Tag Archives: Sarasota

Florida Cinco de Mayo
Florida, Key West, Miami, Sarasota, South Walton, St. Pete Beach, Trip Ideas

Florida’s Best Cinco de Mayo Parties

Leave a comment

 

May 5 is the day when cervezas and margaritas flow freely at almost every Florida bar or restaurant that can hoist a Mexican flag. America’s favorite Mexican-themed celebration—Cinco de Mayo—is a chance for everyone to unpack the red, white, and green bunting and channel their south-of-the-border spirit. But if you are looking for more than just a drink special and some tacos, there are plenty of ways to make a Cinco de Mayo holiday into something special. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Taking It to The Streets

Some of Florida’s biggest Cinco de Mayo celebrations spill outside to become street parties. This is the case in St. Petersburg, where the parks & recreation department closes part of downtown’s 1st Avenue for a fiesta that includes live music performances, DJs, dancing, costumes, Mexican wrestling matches, food trucks, and more. (https://ilovetheburg.com/cinco-de-mayo-block-party/) Just a few miles from the Magic Kingdom, the town of Kissimmee’s 4th annual Cinco De Mayo Street Party and Celebration will feature street performers, dancing, and non-stop musical performances on two stages. (https://sunsetwalk.com/events/cinco-de-mayo/).

The El Camino celebration combines live mariachi band performances with a street festival filled with games, food, outdoor bars, face painting, family craft activities, and more. (https://www.thepalmbeaches.com/blog/cinco-de-mayo-2023-events-deals- restaurants-palm-beach).

Key West’s Duval Street is a legendary party scene any day of the year, but the bars and restaurants lining this landmark thoroughfare kick things up a notch on May 5. The epicenter of the action is at the corner of Duval and Green Streets, where Sloppy Joe’s Bar serves up a dozen varieties of their famous margaritas.

Going On a Crawl

Partygoers can make the most of the day’s festivities when they join a hosted pub crawl that takes in multiple venues. Participating stops on the crawl route invite celebrants to come in for food and beverage specials, Cinco-themed prizes, live music, and more. Some cities start the fun early with the Tacos and Tequila Bar Crawls that kick off on Saturday, May 4, in Miami, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, and the Pensacola Harbor Walk. And for those who are up for a second helping of tacos and tequila, the crawls are repeated on Sunday the 5th. (https://pubcrawls.com/)

Cinco With a Side of Water

Several South Florida venues bring the Cinco fun to the water’s edge. The Regatta Grove Fiesta in Coconut Grove is an open-air event overlooking Biscayne Bay, with tropical drinks, curated food, and live music that celebrates the rich culture of Cinco de Mayo in a lively, open-air setting overlooking Biscayne Bay. (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/5-de-mayo-celebration-at-regatta-grove-tickets- 848783984747) .

On Sunday, Gili’s Beach Club will host an afternoon beach party that blends Mexican-inspired fun with a relaxing beachfront atmosphere. (https://www.miamiandbeaches.com/event/cinco-de-mayo-at-the-beach/28733).

Fort Lauderdale kicks it up a notch with the hugely popular Sombreros On The River, which is called Florida’s largest Piñata Party, complete with performances from Mariachi bands, free sombreros, and an appearance by Mexican luchadores wrestlers. (https://wharfftl.com/cinco-de-mayo/)

Flavors of the day

While libations often take center stage on May 5, the day is also about the tastes of Mexico. Visitors to Orlando’s Baldwin Park neighborhood can get a taste of popular south-of-the-border flavors at a family-friendly street fair that includes local vendors, live music, and special activities. (https://www.baldwinparknetwork.com/).

For a sweeter take on the holiday, Daytona Beach’s Oil and Vinegar is hosting Cinco de Mayo Deserts, where participants can learn how to create mouthwatering desserts inspired by the colorful and delicious traditions of Mexico. (https://www.daytonabeach.com/event/baking-class-%26%238211%3B-cinco-de-mayo/51151/)

On May 4, Fort Lauderdale’s Sistrunk Marketplace will stage the Tortillas, Tacos, and Tequila, a chef- guided cooking class on making tortillas from scratch. Traditional salsa verde and authentic margaritas. (https://allevents.in/fort%20lauderdale/tortillas-tacos-and-tequila-cooking-class/10000864155270677).

