2011 Poker run cape coral
- vol. 14 # 5
by Steve Fennell
The 2011 season opener kicked-off the poker run series in class and style!
What started as the Diamond Deal Poker Run held at the Resort at MarinaVillage in the fall of 2009 has become the Poker Runs America Season Opener for the last two years, attracting countless of performance enthusiasts from the United States, Canada and beyond. Not only has this event proved to be one of the hottest stops on our poker run circuit, but the Resort at MarinaVillage has become one of the main attractions of this annual power event. And 2011 was no different.
The Resort at MarinaVillage and accompanying Tarpon Point Marina are located in the region of Fort Myers and Cape Coral and considered one of the most exotic hotel resorts in the area. Acclaimed for overlooking the scenic Caloosahatchee River, the resort is a boater’s retreat unlike any other. It offers approximately 263 luxurious rooms with excellent hotel amenities and is boater friendly with easy access to and from the Gulf of Mexico and ICW.
More convenience for boaters is provided by the Tarpon Point Marina, just steps away from the hotel. Quick and convenient docking is provided by the marina’s 175 deep water slips (that can accommodate boats up to 75 feet). Once tied off, you can stroll along MarinaVillage’s promenade to visit the series of specialty shops and boutiques or even grab a quick bite at the Silver King Market and Deli. If a more formal setting for lunch or dinner is preferred, the Resort at MarinaVillage caters to your every taste. Lunch is served daily and is fit for royalty while dinner will delight visitors with its menu items that are expertly prepared. Night life on the resort grounds buzzes with excitement and following an evening of entertainment, breakfast is not to be missed with its array of morning specialties.
There are also two restaurants to enjoy, The Market 92 Waterfront Bar and Bistro and The Nauti Mermaid Dockside Bar and Grill.
Adjacent to the Resort at MarinaVillage is a luxurious condominium complex, Tarpon Landings, which towers 18 stories above the finely groomed landscaped grounds with two breathtaking and magnificent views of the river.
As the host resort for the 2011 Season Opener Poker Run, many drivers and their families arrived early on Thursday to relax poolside or use their boats to tour the Gulf Coast or ICW, which stretches from Fort Myers to St. Petersburg.
A unique aspect of this run is the players are given a choice of either running along the ICW or on the Gulf. If bad weather kicks-up, some of the smaller boats take the ICW to admire the scenery or stop at such places as Jimmy Buffets or Cabbage Key to savor the tastiest burgers or array of seafood in the region. Many also visit Useppa Island, an exclusive island retreat that’s full of rich, insightful history. This is where archeologists discovered the skeletal remains of a teenage female at a ceremonial burial ground that dated as far back as 10,000 years. The island was also renowned for its world-famous tarpon fishing and the Izaak Walton Club, which was founded in 1908 and often visited by the Vanderbilts, Herbert Hoover, the Rockefellers, the Rothschilds, Gloria Swanson, Shirley Temple and Zane Grey, just too name a few celebrities. In later years, the island was abandoned and was actually used by the U.S. government as a base for the Bay of Pigs invasion.
The action at this year’s run began Friday night with a fabulous party hosted by the Resort at MarinaVillage. Following an evening of enjoying cool refreshments and excellent food, poker runners reconvened at the Saturday morning breakfast (again hosted at the resort) and mandatory driver’s meeting.
After the meeting, the slips at Tarpon Point Marina were a sight to behold. It was just incredible to see the exotic graphics light up the slips as spectators from miles around came to admire the armada of performance.
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