Siesta Key, Madiera Beach & Universal Orlando

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OK, it official! Florida is a paradise!! There I've said it...lol. I am under the age of 65 and I am in love with this state. The beaches Florida posses are mesmerizing. It would take YEARS to explore so it is a good thing Ape and I are starting now and not waiting until we are 65! :-D But it goes beyond the beaches and weather. It is the FEELING you get when you drive past an orange grove (yes, I said orange grove) or past different types of palm trees (I always assumed there was just one kind, tall or short...whatever.... but thanks to a free brochure I now know the many different kinds) or past billboard after billboard promoting some fun (tacky) attraction or restaurant. It is the feeling you get when you smell the salt air, the low tide, the fish shacks, hamburgers grilling from some shanky shack and the sound of seagulls. It is the ocean air and tourists with their cameras that look just as excited as you to capture that one great photo. It is the Cracker Barrel restaurants you pass at almost every exit, the Waffle House that seems to follow you. The dance station that seems to sound better in Orlando. The country channel that seems to sound better on the gulf coast or the island songs that sound better as you drive to Key West. It is the different kinds of key lime pie and the challenge of finding the perfect pina colada. The sunshine that burns like a May afternoon even though it is February. The hoards of middle age and elderly people that have that warm grandma or grandpa look and smile. The numerous lots that sell airstream RV's. The tacky, yet always fun gift shops that sell oranges, chocolate coconut patties and pencils with alligators on them. The homes that resemble the Golden Girl's where you think Dorothy, Rose or Blanch may exit at any moment. The neon nightclubs and theme restaurants that bring out the kid in everyone. The theme parks that bring out the dare devil (and wimps) in people. It's Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck and Minnie Mouse. It is Universal Studios, SeaWorld and fancy resort hotels. It is the scary motels you avoid because the doors don't shut all the way and they only lock with a small (wooden?) chain. It is Gay Days in Orlando and the large gay communities of Fort Lauderdale, Miami, St. Petersburg and Key West. It is the fashion, salsa music and youth of South Beach, Miami and the chickens, roosters, cats, beer guzzling parrots, sunsets, pride and humor of Key West. It is the gorgeous white, cool, fluffy sand and Tahiti-like water of breathtaking Destin and Siesta Key. The emerald green water of the Florida Panhandle and turquoise water of the Keys. The sound of waverunners and speedboats. The sight of fishermen at sunset. Images of pelicans on bridges and exotic birds chirping in the morning, afternoon and night. It is the smell of coconut suntan lotion and the sounds of Jimmy Buffett. The mansions of West Palm Beach and Naples and the mom & pop motels of Fort Myers and Panama Beach. It is the welcome center that welcomes you with free orange juice and the bridges that seem to go on forever. I could go on and on but I think you get the point. Florida, if it wasn't for the immense summer heat and awful hurricanes, would be the best place in the world to me and yet others find it boring, filled with old people, too hot and tacky. We all have our opinions, but let me just say -- the "old people" and "snowbirds" who retire here are definitley on to something! Who wouldn't want a year round summer, beaches that resemble those in the Caribbean & Tahiti, fantastic restaurants, shopping plazas & malls and enough activities to keep you occupied until your time on earth expires? That sounds like a great way to live to me! Unless of course you are more into exotic, worldy travel which, in that case I can completely understand your view on Florida. Ape and I -- we are simple girls who love the laid back, beach-vibe Florida offers. That Jimmy Buffett, beach-bum with cash lifestyle. We have been to nearly every state in the country find ourselves, year after year, heading back to Florida -- mostly for the beaches.

The last time I wrote we had just arrived in Orlando and checked into Portofino Bay Hotel. Ape had a head cold and I was coming down with one. I am happy to report, today, Saturday March 4 I am feeling 99% better and April is feeling better as well! I guess the sunshine and warm temps really do beat out nasty colds quicker!! Also, even though we have been kinda sick we have gone out every day and had a blast, as a matter of fact yesterday was an amazing day.

