This is the first of 4 newsletters you will receive regarding the convention. They will serve as our "promotional" emails for the convention in lieu of the multiple emails we have sent in previous years. Each will be available on the convention website under general info after their initial transmission. It's A Great Life - January!
You're in luck!The BSA 2007 Convention hasexactly what you are looking for...and more! |
Ken Mayland with his economic outlook for the future. Some of our spouses in attendance are in the business world themselves and will benefit from Mr. Mayland's forecast. In fact, he was just named BusinessWeek magazine's most accurate forecaster for 2006. Incidentally, he was also named in 2000 by Fortune Magazine as "one of the sexiest economists alive."
Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
- 9-Hole 4-Person Scramble
- Aqua Slimnastics
- Breathwork & Guided Meditation
- Ceramics, Coconuts, T Shirts & Sand Dollar Painting
- Dive In Movie
- Eco & Shelling Tour (Calusa Spirit)
- Hair Braiding & Beads
- Live Entertainment
- Parasailing
- Resistance Class
- Resort Scavenger Hunt
- Sailing and Shelling Tour
- Spinning
- Tennis Clinic
- Tiki Tribe Program
- Waverunnner Excursion
The Spa is Waiting for You
The Spa at Marco Island Marriott, a Balinese-style health spa, has state-of-the-art fitness facilities, salon services, Spa Cafè serving healthy fare and a Spa Shop.
Here are just a few of their offerings: (visit http://www.marcoislandmarriott.com/spa_services.html form more information)
Massage Treatments
- Classic Swedish Massage
A seductive experience with long, comforting strokes of medium to light pressure, this full body massage is ideal for first time Spa guests. Improve circulation and ease muscle tension. Ultra relaxation. $120/50min* $160/75min. - Deep Tissue Massage
Rev up your physical strength. The physically active person thrives on this deep pressure massage that targets specific muscle groups to release tension, improve flexibility and enhance physical performance. Combined with range of motion, this deeply moving experience promotes healing. $130/50min* $175/75min. - Balinese Massage
A meditative massage that combines Hindu, Chinese and European influences to create a relaxing, rhythmic and energizing massage experience. This massage offers varying techniques of acupressure, rolling motion, long strokes and percussion to invigorate the muscles and significantly increase blood circulation.
$175/75min. - Lastone Therapy
This full body massage utilizes smooth riverbed basalt stones and warm oil for a profoundly calming and unique experience. The combination of energy, placement, pressure and heat with recovery from cooled marble stones opens pathways and improves circulation.
$135/50min*$180/75min. - Reflexology
A sole to soul sensation. This healing art is traced to ancient times and is based on the belief that the feet are a microcosm of the entire body. Your reflexologist will stimulate reflex points on the soles of your feet (meridians) to improve circulation, reduce fatigue and improve physical balance.
$75/25min. - Back, Neck & Shoulder Massage
The perfect therapy to begin your time in paradise. Vanquish the stress and tension caused by the everyday rigors of life. Banish the effects of air travel, heavy suitcases, time differences, recycled air and uncomfortable seating. Clear your head, relieve your neck and shoulders and immerse yourself in total relaxation.
$75/25min. - Pre or Post-Natal Massage
It’s your turn to be babied. Specialty cushions ensure the genuine care and comfort of both mother and baby as pressure and tension in the lower and middle back as well as the strain in the neck and shoulders are relieved. The post-natal massage reduces fatigue by assisting in returning circulatory and lymphatic systems to normal. As a mother or mother-to-be, you know you’ve earned this extraordinarily comforting therapy. Enjoy.
$125/50min. - Hydro Massage
This massage is performed in a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy tub. The therapist assesses your needs and adds the appropriate products from the sea for muscle relaxation. While seated in the tub you will receive a water wand massage. The multiple high-powered jets harmonize this experience. A hydrating massage compliments this service. Swimsuit required for the treatment.
$150/50min. - Massage Medley
A combination of techniques during this full-body massage will satisfy a variety of individual needs. Deeper pressure relieves tight muscle groups while Swedish techniques are incorporated for full relaxation. A customized treatment developed especially for you. Our practitioners will incorporate massage techniques from around the world, such as Thai, Lomi Lomi, Reiki, Reflexology and Shiatsu and apply them to the necessary body parts. A perfect first-time treatment to ensure your particular needs are met.
