The Island Group
The Island Group, one of Florida’s oldest nudist clubs, was founded in 1948 where the former Dupree Gardens were located in Land O’Lakes, Florida. They are often called The Best-Kept Secret Among Florida Nudists.
Long before today’s major theme parks, Florida abounded with dozens of extravagant garden attractions that commonly drew tourists to our beautiful Sunshine State.
The 25-acre Dupree Gardens was the brainchild of prominent Tampa attorney James “William” Dupree as a part of a trend started by Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, which opened in 1936. In May 1933, Dupree started buying land in Central Pasco which he intended to use as a hunting retreat. He often invited his Tampa friends and colleagues to partake in the natural planted beauty of his retreat and it was this circle of friends who encouraged Dupree to open his gardens to the public.
It wasn’t until December 1, 1940, when the Dupree Gardens attraction finally opened to the public, well after the start of World War II. With the 1942 season rations of gas and tires caused an extensive decrease in the annual visitors to the gardens.
The war finally over, Dupree Gardens reopened to the public in 1946 but never witnessed the visitors it had in years past. Over the next 10 years, Dupree welcomed numerous civic groups and private family gatherings but regular tours eventually waned. He started to sell off the land. A portion was sold to the Island Group who established a small nudist camp on Dupree Lake.
The ultimate nudists’ backyard – an ideal introduction to nudism and relaxing “get-a-way” for longtime nudists. They are affordable and encourage you to bring your own food and beverages – kitchen and BBQs are available. They are a “Day Club” and have no overnight capabilities.
Bay Bares
Bay Bares is a group of folks who get together regularly for the pleasure of each other’s company – the kind of fun that can only happen when like-minded people are around one another. We cherish our time in the sun and the beautiful park we have built together. We are families, couples, and single people who have re-learned what a joy it is to relax and play without the restrictions imposed by a clothing-obsessed society.
Bay Bares Park is not a business establishment. We are a private club and a Florida not-for-profit corporation, which could also be described as a co-op. We are a fully accredited AANR member.
The park is managed by an elected board of directors and elections are held annually. All members are part owners of the park, and everyone is encouraged to participate in it’s upkeep and development.
Our club was founded in 1991, and our park subsequently constructed by our members for the purpose of practicing naturism. Naturism was defined by the International Naturist Federation in 1974 as follows:
“Naturism is a way of life in harmony with nature, characterized by the practice of communal nudity, with the intention of encouraging self-respect, respect for others, and respect for the environment.
Bay Bares is a refuge where anyone with the right attitude can experience a little of that which has been taken from all of us since we were children….the right to freely be ourselves.
Of course, the main idea is to have fun! We organize activities year-round for clothes-free fun in the sun, and welcome visitors who either know or want to find out just how much better life can be when you don’t have to worry about how you’re dressed! So please take a walk around our web site, we’ve spent a lot of time trying to make sure it’s both fun and informative. Perhaps by the time you’re through, you’ll decide it’s time to……….dare to be bare!
Hidden River Resort
Hidden River Resort is a beautiful 88 acre nature park on the St. Marys River, west of
Jacksonville. No high rises, concrete, bar or restaurant. But they offer…
Freedom …to take your dog on a run to the river for a swim or cavort with other pets in the large dog park. Activities like petanque, horseshoes, disc golf, volleyball, pool……and there are four seasons at Hidden River – so hang on to your down jacket and gloves.
A large open pavilion for outdoor gatherings with a summer kitchen. Full bathhouse, shaded swings, everything they can think of for your creative leisure.
The social center has a kitchen for supper get-togethers, music, books, television, board games, cards, etc., or one can sit (rock) on the large deck under oak trees and watch the world go by – bird watching optional. Maybe you will find time to learn to quilt, whittle or any other ’round tuits’ in your memory bank. There are two guest bedrooms available for overnight guests (for members and residents). They welcome singles.
