Honeybeads Blog

Well, it's getting close now - less than three weeks and we'll be on the beach basking in the warmth of the Florida sun. We'll be staying at Siesta Key, a gulf-side beach near Sarasota, Florida. My parents started taking us kids there when Andy and I were just babies. Now, Melissa and I have made it our family's annual vacation spot. Check out our family phots (courtesy of Jason Neuman) on our About Me page. Of course, Mom & Dad and "the kids" will be there, too.

If you've never been to Siesta Key, you may want to check it out. It all depends on what you want when it comes to a Florida vacation. Touristy and crowded it is not. There's only a handful of restaurants and no big nightclubs. It's definitely not a party beach. What it does have is wide beaches with powder-fine white sand and clear, clean water. The Travel Channel voted it one of America's Top 10 beaches for 2004. Check it out here. There are a few nice tourist attractions within a 30 minute drive. Our favorites are Jungle Gardens (www.sarasotajunglegardens.com/) and Venice Beach (www.venice-fla.com/capital.htm). Jungle gardens is a small but gorgeous walking park filled with tropical birds and foliage. Venice beach is known as the Shark's Tooth Capitol. Fossilized sharks teeth wash up on this beach by the thousands. It's also a great snorkeling beach - there's a ton of shells and cool crabs crawling around in the 6-10 feet of water just off of the shore.

That's really about it. If you're like me and enjoy relaxing on the beach, building sand castles with the kids, and taking quiet walks on the beach at night, Siesta Key may be for you. If you like to party, you WILL be disappointed. Late October is the perfect time to visit. Last year, we had sunny skies every day for a week. Highs are in the lower 80's and the ocean water is still very warm, probably around 80 or so - I can't wait!