Hutchinson Island Treasures, Muster Days, and Southern Kings

Jack Holmes, managing partner of the
Southern Kingfish Association
and guest co-host Ed Griffith.

Heading “up island” to the Sandhurst Hotel and Suites, the venue for Friday’s show, was a real treat for show host Gary Guertin and guest co-host Ed Griffith. Nothing like a great drive along A-1-A knowing you have 17 miles of pristine beach on your starboard side and miles of the most diverse estuary in North America on your port side. No traffic lights, no neon, no strip malls. Just a barrier island the way it should be.

Friday’s show celebrated kingfish and Navy Seals, but first, we had Sandhurst Hotels and Suites General Manager Ryan O’Connor describe this great waterfront property. Check the property out the next time you are on the Treasure Coast, especially if you are a fishing enthusiast. Great rates, attentive service and this perfect location can be all yours, just minutes from the Fort Pierce Inlet.

The National Navy UDT-Seal Museum was next on the menu with retired Captain Michael Howard and the museums curator Ruth McSween. Truly a “one of a kind" museum, this St. Lucie County attraction should be on the list of everyone who wants an up close and personal look at one of our country’s most elite military groups. When you listen to the show, you’ll learn why the museum actually was built on North Hutchinson Island and lots more interesting facts about the museum's upcoming Muster Day, which is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the Treasure Coast.

Jack Holmes, managing partner of the Southern Kingfish Association (SKA), rounded out the show with lots of background about how the SKA grew from an “idea” to the largest saltwater tournament organization in the world! It’s a great story. You’ll even know why it’s a kingfish association and not a grouper or dolphin association (could have been!). Jack even shared what he feels will be the bait of choice for the SKA Championship. Not a participant?  No worries! There will be lots of action and excitement for spectators at the weigh-in.

As promised, here is the link to the USA Today’s “Reporters at Sea, Family Style” contest to cover the unveiling of the cruise ship ALLURE of the SEAS coming December 2010:  http://contest.allureoftheseas.com/.  Good luck! It would be fantastic to have a Talkin' Tourism listener WIN!

Thanks for tuning in and for checking out the blog. We would love to hear your thoughts on the blog face-lift, and don’t forget to check out our sponsors and partners. Here's the audio link to the October 1 Talkin' Tourism. Enjoy!

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!

Feb 5 Show Highlights

Guests Sheila Stewart-Leach, Mac McCartney, Ruth McSween and Rolf Snyder filled the show with lots of great information.

Sheila Stewart-Leach shared the history and future of the Maritime and Yachting Museum of Florida. Founded in 1991, the museum houses a number of antique boat engines, boat models, nautical library and more. Listen to the show to learn more about Stuart/Martin County's longstanding boating legacy, Ralph Evinrude's OMC engine testing facility, and plans for future exhibits.

Mac McCartney from the Stuart Heritage Museum offered local history tidbits, and details on the buildings included in this year's 2009 Annual Home Tour. Only 500 tickets will be sold;the tour, scheduled for Saturday, February 14.

Ruth McSween and Rolf Snyder described the history of the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, located on North Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce. Ruth talked about the annual "muster," typically held on Veterans Day, where current SEALS demonstrate maneuvers using real explosives, 'leap frogs' (the original name for 'frogmen') jump (parachute) out of planes, and more.

Listen to the show HERE.