Small Business of the Year Spotlight: Yacht Starship Dining Cruises

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Yacht Starship Dining Cruises, LLC      Troy Manthey, president and CEO & Jill Manthey, vice president of sales & community relations/owners Year won SBOY: 2016 Number of employees: 225 Year business established: 2001 What does your company do? What makes it unique? Yacht Starship Dining Cruises is the largest operator of dining yachts in Florida, with … Read more

What does infrastructure need to do to keep up with Tampa Bay’s growth spurt?

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It’s not breaking news. We are all keenly aware of it.   Tampa Bay is one of the hottest spots in the United States. Everyone wants to be here. Businesses, tourists, visiting relatives … who can blame them? It’s great here. But now that the word is out, this great place to live must accommodate … Read more

Flying high: Why more travelers are choosing to fly private

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Travel is more than just getting from Point A to Point B.  It’s an important service industry, integral to a professional’s workdays and leisure nights, critical for companies and families. The image of private charter flights as the privilege of only the superwealthy, or celebrity-few, is changing.  A current trend for busy executives, and leisure … Read more

LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort is Naples’ sleepy secret (PHOTOS)

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One of the benefits of living in Florida is that you can leave your “home” paradise for a new, different, paradise when the mood strikes you, easily. And you only need a few hours to do so. With that in mind, Naples presents a wonderful option. Only 2½ hours south of Tampa Bay, you’ll find … Read more

Music City revisited

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In early October 2021, Ketch Secor looked out across the sold-out crowd at the Grand Ole Opry and launched into his best Roy Acuff impression. Mimicking the fabled “King of Country Music” and Grand Ole Opry empresario, Secor lowered his voice to a gravely baritone and bellowed Acuff’s advice, dutifully observed by every performer who’s … Read more

A luxury resort along an iconic stretch of Bahamian beachfront celebrates 70 years

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By Randi Aileen Press and the Lifestyle Magazine staff The muted pink sands along the Atlantic Ocean side of Harbour Island—a 3-mile stretch that, in some places, extends as wide as 100 feet—are notoriously cool to the touch. No matter the tropical temperature in the Bahamian resort town, some 50 miles east of Nassau, beachgoers … Read more

Summertime holidays are easy and close by at Hilton Head Island

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Some say it’s South Carolina’s Lowcountry sultry, salt air and hazy sun-filled afternoons that captivate holiday goers. Others claim the magic of indigenous Gullah cultural and culinary charms as a primary draw for visitors. Still, others point to an almost endless string of sporting pursuits from kayaking, fishing and sailing to golf, tennis and cycling … Read more

Editorial: Following the Bolts on the road to Raleigh (PHOTOS)

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Sports fans who have been missing the roar of the crowds are buying tickets again, and those of us with travel lust are checking airline schedules and happy to travel to see our beloved teams play. Post-pandemic, weary bodies, and minds are craving an adventure. Before you could say “GO BOLTS,” I secured tickets to … Read more

Ready for a road trip? AAA reports gas prices in Florida on the decline ahead of Memorial Day weekend

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Florida gas prices are declining as more than 2 million Floridians prepare to travel for Memorial Day. AAA is forecasting that the majority of those (1.9 million Floridians) will take a road trip of 50 miles or more. Floridians are currently paying an average price of $2.87 per gallon. That’s 2 cents less than a … Read more