A community project of a par course is being built with exercises at prescribed intervals along the way to stay-toned. Walking / bicycling trails provide a welcome respite – 88 acres of woods and trails to wander – sit on a low hanging oak limb and watch the river go by. You can also gather firewood for the fire pit.
They also line dance, contribute to the compost pile, and exercise in the pool. We do a lot of fun things – yes, fun! – and challenge ourselves in the process. Any suggestions for additional fun and challenging things to be added to the itinerary are gladly considered.
They guarantee clean air and nightly star shows….. along with serenades by the local nocturnal
critters….living here makes you glad to get up in the morning.
Sunnier Palms
Centrally located on the Treasure Coast of Florida in Fort Pierce, Sunnier Palms offers visitors peaceful country naturism. They promote an active nudist atmosphere for R/V, tent campers, resident members, day visitors, nature lover, and active nudists.
SunnY Palms was established in Florida City in 1948 by Reed Supplee, an American nudist pioneer. By 1984, Reed was in ill health and in his second marriage to a non-nudist, when she – unbeknownst to members – got a contract to sell the beautiful pristine 40 acre pine forest (Members Lodge) to duPont. The sale was contingent on a zoning change. When members and neighboring property owners finally learned of the potential sale, all rallied to keep duPont out, with many of the nearby farmers fearing that duPont would use the property for testing explosives. Despite a valiant effort against it, Dade County allowed the zoning change, and members who were, for the most part, absent over the mosquito ridden Florida City summers were contacted to remove everything in a matter of days.
Having organized members and neighbors to fight the zoning change, a trio of members organized a relocation search committee, which soon grew to incorporate SunnIER Palms as a not-for-profit corporation. During the search, Sunnier considered buying undeveloped land with a beautiful plan that married the agriculture project with residential. Then in 1991, the search committee turned to existing RV parks for sale and found Timberland Park in rural St. Lucie County. They originally went to look at the RV park, but ended up also purchsed a nearby store (for selling their produce), a residence and a section of swamp, which they later reclaimed for the agricultural area (and for camping), and then they added a 12-acre section of forest to make their nature preserve.
Today, Sunnier Palms is a quiet little park, co-operatively owned, with about 10 acres of developed trailer and RV sites (53 in all). Members permanently occupy some of them; members with movable RVs occupy others, and Sunnier makes the rest available to short-term visitors. All sites (except for tent camping) have full hook-up. A few acres of park-like area with citrus trees are available for camping.
A nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary occupies twelve of Sunnier’s 23+ acres. Walking through it, you can imagine you are a Seminole Indian, moving through the land as it was centuries ago. They’ve conveniently situated benches throughout the preserve, including two at the pond’s edge, so you can sit and enjoy nature’s beauty in a peaceful setting.
A visit to Sunnier Palms will afford any naturist the experience they crave at a place with all the amenities, as well as a regard for nature and the environment second to none. This was the intent of Sunnier’s first founders and remains a factor here in the 21st century. Come to Sunnier and enjoy naturism at its best. You may find yourself reserving a spot for the winter!
Sanibel Naturists
The Sanibel Naturists club is 32 years old and one of Southwest Florida’s largest nudist clubs. We have been closely associated with The Naturist Society (TNS) since our inception and have been a charter club of the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) since August of 1987. Our club is open to singles, couples or families who are interested in the naturist lifestyle. We are a fun-loving social club. We come from many social and religious backgrounds. Our events are clothing optional with the obvious exceptions.
The Sanibel Naturists is a non-landed club, meaning we do not have a clubhouse or overnight facilities. However, we are the only club in AANR that has privately owned, undeveloped, nude, beach front property. Our beach is on a bridgeless, pristine, barrier island located on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The island is only accessible by boat, and our beach does not offer any facilities. As a group, we plan flotillas to the beach a few times each month. We also camp at the beach three or four times a year depending on the weather. Some of our other activities include a monthly dinner out, house parties, theme parties, pool parties, going to baseball games and other recreational activities. We also organize road trips to visit nudist resorts within the state, to go camping or to visit nude or topless beaches.
