Florida

Our trip to the west coast of Florida was warm, beautiful, sunny, and fun! We spent a lot of time walking on the beach, collecting shells, and soaking up the sun in Anna Maria Island, Florida. We also made a couple of side trips- the first being to Sarasota, which is across the bay and south of AMI. We went by the Sarasota Botanical Gardens, walked along the Sarasota Bay Harbor and ate great seafood at the Columbia Restaurant. On Sunday, we drove down to Sanibel and Captiva. First, we went to the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge where we drove through park and saw some amazing birds (and an alligator!). Then, we headed to the beach at Captiva and watched the sun set. We ate dinner at the Bubble Room, a restaurant I had heard Noah talk about for years.

Anna Maria Island is home to the Rod and Reel Pier restaurant and the Sandbar, both of which are also part of Noah's folklore. The Rod and Reel is literally at the end of a fishing pier; it's small, but as you can imagine, they have super-fresh fish! The Sandbar is located on the beach; it's known more for its views and less for its food, but my crabcake was delicious. I should also add eating to the list of activities, as it was a favorite and frequent pasttime.

Here are more pictures at my flickr site and at Noah's.