Recreation Information

• Recreation Information: Theres walking the beach, a popular pastime from sunrise to sunset.Guests can choose from an endless variety of boat rentals, including kayaks, wave runners and motorboats. Bikers can find many shops to rent their favorites, and the newly-built bike path lets you bike from the south end on Midnight Pass Rd. up to the North Bridge. There is shuffleboard, a swimming pool, snorkling, beach volleyball,bike and scooter rentals and fishing. A marvelous way to end a beautiful vacation on Siesta Key is to be at the drum circle on Sundays, on Siesta Beach, enjoying the passionate drumbeats of the regular group of drummers, along with dancers and maybe even a singer or two.

• Area Attractions: Known as the Cultural Capital of Florida, Sarasota offers a variety of entertainment from the circus to popular music, blues, ballet, jazz, opera and theatre. Although the circus only comes to town once a year, everything else is available year round.The top three -most visited- attractions are: Selby Gardens; Mote Marine Laboratory; and the Ringling Museum of Art. All three venues are known internationally and offer world-class illustrations of their respective specialties. Some examples are the orchids at Selby Gardens the giant squid and manatees and shark tank at Mote Marine and the collection of Rubens paintings and circus memorabilia at the Ringling Museum. Children love G. Wiz, a marvelous hands-on science museum, a visit to the exotic Sarasota Jungle Gardens to observe tropical animals, flowers and birds should definitely be at the top of your list. There are many enjoyable boat rides that leave from Marina Jack downtown. Tourists rave about Le Barge, a two-hour narrated tour around the bay that highlights all the beautiful mansions along the water.For shoppers, there are marvelous boutiques and antique shops on Pineapple Avenue, magnificent art galleries on Palm Avenue, not to mention malls with familiar stores on Siesta Drive and Gulf Gate Drive. St. Armands Circle provides a unique experience with its collection of shops. For the outlet lover, we have two wonderfull malls within a fourty-five minute drive. There is also a large selection of public courses, and most have reasonable fees, even in season. Plus, their experienced pros offer lessons at all levels of play. In addition, there are many golf shops that carry all the equipment and clothes necessary for perfecting your game. Golf in stunning Sarasota is a year round sport. Because Sarasota is so centrally located, and the Tropical Shores Resort is only 15 minutes from Interstate 75, access to many interesting sites is very easy. Everyone is familiar with the many and varied theme parks in Orlandofrom the internationally known Disney World, to the excitement of making movies at MGM or Universal Studios, to gawking in wonder at the amazingly talented whales at Sea World. And, closer to home, Busch Gardens in Tampa combines thrilling amusement rides with world-class roller coasters, a wildlife safari park and beautiful gardens to enjoy all at one venue and for one price.However, there is another more natural and more timeless side of Florida to be explored, and many destinations can be visited in one day. Myakka River State Park is a short ride directly east of the hotel.Exploring the forest for wildlife, climbing the canopy to observe the many birds who make their nests there, or enjoying a marvelous airboat ride while the well-versed guide describes the environment and points out all the alligators who live in the Myakka River, its very easy to forget that you are in the 21st century. Further north in Tampa is the excellent Lowry Park Zoofamily friendly and compact enough to visit all the sites in one day. Seeing an exotic Komodo dragon or a peaceful Florida manatee, or a magnificent Persian leopard for the first time will leave you with unforgettable memories of these unique animals. Another daytrip about two hours north is one that offers swimming with manatees in Crystal River and/or visiting the fabulous Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park. In summer, the manatees congregate in Crystal River and you can rent wetsuits and equipment to swim and be up close and personal with our gentle Florida sea cows in a very safe environment. This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Wildlife Park is famous and unique because all of its species are native to Florida, except Lulu the resident rhino -but thats another story-. Walk along the paths, and observe flamingos, manatees eating endless Romaine lettuce, American eagles, barn owls and a stunning array of colorful birds. Driving south from Sarasota will also offer you ample choices of daytrips. Boca Grande provides a change from the busy beaches of Siesta Key. Pay your toll, and drive over the bridge onto a quiet, laid-back island that offers beautiful, uncrowded beaches, safe biking paths, tarpon fishing and an unhurried lifestyle. If you are looking for a more adventurous trip, then the Everglades is perfect, but you will have to leave the hotel bright and early in order to enjoy your full day of fun. A very popular Everglades destination is the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Take a boat ride through this combination rainforest and swamp land; observe the lush beauty all around; and see many animals in their natural habitat. Sit quietly and listen for the sounds of exotic birds and maybe grab a quick photo or two. Florida panthers have also been observed in the Glades and not to forget, multitudes of alligators just waiting to pose for your prize winning photo.