Photo: Subhan Dawson
The Caravan of the Beautiful will come together April 15th-19th 2009 at:
Rising Tide International
5102 Swift Road
Sarasota, FL 34231
Meals
A light breakfast will be offered and lunch will be served buffet-style on the Rising Tide land. Lunch will be prepared by the lovely and talented Leilah Stewart. It will provide ample food choices that include carbohydrates, protein, fruit and vegetables. Coffee, tea, and snacks will be available throughout the day.
No dinner will be offered on the land, but Caravaners are encouraged to explore the many delicious restaurants in town.
Dishwashing will be a group effort.
Housing
As always, the large majority of participants come from all over the U.S. and Canada as well as countries around the world. This year, there are 3 different housing options for traveling members of the Caravan:
1) Community Homes
Rising Tide community members and our Sarasota network of friends are happy to offer space in their homes. We ask for a modest contribution of $25-$45 per night, which you may pay directly to the homeowner when you are in Sarasota. When registering, please notify us that you wish to stay in a community home, and we will do our best to find a room and to put you in contact with the keeper of the house. No housing arrangements will be made until the full application and payment is received. If you wish to use this housing option, please email Ahuraor call her at 941-366-4851. Please leave your email and phone number in the message.There is a limited amount of space available, and rooms will be offered on a first-come-first-serve basis, so register early if you want to ensure a room.
2) Hotel
Rooms are reserved for our Caravan at Siesta Beach Resorts And Suites (two and a half miles from Rising Tide) at the group rate of $149 per night, plus tax. This is a lovely hotel directly across the street from Beach Access 5 on Siesta Key, which Shahabuddin refers to as "the Sufi access." To book your room at the Siesta Beach Resort you must contact 800-223-5786 or 941-349-3211. Tell them you are with " Rising Tide." The Siesta Beach Resort group rates will be held until April 6th. All rooms have one king bed. Car-pooling is encouraged, and renting a bike is another easy option for those who wish.
If you would like more flexibility in your housing there are a number of other hotel accomodations available. Last year guests stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which is the closest hotel to Rising Tide International.
-Additionally, Sarasota has full beach-front condos, top-class hotels, and fanciful guesthouses for those who want to shop around.
3) Rising Tide
We welcome anyone who wishes to sleep on the floor of Rising Tide, free of cost. Our building has nearly 2000 sq. feet of open carpeted space; we have yoga mats and blankets for bedding (or you may bring your own); there is an enclosed, outdoor shower available (with hot water); and the room should have sweet vibrations from being the heart of the Caravan's activities each day. The only requirement is that you wake up and clear your sleeping space by 7:00am, in time for the morning meditation, and we ask for your mindfulness of the space and respect for others who are sleeping there.
Airport Transfers
For those flying, we recommend you to arrive into either the Tampa airport (TPA) or the Sarasota airport (SRQ). Rising Tide is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes from the Tampa airport and 25 minutes from the Sarasota airport.
Tickets to Tampa are often cheaper than those to Sarasota, but if you can find a ticket with a good itinerary and price, flying into Sarasota is definitely recommended. We can arrange transportation from the Tampa airport ($50 per car / each way) or Sarasota airport ($25 per car / each way). These costs may be split if you are flying with partners, friends or family. For those coming alone, there is a good likelihood you will be able to find others with whom to share the trip and costs since many participants will be flying at similar times. If you want our help finding a ride-share, please contact Caravan Of The Beautiful at 941-894-8481. We will do our best to accomodate your travel plans.
Please check which rides you will need on the registration form and make sure to send a copy of your itinerary to Caravan Registration
If you are so inclined, renting a car is a very good choice, especially if you are open to giving a ride to other Caravan participants. Sarasota is a city designed for people with cars, and many community homes are miles away from Rising Tide. Parking space is also limited at Rising Tide, so we are asking those who will have cars to be open to the idea of car-pooling if the need is there.