Sarasota is known as the cultural center of Florida. Despite this rather highbrow title it is in fact a great city to visit for all the family. Culture vultures have the Van Weazel theatre with ballet, symphony orchestras and plays. Gourmets have a plethora of some of America's best restaurants. Fans of gardens and horticulture have the famous Marie Selby Gardens. Ca D'Zan is the historic waterfront home of the famous Ringling Circus family, now open to the public and the adjacent Ringling Museum of Art houses some of Rubens extremely huge "cartoons" among other priceless works of art.

If you love animals try Sarasota Jungle Gardens with its parrots, snakes and exotic species. Fans of cars will find the classic car center enthralling. Love the movies? there are plenty of theaters with diverse films to please everyone.

From Anna Maria Island you can drive down to Sarasota through the islands of Longboat Key and Lido Key, then take another bridge over to the mainland right into the heart of the city. Alternatively you can take the Manatee bridge over to Bradenton and follow the highway down to Sarasota.

Robbie the former owner of villa Tuscany is on his way to back to stay at this lovely Anna Maria Island property. He is stopping
off to visit friends in Orlando and then driving down to the island to spend
a few well earned weeks of relaxing, dining in the local restaurants and
fishing. Fishing is one of his favorite occupations so the island is
idyllic for him. While he is at the beach or over at the pier Annie will be
sunbathing by the pool, catching up on several new novels in a shady area of
the garden and walking over to the nearby shopping center to mooch around
the stores.

Robbie loves the seafood from Publix and Cortez fishing village, Annie loves
the fresh pineapples and watermelons from the grocery store. What they most
enjoy is when Robbie catches a fish in the Gulf, then brings it back and
cooks it on the barbecue grill down by the pool. What is it about catching
your own food and cooking it in the open air? Delicious. A crispy salad
and a glass of crisp white Pino Grigio make the perfect meal.

Tampa and St Petersburg are just an hour away from Anna Maria Island. If you would like the excitement of big city atmosphere, water theme parks and a magnificent aquarium, then this is for you. Also worth a visit for culture vultures is the Salvadore Dali museum - strange but interesting and located in a great waterside position.

Found some incredible bargains in a sale today. Designer names at a fraction of the price out in the factory shops near the I-75. My kind of shopping!

Vacationers from Europe tell me they save the cost of the flights by doing all their Christmas shopping and stocking up on their kids clothes and trainers when they visit Anna Maria Island. Pound for dollar, even with the change in the exchange rate Florida USA is still much cheaper for shopping by a mile. The United Kingdom is so expensive now for clothes and shoes that the only place that is said to be more expensive for them is Japan: so the Brits are coming over to stock up and have the vacation of a lifetime at the same time. American is shopping heaven.

However, as far as Americans are concerned, there has never been a better time to visit the United Kingdom as accommodation will now cost them 25% less than last year. If traveling to Europe they should check out walescountrycottages.com to experience the authentic historic way of life in the UK countryside while experiencing 5 star accommodation.

Just another day in paradise. October through December are the best months in Florida. The roads are peaceful, the weather is steady and balmy, cooler than the heat of the summer months but the Gulf is still warm enough for me to enjoy my morning swim. I rise at 7 am and after a cup of coffee we walk to the beach to swim for half an hour. Starting the day off with a swim makes you feel that life is really worth living. At that time it is so quiet with only some seabirds for company and when the Gulf is as smooth of glass with just an occasional ripply wave you feel that life does not get any better than it is at that moment.

Anna Maria Island is good for the soul.

We cycled up to Bean Point on the north end of Anna Maria Island. The views out over the Gulf never fail to amaze me, changing with the seasons. It is always warm but the seas are ever changing. Subtle nuances of color from turquoise to azure and silver. At sunset the waters turn red and gold reflecting the colors spreading out over the sky.

Stopped off for a snack and a welcome cup of coffee and then explored many of the pretty streets of Anna Maria.

When we arrived back at Villa Rosa we found a postcard from a place in The United Kingdom called The Brecon Beacons. This is a beautiful mountain range where the scenery is similar to the prettier parts of North Georgia. The people are friendly and the towns are historic. We checked it out on the net at http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

Definitely on the travel agenda this summer when we tour Europe.

Today I am going to drive down through the islands to little Lido Key to have lunch at St Armands Circle. Charlie's Crab is one of my favorite meeting places for lunch. The food is beautifully and imaginatively served and tastes delicious. After lunch we will walk round to Kilwins for some of their home made icecream and some handmade delights to take home. Favorite flavor? vanilla of course, smothered with walnuts and butterscotch sauce.

The shops and galleries on the Circle make time fly by. It is quite easy to while away a morning browsing through clothes, jewellery, watches, home accessories and art. Window shopping here is my idea of heaven, especially as there are plenty of excellent restaurants, coffee shops and ice cream sellers to provide sustenance. All this just 20 minutes drive from Anna Maria Island. Cross the bridge and travel down through Longboat Key. It's a great day out.

