When most of us think Southwest Florida the first things that come to mind are the swimming, fishing, boating, seaside dining and shelling. And we know what makes these wonderful activities possible — our abundant water ways and the vast Gulf of Mexico that anchor us locals to stay and draws visitors to explore our area year after year.
As a native Floridian, I’ve always loved knowing at any time of the day I’m within minutes of being able to enjoy any of these water-related adventures. But with that came an unconscious complacency that a lot of us locals fall into.
Brian Tietz
I grew up as a beach bum, enjoying the Gulf of Mexico whenever I wanted. Next I married into a family full of avid boaters and then raised my children in a home on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River. But as I look back at each of these points in my life, I don’t think I truly appreciated the absolute beauty of the water that surrounded me.
When I sat down to write this month’s letter, I thought I’d do a little research to find out exactly how many visitors came to our area to enjoy our shores, among other things, and the number floored me. According to recent statistics over 6.5 million visitors came to Southwest Florida last year. Wow.
Of course, I knew that number would be high. I sit in that traffic every day and I wait in the same lines for a table at our local restaurants, but what that also tells me is I need to stop taking for granted how lucky I am to have these opportunities and get out and reconnect with that inner beach bum that’s buried deep within me.
With that in mind, this month we set out to offer ways to dive back into our beautiful waterways. From the 50-year-old iconic Rose Marina on Marco Island to the “Creative Coast” of Matlacha along the Southwest Florida coast, we take “On the Water” to you.
As for me, I’m setting a goal to get back to my roots and make time to dive into the Gulf of Mexico or start a new shell collection. My choices are limitless and so are yours.
See you on the beach!