We've been having a wonderful time here on Florida's beautiful gulf coast.
Though our temporary home base is here on Longboat Key, we've been traveling to nearby areas and checking our sights and attractions.
Even when we've supposedly arrived at where we're going, we sometimes find it hard to stay put.
Yesterday we visited downtown Tampa and checked out that city's burgeoning new Riverwalk. Though the walk is not yet completed it still made for a hearty stroll along the water and it is beautiful -- dotted with new hotels, the convention center, sports complex, docks for pleasure boats, sculpture gardens, parks and other attractions.
Tampa seems to be fixing up and sprucing up so that it's ready for the Republican National Convention this summer. And from what we saw yesterday, the city will provide a wonderful backdrop for the event which will nominate the person who we certainly hope will be the next President of the United States.
Today, we journeyed to nearby Siesta Key and Venice.
In Siesta Key we were impressed with the town's beautiful white sand beach. The beach is wide and the sand is fine and inviting. The water (as on most of this gorgeous gulf coast) is wonderfully blue with tinges of green -- so vivid with the sun sparkling along the surface of the sea. The ocean has been quite calm all week and today the temperature drifting into the 70's -- just perfect.
Siesta Key has a more youthful vibe than some of the other areas near Sarasota. The town's business district is lined with tiki bars and beach shops. We stopped at a local coffee shop and enjoyed the passing parade.
Venice presents a quieter, more mature atmosphere. Tall palm trees and a Spanish/Italian motif give the town an old California charm. Venice was built in the 1920s and the architecture was inspired by the city of canals. The shopping district offers a rococo appeal, complete with many decorative architectural features.
Though Venice barely made it through the Great Depression it got a badly-needed injection when the military established a base there during World War II. After the war, it slowly emerged as a retirement community. Then, Ringling Brothers relocated the winter home of the circus to Venice giving it another boost. Today, it seems to be thriving -- a town with its own graceful, quiet appeal; a place to savor the simple pleasures of life by the sea.
All around us we are able to enjoy welcoming sunrises, clean, sparking waterways and magical sunsets.
Florida's gulf coast is a distinct American treasure. If you haven't been here you're missing one of this country's natural gems.
C'mon down!
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