From Travel Educator Bijan C. Bayne
President Obama recently visited parts of the Gulf of Mexico again, with an eye toward resolving the BP fiasco. I have visited the Gulf, from a Southwest Florida standpoint, four times since mid-April. In touring Panama City Beach (which opened the first new international airport in the U.S. since that other disaster, 9-11), Naples-Marco Island, Clearwater Beach, and most recently, The Beaches of South Walton, I can report wholesome American families enjoying safe beaches and tasty local seafood. The media, beholden to ratings wars, the competitive atmosphere of 300+ channels, and the 24-hour news cycle, focuses otherwise.
Gloom and doom sell.
Today, minimal t.v. and Internet exposure may lead one to the conclusion the entire U.S. region of the Gulf has taken on the consistency of the LaBrea Tar Pits. But the Gulf of Mexico is enormous. As for Florida’s beaches, see for yourself:
This is not to minimize what is ostensibly the most significant environmental crisis we have ever faced- one whose longterm ramifications will dwarf those of Three Mile Island and Hurricane Katrina. But for the time being, as in real estate, location is everything.
All politics are local. Vacationers should fuel (no pun intended) our economy by continuing with any plans to visit the picturesque emerald coast of Southwest Florida. Last week, Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC’s Morning Joe got her feet wet in Joe Scarborough’s Pensacola, and was none the worse for wear. As Mika goes, so goes the country.
Mika Brzezinski
Travel is the ultimate learning experience, a firsthand means of refuting headline, myth, and innuendo. When The Travel Educators returned from Cancun in February of 2009, some were invariably asked about the constant drumbeat of (primarily U.S.) news reports regarding crimes against Yank tourists, rampant drug wars, and a flu virus apparently worthy of a Stephen King novel. It was difficult to assuage fears by pointing out that the violent crimes in question occurred in the Baja and similar California border towns- a long way in geography and culture from The Yucatan and La Riviera Maya.
Mexico is a big country. The Gulf of Mexico is a large “body of water”. Sensationalism sells.
Besides the usual fun and sun (a much sweeter summer rhyme than “gloom and doom”, don’t you think?), there is plenty to learn in Southwest Florida. One can see manatee, dolphin, and sea turtle up close and personal. Tour the Everglades, mangroves, and places egret and heron frequent. The communities of South Walton Beach are models of New Urbanism studied and emulated the world over- among them Seaside, Rosemary Beach, and new Alys Beach.
New Urbanism:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Urbanism
And there is a new activity called Yolo (“YOLO” is an acronym for “you only live once”) that is taking the region by, er, storm:
Naples is an actively philanthropic community proud of its wine festival and theatre company (the latter a characteristic it shares with the aforementioned Seaside). From Naples’ beaches, one can rent a jetski into the northern 10,000 islands. That’s a zoological education in itself. Which reminds me, the Naples Zoo is an ideal place for the family to see black bear, tiger, lion, lemur, and the fosa made legendary in the animated children’s flick Madagascar. Naples is a golf haven with one of America’s only PGA Tour Superstore’s . At the Superstore, visual displays, monitors and simulators track and analyze golfers’ grip(s), ball speed and flight, lies, form, and clubhead position- a lesson in the physics of the sport.
The restaurant Naples Tomato
boasts one of the U.S.’s few enomatic wine serving systems, should you be an aspiring sommelier. For a great concept restaurant in Naples, you can’t go wrong at Sea Salt,
with Chef Fabrizio Aielli. Dining is yet another form of learning.
Not all the beaches are about posing and high rise hotel views- sample Shell Island from Panama City Beach, along with St. Andrews State Park. Visit Caladesi Island from Clearwater Beach. These locales are much as they were thousands of years ago, and Dr. Beach rated Caladesi the Nation’s No. 1 Beach as recently as 2008. From Sandestin, Topsail (Hill Reserve) State Park offers a natural experience, cycling, and park guides.
Contrary to popular belief, there is clear water everywhere.
Should Clearwater Beach be your choice, the new Hyatt Regency is the jewel of Beach Walk. The sunsets just don’t get any better. Art lovers are encouraged to check out the Salvador Dali Museum in nearby St. Petersburg.
Summer begins officially in about a week. Millions of jobs in restaurants, hotels, transportation, tour fishing, and shops are dependent upon this season. The fields of public relations, recreation, and the golf industry are tangentially involved. Seeing is believing. Come on down to Florida- the water’s fine.
IF YOU GO:
The Beaches of South Walton:
http://www.beachesofsouthwalton.com/
Naples/Marco Island:
The Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach:
http://www.clearwaterbeach.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp
Panama City Beach:
