Beach season is here!!! Let's go to Siesta Key!

Oh boy, do I want to get to that sugar-sand on Siesta Key beach!  It's been over a year now and I'm dreaming of being in Sarasota/Siesta Key and get a little golden brown suntan and a nice, creamy ice cream from Big Olaf's!  I love the sea breeze and the sounds of people playing beach volleyball!  Siesta Key is one of the greatest beaches I've ever been on and I've been on a lot of different beaches around the world.  If you're wanting a beautiful, family-oriented beach to walk on, to build sand castles, to skim board or just sun-vathe and watch the waves come in, get yourself down to Siesta Key!  

Beach weather is around the corner!

Even though you can get isolated days in the 70's even in January and February, once March comes, you'll have lots of beautiful days at the beach. Siesta key beach is often ranked as one of the top ten beaches in te world because of it's soft, white, sandy beaches. I've been there so many times and I never tire of it! If I can answer any questions for you, let me know!

Deck the Boats for Christmas in Sarasota!

Each December, the Sarasota area celebrates the holidays with a tropical twist – colorful boat parades. The communities of Sarasota, Venice and Englewood each host parades, so visitors to the area during December have a choice.

Parade participants work on decorating their boats for months, stringing up multi-colored, twinkling lights to create one-of-a-kind, often Christmas-themed, designs. In a recent Venice parade, one boater created a champagne bottle of twinkling lights, complete with a cork that popped out. While spectators watched in amazement, the bottle tipped and filled a glass.

Whole boats have been disguised as blue-light marlins, or have been decorated with single-file dolphins that appear to be jumping into the water. Santa Claus, reindeer, Christmas trees and other holiday symbols are often displayed on board, while sound systems pump out cheery holiday music.

On parade nights, sparkling processions of boats wind their way through canals and bays, often staying close to shore so that spectators can see even the smallest details. Visitors set up beach chairs, blankets, grills and tents and make the parades a complete night out. All the parades are free events.

Visitors can also view the processions from the water. For the best, most up-close views, rent a boat and anchor along the side of a waterway.

Lots of condos for rent in Sarasota!

Sarasota is one of my absolute favorite vacations spots! Over several decades I have come to the conclusion that renting a condo near the beach is the way to go! Recently I visited a beautiful condo there and I wanted to share it with you. If you'll click on http://www.vrbo.com/201463 you'll see a beautiful home that you can rent for as little as $600 per week in off season! Imagine going there with family a friends and being just 3.5 miles from the gorgeous Siesta Key Beach. You could easily accomodate 6-8 people there for a week, a month or even 3 or 4 months!!

I was there in early March of 2008 and the weather was spectacular. If you're interested click on this link http://www.vrbo.com/201463 or contact me and I'll connect you to the right folks! Enjoy!

How to Have Fun in Sarasota!

Having fun in Sarasota doesn’t require a lot of money. In fact, many things to see and enjoy in Sarasota are absolutely free. With 35 miles of beautiful beaches and six barrier islands, near-perfect weather and a variety of fairs, concerts, arts and cultural events, Sarasota offers a fun and inexpensive getaway. I'm going to share just a few of those with you!
1. Life's a Beach! Put on your bathing suit, grab your towel and head to one of Sarasota’s 35 miles of beautiful beaches, all open to the public, and perfect to body surf, play in the sand, collect seashells and bask in the sun. As you contemplate the crashing waves, the magnificent blue green Gulf provides you with a clearer mind, lighter heart and stronger spirit.
2. Follow a different drum. Siesta Key Drum Circle. Watch the magnificent sunset and listen to the drummers on Siesta Key Public Beach Sunday evenings just before sunset, and going till the wee hours of the morn... located just south of the main pavilion between lifeguard stands 3 and 4 on Siesta Public Beach. This is not a commercial event but local phenomenon that began sponteneously and now has a life of its own. Park in the public lot, and follow your ears.

