Author: marklongmainstream (Page 1 of 174)

Shell Island Snorkel and Dolphin Catamaran Cruise with Island Time

Cruise to Shell Island and search for wild dolphins on a catamaran sailing trip from Panama City Beach. The catamaran’s broad, stable deck makes it a comfortable alternative to smaller boats prone to rocking in the waves, and since it’s stocked with paddle boards, snorkeling gear, and a waterslide, it’s the perfect base for playing in the clear water off Shell Island. Choose between a range of activities at Shell Island. Enjoy room to relax on the spacious catamaran. Look for wild dolphins in their natural habitat. Choose between a range of convenient departure times. This trip lasts about 3 hours and the cost is $52.43 per person. For more information or to book your trip, click here.

Key West Sunset Sail with Full Bar, Live Music & Hors D’oeuvres

Watch the sun set and the moon rise off the coast of Key West on this sunset cruise. Enjoy the scenery and peaceful calm of a late afternoon sail aboard a 70-foot catamaran with plenty of deck space to stretch out and enjoy the breathtaking view. Then watch a legendary Key West sunset as the sun glistens and gently settles into the water. Hearty appetizers plus champagne, wine, full liquor bar, ice-cold beer and soft drinks are included. Sail with the captain to the best spot to watch the sunset Enjoy included wine, sparkling wine, homemade sangria and premium beer Feast on peel-and-eat shrimp and other fresh hors d’oeuvres Intimate sail aboard a spacious catamaran Addition of live music featuring local musicians. This tour lasts about 2 hours, and the cost is $79.95 per person. For more information or to book your trip, click here.

Florida Everglades Airboat Tour and Wild Florida Admission with Optional Lunch

Escape to the wilderness of the Florida Everglades from Orlando on this airboat adventure. This exciting nature tour includes admission to the Wild Florida Airboats and Wildlife Park— with over 200 different animals like lemurs, sloths, zebras, watusi cattle, bobcats and more. Choose from two airboat durations and upgrade to the half-day tour and enjoy a delicious barbeque lunch at the Chomp House Grill, plus an alligator souvenir. Airboat ride through Central Florida’s Everglades Travel through 4,200 acres (1,699 hectares) of protected swamps, marshes and rivers Explore the 13 acre (5 hectare) park and visit the tropical bird aviary Watch the alligator-handling show. This tour lasts about an hour and costs just $35.00 per person. For more information or to book your trip, click here.

Do It All Watersports Adventure with Lunch in Key West, Florida

Cool off in Key West on a 6-hour water sports tour that features 12 different water activities for you to try, from snorkeling to windsurfing to Wave Runners. Lunch is included, as is a draft beer on the way back to the marina for those over the age of 21. 6-hour Key West water sports tour Take a boat out to sea for a day of water activities Try kayaking, paddleboarding, a trampoline, water skiing, and more Lunch included. This tour lasts about 6 hours and costs $179.95. For more information or to book your trip, click here.

Manatee Snorkel Tour with In-Water Divemaster/Photographer

Get up close to Florida’s manatees on this small-group snorkeling adventure. With an expert guide leading the way, swim alongside these gentle giants in Kings Bay. All tours include a full 5mm wetsuit (for extra warmth), mask, snorkel, towel service, heated changing facilities, and hot showers. Photos and video of your excursion are available for purchase. Swim alongside manatees on a snorkeling adventure Tour takes place in Kings Bay where manatees live year-round Includes 5mm wetsuit, snorkel, and mask Photos and videos of the tour are available for purchase You will be accompanied by a divemaster, which is a professionally insured in-water guide. This tour lasts about 3 hours and costs $69.95 per person.  For more information or to book your trip, click here.

Everglades Tour from Miami

Escape to the wilderness of Everglades on this most of the time 3-4 hour small-group adventure from Miami. This exciting nature tour includes a narrated airboat ride through the unique ecosystem of the Florida Everglades. Enjoy the scenery, learn about the history and flora, and look for Florida’s abundant wildlife, like alligators, crocodiles, birds, fish, exotic snakes and more.  The total 3-4 hour duration of this tour begins upon hotel pick-up. Escape to the Florida Everglades from Miami See wildlife up close in their natural environment Fun for the entire family Most of the time small groups for a more personalized experience Sometimes you can choose from other departure times throughout the day. Tours last about 3-4 hours, and costs $69.79. For more information or to book your trip, click here.

Crab Island and Dolphin Cruise

Captained Pontoon Charter cruising Destin Harbor to find dolphins and adventure. Then arrives at Destin’s world famous famous Crab Island to play in the emerald waters with other guest. Upgrade to VIP Table Seating includes table seating and your choice of up to 3 glasses of Champagne, Wine, Draft Beer or soda. This tour lasts about 3 hours and cost $79.99 per person.  For more information or to book your trip, click here.

