St. Armand's Circle, Sarasota Mote Aquarium

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The Mote Aquarium on the road from St. Armand's Circle to LongBoat Key is well worth the a visit. It would be a fun place for us to take our grandchildren some day. They would see sharks, manatees, sting rays, dolphins and more up close and personal. The Mote exemplifies the spirit of volunteerisn. Almost every exhibit has a very knowledgable and friendly docent on hand to do everything from gently holding a stingray (stinger barbed clipped) so a tot can pet it to explaining everything about a very large and formidable moray eel. One guide told us that the manatees were "frisky" today. Those are his "finger" quotes meaning we might see a mating ritual. So such luck. But we did get to see a lot thanks to videocameras and mirrors considerately placed behind and under some of the exhibits so we could observe some of the shy, hidding fish.

We shared a great snack - a beer battered hot dog and basket of grupper nuggets - and a watery view near the bridge between St. Armand's and Longboat Key on on the deck of the Salty Old Dog. Kilwin's Chocolate Shop on St. Armand's Circle lured us in for wonderful ice cream and Valentine's Day fudge.

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