Couple visits Longboat Key to keep honeymoon phase alive

The first time Larry and Kathy Goodman visited the Silver Sands Gulf Beach Resort on Longboat Key, it was their wedding night.

Following their reception in Tampa, the newlyweds drove down U.S. 41 to Longboat Key, arriving around in the evening. 

By the time they unloaded the car and had a snack it was around midnight, the two were exhausted and called it a night to be fresh for the next day.

Although it stormed the first few days, the Goodmans were so enamored by their surroundings, the Tampa residents have returned to the Key to celebrate  their anniversary nearly a dozen times.

Although they don’t make the trip every year, they visit when they can, including on their 25th wedding anniversary, when Larry Goodman had special shirts made. The shirts were turquoise with a seahorse and interlocked rings and a saying, “married 25 years and still best friends.”

On May 18, the couple returned to Silver Sands to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Lasting tradition

The couple met while taking journalism classes at the University of South Florida. After three years of dating, they were married May 18, 1968, just weeks before Larry Goodman was sent to Okinawa with the U.S. Air Force.

But before Goodman was sent to Okinawa, the couple honeymooned on Longboat Key, something that would become a treasured tradition for them.

After a year, Kathy Goodman joined Larry in Okinawa. From there, the two were stationed in  Germany and England.

In 1974, the couple returned to the United States.

Six years after their initial visit to Longboat Key, the couple returned to Silver Sands Gulf Beach Resort and even stayed in the same room as they did in 1968.

The small eight-unit motel with views of the beach and sunset out the window and no pool or noise was just what they wanted.

Over time, however, the coastal resort changed. By their first return trip, their room’s view of the beach had been partially blocked by a new L-shaped complex, including a pool.

Later, beach renourishment changed the scope of the beach, and occasionally red tide struck the area. Once, the resort accidentally rented their beloved room, but, these changes and mishaps didn’t bother the Goodmans.

The Goodmans’ favorite tradition was their one meal out at Moore’s Stone Crab Restaurant. They always ordered the same thing — fish chowder, shrimp and hush puppies.

“The most romantic dining time was near sunset as a twilight ambiance settled over the water,” Larry Goodman wrote in a letter. “Boats and even small yachts docked there, and in the beginning years, a porpoise entertained customers in an enclosed area adjacent to the restaurant.”

Aside from their traditional Moore’s meal, the Goodmans have been steadfast in walking the beach and watching the sunset whenever they can. They also enjoy floating in the water and finding images in the clouds.

This past trip, they spent two-and-a-half hours perusing the windows around St. Armands Circle, something they have done numerous times. Their favorite former stores include The Mole Hole and The Woodery.

When the Goodmans are not vacationing, they enjoying singing.  Larry Goodman said if someone were to ask them what the most important part of their marriage has been, the answer would be praying and singing together.

“We’ve sung our way through our marriage,” Kathy Goodman said.

This article has been updated to show the correct time the Goodmans arrived on Longboat Key.