Our first full day in Orlando, Thursday, found us catching up on work and running errands. We stopped for lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Bahama Breeze. I wish we'd get one of these restaurants up north. The food is so delicious and different. It is healthy and the second you walk through that door you feel like you are in the tropics. I had a delicious chicken pineapple sandwich and Ape had a salad w/ personal pizza. I also had a tropical strawberry colada and, a' hem....a piece of key lime pie! Yet again, it was different. Different than the keys but still LIKE the keys in many ways. It has meringue and graham cracker crust. It was delicious and huge. Ape and I shared it. I have another key lime pie to add to my list of favorites. Lord help me! ;-)

After lunch we went to Walmart and bought some stuff we needed and then headed back to the hotel room. Ape wasn't feeling good Thursday (at all) and I was coming down with "the" cold. We took a much needed nap and worked most of the afternoon and early evening. Around 8pm we headed back out via the free ferry boat from the Portofino. I never grow old of seeing CityWalk lit up at night while cruising on these ferry boats. The lights, sounds and smells really set a mood. Orlando knows how to THEME things better than anyone else. We headed to Margaritaville to listen to some live music and have a light snack. Poor April, dosed with cold medicine and feeling the Jimmy pull, couldn't wait to get inside...so much so she SLID inside! LOL! I can laugh now....OK, AND then....but, umm...errr....April sled into Margaritaville.....she tried out for the 2010 Olympics with this one people.....she had it with the red tomato or flying onion guy......whatever.......in other words....April fell. Yes, April, poor April.....she somehow managed to miss an ENTIRE step on her way down into the "heart" of Margaritaville and down she went....yep....to Slipsville (corny, but c'mon..lol)! She went down with agusto....there was a sliding action and sudden halt.....a nice couple in front of her made an expression I never saw before. A look of WHAT THE HECK, OH MY GOD, HOLY CRAP and ARE YOU OK? The worker right behind April also had the same look -- the, WHAT THE HECK, OH MY GOD, HOLY CRAP and ARE YOU OK look. I had the OH MY GOD, ARE YOU ALIVE, HOLY CRAP, HEHEHEHE LOOK. April, on the other hand had the.......I CAN KICK ALL YOUR ASSES, GET OUT OF MY WAY, I AM FINE, CARRY HER LEG UNDER HER ARM LOOK. She glared angrily at all of us concerned patrons and barked, "I AM FINE...." -- We all backed away.....the nice lady in front of us said she fell last year and had to have knee surgery....thanks lady.....Ape did her 1/2 laugh and "I AM FINE" look of death and the lady walked away. I, of course, was laughing because I knew she was OK but I also knew she would NEVER, EVER -- EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVER admit she was hurt. I also never knew it was possible to do a scurry quick walk WITH a limp, the kind of scurry you do when looking for a bathroom, but April did. We were seated and her face went from VERY RED to the usual red glow. I, with tears in my eyes and hyperventilating from laughter.....managed to ask in a serious tone..."are you OK?" and she did that 1/2 smile, giggle and mouthed words that sounded like....I AM A LITTLE SORE or YOU'RE A DIRTY WHORE......you chose. Needless to say I quickly changed the subject. We decided on what food we would like to "waste away" with. We choose nachos. Ape was happy, if not sore, and I too, now sore from laughing....gulped down a virgin pina colada and munched on Nachos. Once back at the hotel....April slept like a baby. I, still giggling (seriously) also drifted off. Now for all of those thinking my laughing was MEAN, let me clarify.....I tried EVERYTHING to sooth Ape....even offered to give her a piggy back ride to our table but April gets vicious and VERY angst when she is embarrassed....I AM SORRY BUT THIS MAKES ME LAUGH. Poor April.

We woke up really early on Friday, like 6:30am, and after doing some work and getting ready we were out the door and having breakfast at Cracker Barrel at 9:30am and on the road by 10:30am. Ape was a bit sore from the Margaritaville "slipsville" fiasco, but was eager to get going! Our plans for the day were to drive to Siesta Key and then to Madeira Beach where there is a village called John's Pass and have dinner at a cool restaurant called Scully's/The Tiki Hut. The drive would take us past some gulf coast beaches and Siesta Key Beach which was voted one of the top beaches in the country.....with the WORLD'S whitest sand! The day didn't disappoint.