Exhibit features nature's finest in Sarasota

Last updated Sunday, June 29, 2008 at 7 a.m.
From the time she was a child, Kelly Cioffi would sit for hours watching wildlife. While some young girls are afraid of bugs, she found them fascinating.
There will be an artist reception from 1 to 3 p.m. July 5 in the Juliano Room in the North Port Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail. The event is free and open to the public.
Now, the Venice resident has turned her lifelong interest in insects and wildlife into photographs that are winning prizes and gaining attention.
An exhibition of her work "Natural Encounters" will be shown throughout July in the Juliano Room of the North Port Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail.
"Florida residents tend to enjoy wildlife and Kelly captures native wildlife with a compelling style and fresh eye," said Janis Russell of the North Port Library.
When she saw Cioffi's photography at the Arts Alliance of Lemon Bay in Englewood, Russell said she immediately saw "something different" in the photography and thought it would be a perfect fit for the monthlong exhibit.
"I'm always on the lookout for unusual local artists, authors and musicians," Russell said. "It gives an added bonus to library patrons."
This is not the first time Cioffi's photography has been in the spotlight. For the past two years she has exhibited in the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens annual Juried Photographic Exhibition and has won awards of merit from Selby. She is also a field photographer for "Nature Photographer" magazine.
The surprising thing about Cioffi is that it has only been two years since she picked up a camera, and she has never taken a course in photography.
"But I've been a student of nature all my life," Cioffi said. "I can sit for hours watching a bird or alligator. I take hundreds of images then I come back and do it all over again."
Besides patience, paying attention to light and shadows is the most important attribute for a photographer, Cioffi said, "because photography is nothing but writing with light."
Indeed, what makes her subjects "pop" is her dramatic use of light and the unusual patterns she captures.
"People think I use Photoshop to create interesting patterns, but I don't manipulate photos," Cioffi said. "It's all done with a slow shutter speed and waiting for the light to hit the subject in a certain way."
A macro lens is what she uses to create another special effect, unusual closeups that detail one part of her subject. "If I could only use one lens, it would be a macro," she said.
"You can get all sorts of special effects with one."
Alligators are her favorite subject, followed by insects.
"I creep around at night looking for spiders and insects to photograph," she said.
Cioffi believes beautiful photography is easy to come by in Southwest Florida because of the area in which we live.
Her advice to those who want to do nature photography: "Sit quietly and you'll be amazed at what you see."

The Sarasota Opera

We all know that Sarasota has gorgeous beaches, fabulous luxury hotels and scrumptious restaurants, but did you know that Sarasota also has an award-winning opera house with a full season of operatic masterpieces? Check this out:
Now fully restored to its original beauty, the Sarasota Opera House has become the cornerstone of Sarasota's Theater Arts District. The Sarasota Opera has come to merit accolades from all over the world. Thanks in no small part to the generosity of the community of Sarasota, the Sarasota Opera House, once shabby and neglected, now stands like a proud beauty. The original chandelier from the movie "Gone With the Wind" hangs brilliantly in its lobby. Meticulously and lovingly renovated, FLORIDA HERITAGE Magazine, the official magazine of the Division of Historical Resources in Tallahassee, lauded it as "one of the most successful renovations of a historic building in Florida." Complete with an added education wing, and library complex at her side, the Opera House has earned its own accolades:
"In the winter, it would be hard to beat the pleasantly laid-back resort town of Sarasota on Florida's west coast, with its warm and sunny weather, excellent restaurants, and a delightful 1000 seat art deco Opera House, whose acoustics are superb." OPERA, London
"With the dimensions of the Opera House, which almost guarantee an engaging experience between audience and singers, and DeRenzi's full throttle approach to each work, whether he's conducting it or not, a dull performance at the Sarasota Opera is hard to come by." OPERA NEWS, New York
"Sarasota Opera - A Gem on Florida's Gulf Coast...The theater's interior configuration and acoustics make audience members feel they are sitting in the center of the sound..." THE BLADE, Toledo
"Over the last decade, the output has been first-rate, blending traditional with adventurous programming...an acoustical jewel." BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE
Today the Sarasota Opera House plays host to everything from opera, symphony and classical ballet to film festivals, popular music concerts, comedy shows and clowns. The Opera Complex features a new Pavilion with a spacious, multi-purpose banquet/performance facility; the Peterson Great Room, which can seat up to 390 people. Private meeting space, as well as private rehearsal rooms are part of the pavilion. The Opera House theater seats 1033, with 740 on the first floor and 293 in the balcony.
Let's go!!