$130/50min
Body Treatments
- Bali By The Sea Scrub
Share the secrets of the mermaids. A warm, deep sea salt exfoliation to remove impurities, dry skin and prepare new skin with a deep cleansing. An intense seaweed mineral moisturizer is applied over the entire body, leaving your skin smooth and supple and ready for the King Neptune in your life. $75/25min. - Citrus Scrub
A quicker route to Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth. Indigenous natural ingredients from the Florida citrus farms are combined with mineralizing sea salts and applied to the body with gentle massage techniques. A natural exfoliation process cleanses the body in preparation for the hydrating citrus moisturizer. $75/25min. - South Pacific Sea Mud Wrap
Polynesian princesses dove deep to capture the essence of flawless skin. Thankfully, our classic mud wrap from the nutrient rich sea floor is just minutes away. This sensational therapy detoxifies, revitalizes and eases tension throughout the entire body, leaving you with a smooth body polish. $115/50min. - Re-Hydrating Body Mask
Your entire body celebrates. The perfect relief from over exposure to the intense tropical sunshine and the pain of sunburn. Soothing, hydrating mask of natural Aloe Vera extracts applied to the body will restore your skin’s natural balance. $115/50min.
Conference Tables to Open on February 1
One of the most popular events of the convention, the annual Conference Table Sessions, will be open for appointments on February 1. Conference Tables are prescheduled, one-on-one meetings between 
distributors and manufacturers and have always provided attendees with a key opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest. Advance registration allows participants to prepare for meetings in advance and, therefore, get more value from the time they spend together.
You must be registered for the convention in order to use the on-line scheduling system, so make plans to get you (and your spouse) registered before February1!
Marco Island...and More
Families Love The Paradise Coasts: Naples, Marco Island & the Everglades
The greater Naples, Florida area is blessed with miles of beautiful, white sand beaches, but this is not your average beach town. Naples is a small yet sophisticated city by the sea, recognized as a leading arts and culture destination with a diverse array of recreational opportunities appealing to all members of the family.
The eclectic combination of shopping, outdoor adventure, boat tours, the arts, dining and fun family activities prompted the Travel Channel to select Naples as its Best All-Around Beach for 2005, and Condé Nast Traveler magazine selected Naples, Florida as one of the 20 Best Beaches in America 2006.
The tropical ambiance of Naples and nearby Marco Island adds to the area’s appeal by offering beachfront resorts, guided Waverunner tours of the Ten Thousand Islands, fishing charters, boat rentals, sightseeing tours, family attractions, waterfront dining and more. The beach resort areas are complemented by the vast Everglades ecosystem, providing unique choices for outdoor adventure, bird and wildlife watching, guided nature tours and more.
For more information or to request a free visitors guide or brochure, call 1-800-688-3600 or log on to www.ParadiseCoast.com.
THINGS TO DO
Beaches in Naples, on Marco Island, and even along the deserted islands in Everglades National Park have beautiful white sand, collectible shells and soft Gulf of Mexico breezes. Numerous public access points to the beach can be found. Public beach parks include Lowdermilk Beach Park, Naples Municipal Beach & Pier, Clam Pass Beach Park, Vanderbilt Beach Park, and Tigertail Beach Park on Marco Island, all with facilities and parking. Other beaches, located on nearby barrier islands, are accessible only by boat. Either rent a boat for the day or hire one of the many boat tour services to take you to Keewaydin Island, Cape Romano or one of the many so called Ten Thousand Islands.
Boating is part of the lifestyle in Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades and most visitors want to get in on the action. All manner of boat tours are available. Sightseeing boats such as the Naples Princess, Marco Princess, Lady Stirling, Sweet Liberty and the Double Sunshine provide tours to view the area’s beautiful waterfront homes as well as the mangrove estuaries teaming with wildlife that lead out to the Gulf of Mexico. Smaller boat tours focus on spotting wildlife, especially the area’s many bottlenose dolphin, manatee, sea turtles and birds.
Shelling is unbelievable in the area, but to find the best shells, sometimes its best to book a shelling charter from one of the area’s boat captains. Nearby islands, accessible only by boat and located just offshore, are filled with keepsake shells and the trip to and from promises dolphin spotting as well as a relaxing ride.
Shopping is outstanding, with unique boutiques, art galleries and clothing stores along Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South in downtown Naples. There are two elegant upscale shopping centers: Waterside Shops – with an impressive list of new luxury retailers – and The Village on Venetian Bay, both in north Naples. Bargain hunters should not be dissuaded, however. Prime Outlets, located halfway between downtown Naples and Marco Island, boasts over 40 name brand retail outlets including Liz Claiborne, Bass, IZOD and more. And if you’re into treasure hunting, the second hand, thrift and and consignment shops in Naples are filled with hand-me-downs from the area’s wealthier residents with great buys possible on designer shoes, bags, clothing and home furnishings and interior design items.
Golf is everywhere with courses available at all the major resorts as well as several excellent public courses. Some of the private, members-only courses go semi-private between May and September, when they welcome non-members to play. Instruction programs are available that appeal to families and may include lessons on golf etiquette for youngsters (Tiburon Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples or family lessons at Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club).
