I found my new favorite beach!!! Oh my gosh, it’s so amazing! My hubby, daughter, and I recently flew to Sarasota, Florida, and stayed at a very posh resort. And I don’t think I’ll look at beach vacations the same ever again. I’m officially spoiled. (Sorry Kendall; you have only yourself to blame…)
We stayed at the Lido Beach Resort. (By the way, it’s pronounced “lid-o.” They get all weird when you say it wrong – like Kendall did the entire time, haha). We walked into our suite and I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped. Kendall is now in charge of reservations from here on out because my cheap-ass would never have booked such an extravagant stay. No joke, I felt like I needed to pose on the balcony with a mimosa or something. We stayed in a one-bedroom suite, beach view, in the Palm Tower (in case you’re taking notes for your next trip). It was basically like a fancy small condo, and even had TWO bathrooms!!! It was deluxe!
If I thought the digs were impressive, the water was absolutely breathtaking. I’ve probably mentioned this before (at least a million times); I LOVE the ocean. And that’s putting it mildly. The water on the Gulf is clear in the shallows and brilliant turquoise as it gets deeper, with gorgeous white sand. It was love at first sight! Initially, I was worried that the waves wouldn’t crash as much as the Atlantic, which might sound odd to some folks, but the tide is what sings to my soul. Well, the waves were indeed gentler, but still sounded amazing, and what’s more… I wasn’t afraid to get IN the water because I could actually see through it. I spent more time swimming and floating in the waves than I have in years – since before Kendall started fishing off the shore… (Lemme tell you, if you saw the creatures he catches, cast out not much farther than people usually swim, you’d be freaked out too!).
Olivia’s favorite was, of course, the remarkable assortment of seashells there. We had a blast finding all sorts of beautiful natural treasures. Our little shell hunter is now spoiled too because even this aspect seemed upscale from what we were used to. During one evening stroll along the beach, we discovered the mother-load of conch shells. Olivia was beside herself with excitement. I had her pick out a few and then we tossed them all back in the water. I explained to Olivia that I didn’t want a housing market crash for the hermit crabs (the shells were all empty of their last snail occupant).
Probably I should mention other attractions… Admittedly, we didn’t venture off the resort this particular trip due to only having a few days there. (It’s hard to drag me away from the beach.) However, if I’d had more time, I would’ve liked to peruse the shops and restaurants in St. Armand’s Circle, which seemed rather enticing, and the resort even offers free shuttle service to and from. Maybe next time. I can tell you that the restaurants at the resort (both the Drift Restaurant and the Tiki Bar) have very yummy and convenient food (as well as cocktails!). And when we weren’t eating out or snacking in our own kitchen, we ordered pizza from Patellini’s that was very tasty. The coffee place in the lobby also has amazing pastries and lattes (and sandwiches too).
In all, it was a truly wonderful trip. I’d definitely go back. Actually, hell… I’m ready to move there, haha. So, if you ever have an urge to go to Florida, I highly recommend this place. The good news is that they also offer regular rooms as well as suites to accommodate a range of price points. And let me tell you, there’s definitely something to be said for staying at a resort. The mere fact that I didn’t have to drag a chair and umbrella down to the beach every morning was very high on my list. If you decide to check it out, I hope you have a blast! – And can I fit in your suitcase? Asking for a friend…
PS: You might find it humorous to know… Upon arrival in Sarasota, my GPS took us over 30 minutes in the wrong direction to a trailer park! As we circled the trailer park (albeit the nicest one I’ve ever laid eyes on), I remarked to Kendall that I thought our accommodations would be nicer… Haha! Even with GPS I’m directionally challenged. I’m never going to live that one down.
PPS: I later discovered that it’s actually not so nice to take seashells (or sand) from the beach… Apparently this popular human pastime is not exactly helpful to the sea creatures (regardless if the shells are empty). So, now I feel kinda bad that Olivia and I brought shells home. Thankfully, we were flying so the amount was rather small. I thought this was worth mentioning, as it’s not something most of us think about. And, next time you go to the beach, it’s a fantastic reason to deny your kiddo the bucket of shells they want to horde away in their room. I’m definitely going to use that in the future, haha.
🙂