Florida theme park goers can also get a taste of Mexican flavors during Sea World’s Seven Seas Food Fest, which will serve up street corn, tacos al Pastor, tostada de barbacoas and more. (https://www.internationaldriveorlando.com/events/cinco-de-mayo.html)

Cinco At Sea

With oceans flanking both sides of the state, it makes sense that Florida is a great place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo on the water. On the waters of Sarasota Bay, the crew of Le Barge will dish up the guacamole and keep the margaritas and Mexican beers flowing during a special May 5 evening cruise. Passengers can dance to the live music from the Gumbo Boogie Band or head to the upper deck for sunset views. (https://lebargetropicalcruises.com/special-events/cinco-de-mayo/).

A more serene scene awaits at Pure Florida’s Naples and Fort Myers ports, where May 5 is devoted to special bird and dolphin-watching trips on the Gordon and Caloosahatchee Rivers.(https://www.purefl.com/pure- florida-offer-cinco-de-mayo-cruises-may-5) Things get a bit more lively on the state’s east coast when the Poseidon Ferry casts off for a music-infused cruise through Biscayne Bay with a full-service galley serving libations, Mexican snacks, and complimentary margaritas. (https://www.traferral.com/cinco-de- mayo-cruise)

 

Sarasota Sunset Siesta Key
Florida, Plan, Sarasota, Trip Ideas

Florida Snapshots: Point of Rocks, Siesta Key

Leave a comment

 

Siesta Key is famous for it’s powder-fine white sand beaches. But there’s another, lesser-known feature of this Gulf barrier island that attracts locals and vacationers alike. Just south of popular Crescent Beach, a series of limestone ledges known as Point of Rocks provides one of the only beachside snorkeling sites on Florida’s west coast.

Unlike the featureless sand bottoms swimmers find when wading off most Gulf beaches, these submerged rocks provide habitat for corals, sponges, and a variety of fish, crustaceans and possibly even a pod of dolphin. Depths are shallow, making this an ideal location for youngsters and novices, but it’s best to check the weather before packing the gear, as the water becomes cloudy when wind and waves are up.

The rocks are more secluded than the beaches to the north and south, as there is no direct access from shore. Getting there will involve a walk of several hundred yards from beachfront hotels, or from a small public parking area. Shell collectors also enjoy this area, which has yielded many rare and colorful specimens. Late afternoon is also a great time to plan a stroll to the rocks, as there is a good chance you will have sunset views all to yourself.

Siesta Key Beach
Florida, Plan, Sarasota, Trip Ideas

Florida Snapshots: Siesta Key

Leave a comment

 

What does it take for a stretch of sand to be named “America’s Number One Beach”? That depends on the findings of coastal geologist, Dr. Stephen Leatherman, aka Dr. Beach. He travels the nation’s coastlines with a list of criteria used to rate each beach, scoring for everything from views, access, trash and litter to temperature, sand softness, currents, water color and more. On 2011, these rankings earned the shores of Siesta Key top honors. But this is no surprise to anyone who has visited this Gulf Coast oasis of sun and sand, as it has always been at the top of their list.

Some say it’s the sand at Siesta Key that makes it so memorable. It’s so soft it feels like you are walking on sifted flour, and it remains cool on bare feet, even in the heat of summer. Unlike many beaches, which are made of pulverized coral, the sands of Siesta Key are 99 percent pure quartz, a quality that has earned the recognition as the whitest and softest sand in the world. The water color is equally alluring; in the winter months it’s an inviting aquamarine and during the heat of the summer it shimmers lime green under the sun. The waves are gentle rollers in December but come July the sea is a pancake-flat, perfect for that first time on a paddle board tour or just bobbing on a float.

