Florida: the land of purple rinse, perma-tan, dreaded Disney and over-sized burgers is somewhere I had never been eager to visit. But Lord and Lady Y are regular visitors of Longboat Key (often described as one of Sarasota’s hidden gems) so, after years of resisting, He and I took some very little Smalls to see what the fuss was about. And now, after 4 trips, we too are smitten.
So I thought I’d blog our top 10 must-dos in the area – just in case you too find yourself accepting there is much more to Florida than you expected.
Blue Dolphin Cafe, St Armand’s Circle
Nowhere beats the Blue Dolphin Cafe for the classic American diner breakfast.
Old Salty Dog
Salads, burgers and the catch of the day makes Old Salty Dog a perfect lunchtime treat.
Demetrios, South Tamiami Trail
Demetrios is an institution. Prepare to eat more pizza (and meatballs) than ever before.
Morton’s, South Osprey Avenue
Morton’s is an incomparable gourmet deli. Ignore the prices.
A. Parker’s book shop, Main St, Sarasota
A fuller appreciation of rare & antiquarian books leads you to the treasure trove, A. Parker’s
Sarasota’s weekly farmers’ market
The Farmers’ Market is on State Street every Saturday 7am – 1pm
walking (and running) the Sarasota Bridge
Stunning views of the city appear as you walk the bridge.
Smuggler’s Cove adventure golf
Various claims of holes-in-one led the Smalls back for more and more and….
Ariel Yoga
This is THE new yoga. Using a circus hammock, you can weightlessly achieve a better yogic position.
And of course there is so much more: Westfield Shopping Centre, Gulf Gate Bowling Lane, Burns Court Café and the Lululemon Showroom also got a big thumbs up from different members of my family. The ‘land of the free’ really does have something for everyone.
