The first
and only time I went scuba diving was 12 years ago while on a Windjammer Barefoot
Cruise through the Genadines. This small fleet of majestic wooden sailing ships
are long gone, but the memories of that dive are strong. Some lads from Bequia with
diving gear met the boat, gave us a quick lesson on how to use the regulator,
the breathing apparatus that makes scuba diving so relatively easy compared to snorkeling,
and they threw us in the water. We were told to breathe slowly and deeply and relax.
It was easy for me even though I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but the
water was warm and visibility was forever. Never getting deeper than 20 feet we
slowly made our way through the crystal water for about 30 minutes. I was awestruck
by the beauty and the freedom I felt as I slowly swam in this new world. I saw
a Manta Ray that had buried itself in the sand flit away when I neared it. I
saw a little fish look at me astonished when I swam over his hiding spot inside
a sponge.
It was
joyous and I have to thank Janet for it. She’s a PADI (Professional Association
of Diving Instructors) certified OPEN WATER diver, which means she can go very
deep. On that trip long ago, she urged me to go out of my comfort zone to try
this incredible sport. Reason #17 why she’s a wonderful wife.
Sadly, that
was the only time we went scuba diving, until our recent trip to the
all-inclusive, Adults only, couples only, Sandals Grande Antigua resort. Scuba
diving was included in our stay along with all the gear, tanks, a dive boat and
a dive master. Along with various other activities like Hobie Cats, snorkeling and
paddle boards, the water sports at Sandals was an alluring draw.
As I was
not certified and Janet wanted a refresher class, we intended to take a quick
on-resort course that for a nominal fee would allow us to dive once a day while
at Sandals, but I quickly opted to take a full-blown course that would certify
me as a Scuba diver, which would be a lifetime achievement. The dive shop at Sandals
was able to look up Janet’s Open Water certification from the eighties which
made my decision, although costly at over $400, an easy one to make.
WALKING BEFORE RUNNING
I ran my first
marathon with no appreciable training. I was 29 and buoyed by youthful enthusiasm
and fueled by adrenalin I finished my first race, the Marine Corps Marathon, in
3:59:30, shouting “I f*cking did it” to the gathered Grunts greeting me in the
chute. They hooted and hollered with me! I completed this great task just on
sheer will.
I also
didn’t walk correctly for about a month afterwards.
I eventually
got to a PR of 3:35, but after that first race, I respected the enormity of the
event and did not take it lightly. I trained properly and never hurt myself
again. I learned to listen to my body and press when possible or ease off
whenever necessary.
I could
liken that first dive to my first marathon. Fueled by adrenaline and a natural exuberance
I was fearless and enjoyed the time, not realizing any of the inherent dangers
that come with diving. When I went for my certification at Sandals Grande
Antigua it was a sobering, eye-opening experience. Yes, the training included
how to use the regulator, as the lads from Bequia had long ago, but the main course
was what to do in various scenarios, like reading hand signals from the dive
master, like sharing your regulator with a dive buddy in need, like monitoring
your depth and how much available air you have with an SPG, like using a BCD vest
in an attempt to achieve neutral buoyancy, like clearing your mask underwater
and breathing without it for a while, like making an emergency ascent if you’ve
run out of air, like pausing at a safety stop for three minutes while ascending
as a prudent move against lung over expansion and decompression sickness.
Oh, my
word, my head was spinning throughout. Though it’s a beautiful sport, it comes
with a whole lotta rules and listed above is just a small sample of the
necessary steps to certification. With running, you just have to make sure your
shoes are tied and you drink fluids… and you do have to train.
LIONFISH
If you
decide to travel to Sandals Grande Antigua and get certified, ask for my
instructor Mr. Ivense George. I can’t afford to travel him around to be my
personal dive master, but we will be happy to help you. He was calming and patient whenever I got skittish; this can be a strenuous activity after all. He sought out a Lionfish to show us when I had expressed an interest in seeing this invasive fish. He guided me throughout the process of getting certified as a Scuba Diver and I could not have done it without him.
DIVE SPOTS SANDALS ANTIGUA
Now the next step is to get Open Water certification so I can dive like Janet to deeper waters.
You would
think that since Team VFH lingered in Florida for a number of days after our
September wedding we could and should have considered that glorious time as a honeymoon.