Wild Florida Drive-Thru Safari and Gator Park Admission

Swap crowded bus tours for a much more intimate safari experience—a self-guided tour where you can drive your own vehicle through the Wild Florida Drive-Thru Safari Park. During the ride, look out for over 100 animals—including zebras, white-tailed deer, and bison. There’s also a huge pond that’s home to alligators, and an area where you can hand-feed giraffes. Avoid the crowds with a self-guided safari drive Look out for over 100 animals—such as zebras Admission is included so you don’t have to wait in ticket lines The park gives you the opportunity to feed giraffes by hand. Tours last between 1 and 4 hours and cost $34.00. For more information or to book your trip, click here.

Kayak or Stand up Paddle Board Island and Wildlife Exploration

With this tour, benefit from the flexibility of being able to choose between stand-up paddleboarding or kayaking—depending on your preferences—with equipment rental included. The route takes you off the beaten path to a lush mangrove jungle, where you can paddle along canals and look out for local wildlife. Potential sightings could include dolphins, manatees, crabs, iguanas, raccoons, or birds—as well as beautiful plants and scenic views along the way too. Enjoy a kayaking or SUP tour through Miami’s mangrove jungle Suitable for beginners: A guide demonstrates basic paddling skills Benefit from the perk of having alcoholic drinks and bottled water included Visit places where dolphins, manatees, and raccoons have been spotted before. Tours last two and a half hours and cost $79.00. For more information or to book your trip, click here.

Glass Bottom Guided Kayak Eco Tour in Rock Springs 

A good choice for nature lovers, this tour takes you into a unique part of Rock Springs Run known as “Emerald Cut.” The first part of the tour is an upstream paddle through calm waters and overhead tree canopy, with stops to hop off your clear kayak and into the fresh spring water. Keep your eyes peeled for for fish, turtles, birds, small alligators, and more.  Clear kayak tour Local guide See wild animals in their natural habitat Kayak and safety gear provided. This is a two hour tour and costs $99 dollars. It should be added that this is one of the highest rated tours in the country! For more information or to book your trip, click here.

For more of the best family activities in Florida, click here. For the best parks and amazing locations, click here. For nearby lodging and campgrounds, click here.

Iowa Wrestling once again had a fantastic 2022-2023 season, finishing second at the NCAA Tournament last March. In doing so the Hawkeyes crowned 6 All-Americans and once again had a wrestler reach the finals. Iowa finished the season with an impressive 15-1 record.

Graduation has left a few spots in the line-up with three of the six All-Americans, running out of eligibility. At the start of the 2023-2024 season, Iowa will look to replace 3X NCAA Champion Spencer Lee at 125 lbs. All-American Max Murin at 149 lbs, and 4X All-American Jacob Warner at 197. These three leave some big shoes to fill, but Iowa has some absolute studs stepping into the line-up to replace them.

Luckily for the Hawkeyes, they were one of three teams that really cleaned up from the transfer portal this summer! During the off season Iowa landed Joey Cruz, Victor Voinovich, Michael Caliendo,  and Jared Franek, These additions make a tough Iowa team even tougher.

The following is a weight by weight breakdown, of what I expect the lineup to look like at the start of next season.

125 Drake Ayala, Drake will look to pick up where Spencer left off. I expect him to have a fantastic season, Drake was 13-1 last season with his only loss coming to Spencer Lee. Drake is an excellent wrestler and has the potential to climb very high on the podium.

Drake will be challenged for the starting spot by Oklahoma transfer Joey Cruz. Cruz is a freshman with four years of eligibility remaining. Cruz went 2-2 as a red-shirt before sustaining an ankle injury.

133 Brody Teske, Brody finished the 2022-2023 season with a 10-6 record. He qualified for the NCAA tournament for the third straight time going 1-2 at the tournament. Brody missed a lot of the season battling injuries, with a full season under his belt, this could be the year he finally reaches the podium.

Cullan Schriever, brings in a career record of 29-12. He has served the Hawkeyes the last few seasons in the back-up position, and will again start the season in that same role. The potential is there, for Cullan to be the man, he has the skills and desire to go far, and I’m sure he is looking to make his mark in the sport. However, he will have to take that spot from a very  game Brody Teske.

141 Real Woods, Real is back for his senior season! Already a 3X All-American, Real is hoping to improve on his runner-up finish from a year ago. Real finished the season with a 20-1 record, with 12 bonus point victories. He is a team leader and an absolute hammer from the top position. I expect another great year out of Real Woods and another run to the NCAA finals.

149 We have a few new faces at 149 that will contend for the starting spot. While both are new to the starting line-up, they both have the potential to land vary high on the podium next March.

Victor Voinovich spent last season at Oklahoma State and was the lone freshman in the lineup. Victor has a career record of 33-14 and went 2-2 at the NCAA tournament last season. He has a quality win over  former all-american Jaden Abas. With numerous graduations at 149 last season, Victor has a very good chance to find himself on the podium next March.

As good as Victor is, he has a very stiff test ahead of him, just to crack the starting line-up. Caleb Rathjen, is a force to be reckoned with. His aggressive in your face style breaks opponents. Caleb showed how good he is at the inaugural Soldiers Salute, by making the finals after defeating a very tough Anthony Echmendia 4-3 in the semifinals.  Later in the season he bumped up a weight class to battle  #3 ranked Kendall Coleman of Purdue. Caleb lost a tough 3-2 decision, but proved he could compete with the divisions elite.

