Our family just returned from beautiful Siesta Key! For those of you who may not know, Siesta Key is a small island just off the coast of Sarasota, Florida -- which is about an hour south of the Tampa Bay area on the west coast of Florida. Siesta Key has won many awards for its beaches primarily because the sand is some of the finest and whitest on Earth. The sand is 99% pure quartz, and does not ever get hot. My grandparents have been coming here since 1956, and my Mama has been coming here since 1970 (when she was 2 years old). I also made my first trip here at 2. Here is a picture of me in the surf.
One thing we love to do every time we visit Siesta Key is to go to the Mote Marine Lab & Aquarium. We started the day touring the inside areas and were able to see lots of interesting animals like this frog fish.
And a beautiful seahorse. Later, you'll get to see me interacting with one!
A lobster. Maybe one day I'll figure out why Mama always starts singing "Rock Lobster" whenever we see one.
Lots of jellyfish.
And an octopus who is so smart, they actually include some pre-school age toys in his tank. Cephalopods are quite intelligent creatures.
Cheeseburger (I say "cheeseburger" instead of "cheese" when someone is taking my picture)! I'm pretending to be a scuba diver.
And here I am being cute in front of the shark tank. Mote aquarium is a fantastic research and educational center. All the animals here are treated with the utmost respect and dignity. And many who live inside these tanks are being rehabilitated and will eventually be returned to the Gulf of Mexico.
They even have a bird sanctuary for birds who are undergoing rehabilitation.
They also have an exhibit that features floral and other botanical specimens that are indigenous to this area.
We also love to go on the Sarasota Bay Explorers' eco cruise. This give us a wonderful opportunity to spend some time on the water learning about the animals that live in this area. This is the bridge that leads from the downtown Sarasota area to Bird Key.
And we are always happy to have dolphin sightings when we go on these cruises.
The marine biologist told everyone that it is dolphin mating season. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but here are two dolphins that look like they are having a great time "playing."
We get to see not only beautiful wildlife on this cruise, but really beautiful homes as well. Sarasota and surrounding areas are home to a variety of celebrities.
Here are some birds perched upon mangroves.
And entire families who make their nests and raise their children in the mangroves.
One of the most exciting aspects of this cruise occurs when the marine biologist drops a trawl net into the bay and then pulls out some sea creatures for us to interact with. Don't worry - they have an educational waiver to be able to do this legally, and they are required to throw the sea life back into the bay afterward.
Wow, a seahorse!
Mama had the opportunity to hold it too (as did everyone on the boat). We both loved the way the sea horse would curl its tail around our fingers. Did you know that it's the male sea horses who give birth? For some reason, Mama thinks it should be that way with all species.
Here's a small urchin.
And some type of sea snail in a shell. I was so careful with these animals, because I didn't want to hurt them.
We also went to one of our favorite places to eat -- Philippi Creek Oyster Bar. They have beautiful gardens outside, and they are located right there on Philippi Creek. We sat at a table overlooking the creek.
The condominium we stayed in felt very much like a "home."
We had a beautiful view of the Gulf of Mexico and Siesta Key's Crescent Beach.
And here is a picture of our condo building (taken when we were standing on the beach). We stayed on the fourth floor.
And we all really enjoyed our time on the beach. Here's a picture of Baba.
And one of Mama.
And one of Grandma.
I always loved spending evenings on the beach.
Especially when Grandma and Pop Pop were there with me.
We also had a blast spending time in the pool. It was located in a beautiful spot where we could see the Gulf but could also spend some time in the shade if we were tired of the sun. Here's Baba relaxing.
I had a special swimsuit this year that had floats sewn into it. They really helped me to enjoy the pool - from the shallow end to the deep end!
One thing we always enjoy while on vacation is indulging in a variety of different foods. We are definitely "foodies" who seek out new and enticing culinary experiences. One night, we went to our favorite Thai place in Sarasota - Siam Orchid. We had a variety of appetizers and dishes from curried tofu to tom kha to all sorts of seafood items.
And here I am with Mama.
We also always like to visit Sarasota Square Mall while we are there. Here I am with Grandma and Pop Pop.
Another fun part of spending time on the beach is building sand castles. Baba and I are just getting started.
I'm working hard!
It's slowly coming along.
This is so much fun!
I also enjoyed chasing the seagulls. I never did catch one.
We also had a delicious steak dinner at Ruth's Chris, which happens to be one of Mommy's favorite places. And yes, I like my filet cooked medium. Mama and Baba won't let me have one medium rare just yet.
We also went to a seafood place that served alligator. Mama loves alligator and convinced me to try it. It was delicious! Plus, it's very lean protein. It has 110 calories per serving (uncooked) and only 20 of those are fat calories.
OK, so deep fried isn't the most healthful way to prepare it, but it is SO delicious this way. It is very tender and has the taste and texture of a very mild flavored fish. Also, Mama loves to say that Gator is what Georgia Bulldogs have for dinner.
Baba, a native Rhode Islander, is always happy to get hold of a lobster. He's bibbed and ready to get cracking.
We also were able to visit some of our friends in St. Petersburg: Mary Elena, Joe and their sweet daughter Mara Jade. We had a so much fun playing together.
We also visited some antique stores. I loved strumming this mandolin.
Our last night on the beach, we decided to give the seagulls some of our leftover food. They love Kashi crackers! I still wasn't able to catch one though.
See how powdery this sand is?
There's nothing as beautiful as the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico. It creates such a glow on the water.
"Cheeseburger!" Is this a good smile Mama?
What a beautiful sunset.
The surf was really up for this part of the Gulf, but it allowed for some spectacular pictures.
And this was our final sunset at Siesta Key. This was a time for us to reflect on our trip and to really be thankful for everything G-d has blessed us with. First, we are thankful for one another and the opportunity to be together with Grandma and Pop Pop at this beautiful place they have been visiting for over 50 years. But this night was a little bit bittersweet. As you all know, there is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that is getting larger every day. Most computer models show that this part of Florida should escape any damage to the beaches or wildlife. However, anything could happen if winds shift direction or if a hurricane enters the Gulf. Mama hopes that I will be able to enjoy this beautiful place for the next 40 year of my life, just as she has. Maybe that is what will happen. But even if this part of Florida escapes the effects of the spill, there are so many beautiful beaches, bays, and estuaries that have been affected already from Louisiana to the panhandle of Florida. And more will be affected. We just hope and pray that somehow every inch of land or water that has been affected can recover. And now, for the final sunset, as we watch the sun take it's "plunge" into the Gulf of Mexico.
And it's gone. I love how the beautiful colors of the sky change every few minutes as the sun drops off the horizon. Thank you for looking at our pictures and for letting us share our vacation with you! We wish you all a wonderful summer.