I mean, two birds, one stone correct? (sorry PETA)
Ha….. NO…
The wife
had other and MUCH better ideas.
Instead
we honeymooned at the Sandals Grande Resort in Antigua for a costly but lovely
week-long sojourn into decadence. This is not a decadence of debauchery or
depravity though, but one of luxury and pampering. Sandals is an all-inclusive,
ADULTS ONLY, COUPLES ONLY collection of Caribbean resorts. There are 16
scattered across the islands, and what makes this Jamaican-based company so
appealing is its attention to details. Our time at Sandals was relaxed and
romantic. From the manicured grounds to the picturesque sands of Dickenson’s
Bay, perhaps Antigua’s most beautiful beach. to a spacious room with a full bar
replenished daily, this trip had been wonderful way to ease into married life!
VACATIONING NOT TRAVELING
I can
only speak for Sandals Antigua, but I had found the experience unexpectedly delightful.
I had never considered an all-inclusive resort before, and have never traveled
to a foreign land just so I could loll about at the resort, but Janet insisted
on it for this honeymoon. It turned out to be a week-long floating whimsical trip.
Our only concern while at Sandals Grande Antigua had been where to eat or what
to order for room service, and what rum drink to order from the swim-up bar. Yes,
this was a vacation, not a traveling adventure, something I’ve never done
before, but I got used to this new approach to traveling pretty quickly…by the
second drink on the first day.
There are
11 restaurants and 7 bars scattered around Sandals Antigua. Food ranges from
sushi to seafood, Caribbean to French to Italian to Tex Mex…and a British pub. The
only extra cost to any meal was if we wanted something other than the house wine,
but drinks, extra appetizers, even extra entrees are all included.
There are
pools everywhere, two with swim-up bars. There are highly prized chaise lounges
at the pools and on the beach with some folks showing up super early in the day
to “claim” their perch either by the pool or the beach, but we were always able
to get a chaise lounge no matter what time we showed up. The brilliant
turquoise water of Dickenson’s Bay is as picturesque as it is warm and placid.
The sand is a fine soft tan powder. With the tranquil grounds and the catering,
and incessant flow of food and drink there was really no reason to explore the
island, although there were several off-campus tours available to us; things like
4x4 tours of Antigua, zip-line excursions and a visit to a rum distillery; albeit
for an extra cost.
LUXURY, CLUB, BUTLER
Normally
I would love to explore a new place, but with the size and the comfort level of
Sandals, there was really no reason to leave the campus. There are three levels
of accommodations available at all Sandals; Luxury, Club and Butler. All have
their merits. Janet briefly considered a Butler, but the cost was exorbitant.
The allure of someone taking care of our needs for the day, like scoring us a
cabana or a martini, wasn’t that strong. Besides, even at the lowest tier of accommodations,
Luxury, there still is an incessant flow of food and liquor. Yeah, at the
Luxury level you don’t have a personal butler so you get your steps in by having
to pad over to a bar to order yourself a drink. Often times though while we
were lounging on the beach or poolside someone from Sandals would, unsolicited, offer to
fetch us a drink or a new towel.
At the
Luxury level of accommodations wi-fi is at a nominal cost and there’s no hard
liquor available in the room’s refrigerator, just beer and wine.
We got a
Club level room, on the ground floor with a walk out balcony. With no ocean
view the price was a bit lower, but the convenience of being able to walk out
the back way was very pleasant. (We never got the hang of properly locking the patio
door.)
At our Club
level, we had a concierge service which we barely used, and room service, which
we used once. Our mini bar had an array of full bottles of liquors like scotch,
vodka, gin and rum, champagne, red and white wine and beer. I drank some beers,
and had a sip of rum, just to say I tried it, but we never opened the wine or the
champagne which was left for us as part of our honeymoon package. To put a dent
in the liquor in our room, we would have had to stay indoors for the entire
week. Yeah, I know it’s a honeymoon, but we’re old folks. Anyway, we had free
wi-fi, bathrobes and we were invited to a number of Club level events like cocktail parties which we never
attended. The staff would call us every once in a while, to ask us if
everything was okay….
WHY NOT?
Attention
to details is what makes Sandals so appealing. From the champagne greeting on our
arrival to the nightly “misting” that combats mosquitos etc., the incessant job
of sweeping sand off the walkways, the grooming of the beach and even to the
quiet leaf-blowers the staff use on the grounds to the security guards that
understatedly guard the property make the whole experience secure.
