Meet me in the Keys Agenda (so far!)
Lodging – We have two locations serving as “hosts”. One will be Parmer’s Resort on Little Torch Key. Second is Sugarloaf KOA Campground in Key West. Sugarloaf is offering great specials to our group. Pay full price for Friday and Saturday night is free! The remaining nights of your stay will be at a 20% discount. Choose where you would like to stay and contact them directly to make your reservation. This allows you to make the decision on location and room type.
Parmer’s number is 305-872-2157. A deposit is required at the time of the booking. Since each room is different, they can work with you to determine which would best suit your needs. Sugarloaf reservations can be made online at sugarloaf@koa.net or by phone at 800-562-7731. I’m not sure about their deposit policy. Make sure you tell them at each place that you are with the Coconut Castaways group when booking. At Sugarloaf, you must be a current club member to receive the discount. They will be provided with a list of club members’ names for reference. Space is limited at both locations so make your reservations now! Needless to say, you Keys folks do not need to stay at either place, but you are more than welcome to!
Thursday, May 13
Boondocks – 5:30 p.m.
Members-only luau evening! Check in area will have your dinner tickets, info/sign-up for other daily events, merchandise and more. Dinner tickets are required to enter the area. Per person price of $33 includes appetizers, dinner, concert (Howard, Dave, and possibly Rick will play), goofy golf, gratuity, and tax. $5 Pirates Choice rum punch & other beverages available. We will put all meals on one ticket and pay that way.
We need to receive payment for your portion no later than May 1st to ensure you have admission. Menu – fruit & cheese trays, 2 skewers (choice of chicken, shrimp or mahi mahi), Mediterranean pasta, Caribbean jerk yellow rice, grilled veggies and cornbread.
Important note – There are two different registration options on the calendar for the event, so be sure and sign up for the one containing the payment method you are choosing.
Friday, May 14
“Hangover Classic” – approximate time 10:30 a.m. – this is similar to “On Deck for the Cure” from our cruises. Minimum $10 donation with proceeds going to Camp Care. Participants get a 3rd annual Mile Marker 24/Coconut Castaways outing tee. Route to be KOA to Mangrove Mama’s for hangover cures (aka Bloody Marys, mimosas and screwdrivers). Register by April 15th to let us know your shirt size. You can also sign up at Boondocks, but we cannot guarantee sizes. Shirts can also be purchased (min. $10 donation) with proceeds going to Camp Care. Go ahead and register on the site if you want to donate and get a shirt, even if you don’t plan on walking.
Key West Harbor Yacht Club – 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Members-only meal, concert, and pool party. The cost to attend this event is $35 per person, which gets you full access to the Yacht Club, pool, clubhouse, showers, meal and gratuities. The menu is Garden salad and bread, Grilled Mahi with Key Lime Buerre Blanc, Jerk Chicken with citrus demi, Roasted Pork with Mojo marinated onions, Island rice, black beans and cookies. There will be a cash tiki bar for refreshing beverages. Howard and Dave will play. We’ll have a welcome by Sir Peter Anderson, who will have Conch Republic Passports and Keys property deeds for those who wish to purchase them.
Bring your suits and hang out in the pool, listen to the band and enjoy a delicious meal. This will be a fantastic time that you won't want to miss. The $35 will need to be paid by May 1st, enabling Howard to have things placed on one ticket. Please mail your check to: Coconut Castaways, PO Box 22103, Des Moines, IA 50325. Note on the memo line that it is for this event.
Mallory Square Sunset Celebration – following KW Harbor Yacht Club event. Afterwards, everyone is on their own to check out the Duval Street area.
Saturday, May 15
KOA day – Various activities planned throughout the afternoon. We will offer kayaking through the mangroves. If you saw photos of our river tubing from this past summer, it will be similar. J There are a limited number of kayaks, so please email Cruise Director Tammy to ensure you get one. Plan on noon to 3:00 for this. The entire $40 gets donated to Care Camp. We may even have kayak races! Then, we’ll plan coconut races to raise money for Care Camp. Decorate your coconut to see if you can win the judging. Then the coconuts will be placed in the water for the big race. Cheer your coconut on to the finish line! There might even be prizes.
Bar-b-q dinner – proceeds to benefit Care Camp. Concert by Howard and the Mile Marker 24 Band. But before that, we'll have a possibly have other Keys musicians taking the stage throughout the afternoon. And the group that takes pan lessons from Dave will play before Howard and the full band hit the stage at 7:00. Then, there will be a live auction, benefitting Care Camp. Howard will play auctioneer! You don’t want to miss that! If you’re interested in helping with the auction, let me know.
Sunday, May 16
Picnic Island! New information! Since we've had so many people sign up to go, we have decided to rent a party boat. We're renting the tiki boat out of Key West. Seating is limited as we'll have room for about 45-50 people. The $55 per person cost covers your transportion to/from Picnic Island, the captain's fee, sandwiches and bottled water. You can BYOB for anything else you'd like to drink. There is also a restroom on the boat! (Yea!!) This is first come, first serve, so email Tammy at cruisedirector@coconutcastawaysiowa.com to reserve your spot. Payment will be made before boarding the boat. We'll be picked up at Parmers, which makes it convenient for the event that follows.
Club members who have their own boats or have arranged their own transportion can keep those arrangements, if you like. This is just an option for those without boats.
Parmers Resort – “Wind Down” wine and cheese evening – After we return from Picnic Island, we’ll wrap up the event with a members-only gathering at Parmers. After spending the day out in the sun, come relax and spend a final evening with friends. This will be an inside/outside event. Those who wish to be in the AC can do so, but we’ll spill over to the patio area as well. Please sign up on the calendar so that the Parmers folks know how many to expect and how much to buy.
So, here is what you need to do now:
• Make sure you go to the calendar on the web site and register your attendance. We need head counts for many of these events.
• Check items in red above – mail a check made out to The Coconut Castaways to PO Box 22103, Des Moines, IA 50325 for the dinner at Boondocks and Key West Harbor Yacht Club. Payment (check or PayPal) must be received no later than May 1st.
• Hangover Classic/T-shirts – send payment and shirt size by April 15th. This will allow us to place the order and receive the shipment on time. There will be extras available to purchase at the event, but to guarantee you get the size you want, order early!
• Email Tammy at cruisedirector@coconutcastawaysiowa.com if you want to kayak.
• Please let me know if you have a boat to take out to Picnic Island. Chrissy will coordinate with you as the event gets closer. Thanks Chrissy!
For items requiring payment, we’ll offer the option of payment by check or paypal. We would prefer checks since PayPal deducts a fee for each transaction. But, if you would like to use the paypal option, email Tammy at cruisedirector@coconutcastawaysiowa.com for instructions on how to do that. If you have any questions at all about any of the events, please do not hesitate to let me know. I’ll keep you posted as things are added or updated.
Thanks and can’t wait for our “Meet me in the Keys” trip!