The Sanibel Naturists supports our community by contributing to the Harry Chapin Food Bank. Following any active hurricane season in Florida, we also donate to Habitat for Humanity.
Membership in the Sanibel Naturists includes our monthly newsletter and e-mail notices about all of our activities. The Sanibel Naturists recommend that members join AANR and TNS. We handle the related paperwork.
We encourage you to attend one of our activities and hope you will choose to become a member of our great club, the Sanibel Naturists! Membership in our club is required to attend our activities after an initial guest invitation and visit.
Hidden Lake Resort
Hidden Lake Resort is located in the beautiful rolling hills of NW Florida Panhandle, about seven miles south of Jay, FL. The resort is on Wildhorn Trail, which is a dirt road that winds through the trees, around the lake and over the dam to the all-natural campground. It is surrounded by heavily wooded forests with over one mile of hiking trails. The “Blue Moon Lagoon” is an all-natural swimming facility that is well water fed, surrounded by sand and makes you feel like you are at the beach on the Emerald Coast.
Amenities include a gated private entrance to 25 natural RV lots with water and electric, an 8-acre private fishing lake, a swimming facility, hot tub, clubhouse with outdoor deck, heated bath house, and much more.
Last year Hidden Lake Resort held its inaugural “Boo Run”, which is a 5K trail run starting in the campground and going through the wooded trails. This year’s “Boo Run” will be held on October 24, running the same trail.
Hidden Lake Resort will also have a spring/summer concert series introducing local area bands and the public to the nudist way of life. There will be a different band one Saturday night each month. The club will be open to the public for a small cover charge to help with the cost of the band. Our first concert is on April 11 with “Trial by Fire.” The gates will open at 6 p.m., with the music going from 8 p.m.to midnight.
Hidden Lake Resort is looking to the younger generation of Jay and surrounding areas to join us for some fun in the sun and a place to get away that is still close to home. The club, just 40 miles from I-65 and 30 miles from I-10, is open all year round.
The Woods
They have been called a “Diamond in the Buff”, and if you aren’t familiar with them, watch The Learning Channel’s Buying Naked series, which featured them and was “home” to many of the cast and crew. We are talking about one of Pasco County’s finest nudist facilities, The Woods.
This resort is different from many of the other resorts, in that there are no memberships or grounds fees for owners and renters. What also sets The Woods apart is the amazingly beautiful grounds and facilities which are open to enjoy. The club house is gorgeous, and the grounds are well kept and manicured.
Check their calendar; events are scheduled throughout the week. …And don’t miss the annual Best Butt in Town contest. If you want to enjoy a day, a week – or retirement – in a great setting with great people and in the hub of nudist capital of the world, try the Woods!
Lake Como Family Nudist Resort
AANR-Florida’s largest and oldest Resort
In Pasco County north of Tampa near the intersection of highways 54 and 41 is the 200 acre Lake Como Resort. Lake Como became the largest nudist club in America in 1969 and was the first nudist organization to get over 3,000 members in 1972 with 3,200 members. In addition to the beautiful lake, nature preserve, and scenery this resort offers camping, room rentals, food, security, entertainment, sports, and friendly service for family nudists since its humble beginnings in 1941. The West Grove Sports Center includes a new fitness center, a golf driving range, two 9-hole chip & putt golf courses, five Har-Tru clay tennis courts, and both sand and grass volleyball courts. Pedal boats and kayaks are available for guest use on the 35 acre lake.
On their website you may download/view the weekly newsletter called the ‘Flash” as well as see what activities and events are upcoming. Recently Nick and Lin of Naked Wanderings toured this resort and produced a video review on their YouTube channel.
Some of the yearly events should be on your bucket list, including the Super Bowl South of volleyball, the Naked Arts and Burn Festival, and the Dare to Go Bare 5K. As an AANR affiliated resort you can expect a wholesome family friendly experience. Amenities available 24 hours a day include a huge hot tub/jacuzzi, sauna, and pool. A first visit will require a background check and tour which is available between 10am and 4pm.