The eight-mile stretch of Siesta’s coastline includes three beaches, just south of Siesta proper is Crescent Beach which runs into the popular snorkeling spot known as Point-of-Rocks. The southernmost tip of Siesta Key turns into Turtle Beach, a quieter strand favored by beachcombers and shell collectors. The island’s namesake strip remains on the top of most beach goer’s list, catering to everyone from grandparents to toddlers. The active set has volleyball, rollerblading and bicycling. Hippie-types love the sunset drum circles, and sand artists come to the annual sand castle contest every November. We like it year round.

 

Sarasota 10 reasons to go
Florida, Plan, Sarasota, Trip Ideas

Sarasota: 10 Reasons to Go

Leave a comment

A visit to this Gulf-side city and its islands combines culture with beach time, making it hard to choose between viewing masterpieces at one of Florida’s most impressive art museums or frolicking barefoot on soft sandy shores, where drum circles and sand sculptures entertain beachgoers. So whether you turn urbanite one day and beach bum the next, you’ll find plenty of ways to make your stay in Sarasota stimulating, yet super laid-back.

1  Island Hop

Sarasota’s barrier islands are an adventure for sunseekers eager to explore by car and foot. Visit five Gulf islands, starting on Longboat and Lido keys, the farthest north islands. Then zigzag your way, traveling back and forth over bridges and causeways between island and mainland, to Siesta Key, Casey Key and Manasota Key.

2  Cruise the Sarasota Bay

Marina Jack in downtown Sarasota is the place to set sail into the Sarasota Bay. Take your pick from a dolphin-and-manatee watch cruise, a sightseeing cruise or a sunset cruise. You can even book a lunch or dinner cruise on the sleek two-story Marina Jack II.

3  Tour the Ringling

This elegant cultural complex is home to the Ringling Museum of Art, where everything from ancient antiquities to 20th-century paintings is displayed in jewel-tone-painted galleries. But there’s more. The Circus Museum, with its miniature model of an early 1900s circus city, is a history lesson on the Greatest Show on Earth. Cà d’Zan, John and Mable Ringling’s 1926 home, shows off Florida’s version of old-world architecture with its perfectly restored Venetian Gothic design. You’ll also want to meander through Mable’s rose garden; look for the Diana Princess of Wales rose.

4  Dine Downtown

Sarasota is notorious for its indie restaurants and downtown is a culinary hub where you can walk from one to another. So plan to enjoy at least one meal here, whether it be breakfast at The Savory Street International Café & Bakery (order the French Crater: scrambled eggs with ham, brie and bacon in a homemade bread bowl), lunch at Nancy’s Bar-B-Que (North Carolina-style pulled pork with slow-smoked baked beans) or dinner at Mozaic (Mediterranean-influenced dishes like duck leg confit couscous with poached pears and pheasant hazelnut sausage).

5  Shop and Stroll St. Armands Circle

Three blocks from the Lido Key beach, St. Armands Circle is the place to spend a Sunday afternoon. Walk the circle and its arteries; you’ll be tempted by fabulous signature prints at Lilly Pulitzer, classic nautical sportswear at Island Pursuit and cutting-edge designs at Foxy Lady. Art lovers with a penchant for marine life art stop at the Wyland Galleries. When you’re legs can’t take another step, grab a sidewalk table at Café L’Europe, order a glass of chilled white wine and people watch.

6  Tour Exotic Gardens

The highlight at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is the Tropical Conservatory. Among the epiphytes you’ll see in this warm and humid greenhouse are species you won’t find at your local Home Depot’s garden shop. Think rare orchids and bromeliads nestled into the greenest foliage that makes you feel like you’re in a rainforest.

7  Catch a Show

Fondly called the “Purple People Seater” by locals, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, painted a vibrant shade of purple, sits on the edge of Sarasota Bay. In a town where life revolves around the cultural scene, this Sarasota theater delivers stellar lineups season after season. Not only Broadway musicals and the Sarasota Ballet, but pop concerts and performances by comedians the likes of Joan Rivers and Bill Cosby draw both residents and visitors.

