Vice President Biden Visits Naples Florida
by Liz Lombardi
January 1, 2014
This year is starting off with all kinds of excitement on our sleep little island chain called Isles of Capri in Naples, Florida. I have been fortunate to live on Johnson's Bay for the past 10 years and enjoy watching the endless boats, jet skis, kayaks, manatees and dolphins traveling by my back door. This New Year's day brought a lot of excitement to our island and I am lucky to live on the main channel out to the Gulf of Mexico. I am writing this article from my perspective instead of in a news reporting clinical tone, hope you enjoy this perspective.
On New Years Day I happened to look out on the water and noticed a group of men in suits on a boat! So I grabbed my camera, changed the lens to my big zoom and caught a procession of boats taking Vice President Biden out to the remote Keewaydin Island. Unfortunately I don't have a wide angle lens to show all the boats that paraded by.
News spreads fast in these parts. It all started yesterday when I saw several US Coast Guard boats being towed, I assumed they were putting in at the 951 boat ramp just off our island. So I tell a friend about the big orange Coast Guard boats and he tells me about the Vice President's brother buying my old friend Jimmy's house on Keewaydin Island. We speculated that maybe the Vice President might be coming for a visit; neither of us had seen the news being New Years Eve so we had no idea if he was coming.
Notice on the picture below the machine gun on the front, this was the first boat to go by.
Anyway, I took these amazing pictures and forwarded them to our island volunteer who forwarded the pictures to all the residents of our island in an Email. I received word back that boats were practicing maneuvers yesterday on the north side of our bay, I missed that one. I also heard there were Navy Seals swimming under the docks checking for safety issues. An now a few hours after the Vice President went by, I keep seeing state, county and USCG boats coming and going on my bay. Unfortunately I can't get out to the island today for more pictures; I probably couldn't get close enough anyway due to the security.
Keewaydin Island is a popular destination for locals & visitors who enjoy camping and partying on the southern tip of the island (which is public property). Several huge parties happen here during the year with the most famous being the annual Canoe Races. I've attend many years in a row and I can tell you, its a mad house! Well the land that Mr. Biden purchased is right next door to this party spot.
I visited the house James Biden purchased several times when my friend Jimmy owned it. There is no electricity or water on Keewaydin Island and being an island, you can only get there by boat. Over the years we watched many boats haul all kinds of supplies over to the island. Once there was a wedding and hundreds of chairs, tables, food, and guests had to be loaded on boats and transported to the island. Many locals donated their boats to help Jimmy out.
The amazing, rustic house is a stilt house with exposed beams and a huge wrap around deck giving panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico, the west side of Marco Island, Tiger Tail Beach and the Intercoastal Waterway on the east side. The house has north and south elevated walkways that leads to individual guest rooms off each wing. In the main house, the rooms are massive and they are arranged around a center walled in staircase the leads to the master suite a floor up and down the stairs you enter a great space under the building that comes complete with a hot tub. On the west side is a beach on the Gulf and on the east side is the Intercoastal where boats pull up to the beach just south of the compound. When you pull up to the dock on the Intercoastal you are greeted by a boat house with a bar. Golf carts are generally used to transport people from the water to the main house and to get around the road less island. On my visits the property was a natural island with low scrub and beach sand under foot. Wild boars roam this island - speaking of wild boars, one was swimming down the Marco Island River on Christmas Day, I wonder if it left knowing the secret service would arrive in a few days.
I'll be on the lookout for more news on the Vice Presidents visit and update this article over the next few days. It is so exciting having such an important visitor to our area.
Thursday, January 2, 9 AM
At 8 AM this morning I witnessed the changing of the guard of security boats. Two boats come in, 2 boats go out; I have seen probably a half dozen or more boats go in and out, I feel like I live in a military zone! During the rest of the day many security boats came and went, passing fishermen anchored, kayakers, and jumping dolphins. Lots of action on the water today. The mangrove islands across the bay are great for fishing, especially during tide changes. I see a many chart boats taking customers right across from my house daily.
I learned today that air space is closed down until Friday afternoon for a 3 mile radius of Keewaydin, that includes my house which is probably a mile away. Not that it matters much for us living here, we don't get many planes overhead. Usually small private planes fly over sightseeing or on their way to land at the tiny Marco Island Airport up the road. And we get an occasional helicopter either on a rescue mission or on the hunt for some criminal on the run.
Friday, January 3, 10 AM - The Vice Presidents 1st Departure
Today I took some great pictures of the Vice President. I feel like a paparazzi after returning from my morning adventures of sneaking in my neighbors back yards. Mind you I am not the greatest photographer, I don't even know how to set my camera past Auto. Thanks to Photoshop™ I can zoom in on the shots I took and do get lucky sometimes - this machine gun is cool.
First a USCG boat came in by itself a little after 8 AM, so I figured the Vice President might be coming soon. I readied myself and waited. Once I saw the boats coming at 10 AM, I ran to the car, drove down to the corner, parked the car on the grass and ran in my neighbors back yard. On my way to the back another neighbor was already camped out waiting. I stood on the seawall across from the fire station's long 100' dock and watched as the 3 USCG boats and other government boats piled into the bay. The first boat to dock was the VP's and he was on the dock in minutes. I snapped picture after picture of VP Biden walking down the dock towards the waiting black SUV that would take him back to Air Force 2 parked in RSW airport. Notice in the pictures below the VP goes for his hat once he starts walking on the long dock, it was windy and cold! A cold front came in last night bringing frigid wind and temperate, it was only in the mid-60's, cold for us. Did you notice in the below pictures VP Biden has no socks on?
