Author: Useppa

Just Another Weekend on Useppa – Thoughts and pictures by UseppaGin – It began on Friday with families fishing, Useppa men and women working, and Happy Hour at the Tarpon Bar. On Saturday there were kids running through the rain playing in puddles while grownups in golf carts tried to stay dry. At night it was dinner at the Collier for some, home cooked meals for others. On Sunday the pool was filled with multiple generations enjoying the freedom to play and relax on an island. Any time on Useppa is special.

Fall Hospitality – Pictures and Thoughts by UseppaGin – Smiles everywhere. Families, old and new faces, all ages, spent Columbus Day Weekend on Useppa. The island and its employees welcomed everyone. Happy Hour and dinner in the Collier Inn was the official beginning for some. For others sipping drinks by the pool and just relaxing was the perfect way to end a busy week and begin the three day holiday. On Saturday and Sunday folks came and went from the pool. There were bocce games and children playing chess. Lunch on the Collier Patio and dinner in the Collier Saturday and Sunday was fun for all. Fall has officially begun on Useppa island.

This summer, Useppa Island Club was lucky enough to have Rob Hoovis on island for a spell. Rob is a very skilled photographer known for his dramatic landscape photography. His night-time work is unprecedented and ability to capture Mother Nature at her most violent or vulnerable is second to none.

Rob has made available to us an extensive bank of photos that the Club will be using to help promote the island to others who relish the beauty that can be regularly found on Useppa, but have yet to experience it personally. It’s hard to find a more photogenic setting and the results, as you’ll see in our gallery below, are impressive.

The photos provided here are just a glimmer into what was accomplished while Rob was on island but the full gallery can be found at this link: Rob Hoovis Useppa Gallery
Professional custom prints can be purchased through the same link and hope you are as impressed as we are with these photos and decide to support his passion.

Also be sure to check Rob out on Instagram, where his off-island work is regularly posted: Rob Hoovis Instagram

Early Fall on Useppa – Thoughts and pictures by UseppaGin – Spared any severe storms Useppa segued quietly from late summer into early fall. Families stopped by to enjoy slightly cooler weather and peaceful surroundings. A rescue dog found a home. The entrance and steps to the Collier Inn were painted. Operations Manager Dakota Likewise refinished the Tarpon Bar floor. Children played with new pieces on the poolside chess board. Timeless island serenity, but it’s time to begin another season.

Looking Back: Useppa 1999 and 2009 – Pictures and thoughts by UseppaGin – On a long lazy afternoon, sometimes it’s fun just to look back and remember old times, old friends. These pictures are just a few of those taken in 1999 and 2009. Familiar faces, memories of times gone by, reasons we loved Useppa yesterday, holidays with family and friends, croquet games, Izaak Walton, Santa Claus, pieces of Island history discovered and preserved….

Change of Plans – photographs and thoughts by UseppaGin – Labor Day Weekend was more subdued than usual because of Hurricane Dorian fears, but because of the men and women who work on Useppa, the Island was ready for whatever happened. As it turned out, Dorian stayed off the West Coast. Year round residents relaxed. Families came out for the day. People gathered around the pool. A young girl worked on her school project about the Calusa Indians. No one took the beauty, the serenity, and the gift of Useppa for granted. Thank you to all who worked to prepare the island just in case. Thank you to everyone who worked the Labor Day Weekend making Useppa a place of island welcome for homeowners, members and guests.

While Nobody’s Looking, Summer at the Useppa Service Department – Words and pictures by UseppaGin – Most resident Islanders are away during the summer months. Local Islanders boat over on weekends. But while Useppans are away, caretaking never ends. In fact so much has been going on that pictures are in order. The Reception Center and Fitness Center have been painted. Landscaping has been working from one end of the island to the other removing palm fronds, getting rid of coconuts a.k.a. Hurricane Missiles, and removing debris. A golf cart parking area is now next to the Tarpon Bar. Work was done on the Spa. All the water lift stations are being serviced and repaired, and pipes are being mapped. Eleven large metal containers in the Service Yard allow for removal of construction debris. Electrical work and replacements for the RO plant are being installed and there will be major upgrades to the electrical system. A big Useppa thank you to all the men and women making this happen.

Pig Roast Family Fun – Pictures and Words by UseppaGin – The food was delicious but the family fun was even better. In the pool, down at the Bocce Court, along the pathway on Calusa Ridge, and in boats at the Marina, everyone enjoyed the last free weekend before school begins and reality returns. Tides were high. Fish were biting. Kids and grownups alike were swimming. Thank you to the Collier Staff and all the men and women behind the scenes who make life on Useppa something to treasure.

Hot Weather, Warm Friendships – Words and Pictures by UseppaGin – Hot weather, sunset sky paintings, and warm friendships describe July on Useppa. A mother and father with two little children play on the beach and fish for dinner. Families plan a Sunday lunch and an afternoon in the pool. Old friends enjoy one pina colada and just one more. A favorite Island couple revisit. All of this describes lazy summer life on Useppa.

Island Summer Continues – Thoughts and Pictures by UseppaGin – The sunsets are beautiful. Nights at the Collier Inn are quietly intimate. A patio visit combines swimming and lunch. Fishing with Dad is a special time. It’s easier to imagine the past walking the island on a soft warm morning. Families love summer on Useppa because the beach and pool seem to belong just to them. Birds peacefully perch on trees, wade through shallow waters undisturbed by wakes of passing boats. Useppa in the summer is a world of tranquility and serenity, a private sanctuary.