8  Bicycle Siesta Key

Siesta Key Bike & Kayak rents beach and road bikes near the intersection of Midnight Pass Road and Stickney Point Road, the crossover to Siesta Key. From here pedal south under the shade of wide-spread banyan trees and peek into the backyards of beachfront Mediterranean-style homes and cozy bungalows. Bicycle north of Stickney Point Road and you’ll reach Siesta Key Village, where you can poke into shops or cool down with a cone of Key lime ice cream at Big Olaf Creamery, an ice cream shop run by the Amish.

9  Beat the Drum

You haven’t really been to the beaches of Sarasota until you’ve participated in a sunset drum circle. Men of all ages assemble with their bongos and tom-tom drums, beating out a boom-boom rhythm as hundreds form a circle and dance on the sand to celebrate the Gulf’s glorious sunset. The unpredictable, informal drum circle is usually held on Casey Key’s Nokomis Beach on Wednesday and Saturday.

10  Loll on the Sand

Everyone needs a beach day and Siesta Key is the most sought-out stretch for its powder fine sand and dramatic crescent shape. Bring a chair and spend the day. Stroll the shore and you’re sure to find some impressive sand sculptures by resident “artists,” who are regulars on Siesta Key’s beach.

 

postcard inn Islamorada, best tiki bars in florida
Eat, Florida, Florida Keys, Sarasota, Trip Ideas

Best Tiki Bars in Florida

Leave a comment

 

Thatched roofs, bar stools and crazy concoctions, made with lots of potent rum, are what you’ll find at these old and new tiki bars. Set on the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, these Florida bars continue to attract the party folk. It doesn’t have to be happy hour to visit any of the on-the-edge-of-the-water bars, where making new friends gets easier with every sip.

Isle Tiki Bar, Islamorada

Back in the day the old salts packed this bar at the Holiday Isle Resort. And even after a 21st century face-lift and rebranding turned the property into the Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina, the outdoor Holiday Isle Tiki Bar with its thatched roof and vistas of the Atlantic Ocean continues to draw a crowd.

The Drink: Nothing will do but a Rum Runner, which supposedly was invented here.

Casey Key Tiki Bar, south of Sarasota

Any Saturday afternoon, the hogs are lined up roadside at the Casey Key Tiki Bar. Perched on an island between Casey Key and the mainland, the open-air bar is packed with the regulars in T-shirts and shorts and the visitors with signature Tommy Bahama attire. Squeeze in under the fringed roof or hang out on the little beach in the back, where doggies are welcome. 

The Drink: A pina colada on a hot sunny day works really well in this setting.

Stan’s Idle Hour, Goodland near Marco Island

If you’re on Marco Island on a Sunday, you have to make the drive to Goodland, an obscure spot made famous by the late Stan Gober when he opened Stan’s Idle Hour almost 30 years ago. This is a let your hair down kind of place where folks arrive by boat, bike and Benz to party the afternoon away with live music and curious conversation.

The Drink: You got to have the signature Stan’s Buzzard Punch, a concoction of light and dark rums, orange and pineapple juice and splashes of grenadine and sour mix.

Guanabanas, Jupiter

Definitely one of Florida’s more sophisticated choices, Guanabanas’ horseshoe-shaped bar is tucked behind thick tropical foliage under a palm-fringed roof just steps from the Loxahatchee River. Locals, from boaters to golfers, mix with visitors. During season, February to May, the line’s out the door.

The Drink: Topping the list is the My Wave Mojito, made with the Dominican Republic’s Atlantico Platino rum, muddled mint, lime juice and sugarcane.

Lido Key Tiki Bar, Sarasota

This tiki bar is right on the sand, so stroll on over sans sandals. One of the oldest around, the traditional Lido Key Tiki Bar was saved from bulldozers in 2003 by preservationists with help from the Ritz-Carlton, which now owns it. Guests from the hotel’s nearby beach club mingle with the locals who love this breezy Gulf-front spot.   

The Drink: Hurricane Category 5 is one of the strongest drinks served here. Banana, coconut, mango and pineapple rums get a 151-proof-rum floater, and the mix of orange, pineapple and cranberry juices disguises its potent character.