Calusa Ghost Tours is expanding our Stand Up Paddle-board Services and would like to welcome Chad and Marcie from SWFL Standup to the Bowditch Park Concessions Team. They bring 13 years experience in stand-up-paddle-boarding tours and instruction and are now set up on the north side of the Bowditch Park Concession.

Check out some of their youtube videos:
and be sure to visit their website: www.swflstandup.com

Saturday 10/22:
All Day: Bonita Springs Riverfest and Imperial River Challenge Paddlesport Race
A full day of fun centered in Riverside Park in Bonita Springs – food, local vendors and the “Challenge”, a timed race down the Imperial River for all who dare. Call 765-0145 for more information.

Saturday 10/29:
6:00 pm; Baaaaaaaats! Riverside Park, Bonita Springs - $40 per person
It’s that spooky time of year so come for a paddle to see our own local bats emerge right out of our local “bat cave”. Learn about our local species and the challenges they face. Call 765-0145 for more information.

Sunday 10/30:
6:30 pm; Haunted History Walk – Bowditch Point Park -- $5.00 per person
Come take a fun guided walk of the preserve to learn about the ancient Calusa culture and maybe even meet some of their ghosts! Call 765-0145 for more information.

Saturdays – 10/1, 10/15
9:30 am: Kayaking 101 – $35 per person
The perfect opportunity for those new to kayaking to learn and for those who want to refresh/refine their skills, this class will help increase your confidence and comfort level on the water. The class will be followed by a guided paddle around the backwaters fringing San Carlos Bay and Matanzas Pass to meet the "locals". Manatees, dolphins and an incredible variety of birds are frequently sighted. Call 765-0145 for more information.

Saturdays – 10/8, 10/22
9:30 am; Matanzas Pass Backwater Kayaking Tour – $40.00 per person
Take a short walking tour of the Bowditch Point Preserve and then take a Master Naturalist guided paddle around the backwaters of the park to meet the "locals". Manatees, dolphins and an incredible variety of birds are frequently sighted. Call 765-0145 for more information.

Sundays – 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30:
9:30 am: SUP Beginner Lesson and Mini-Eco tour – $20 per person:
Learn stand up paddleboard basics and then use your new skills to tour the backwaters around Bowditch Point Park. Frequent manatee, dolphin, and incredible variety of bird sightings. Call 765-0145 for more information.

Tuesdays – 10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25
9:30 am: Free Guided Nature Walk of the Bowditch Point Preserve:
Join a Master Naturalist for a guided walk of the 17-acre preserve including the gopher tortoise habitat, mangrove area and wrap-around beach. Call 765-0145 for more information.

Fridays – 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28
1 pm: Free Calusa Storytelling Program:
Come learn about our namesake Calusa who inhabited Southwest Florida for centuries before the Spanish arrived on this free guided walking tour of the Bowditch Point Preserve. Call 765-0145 for more information.

Thursday, 11/3 – Sunday 11/6, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, $60 per boat: Bowditch Full-day Kayak Rental Special: Rent a boat and paddle to and from the festival on your own schedule. Route takes approximately 1 1/2 hours with frequent sightings of manatees, dolphins and an incredible variety of birds.

Thursday, 11/3, 9:30 – 11:30 AM, $40 per person: Beginner Kayak Class and Nature Tour: The perfect opportunity for those new to kayaking to learn and for those who want to refresh/refine their skills, this class will help increase your confidence and comfort level so you can enjoy all that the festival offers. We'll cover kayak designs, safety including weather and tides, boat entry and exit and basic paddle strokes. Then comes the test. A local Master Naturalist will guide you on a paddle around the backwaters fringing San Carlos Bay and Matanzas Pass to meet the "locals". Manatees, dolphins and an incredible variety of birds are frequently sighted.

Friday, 11/4, 1:00 – 4:00 PM, $50 per person: See It Like a Native; Calusa That Is: Come learn about our namesake Calusa who inhabited Southwest Florida for centuries before the Spanish arrived. This tour includes a walking tour with storytelling about their history and culture and demonstrations replicating their technology and art. We'll then take to the water for a leisurely guided kayak tour to see the backwaters and wildlife of San Carlos Bay and Matanzas Pass through their eyes.

Saturday, 11/5, 8:30 AM – registration, 10:00 AM – race, $20 – pre-registration, $25.00 race-day registration: Bowditch Jug Boat Race to Aid Wake Up America Food Pantry: Bring your ingenuity and a few plastic jugs and have fun raising money for a local hard-working food pantry. Calusa Ghost Tours invites you to Bowditch Point Regional Park either as entrants or spectators to take part in a jug boat race to raise money for Wake Up America. The jug boat's primary source of flotation must be plastic jugs -- it cannot be motorized in any way -- and it needs to be carried to the water and out again after the race. Other than that, the design and propulsion are up to you. PFDs required. Google "milk jug boat races" to get boat-building ideas. 8:30 a.m. race check in.

SATURDAY
NOVEMBER 5TH

8:30 AM -- Registration
10 AM -- Race Start

Fun prizes for the fastest boats and most outrageous fan favorites

Flotation much be made of plastic jugs. NO motors. Life preservers required.
$20/boat if registered before the race or $25/boat for on-site registration on race day
Parking: $1/hour at Bowditch (fills quickly) or drop off your boat and park for free offsite. Commute back by trolley. Also free dockage and kayak launch available.
All racers and spectators are asked to bring non-perishable food donations
Email wendy©bowditchpark.com or call 239-810-4742 for registration & information.

[Submitted by Calusa John]

Calusa Ghost Tours, working with Florida Paddlesports, is now open on Ft. Myers Beach, providing kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, beach chairs and umbrellas, fishing gear and bait, and all the gear for your Florida outdoor needs.

+PLUS The new Cast Iron Cafe is serving breakfast and lunch everyday. Breakfast Sandwiches, Muffins, Coffee, Hotdogs, Hamburgers, Sausage, and more!


[Submitted by Jnp]