Always be Flexible on a Beach Retreat
It’s time for some surf and sand on Florida’s Gulf of Mexico. While we live in Oldsmar, Florida with beaches as close as 10 miles, we are not “regular” beach-goers. We don’t even own any “Salt Life” tee shirts. Yet, we thoroughly enjoy the relaxation that comes with going to our Florida beaches from long walks on the beach to longer beach retreats. We recently returned from a 6,000 mile road trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado, Durango, Colorado, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and finishing with golfing a few courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama on the return drive. After the mountains and dessert, we are ready for relaxing and rejuvenating beach getaway. Now for a few days of the “Salt Life” enjoying surf, sand, and relaxation at the Zota Beach Resort on Longboat Key.
Driving to Longboat Key, we know the Zota Beach Resort is closer to the north end of Longboat Key. In fact Longboat Key is over 10 miles long. Stopping for lunch at the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant is perfect being just across the bridge from the Bradenton Beaches. Wow! The restaurant has been updated since our last visit. It is a modern rustic but still has the same great views of Sarasota Bay with plenty of outside seating. Sitting at a table on the shell sandy beachfront under shady trees, we enjoy the tranquil view of Sarasota Bay. The Peel ‘n Eat Shrimp in a Beer & Old Bay broth is fantastic as is the tasty Black Jack Sandwich. A relaxing waterfront setting for a Sunday afternoon lunch is wonderful beginning for our beach retreat.
The Zota Beach Resort
Checking in at the Zota Beach Resort, we are ready for our beach getaway. With a tagline of “find your zen at Zota,” we look forward to a respite in their modern and comfortable accommodations. Using AAA for booking, we get a special Florida Resident rate. Additionally, staying on a Sunday and Monday nights avoids weekend crowds. Awesome! The Resort gives a complimentary upgrade to a Junior Suite. The Suite features a sitting area with an L-shaped couch and small dining area. A welcoming balcony overlooks the pool and Gulf of Mexico. Adjacent to the separate bedroom with comfy king bed is a large bathroom with a fantastic shower. The beautiful infinity pool and hot tub look inviting for a dip later. Now to experience the Salt Life with a walk on the sandy beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Ugh! Outside under cloudy gray skies thunder rumbles over the water. No long beach walk today. We’ll just get our “zen at the Zota” by relaxing in our comfortable suite.
St. Armands Circle on Longboat Key
Strolling St. Armands Circle is a favorite activity with its exceptional array of shops and restaurants. With cloudy skies continuing this Sunday afternoon, we opt for a light dinner and an evening stroll around St. Armands. Awesome! Despite the cloudy skies, the sky lights up with the bright pinks for a beautiful sunset. We finish the evening with drinks at Speaks Clam Bar contemplating activities for tomorrow with rain still in the forecast. Still attempting to enjoy some surf and sand, we attempt a walk on the beach at the Resort. Too bad and so sad no beach walk for us! There are still storm clouds and thunder.
Waking on Monday morning of our beach getaway, we again hear the rumble of thunder. Umm! What to do on a rainy day? First, we take full advantage of the Fitness Center at the Resort for stretching, exercising and getting some “steps in” on the treadmill. Second, the perfect thing on a rainy day is a tasty lunch. A yummy soup and sandwich sound great. So we head to the Columbia Restaurant on St. Armands Circle. Sharing a bowl of their delicious and hearty Spanish Bean Soup is scrumptious. The 1905 Salad and ½ Cuban Sandwich Combo is a terrific lunch. We delight in watching our waitress make the Famous 1905 Salad at our table. Yes! It is the perfect lunch for our rainy day. Sitting inside in the open air area of the restaurant, we people watch as visitors stroll the wet streets pursuing a respite from the cloudy skies.
Ringling Museum of Art & Grounds
With a forecast of rain until late afternoon, we seek an indoor activity. The Ringling Museum is a major attraction in Sarasota, Florida just across the bay from Longboat Key. There are various museums on site as well as Ca’ d’Zan, the Ringling mansion. Awesome! The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art is free to the public on Mondays. It’s been several years since we visited The Ringling, so this is a great time for another visit. Arriving at The Ringling, we learn the free admission includes the Gardens, the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion and The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art.
