The Gunns do Florida - Day 16 - Anna Maria Island

[bengunn]

Day 16 – Anna Maria Island

Previous episodes:

Prequel
Day 1 – The trip to Orlando
Day 2 – Animal Kingdom
Day 3 – Magic Kingdom
Day 4 – Typhoon Lagoon, Shopping and Illuminations Cruise
Day 5 - Islands of Adventure
Day 6 – Epcot
Day 7 – Seaworld
Day 8 – Universal Studios
Day 9 – Epcot and the Magic Kingdom
Day 10 – Discovery Cove
Day 11 – Kennedy Space Centre
Day 12 – Disney MGM Studios
Day 13 – Blizzard Beach
Day 14 – Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios
Day 15 - Cypress Gardens and the move to Bradenton

The Cast:

Richard (bengunn): Chief planner
Kathy : DW, just wants to go on holiday
Josie : DD 20, at Reading University, Assistant Planner, not very good at getting up
Sam : DS 17, just done AS exams, can get up very quickly when he wants to


Saturday 31th August

We had a lie-in today as we had no deadline to meet and needed that rest after two weeks of theme park commandoing. We got up at 09:00 (the children much later) and managed to leave the villa at 11:15.

We drove towards Anna Maria Island which is a barrier island reached by a long causeway called Manatee Avenue. We drove slowly around the north part of the island looking for shops to buy food and beach things (Josie wanted a bikini and we needed beach mats and an umbrella). Eventually we found the shops very near to where we had come on to the island; if we had turned the other way we would have found them much earlier

We spent ages looking in the beach shops; Josie eventually managed to find a bikini that she liked and which fitted her (cost a lot but it was worth it just to get out of the shop) and we bought mats and an umbrella. A quick visit to Subway in the same row of shops yielded lunch; this was our first visit to Subway but not our last.

We then headed to the nearby Manatee County Public Beach which is part of the very long Holmes Beach on the west coast of Anna Maria Island. By now it was 13:30 and the beach was fairly busy as it was the Saturday of the Labor Day weekend but we had no problems in parking and finding some room to sit on the beach. We ate our lunch and then relaxed for a while before trying the water. The beach is white sand which does not get hot, so there is none of that jumping around on hot sand that you have to do in the Mediterranean. The water was greeny blue and just like a warm bath; you did not need to get used to it at all, you could just walk straight in.

While we were in the sea, we saw lots of fish which jumped completely out of the water! We also saw a pelican fly by about 20 feet away and only 3 feet above the water. Snorkelling, we saw a few fish but the fine sand was stirred up by the waves and the visibility was not that good.

During the afternoon, we could see some huge thunderclouds building up and approaching form the south; it started raining slightly at 15:40 and we had had enough sun by then anyway so we packed up and left the beach at 16:00.

As we drove away, the rain got much worse so we went back to the villa, where it had not rained at all, and swam in the pool until it did start raining. The rain continued for most of the evening but it was not that heavy, certainly not compared to what we had seen the day before!

We went to Mel’s Diner in Bradenton for dinner; this was very good and very cheap; three burgers, one chicken, a huge brownie delight and an apple pie, plus 3 sodas and a beer cost $45.

After dinner, we went shopping at Wynne-Dixie to get food for lunch tomorrow and then back to the villa for reading, TV and bed.

These reports are a bit shorter now as there is only so much that you can say about laying on a beach! However, don’t despair if you like the longer ones as Busch Gardens is still to come


Tomorrow: Siesta Key

 

[neo's white rabbit]

OK, I quit hi-jacking and came over here

It's a beautifiul spring day here on the South Coast, but reading your reports makes me want to be off, soon!

Just been debating the dolphin swim at DC...hum...

 

[KayleeUK]

The beach sounds wonderful

Kaylee

 

[bengunn]

White Rabbit, if you can afford the dolphin swim at DC, then do it; it is an experience not to be missed.

Kaylee, the beaches on the Gulf Coast are amazing.

 

[neo's white rabbit]

Yes, I've booked the dolphin swim at DC - currently a secret from the entire family as we are going on DH's bday as a surprise I've also arranged 3 nights in Clearwater on the Gulf Coast. Can't wait!

 

[bengunn]

I am sure that you will all enjoy DC; it was certainly one of the highspots of our holiday.

We did not make it up the coast as far as Clearwater but I am sure that the beach will be very similar; by the time you go, the temperatures should be just about ideal.

By the way, sorry for calling you Mr White Rabbit a few posts ago - I see that it should have been Mrs White Rabbit

 

[neo's white rabbit]

Originally posted by bengunn
By the way, sorry for calling you Mr White Rabbit a few posts ago - I see that it should have been Mrs White Rabbit

No problem

I read your DC report too...the food sounds a little lack luster, but you can't have it all ways!

 

[bengunn]

The food was not really that bad - just not hot enough. I think that one problem is that they build the food up in their publicity and then, if anything is wrong with it, it is a disappointment.

The rest of the day makes up for the food and the desserts were really good if I remember correctly

 

[neo's white rabbit]

I agree, on a day like this food isn't the high spot. Splitting our little band into 2 groups seems like a good idea from what you said so we can try and do some videoing, although I'm aware they're a bit hard-sell on the photos.

Do you suppose I'm going to have to do a trip report on our return to pay back the favour for all the useful info you get on these boards?

 

[bengunn]

'a trip report' ? A whole series more like LOL.

 

[Shuttle Fan]

Have enjoyed reading your report on Anna Maria island.

We went there last year for a day (in late August). Someone had told us to go there as the beach was nice - but we didn't find it! I'm not sure which way we went, but we ended up at the City Pier, Anna Maria. It was lovely - people fishing along the pier and at the end, we saw loads of fish in the sea and pelicans sitting on the pier and bobbing in the water. We ate at a small cafe/restaurant at the end of the pier and the food was wonderful, and watched loads of dolphins swimming past and jumping the air. We could see the causeway from the pier. We didn't see a Subway anywhere. There were a few shops over the road from the pier, I remember one being an icecream shop. Someone told us afterwards that there's a small wood full of squirrels running around there as well.

We'll have to go back and find these and the beach next time - will be torn between the Subway and the restaurant on the pier for food though!

 

[Minniespal]

Thanks for the fab report - luv reading them!!!