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the Humane Society of Naples. IFAW was actually started by some friends of mine back in Cape Cod and is the organization that single handedly stopped the Canadian seal industry from clubbing baby white seals for their coats. Thank gosh for groups like this that make a difference for animals each and every day.
There is an unspoken agreement here that if we are lucky enough to live, work and play around such beauty, we have to be responsible enough to make sure we do what it takes to keep our area the natural wonder that it is. I am sure everyone agrees with me in saying that we hope for the best for the turtle, and thankfully she is in the best hands now to be rehabilitated and set back into the wild.
Categories: Environment, Naples News
Tags: baby white seals, Bonita Springs, Cape Cod, Collier County, Collier County Parks & Recreation, Costa Rica, Delnor-Wiggins State Park, Florida, Humane Society of Naples, IFAW, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Leatherhead Sea Turtle, Mote Marine Laboratory, nature, Sarasota, Southwest Florida, SWFL, turtle, wildlife —
December 6, 2009
Posted December 6th, 2009 at 11:24 pm by Michele Harrison
Beautifully decorated boats were a hit!
Wow, we really live in paradise here in Southwest Florida! My husband and I attended the boat lighting and holiday festivities at the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club the last few days and you can’t help but be reminded about what a beautiful area we live in with events like this. Not only are we lucky enough to live in an area with some of the best boating and waterways in the country, but we also have a climate here that lets us enjoy the water all year round including the holiday season – can it get any better than this?!
I am constantly thinking about all the sailing and power boating I did up on Cape Cod, which was great as well, but the weather down here is unmatched. How many others get to celebrate holiday boat lightings in 70 degree weather? There may be an incident or two that you can recall, but for the most part, this is only reserved for a few paradise locations in the world like Naples, FL.
Seeing all the different boats adorned with lights and decorations is simply amazing. When you think about the unique and graceful elegance that each vessel has in its own construction, imagine how wonderfully they all look when they are gussied up for the holiday season. It is definitely a sight to see!
Of course, while the boats were the main attraction at the event, spending time with our friends was just as enjoyable. We truly take pleasure in every moment we get to spend with our boating friends and always come away with stories and memories that we will cherish. There is a casual comfort and understanding out there between boaters and a satisfaction in plotting a course, setting sail, and reaching a destination that others can’t appreciate until they experience it.
We are so thankful every day that we are healthy enough to enjoy occasions like this and spend time on our boat with our friends in the magnificent Florida waterways. We are truly blessed!
Next Saturday night we get to participate in the Naples Boat Parade on one of Marine Max’s Sea Rays.
Categories: Boating, Environment, Holiday Wishes, Naples News
Tags: Boat lighting, boaters, Boating, Florida, friends, Marine Max, Naples, Naples Boat Parade, Naples Sailing and Yacht Club, plotting a course, reaching a destination, sailing, Sea Rays, setting sail, Southwest Florida, waterways, Yacht Club —
October 8, 2009
Posted October 8th, 2009 at 12:56 am by Michele Harrison
Harrison crew
Yesterday’s article in the Naples Daily News about Man Helping Manateeby Elysa Batista was certainly an inspiring one. In south west Florida we share our waterways with the wondrous manatee, often called the sea cow. As the waters cool with the passing of summer and the start of fall the slow moving mammals to find their way into the warmer shallows, often boating channels or salt water shallow flats. In the case of the big guy this morning, his lumbering speed didn’t get him out to deeper waters in time for the low tide retreat and the forming of a sandbar at Clam Pass just south of Pelican Bay. Luckily for him (her), a couple out for an early morning stroll spotted him and alerted the Collier County Sheriff’s department and Cpl. Carmine Marceno, along with Collier deputies, Collier parks rangers and Pelican Bay District staff worked feverishly to create the pathway that led the manatee out to deeper waters. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist Denise Boyd said the stranding was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
This story, a happy ending for sure, reminded me of our local author Randy Wayne White and his character Doc Ford, another marine biologist. As far as my husband and I are concerned, we are a couple of the growing cult following Randy and his writings since his first book dating back to 1990. Randy was a light-tackle fishing guide at Tarpon Bay Marina, Sanibel Island for 13-years, did more than 3,000 charters, and draws heavily on those experiences for his novels about Dr. Marion Ford and friends at Dinkin’s Bay. Since the area that he writes about is the area that we boat in most often, we truly feel we are living characters of his writings. His words bring to life the area waters, beaches, and local characters like no other I know, aside from John D. MacDonald and the Travis McGee series.
We are blessed in south west Florida to have calm waters most of the year and can easily run from Naples to Key West or north to Sanibel, Captiva, Boca Grande and Useppa. The waters are the most gorgeous aqua to deep Safire blue and even margarita lime on the occasion. Wildlife abounds with manatee lumbering, dolphin playing and sea turtles flapping their way.
As my husband Tom, along with our Yorkies Sophie and Sadie enjoy our boating trips this fall, I will be writing in the ships log (my blog) to share, as best I can, those gems we come across in our travels along the coast of south west Florida.
Categories: Boating, Environment
Tags: boating with dogs, Boca Grande, Doc Ford, FantaSea, John D. MacDonald, Key West, manatee, Naples boating, Port Royal, Randy Wayne White, Royal Harbor, Sanibel Captiva, Sanibel Flat, sea ray, ships log, Travis McGee, Useppa —
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