For information, contact:
Carolyn Masten
SunStream Hotels & Resorts
(239) 765-4111 (office)
@SunStreampr (Twitter)
CarolynM@SunStream.com
www.SunStream.com

SUNSTREAM HOTELS & RESORTS INVITES GUESTS TO THE
23RD ANNUAL AMERICAN SAND SCULPTING CHAMPIONSHIP FESTIVAL

FORT MYERS BEACH, FL – October 7, 2009 – November 3 – 8, 2009 marks the time of the 23rd Annual American Sand Sculpting Championship Festival, where master and amateur artists and enthusiasts alike converge on Fort Myers Beach to be a part of this Southwest Florida annual spectacular. This year marks a major milestone in the competition with the announcement of the “dream team” list of sculptors who share 37 World Championship titles between them. They will have the opportunity to show some of the best sand sculpting skills in the United States, and for the first time ever, this year’s event will be directly tied in with the world championships for sand sculpting. As a qualifying contest, the First Place winner this year will automatically advance to compete for the world title in Seattle next summer.

“The inclusion of the Fort Myers Beach event was done after careful scrutiny of the organization of your contest, your hospitality standards, your longevity, and that the assurance of quality we recommend was accepted” says Doc Reiss, The World Championship of Sand Sculpture. “Your competition is the only one in the southeastern United States to have achieved this recognition. Our goal is to recognize those events that mirror our desire for excellence and further the presentation of sand sculpting as a viable art and sport competition.”

While sand castles are lined up along the beach, guests at SunStream’s GullWing Beach Resort and Pointe Estero Beach Resort – located at the south end of Fort Myers Beach – can also enjoy direct access to the festival’s Sand Magic Village, where they can take advantage of beach side shopping from festival vendors just outside their door. SunStream’s other beach property, DiamondHead Beach Resort, the only full-service all-suite luxury resort right on Fort Myers Beach, also offers and additional array of options for guests to enjoy.

Fort Myers Beach’s down-home image and reputation as “the safest beach in the world” have let to its increasing popularity as a great family vacation spot. The annual festival adds to its appeal, giving travelers a reason to take a quick trip to what Family Fun magazine named “Best Family-Friendly Beach in the Southeast U.S.”

The sand sculpting competition continues to be a favorite, attracting over 80,000 spectators each year. For a great vacation getaway, coupled by some great spectator fun, take advantage of SunStream’s special promotional rates today. For reservations or more information on finding where you belong on Fort Myers Beach, call 800-625-4111 or visit SunStream.com. Visit SandSculptingFestival.com for information on the sand sculpting festival.

Headquartered in Fort Myers Beach, SunStream Hotels & Resorts has become a name synonymous with luxury hotels and condominium resorts throughout Southwest Florida, having specialized in property development and hospitality management since 1986. SunStream’s distinctive collection of properties in Southwest Florida now includes the DiamondHead Beach Resort, GullWing Beach Resort, Pointe Estero Beach Resort, Bellasera Hotel, Park Shore Resort, Port of the Islands Resort & Marina and opening in November 2009, the Resort at MarinaVillage – a luxurious full-service condominium resort located at Tarpon Point Marina in Cape Coral with 19 stories of sweeping views of the Caloosahatchee River, San Carlos Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

For more information on SunStream Hotels & Resorts or to book a reservation, please call 800-625-4111 or visit www.sunstream.com.

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In 1919, pioneer botanist Dr. Henry Nehrling founded the botanical garden. Respected botanist David Fairchild reflected, “The wildlife is passing. Man is destroying it. Dr. Nehrling loved it and taught thousands to follow his lead.” After Nehrling died, his garden grew wild until Julius Fleischmann restored and expanded it in 1954. Explorers and educators Larry and Nancy Jane Tetzlaff, known as Jungle Larry and Safari Jane, introduced the rare animals in 1969. Larry performed stuntwork in the popular Tarzan films and collected venom during WWII for medicine. Millions gained a new appreciation of the planet’s wonders through their films, TV appearances, and live programs. Today, Naples Zoo continues its mission to delight guests with the natural world and inspire the conservation of our planet’s remaining wild areas and their wondrous inhabitants.

