In Celebration of Kingfish and Navy Seals

PHOTO CREDITS:  Paul's Travel Pictures

Talkin’ Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond) host Gary Guertin and special guest host Ed Griffith are headed 'up-island', South Hutchinson Island that is, to check out what’s happening at the Sandhurst Hotel and Suites, which is located on the waterfront overlooking the Fort Pierce Inlet. Touting "something for everyone," the crew is looking forward to the field trip and exploring the waterfront property. Ryan O’Connor, the property's general manger, will be on hand to describe the amenities and features of this South Hutchinson Island getaway.

In addition to learning about Sandhurst Hotel & Suites, a couple of major events descending on Fort Pierce and the Treasure Coast in just about four weeks will take center stage. What are they? Glad you asked. The first will bring anglers from around the country, and perhaps the world, for the Southern Kingfish Association's SKA Championship Tournament. When these angling teams arrive, you'll know it's all about the "catching" and not just the "fishing" as these fishing afficionadoes are in pursuit of a championship!

Jack Holmes, the co-founder and managing partner of SKA, will give listeners the ins and outs of the tournament, discuss its enormous popularity, and tell us where the competitors come from. Ed Killer, fishing and boating writer for Scripps/Treasure Coast Newspapers and Talkin' Tourism's resident fishing guru, will provide the big picture on how important these kind of events are to our marine tourism stakeholders.

Our second headliner this week is the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, which is celebrating its 25th annual Muster Day and SEAL Memorial dedication the same weekend as the SKA Championship. Muster Day and the SEAL Memorial dedication is forecast to draw 12,000 to 15,000 attendees alone to the area. The museum's executive director Capt. Michael Howard and museum curator Ruth McSween will run down all the activities associated with the celebration, which include a 5K beach run/walk, demonstrations by Navy SEAL teams, parachute drops, mock battles and more!  In addition, they'll describe the one-of-a-kind memorial, dedicated to the fallen in this elite group who served our coutnry and made the ultimate sacrifice, which will be dedicated during weekend activities.

Besides these great Treasure Coast topics, Gary and Ed will talk about everything from how your family can win an opportunity to cover the unveiling of the Royal Caribbean’s new luxury cruise ship, the Allure of the Seas, as official USA Today correspondents, to where the latest lionfish have been spotted in local rivers. All great stuff! So, set you radio dial to WPSL 1590 AM or go to http://www.wpsl.com/ to listen live. 'See' you Friday from  Ft. Pierce!

Treasure Coast Tourism Forecast from the 'Experts'

What happens when you get two Realtors and a marina/boatyard general manager in one place and give them a chance to talk? A great show of course! Thanks to Todd Doss (REMAX of Stuart), Jeannie Baron (Beach Front Mann Realty) and John Smith (River Forest Yachting Centers), this week’s show shed great light on the importance of valued seasonal residents.

Points covered during the hour broadcast include new trends in today's fragile economy, the ways valued seasonal landlubbers and boaters contribute to regional economies, which county in South Florida had the highest average hotel rom rate and which one had the highest occupancy, and how this August's tourism figures compared to last year's.

If your business depends on the southern migration of this important group of people, you will know that you are not alone! Tune in and you’ll hear the group's forecast for this winter season.

Besides the main topic of the day, show hosts Gary Guertin and Robin Hicks-Connors dove into other fun topics and community events lining up along the Treasure Coast. For avid offshore anglers, the duo talked about the Bahamas Wahoo Challenge. The first leg is right around the corner and it's on one of Gary and Robin's favorite Bahamian islands.

As always, the hour flew by! See you next Friday, same time (10:05 a.m), same station (WPSL 1590 AM or http://www.wpsl.com/). And, please pass along to your favorite valued seasonal resident, family and friends the link to Talkin' Tourism on Florida's Treasure Coast (and Beyond!).

In case you missed the show, here's the (9/24/2010) audio file for your listening pleasure!

It's a Pre-Season Kick-Off!

Soon, the Treasure Coast will witness a migration as consistent as that of the annual return of the sailfish to Treasure Coast waters each year. That’s right, the trickle of valued seasonal residents will soon begin and before you know it, the trickle will turn to a steady stream of those returning to their second homes and condominiums or filling hotels and vacation villas.

Often overlooked, but as important is the return of valued seasonal boaters. As a major maritime region, the Treasure Coast plays host to thousands of seasonal boaters each winter. So if a condo is where people sleep, would not a slip be where a boat sleeps?

