Yours truly,

Randy Brook & Melanie Rowland

 

Dear Captain Traci:
As my lovely newlywed and I prepare to celebrate our first anniversary of marriage tomorrow, we reflected on the most spectacular week of our lives.  The week we spent at NativeVacations on our Honeymoon!

The lack of coordinating our wedding and level of service at the water front five star resort in Tampa was absurd.  Right down to not getting the Presidential Suite which we had reserved several months in advance.

BUT, our Honeymoon - You Captain Traci and the crew provided the best service either of us ever experienced, in my 39 years, and my wife's xx years on earth!  If we only had a crystal ball, we would have been married by you - Captain Traci at Native Vacations.  See you soon!

Thank you, Thank you! 

John and Sabrina Papciak
Riverview, Florida

P.S.  It was also a big plus to have my aging German Shepard with us.

Traci

I really loved the manatee swim and referred you to two other groups/couples.
Hope they call you.

Terilynn Sharpe
 Pensacola, FL

Dear Traci,

Thank you for taking us on the boat to swim with the manatee.  It was a lot of fun. Thank you for letting us swim in your pool, the pool was warm.

Love,
Corey
 

Dear Traci & Native Vacations-

I just wanted to thank you so much for the wonderful, week - long, vacation I spent with you. Not only did you provide anything and everything my friends and I needed or wanted, but you made it so easy. Crystal River is a beautiful place to visit, and we had a great time.

My friends and I are avid golfers, we usually golf whenever we go on vacation, and have been all over the place. What was so nice about Native Vacations is that we got to golf everyday at a different golf course if we wanted to. All of the courses we went to were great fun and very nice, even the weather was nice. Thank you again, Traci for making sure we had one of the best vacations ever. We cannot wait to come back next year and do it again, but maybe next time we will even try a manatee tour or fishing!

Good luck-
Ken Freeman
Michigan

Traci

Thank you-
Annette Lester
Barb LaFave
Wanda Graves

Dear Tracy

I loved swimming with the manatees.  The rest of the family liked it also.  It was so fun.  I think it is so cool that swimming with the manatees is your job.  I would love to do that  Thanks for such a fun trip.  All my friends thought that what we did was so cool.  Thank you so much. 

Sincerely, Anna Sieverts

Traci,

Thanks so much.  It has been a wonderful week and to see my brother was at one time only a dream.  Thanks is not enough but that is all I have.  I wish the best for you and yours are in my prayers.

Love, Dawn and Juan

Traci,

I had a wonderful time - I liked the nature stuff and the canoe trip the best.  Thanks for a great time.

Armato

Captain Traci

Again coming to Florida and visiting was a pleasure.  We had a great time.  We really appreciate all you have done to make out stay comfortable.  I am trying to see when I can make my next trip  . . . ha ha.  Maybe I can come back this year with a group.  If not I will see you next year.  Thanks again for everything.

Love, Bruce and Michelle

Traci-

Best Wishes-
Robin Smith
Chris Schneider
Kim Travis
Michigan

Traci,

Thank you for your e-mail welcoming us back. We had great flights--all connections on time. Got home at 8:00pm, Picked up our Skyline chili we told you about and took some home to Kathleen's husband Fred and told him of our adventures. Talked with my friend Diane yesterday about it, and my sister Anita who lives on the lake in Indiana. She shared that when she snorkeled it was so much work--she didn't have a life jacket--so not being buoyant must run in my family.

Look forward to getting some pics back Fri. Though the ones I took at Homosassa Nature Park are on a roll still to be finished. 

Again, can't say enough about how great it was. Your competence and confidence and love of the area helped me to stay relaxed and be confident myself about the snorkel/manatee experience. I'm so happy we heard about you thru Jeanne and Leslie. Jeanne last nite at tap said she and Leslie were so concerned that we like it, since they had told us about it. I didn't get to talk to her about it, but I think Kathleen did. You do a wonderful job, Traci. Being yourself helps people be themselves! I appreciate your directness and down-to-earth "ness". Best to you, your family, and your business. I'm telling anyone I know to check it out! Love, Gloria PS It was also great that our guide and Captain wanted and liked talking about Native Americans, spirituality, environmental concerns, woman's issues. A definite PLUS in my book!

Traci,

I was happy to recommend Native Vacations to Kathleen and Gloria. I have been recommending you to everyone I know. We had such a good time, one of the best vacations I have ever had. Mom heard tonight that Kathleen and Gloria had a wonderful time! When I got back from our trip, I wrote an article about it for our company newsletter. Everyone at work thought it sounded fabulous.

I am enclosing a poem that I wrote that was inspired by the trip we took down the Chassahowitzka River and the things that we saw along the way. The part at the end was inspired by the story that Hope told about one of the incidents that happened to slaves in that area in earlier and more distressing times.

I hope your wedding was wonderful and we wish you much happiness. Whew would love to come back and have another vacation with you. I hope we can plan one again soon.

We were really touched that you included a picture of us in your brochure. Keep in touch and let us know what's new.

Leslie

 Meantime, I got small stuffed manatees, and a manatee flag at Living Seas in Epcot! So a small manatee sits atop my computer and a smaller one with magnetic feet sits on my refrig.  I'd like to join the Save the Manatee foundation too, and will pursue that as well.

The other thing I got at Epcot was a book called "The Vanishing Mermaids" all about manatees. Really great informational book, with lots of pictures.   Was able to send your info and a hearty recommendation to our vacation counselor in Orlando as well. She was interested for herself, and I suggested she might be able to recommend it to other visitors to Orlando as well. So hopefully that will generate more business for you!  Her name is Angel Ervin.  

Again, a big thank you for a great day, and for sending along the photos you took of the day too.  We'll no doubt be back for another adventure in the future!

Love,
Pat Steffens

Here is the poem:

Night on the Chassahowitzka

The evening advances with the line
of white pelicans coming in from the bay,
seconds above the water, driving the fish
before them into the shoals.

Light shafts trace the loops and curls
of the waterway. A single strand
of fog weaves smoothly, stealthily
up the river, pulling the birds

in for the night. Black vultures rest,
closed tulips among the trees.
Mullet skip the shallows
like pieces of silver shale.

Snaking into an inlet where moss
hangs wraith-like, the water moves
in a sleepy Southern drawl
over the mangroves

and cypress knees. On a low slung
snag reflected in the pool,
a tri-colored heron closes
its eyes to the swinging beams

of light, undisturbed as the black
boy crashes through the reeds
on the facing bank, breath hot
and sharp and harsh.

Dozens of gator eyes glow red
in the tangle of lights.
A cry, a splash, the call of an owl,
the river receives them all.