guest post! travel guide to sarasota.

siesta key beach at sunset.

i'm lucky enough to live in sarasota, fl., which is almost like a year-round vacation. after all, we've got america's best beach, killer weather all year-round, a vibrant downtown and an amazing arts scene. so i thought, for my last post here on kim's blog, i'd do a little round-up of some of my favorite sarasota things to do, places to stay and food to eat, in case you're planning a trip to the west coast of florida. disclaimer: these are just a few of the many things that make this city on the gulf wonderful; if you have any questions or would like more suggestions for things to do here, email me or leave a comment on { pink o'clock }!

do:

 paddleboarders on saraosta bay

siesta key beach. of course.

john and mable ringling museum of art. take a full day to explore the ringling campus, which includes not only the museum of art, but a circus museum, the ringling estate and mable ringling's rose garden.

mote aquarium. get up close and personal with sea creatures (including some seriously adorable dolphins and, currently, penguins!), and then take a stroll down the street to relax in the park, which overlooks the bay. if you want to make a day of it, have lunch at the old salty dog, which boasts some of the best waterfront dining in town. 

paddleboarding on the bay. a full-body workout and the most fun water activity ever. (though kayaking is awesome, too.)

shopping on st. armands circle. i love shore, binjara traders and influence, but there are so many fun and unique shops on the circle.

movie at burns court cinema. this sweet cinema screens movies that are much more indie in nature, so you get a different kind of experience than you would at a regal or amc. bonus: you can order beer and wine with your popcorn. (and p.s., before or after your movie, be sure to pop in the wonderful little stores that dot the burns court neighborhood.)

strawberries at the downtown sarasota farmer's market.

downtown sarasota farmer's market. open on saturday mornings, the market features local produce, of course, but also handcrafted items from area artisans.

a drive up longboat key to anna maria island. adorable beach bungalows on one side of the road, the sparkling gulf of mexico on the other. i recommend doing this at dusk, when the setting sun casts an amazing gold glow over everything.

a play at asolo repertory theater or florida studio theatre. there's always something great on both of these stages. and speaking of stages, sarasota is also home to its own opera, orchestra and ballet company, and there are numerous museums and galleries that you can wander into while you're walking around town, as well.


eat/drink:

 kitschy, old-florida decor at owen's fish camp.

owen's fish camp. it's right next door to burns court cinemas, so you could do dinner-and-a-movie night! the smoked fish spread is a must to start with; for entrees, i love the fried fish sandwich (which comes with perfectly crispy fries) and the shrimp and grits. and here's a cute detail: owen's wine list is broken down into "cheap," "decent" and "good" categories, but i find that even the wines on the "cheap" list are delicious.

siesta key oyster bar (skob). live music, beer and a good selection of seafood dishes make this a siesta key favorite, and one of my personal favorite places to go on a night out.

the garden room at shoogie boogies. one of my favorite hidden gems; great food and so charming. have the mushroom soup and a salad and save room for a dessert crepe.

pho cali. great vietnamese food. i love the fresh spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce, and the pho is delicious and fresh.

beach bistro. this one is actually on anna maria island, and it's a splurge and a bit of a trek, but it's an amazing dining experience.

eat here. if the trek to anna maria island's not your cup of tea, beach bistro's little sister, eat here, provides delicious, excellently prepared food (including some bistro favorites!) in a fun environment. there's an upstairs bar that's fine to hang out in before you sit down for dinner, too.

mr. beery's. awesome craft beer selection (served by knowledgeable bartenders) in a relaxed, fun space that's perfect for hanging out with a group. plus: trivia on thursday nights and food-and-beer pairings.

other favorites: mozaic (for beautifully prepared, unique entrees), mattison's (for dinner and live music), il panificio (for pizza), bangkok (for thai), darwin's on 4th (for peruvian and perfect ceviche) and columbia restaurant (for cuban).

 the awesomely pink burns court cinema.

stay:

hotel ranola. it's the only hotel actually located in the heart of downtown sarasota, and it's made up of rooms that were formerly studio apartments, which means that each one has its own full-size bath and kitchen. plus, there's a great retro vibe in terms of decor.

lido beach resort. as the name suggests, it's located directly on lido beach and just a few minutes from st. armands circle. there's a great pool and an awesome tiki bar, too.

there are also loads of seasonal rentals on siesta key, if you prefer to stay there; a google search will turn up tons of results.

so there you have it: my little sarasota travel guide if you're planning a trip here, i hope this little guide helped. and i'm curious to know: what's your favorite u.s. city to travel to? (mine's savannah!)

xo (and thanks again to kim for having me here this week!),
megan

all photos by me