http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , Florida , Sarasota en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:21:04 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:21:04 UTC After enjoying a tour through a sorority house and picking up our next rental car we headed off for Sarasota to enjoy 2 nights with our friend from camp Andrew. We were greeted by a slightly inebriated household whom were enjoying a slip and slide in the rainy conditions. The night then included more drinking a run to WalMart for more beer and then we headed out to a restaurant to refuel with http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-332726.html Egentlig er det ganske kjedelig skrive reisedagbok det er derfor det blir s lenge mellom hver gang. Jeg burde skrevet hver dag for f med alt men det gidder jeg ikke og da ender noe opp i glemmeboka. Men noe m jeg jo ha fortelle nr jeg kommer hjem ogs. Siste dagen i Charlotte kjrte Cathy meg til Budget hvor jeg hadde reservert en Ford Focus for kjre til Tampa Florida. Da damen bak http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-258984.html Sarasota Florida Feb. 5 2008Tuesday Feb. 5 Our flight into Fort Myers was uneventful. The Schooner was right where we left it in the long term lot at the airport. Nice not to have to take a cab to an RV storage area. We headed for Sarasota. Sun lsquon Fun is just that bright sunshine and a fun Mardi Gras atmosphere Wednesday Thursday Pool hot tubs and lots of reading on Wedn http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-247574.html Okay so despite Brisbane being a really great city it was getting a little lonely. You meet some cool people but it's not like having your friends around you. The main problem was that hostels really aren't for me. They're all decent as far as hostels go but they're basically what I've been working for the last few years to get away from no privacy nowhere to put any belongings. You literal http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-241927.html We will be moving the the Condo for two weeks. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-233726.html We arrived in Florida Saturday 1507. We are currently staying at Bahia Vista. Our schedule for this month isJan 6 12 Lois' kids will be visitingJan 13 19 openJan 20 26 openJan 27 31 open http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-233627.html Well here we go again...I have been in the US since the 18th and have enjoyed my time with my sister and her family. As you know I love wee ones and we spent CHristmas with my nephew's family ...an 8 month old girl and a 24 month old boy...lots of fun.Currently we are at an RV rally and have spent the day at the beach...the temp was 82F although the water was quite cold. Life is hard...On the 3rd http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-231596.html Hello everybodyOur big trip to Asia started by heading East. After a long and painful last week in San Francisco we went to Baltimore where we spent a few days with Tara's family. We did a couple of short hikes in two different parks ate too much and time flew by. We arrived in Bradenton Florida on Sunday evening where we spend the week with our good friends and great hosts Christophe and M http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-207021.html We have stayed in touch with the Johnson's since buying the boat. We have told Martin of upgrades sent him numerous emails calls and visits. A lot of cruisers ask us why the name Paper Moon. Martin tell us that when he and his 1st wife were dating and he was in college he was a bartender. Didn't get much time to dance...work and tips come 1st. But after they closed he always had time to dance http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-204674.html Pete worked a half a day John drove us to Sarasota. We spent the night at the dock. It was cold. Cold front was coming in wouldn't you know... http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-204566.html OK I had to cut things short last time but I realized I left out my most memorable day in Sarasota which was unfortunately the last one...for now I decided to get creative and do what I like to call a beach survey. Basically I made it my mission to go to every single beach in Sarasota. OK my original goal was to hit every beach in Sarasota county but I need to come back again to go to Ca http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-171896.html An early departure and an 8 hour flight later Claire Mark Claire's boyfriend and I the 3rd wheel arrived in Sanford Florida to a sweltering heat of about 30C. We learnt straight away not to be nice to customs as obviously a friendly kiwi smile and hello automatically qualifies you to be declined entrance to the USA until you have had your luggage scanned. Once outside and in the hire car http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-170796.html I decided I needed a long weekend far far away from northeast so I started doing some research. I knew I wanted to stay in the country and I've always been a big fan of Florida but I've never really strayed from the East Coast. This summer I thought I might try something new. I had been hearing rave reviews from friends and family about a cute little west coast Florida town called Sarasota. Be http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-170749.html Wes and I left Gainesville to make it to my Aunt Emilyrsquos house in Sarasota for Easter dinner. She lives there with her husband Michael and daughter Michelle in a house not far from the gulf coast and Siesta Key. Michaelrsquos family was in town for a family reunion so we got to meet some of his siblings and had a great Easter dinner with everyone. I hadnrsquot seen my aunt since our f http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-160173.html Sunny SarasotanbspNorth America raquonbspUnited States raquonbspFlorida raquonbspSarasota By PamMay 31st 2007Pamela Monroe Wow Where did the last 3 months go We have been way too busy for retired people. We returned to Sarasota in mid Feburary and bought a condo in May. We are once again home owners and I'm not sure how both of us feel about that. It was a deal that we just coul http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-157112.html 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 ge http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-128451.html I have been wanting to visit Myakka River State Park since I first heard of it a month or so ago. It is the state's largest park and has about 39 miles of trails along with a large lake and airboat rides. Mark agreed to go with me which would make it more fun. He arrived a little later than I expected and that always throws me off I felt like we needed all day to see it. I'm just crazy that way. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/Myakka-River-State-Park/blog-128277.html Sarasota February 10 2007We hustled down to Punta Gorda on Sunday morning to catch a 9am boat to the primitive Stateowned barrier island Cayo Costa. A great breakfast at Elena's on Route 41 South nourished us for the two hour boat ride. We have never been so close to dolphins in the wild as on this trip. A trio or more raced the boat on each side as we left and later on returned to to Ch http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-127734.html History lesson Sarasota is home to the Ringling estate once owned by John and Mable Ringling. John was one of five brothers who began and ran the Ringling Brothers Circus World's Greatest Show. For a short time they were only 9 train cars worth of circus and 25 cents to enter. They were bettered by the Barnum and Bailey Circus which needed 64 rail cars to get around. When Bailey died unexpected http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/blog-126750.html I came to Sarasota to help my grandmother out for six weeks while my Aunt Sue was away. She went to Minnesota to help take care of her two and a half year old grandson Thad who was having open heart surgery. Not your typical problem but she is a nurse and could be there while Thad was recovering and his dad was at work. I admit I was both nervous and looking forward to the time in Sarasota. Nerv http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/Siesta-Key/blog-124085.html Hello thereIt's hot here in Florida between 95 and 100F practically daily. Thus nothing like escaping to the beach for a few days.After visiting the University of Central Florida the second largest university in Florida we headed to Sarasota and Saint Petersburg 2 cities on the golf of Mexico.Beaches packed with people provides quite a scenario for an addicted people watcher like myself. A d http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/Siesta-Key/blog-80192.html Being as SRQ is considered the Culture Coast and having beaches with the whitest sand and sunshine nearly yearround I decided to highlight a bit of my hometown. Getting out of the gloomy British weather and stepping into my sandals and sunglasses to Sarasota Florida is where I was 3 weeks ago. As we all know America does not have a long history but to tell you a bit of SRQ's background...it http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/Siesta-Key/blog-55565.html All those that wander are not lost We left the Oscar Sherer State Park and headed back to the 247 to finish up our computer work then drove north to Sarasota to meet Bob and Sara Zavos. We met at the Ringling Museum besides their regular collection there was a great Ansel Adams display of his black and white photographs of the natural beauties of our country. We found our campground in http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Florida/Sarasota/Siesta-Key/blog-4003.html