We took the easy 2 hour drive from Orlando to Siesta Key up I-4 to I-275 north. When we arrived in Siesta Key village we couldn't believe how exotic and tropical the trees and plants were. We had seen tropical foliage and trees like this in St. Augustine and Key West but this was almost like Hawaii. It was so lush and green with sprinkles of magenta, pink, purple and yellow flowers. The grass was a deep green and everything smelt so fresh. The afternoon sun cast a tranquil glow on the village and before we knew it we were pulling in to beach access # 5, which isn't the "main" access to Siesta Key Beach, but a more quiet section located on the south end. We couldn't get out of the jeep fast enough. The temp was a perfect 80 degrees and the water, with that same emerald glow that Destin has, looked SO inviting, plus we couldn't wait to feel the cool, clay-like white sand on our feet. We heard so much about this particular sand on the Travel Channel and read about it in travel guides that, to a travel geek like me, it was almost like meeting a celebrity! The sand WAS clay-like and very cool on our feet. Personally I love the sand in Destin better than anywhere else. To me it is whiter and MUCH fluffier, but this sand was COOL -- almost cold at times and felt like CLAY! This must be a wonderful thing in the heat of the summer. It almost felt silky. I was taken by how IMMENSE the beach seemed and how blinding the sand was. WOW! Yet another paradise-like beach. There were people spread out, but because of the immense size it felt like your own private beach. You could lay down a towel or chair and feel like it is just you and the ocean.....and what an ocean it is! The crystal clear water, with its emerald glow had almost a dizzying effect. We walked toward the water and put our feet in. It was very chilly at first but after a while it felt perfect. The water in South Beach and the keys was very warm but the water on the gulf coast and upper Atlantic coast are chilly this time of year. The funny thing is, they are the temp that our water up north gets the highest too in the summer! LOL! Mid 60's. April and I walked a nice distance up and down the beach with our feet in the water, taking pictures and admiring the beautiful landscape. We will definitely spend more time here as soon as we get a chance. This is a great beach to settle in with a good book, soak up the sun and relax.

After our visit to the beach we hopped back in the jeep and headed up the coast to the Madeira Beach/Treasure Island Beach area. After getting a little lost we found ourselves driving over the Sunshine Bridge past St. Petersburg and smack dab on Gulf Blvd. This a is a great road that goes from St. Petersburg past Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, Reddington Beaches to Clearwater Beach. This part of Florida is known for having some of the best beaches and beach towns in the entire state. Just listen to this list: Marco Island, Naples, Fort Myers, Sanibel & Captiva Island, St. Pete Beach, Lover's Key, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Sarasota, Anna Maria Island, Bradenton Beach, Fort deSoto Beach, Treasure Island, Madiera Beach, Reddington Shores, Clearwater Beach and Caladesi Island. I am sure I left many out. A person could spend all summer here and not explore everything. The St. Petersburg/Tampa area was full of great shops, restaurants and attractions. Driving up Gulf Blvd., toward Maderia Beach, we noticed how "old-Florida" this area seemed. Very blue-coller with lots of mom-and-pop type motels. Some new properties are in the process of being built, but this is definitly a quiet and inexpensive section. John's Pass, a very cute, atmospheric village filled with funky restaurants and shops devide Madeira Beach & Treasure Island and is a great entertainment spot for this area offering everything from dining, shopping and nightlife. Driving south on Gulf Blvd would take you to the more ritzy St. Pete Beach/St. Petersburg.

