DAY #94
Another early start to the day (at least for me). dragged myself out of bed and headed out, Making it to Charlotte & Lisa’s by 10:00 a.m. Today was going to be beach day.
Charlotte joined us today as we started off by going to historic downtown Venice. It’s a well kept, comfortable, and vibrant area. We strolled along its sidewalks window shopping, and occasionally stopping to check out one of the many shops. I have to admit not one of my favorite activities, but in this case, with the right people, in the right place, it turned out to be enjoyable.
After downtown, it was off to the Jetty, it’s a nice spot to get a super view of the gulf (which I didn’t get a photo ...Oops). One observation; There’s a lot of old folks (even older than me) down here. I like it, it makes me feel young.
From the Jetty, we loaded up into Charlotte’s KIA Sedona (nice vehicle) and off we went, next stop, Venice Pier. Walking out the length of the pier was to get an even better view of the gulf (again, no photos, I know, I know). The plan was to eat at a popular restaurant at the pier (Sharkys), but there was a thirty minute wait. We decided to go elsewhere, which was great for me because I don’t like seafood, and the restaurant is known for seafood. Walking through the lot back to the car, it seemed like every second car in the lot was from out of state. Lots of cars from Ontario, Maine, New York, etc. So prevalent were out of state plates, you could name a state and find a car with those plates in the lot (maybe a slight exaggeration).
Decided to have lunch at an Amish style restaurant in Sarasota. I noticed as we were driving down the road near the restaurant a lot of people who looked to be Amish. At the Jetty, I had seen a couple of people (male & female) dressed in Amish garb. It grabbed my attention because I didn’t think there were Amish in Florida. The lunch at the restaurant was a buffet style and while simple in presentation, was very satisfying and actually quite good.
As we left the restaurant and headed for the beach, I again noticed all these man who looked like Amish wearing a summer style wardrobe (short-sleeve & lighter colored shirts). Of course the women were wearing their normal wardrobe, much hotter than what the men had to wear, but at least it looked cooler in it’s lighter color. The area was heavy with three wheel bikes and the homes were small and simple in design. Afterwards, I checked on google about this. It seems that these folks are Amish snowbirds. A community had been created back in the 1920s called Pinecraft and over time, the city of Sarasota had built up around it. It was unexpected but pretty neat to see.
Made it to Sarasota beach. It’s rated the number one beach in Florida. It’s a big beach and the sand is white and so smooth. It really is a solid place to spend the day.
It was a fun day. When you go to Florida, it’s a must do, going to the beach, and Sarasota Beach is one of the nicest.
Coming back from my beach day excursion, I saw an armadillo along the road leading to the campsite. It was a young one judging from its size, and while somewhat ugly, it really had a cute little face. Watching it root around the undergrowth looking for food was fun, it didn’t seem too concerned I was sitting in the truck about twenty feet away watching. I wanted to take a picture but again, it wouldn’t have turned out very good (really getting mileage out of that excuse). it eventually went off into the woods, and I proceeded to the campsite. Seeing one alive up close and personal was really cool.
Another fun day thanks to our guides, Lisa & Charlotte.
The Journey. 