‘Why not,’ is the typical
response whatever our request, whether it was ordering two appetizers, or a
second (or third) helping of sushi, or another lobster tail at dinner or a
double shot latte at the Café de Paris or requesting the Don Julio Gold Tequila
for my margarita. The economy of Antigua & Barbuda is directly tied to
tourism, having shuttered many sugar cane fields and rum distilleries when the
country gained independence from England in the eighties, but this is no forced
joy in the people. All are friendly and affable, greeting us with wide smiles
and a sense of pride in their work. It was truly a joy to be at Sandals Grande Antigua.
OUR PATIO VIEW AT SANDALS
Overall the Sandals experience was overwhelmingly positive for us, so much so, we have decided to try another Sandals, this time in the Bahamas. SANDALS GRANDE ANTIGUA
Incessant
revelry is tough on the dry cleaning and the back and truthfully is it a party
if it happens every night? We know our fans are clamoring for our presence and
affections, but sometimes your humble moochers need quiet alone time and this
latest entry is about what is perhaps the perfect destination for your intrepid
sojourners. Needing to “get away” to a quiet, pastoral destination that also
offers an educational angle that is close to home and is free? Look no further
than the Upper Schuylkill Valley Park. The added perk of a witch’s tree towering
over the grounds is worth a visit alone.
Janet has
lived in the thriving metropolis of Collegeville in Montgomery County
Pennsylvania for over 20 years and though the USVP is just a few miles away
from the suburban sprawl that defines this area of South East PA, she has never graced
this truly enjoyable Montgomery County place. A lot of times I poke fun at
things, but this gem of a park is remarkable and well worth a visit. To linger
there for a while and watch the river slowly take its time allows one’s soul to
catch up with the day.
IT’S GOLD JERRY
The Upper
Schuylkill Valley Park is on Route 113 just before it makes a left turn over
the Schuylkill River and crosses into neighboring Chester County. Near the road
there is a rustic, collection of buildings that at first really don’t look very
inviting, but this is where the animals are located. There’s nothing fancy here,
but the park gives a visitor the opportunity to see relatively up close a
number of animals indigenous to the area.
There is a
bald eagle and other raptors, staring back menacingly. There are several owls,
a porcupine, a bobcat, a skunk and a mink. Also, in the indoor sections of the
ramshackle buildings are snakes, fish, turtles and frogs. In this area there is
a seasonal butterfly garden. In the back along the gently sloping hill that
leads to the Schuylkill River are large areas for donkeys and fowl like
chickens and ducks. When I first visited the park last summer, I found especially
fascinating a fox hiding in his den in one large enclosure and a pair of wolves
loping around their large section of the park, thankful there was a double
fence keeping them from me!
This is not
a petting zoo and dogs are not allowed on the park grounds, but it’s an easy
educational walk-through for children and adults. The park is free, but throughout
the year the park holds special events like, “Meet The Foxes”, or the “Frog Frolic” which carry a modest suggested donation request.
When my
kids were young, I would tell them witches lived in ominous gnarled or dead
trees. I think they believed me and would nod in agreement when we would see
them. The short road at the park leading down to the Schuylkill River has a
very impressive witch’s tree. I think it’s large enough to be a condo for
several witches.
Anyway, in
this area is a number of BBQ grills and picnic tables. There is a non-motorized
watercraft launch and a fishing pier and at the parking lot is a trailhead for
the Upper Schuylkill River Trail that leads to Phoenixville. Just a few miles
from our place, the park has become a pleasant stop when I need to get some fresh
air and some quiet time and watch the river slip along. It is a good serene place.
