Nearby | Tarpon Lodge - Part 4

Picture Perfect Wedding: Magical moments sparkle at Melissa and Michael’s Wedding

Posted on January 21, 2017
Pineland FL, Tarpon Lodge, Weddings

At Tarpon Lodge, we can’t say enough about the wonderful people who celebrate the most special occasion of their lives with us. During the year or so of wedding planning, we feel like we really get to know each couple and their families – in most cases, we establish friendships that last way beyond the wedding day, and we treasure those relationships.

One example is Melissa (Rodriguez) and Michael Meehan. Married at Tarpon Lodge on January 25, 2014, Melissa now teaches kindergarten and is working on her Ph.D. in education. Michael, a U.S. Marine, teaches special needs students and is also a soccer coach. They also both volunteer in the community to help abandoned and neglected dogs find their forever homes. Michael and Melissa are two of the most wonderful people we know!

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Captain Chuck Koucky: Perfecting the Art of Smooth Sailing

Posted on October 30, 2016
By The Wells Family, Tarpon Lodge, Pineland, Florida
Boating, Pine Island, Recreation, Sailing

At our dock at Tarpon Lodge, amid an array of motorboats small and large, guests will notice the sleek outline and billowing sails of the Alondra, a fine, museum-quality 47-foot classic wooden sailboat designed by renowned naval architect L. Francis Herreshoff. One look at this beauty, and you know there’s a good story here.

The classically elegant Alondra designed by renowned naval architect L. Francis Herreshoff

The classically elegant Alondra designed by renowned naval architect L. Francis Herreshoff

The story begins with Captain Charles (Chuck) Koucky a well-known area artist and a captain for more than 30 years. With three sailboats in his fleet, Chuck has a special place in his heart for the Alondra, a meticulously-crafted vessel launched in Michigan in 1985, and purchased by Chuck about five years ago.

Sailing since the age of 10, Chuck spends the winter months taking clients out for sightseeing or sunset tours, plus offering sailing instruction. During the summer, he sails on the Alondra with the Boy Scouts of America high adventure tours out of Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

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Saving “Ruddy”

Posted on September 27, 2016
By Rob Wells
Birding, Cabbage Key, Nature & Wildlife, Pineland FL

ckruddyThanks to our quick thinking staff members, “Ruddy” is one lucky bird. Last week, Oleg, Joe, Angela and Michelle were on the staff boat from Cabbage Key to Tarpon Lodge when they noticed a Ruddy Turnstone shorebird drowning.  They quickly pulled him to safety, put him in a box and took him to the Clinic for Rehabilitation Wildlife (CROW) drop off location in Capel Coral (http://crowclinic.org).

On Friday, we checked in with CROW and learned that Ruddy is recovering quite nicely.  He has scabbing on his legs and wings from his struggle, and he is underweight, but his appetite is good and he is expected to make a full recovery.  If not for the compassionate and swift attention of our crew, this would not have been the case.

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The path of history begins right next door

Posted on August 18, 2016
Calusa Indians, History, Pine Island, Pine Island Beauty, Tarpon Lodge

We have always been fascinated with the rich and storied history of our community. Working at Tarpon Lodge has allowed us to share these unique and exciting facts with our guests who are curious about the area and how it all began. While not historians or archeologists, living and working in proximity to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Randell Research Center has given us a lot of information to pass on. For the history buffs out there, here’s what we have learned:

Juan Ponce de Leon

The very famous Juan Ponce de Leon, whom we all learned about in elementary school, “discovered” Florida in 1513, supposedly while searching for the Fountain of Youth. I put discovered in quotes because apparently there was already a large population here – this was the home of the Calusa Indians.

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10 Reasons to Visit Fort Myers and Sanibel, Florida

Posted on August 10, 2016
By Gillian Kendall, National Geographic
Fishing, Nearby, Pine Island, Recreation, Tarpon Lodge Overview

For a beach lover, the beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel are a dream destination.

Trouble in paradise: I’m at the tollbooth on the causeway that crosses to Sanibel Island from Fort Myers, Florida. There’s a six-dollar charge, and they don’t take credit cards. After fumbling through pockets, purse, and beach bag, I come up with only four crumpled one-dollar bills. But the tan booth attendant offers an authentic smile. “If you don’t have it, it’s OK,” she says, waving me through. “Someone ahead of you just paid it forward.”

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Five Highlights of a Picture Perfect Destination Wedding

Posted on August 3, 2016
By Megan Cassell, Event Coordinator, Tarpon Lodge, Pineland, FL
Pine Island, Pine Island Beauty, Tarpon Lodge, Weddings

Newlyweds enjoying sunset views at Tarpon Lodge in Pineland, Florida

Newlyweds enjoying sunset views at Tarpon Lodge in Pineland, Florida

A dream of the perfect wedding often includes pristine water views graced by vivid sunsets and soft, twinkling lights. Imagine a hush falling over the crowd as bride and groom promise their “I Do’s.”  The air is filled with the gentle sounds of softly lapping waves and whispering Gulf breezes. When the ceremony ends, the spirit of celebration begins – wining and dining, dancing and laughing, revisiting memories and creating new ones. For couples who realized their own dreams, we asked what were the most important criteria for their island wedding. Here are their top five:

1. Private Island Ambiance

The number one reason for an island wedding is to create a unique event in a lovely, secluded setting that is classic and timeless. This is an opportunity to fulfill a vision of being surrounded by panoramic water views, swaying palm trees and rolling, manicured lawns, the perfect backdrop to a most memorable day.

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Historic stays on Pine Island Sound Part 1: Tarpon Lodge

Posted on May 20, 2016
By Jimmy Jacobs, Atlanta Outdoor Travel Examiner
Fishing, Pine Island, Recreation, Tarpon Lodge, Tarpon Lodge Reviews

Pine Island Sound is located just northwest of Fort Myers, Florida. The body of water is fronted on the inland side by Pine Island and to the west by Sanibel, Captiva, North Captiva and Cayo Costa islands that separate its waters from the Gulf of Mexico. The passes connecting the sound to the Gulf are veritable highways for tarpon and other game fish at all times of the year. Also the mangrove-lined islands, creek shores and inland lakes are magnets for snook and redfish.

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Time-lapse video by Awaken

Posted on October 10, 2013
Nearby, Pine Island Beauty

Awaken is a first-of-its-kind, digital ecological calendar, combining time-lapse photography with an online calendar that reminds users of the many, year-round, natural seasons and migrations of The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel.

AllWays Florida

Posted on June 18, 2013
By Ashley Gibbins
Pine Island, Tarpon Lodge Reviews

Pine Island

Pine Island, which is a very short drive away, is different altogether. This is a long-standing, close knit, island community where everyone knows everyone and where everyone cares about everyone. That goes for visitors as well. You are made to feel special as soon as you arrive. Even the local supermarket, a Winn Dixie, gives its produce to the less fortunate as soon as the sell by date passes. Pine Island residents take pride in living here without fuss – or traffic lights or fast food outlets for that matter.

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