Pitching Camp Along the Okeechobee Waterway

This week's guests:  Capt. Mike Conner, Joe Pilla
and Mike Nichols.

After a very short drive west from Stuart, the Talkin’ Tourism’ team was in the woods heading down Lost River Road and entering Phipps Park. Joe Pilla, supervisor of Phipps Park, stood ready to greet Gary and Robin and to welcome them to the great outdoors! After quickly converting the supervisor's residence into the on-the-road studio, the duo were ready to talk camping and, as usual, the fun began.

Joe painted pictures with words, detailing the Phipps Park's features and amenities. From traditional primitive sites to RV sites with electric and water connections, Phipps Park is well-suited to accommodate camping and RV enthusiasts. Joe told us where the park's guests come from, both during the off-season as well as during the traditional in-season. He even shared that not all guests come from afar, meaning locals like to get off the grid sometimes too and the park is a great escape not far away (hmmmmm....sounds like a tourism campaign).

Camping is traditionally a family endeavor and Phipps Park features a few amenities specifically designed for families with children. For river fishing enthusiasts, Phipps Park is a perfect venue!

There is always some truth to rumors, and in this case, the rumor turned out to be true. Mark Nichols, founder of D.O.A. Fishing Lures, and fishing guide extraordinaire Capt. Mike Conner made guest appearances on the show. Both enthusiastically shared the various types of fishing available in the waterways borderin the park. These two fishing professionals certainly know their stuff.

If you are a visitor thinking about a camping vacation in Martin County or a local contemplating a camping stay-cation, download last Friday’s show, pop out some marshmallows, light up the camp fire, and don't forget to gather the kids and grab your favorite fishing pole. You're in for a real treat! To see photos of the park, see the slide slow below.

• Download the January 28 Talkin' Tourism show.
• Download the Phipps Park brochure.

International Tourism on Florida's Treasure Coast (A Peek at Club Med Sandpiper)

International tourism on the Treasure Coast has always been low profile, compared to more urban and hip metro centers such as Miami, Orlando and even certain areas on Florida's west coast. Despite being somewhat under the radar, there have been efforts by various groups on the Treasure Coast over many years to cultivate a basic level of international tourism awareness, but with no real measureable success. However, for many years, Club Med Sandpiper, one of the finest family oriented Club Med’s in the world tucked away on the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, has been attracting visitors from all of the world to the Treasure Coast. These visitors to our Treasure Coast region frequently get off campus and visit our local restaurants, take sportfishing charters, shop in our stores, patronize our art galleries and so much more.

This week, Talkin' Tourism hosts Gary Guertin and Robin Hicks-Connors will broadcast live from Club Med Sandpiper. Having recently undergone a $25 million renovation, Club Med Sandpiper has repositioned itself to continue to attract thousands of international visitors to the Treasure Coast. Talkin’ Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond) will bring our listeners the latest information on this genuine asset to our region's international tourism efforts.

Our guest line-up this week includes: Family Product Manager Patrick Olivieri, Sports Manager Brain Tranbarger and Leidy Dahina, Entertainment Manager. Radio Man has memories of many years ago when the property first became a Club Med property. It will be great to hear what the new renovations produced in terms of the overall guest experience!

Tune in and you may even hear Gary and Robin doing a little “Parlez vous Francais.”

Henry Flagler Vision Alive and Well & Killer Outdoor Fun

Reg Lawrence is a Treasure Coast transporation expert!

The Beach Boys tune (I Get Around) certainly set the tone for all the transportation talk that was the theme for our most recent show. Reg Lawrence, driver and company representative for Acadiana Destination Services, was a great source of information regarding the transportation needs for both Treasure Coast visitors and locals. It would seem from Reg’s comments, there definitely is a need for the types of services provided by Acadiana Destination Services and similar transportation firms. As tourism grows, the need will continue to increase. Other “get-around” conversations revolved around alternative transportation opportunities that could possibly work on the Treasure Coast, whether to and around a downtown shopping district, or shuttle service to the beach or other attractions. Accommodating visitor transportation needs does contribute to good impressions and making a region a quality destination for tourists.

On a grander scale, City of Stuart Mayor and Martin County Metropolitan Planning Organization Chairman Michael Mortell, was a wealth of knowledge on the proposed Amtrack/FEC Corridor passenger train proposal. Was Henry Flagler a visionary with his pursuit of the Florida East Coast Railway? It would seem so. The overwhelming consensus, even in the 'modern world,' is passenger rail service along Florida’s East Coast will be a definite boost to tourism, resulting in significant positive economic impact. Mayor Mortell's comments, facts and observations should not be missed on this subject. After listening (download the show HERE), you'll become a believer in the concept too.

With Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers coming on board as a show sponsor, TCPalm’s fishing, boating and outdoor blogger extraordinaire Ed Killer joined Talkin' Tourism hosts Gary Guertin and Robin Hicks-Connors to let listeners know that now show fans and listeners can access his blog right from the Talkin’ Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond) site. Now it'll be as easy as it gets to know the latest fishing, boating and outdoor news!!

Thanks for checking out this week’s show, and as always, email us with any comments or suggestions!  And, if you aren't already a Talkin' Tourism Facebook Friend, we'd be honored if you would join us on Facebook!
'See you' next Friday from South Eleuthera in the Bahamas!

From Golden Gate to Morocco, and hitting the road AAA-style

Talkin' Tourism on Florida's Treasure Coast learned how to help out at home by going worlds away this week, and it all comes down to a historic building in need of restoration in Stuart, Fla.

Flahama - the Bahamas-to-Florida tourism linkage - is one thing, but how could meandering through Morocco benefit the Treasure Coast? Sally Dadko, a world traveler and former Martin County Preservation Board chairman, and Saadia Tsaftarides, born in Morocco and now a Stuart resident, have brainstormed a plan to skip a continent away while supporting restoration efforts for the Golden Gate Building.

The pair plans to raffle off a trip to Saadia's home country, while the proceeds will help bring the Golden Gate Building back to its classic state from when it was first built in 1925. With Saadia as the hometown tour guide, the 8-day, 7-night Moroccan trip promises to peruse through some incredible history, culture, and maybe even a party or two with Saadia's family.

It was truly fascinating to learn what Morocco was up to in terms of bringing in tourism - many thanks, Saadia and Sally, for stopping by!

Padiddles, paduncles (both with surprising amounts of rules for being played inside a car) and the latest word on the American Automobile Association - or AAA - were the areas of expertise shared by guest Sandy Snyder, a 30-year veteran of AAA. Who would have guessed that an organization founded in 1902 to promote more roadways for Americans would lead to an organization 50 million strong in North America? Listen in to hear what AAA has in store for its members these days. They're not just the tow-truck and mapbook folks, that's for sure.

This week's show also recapped how a friend of Talkin' Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast is spearheading an children’s eco-project on the island of Bimini, who declared that “Fridays are Free” until September 30th, 2010, upcoming fishing tournaments in the Abacos, and most important, where History Lady ran off to last week.

As always, you can catch Radio Man and History Lady at 10 a.m. Fridays on 1590 AM WPSL, or http://www.wpsl.com/.

Up this Week---Mix of Aquatics, Baseball, Short-term Accommodations, Offshore Drilling and Seafood

Fresh from a remote broadcast from Bimini in the Bahamas, this week Talkin' Tourism hosts Gary Guertin and Robin Hicks-Connors settle back in the Captain's Lounge at Harborage Yacht Club and Marina. What’s in store for listeners? A potpourri of baseball, aquatics, Super Bowl accommodations, offshore drilling, and seafood.

With the traditional baseball spring training season set to gear up on March 2, it’s time to welcome back Tom Colucci, executive director of the Treasure Coast Sports Commission. Tom will share his perspectives on the impact of sports upon Treasure Coast tourism. Talkin' Tourism hosts plan to ask him what’s happening with DogerTown and his thoughts on how the recently approved Martin County Aquatics Center might impact local tourism. If anyone knows, it’s Tom.

If you've have ever thought about turning your home or condo into a short-term accommodation, then the next segment of tomorrow's show is just for you. Rumor has it that many folks in South Florida are considering turning their homes into short-term accommodations to meet expected lodging demands for the influx of visitors coming to the 2010 Super Bowl Game, which will be hosted in Miami on February 7. What are the opportunities and what are the pitfalls to avoid? Christine Karpinski, director of HomeAway’s Owner Community, a leading international expert, will be calling in from her corporate offices in Texas to offer advice for those who might be considering turning their home into a short-term 'bed and breakfast.'

The Treasure Coast would not be the Treasure Coast without great festivals and events. Randy Roberts, the sponsorship/parking chair of the Port Salerno Seafood Festival and Butch Olsen, Jr, president of the Port Salerno Commercial Fishing Dock Authority, will be in the studio to give listeners all the info they need to max out their enjoyment of this year’s expanded fest.