Once the VP was out of site I ran back to my car, jumped in and hit the gas THEN pulled the lever into Drive. Guess what happened because I was so excited, I peeled out! It was so loud it scared me and I left rubber on the road. I wondered if the security personnel drew their weapons it was so loud but I was gone in a flash, around the corner and parked right next to a Collier County police car for protection.
I am not sure what to do with my photos, they may be valuable (I can only wish). I ran into a photographer for a local newspaper and from our discussion, I don't think they snapped a picture of the VP. The reporter said to me that he hasn't arrived yet, and I said "I just took his picture". So I showed her my pictures on the camera and she was baffled saying "I hope my photographer got the shot". Then she asked me for my phone number and quoted me for her article. Now that was interesting. I think because they are official news people they don't go traipsing in peoples back yards like I did. The only way to get a picture of the VP arriving was from across the bay on private property. Good thing I know my neighbors. UPDATE: My picture ended up in the paper, I was standing on a picnic table taking pictures. The news reporter did get a picture of him leaving the dock, only 1. And no phone calls asking for my pictures, guess I won't get rich this week.
The USCG boats assemble on the bay after their job of safely delivering the Vice President was over. I have to say, it was kind of creepy seeing the machine guns on the front of the boats. I wondered if any were pointed at me as I snapped these pictures.
There were no crowds or fan fare as the Vice President leaves Isles of Capri - only 3 residents including myself & 2 news people watched as the big, black SUV's pulled out. This was probably why they chose our quiet island as their base of operations. Until next time...
Check out the license plate - did they fly the vehicles down in Air Force 2? Sorry it's so bad but I used Photoshop to zoom in on the license plate from the above picture. It says:
Washington DC
800 002
Taxation Without Representation
I have to add one last note to this informal report as I sit here at 3 PM still working on this webpage. I can't help but notice the government boats have not stopped coming and going by my house. And there is one USCG boat circling across the bay from my house, just hanging out there with 3 fully armed men aboard (I got out my binoculars). I guess whoever is out on Keewaydin Island warrants continued security. VP Biden left alone, I never saw his wife. I guess this show is not over yet.
UPDATE: After witnessing the Grand Departure, story below, I learned the above departure was the VP's 1st departure. I did think it was odd that he had a cooler bag on his shoulder. I haven't heard any reports, but assume he went out for an adventure. I did hear from my Marco Island friends that the bridge was shut down for the VP but I didn't believe that story.
Friday, January 3, The Grand Departure
Last night when I was taking the dogs to the dog park on Marco Island at 5 PM I noticed all the security the boats assembling again, with their lights on, a few house up from mine. My first thought was to turn around and get my camera. Then I thought, I already took pictures of the VP leaving, this must be the rest of the party leaving. So I continued driving and as I drove by the fire station I was stunned by all the 
people assembled and dozens of police vehicles. I slowed and was immediately signaled by a Secret Service agent to move on. So I drove on and encountered a cluster of another dozen Collier County officers on the corner with their vehicles. So now I'm thinking, why all the security when the VP left earlier with only a few police vehicles? Again, I thought I already took his picture, so I continued on. Well I get to the end of our causeway at the main entrance to our island and there's 2 Marco Island police vehicles securing the entrance. Of cause I was speeding and jammed on the brakes. So I continued on to my destination with 2 excited boxer dogs ready for a good run.
On my way back from the dog park I passed one of the USCG's boats coming up the canal to the 951 boat ramp. As I passed the ramp there were 2 other USCG boats already loaded up on their trailers being hauled by 4-seater, white pickup trucks. Again, no camera, I'm a bad reporter.
Arriving back on the island at 6:30 I stopped at Pelican Bend tiki bar to find out what happened, my curiosity was killing me. A girlfriend said the VP just left and that she shook his hand then she shows me pictures of him on her phone! It was an OMG moment and I thought "are my pictures of the VP of his brother?" So I quickly went home feeling like a failure and looked up on the internet pictures of the VP and compared them to my pictures. And I quickly became totally confused because my pictures look just like VP Biden. I went to bed last night feeling like a failed reporter, and couldn't stop wondering who is in my pictures?
I get up this morning and read our islands community Email and a resident, who must have been in the same back yard as I was, submitted pictures of the VP leaving at 5 PM. Guess what? The VP had the same clothes on with no socks. I now know I did get pictures of him! He must have snuck out for an adventure at 10 AM. I did think it odd that he had a cooler on his shoulder in my pictures. I feel better now.
And I learned this morning visiting the local newspaper's websites that I took better pictures than the newspapers! One newspaper had 9 pictures online, 1 of the VP and 1 of me! And they put my name under the caption. As I write this I received a text message from a friend with a picture of the newspaper and I'm on the front page! Wahoo, famous in print too.
This was a fun few days, it's not often we have celebrities here. And it is so quiet in my back yard today, not a boat in the bay.
