Sarasota is the type of place you want to be able to experience all that it has to offer but the likelihood is that you won’t be able to experience it all in one day. However, you may be able to see most of what you want to see if you plan it out just right and get an early start. Make sure you set your alarm because sleeping half the day away will ruin the rest of anyone’s day. Starting out early not only ensures you can get the most coverage with the little time you have, but it also means you can avoid the crowds.
Siesta Key is a place that the crowds love to flock to and who can blame them? Ranked America’s No. 1 beach by “Dr. Beach” Stephen Leatherman in 2011, it’s hard to resist the pillow soft sands of this little paradise. In 2015 TripAdvisor’s named Siesta Key the best beach in the U.S so take some time to enjoy the treasure of the Gulf! While the day is still young, you can choose a variety of places to have a quick breakfast while enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Looking to get on the water?
You can take a guided kayak tour or a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) tour which are some of the most popular ways to see the majestic waters surrounding Florida. Sarasota also offers several eco-boat tours around the Intracoastal Waterway that allows visitors to get up close and personal with dolphins, manatees, and other aquatic life.
Looking for a bite to eat
All of these activities might cause you to work up an appetite so if that’s the case, feel free to dive over the John Ringling Causeway Bridge and take in all the amazing sights and the glittering coastal water. You can choose from several cafés, delis, casual dining or upscale dining restaurants on Lido Key. If you have room, treat your family so some ice cream while you stroll through the small town and enjoy all the quaint little boutiques you come across. A simple stroll down main street is an adventure all in itself, complete with booming bars, coffee shops, art galleries, antique stores, and much more.
Things to Do
Sarasota has plenty of family friendly things to do if you’re looking for somewhere to take the kids. You can spend some time at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium where your children can touch a starfish and feed the stingrays. You can also check out the Ringling Museum of the Circus where you can see the circus anytime you feel like it while visiting Sarasota. You can also learn a little bit more about the history of the circus by visiting the Ringling archives in the Circus Museum’s Tibbals Learning Center. Why not make your vacation educational as well as memorable?
Spend your evening enjoying one of the many restaurants downtown that represent a range of various types of cuisine, along with some local musical entertainment that suits everyone’s musical tastes. The downtown Sarasota music scene ranges from the classical 1920s music to live bluegrass and even indie rock. If you want to catch a community production, be sure to see what’s going on at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, located just minutes away on the Gulf.
Sarasota has plenty to see and do so if you don’t make it to everything in a day, that’s okay. It will be here when you come back next year. Plan your trip to Sarasota today to see what it has to offer you!