While seasonal residents, landlubbers or yachties, are not truly considered “tourist” in the classical sense, they do contribute to our region's hospitality stakeholders in a big way. So, just how big an economic impact does this group make? We'll discuss that, as well as other contributions they bring to the Treasure Coast.

This week's guest include Todd Doss, Jeannie Baron and John Smith.

Todd  is a Realtor with ReMax of Stuart, and a three generation Floridian. He specializes in rental properties in the Stuart area. Jeannie is a Realtor with Beach Front Mann Realty has been involved in her industry on Hutchinson Island for over 20 years. And, John is the current president of the Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast and the general manager of River Forest Yachting Centers of Stuart and LaBelle, Florida. He'll share his insights on marketing the Treasure Coast as a major seasonal boating mecca for valued seasonal boaters.

In case you were thinking the word “snowbird," think again. This week, we'll let you know exactly what a snowbird is or is not.

Tune your radio dial to WPSL 1590 AM this Friday at 10:05 a.m. or your computer browser to www.wpsl.com for the live stream and enjoy the show. One thing for certain, the crew and guests on Talkin' Tourism on the Florida's Treasure Coast (and Beyond!) will certainly have a blast!

History Preservation, Birds of a Feather, Junkanoo & the Reel (Real) Candy

Back on “his” island--Hutchinson Island, Florida that is--Radio Man and History Lady quickly caught up on two weeks of activity. Show host Gary Guertin revealed just who Taino, Lucaya and Pauchie were and yes, everyone was pleased to hear that the “feathered ones” liked their new toys donated from the Guertin’s Landing  birdy toy box.

Getting on with the 'Old Things New' theme, Sally Dadko gave listeners a very good perspective of the importance of Historic Preservation Month in Martin County. The month long list of events, lectures, free tours and workshops will keep both locals and visitors busy. On air, Sally confessed to being from Massachusetts and another dot was mysteriously connected when Gary (Radio Man) confessed to being from Massachusetts too.

With time and information flying, Gary and co-host Robin Hicks-Connors moved on to a key event taking place during the early part of Historic Preservation Month--the annual Bahamian Connection Festival! Taking place on Saturday, October 2nd, the festival celebrates our community’s ties and heritage to the Islands of the Bahamas. Gloria McHardy, president of the New Monrovia Development Corporation, shared the origins of the event that has now grown into nothing short of a true Bahamian festive experience. Kherri Anderson, the event's communications officer, described the plans for entertainment, food, vendors and just plain “all t’ings Bahamian."

Since Talkin' Tourism on Florida's Treasure Coast (and Beyond!) was focused on several aspects of the Bahamas, why not talk Bahamas fishing? Special guest, Captain Marvin Steiding of Reel Candy Sportfishing fame wrapped up this week’s show talking about his Martin County based charter operation that specializes in trips to San Salvador, Bahamas for his clients to experience “the adventure of a lifetime." There's nothing like catching and releasing a world-class blue marlin! Hmmmm, you might be pondering. Just why is San Salvador such a great blue marlin magnet? You’ll have to listen to this week’s show to find out.

So fans, sit back with an ice cold Kalik or your favorite boat drink and enjoy another informative and entertaining edition of Talkin' Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond).

This program is brought to you by the Martin County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Coastal Angler Magazine's Flahama edition!

Old Things New, Conch Fritters and Reel Candy

Frances Langford and Bob Hope
USO performance.

Arts, cultural and historic tourism are all key elements in the grand scheme of today’s global tourism and destination marketing. The Treasure Coast is certainly not at a loss for historic treasures and activities. With October being designated as Historic Preservation Month in Martin County, Florida what better time to talk about old things becoming new again.
Leading the conversation will be guest Sally Dadko, vice-chairman of the Martin County Historic Preservation Board. From the kick off ceremony at the Jensen Beach Christian Church on October 1st, to the closing event—USO, Letters from Home Ball—at the Flagler Recreation Center, there will be plenty to do for both visitors and residents alike. History Lady is going to love this show!

