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Memorial Day Weekend, May 28-31 2016

For Memorial Day weekend this year, we gathered with our extended family and rented a beach house on beautiful Anna Maria Island in Florida.  First though, we had to travel to Tampa to unite with the crew.  Once we were all assembled we headed down the interstate to Anna Maria.    Anna Maria Island is a barrier island located at the mouth of Tampa Bay and about 1 1/2 hours drive from downtown Tampa.

Our group consisted of nine people (six adults and three children, aged 4 to 9).  We booked Cozy Cottage for the weekend and it was a perfect fit for our group.  Most rentals (including ours) on the island are from Saturday afternoon to Saturday morning.  We arrived about 3 PM, and spent the rest of the afternoon availing ourselves of the wonderful pool and poolside area.  After dinner, we went back out to the pool and then turned in for the evening.

Sunday morning, our stay began in earnest.   The kids ate an early breakfast and then headed to the pool while some of the adults finished sleeping.  I decided to head to beach and see what we had in store.  The morning was warm, but not yet hot.  The air was still and people were already gathering on the beach at 7:30 AM.

The walk from our house took me five minutes to reach the beach (beyond the dunes).  When I arrived I couldn’t believe the sand!  I am used to the nice pale sand beaches of the southeast coast, but the sand here really impressed me.  The sand on Anna Maria Beach was white and soft, like baking flour.  The beach was already active even though the sun had not been up very long.  People were out walking, families were settling in for the morning and egrets were plentiful as they looked for food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anna Maria Beach is located at the northern end of Anna Maria Island (in the city of Anna Maria).  Anna Maria Island has characteristics that make it both unique and desirable as a vacation location.  The island has made the conscious decision to not allow chain stores on the island (although there is a Publix and a CVS) and this has contributed to an increased feeling of local character.  They also have successfully resisted the high-rise condos and hotels that so often line the beaches in the United States.  In addition as you head north on the island into Anna Maria City (one of three cities on the island) you feel gradually more isolated from the hustle and bustle of the mainland.  Parking is more restricted in Anna Maria and the result is that most day-trippers stay on the southern end of the island where there is plentiful public parking, public restrooms and easy beach access.

The northern end of the island (most of Anna Maria City) is what Floridians refer to as “Old Florida” and has purposely been kept this way.  This doesn’t mean it does not cater to tourists, but it just isn’t as obvious or tacky as many beach front locations.  This is the Florida that Jimmy Buffett wrote about in his songs.  Along the streets of the island you see bungalow housing, lots of bicycles, bikinis and quiet streets.  It really is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After I returned to the house, we ate breakfast and the headed to the beach as a family.  We stayed on the beach for most of the morning, then walked back to the house and prepared to go out to to lunch.  We chose to eat lunch at Sandbar, and it was a good decision.  Sandbar is locally owned and focuses on serving you local products.  The seafood is all locally caught, but all of the produce is also locally sourced making for what turns out to be a very “Anna Maria” experience.  Our food was wonderful, the staff was excellent, engaging and patient with the children and features the (probably) expected beach front dining experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we had finished lunch, we headed up the street for some ice cream.  There are a few choices, but we stopped at Dips.  Everyone got a cone and enjoyed it on the chairs in front of the store.  While the last few people finished up their ice cream, some of the more eager shoppers headed down the block to Ginny’s & Jane E’s.  The shop sells general souvenir items as well as hosting a sandwich shop in the back.  Sarah found some nice Christmas Ornaments that we will give as gifts.

By the time that was all over it was pretty hot and everyone needed a rest.  So, we headed back to house where the kids got in some pool time before we ate and went to bed.

 

Monday morning, we headed back to Anna Maria Beach after breakfast.  Again, it was a beautiful.  Once nice addition was a nice breeze.  The kids enjoyed playing on the beach and then got in some good kite flying with the grandparents.

Soon, it was time to return to the house for lunch. Once we had finished lunch, we re-assembled for some fishing at the Rod and Reel Pier.  The Pier was close enough to be an easy walk for adults, but we decided to drive because we had the kids.  If you fish from the Road and Reel Pier or the Anna Maria City Pier, you do not need a fishing license.  The Rod and Reel does charge $1 per child and $2 per adult to fish from the pier though.  It was a great way to spend the afternoon and everyone enjoyed fishing.  For Liam and Fionnuala it was their first time fishing and they loved it.

 

 

 

 

 

After we finished fishing, we headed back to the house to share our last meal for the weekend. Once we had cleaned up, we began the 1 1/2 hour drive back to downtown Tampa. Anna Maria Island was a wonderful place to spend a weekend. The community has done a great job of retaining the place’s sense of identity and we look forward to another visit to this lovely part of Florida.

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