It has been the best-kept secret on the Internet since April 2nd and our most clandestine operation ever since we've been in business. We have kept it from everyone until the time was right to unleash it upon the world. And now, after two months of blood, sweat, and tears, it is time to release the monster we have created on the unsuspecting public at large. We have now unveiled our master creation to be seen by the entire planet with updated pictures of the River Skipper II and all-new graphics with an easy-to-navigate configuration.

            We believe the new website reflects our position toward our coastal environment, our presence on the Manatee River, and our commitment to our valued customers, such as yourself. We surveyed our patrons and were encouraged to renovate the River Skipper II into a fun-filled, festive, entertaining tiki boat experience. We are a family-friendly educational event during the day and an adult-oriented party encounter at sunset.

The colors are more vibrant and festive, and the brown and yellow color scheme matches the new ceiling in the recently renovated River Skipper II. And getting around our new home is much easier without the many distractions on the old site. 

We have a new "Gallery" where you can take a photographic stroll through some old images from our past, and you might just see yourself in there. And the best thing is now the website is taken care of "in-house," so we can update the site more quickly when we need to make changes instead of going through a third-party web developer, which could take up to three weeks.

Our "Events" page keeps you abreast of upcoming happenings at the start of every season. Be sure to follow along, as we will be updating the site from time to time.

In May, a new park appeared at 505 5^th Street, West in Palmetto, Florida. Connor Park, named after Francis Connor, a well-known agriculturist in Manatee County, now resides on land reclaimed from what was once designated a "brownfield" site.

A brownfield site is a property compromised by contamination from hazardous substances, such as, in this case, creosote, arsenic, and related contaminants like benzo(b) fluorine, pyrene, and chrysene. The contamination came mainly from its use as a railroad spur for the Atlantic Coastline and Seaboard Coastline Railroads. Before development, over 920 tons of contaminated soil were removed for incineration.

Now, the Park acts as a buffer for contaminated storm runoff which fills the retention pond, which naturally cleans and prepares the water for introduction into the Manatee River. So what was once a dead zone has now been brought back to life and is now directly contributing to the health and ecology along our scenic Manatee River.

More pictures of Connor Park are below.