FLAHAMA Free Radio keeps the Bahama spirit alive with a preview of the upcoming Bahamian Connection Festival to be held October 2nd in the New Monrovia community of Port Salerno. Celebrating its 13th year, this fun filled festival gets everyone’s toes tapping with great Junkanoo music, great Bahamian cuisine, fun and an introduction to visitors and locals of our community’s rich Bahamian heritage. Kherri Anderson, the festival's communications director, and board president Gloria McHardy fill us in on all the great "happenings” of this signature event.

Now that summer is behind us, sportfishing enthusiast from everywhere will be focusing in on the great sailfish action headed our way, as well as planning trips to the Bahamas for some big game fishing angling. Marvin Steiding, owner and captain of the Martin County based sportfishing charter boat Reel Candy will be in the house talking about his ongoing success catching big blue marlin and monster wahoo in San Salvador, Bahamas. So what does a trip like this entail? Can you go to school to learn how to fish for wahoo? Where do I sign up?

So folks, it looks like we have the bases covered for this week. Join us this Friday for more fun, infotainment and good times from the Elliott Museum.

Enjoy the Junkanoo action from last year's Bahamian Connection Celebration below! See you Friday at 10:05 a.m. on WPSL 1590 AM or http://www.wpsl.com/!

Grand Bahama Fun and a Crazy White Man

Last week, was a wacky week for Radio Man. Changes in the itinerary for the trip to Grand Bahama made scheduling the location and guests for the show a little challenging to say the least. While we knew that Crazy White Man from COOL 96 FM, Freeport was to be the special guest co-host, guest lineups and location were a mystery until the 11th hour. After a few calls, some great friends of Talkin Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond) and Coastal Angler Magazine came to the rescue. Linda Osborne, general manager of UNEXSO, offered her office for the studio. The guest line-up could not have been better. Betty Bethel, the general manager of new business for the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism office on Grand Bahama, Shamine Johnson, manager of the Marina Operators of the Bahamas organization, Althea Johnson, reservations manager for UNEXSO and Mario Bodner, project manager for Taino Beach Resort and Clubs all agreed to be guests. Radio Man could not have asked for a more stellar group to talk about what’s happening on Grand Bahama Island.

During the show, we covered diving opportunities, the great deals offered by local accommodations, Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin did a personal review of the Bahamas Celebration cruise ship, which now departing from the Port of Palm Beach, and more Treasure Coast connections were unveiled. A couple of things the show didn't have the time to cover were Lucaya, Taino and Pauchi, the celebratory parrots at Garden of the Groves. More to come on these green and gray feathered VIPs during our next show.

Last, and most important, by listening to this show, you will get a small dose of the great sense of humor and “perspective” of the most popular on-air radio personality in all of the Bahamas, Crazy White Man, Paul Frances.

You will definitely want a tall Bahama Mama to sip while listening to the show, and don’t forget to check out the show photos below!

This week, LIVE from Grand Bahama!

Paul Frances, aka Crazy White Man,
Tony 'Macaroni' and Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin.

Listeners have come to expect the unexpected each week on Talkin' Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond), so why should this week be any different? When a change of transportation plans occured, due to the dry docking of the cruise ship Discovery for annual maintenance, turning Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin's scheduled mid-week trip to Grand Bahama Island “upside down," alternative plans had to be made. Those plans became an opportunity to experience the Bahamas Celebration cruise ship now departing for Grand Bahama from the Port of Palm Beach! Because the ship sails every other day, this meant that Radio Man (aka Gary) would not be back to Stuart in time for the Friday morning show. Thus, the hunt for a broadcast location was on and as of this posting, Pirate Radio WILL be broadcasting from an unknown location somewhere on Grand Bahama.

While the guest line up is still in the works, one item is a certainty, Radio Man will be joined by a new special co-host. On past remotes, such notables as Malcolm Boyes (part-time resident of the British Virgin Islands), Ben Martin of Coastal Angler Magazine (remote from Green Turtle Cay), and the Treasure Coast’s own Ed Griffith, who thus far has joined Gary on the show from Marsh Harbour and Eleuthera, as well as many Treasure Coast remotes.

Well, this week, you will meet Paul “Crazy White Man” Frances. CWM, as he is known, is an on-air radio personality with COOL 96 FM in Freeport, Grand Bahama. A long time resident of Grand Bahama, and a man with quite a history, personal assistant to Count Basie among other notable achievements, will join Radio Man this week. This is one show that you do not want to miss, as Paul is not called Crazy White Man for nothing!

