Sarasota
21 January 2013
Bob
(Continuation of my article)
Our stay in Sarasota ultimately stretched from one to three weeks. Simply put, Sarasota charms everyone who visits. And more than one long-time cruiser has happily swallowed the anchor and bought a home here.
A leisurely walk around the downtown area quickly illustrates why so many are bewitched by Sarasota. Handsomely landscaped parks abound, wide clean sidewalks, peppered with bright, red brick walkways and random sculptures invite you to walk everywhere. Shops and open-air restaurants everywhere downtown almost require one to stop and sample something. Days and evenings offer everything from an afternoon at the aquarium (Longboat Key) to an evening at the opera downtown. Exhibits of arts and crafts are numerous and live music seems to be everywhere. By day the outlying keys offer long beach walks and St Armand's Circle beckons those who enjoy perusing the lush shopping offerings attractively displayed. Evenings offer a variety of stage shows at the theatres downtown.
Though perhaps lacking Charleston's long and dramatic historical backdrop, the attraction index for Sarasota certainly compares favorably to Charleston's, a city for which we have the utmost affection. (Continued next post)