Much of
this blog has been about far away destinations, though that is not the original
concept. Begun in 2009 this humble traveling scribe set out to find the exotic
hidden jewels around the corner, not half way across the continent or the
globe. Yet, in the 10 years I’ve been keeping this travel ledger your favorite
cheap-ass moocher, along with my comely wife, the Rear Admiral Lower Half of
the Flagship VFH, Janet Lee, we have traveled to quite a few far off destinations. We are
regulars in certain pubs in Nantwich, England. We’ve crossed the Pennines,
hiked the medieval walls of York and Chester. We have witnessed the height of
the Protestant marching season in Liverpool. We have gone on pub crawls in
Bruges and Brussels, albeit short ones… We have watched the sun cast warm glows
on the Rockies while in Colorado. We have gotten lost in the hill country of
Texas and the backwater Cajun country in Louisiana where we’ve eaten every
critter known to God. We have visited barrier islands in Florida, Georgia and
South Carolina. We rented a catamaran and a captain to ply the Chesapeake Bay
on a frivolous celebration of my birthday. We have stared into Kilauea, hurtled
down the steep slopes of Haleakala on bikes, hiked the rim of Diamond Head and
dodged sea turtles on a green sand beach at South Point.
Doesn’t
sound much like a bunch of cheap thrills at all does it?
Mind you,
faithful readers, we have never completely abandoned our cheap ways throughout
this past decade. Yeah, we spend money sometimes, but we’ve also “inspired”
friends to invite us on vacations or given us unfettered access to their pools,
or into their homes for impromptu parties where they gleefully fling open their
well-stocked refrigerators brimming with sundries and beer, absolutely
delighted that we have graced their hearth with our humble presence.
Yes, we
are humble that so many people want to be near us, to bask in our glowing
persona, and we trust the invites will forever keep our calendar filled. We are
thankful for the kindness and love we are shown every day, so please don’t fret
if we cannot pencil you in just yet. Your time will come soon.
Seriously,
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Hug those close to you, reach out to those who may
be missing you. Just a phone call can transform what may be a difficult time of
year for some into a happy memory.
Come and listen to my story about a woman and a
man
A couple of old coots who had this wacky plan
About having a party and not caring if they’re
fools
And wouldn’t you know it they all jumped in the
pool
Wedding that is, Janet
and Greg’s
Well the first thing you know ol Greg’s a
married man
Said all the right words on that hot hot sand
Janet said there’s no place she’d rather be
Than celebrating near the Gulf of Mexi-key
Marco, that is. Swimming pools, sorority
sisters
The Marco Island Hillbillies
WHERE ARE WE?
At one
point during the weekend revelry celebrating my marriage to Janet, my brother,
who is a ski bum living in the hills of Colorado, looked out onto this oasis of
Marco Island and the soft colors of the gathering night sky and murmured that ‘we
don’t belong here’. He had a point, we are from the urban chaos of Harrison, NJ
where the only thing called “Oasis” is a darkened gin mill on the avenue.
But, did
that stop us from having a good time? Please….
Take
these Harrison Hillbillies, pair them up with a mess of Saucy Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority
sisters from Janet’s alma mater, Slippery Rock, and we partied long and well every
night for that long glorious weekend and when it was over, Marco Island seemed
relieved we all went home.
LOVE BOAT CRUISE DIRECTOR
Just one quick
explanatory note about this beautiful barrier island.… All this beauty on Marco
Island comes with a steep price. Case in point; at the local Dollar Tree store…
where everywhere else in these United States things cost just a dollar… on
Marco Island everything costs $1.50…and they also charge admission to enter the
store. Heck, even the dive bars are
expensive. We know this because our first port of call during our weekend
revelry was a high-end dive bar called Old Marco Pub.
You see,
Janet not only planned the wedding; finding the caterer, the entertainment and
that cake person; but also came up with activities for all of our guests
through the entire weekend. She often laments she hates being a “cruise
director”, but I feel she revels in the details. THAT IS WHY she is the captain
of this love boat.
We arrived
that Thursday and the first “event” was a get together with many of our friends
who traveled in for the wedding. We met at The Old Marco Pub, a local gin mill
that evening.
CLASSY DIVE BAR
You would
be wrong to judge a book by its cover, but The Old Marco Pub kind of looks like
a dive bar from the outside. We had been there before though and thought enough
of the place to return. The inside décor has a somewhat tired music motif with
album covers and backstage passes adorning the walls and there is a stage, but
as this was the off-season and a Thursday night, there were no live acts and
only MTV type music videos on the monitors above the bar, but the place is
clean, boasting a full bar and nice beer list with a number of local craft
beers and a great menu, featuring lots of seafood. It’s a bit expensive, but
the food quality is excellent and our little crowd had a good time there.