With the “drill or not to drill” issue coming before State legislators this spring, Surfrider Foundation Treasure Coast Chapter board member Carter Hall will share the Surfrider Foundation’s position on the issue. What does this have to do with tourism? Well many people think that drilling (and if there is an accident/spill) will place Florida’s number one industry in jeopardy. Is there a compromise? We'll explore that and other issues tomorrow.

Listen LIVE at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, January 28 on WPSL 1590 AM or online at http://www.wpsl.com/.

PHOTO CREDIT:  Fan submittal on the Port Salerno Seafood Festival Facebook Fan Page.

What's Tourism have to do with Bootlegging and Oil Rigs

OCTOBER 30 SHOW SUMMARY

The Real McCoy Rum Runner Party to celebrate the grand opening of the Maritime and Classic Boat Museum (formally known as the Maritime and Yachting Museum for Florida) spawned a conversation between Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin and co-host Robin Hicks-Connors about the real 'Real McCoy' and his legend on the Treasure Coast as a fisherman and part-time bootlegger/rum runner. There were some amazing and interesting tidbits of info tht can be very useful at a cocktail party this Season.

Anne Schmidt, chairperson for the Real McCoy Rum Runner planning committee and Allison Partin, a committee member specializing in recruiting local restaurants to provide samples of their specialties at events, described what is going to be a great event. The party takes place at Indian Riverside Park on Friday, November 13, begins at 6:30 p.m. and will "last until the rum has run out!" (That's the official wording straight from the postcard invitation!)

After the rum talk, the discussion turned to tourism's impact upon the Treasure Coast community. Host Gary Guertin expressed his opinion on whether the local community truly really appreciates and understands the importance of the tourism industry or not.

A few statewide issues surfaced during the hour. Not pleased that Florida is considering allowing the drilling for oil on the state's west coast? Then you may want to learn about 'Hands Across The Sands,' a grassroots effort fighting the drilling initiative. Next, listeners learned what has 1,094 brand new guest rooms and sits directly in the middle of International Drive in Orlando. If you missed the October 30 show, you can download and listen to it HERE.

Coming up this week, tune in to find out if Francis Langford aka 'History Lady' was a smash at the Meet Me at the USO party in downtown Stuart on Halloween night. Until then, be safe, have fun, and enjoy life and living on Florida’s beautiful Treasure Coast!

The charm of Stuart, those behind it, and what's to come

Arriving dressed in his very best 'Aloha' attire, City of Stuart Commissioner and Martin County Tourism Development Council member Jeffrey Krauskopf gave listeners a very detailed perspective of why and how the City of Stuart has evolved into the charming, unique and sought after Small Town destination it is today. From the early visions of Andres Duany, community charettes, pink sidewalks, the development of the Stuart MainStreet Program, and a unique waterfront location, to today’s vibrant array of shops, restaurants and a 'classic theatre' bringing celebrated performances to the community, Jeffrey’s years of involvement in our City and County give him enormous historical knowledge.

What’s in store for the future? An exposition centre?? More public/private partnerships such as the new Sunset Bay Marina?? A passenger train depot?? If you listened to this week’s show you’d know.

Kick back, download the show (HERE) and get updated on the Bahamas, Natalie, Queen of Scots filming, plans for a Florida/Islands of the Bahamas Golf Championship Series, and more!

Small towns and downtowns…the Treasure Coast’s 'Silver Bullet'

There is no question that the economy is impacting travel trends and creating new Webster terms like 'stay-cations,' 'car-cations.' And, it's giving the off-the-beaten-path destinations an advantage over the more classic big-city destinations such as Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach in attracting visitors.

On the Treasure Coast, the three county area is blessed with terrific small towns and neighborhoods, each with their own unique charm, attractions and flavor.

Through the efforts of a number of organizations and the City of Stuart's vision and leadership, Stuart (named 'Most Beautiful City' by America In Bloom in 2008) has evolved into a model Small Town and Downtown that today's visitors are seeking.

This week’s guest, City of Stuart Commissioner Jeffrey Krauskopf, who is also a member of the Martin County Tourism Development Council, will share with the listening audience his views about the City of Stuart’s tremendous support of the tourism effort, as well as its the long term vision for the community. It should be fascinating to hear his comments and observations.

Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin and co-host Robin Hicks-Connors will continue the recap of the fist 27 shows, as well as provide the usual (and sometimes unusual) updates and tourism news from around the block to around the State.

This Friday at 10 a.m., tune your radio dial to WPSL 1590 AM to catch the latest LIVE show of Talkin' Tourism on Florida's Treasure Coast.