Anna Maria Florida - 7/1-7/8: looking for advice

[marrelam]

Just booked a week's vacation to Anna Maria Florida with another couple. Any advice on where to go, what to do? We'll have our 3 yr. old with us too.

Do most people fly into Tampa? I'm seeing flights for $183 RT/NS from Cleveland. Sound good or too early to tell?

[jolly321]

I have never heard of Anna Maria and I have lived in FL forever. I looked into the location and this is near Bradenton, Sarasota, and Venice.

Anyone been to Anna Maria?

[marrelam]

Maybe I should have said Anna Maria Island? Holmes Beach is the beach in the area. The sand is described as being powder white and the water crystal clear!!

[wallacla]

It's lovely there. You will love it. We used to go alot when I was a child.
You can't beat the sunsets, the sand IS powder white and there are still decent shells to be had there, unlike the east coast of Florida. There used to be a bit of a drive to get to shopping, restaurants, but I think the area has built up a little now. If you can find a place called Fast Eddie's, I think it is close there, it's a fun place to eat. Sits at the end of an island and you can see the bridge over the bay in the distance. There is a really long pier there also with a crabshack at the end. Our kids loved going there.
Have a great time, you'll love it

[nrpeace17]

I haven't been there yet, but it is definitely on my list of places I want to go. It is supposed to be one of the prettiest areas in FL.
Here is a slideshow:
USATODAY Photo Gallery

[sandycheeks]

I haven't been to AMI for years but I can tell you what I remember from when we have traveled there in the past.

Most of my vacations there (we went 6-7 times- my parents lived there) were very low budget because I was in college or newly married when we went.

We always spend time on AMI pier. There is a restaurant on the city pier if you would like to sit inside and relax for a while. My son would also fish off the pier and the catch was better than average (he was 2 his first fishing trip there). I also cannot remember a time we spent at the pier that we didn't see dolphins of some sort.

The beaches are beautiful. The public beaches are more crowded, I would opt for walking to something close to where you are staying as opposed to driving to public access. You will want to have available some sort of shade because in July it will be very, very hot and sunny.

I would definitely recommend the Gulf Drive Cafe. Wait for an outside table (since it is on the beach you will be able to roam with your child while waiting to eat). There are not many places in the world I can wait in a line and not get irritated about it- this is one of them. The food (breakfast is my favorite) is great and the view is fabulous.

Sunsets are able to be viewed on most of the sandy beachy areas. This is worth seeing nightly in my opinion. Especially since you are from Ohio like I am, I rarely get to behold such an amazing thing- there is nothing better than watching the sun melt into the ocean.

My last piece of advise is if you have time and want to so something fun, you can drive to St. Armonds Square (It is just past Longboat Key). There are great ice cream shops there as well as many specialty shops to browse if you would like. On a few of our trips there was a merry-go- round in the middle of the square, but I am not sure if it is still there. Street parking is readily available.

One more thing... if you are pinching pennies and interested in dining out many (most) resturaunts have an "early bird" menu, so you can get reasonably priced meals.

Enjoy your time there. It really is one of my favorite places to be in the world.

[bankingonit]

If you are near Venice, try some of the beaches there. Most are park district land (Sarasota County) great for finding shark teeth! They are fossilized (sp?), people of all ages enjoy this activity, beware it is highly addictive! We have also enjoyed the Mote Marine Aquarium (see sharks get fed, pet a stingray, get up close to a horseshoe crab) in Sarasota and have done their Sarasota Bay Explorers trip several time with guests. Ride in a pontoon boat, volunteer guide tells you all about the bay, the wildlife, etc. You usually get to see dolphins, birds and all kinds of stuff. Then they throw a net out and catch marine life and show it to you. Seahorses, puffer fish, sponges, whatever happens to be in the net that day. All the safe stuff they pass around for everyone to look at. One guide was a retired biology professor, another time it was a biology student, each time was a unique experience. Great beaches, beautiful sunsets on the Gulf side of Florida. It will be very hot in July, don't forget the sunblock, hat, beach umbrella and plenty of water.

[kikishan]

You are so lucky - Anna Maria is one of my family's favorite vacation spots! We were there last year for a good friend's destination wedding in Long Boat Key (just south of Anna Maria) & we can't wait to go back.

We usually fly into Tampa and it is about 1 hour drive to Anna Maria. But you can also get flights into Sarasota. about 1/2 hour away, but they tend to be pricy. We usually stay at a condo in Holmes Beach, just 1 block from the ocean. Ouf favorite thing to do is have breakfast at the Cafe on the Beach (4000 Gulf Dr) which is right at the the Manatee County public beach. On the weekends there is an all you can eat pancake breakfast that is fab! It's super casual, and reasonably priced, perfect for kids. Then we just head right out to the beach there and camp out for the day. At night there are lots of good restaurants, our favorites include:
1. The Sandbar Restaurant, Anna Maria - Beautiful sunsets, right on the beach, live music, not super fancy but nice.
2. Euphemia Haye, Long Boat Key - elegant dining, amazing food
3. The Colony Club - best Sunday bruch, more formal
4. Skinny's - right across the street from the Cafe on the Beach, good burgers, dive bar

There are lots of nice beaches, so I would suggest checking out a few, just take a drive down Gulf Drive and you will see there is lots of public parking and beach access. Some areas have playgrounds if I recall. There is also a Free Trolly that runs up and down the island which is fun to just ride, especially for kids. We pretty much just stick to haning out at the beach all day, but Sarasota is a short drive south, with lots of attractions. Great shopping in St. Armand's Circle. There are also all the typical mini golf places and such. If you want to drive up to Tampa there is Busch Gardens.

Hope some of this is helpful. Have fun!

[mycouponhunter]

I live near Clearwater and I haven't been to Anna Marie Island, but after this post I must go check it out. We never get out as much as we like and have only been here a year so that's why. The price for the flight is great! My sister paid almost $300 but it was a last minute trip to Tampa. There is tons to do in the area and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

[marrelam]

We booked our flight. We've got tickets from Cleveland to Tampa for $179 RT/NS with Continental including all taxes and fees. I tried some low bids on Priceline but wasn't successful. July 1-8 here we come!!