Is there a soldier in your life who could use some relaxing down time on the quietest, most relaxing island on Florida’s Gulf Coast? If so, you should check out this program founded by Tarpon Real Estate in Placida, Florida. It provides free weekends for a soldier and his or her family just to get away and relax.
Palm Island is just north of Boca Grande, Florida, near Englewood. For those of you who really don’t know the area well, it’s a little south of the Sarasota area. There are no bridges to the island; you have to take a ferry over from the mainland. There are very few cars on the island, so mostly you get around by golf cart. It’s really laid-back. Whatever your needs are, Tarpon Realty can hook you up. That goes for fishing too; there’s plenty of fish to hook-up with down in these islands as well.
Click the image above to see more photos from some Beach Homes for the Brave weekends.
Today a 5 foot shark stranded itself in shallow water on Cocoa Beach. Lifeguard Zach Cooney saw the shark and was concerned that with all the people gathering around, it might feel cornered and start to bite people. So he did what no one else probably would have done: he grabbed it by the tail and dragged it into deeper water.
The video above was filmed by Sam Cappadonia. There were lots of people shooting video with smartphones, so there will probably be other videos popping up on YouTube.
Thanks to Savanna Harper for the heads-up on this story.
Islands seem to hold extraordinary potential for small matters with simple solutions to become blown way out of proportion to what they merit.
Does this sound familiar? Homeowner wants to know if a permit is needed to build a freestanding structure on his property. Building official advises verbally that no permit is required. Homeowner builds the structure. City cites homeowner for not having a permit. Then says the verbal OK was not adequate.
Have you ever heard of a city issuing a document certifying that no building permit is required for a structure? I don’t think I have.
You can also sign their petition to help pressure the City of Holmes Beach to find a way to let the tree house stand.
I visited the tree house and shot the video above and the photos below. The tree house blends right into the shoreline and is a wonderfully creative addition to the island.
Here you can see the location of the tree house, circled in green.
I think the tree house is very well designed and is an attractive addition to the shoreline. The City of Holmes Beach is arguing that the structure violates “setback” requirements and or is too close to the erosion control line. This seems to mean that the tree house is located either too close to the neighbors property, or too close to the beach and dune.
Here’s a comparison of the private tree house and the tree house built by Manatee County on Holmes Beach which serves a a lifeguard tower. It’s enough to make the lifeguards jealous!
So what do you think? Shouldn’t there be a simple way that this misunderstanding can be cleared up to make both the city officials happy and let the tree house stand?
Low Tide Toss. Does that sound like something you can do? I think even I could do this.
It’s a simple game involving a sand “court,” a ball, and some holes in the beach sand.
It doesn’t involve launching a heavy football or a speeding Frisbee, so you won’t be endangering people nearby. It’s simple enough that you can still excel even after a couple of beers in your belly, a sunburn on your back, and sinuses full of salt water.
So if you need a safe game to keep you and the munchkins busy at the beach this year, check out Low Tide Toss. It’s up on the Kickstarter web site looking to get funded for production. Get your order in and be an early adopter.
After watching their promo video, I’m thinking it would work fine at high tide too, depending on the beach.
The beaches of north Casey Key have no public access.
Northern Casey Key is not a very welcoming place to visitors. Signs make it clear that it is for residents only and that there is no public parking or beach access.
From Blackburn Point Road, North Casey Key Road winds its way north toward Old Midnight Pass and Palmer Point Park. The road is about two miles long, but only the first mile is accessible to the public. It’s a narrow road. And the further north you go, the narrower it gets. There are no turn-around points, but there are plenty of long driveways that make a quick turnaround possible.
By far the best way to enjoy this scenic one-mile beach road is by bicycle. That’s how I got the pictures and video.
For much of the ride the road meanders through lush tropical foliage, breaking through the greenery to follow the beach in two places, just a few feet from the Gulf of Mexico. But Paradise doesn’t come cheaply. Homes on Casey Key are all priced above one million dollars.
These Velella jellyfish, also known as By-the-Wind Sailors are a real treat to find. These photos were submitted by Tiffany Hertzon and were taken in Highland Beach, Florida ( near Boca Raton ). Here is what Tiffany had to say about her find: Info: Found about 1pm April 14, 2013. High tide. Highland beach, FL. [...]
The Red Tide that has been hanging around the southwest coast of Florida this winter has finally gone away, leaving clear waters behind and plenty of live fish to enjoy them. See all those green bubbles on the map above? Those indicate testing sites where the water tested clear of red tide. The white bubbles [...]
When I first visited the Manasota Key back in the late 1990′s, it was such a spartan facility. A steep bluff led down to the beach where a handful of people enjoyed the isolated shoreline. Recently I heard that Sarasota had just completed a $1.5 million renovation of Manasota Beach, so I drove down to [...]
Question: I need some advice! Even though I visited many beaches in Florida. I’m still looking for that one perfect beach. We want to go in July . 1.Clean , crystal water most important. 2.Snorkeling something to see in the crystal water. 3. Would love some palm trees on the beach for scenery and shade. [...]
