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Sun, Sea and Surf- Sarasota, Florida

By Jane Danielson

Oh, how I love Sarasota Florida situated on the Gulf coast. It seems to have everything... great beaches, great shopping, great cultural activities, and just a fun and friendly place. The beaches are numerous, have beautiful white sands, and the azure waters make this a real Florida spot. Weather of course is excellent.

There are endless arrays of activities, with invigorating mixture of attractions, restaurants, shopping, and accommodations.

Sarasota is a very accessible place for all of us who are disabled, or who have limited mobility. I have found the folks of Sarasota to be helpful, thoughtful, and extremely welcoming. A marvelous place to visit.

Location:

On Florida's west coast on the Gulf of Mexico, between Tampa to the north and Ft. Myers to the south.

Geography:

571.75 square miles of land area

35 miles of beachfront

Average Annual Air Temperature:

72.6 F average air temperature

82.8 F average high temperature

61.9 F average low temperature

Population:

City of Sarasota: 52, 715 residents

Sarasota County: 228,348 residents

Airport:

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is located at the intersection of US 41 and University Parkway.

Mileage from Florida Cities:

Miami: 223 miles (4 hours' drive time)

Orlando: 129 miles (2 hours' drive time)

Tampa: 57 miles (1 hour drive time)

Accommodations:

Wide varieties of accommodations are available, from campgrounds to luxury resort hotels. Rentals of privately owned condominiums and cottages are popular. If you are a camper, I highly recommend the award-winning Sun 'N Fun on Fruitville Road, just east of 1-75 (see more about Sun and Fun below)

Arts & Cultural Community:

Sarasota is Florida's Cultural Coast and is home to a professional symphony, ballet, and opera. There are 10 theaters and 30 art galleries A real treat is to visit the John & Mabel Ringling Museum of Art.

Things to Do:

Visit Mote Marine Laboratory, G-WIZ (Gulf coast Wonder & Imagination Zone), Historic Spanish Point, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota Jungle Gardens, Warm Mineral Springs, and Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary. Always pick up a “What's Happening” brochure which gives you all the latest doings in the Sarasota area.

State Parks:

Check out Myakka River State Park, with 28,875 acres of land, for bird watching, biking, walking, camping, or just communing with Florida's natural setting of swamps, palmetto brush and towering pine trees. Myakka State Park offers guided boat and train tours that include informative narration of the area's wildlife and history.

Golf:

If there are golfers in your group then Sarasota is the place. Sarasota offers more than 1,000 holes at public, semi-private and private courses.

Piers, Marinas & Boat Ramps:

There are over 15 area marinas and 12 public boat ramps in the region. Sarasota is a haven for water sports. I always love getting out on the water and am partial to boat cruises. You get a different perspective of a place from the water.

I recommend the Le Barge Tropical Cruises,100 yards south of Marina Jack restaurant in downtown Sarasota. This is a two-tier boat, so there is easy access to the lower level. Try to get one of the back seats so you can get an unobstructed view. If you have limited mobility, the ramp is easy to walk up. When a guest is using a scooter or wheelchair, the crew is more than happy to help. Get there early and advise the crew you need assistance.

They have several different tours but I recommend the Dolphin Encounter Cruise narrated by a naturalist / marine biologist, where you can meet many of their 120 full-time resident Atlantic bottlenosed dolphins. The narrated sightseeing cruise combined seeing Sarasota's abundant wildlife with a little bit of history, as well as viewing spectacular shoreline homes.

It was perfect day when we went out on Sarasota Bay, the sun was bright, the light breeze warm, and the dolphins very playful. The crew was friendly and extremely informative. The captain made sure we stayed close to the dolphins without upsetting them. They jumped and frolicked and everyone aboard got a real look at dolphins in the wild. You will come to understand their hunting techniques, physical adaptations, and social hierarchy. You will also learn of the effects brought on by humankind and what is being done to protect this magnificent species

With over 100 bottlenose dolphins living in the coastal area, Sarasota has become an ideal place to observe and understand these intelligent marine mammals. The Sarasota Bay Dolphin Research Program is the longest on going dolphin study in the world!

La Barge Tropical Cruises, Sarasota Florida

I found the captain and crew so very ready to lend a hand. They made my cruise an incredible experience. Nothing I asked was too much of an effort. So, remember La Barge Tropical Cruises.

Two full bars and a light-fare menu are available on all cruises, Reservations are recommended. Call ahead for departure schedule Look for the big yellow boat with the palm trees on top

Come to Sarasota and enjoy yourself, whether for the beaches, the shopping, or the cultural activities. You'll find it all and more in Sarasota, Florida.

Contact Information for Sarasota:

Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau

655 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236

1-941-957-1877 • 1-800-522-9799 • Fax 1-941-951-2956

g" www.SarasotaFl.org

scvb@sarasotafl.org

http://www.sarasota.com

http://www.lebargetropicalcruises.com/

Please call (941) 366-6116

Sun N Fun RV Park:

7125 Fruitville Road, Sarasota

1-800-843-2421

http://www.sunnfunfl.com

Jane Danielson has been disabled for 16 years. She uses cane, wheelchair, and her scooter that she calls her “Freedom Machine.” She has been widely published as a Travel Writer for the Disabled in North America as well as Europe. You can reach Jane at JaneD@disabled-traveler.com. Please feel free to visit Jane's web site at www.disabled-traveler.com

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