Our Nakation Cruise – Part 1

October 20, 2011 - Our nakation has begun!

Thursday morning we flew from Phoenix to Ft. Lauderdale to meet up with our good naturist friends, Larry and Kitty. Friday was a clothed day spent enjoying the scenery and shopping.

Then, Saturday we picked up another naturist friend (Lee) at the airport and drove north to Sunsport Gardens ( www.sunsportgardens.com ), a small nudist resort owned by Morley Schafer, where we enjoyed walking the jungle-like trails, soaking in the pool, and sunning. We’d visited Sunsport before last-year’s cruise (See http://imageevent.com/kenandjane/sunsportgardens )

At Sunsport we met several new naked friends including Ed and Susan who were cruising with us. Naturists always amaze me with their openness and willingness to share.

Friday night we attended the resort’s nude dance. It was a fun, small crowd. We left early for a restful nude sleep.

Sunsport’s cabins are perfect for a relaxing nakation. The resort has a very nice lake with kayaks and other facilities like tennis courts. The vegetation and flowers were spectacular, amazing for two naturists from the desert southwest. It had a Garden-of-Eden feel.

Even though relaxing naked at the resort was wonderful, PJ and I couldn’t resist traveling to Miami Sunday to visit Jungle Island. It was a textile place of course, but it was a place of wonder and education about animals. We visited again after the cruise. We’d recommend everyone visit this informative zoo, especially those with children. (Fun photos we took before the cruise, including Jungle Island are found here: http://imageevent.com/kenandjane/nacationcruisept1 )

We returned to Ft. Lauderdale to stay Sunday night with friends.

Monday we drove back to Miami and spent the day at Haulover Beach. Haulover is astonishing! After parking, and walking the boardwalk through a smelly, swampy area, we suddenly reached a heavenly beach stretching from nearby high-rise towers on the left, down a sandy beach to distant towers on the right. About ½ mile of beach is officially designated clothing optional, so we quickly stripped naked. (As is always the case, the clothing optional section of the beach was packed while the clothed section was empty. You’d think that other places would get that message, if only for financial reasons.)

A Bare Necessities booth was set up specifically for the cruise. PJ got two free Bare Necessities patches – one on her breast and one on her lower back (see photos). We arranged our towels on two rented lounge chairs and basked in the sun for a short time.

Then, for several hours we explored the beach, picked up sea shells and chunks of coral rock, and splashed and bobbed in the warm Atlantic waters. Being nude in nature was exquisite!

We visited with a food vendor while buying lunch. I asked if he ever participated with the surrounding naked crowd. He said he wasn’t against it, but was so busy working every day. His children had visited, but the day after his nine year old daughter had asked why some men wore penis rings. Embarrassed, he had excused it as a life-style choice. I commented how wonderful it was that naturism had fostered this open, educational experience with his kids. Then he explained that his wife (Jewish) was too “conservative” to visit – reluctant spouse syndrome strikes again – too bad, so sad, so many missed opportunities for sharing experiences. I’m so grateful PJ and I don’t miss out.

Too soon our day at Haulover Beach ended – time to rinse off in the outdoor shower with other nude bathers, dress, and return to Ft. Lauderdale. There is always a feel of freedom-lost when returning to the textile world.

That evening we jogged/walked for about seven miles from the hotel to the beach shops where PJ bought several cruise-dresses, an athletic end to a wonderful day. We fell asleep with dreams of the next day’s nude cruise. (The report about our nakation will continue.)