Ocean Air + Salty Hair

We are home!  We woke up early yesterday and headed home and I might have had a sad face and a grumpy attitude driving over the bridges to the interstate.  Luckily I rallied by the time we hit Gainesville and was well behaved the remainder of the way.  We had such a great time at the beach and I could not pick a favorite thing we did since every single thing was perfect.  We walked all the places we could, beached, ate ice cream, snacked, beached, hunted for shells, beached, took dips in the pool, watched the dolphins, and did I mention went to the beach?  I miss the beauty of the area this morning and I miss my morning walk hunting for shells but I am also happy to be home with my sweet husband and my pups.  ❤

I do not know if you have ever been to Sarasota but if you have not I would add it to your must visit list.  The area is so beautiful, even the downtown is so pretty.  We stayed on Lido Key, just off of St. Armands Circle. I have included some history on the area which I think is so interesting.  The circle itself is filled with statues and plagues and you learn so much as you walk around.  Today St. Armands is known for shopping, fabulous restaurants, and beautiful sights.  As you round the traffic circle you can drive to both Lido Beach and Long Boat Key and we chose to do both.
   

"Charles St. Amand, A Frenchman and first resident of the island, purchased the land in 1893. Visionary circus magnate John Ringling purchased the St. Armands Key property in 1917 and planned a development which included residential lots and a shopping center laid out in a circle. As no bridge to the key had yet been built, Ringling engaged an old paddle-wheel steamboat, the “Success,” to service as a work boat. His crews labored at dredging canals, building seawalls, and installing sidewalks and streets lined with rose-colored curbs. In 1925, work began on a causeway to join St. Armands Key to the mainland. Circus elephants were used to haul the huge timbers from which the bridge and causeway were built."

This is exactly how I felt the entire time we were in Florida.  I love every single bit of Florida along with the extreme heat in July and the humidity that follows it.  I love the ocean, I love the sand and I love walking in the surf and hunting for shells. I love the feeling of the shower at the end of the day and the exhaustion from the long day soaking up the sun.  Truly, I love it all. 

The last morning we were at the beach we headed to Siesta Key, which is the number one beach in Florida. The perfect white sand feels like flour under your feet and the water is perfectly clear.  The day we visited happened to be the morning a storm was rolling in so the sky was cloudy and the surf was quite rough.  We still loved our time and had so much fun jumping waves and getting tumbled over and over again. The girls decided this beach was the perfect for photos so I took no less than 100 of them trying to perfect this stunt, which they got right the last time they tried.

There is so much to do in the area that we didn't even begin to touch.  I would love to go back for a longer trip to see the manatees, the Marine Aquarium, the Ringling House, and to try out more of the local restaurants. I can make a list for you for anyone that wants to go.  We also stayed in a fabulous house just off the circle with a pool and a darling set up. If you would like information, please email me and I can share.  

Hope your Wednesday is truly the best!