Illustrious
readers of this invaluable blog know that of all the toys a “friend” could
possess, having a boat gets them up up up on our “A” list. Along with a pool
and a well-stocked refrigerator having a boat to ply the waters around Marco is
a sure-fire way to get a thumbs up from Team VFH AND it just so happens that our hosts for the wedding reception
took the Sorority girls and a number of guests on a mid-day excursion on their
pontoon boat to Keewaydin Island, a long barrier island off the Naples Florida
coast. Our hosts own some property on this largely empty island and are
planning to build houses on it. We had a canopy and chairs food and drink as we
splashed about in placid waters of the gulf for a few hours before heading back
to their house for a pre-wedding party!
Aerial view of Keewaydin Island
On the
way back to Marco we picked up some wedding crashers who leaped and played in
the wake of our pontoon boat. I could get used to this. Here’s a video from
that:
Though
there are several private lots on the roughly seven miles of Keewaydin, it is very
rural. Years ago, plans to build a bridge and open the island to major development
were successfully fought by the locals and Keewaydin remains a pristine oasis.
The only way to get to the island is by boat. There is a water taxi and there
are food and ice cream boats that come by, but we had our “A” list friends
taking care of us.
Later
that Friday evening our hosts for the wedding reception also threw us a catered
pre-wedding party at their house. That was extremely generous, but they fluffed
off our thanks by saying they already had the party tent set up on their lawn and
wanted to get full use of it. Our benefactors may have to be afforded double-elite
status in the world of Team VFH.
Saturday
was the day of the wedding and thankfully Janet scheduled down time for
everyone. We had a leisurely breakfast at Doreen’s cup of Joe on North Collier
Avenue near our condo. The place offers great food with expansive portions at
reasonable prices. Then we spent some time on the beach before Janet left to
prepare herself for the wedding.
Like
everything else this wedding weekend, the wedding and reception went off
flawlessly. I don’t know why I was a nervous wreck though; Janet had
meticulously planned everything. She got the caterer, instructed the baker on
the type of wedding cake she wanted and she lined up the entertainment for the
reception. She stitched together all the threads necessary for the wedding
ceremony including the beach permit and the wedding ceremony company and the
photographer. She arranged a condo for my children and even gave them
instructions on how to make their way from the airport in Ft. Myers to Marco. She
offered advice to other guests how to look for their accommodations. I did
write our vows, but only with major input from her and together we cobbled a
song list for the ceremony at the beach. Apart from that I just had to write
checks. I fretted over the logistics worried something would go wrong, but
there was no need; Janet had taken care of everything. I just had to make sure
I said all the right words at the proper time.
Our Marco
Island friends opened their home to us and hosted our wedding reception. Their poolside
patio was our dance floor and the outdoor bar was the gathering place for the
wallflowers. The catering was mostly indoors, but we had servers with an array
of “heavy Hors D’oeuvres” outside. The big-ass wedding cake was baked to look
like a bucket of sand adorned with starfish and shells and it tasted like key
lime pie!
Entertainment
was provided by Marco Kircher who sang along to a karaoke machine and had us dancing
all night, although we would not let him sing our chosen wedding song, Frank
Sinatra’s “Love Is Here To Stay”.
By the
end of the party the Harrison / Alpha Omicron Pi connection was churning along pretty
well, but then suddenly my brother jumped into the pool. Hilarity ensued and fairly
quickly nearly everyone, adults and children, were going in for a dunk. It was
frivolous and wonderful and our hosts dragged out towels and jumped in
themselves! I’m not sure if it was a serious question but the next day Janet
wondered why her wedding dress smelled like chlorine.
NFL SUNDAY
My lovely
wife did not stop with the wedding. Janet even planned events for the next two
days. On Sunday she invited all those who did not travel home to meet at the Sunset
Grille, a casual sports bar with a fabulous view of the Gulf, to cheer on their
favorite NFL team while wearing the team’s colors. Owned by transplanted Philadelphians
the Sunset Grille is right on the beach and had their largest screen reserved
for the hometown favorite Eagles. Though Philadelphia lost that game to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a 35-year-old journeyman quarterback, I saw none of
the faithful taking advantage of the Grille’s pool or the ramp that leads to
the beach. Both are available to patrons. Parking is limited though and needs
to be validated. Sunset Grille offers great food and a decent beer list all at
typically Marco Island prices.