Sunny Sands
This month AANR-Florida is celebrating Sunny Sands in honor of the regional event we are partnering with them on over the Veterans Day weekend.
If you’re looking for a quiet place to relax, with beautiful old oaks and friendly neighbors, some “old Florida vibes” and the freedom to run around naked, Sunny Sands will fill the bill.
Homes are nestled under old oak trees, some are inhabited by friendly residents, some by winter residents, and some are fully furnished rentals available for short term use. There are plenty of RV and tenting sites available too. Many of the residents have been there for over twenty years! Stay a day, a week, the winter season or a lifetime; you’ll feel right at home.
Sunny Sands is near a little airport, if you fly a small plane. Also, Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach are in close proximity. If you want a clothing-free environment to return to after enjoying a car or motorcycle race during Speedweek or Bikeweek, Sunny Sands offers several specials in conjunction with those events and is motorcycle friendly. Beaches and fishing are available in nearby Daytona too.
You can pack light because clothes are not needed here. They have a beautiful little lake, heated pool and a great hot tub that overlooks the gorgeous Florida outdoors. Relax without the constrictions of a swimsuit. Sunny Sands also is home to a small, one of a kind golf course, nestled by the lake, so you can also golf naked!
Pentaque, volleyball, horseshoes, a workout room and beautiful walking trail are all near the pool. A nice clubhouse, bar/lounge and even a campground are here for you. If you have not seen the many renovations to the resort, you need to come out and see them.
Did I mention that this resort is quiet? It’s serenely quiet most of the time. Except for the naked part, it could be any quiet village. This is about as no-stress a place as you can find anywhere. The people, the atmosphere, and the grounds are all beautiful, so much so that many call it home.
For more information, please visit www.sunnysands.com.
Sunsport Gardens
Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort in Palm Beach County is unique in its values of offering a healthful, environmentally conscious club with all amenities and welcoming diversity in a natural tropical setting.
Sunsport is proud to be smoke-free, restricting smoking to four small out-of-the-way areas. Some warned that becoming smoke-free would result in a loss of membership. Instead Sunsport attracted many naturists seeking to avoid breathing second-hand smoke and dodging messy cigarette butts on the ground.
Sunsport’s clubhouse houses a fitness center with an inversion table as well as a full service restaurant with delicious, healthy options. There are always low fat/low carb plus vegetarian and vegan offerings. No transfats are used. All vegetables are fresh and prepared to order; soups are homemade with little salt. Desserts are also homemade (but not so healthy).
The water at Sunsport is 100% reverse osmosis, the best in Florida. Organic shower gels imported from Vermont are used in the showers. Much of the year there are regular water aerobics, yoga and dance classes. Active sports include tennis, volleyball, petanque, kayaking and canoeing.
Solar panels provide the primary heat for the 87° swimming pool, the 102° hot tub spa and some of the showers. Salt is added to the swimming pool water to reduce the need for chlorine. The restaurant does not use foam or imported bottled water. There is energy saving lighting and an extensive recycling program. Natural vegetation is left around areas of the lakes to provide nesting areas for animals including birds and otters. Long nature trails wind through the tropical jungle. A permaculture group is continually seeking ways to make Sunsport more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Many families with children and young adults visit or live at Sunsport. A camp for children, teens and their families is held each July, and there are special activities for children year round. The natural (non-plastic) playground includes a sliding hill to offset South Florida’s flat terrain, a playhouse built by campers, a bouncy bridge, a tall structure for climbing and hanging out and much more. There is even a slide into the swimming pool.
Three times a year Sunsport hosts Fests which attract 75 to 200 young adults. Sunsport not only has age diversity, but welcomes all naturists regardless of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disabling condition or body jewelry.
Each February over 300 people from all over North America attend the Midwinter Naturist Festival, now in its 27th year. The Festival is six days of fun, growth and community featuring over 250 workshops and activities. There are also regular campfire drum circles, dances, karaoke and other activities.