157 Cobe Siebrecht, Cobe was a pleasant surprise last season! When the year started the weight class was a complete unknown, however Cobe rose to the occasion week after week defying the odds and working his way up the rankings! Not only did he win big matches and hang tough in the ones he lost, but more often than not his matches were some of the most exciting of the day. Unfortunately he suffered some sort of elbow injury late in the season and struggled at BIGS and the NCAA tournament. If he is able to improve as much as he did last year in the this post season, the sky is the limit for this young man.

Jared Franek, Jared is a huge get for the Hawkeyes, and will likely enter the season ranked #1 or #2 in the country depending on which weight Levi Haines winds up at.  With a career record of 102-22, Franek has but one goal left in college, and that is to win an NCAA title.

165 Patrick Kennedy, had a fantastic season, and even though he didn’t reach the podium at the NCAA Tournament he still completed a solid year. 165 was one of the deepest weight classes I had ever seen with three returning NCAA Champions and one NCAA Runner-Up. Despite all that Kennedy met all challenges head on and beat some of the best in the division, earning a 21-5 record on the year and a second place finish at the Big 10 tournament. If he continues to improve, I’m sure he will find a spot on the podium next March.

Incoming transfer Michael Caliendo, from North Dakota State will also contend for the starting spot for the Hawkeyes. Caliendo is a returning all-american and a serious addition to the team. As of now its unsure which of these two will start for the team as they are both blue chip recruits capable of landing very high on the podium in March. Caliendo finished 29-5 last season and was 7th at the NCAA meet. He has a quality win over former NCAA Champion Shane Griffith.

174 Nelson Brands, Nelson had an outstanding 2023 season, ending the year with a 15-8 record after going 5-2 at the NCAA tournament! Nelson will be looking to improve on his 5th place at the national tournament, and he should start the season ranked very high. Its Nelson’s senior season and he will be looking to go out with a bang. The sky is the limit as to how far he could climb this season.

Incoming freshman Gabe Arnold, will be joining the team next season. The hype behind this kid is sky high, and he looks poised to make an immediate impact for the team. I expect him to red-shirt this season, but we will likely see him compete in several duals throughout the season. It will be exciting to see what he has to offer.

184 Abe Assad, Abe is back for another year and will be looking to improve on last season which saw him go 19-6 on the season and again qualify for the NCAA tournament. Assad has battled some injuries along the way, it would be great to see him healthy and competing to his fullest potential.

197 With the graduation of 5X all-american Jacob Warner, Iowa has some big shoes to fill. Two talented wrestlers will contend for the starting spot.

Kolby Franklin, Kolby is a freshman on the team and compiled a 14-6 overall record last season while wrestling unattached. Kolby has a close 4-3 decision victory over Zach Glazier, from last years Solider Salute, so he will enter as the favorite.

Zach Glazier brings in a career record of 30-7, and has mostly competed either unattached or serving as a backup to Warner.

HWT Tony Cassioppi, already a 4X all-american, Big Tony is back for his senior season and looking to win his first National Title. With the graduation of Gable Steveson and now Mason Parris, there seems to be a path for Cassioppi to finish on top. Tony has a career record of 97-17 with 40 falls!

As you can see, this Iowa team is once again loaded top to bottom and without any glaring holes in the lineup they will be a nightmare to compete against in dual meets. With the potential for 6 to 9 all-americans, they will also be a formidable tournament team as well.

Relax and enjoy your stay at Beech Bend’s Campground!  Gently nestled in the “bend” of the Barren River lined with hundreds of “beech” trees is where the name Beech Bend was derived and began entertaining guests as a picnic area dating back to the late 1800’s.  Beech Bend Campground is located at 798 Beech Bend Park Rd, in Bowling Green, Kentucky! For more information, click here.

The Beech Bend Campground has numerous camping options available, they have tent, RV, and even cabins available for rent. So no matter how you prefer to camp, you will find just what your looking for at Beech Bend Campground. The campground has over 400 sites available, and the cabins are brand new!

Fishing is also available on the Barren River, however a Kentucky fishing license is required. Beech Bend Campground has two restroom and shower facilities located in the campground for your convenience.  A coin-operated laundromat is also available in one of the bath houses. WIFI is available for an additional fee.

The main attraction at the campground however is its close proximity to Beech Bend Park and Splash Lagoon as well as Beech Bend Raceway! All three attractions are just a short stroll away from the campground.

The campgrounds are open 365 days a year. They have 411 campsites.  All the sites are first come first serve. They do not take reservations for campsites. The camping rates are for up to four people per campsite and include 13.42% Kentucky sales tax.  There is a $5 per person, per night fee for more than four people per site. To check camping prices, click here.

Nearby attractions include: The incredible Lost River Cave, Mammoth Cave National Park, Dinosaur World, the Corvette Museum, Diamond Caverns, and of course the famous Beech Bend Park and Splash Lagoon! There is so much to see and do in the area, you could stay all summer.

For more great lodging and campground options in Kentucky, click here. For the best parks and amazing locations in the area, click here. For the best family activities, and adventures, click here.