I’m spending this weekend in one of my favorite Florida Beachtowns, Delray Beach. I’m staying at a new resort, The Seagate Beach Club on Atlantic Ave in Downtown Delray.

Seagate Beach Club – Clubhouse

The Seagate Beach Club offers a distinguished charm and history.  This exclusive private oceanfront club is located directly on the beach in downtown Delray.   Newly constructed on the footprint of the previous club, in a British Colonial style with a Bahamian influence, casual elegance is reflected in the soft, contemporary interior.

A relaxing destination for members and their guests – the beach belongs to you at your castle in the sand.  It’s an awesome Spa and Beach Club.  So glad I am here!

Seagate Beach Club Oceanside Pool

Seagate Beach Club Welcome Sign

This is me, checking out the Tesla Roadster Sport Electric Car – What a fun car!

For more photos & more about Delray Beach, visit my blog – just click here!

Click on this link to see my Top 10 Places to eat in PCB.

I just received an email from an associate of mine in Panama City Beach, Florida.  I wanted to share it with you as it is about the new International Airport under construction.

“I normally don’t send out emails like this to our pcbdaily folks, but I wanted to let you know that at tomorrow’s board meeting, the Airport Authority will be considering new names for the new airport that is under construction right now. This is a huge move on their part and frankly a smart move as well.

This airport will change the face of Panama City and it’s surrounding areas forever and will bring people that would have never considered traveling here before in the past.  In addition there is huge international possibilities in the near future.

A new name is essential to be sure that future travelers and potential travelers alike receive the right impression about Northwest Florida. Other area airports have changed their name in the recent past to reflect similar goals and it is time for us to do the same.

So, I’ve just posted an article: Name the New Panama City Airport – Submit Here

In this article you can post your name suggestion and you can also get the email address to send it to the Airport Authority. I’m sorry for the late notice on this, but the board meeting is tomorrow morning at 10am, so submit your name suggestions now!

We look forward to all the awesome name suggestions!”

Boardwalk Beach Resort at Royal American Beach Getaways has teamed up with the EVP Tour to host a televised beach volleyball event to be held on Labor Day Weekend.

The Boardwalk Beach Resort on Panama City Beach, Florida, will host the 2009 EVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour on September 5th and 6th, 2009.

The top players from across the nation will bump, set, and spike and compete for $6,000 in prize money.   There will also be a juniors division tournament with Under 21 College, Under 18, Under 16, and Under 14 divisions.

For more information on the event, please go to www.evptour.com

Check out this Video from Gulf Shores Alabama EVB Tour to see what’s coming up in Panama City Beach!

The hatching season began Sunday, August 9 when 99 loggerhead hatchlings emerged from nest #3 at the Coral Reef Condo at 8 pm.  Many crawled east toward lights of an adjacent condo and were rescued by Turtle Watch volunteers with assistance from local residents and tourists.  The disoriented hatchlings were collected in coolers and released on a dark beach in western Bay County.

From http://www.turtlewatch.org

If you see nesting or hatchling turtles on Panama City Beach, immediately call 888-404-3922 (24-hr hotline).  Please remember not to crowd or shine lights on nesting turtles or hatchlings.

Contact  Turtle Watch for more information about their program.

10 Fun things to do under $10 on Panama City Beach

Check it out and see some fun and inexpensive activities in Panama City Beach!

Top 10 Exciting Things Under $10 on Panama City Beach

I recently took some time to visit Nokomis Beach in Casey Key.  I have been to Florida many times but this was a 1st for me.  Casey Key is barrier island on the West Coast of the Florida peninsula in Sarasota County, just north of Venice.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover Casey Key

and thoroughly enjoyed my visit there.

Casey Key is the home of many celebrities and well known people,

including Stephen King.

Stephen King has one of the priciest homes on all of Florida’s west coast.  Stephen King’s home on Casey Key was purchased in April of 2001.  It is currently valued at approximately $10 million.

In addition to checking out the “Rich and Famous” on Casey Key, I learned quite a bit about Sea Turtles.

I was fascinated by the loggerhead sea turtles

The Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) is a sea turtle and the only member of the genus Caretta. The genus name “Caretta” is a latinization of the French “caret”, meaning turtle, tortoise, or sea turtle. A loggerhead sea turtle reportedly grows up to 800 lbs (364 kg) and 3.5 feet (1.1 m) long. Their shell color is a reddish brown color, and the color of their skin is brown yellow. They are named for their disproportionately large head. They are also the state reptile of South Carolina.