Fishing can be a great family fun activity. While deep-sea fishing trips into the Gulf of Mexico can be fun and exciting, sometimes seas may be too rough for younger passengers. Try one of the many inshore or “backcountry” fishing charters available. Calmer waters prevail, but the fish are big and plentiful. Use fly rods or spinning tackle to hunt for tarpon, snook, redfish, seatrout and more. If you’d like to try kayak fishing the Everglades National Park Wilderness Waterway, book a “mother ship” trip aboard the Yak Attack out of Everglades City from EvergladesKayakFishing.com. Six kayaks and six passengers are ferried out into the wilds of the creeks and deserted island beaches of the Everglades for a day of paddling, fishing and exploring the deserted islands. Motor back to the dock in the afternoon. If you don’t want to fish from the kayaks, you can do this tour as an “eco” tour instead. You’ll have spent a day kayaking in an area where it normally would take you at least three days to paddle to, with no need for camping gear, and returning you to your beachfront resort in time for dinner and sunset.
Arts & Culture abounds, with concerts at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts, some with family themes, as well as the renowned Naples Museum of Art. Art galleries abound in downtown Naples, which makes for great window shopping. There are also classes available as well as galleries at the von Liebig Art Center downtown. Collier County Museums in Naples, Everglades City and Immokalee provide a look back into the fascinating history of Southwest Florida, from the days of the prehistoric mastadon to the reign of the Calusa Indians to the pioneers of the late 19th and early 20th century.
ATTRACTIONS
Most all are themed around the area’s rich natural environment!
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens is fully accredited by the prestigious American Zoo & Aquarium Association. The zoo is located in an historic 52-acre old growth tropical botanical garden and features several excellent multimedia shows daily that include live animal participation. The zoo has a brand new Madagascar-themed exhibit called Petrof’s Primate Pavilion featuring the unique wildlife of Madagascar, as well as the Primate Expedition cruise, included with zoo admission, that takes guests up close to the many islands in a large lake that serve as cage free homes for the zoo’s primates, including lemurs, colobus monkeys, spider monkeys, gibbons and more. www.napleszoo.com
Collier County’s newest regional park, North Collier Regional Park, is open with the exciting Sun-N-Fun Lagoon water park, an exciting and fun place to keep cool. Enjoy fun waterslide rides, a lazy river and a dancing water feature, along with three pools to keep cool. www.colliergov.net/parks
Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary provides a 2.25 mile boardwalk through the country’s last remaining old growth bald cypress forest for spotting birds and wildlife up close. Take your camera and allow several hours to stroll along the boardwalk. Best chances to spot deer, bear, otter and other mammals are morning and evening hours. Bird watching is good year round depending on the arrival and departure of many migratory species as well as year round bird populations. Check with the sanctuary for family night walks on the boardwalk and other guided activities. www.corkscrew.audubon.org
The Conservancy of Florida’s Naples Nature Center has an excellent interactive museum for learning about the Florida environment, narrated boat tours of the Gordon River and viewing of rehabilitated injured wildlife that are cared for on the grounds. www.conservancy.org
Cocohatchee Nature Center in north Naples offers kayak rentals and guided boat tours on the pristine Cocohatchee River leading out to the Gulf of Mexico. www.cocohatchee.org
Naples Water & Land Tours, operating out of the Charter Club Resort in Old Naples, offers small boat tours to spot dolphins and other wildlife; as well as the only Segway scooter tours in the Naples area. Segway instructions are included with each tour – great for all ages. Up to six people can ride, but larger groups can be accommodated with advance notice. www.napleswatertours.com
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve has a beautiful new Environmental Learning Center with tanks showing the estuary system and its inhabitants. Inquire about guided excursions on nearby trails on the waters of Rookery Bay. www.rookerybay.org
Wildlife drives are great ways to enjoy the Everglades ecosystem. Several roads within area parks provide great opportunities to spot and photograph wildlife including alligators, raccoons, butterflies, birds and more. Janes Scenic Drive, Loop Road, Turner River Road and the Tamiami Trail, all just past Everglades City, offer some of the best critter spotting opportunities.
Airboat rides are fast and fun and get passengers up close to alligators and other animals along with Everglades area scenery. There are numerous airboat tour operators near Everglades City offering trips through the mangrove tunnels and alongside the Everglades prairies. Airboat rides on Lake Trafford in Immokalee are great for spotting birds in the lakeside reeds as wells as alligators, wild boar and other creatures.
For more ideas on where to stay and how to play, visit www.ParadiseCoast.com or call 1-800-688-3600 to request a free visitors guide.