I have
never really gone fishing, but had always harbored an interest in the sport.
Years ago, when I read Thomas McGuane’s “Ninety-two In The Shade”, about Key
West fishermen, I was fascinated with plying these waters and casting about for
bonefish and the like. As we planned to
remain in Florida until Tuesday, Janet arranged that Monday for a half day with
Captain Bubby Hail of Florida’s Finest Fishing. There’s a reason why people get
married; Janet did this without even asking me about it, she just knew I would
have enjoyed this day. Sigh….
We opted
for intercoastal fishing rather than a deep-sea excursion and we had our bait
in the water 15 minutes after we left the pier on the Isle of Capri, a short
drive off Marco Island. This was good because we were trying to beat the tide
that was going out at this prime location. We had two seasoned fishermen on the
trip but a couple of raw novices on our trip, including myself. Captain Hail
was patient though and showed us how to cast and reel in our catches. When the
tides went out, we went to other fishing locations well-known to the Captain, but they were all relatively close to home. It was
fascinating. I caught a couple of redfish, one was a keeper and later a meal
and we all caught a lot of snappers also cooked later, a number of snook and a jewfish.
At one point a dolphin was dogging us and this magnificent creature followed us
into the shallows and eyed us curiously hoping to steal away our fish. I had never
experienced wildlife as intimate as this, although Captain Hail cursed the
dolphin saying he was a freeloader. Nonetheless I was fascinated and overjoyed.
If ever I travel to Marco Island I will certainly book another fishing excursion
with Bubby Hail and his Florida’s Finest Fishing.
Admittedly, for this novice the best part of fishing this way is the hands-off approach. Captain Hail did
all the work, including casting a net for more bait fish and later gutting and
cleaning our catch for a later meal. Later that day we took our bounty to Cocomo’s
Grill, a local bar/restaurant on Collier that readily offers to cook up your
catch. There are several styles of preparation available and we chose the local
way, pan seared with key lime beurre blanc sauce, and split between francaise and jalapeno encrusted. Our
seemingly meager catch proved to nearly be too much food! It was a delightful end
to a whirlwind romantic weekend.
Well now
it’s time to say good-bye to Greg and his wife
This was
a great start on a new and happy life
You’re all
invited back soon to this locality
To have a
heapin' helpin' of our hospitality
Hillbilly
that is. Set a spell, Take your shoes off.
Y’all
come back now y’hear?
Thanks for reading.
Sorry It’s been awhile since my last posting, but my computer died (hard drive) and it’s taken some time to recover my notes, etc. Some pictures were lost though and so I urge you all to keep things twice. If you don’t have it in two places you don’t have it.
Love
Greg and Janet (In case you don't know the show...)
You would
think that having a wedding on the beach would be easy. You and your wedding
party should just be able to saunter onto the sand and have some officiant
mutter a few choice words, exchange your rings and get off to the reception and
start drinking soon thereafter.
It ain’t
that easy.
Oh, I’m
sure you can do it commando style and just show up and do the dirty deed, but
I’ll bet somewhere down the line the powers that be will balk about it and you
won’t get that marriage certificate because the whole thing wasn’t done proper
and legal.
And, I
don’t think there’s a bride out there that’ll just want to get ‘er done just to
avoid fussing with the logistics. It’s best to go through the right channels
and procedures to make her most important day a reality. Believe me, in the
long run you’ll be happier. Remember happy wife....happy life....
PERMITS AND PACKAGES
Our beach
wedding took place on Marco Island, Florida. This large barrier island on the
southwest coast has white powdery sand and is lapped by the tranquil waters of
the Gulf of Mexico. It is a beautiful place and it is very easy to get to the
island. The closest airport is at Ft. Myers, less than an hour’s drive north.
Getting a permit to hold a wedding ceremony is quite more involved.
Wedding
permits are sold by the Collier County Parks Department on a first come first
serve basis to one of the two public access beaches on Marco Island. One is at
the north end at Tigertail Beach and the other is the South Marco Beach Access.
The rest of the shore is controlled by the many condos and hotels along the
three mile stretch of sand.
Here’s
the process: First, you must request the permit, but only two months in
advance. If the date and your time is available, then you have the right to
apply for a permit. Once notified you then send in a check and if yours is the
first one to arrive then your wedding bliss can begin.