Anna Maria Island is becoming known throughout the USA and Europe as the place to stay in Florida if you want to avoid crowds and high rise buildings. Out here on the Gulf Coast the days are long and sunny, time passes slowly under the warm sun and the moonlight. Stroll in the evenings along the beaches under the stars or in the early morning watching the seabirds diving into the water.

I spoke to on of the local fishing captains this morning and he says there has never been a better time to out into Tampa Bay. Check out the local newspaper and read up on the fishing news. The local captains reports are in The Islander every week.

Anna Maria Island was originally a haven for fishermen and this tradition has continued on through the years. Today you can fish off the beach, from the island's 3 piers, on a half day trip or a full day with the fishing fleet. The ultimate is to charter a private hire Captain and boat.

Anna Maria Island in the fall is such a great place to be. The roads are quiet, the islanders are so friendly and the water is still warm.

What a perfect place to live or vacation. See all the best properties at annamaria.com

Heading off to the Bradenton Beach City Pier for a spot of fishing. The pier used to be the original old wooden bridge that connected the island to the mainland ending up in Cortez fishing village. Nowadays, at the end of the pier you can see the boats sail by on their way up the intercoastal waterway.

Might stop off for breakfast on the way at the locally famous Gulf Drive Cafe. Love their French Toast liberally dosed with with loads of butter and maple syrup, washed down with copious cups of coffee.

I also plan to walk down to Leffis Key, the nature reserve, later on today. It has boardwalks and takes you through the mangroves to the view overlooking Sister Key. Years ago we nearly bought that Island, but life is full of almosts and nearlys and I could have dones.

This is the best time of the year to be in Florida. Come on America, after the last few weeks of uncertainty it's time to get the show back on the road. Get up and get going - jump on that plane or get in the car and come on down to the beautiful Anna Maria Island that is waiting for you in the sparkling Gulf of Mexico.

On this island our lifestyle is more important than work - cook-outs, sunshine, walks on the beach at sunset and checking out the specials in the local restaurants rate very highly on the agenda - work is just a way to pay for it!

Prices are at at their lowest at this time of year - the island is peaceful and you can recharge your batteries before going back into the fray again!

Go to annamaria.com  just input your dates of arrival and departure on the main web page and all the available properties will flash up - which to choose? beachfront condos, gorgeous houses with private swimming pools, Mediterranean or island style - actually any one will do as they are all first class properties. Any questions, just phone 941 778 4178 and ask Mike, Vallerie, Cassie or Gene! They all love Anna Maria Island!

I'm going sailing. Maggie and John have a 25 ft ketch and have invited us along to sail out into the blue seas of the Gulf with them. I have prepared a picnic of lemon pepper chicken, some home-made potato salad and some of that delicious white mountain bread I'm so fond of. I also put some of Joanne's famous secret recipe cheesecake in the cooler and some home-made lemonade. I don't know if we will stop off anywhere this time or just keep sailing. One day I would love to sail down to Key West.


Last time we went out on the Gulf we sailed up to little Egmont Key, an uninhabited island that has a ruined fort on it. We took the barbecue and cooked-out on the beach -real multi level American burgers in sesame seed buns, with the best ground beef, cheese, salad, ketchup and mayo - all washed down with some cans of ice cool Bud from the cooler. Then we sliced up a huge juicy red watermelon and lay around in the sunshine chattering. Life doesn't get any better than this.

Manatee County Golf Course
Timber Creek Golf Course
Stoneybrook Golf Club
Waterlefe Golf & River Club
Links at Greenfield Plantation
River Run Golf Links
Pinebrook/Ironwood Golf Course
Preserve Golf Club
River Isles Golf Course
Lakewood Ranch Golf & Country

And that's just in nearby Bradenton, let alone Sarasota. Mike asked me the other day if there are any public courses close to the island. I think I will just send him the link so he can take a look for himself. Joe who stayed at Island House phone to say that he had a great time and that he particularly enjoyed the Manatee County Golf Course. It's only 10 minutes from the island so he finished in plenty of time to take Louise out for dinner at the Beach Bistro. It was their anniversary and he wanted the best restaurant on the island - I told him it was one of the best restaurants in the whole of Florida and the setting is really romantic. White table cloths, candles and moonlight and beautiful presented delicious tasting food, it never fails to impress.

We were in one of the island's restaurants and someone asked "How fresh is the catch of the day?" Well, our waters are teeming with grouper, red snapper, mullet and blue crab and the Cortez fishin village is nearby so that answered that question quickly!

If you look around Anna Maria Island's restaurants from Bayside to Gulfside, indoors to outdoors, sunrise to sunset, the locals are enjoying island living -- long sunny days, cool breezes, star-filled skies and a great dining experience.

We can choose from seafood delights or gourmet cuisine ranging from British, French, German, Italian, Asian and Spanish to south Florida favorites and, oh yes, the burgers here are definitely at their charbroiled best!

