Sarasota

We awoke to another gorgeous sunny day. We wandered back downtown for breakfast at a French Café.

When we plopped down at this Brasserie, I promptly ordered a cappuccino, but the machine was BROKEN! I know…devastating. I regrouped and ordered a regular coffee. It was the worst thing that happened to me all day.

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Today we will be visiting the World Famous Siesta Key Beach, after a brief delay on the North Bridge.

We made it to the World famous Siesta Key Beach! I had been watching the “beach cam” live footage while shivering in my living room for weeks before this trip and now we are actually here!

Now, this boast of #1 beach seems to be in dispute. Some lists have it ranked #2 for 2023/2024 after Ka’anapali Beach in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. Until I have visited both, I cannot chime in.

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The first thing you’ll observe about Siesta Key is that the beach is expansive. Huge you might say. You’ll need to grab a snack at the concession stand to eat on your journey to the shoreline. We visited on a cooler day so the sand was not hot at all. I later learned that even on scorching days the sand stays cool. It’s 99% quartz so it’s reflective qualities make it comfortable underfoot. 

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We lounged on the beach for good amount of time considering that we didn’t bring chairs, or towels or sunscreen or an umbrella or food or enough water. We’re not good at being beach people. Not to worry, it was getting on time to head out for lunch anyway.

We were so busy hanging out and visiting friends for the first couple days that we didn’t really eat to the degree to which I’m accustomed. On this afternoon I wanted sit down and have a proper seafood feast. We landed over at Siesta Ket Oyster Bar. I requested a table out front where we could people watch, enjoy the sunshine, and hear some live music.

We ordered a couple of beverages and let our waiter know that we were in it for the long haul. He was super cool about letting us relax and enjoy our drinks and the vibe for awhile before ordering food.

When I popped inside to visit the powder room, I was met with an onslaught of one dollar bills. For some time SKOB customers have been writing messages on the cash and stapling it to the walls and ceiling. Every few years, staff members remove the bills, and the owners pick a charity where they will donate the money. In the past, the donations have gone to victims of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas and Hurricane Ian in Florida. The latest round went to Hawaii for Maui fire relief.

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I set about ordering our feast. It was just what I’ve been craving; fresh and beautiful seafood!!!

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We had been seated at a table for four. I was just leaning over to Jeff to say that he reach out to our friends Dave and Mary to see if they want to join us. They moved down here a couple of years ago…you know the drill. We had talked about getting together with them at some point during the day. Guess who walked right up to our table?

We had the most relaxing afternoon eating, drinking and chatting with our friends, but it was getting on time to head back to our AirBnB take a disco nap. We had yet more shows to attend!

In a nearly unbelievable coincidence, we had two friends who were both on tour, playing in two separate bands at a venue in Sarasota on this very night! Inconceivable!

The Shows were at a brewery now called “Cock & Bull”. It was Big Top Brewing when we were there and then changed the name two weeks later. Way to make this blogger feel insane trying to find the place for reference.

First up was Bad Marriage. We’ve known the lead singer Jon for many years through social media, but it took a concert 1200 miles away to finally get to see his band. They were fantastic. My favorite of the night was “Bad Blood”.

I made my way through the crowd to capture a bit of the performance.

Next up was Enuff Z’nuff

Enuff Z’nuff is a Glam/Pop/Rock band. They had some radio hits in the late 80s, the biggest being “Fly High Michelle”. They were flipping amazing with tight vocal harmonies and an incredible over all sound. They threw in a couple covers, starting right off with the Beatles “Magical Mystery tour”. Killer!

We met the lead guitarist, Tory not too long ago. Jeff had been Facebook friends with him for quite a bit. He and his girl stopped into one of our gigs last year. It just happened to be one of the weirdest most awkward gigs we’ve ever played. Not THE weirdest, mind you. When we get together I’ll tell you about it. Anyway he’s a great guy and a monster talent.

Here’s a bit of the action:

We had a blast today experiencing the serene beaches, the delectable seafood, and some serious rock in Sarasota. We still have one last full day to explore this fair city.