I recently took a weekend trip that supplied me with so many great experiences I don’t even know where to start.  I was in the mood for a little Florida getaway and a friend mentioned Anna Maria Island, which I had never even heard of.  She described the beaches and the location and it sounded perfect for a weekend trip. She was right.  (Thanks, Diana, for the suggestion!)
 
This island is about 45 minutes south of Tampa, but a world away from a big city.  I made a reservation Thursday night and Friday evening we were off.  We arrived on the island after dark, but the first thing that I noticed was that the entire island smelled of flowers.  It just filled the air, it wasn’t just in little pockets, you could smell it the entire ride across the island.  That’s a great welcome to any destination.  Even in the dark, you could see beautiful flowers and trees everywhere.   It felt quiet and sleepy and relaxed, just what an island should be.

The beaches around the entire island amazing; nice and wide with soft, white sand and turquoise blue water.   The beaches on the south end of the island were more crowded than others during the day, but if you are staying on the island, it seems like any beach other than the north and south ends of the island are not at all crowded, even on a busy spring weekend.

For breakfast we took a couple of bikes from our motel out to the Rod and Reel Pier.  After about a mile ride (pre-coffee, not sure how I managed that) we are at the Rod and Reel Pier.  Looking at the building from the road I was seriously convinced that I had the wrong place.  It didn’t look big enough to be a restaurant, and I was pretty sure that was a bait shop on the bottom floor.  Well, it was a bait shop on the bottom floor, and a bar, but that’s not important here.  Up the stairs on the second floor is the dining area, and it is every bit as small as it looks.  Seating for 50 if you combine inside and out? Maybe?  It’s small, but the food is GOOD, and the view is unbelievable.  You have a view of the bay with its turquoise-hued water from every seat, with the tables outside facing the island and the tables inside facing the bay.  Sit inside or out, both views are equally amazing.  We could actually see schools of fish swimming in the waters around the pier while we ate.  We went back the next morning for breakfast again because it was just that unique.  Oh, and I’m pretty sure the kitchen is magic, because I there is simply no way it fits in this little building on the pier with the dining area, bar, and bait shop.

Now if you’re the crafty type, you will need to stop by Ginny's & Jane E's at the Old IGA.  Apparently the store used to be an IGA grocery store, but has since been converted to an eclectic shop full of hand-made items, vintage books, used furniture, soaps with all sorts of herbal and natural ingredients, and a deli that does not sell Coke or Pepsi products (Which, I was informed, were “evil”.  Who knew?).  Even though I am decidedly not a person who typically appreciates “crafty” things, I found this little store enjoyable to explore.

Needless to say, I loved the island and I will definitely be back!  I covered the highlights, but haven’t even mentioned the Sandbar Restaurant, the sunsets, and the ever-present breeze that can only be found on an island.  If you want more detail on any of the things I mentioned, feel free to write.  There was just too much to fit into one blog. -Michael Navarre