A couple
of notes with this permit: Attendees are limited to just 50 people, any more
and liability insurance must be purchased, and parking for our chosen location,
the South Marco Beach Access, is across Collier Boulevard and costs $8.00 per
car.
You would
think that getting the permit was enough stress, but our planned wedding date,
September 15, was during hurricane season. We fretted over the time of day and
opted to have the ceremony in the late afternoon, hopefully avoiding the
typical daily spritzing Florida always seems to get and kept our fingers
crossed that Hurricane Florence would miss us. Looming dangerously as the date
approached Florence instead hammered the Carolinas and our wedding was dry, and
by Floridian standards, cooler.
SHOES OPTIONAL
Believe
it or not the rest of the wedding ceremony was relatively easy to plan. We went
with Platinum Florida Beach Weddings and we picked out the color scheme and
shape of the arbor and they provided the chairs and water for guests, a pastor
and a photographer. We did have to write up our wedding vows, although we could
have used one from their list. We also had to come up with a list of songs that
were to be played throughout the event and make up a list of pictures we wanted
from the photographer.
We were
pleased with Platinum and they took care of little details like having a place
for people to leave the shoes if they decided on going barefoot in the sand,
flower petals for the flower girl, water for the guests, a very jovial and
engaging pastor, and a very competent photographer.
As part
of the wedding we had some sort of sand unity ceremony where we had to scoop up
sand where we stood and joined our scoops into one container, thereby showing
the world that we were truly conjoined. Despite hedging on hokey the sardonic
hearts of your traveling duo embraced this and melted into one. That’s a corny
line huh?
Sadly,
most people spend more time planning vacations than they do for retirement. Where
to go? How to go? When to go? What to do? What to bring? What to wear? Your
mind can spin taking care of travel plans. Retirement investment is far less of
a headache, unless you’re not saving anything, but at least the angst for that
comes much later.
Now,
consider this scenario; travel plans AND a wedding. Oh my word, it seems
implausible that both can be tended to at the same time. Traveling can have one
teetering with details, but couple it with a destination wedding, and eloping
becomes frighteningly attractive.
Somehow though,
Team VFH, now conjoined in holy matrimony, pulled it off… Oops I misspoke,
Janet is slapping me in the back of the head … SHE pulled it off.
For me
the local VFW hall would have been the perfect venue for our wedding and
reception. Get a keg, order some pizzas, fire up the jukebox, and the party
was happening. Tasked with any more details my head would explode. Thankfully
Janet ignored me, and all her planning made for a memorable weekend. To pull it
off she waded through a mountainous stack of details. Me, I’m worthless
comparatively.
MARCO ISLAND
Our destination
wedding in September was as exotic as you can get and still be relatively close
to home. Marco Island, a large barrier island on the southwest Florida coast,
has three miles of pristine sugar cane white sand and a tropical climate with
manatees and dolphins in the warm placid waters of the Gulf of Mexico and it just
seemed like an ideal romantic destination wedding. We had been there before on
an extended family vacation and Janet’s college friend who lives on the island
wanted to host the reception at her spacious and opulent home. That certainly
was a whole lot better than the VFW hall in Downingtown, PA.
LOOKING SOUTH ON MARCO ISL
Less than
an hour’s drive south of the airport in Ft. Myers, Marco Island was as
convenient as it was beautiful. Already having a place to throw the reception was
a big help, but then it was a matter of getting people there, where to hold the
ceremony, who would cater it, how to get that big ass cake in the house and who
would provide entertainment.
Janet handled most of these details. She contacted
Marco Island’s chamber of commerce to get the beach wedding permit. She picked out
the wedding company that would set up the arboretum and chairs and provide a pastor and a photographer. She
booked the caterer and baker and the uber-karaoke guy appropriately named
Marco.
She also took care of finding a house on AirBnb for her kids and a condo for mine.
She made sure my best man and my brother had a place to stay. She posted everything
on Facebook as a way of inviting everyone. She advised all the attendees how to
get to Marco and how to make their own living arrangements. She shopped for her
dress, pulled me by the ear to Tommy Bahamas to purchase appropriate beach wedding
clothes. She also worked as the cruise director and came up with a slew of
activities for the extended weekend, even picking out the charter fishing I was
going to do on the Monday following the wedding. And all the while she was looking
radiant.