Sunsport also offers free wi-fi, a sauna, horseshoes, a pool table and ping pong. It is the closest naturist club to clothing-optional Haulover Beach and near the newly proposed clothing-optional Blind Creek Beach. The weather in Southeast Florida is warmer in winter and cooler in summer than in most of Florida.
Celebrating its 50th year in 2015, Sunsport has established a niche in the naturist community with people coming from all over to enjoy the very special, friendly environment.
Crossed Oaks Haven
by Patti Sarver
Crossed Oaks Haven is officially a non-landed AANR club, but that does not really describe everything that we do!
The formation of our little group started and has grown through multiple media sources. Originally, the idea came from a group of about six, and we became a chartered AANR club with the required minimum 15 members in less than a year. The concept of being an official “card-carrying” nudist group was formed because nudists are the best people in the world. Three years later, we have 23 AANR members as well as many potential members. Our contact list of affiliated people is over 100!
Through the AANR events such as the skinny dip in 2009, we were able to meet our neighbors that we did not have knowledge of before. Friendships formed, and people started to attend events together, have house parties and meet more people. Attending events hosted by internet groups brought more people with this common bond together. Every event or resort visit or group we connect to shifts and changes our membership and brings more interesting things into our life.
There are some events that we attend regularly, such as the luau and birthday party at Sunny Sands. Many of our membership attend the Nudist Clubhouse and Single Nudist.com events at Cypress Cove every year. We have pool parties/pot luck gatherings at members’ homes as well. Despite the club only officially being three years old, we will be having our 5th annual cookie baking/exchange in December. Patti’s house is known by some as COH central, and we enjoy the pool and hot tub.
Sometimes we create events that bring other groups together that we don’t see in the resorts. Have you ever been Nude Bowling? Do you want to go on a naked hike? How about getting in motion for the promotion of a nude-friendly world? Do you like cruising? Then consider going with us on a cruise and finding the naturist activities wherever we go!
The age range of our group is from 18 to 92. However, we did have an 18 month old at an event and a 4 year old has been known to be around as well. We have singles and couples in our group, though we have a reputation for being mostly singles. Many of the couples attend the house parties more than traveling to the resorts. There is even a photo in the Bulletin of one of our couples getting married at Cypress Cove.
We call our newsletter/calendar Naturally Fun Times because that is what happens in our group. We get together in our natural state, and the fun times begin. More than one member has told me that they are much happier now since they met and joined with us. We invite you to hang out with us and hope you all have Naturally Fun Times as well!
Florida Running Bares
It started with four friends, nude, in the Fall of 2011 talking about going places and doing things au natural. We said, “There must be lots of other couples who think like we do”. Couples who want to associate with other nudists at house parties, picnics and travel to resorts together. A few weeks later the idea would not let go, and we decided that we should form our own non-landed nudist club for couples who want to enjoy the freedom of nudity the way we do. A few phone calls spread the idea around, and on October 8, 2011 a small group met and formed the Florida Running Bares. The name comes from a club formerly attended by our co-founder Joel. It has caused some confusion as people sometimes think that we are a “running” club. So, that became a top question and answer on our FAQ list.
Is FRB a “running” club?
I’m glad you asked! No, Florida Running Bares’ name comes from a former club that our co-founder, Joel once attended in Indiana. While we may “run around naked”, we are not a running or jogging club.
One thing we all could agree on in the beginning was that we wanted to adopt the guidelines set by AANR and support AANR for the work they do to support nudist everywhere. AANR is our advocate for nude recreation and, more importantly, our defense if we are accused or charged (as some have been) with simple nudity in our homes or private yards. We support AANR and encourage others to do so. Since that time we have worked closely with the great staff at AANR HQ in Kissimmee and have benefited from their help. One month after our initial meeting, we applied for club membership with AANR and received “provisional status”. Our website was developed next and has continued to grow as the need to inform our members has increased and as we try to reach out to new members through it. To our great pleasure, AANR has recently announced our chartered club status.
