Confused about Caliente

[P & C]

[I have posted a similar post on netnude - sorry for the redundancy for those of you who read both.]

We are planning to meet some friends at the new Caliente Resort in Florida next month. They (our friends) are fairly new to the naturist thing, and this will be the first outing with their daughters, aged 6 and 3. (We also have 3 teenage kids who will be with us.)

When we first decided to do this, the website for the resort was pretty tame, with pictures of family's playing in the pool, etc. But as things have progressed, the website has become increasingly racy, focusing on the party crowd donning seductive clothing in the nightclub.

Of course, this all begs the question, is this a family resort or a swinger's club. They are quite adamant in stating that they are the former, but they seem to be marketing aggressively to the latter.

From all accounts, there is no other place in the country with such fabulous ammenities and accommodations, but what's the deal? Anyone been there for a first hand account? Is this a place you'd take your family? Are we overreacting to the website?

Anyone?

Paul and Carol

[P & C]

[I have posted a similar post on netnude - sorry for the redundancy for those of you who read both.]

We are planning to meet some friends at the new Caliente Resort in Florida next month. They (our friends) are fairly new to the naturist thing, and this will be the first outing with their daughters, aged 6 and 3. (We also have 3 teenage kids who will be with us.)

When we first decided to do this, the website for the resort was pretty tame, with pictures of family's playing in the pool, etc. But as things have progressed, the website has become increasingly racy, focusing on the party crowd donning seductive clothing in the nightclub.

Of course, this all begs the question, is this a family resort or a swinger's club. They are quite adamant in stating that they are the former, but they seem to be marketing aggressively to the latter.

From all accounts, there is no other place in the country with such fabulous ammenities and accommodations, but what's the deal? Anyone been there for a first hand account? Is this a place you'd take your family? Are we overreacting to the website?

Anyone?

Paul and Carol

[Mac68]

My wife and I are going there this upcoming weekend, and we'll give you a report. We have friends over there who just became members and they love it. It's not by any means a swinger's club, they do have a nightclub bar with music and a DJ on the weekends. From what I understand, it is very family oriented with a playground area for the kids. Paradise Lakes is "clothing optional" resort and Caliente is a nudist resort. I think that your family would feel very comfortable there.

http://www.finalbreak.com/

[Guest]

I was there last night and I go all the time. It is a family resort and just like all other resorts it has it's swingers too. You won't see them groping each other in the pools, that is not allowed. Caliente is very strict about what goes on in the common areas.

You will see people dressing up sexy for the dances just like you would at any non-nudist resort. Isn't that what most people do on vacation? This is late at night and no children are allowed in anyway (they should be in bed!). There was a sign up on the clubhouse and it said no children were allowed in the common area after a certain time, I think it was 9 or 10.

[NoodJuggler]

"You will see people dressing up sexy for the dances just like you would at any non-nudist resort. Isn't that what most people do on vacation?"
Maybe when you go on vacation with your single friends. But married ones with little children don't. Maybe we can just lock them in the closet for the nite, Dress up sexy and have fun, yea, right. Not all of us are swingers Paul and Carol just certain ones. Your point is well noted....Cheers...NoodJuggler

[Guest]

Not all people who dress up at night are swingers and not all people who dress up are single. Make up your mind, swingers are married people and many of them have children.

Regardless, some people who like to dress up and go out are neither swingers nor are they single. Imagine that!

Did you ever hear of a sitter? In their case they have the three older ones to watch the younger ones.

[NoodJuggler]

Hey..How about that. So simple. Wonder why I didn't think of that? What is the deal with dressing up? Why go to a nudist resort to be nude and then dress up? I can do that at home and just go down to the local pub and save the $20.00 to $40.00 a day for the kids college fees...Of course I think you would have to have children to understand that..Cheers..NoodJuggler

We're going to give Cypress Cove Resort a try the first part of May.. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Guest]

Nobody is forced to dress up, you can stay nude the entire time. It is about choices.

If it isn't your choice why not live and let live instead of trying to trash someone else's choice?

And if you think you can stay at Caliente with 5 kids and only spend $20-40 a day you really do need to stay home. I am sure your local pub would not measure up to any part of Caliente. The place is first class all the way.

Since you live in the area and don't visit any of the nudist clubs around here should I surmise that you are at that local pub instead?

[NoodJuggler]

"When we first decided to do this, the website for the resort was pretty tame, with pictures of family's playing in the pool, etc. But as things have progressed, the website has become increasingly racy, focusing on the party crowd donning seductive clothing in the nightclub".

They are trying to attract that type of people, that is where the money is. It is getting more away from a family setting to a swingers setting. I'm not planning on bringing five kids with me, just me and the wife, so I can get away paying just that + meals. Besides if that is your thing I say go for it. We don't need to go out swinging to have a great time. We enjoy just being with the family doing family things, you know the boring things like taking a walk, watching the sunset, going for a boat ride, watching the children grow up, talking to each other, things like that. Cheers...NoodJuggler


I can see dressing up but why seductive clothing..This is sending the wrong message to people.
[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Guest]

"They are trying to attract that type of people, that is where the money is."

And whom did you speak with at Caliente that told you that? And how many times have you been there? And what did you see while you were there?

I really have talked with the management there and they have gone overboard to make sure Caliente stays family oriented. I've spent countless hours there over the past year and have only once seen anything going on that should not have been and it wasn't swingers doing it. As soon as management was told that a couple were getting too hot and heavy in the pool the management made them leave. This was late at night when no children would have been present. Please, don't post what you don't know.

This guy wants accurate information which is what I am giving him. Stop posting what you think is going on when you aren't a regular. Have you even been there at all?

