It seems that everyone has some good ideas about this.
I was thinking that since there are so many places, why don't we do something like this...
Members in each area,
Tampa/ St.Pete
Sarasota/Bradenton
Venice/Pt.Charlotte
Ft. Meyers/South...
Select 2 or 3 places to meet at. Maybe a place near the interstate, or a place by the water, or a place away from it all. We could put together a list of "Favorite Places".
We could then choose a place in each local area and that would be the place to meet, greet, hang out or head out.
That way, maybe once a month or so... we could get together with friends new and old.
As for a place out by the Interstate, in the Sara/Brad area, there is a place near the I-75-Fruitville Rd-Cattleman Rd. junction.... "RJ Gators". It is a casual restaurant with good food and live music. A local place on the scale of Outback or Applebys, but with better food and music..... Like any of a hundred other places around the area.
Let's start with no more than 3 places each, this could get out of hand.
Here is another idea....
Why not take a few pics of your "hotspot" and give it a write-up. All the members that are planning on making the cruise would vote and the the winning "Hotspot" for the month would be the cruise destination.
Maybe we could pay the winners tab at their "Host" location.
Just a thought.
Joe B.