When we pulled into John's Pass Village we were taken by how quaint and cute it was. A great place for kids to walk around. There are ice-cream shops, restaurants, shops, and tons of watersport options including jet-ski rentals, boat rentals and para-sailing. There are even dolphin sightseeing tours, a SunCruz Casino ship and fishing charters. As mentioned earlier, this village, especially the boardwalk near Scully's/The Tiki Hut is VERY atmospheric and adorable. Scully's looked like something out of the Jaws movie set. It was made to look like a weathered sea shack with life preservers everywhere and buoy's. This restaurant wins theme restaurant of the year. They mastered that sea-shanty look! Everyone who knows me know I love stuff like this. I get very excited! I couldn't stop taking pictures! I always think how fun it must be to design villages like these. April and I arrived just in time. The Friday night dinner rush was starting to roll in. We were seated on their outside deck overlooking the bay. What a night. The temp was a perfect 70 degrees with a cool breeze. The sun was setting and casting a pretty glow. There were seagulls and pelicans and cute "un-known" birds happily playing in the water and flying above. We enjoyed the sounds of a musician playing Margaritaville in the down-stairs "tiki-hut" section of the restaurant and smell of seafood (which ironically I never eat but enjoy the smell of in situations like this), the clatter of dishes and people talking and every now and then a boat honking a fog horn. Very, very atmospheric! One of those pinch-me moments. It doesn't take much with me. I asked April if she ever felt guilty for being this fortunate and she quickly said, "NOPE!" LOL! I wish I shared her feeling but I DID feel guilty. How lucky are we??? I mean, truly. Don't get me wrong....we work our butts off EVERY DAY -- no day is ever 100% off for us, but this is amazing. To be able to work from the road and have fun on top of it is a GIFT. A gift that I am fully aware of and grateful for every second -- trust me! I wish EVERYONE could feel like this. EVERYONE could have this lifestyle. It feels so healthy. I breath so deep. I smile so much. I laugh and talk and get excited about the smallest things. All while earning a living. Sure, I may never be a millionaire, but to me THIS lifestyle makes me richer than someone with millions. I think when you are sick as much as I am with one thing or another, you appreciate days like this. All I know is reading the newspaper and watching the news is a sure way to bring you down and feel even more guilty. I don't recommend it when on vacation! LOL! I read about these poor African refugees without food and parents "on the run" in some desert and I literally almost got sick. Here I am getting ready to eat a juicy piece of steak at this amazing fun place and on the other side of the world are these poor children, with 3 bags of grains and no parents running from evil bandits. Sick. This is how my brain works. I think about this stuff. I worry about this stuff. I Truly think about it. I think about the cold weather up north and the homeless animals and how lucky the homeless pets are in Key West. I wonder why the animals left homeless and roaming the streets up north were given that lot in life and not the "island-life" down in Key West? I am insane. This I know. I just can't help it. Sometimes I wish I was rich just so I could help other people out. Anyway, I have no idea how I switched modes like that, sorry! But it's the truth. Most of the time I am enjoying myself and not thinking of anything, but sometimes thoughts like these creep in and I feel a pain inside for those who will never know what it's like to be here, Madeira Beach, on a perfect Friday night, enjoying a delicious feast with someone as great as April.

After dinner and resisting the urge to try Sculley's key lime pie, we paid our inexpensive bill (thanks to a 20% coupon discount...score!) and walked the rest of the boardwalk. Live music was blaring out of many of the restaurant's windows and the crowds were getting bigger -- it was also getting chillier. I am such a cold wuss. I think it officially happened when I was in Las Vegas last June and the temps hit 110 degrees.....120 in the Mojave. I never felt a heat like that and ever since I get cold when the temp drops below 62 degrees! Ugh, how am I going to adapt to 20 degrees when I head home??? Spring has to arrive soon...PLEEEEEASE! ;-)

We were going to check out Clearwater Beach, but with the sun set we decided to wait until next time. We got back on the highway and within an hour were in the comforts of our hotel room at Portofino Bay.

We worked and both tired from the day went to bed around 11:30pm.

Until next time.....

Happy Travels!

Desiree

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Photos

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Bahama Breeze Restaurant - Orlando

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Delicious key lime pie - Bahama Breeze.

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Welcome to Universal Orlando's Portofino Bay Hotel!

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Feels like you're in Italy!

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Bonjourno!

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Pretty view from inside outside looking out towards the bay.

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Heading to CityWalk via the ferry boat from Portofino.

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I love this picture. It is weird, but cool.

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I also like this photo. These are Universal Orlando's huge spotlights shining on the night sky.

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Beautiful view of Portofino Bay at night.

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Another cool picture of beautiful Portofino Bay Hotel.

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I think the sky looks so pretty in this picture.

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Welcome to Siesta Key Beach.

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Beautiful homes - Siesta Key.

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Everything was so lush and beautiful on Siesta Key.

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Gorgeous Siesta Key Beach.

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Gorgeous Siesta Key Beach -- Amazing.

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Crystal clear, gorgeous water!

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Like having your own private beach!

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This little seagull loves the sand!

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Siesta Key Beach