Summary

Florida GO Gathering MLK Weekend 2015

Join us for the first GO Gathering in warm sunny Florida.  We have reserved a large group campsite at Vitambi Springs Resort and Camp starting Friday January 16th, thru Monday January 19th, 2015 over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.  If you have never been to a GO Gathering, expect to enjoy a full weekend of activities with like-minded outdoorzy oriented gay men, with plenty of time to socialize with old friends and make new ones.  We hope to provide a wide range of activities appropriate for the area, and for different levels of expertise and fitness.

Vitambi is a privately owned gay campground located approximately 20 miles south of Lake Okeechobee and the city of Clewiston, FL.   It is easily accessible to most of the major urban areas in Florida, and it is approximately a 90 minute drive from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, and from West Palm Beach.  It is about 2.5 hours from Orlando or Tampa.   

The campground sits in the middle of the vast agricultural area around Lake Okeechobee, and offers an ideal Florida rural getaway with modern amenities in a tropical forested setting.  The property is quite large with only a portion developed.  Amenities at the Main Lodge feature a full restaurant and bar, Wi-Fi access library lounge and a general store.  Other amenities include a heated pool, modern showerhouse and steam room.   There are a number of hiking trails and a couple of lakes within the property, for impromptu hikes, fishing, canoeing, exploring and wildlife viewing.  This region of South Florida is a haven for wintertime bird watchers.    

Vitambi has a wide array of ccommodations ranging from primitive tent sites, rustic cabins, bunkhouse/barracks, RV sites, cabins with full electric, 2 & 3 bedroom rental homes and the Pine Tree Inn with eight private rooms in a dorm style setting with shared areas.  All accommodations except for primitive include linen service.  For further information on Vitambi, please feel free to check their website: www.vitambi.com.

The group campsite we have reserved for the GO Gathering is Tamaho Mesa, one of the primitive campsites at Vitambi Springs.  This western-themed area consists of several large tent sites, in both sunny and tree shaded locations as well as 5 rustic cabins.  These are indeed rustic cabins with no power, screened windows, and two bunks with outdoor quality mattresses in each cabin (see photo).  Some of the cabins can accommodate more than two.  As a GO Gathering participant, you will be guaranteed a camping site at Tamaho Mesa, though please note that individual tent sites or cabins will be on a first come first saved basis.  Water and flush toilets are available at our Tamaho Mesa campsite.  The pool area and shower house is a short walk away.  Vitambi Springs runs a R.O. water treatment facility producing exceptional quality water.  

Vitambi Springs is a membership resort serving primarily gay men.  Gay Outdoors members will receive their annual membership at half-price ($10), if not already a member of Vitambi Springs.  In addition to the membership fee the cost for camping will be $10, for a total of $20 fee for the weekend (if you are already a Vitambi member, your cost will be the $10 camping fee).  However, if you prefer not to camp, and to make other arrangements, such as renting a room at The Inn, a modern cabin or home or any of the other available options mentioned, you will have to make these arrangements separately by calling Vitambi Springs directly at (863) 983-8488.   Please let them know at that time you are with Gay Outdoors Gathering.  January is a very popular month throughout all of South Florida and any reservations other than for camping at Tamaho Mesa would need to be made far in advance. 

Schedule for the weekend:

Friday January 16th 
Upon arrival, check-in at the reception desk in the Main Lodge; this will include a brief park orientation and directions to your campsite.  We will have someone at the campsite to greet you and help you the best location for setup.  With varied arrival times, there is no planned dinner event for Friday.  The restaurant at Vitambi, Bolo Café, has a good variety of standard options and nightly specials.  They are open from 6-8pm and may be able to accommodate later arrivals with advance notice.  

7:00pm Kickoff - Wine Toast in the Bongo Bar
Your Gay Outdoors hosts will organize a welcoming social hour to meet new friends and reacquaint yourself with some of the weekend participants you may already know.  Vitambi Springs will advertise this weekend as a GO sponsored event for all men interested in nature, the active lifestyle and meeting other outdoorzy buddies.   The bar is a fun place to be on Friday evenings where there are organized games, outdoor patio firepit, eclectic music and a good opportunity to meet the other guests in the park.  After the social hour, you may choose to continue the party or go back to our campsite to hang out or sleep. 

Saturday January 17th is our first full day of activities.  Some activities are already being planned, and these will be listed on the Gay Outdoors website in the usual format of trip announcements.  Within a half hour drive of Vitambi there are numerous venues for activities such as an airboat swamp ride at the near Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, or hiking/biking on the scenic trail around Lake Okeechobee.  There are also hikes to do inside Vitambi Springs, and there is always the heated pool, if you simply just want to chill our for a couple of hours.

After the day’s activities, join us for dinner at the restaurant in Bolo Café, and stay afterwards for their traditional Saturday night bonfire, followed by fun & games at the bar.  

Sunday January 18th is our second day of activities.  Again, these will be noted in the Gay Outdoors website.  After dinner, we will gather around the fire ring in front of Tamaho Mesa’s cabins, for our own campfire.  That evening begins the new moon phase; stargazing will be at its peak, and this far south, you’ll see the night sky differently.  Vitambi is working to get their resident astronomer, Bill available that evening with his high powered telescopes to view planets, stars, nebulas and galaxies.    

Monday January 19th is a farewell breakfast and check out day.  

What To Bring:

If you are tent camping, bring the usual gear to make your stay comfortable.  At a minimum you should bring:  a tent, sleeping pad and bag, flashlight (it gets very dark at night), toiletries, towel, hiking gear with sturdy shoes.  The pool area is clothing optional, but if you prefer to wear swimming trunks, bring those too.   If you plan to stay in one of campsite’s rustic cabins, you will still need to bring gear as noted above except for the tent.  If you plan to cook your dinner and/or breakfast at the campsite, then you should plan on bringing a camping stove with fuel, and a cooler to keep your foodstuff fresh.  Ice, charcoal, snacks and toiletry items are available through the onsite general store. 

Signing Up:

If you want to join Gay Outdoors at its first Florida Gathering, this is what you need to do:

1-Sign up first at the Gay Outdoors website, whether you are camping or making other arrangements directly with Vitambi.  Please note when you sign up if you are camping or not.

2-Next call Vitambi Springs (863) 983-8488, and tell them you are part of the GayOutdoors Gathering.  You can pay by credit card over the phone.  In addition to your name, give them your Gay Outdoors moniker.  It will be easier for us to track down who is who, this way.

3-If you decide to make other arrangements with Vitambi, then do so at this time.  Again, please let us know on the sign-up page if you are camping with us at Tamaho Mesa, or making other arrangements.

4-If you want to organize or lead activities, please list them in the Gay Outdoors website and note in your announcement that you are doing this as part of the Florida GO Gathering.  We need trip leaders to organize a number of activities for different levels of fitness.  After all, Gay Outdoors is an all volunteer organization, and the success of this first Florida GO Gathering depends on your willingness to participate, and have fun.

Directions To Trailhead Parking Lot

Please check the Vitambi website, as it has very clear directions from different points in Florida.  There are 4 international airports serving this area; Ft. Lauderdale (FLL), Miami (MIA), West Palm Beach (PBI) and Southwest Regional Airport – serving Fort Myers/Naples (RSW).