Huge congratulations are in order for the Springstead High School Marching Eagle Brigade for all the work they put in this year for their show “West Side Story”.

Attitude Much?

There was just something about this show that grabbed your attention and held it the entire time. From the smooth solos to the volume swells and visuals…from the first blast of the band in “Maria”, your attention is theirs.

Tropicana Field – St. Petersburg, FL

This is my second year as both a band parent and one of the myriad sponsors of the band and I am duly impressed. Band Director Richard Dasher does a wonderful job helping these teenagers come together and work hard (and boy, do they work hard…) for a common goal. And make no mistake, this is a team sport with over 100 kids on the moving on the field while playing instruments and twirling flags at any given time and over 20 judges looking for the tiniest mistakes so they can dock points from your “perfect score” of 100.

Absolutely incredible to play in a venue like this!

These kids have a passion for this…during the season they eat, sleep, and breath it. They practice 4-9 hours/day, 5-6 days/week with a pre-season “band camp” of 8 hour days every day for a week. They play at every football game, at Disney World, and at Festivals on weekends all around Florida’s Gulf Coast, often getting on the bus before 9am and driving several hours in each direction to get to the venue, play, and then come home to do homework at 10pm or later (we’ve picked ours up from the school as late as 1 am).

25 Bands performed at Tropicana Field (5 bands per division, 5 divisions based on the size of the band)

It was wonderful to see them perform, and to help support them however we could. Natalie and I look forward to doing it again next year and watching them continue to grow.

So again – Congratulations, Eagles – You Know Who Rocks!

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So Veterans Day came and went…how did you spend it?

My family and I took some time (in between writing an offer for a customer in Ohio in the morning and Marching Band Practice at Springstead High School in the evening) to go visit one of our favorite spots in Hernando County…Pine Island Beach. Far from the commercial beaches of Clearwater, Pine Island almost feels like a private beach…it takes no more than 4-5 minutes to walk from one side of the park to the other (at a leisurely pace) and it never feels crowded.

View Larger Map

Contrary to popular belief (at least to those who don’t already live here), Pine Island is the only real “beach” in Hernando County. Many think Hernando Beach is “the beach” but it’s actually just the name of a waterfront community (3, actually…Hernando Beach North, Hernando Beach Central, and Hernando Beach South) of houses with canals leading out to the Gulf of Mexico.

Walkway towards the pier

There are so many wonderful things about Pine Island Beach…The dolphins come swimming right up close, the water (even 100 yards out) is only waist deep (which makes it incredibly warm and relaxing), the sand is soft just like you’d hope, and perhaps the most surprising thing is Willy’s Tropical Breeze Cafe.

Willy’s is absolutely fantastic – a must-stop while you’re in Hernando County

Walk up to the window, place your order and take a seat either on the picnic tables in the sun or under the Tiki Hut for some shade. 5-10 minutes later your food is ready, freshly prepared and shockingly good.

Willy’s from across the parking lot.

Given the “beachside shack” feel of the place, you’d expect heavy greasy food from a fryer with not much flavor and overpriced as well….but not here. Natalie was amazed at the best coconut shrimp she’s “ever had” (and she’s had some pretty darned fancy coconut shrimp before…I’d even go so far as to say she’s a connoisseur of coconut shrimp). I had the crab cakes with french fries and cole slaw for $10.95 and they were fantastic as well…definitely a wonderful place to have lunch for both the food, price, and scenery.

The Park at Pine Island Beach

Have kids with you? No problem at all! For your (their) enjoyment, Pine Island has a beautiful grassy park.

Excellent entertainment for the kids!

Including a beach volleyball court and a fort/pirate ship/fire station/etc.

Beach-front cabanas shade picnic tables and each has its own BBQ pit

So the next time you’re thinking about Hernando County – think about Pine Island Beach – one of the best reasons to live on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

::Post-Script (added 10/26/2009)::

In response to a couple of the comments below, I felt it to be a great idea to include a couple of photographs sent to me by Trina Bowden of AAA Insurance as well as a flyer for the Bark Island events (where you can bring your pooch to the beach for some fun in the waves!).

Bride on the Beach at Pine Island

Wedding Vows at Pine Island Beach

Guestbook Theme

First Kiss on the Pier

::For Dog Lovers::

Click Here to View the Flyer for Bark Island

For reference Trina is an Insurance Agent for AAA in Spring Hill and she is writing home and auto package policies saving people lots of money. So if you know anyone looking to save on insurance, feel free to send them her way. 352-683-3446 Ext 2242 – tbowden@aaasouth.com

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You’re a boater in Hernando County, Pasco County ,or Citrus County. You’re out in the Gulf of Mexico with your family or maybe some friends, and you decide you’d like to go out to eat. You want to take the boat and dock at a restaurant – what are some of the places you might go? Do you have any favorite “spots” that are great for pulling up the boat, and grabbing a bite to eat?

Please take a moment and write in your suggestions in the “Comment Form” below – we want your input to help make this site a better resource for everyone!

Your email address will not be made public and will never be sold or shared with anyone.

Thanks for your input!

Also – as restaurants are added to the comments section below, I’ll add them to the Map so everyone can see where things are in relation to each other!

CommunityWalk Map – Waterfront Restaurants with Boat Dockage

-Josh

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