We have many types of activities, some of which are at landed clubs such as Cypress Cove and Lake Como, beaches and, yes, some of them are at homes. Some of the members live in communities where we do have the privacy to be nude outside the home as well as inside. This includes backyard pools, hot tubs and patios. However, if you don’t have the ability to venture outside the home nude, you can, as some do, close the curtains and be nude inside. Some of our gatherings include card and game night parties where the activities are centered in the home or on the patio and not necessarily in the pool or sunshine. Also, some of our activities are in the public arena such as restaurants or tubing on the Rainbow River where, of course, we would not be nude.
I was asked a question once, “Why would people go to a home for a card or pool party, get undressed just for a few hours, then get dressed and go home?” What a great question! My wife, Debbie, had a good response. She said, and I agree, that it has more to do with nudity being our lifestyle than just an activity. For those who have been to nudist resorts and love them, I’ll assume that you, like the rest of us, really enjoy the freedom of not being clothed. Cypress Cove is one of our local favorites because we can take a long walk through the neighborhood with nothing on ‘cept our sandals. Freedom! When we come home, it is only a matter of minutes before Debbie and I are nude. Always in the house and in our private backyard… Nude.
Now, as a group, we feel comfortable enough in our nudity and with other like-minded people to practice our lifestyle in their presence, whether we are just sitting chatting, playing cards or relaxing by the pool. Case in point…we once spent a wonderful Labor Day weekend with some new club members – a great couple from England. It was wonderful getting to know them better, but our mutual interest in the nude lifestyle provided the basis for that friendship. As nice as it is, however, to be nude at home and in our yard, it is even better to expand your boundaries and be nude in other places such as a resort or beach and even other people’s homes, and we enjoy knowing that others feel the same way and practice nudity the way we do. So, we look for and enjoy the opportunity to be nude where and when we can and enjoy the company of others who feel the same.
What’s the best thing about our club? Friends enjoying the company of other friends in their natural state. Being nude means dropping more than your clothes; you drop the social status, the judgments and just have fun! If you enjoy and practice nudism and want to enjoy the company of others that do, then join us for our next event and see what you’ve been missing!
Suncoast Naturists
Florida continues to be a leader in nude recreation. We casually just assume that is because of the amazing weather we enjoy year around, but those of us who look deeper know there are many factors, including the strength and success of Florida’s non-landed clubs like Suncoast Naturists (SCN). A dynamic and interesting groups providing leadership and a great sense of community, SCN is in its fourteenth year, with a membership consistently averaging around 80 people.
SCN was founded in 2000 to serve the Sarasota/Venice geographic areas and has continued to grow since that date. It is an active group, with great members and personalities making it what it is today. The club distributes its newsletter to members on a quarterly basis and posts social events on their website calendar. Each month the social calendar includes a “clothing-required” dinner out and a “clothing-optional” event at either a member’s home (pool party) or a nearby resort. Four times a year it does a clean-up event on Caspersen beach. The attendance at these events can vary as members schedules change, but they are normally very well attended.
Their website www.suncoastnaturists.org talks about the vision of SCN. The organization was originally formed with three distinct purposes in mind:
- To provide a clothing-optional venue in which local nudists and naturists can socialize with like-minded people.
- To provide advice and counsel to local elected and appointed officials to help them deal with simple nudity issues as they arise on private and public lands.
- To campaign for legally designated areas within local county-owned spaces for clothing-optional recreation.
Suncoast Naturists has, in the past, been an active member of the Venice area Chamber of Commerce and continues to participate occasionally in the functions of that organization. SCN is also affiliated with both the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and The Naturist Society (TNS).
As described by one of their long standing members, Carl Mario Nudi, in an article published in the N Magazine, “You will find SCN is a fun group of friendly folks, most of whom are affiliated with AANR and TNS. I think it would be best if you attended one of our upcoming events as our guest. This way, you can evaluate SCN and see if you would be interested in joining.”
