Siesta Key
My first trip to Florida was when I was a sophomore in high school and went to visit a friend of mine whose family moved to Orlando. I have to say, Orlando is not exactly my favorite spot (quite the opposite, actually). The parking lot coming out of Disney World at 10 p.m. with kids that should’ve been fed and in bed hours prior kind of turned me off. But, once I met my husband, I realized the specialness Florida holds for him and his family. Thank goodness that place is not Orlando.
We go just about every season possible and the vibe of the area changes with the time of year. For instance, during spring break, it’ll be flooded with snowbirds who call it home (one who once flipped me the bird because I inadvertently didn’t come to a full stop for pedestrians who hadn’t yet started walking across the street). To fall, when you’ll likely have the whole beach to yourself (my favorite). We try to go in the summertime at least once, generally around July 4, because in my mind, there’s nothing quite like seeing fireworks over the ocean. And we’ll make up a big batch of something great to eat, like scallops with bacon and sweet corn on the grill, open a bottle wine, and it’s my idea of perfection. It’s filled the families like us, leisurely celebrating the holiday.
The area we go to is Siesta Key, about seven hours south of Atlanta, just off Sarasota overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. We’re utterly spoiled when we go–we get to use my in-laws condo for our stay, which is such a generous treat. It feels just as much like going home as it does when we return to my husband’s hometown of Cincinnati. Because of this, I cannot exactly recommend places to stay, but I can offer a ton on where to eat and what to do. Here are my recommendations of where to head while in stunning Siesta Key.
