2007 SOAPA Fly-In at Lucaya.

[Paul462]

Fellow SOAPA Members,

The SOAPA E-Board has entertained nominations and voted on the location and time for the 2007 SOAPA Fly-In, and I'm happy to report the following schedule:

5/14/07 Monday afternoon/evening: See Daytona Beach Like a Native. Sunset Happy Hour and dinner on an Intracoastal Waterway riverside restaurant facing west over the water, with live Island Music. "Flying to the Bahamas" briefing.

5/15/07 Tuesday: Fly to Great Harbour Cay (aka "Ernie's Island"). Afternoon trip to the fabled "High Dive Blue Hole". Dinner at the Yacht Club (or some similarly swanky place - or maybe some local dive with great Margaritas - we'll see!).

5/16/07 Wednesday: Fly to Lucaya, Freeport International. First plenary session in the afternoon. Ealry evening: Poolside Skymaster Happy Hour - first drink's on SOAPA!

5/17/07 Thursday: Plenary sessions. Evening: The famous SOAPA Fly-In Sunset cruise.

5/18/07 Friday: Morning plenary session, afternoon at the airport, departure for those on a tight schedule. Evening free. Attendees who wish can remain the weekend or fly to other islands like Abaco (home of Treasure Cay - 40 minute flight), or even the out islands.

Port Lucaya, next to the city of Freeport on the island of Grand Bahama, offers lots of activities for both attendees and significant others. Plentiful restaurants, taverns and shops fill Lucaya Marketplace, with a straw market adjacent. Nightly limbo contests with live Caribbean music are a sight to see - how low can they go??

A visit to Paradise Cove at Deadman's Cay is a relaxing afternoon trip; there are casinos, international shopping, and island tours galore to occupy those motivated to leave the pool or beach. Like Key West, Port Lucaya promises to be a vacation destination attractive to the whole family, worthy of vistiting even if the SOAPA Fly-In weren't there.

And of course the beaches, snorkling and scuba are superb, as in any Bahamas destination, but in addition Port Lucaya boasts the renown UNEXSO snorkling/diving adventures purveyor, featuring dolphin encounters, classes, even shark dives for the adventurous!

More details on the home page will follow this "Heads-Up". Remember to keep the week of May 14-18 open for the SOAPA 2007 Fly-In - it promises to be better than ever!

Paul S. Rooy
President, SOAPA

For more information on the meeting and Fly-in go to www.337skymaster.com/2007flyin.htm