John Schlinz, SCN member for life says, “My wife, Cathi, and I are going into our third year as members of The Suncoast Naturists. We love this club and plan on being members the rest of our lives. We have been members of other clubs, and none have had the friendliness that this club has. The social enthusiasm and organization of its members has contributed to its longevity.”
Northeast Florida Naturists
Northeast Florida Naturists (NFN) is located in the Jacksonville area and has members living in Duval, St Johns, Nassau and Clay counties.
NFN came into existence in 1988 and is currently celebrating its 26th year as an AANR non-landed club. The club has prospered over the years mostly due to word-of-mouth marketing. They have a web site; however, they do not advertise to attract new members. The club and its members are very active visiting AANR resorts in northeast and central Florida, and the Caribbean (Hidden Beach and Club Orient), traveling to the naturist beaches at Apollo and Haulover and sailing with Bare Necessities on nude cruises. Being active has resulted in attracting a lot of potential members.
NFN holds monthly “Sippers” at local restaurants as an opportunity for members to socialize and to meet new prospective members at a clothed event. The club also holds monthly gatherings at member homes. In the summer they have pool parties and in the cooler months wine tastings, bunko and Christmas and Thanksgiving parties. In addition, the club, in conjunction with the members of Native Woods Naturist Park in Darien, Ga., hosts an annual bus trip in May to Apollo Beach. This year over 50 AANR members participated. Over the Memorial Day holiday, a contingent visited Cypress Cove in Kissimmee.
For many years, NFN has hosted a June “Fish Fry” at Sunny Sands in Pierson, Florida, which is very well attended. For the last couple of years, the club has also been visiting Suwannee Valley Resort in White Springs, Florida to enjoy the wonderful fall weather and the hospitality of the proprietors, BG and Tom. As you can see, the club and its members get around, and they are always willing to discuss the virtues of AANR and of NFN with any willing listener. Their enthusiasm attracts new members.
The club has currently capped membership at 80. They do maintain a waiting list, and those on the waiting list are invited to “Sippers” and to events at resorts and the beaches. The NFN membership is very active, and the cap was put in place to ensure that gatherings at member homes are manageable. A normal event can attract anywhere from 40 to 60 members, which is capacity for most homes.
The group is also very active in the community. For many years, they actively supported “Toys for Tots” and local food pantries. In 2013, they adopted the Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans Nursing Home in St. Augustine, Florida. At gatherings in October, November and December they raised money through 50/50s, which allowed them to present the home with a new 46-inch flat screen color TV and a combination record/CD player at Christmas along with some non-alcoholic beer and other goodies. NFN has had a long history and is a shining example of how a group of fun loving nudists can make a non-landed club successful by providing family friendly naturist experiences.
Suwannee Valley
In April 2012, BG Parkes and Tom Gillenwater officially converted the resort from a textile campground to a nudist resort. On Memorial Day Weekend, Suwannee Valley Resort (SVR) will be celebrating their second anniversary.
Through hard-work, great members and guests, personalized customer service, great location and an unprecedented commitment to Florida Veterans, in February, BG signed her 500th membership, on her birthday weekend. The permanent sites are filling up quickly, and most major holidays, rentals and reservations are hard to get.
What is special about Suwannee Valley? Call it a dynamic, because that is the best way to describe the numerous factors that make it special. You cannot put your finger on just one.
Suwannee Valley is located in north Florida, about an hour from the Georgia border. The resort is located right on the historic Suwannee River, tucked into the little town of White Springs. SVR is an over-21 club. While Suwannee Valley Resort strictly adheres to AANR’s principles, standards and family values, it is geared toward those adults who want to get away from it all and enjoy the nudist lifestyle in a peaceful, quiet environment that limits children and younger individuals under the age of 21.
When you mention SVR, you cannot forget the other thing that makes Suwannee Valley Resort so exceptional, its unfaltering commitment to veterans. Guests and members donate time, money and use their talents to find ways to support the effort. The commitment does not stop there; discounts are offered for veterans, active service and emergency service personnel, and it is normal to have someone thank you for your service. So, what is so special about SVR? Come and see for yourself!