[NoodJuggler]

Only me and the walls will know how many times I have been there. The one question has not been answered...I can see dressing up but why seductive clothing..This is sending the wrong message to people. People already think bad enough about nudists without this going on. And not everyone is trying to pick someone up for the nite. That is one reason why some resorts only want couples, to cut this type of thing out. If this person wants accurate information the best thing to do is to go. He doesn't need second hand information. But from what I gather he wants to spend quality time with his family and not viewing people dressing up in seductive clothing. Other people on this forum know just as much as certain other ones, maybe more...Cheers..NoodJuggler.

Maybe I have talked to them also to make sure it stays more toward the family. Maybe Joe Blow has talked to them..So what? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
"Please, don't post what you think I don't know".

[P & C]

Cyndiann and Juggler,

Thanks for taking on this argument on my behalf. Perhaps a bit of perspective will help.

We have been to Cypress Cove (with kids) and Paradise Lakes (w/o kids), Desert Shadows in CA (w and w/o) and numerous other places in the USA. We have also been to several venues in Europe where family naturism is just that. Family naturism. Our favorite place has dances that start at 9:00 p.m. and run til midnight at least 3 or 4 times a week. They bring in a DJ or a live band and people party and have fun until the cows come home. BUT ... the tradition there is to dress after sundown. There's no lingerie or see through this or that. Some folks 'dress up' as if they were going clubbing, other's are in t-shirts and cut-offs. Whatever. What it isn't is seductive in any way, and you are as likely to find a 3 year old on the dance floor as a 93 year old. It is truly a family environment as you might encounter at any number textile resorts the world over.

But, that's there and this is here. What is distressing about the Caliente website is the marketing angle. If I didn't know as much as I did about the place (because I've been reading the fine print and asking lots of questions) I WOULD think it caters to swingers simply from the presentation of the website. In fact, our friend called today and stated this point blank, and they admitted that they've gone a bit overboard on the website due to the all the grand opening festivities. Even the FAQ page that talks about appropriate conduct features a mildly racy photo from the night club.

NOT THAT THIS SHOULDN'T EXIST - but it is SUCH a different concept from what we've grown to understand naturism to be when traveling abroad. And in this case, when we're trying to make a case to newbie naturist friends, they're hit in the face with images that do NOT look family friendly and are asked simply to trust that things are not as they seem. If they weren't such good friends, they would have blown us off by now.

Live and let live, I say. And in a few years, our children will be off to college and this will be a non-issue for us. But when we dedicate so much rhetoric to 'where are the young naturists,' I think situations like this cut to the very core of the matter. Is nudism in America about being seductive and sexual, or is it just about being naked?

Just my two cents!

Paul

[Guest]

I will reiterate for you. Most wear clubwear, not lingerie although both are totally permitted. You will see a lot of net dresses for instance, and high heels on the ladies. It is only worn late at night when the children are not around. They do now walk around the pool areas in nighties.

You probably found at Paradise that basicly the same situation exists. All day almost everyone is just nude. The nightclub heats uplate at night and there are no children present. Actually at Paradise there are few children present at any time. At least at Caliente children are encouraged and there is a playground for them.

I know when I went on vacation to Mexico everyone dressed up late at night to dance, and when I was in San Juan as well. Shouldn't nudists be allowed to dress up and dance?

As for nudists sending the wrong message by wearing a sexy outfit, I think it is high time we stop pretending we are eunichs and be more honest. Most people have no clue what we wear at dances and still think we are all getting it on poolside. Even my little club Lake Como allows sexy outfits at the Saturday night dance.

"That is one reason why some resorts only want couples, to cut this type of thing out"

What is it cutting out? Swingers are couples! It is the couples that cause the problems not the singles.

Please, take your family, go and have fun. If you are that unsure then call Caliente and ask them straight out about your concerns.

Juggler has a personal problem with me and would not agree with anything I said no matter what. Nevermind he's not been to Caliente but once and even that was long ago, way before the clubhouse opened up (as far as I know). Let's not go on rumors. I've been there and I go often. The owner of Netnude owns a place there as well and they had 40some nudists come for an internet gathering a few weeks ago.

If you like karaoke they have some wonderful singers there and karaoke is three times a week. That is what I mainly go for.

[P & C]

Believe it or not, I have little concern with what happens in the club. As you say, my kids won't be there and we can choose to go or not - and what to wear or not. That's the way it should be.

The issue is really the presentation of the website and the playing up of that (apparently small) component of a weekend at Caliente. I've been watching the Caliente project unfold for several years now, so I think I have a pretty good sense of what goes one there. But our friends are new to naturism and when it comes to first impressions, this was not a particularly good one.

For the record, we HAVE called Caliente, and our friend will have another conversation with the children's activity director today. We have gone straight to the source as well. All I'm trying to find out is what the environment is like there - since the website sends clearly conflicting messages. First hand accounts from non-partisan people who have been there are always the most imformative, and thus will always carry the most weight.

Thanks for your insight.

Paul

[NoodJuggler]

Just looking at their home page tells you alot about it. Caliente And even their name of Caliente, which means hot, and then the chili pepper above the letter I, giving the extra meaning of extra hot. Their page sends the wrong message. Why didn't they just put a nude couple instead of the dance girl? Stop trying to cloud the issue by making it personal. I have nothing personal against you, where did you get that Idea? You take statements that I says and try to make them personal. I know as much about that place as you do, and just because you've been there doesn't make an expert out of you. I have a job and have to work a forty hour week, and take care of a family, so I can't spend all my time at resorts like some people do. I get along fine with other people here, do you? Think about it..Cheers..NoodJuggler [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]