If you have never been to the West Coast of Florida, I suggest that you plan a visit this fall or winter!  It is quite different than the East Side and the Atlantic Ocean.   The sunsets, the sand and the gentle breezes on the Gulf of Mexico are something to see and feel!   I can’t wait to get there again in February of 2009!

Check out my blog for more photos and videos:  http://www.caseykeyblog.com

Thanksgiving is soon upon us and I’m reflecting about where I was last year…  Almost one year ago I took part in a wonderful experience in Palm Beach.  For many months prior to the event, I helped to organize this event.  We had weekly phone meetings and made some great plans!

Do you recognize Don Shula with me?

We asked that each attendee donate a minimum of $5,000 to the Caring House Project Foundation. Why $5,000 you ask? With $5,000 you will provide shelter for one desperately homeless family. That’s right, the Caring House Project Foundation can build a 500 square foot concrete home with metal roof, kitchen, two rooms, front porch and bathroom, all for $10 a square foot!

Should you build two homes by donating $10,000 or more you will be invited to a special lunch the day the event concludes inside a $30 million home.

Should you want to stay as a guest at Frank McKinney’s personal oceanfront home for the two nights ( there was room for 5 guests), we offered this opportunity by donating to build three homes, or a minimum of $15,000.

Rich DeVos and Douglas Doebler.
Rich DeVos is the founder of Amway and a fellow Rotarian.

Many of the hosts for this event have donated significant sums of money to CHPF and have seen the silver lining as they drove through the misery of extreme poverty in Cap Haitien, Haiti to reach the self sustaining village built by the Caring House Project Foundation that was inaugurated just a few months ago. A village that has touched over 1000 homeless men, women and children.

This is the famous painter, Michael Isreal, on the left and me, Douglas Doebler on the left.  When I was on Haiti, I took a picture of this young boy.  Michael painted this portrait of him & we auctioned off the painting at the event.  Did you see the T-shirt that I designed as a birthday gift to Frank when I visited Haiti in February?

Michael Isreal does big charity auctions – paintings often sell for $50,000. Watch these videos to see some of his work… make sure to turn up the sound!  This New York City video has had almost 8 million hits http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZFkZiwMLZ4

This video of his Big Brother/Big Sister painting in Tampa has had thousands of hits. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1bCKtX4uEc

This is Frank McKinney with me, Douglas Doebler.  Frank was the creator of this event with the Haiti boy painting – this painting raised $45,000.

The event was a huge success and we raised close to $700,000.  Yes – almost 3/4 of a million dollars!  This money raised will help build next two villages in Haiti.

We did an interesting exercise to “leave your fears behind”…

With 300 people watching, I stepped into a coffin.  It was a little chilling & eerie at the least, but made me think about my “fears” and how to overcome them!

Here is our group touring Frank’s Spec Homes

This photo of Mike Litman (Conversations with Millionaires) and some of the group, including Frank McKinney.  Photos taken by me, Douglas Doebler.

Mike Litman talking to Kendra Todd’s Mother

My good friend Mark Evans also helped us organize this event.

Click here to read the email I received from Frank after the big event last year.

See for yourself what Frank McKinney and I witnessed that very 1st day I spent in Cap Haitian, Haiti.

Amelia is long and narrow.  It is 13 miles (21 km) long (21 km) and approximately 4 miles (6 km) wide at its widest point.  Amelia Island is situated just south of Cumberland Island, Georgia, off the east coast of Florida in Nassau County. Fernandina Beach and Amelia City are both located on the island.

It is host to the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival, the Amelia Island Jazz Festival, the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and the Bausch & Lomb Tennis Championships.

Amelia Island has several beach resorts.  There are many interesting day trips if you feel like moving from the beach or pool.  Take a nature walk or boat tour, stroll through a beautifully restored Victorian town, visit a historic fort or ride horses on the beach.

If you are planning a trip to Amelia Island or Fernandina Beach, you might want to check these links:

Amelia Island Museum of History

Fort Clinch State Park

Click here to visit Professor Beach’s Worlds Best Beachtowns Website where you can find information on the closest airport, Chamber of Commerce info, maps, photos and more!