Gary will also talk about Lucaya, Taino and Pauchie. Who the heck are they? Two of them are green and one is grey. And no, they aren't martians, nor are they ghosts. Guess you'll just have to listen in tomorrow to solve that mystery.

Was there a Treasure Coast “connection” on this trip? Absolutely! While walking the docks at Port Lucaya Marina on Wednesday night, Gary bumped into several FLAHAMIANS from Stuart and Palm City who were on their way back to Stuart after having a blast on Green Turtle Cay. Who were they? Again, listen in tomorrow to learn that and more.

Since this week's show is from the islands, topics are sure to include diving opportunities, great hotel deals, what’s new with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, a personal review of the Bahamas Celebration, and of course, items of note from our own Treasure Coast.

So, join tomorrow at 10 a.m on WPSL 1590 AM or via your computer at http://www.wpsl.com/ as we bring you another fun filled edition of Talkin Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond).

Come to the islands mon, at least for an hour!

A Little Coastal Science with a Mix of Horticulture

A manta ray bearing a strking resemblance to
Talkin' Tourism show host Gary Guertin.

This week’s topic entrée choice was excellent. The “surf” part was tastefully served up by Florida
Oceano-
graphic Coastal Center executive director Mark Perry, along with his leadership staff, and the “turf” portion of the topic was presented nicely by Amy Dahan, director of the Heathcote Botanical Gardens Gardens. What was for dessert? How about a sweet tour of the Coastal Center’s facilities!


The Treasure Coast is blessed with a unique environment and what a better way to attract visitors concerned about our global environment than to provide an up close and personal look at the diverse eco-systems of our region. Mark provided a great overview of the mission and purpose of the Florida Oceanographic Society. Testimony to the fact this facility is a “people magnet” is that attendance to the site in July was an all time high for the month! Resident research scientist Vincent Encomio detailed the oyster project, and clam nursery, among others that are helping to improve our local estuarine eco-system. And, bring edutainment into the mix with Ellie Van Os and you will learn how they reach everyone from 4-5 year olds to grandma’s and grandpa’s with great camps and programs. Director of development Suzanne Ross shared how YOU can get involved to help the organization continue to best serve the public.


Amy Dahan eloquently informed listeners on Heathcote Botanical Gardens, which draws crowds of plant enthusiasts to Ft Pierce. Shortly, the Gardens will house the largest collection of tropical Bonsai trees in the United States! In addition to continued improvements to the Gardens, Amy shared the group’s involvement with the creation of a regional park, which will be larger than Central Park in New York and help to improve the water quality of the Indian River Lagoon.
History Lady, Robin Hicks-Connors, delivered the weekly "This week in Martin County History," always cool facts to know.

Don’t forget to check out the photos (below) from this week’s show and take a mini-tour of the Coastal Center to see what you’ve been missing. And, here's this week's show for your listening pleasure!

Thanks for tuning in and hope your Labor Day Weekend was fabulous.

Surf and Turf

For the “surf” portion of the this week’s entrée, Florida Oceanographic Society (FOS) guests include Mark Perry, executive director, Vincent Encomio, Ph.D, chief research scientist, and Suzanne Ross, director of development, who will share the many programs and experiences to be found at the Coastal Center, designed to inform and educate Treasure Coast visitors about the area's unique ocean and coastal environments. Ever feed a stingray, see redfish, tarpon, and other local species up close in their real habitat?  Here you can and these three experts will describe those exhibits and more. What research projects is FOS currently engaged in?  Are there volunteer opportunities?  All this and more!

The “turf” portion of the menu?  The Heathcote Botanical Gardens located in Ft. Pierce, Florida, a haven for tropical and sub-tropical plant lovers of all ages.  When local citizens rescued a retired plant nursery in 1985 from encroaching urbanization and transformed it into a public garden facility, they created something very special that has become quite a visitor magnet.  Amy Dahan, Heathcote Botanical Garden's director, will enlighten listeners on the unique features of the garden and talk about the expansion efforts currently underway for an additional 10,000 square feet of space, which will be the home of the largest collection of tropical bonsai trees in the United States.

As always fans, Talkin' Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond) brings you fun, facts and infotainment that just cannot be found on any other radio show.

Looking forward to having you tune in again this week. If on the Treasure Coast, tune your radio dial to WPSL 1590 AM. Anyplace else in the world, hear us live on your computer at http://www.wpsl.com. Show begins at 10:05 a.m.!