Cypress Cove
Where were you in 1964? Were you watching the Beatles when they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show? Were you watching when President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act? Maybe you were driving the just-released Ford Mustang and putting gas in it at 30 cents a gallon. Or…maybe you were enjoying the opening of one of world’s premier clothing optional resorts, Cypress Cove, which this month celebrates its first FIFTY YEARS!
It is hard not to ask what makes “The Cove” so special that it has lasted the test of time. Is it the genuine hospitality you feel at every level of their friendly and professional staff? The stellar consistency the three-generation Hadley family weaves through everything they do? The clean accommodations? The beautiful settings and great amenities? Maybe it is the bartender that calls you by name every time you visit. The events like Nude-a-Palooza or the extensive lists of daily events to enjoy. For fifty years, Cypress Cove has been a model in nude recreation for the way they have developed and run the resort as well as their constant leadership and support of AANR and other partnerships throughout both the nudist community and the community in which the club is located. If you don’t run into friends at Cypress, don’t worry; in no time, you will be surrounded by a community full of friendly, happy nudists who will soon become your friends.
AANR-Florida is fortunate to have Cypress Cove in their Region. They are the hub of many activities and conventions, the vacation destination each year of nudists around the world and considered home for too many nudists to count. Cypress Cove will be celebrating this fiftieth anniversary event on the weekend of April 4th through 6th. For more information about Cypress Cover and their celebration weekend, please visit www.cypresscoveresort.com.
Congratulations on FIFTY YEARS Cypress Cove; we hope to have the honor of celebrating with you for the next FIFTY!
Tallahassee Naturally
Tallahassee has a lot of two things: college students and politicians. And so Tallahassee Naturally has utilized these two local resources.
With three colleges in town, and others in easy travel distance, the club sees the need to offer a few events where people of student age form the majority. The College Greek Athletic Meet is the world’s only authentically nude re-enactment of the ancient pentathlon. It happens the last Sunday of March—for the nineteenth time this year. Then there are monthly Full Moon Skinny Dips from April through October. Attendance last fall was running around 50 or 60—mostly of college age, and with a balance of sexes and races. The club usually has a student on its board of directors and has always maintained about a 15% student membership—the highest in the nation.
When officials at Florida State University began ripping down posters, the club started an officially recognized campus branch: Naturally FSU. It is the only college nudist organization functioning today in the western hemisphere. There had been half-a-dozen such groups before, but they usually collapsed when the organizer graduated. With Tallahassee Naturally there to help bridge the transitions, Naturally FSU is now training their sixth president to take over after spring graduation.
For years, Florida nudist leaders talked about evaluating political candidates and informing our members where they stood on nudity-related issues. In 1994, Tallahassee Naturally became the first club in the nation to do so. The club even has one clothed hour at their Open House so voters can come and chat with the candidates. Other clubs now do likewise. Tallahassee Naturally has compiled a brochure on how to do these things, and also publishes the fact-filled 12-page booklet, Naturists: Upholders of Strong Family Values. Every election year, they lead a workshop at the Midwinter Naturist Festival on how to use these documents.
Students and politicians met in January, when the Naturist Action Committee appealed for speakers against a bill in the Florida legislature that could harm skinny-dippers. With an e-mail list of over 250 young people, the call went out. A few students without classesconflicts attended. One testified, and reporters noticed. A local Florida TV station then interviewed several student leaders and sent the broadcast to public radio stations across the state. For a transcript, see http://news.wfsu.org/post/florida-nudists-worry-they-re-not-covered-under-indecent-exposure-bill.
Tallahassee Naturally rents a beautiful blue lake and surrounding woodland. It is available every weekend year-round. Sunday is almost always the bigger day. The club now offers a second athletic competition in the fall: the Trynudethon (or nude triathlon). For fuller details, visit the Tallahassee Naturally website or Naturally FSU on Facebook.