Since the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion is adjacent to the Visitor Center at The Ringling, we delight in walking through this amazing exhibit of magnificent glass works. There is a wide variety of works in many shapes and sizes. Each is intriguing in its own way. We take our time admiring each piece on display and determining our preferences. The glass displays are most impressive and the exhibit covers two floors.
Walking to the Museum of Art, we enjoy the gardens along the sidewalk. We stop for a couple of pictures at the impressive Banyan tree that stretches out across a large area. Then we watch turtles in a pond as they peacefully swim along in the water. Thankfully, once we arrive at The Ringling, the cloudy skies begin to give way to blue skies and a bit of Florida sunshine.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the official state art museum of Florida. It is a legacy of Mable Burton Ringling and John Ringling for the people of Florida. Established in 1927, today the Museum continues with an array of magnificent collections. Walking from gallery to gallery, we are in awe at the variety of paintings, tapestries, and more that are found in the museum representing Classical, Renaissance and Baroque artwork. Taking our time, we read about the artwork in each gallery, the time period represented, major pieces and the artists. It is an impressive volume of artwork that the Ringling’s amassed. Ringling also had a vision of saving décor of the gilded era. He purchased and transported rooms from mansions. The size, scale, and beauty of the Crème Salon and Library from the Astor Mansion in New York are majestic.
After visiting the various galleries, we walk through the Courtyard to admire the numerous statues including the famous David. The Ringling David is a copy of Michelangelo’s David in Florence. Having seen the original in Florence, it is still impressive. We thoroughly enjoy our afternoon exploring the Ringling Museum of Art. Next time we will get the audio tour to better appreciate all this fantastic art museum offers.
Dining on Sarasota Bay – Shore on Longboat Key
Our finale for Monday night is a special dinner at Shore on Longboat Key. A new restaurant on the north end of Longboat Key, we previously visited for drinks and look forward to a wonderful dining experience. Walking into Shore is impressive. Immediately, we are inspired by the magnificent view of Sarasota Bay. It seems each level of dining offers a fantastic water view. Additionally, the modern design features plenty of wood accents. It is a romantic, scenic, and beautiful setting.
Exactly what we are seeking for a special dinner. A private celebration for Richard’s birthday. With 400 feet of waterfront and a 300-foot dock, the vista is jaw-dropping. Enjoying a bottle of wine our entrees of Pan Seared Local Snapper and Miso Marinate Black Grouper are tantalizing. Beautifully presented and delectable flavors. After dinner, we take a walk out on the beautiful pier to take in the scenery of Sarasota Bay, under blue skies.
At Last! We Enjoy the Sand & Surf!
Finally! On our beach getaway we get to enjoy the relaxing hot tub and welcoming pool on Monday evening at Zota Beach Resort. Hurrah! On Tuesday morning we awake to clear blue skies. With a noon checkout, we squeeze in as much of the Salt Life as we can in a few hours. After taking a long walk on the beach, we enjoy the refreshing waters of the Gulf of Mexico. AHHHH! This is what we had hoped to do the past couple of days. After an enjoyable dip in the pool, it is time to get ready to pack and head home.
Wow! Our plans for multiple days of sun, sand, and surf at the Zota Beach Resort on Longboat Key did not turned out as planned. We only got to enjoy the Salt Life Monday night and Tuesday morning. So much for hours of relaxing and rejuvenating at the beach. Yet! We know that on any travels you need to be flexible. Thankfully, we did just that. We made the most of our getaway despite the rainy weather. We enjoyed our excursions around St. Armands Circle, various dining experiences, and exploring the beauty at the Ringling Museum of Art and Gardens. It was still a great getaway!
If you go:
Zota Beach Resort is part of the Opal Collection. This is our second visit to the Resort and both times it exceeded our expectations. We like its size of not being as large as other beach resorts that are huge and crowded. Zota has a smaller welcoming feel. As with other beach resorts it has a daily resort fee. Their Resort Fee includes: In-room bottled water, Wireless Internet, Morning coffee, Valet Parking, Beach Chair Set-up, Fitness Center, Daily Newpaper, Business Center for computing and printing needs, Unlimited local and toll-free number access.