Today

In this tropical setting, guests can take delight at seeing many of their favorite animals like lions, kangaroos and bears. They will also find a botanical collection of exotic plants, mature trees and rare historic tropical gardens. Experience the Zoo’s feature exhibits such as The Fosa: Madagascar’s Legendary Carnivore, Tiger Forest, Leopard Rock, Petrof’s Primate Pavilion, Alligator Bay and African Oasis. And gaze on an array of more rarely seen creatures like African wild dogs or an Asian deer that barks and eats meat. Guests can climb aboard a guided cruise and leisurely observe islands of monkeys, lemurs and apes in their own habitat.

Lions, Tigers and Bears ’09!

2009 marks the 40^th anniversary since the Tetzlaff family introduced the wild animals to the historic tropical garden. Coinciding with the 70^th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz movie, Naples Zoo is celebrating with Lions, Tigers and Bears ’09! (Oh Nine! Oh My! Cute, huh? Not as cute as the lion cubs, baby porcupine and black bears). See them all during your next visit to Southwest Florida.

The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens is conveniently located at 1590 Goodlette-Frank Road, Naples, FL 34102. ZooLine: 239-262-5409 or on the web at NaplesZoo.org.

The signing event will take place at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille in Fort Myers Beach. Dead Silence is the 16th in the series of Doc Ford novels and quite possibly the most chilling one yet. Here’s your chance to meet the author and get the latest scoop.

Marion “Doc” Ford is the hero and main character in several best-selling novels written by Randy Wayne White. Doc Ford is a marine biologist and ex-government agent who yearns for the quiet, contemplative life of a scientist. He’s also “a baseball-loving, tropical adventurer who – not so surprisingly – has spent a lot of time in the same far-flung places that I wrote about when I was a monthly columnist for Outside Magazine: Places such a Cuba, Cambodia, South Africa, Australia, Vietnam, Borneo, and all over South and Central America,” says White. Before writing his novels, White used to be a light tackle fishing guide right here in Southwest Florida at the Tarpon Bay Marina on Sanibel Island. He worked more than 3,000 charters and spent 300 days a year boating in the Southwest Florida waters. And just as his novels are inspired by these local barrier islands, his days on the water, and the people he came to know, the spirit of Doc Ford’s fine sports bars was inspired by the marine biologist who is the main character of those novels. 

For more information, please call 239-765-9660 or visit docfords.com. Doc Ford’s Fort Myers Beach Rum Bar & Grille is located at 708 Fisherman’s Wharf Drive (last right before the Fort Myers Beach bridge).

The 33rd annual Great Dock Canoe Race takes place at 11 a.m., this Saturday, May 9 at Crayton Cove in Naples. Each year, the Race has a theme, which serves as the inspiration for decorated canoes that compete for the best-dressed prize. This year, the theme will be “It’s a Jungle Out There,”and inspiration may be drawn from the African Queen to Tarzan, and perhaps even George of the Jungle. The theme boats will begin the parade around Crayton Cove starting at 11 a.m.

The Race is run in three heats with the first “Tippycanoe VIP Sprint” race beginning at 11:45 a.m., followed by the “Ambitious Amateurs” race at 12:45 and the “Practically Professionals” division at 1:45 p.m. The awards ceremony is set for 2:45 p.m.

An additional important element of the Race is the $5,000 grant awarded to a worthy children’s charity each year. This year’s beneficiary will be the CHS Healthcare Early Health Initiative, a new program designed to secure appropriate medical and dental care for children 0-5 years old.

The Annual Great Dock Canoe Race, co-sponsored by The Dock and Riverwalk restaurants, is arguably Naples’ most popular outdoor event. Contestants and spectators travel from throughout the country to race and watch, and thousands of people, from young children to grandparents, celebrate the Race on land, dock and bay. It’s a community event that has stayed true to its roots. More information on the Race is available by visiting GreatDockCanoeRace.com.