Talking of seafood, annamaria.com the website of Anna Maria Vacations has several great waterfront properties with fishing docks so you can catch your own supper. Check out Villa Rosa, Waters Edge Cottage, Waterside House and Waterview House.

Floridians looking for a great spot in the UK to visit during their European tour should look at http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/ Beautiful vacation cottages for couples or families travelling through Wales. The countryside is truly the most beautiful in the UK with rolling green hills, blossom trees, waterfalls, rivers and far reaching views over the distant mountains. The gardens are full of fresh fruit and vegetables, the orangery boasts a fine collection of citrus trees and cooking out on the grill has to include some locally sourced Black Welsh beef or local lamb cutlets.If you think Anna Maria is paradise you should try a visit to Bwlch Tre Banau in Wales.

Anna Maria Island is one of the most beautiful of the Florida west coast keys. A key is a barrier island and there are two groups in Florida, the other one being the string that runs down from Miami to Key West. We went down to Key West a few years ago and took the small boat. We went snorkelling, exploring the waterways down through the islands, and had so much fun. However, it is not such a great vacation destination as Anna Maria Island. Anna Maria wins hands down for quality of accommodation, things to do such as golf courses, tennis, shopping, theaters, museums and exhibitions, theme parks and state parks. it is also my opinion that the beaches are superior. However Key West is worth a brief visit just to take in the Hemingway ambiance.

As you drive across one of the bridges to Anna Maria Island you just know that you are about the have the vacation of a lifetime. The intercoastal waterways span out in all directions, dotted with sailboats, dolphins and pelicans. Majestic huge motorboats chunter by taking their millionaire owners to the local restaurants or out to sea, up to nearby Tampa or up the Manatee River estuary. There is no better way to experience all of this than to look up annamaria.com and make a reservation for one of their beautiful houses with private swimming pools or direct beachfront condos.

Have you seen the new web site at annamaria.com? It is now full operational. What a perfect piece of web design. Anyone in any country can make a reservation online without having to leave their computer. No paperwork, no phone calls, no payment problems - its dead easy!

The photography is first class, the descriptions make you feel you are already here on the island. I think it will prove very successful in making the island one of the prime Florida destinations for anyone wanting to experience an island vacation on the Gulf Coast.

I think that Villa Serena is such a great property and for larger families and Villa Tuscany is a gem.

Drove over to the mainland town of Bradenton, just 15 minutes away stopped at The Outback for a great steak. One large perfectly grilled fillet later (medium rare is my preference garnished with a large fluffy baked potato with butter and sour cream)we went on to take in a movie.

I am going across the Cortez bridge drawbridge today to mainland Bradenton. As I drive over the bridge I always glance over to the Bradenton Beach Marina to check out the boats they have moored on their jetty. On the mainland side of the bridge the watersports centers and boat trips are based. On the edge of the intracoastal waterway, parasailing and jetskis vie with dolphin tours, kayaking and fishing trips out into the Gulf for business. A few hundred yards further on turn right into Cortez village. This has been a fishing village since the 1920s and has that old Florida way of life and architecture that proved so evocative as a film location for George Clooney's movie "A Perfect Storm".

On my way back to Anna Maria Island I am going to stop off at Cortez Village to buy some freshly caught fish for lunch. I have some great recipes from "What's Cooking in Cortez". You can buy it at the shop in the village.

The Cortez Village Folk Art Festival will be celebrating on Saturday, November 15, 2008 and we will be enjoying the music, food and new exhibits, arts and crafts. It will be a great chance to do some Christmas shopping. All you need to bring is your appetite, a few dollars, some sunscreen and a lawn chair!

Cortez has a long history of folks making great music. The entertainers will include: Something Special, Myakka, Maple Mountain Music, Motley Crewe Sea Chanties, Richard Culbreath & Heather Doig and the Richard Culbreath Group. Cortez fisherman "Goose" Culbreath won the State of Florida Folk Heritage Award in 1992 for his music and although he's no longer with us, there will be other great Cortez musicians performing. To hear Goose play "Granny Will Your Dog Bite" go to www.cortezvillage.org

I cycled down to Longboat Key to visit friends. Passing through sandy Coquina Beach on the southern tip of Anna Maria Island I stopped and walked out onto Leffis Key. This a nature reserve area with a series of board walks and trails that meander through mangroves and out to the water overlooking a tiny island named Sister Key.

Florida Hikes says "A unspoiled sliver between the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay, Leffis Key sits between Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key. Although the entire trail system is less than a mile, it’s fun to explore. After you walk across the broad entrance boardwalk, you have your choice of directions to take. Head left to check out the boardwalks through mangrove tunnels, with overlooks on the bay. Turn right to walk out to a crystal-clear cove where interpretive signs point out the sea squirts and sponges. In the center of the island, a tall spoil pile provides a sweeping view of the sea, the bay, and the northern rim of Longboat Key."

This is a pretty apt description, however I would add that the view from the bay is one of the most stunning in the whole of Florida.

Loved the new revamped website http://www.1annamaria.com/ take a look, its full of great info on Anna Maria Island