Sarasota, FL
Sarasota, FL
In 1929, John Ringling chose Sarasota as winter headquarters for his "Greatest Show on Earth" circus, and even though the circus has moved on, the Ringling legacy is very much alive here. The Ringling Museum of Art is a Renaissance-style palace that the circus king built to house his art collection. In addition to the 31 galleries of art, the Ringling includes a 66-acre bayfront garden, the Ringling's 56-room mansion and a circus museum. Next to his museum, Ringling reconstructed an 18th-century Italian theater with stones brought piece by piece from Asolo, Italy. Throughout the year, visitors can see plays and operas in the playhouse built for Queen Catherine (5401 Bay Shore Rd., 941-359-5700).
Sarasota also has several beautiful beaches including Siesta Beach, Lido Beach and Longboat Key Beach, which are perfect for swimming, sunbathing and water sports. If you are up for a hike, nearby Myakka River State Park has trails, a river cruise and opportunities for bird and wildlife watching. Keep an eye out for alligators! (Transportation required.)
Mote Marine Lab & Aquarium on nearby Lido Key has a stingray touch tank and shark tank plus manatees in a nearby mammal center (1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy., 941-388-444). While on Lido Key, check out St. Armans Circle, an outdoor shopping district featuring a variety of boutiques, galleries and restaurants.
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As with most larger cities, St. Petersburg boasts an exciting arts and food scene, professional sporting events, a variety of museums and a serious nightlife. Start your exploration on the very walkable Bayshore Dr., a picturesque street with shops, restaurants and waterfront views. Take a tour of the historic Vinoy Hotel a beautiful, historic hotel that has been a St. Petersburg landmark since the 1920s. If it's a Saturday, stop by the St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market, a popular market at 230 1st St. SE that features fresh produce, crafts and live music. At the end of the day, make your way to St. Pete Beach, known for white sand, turquoise waters and stunning sunsets. Nearby Sunken Gardens is a century-old botanical garden featuring over 50,000 tropical plants, a butterfly aviary and a historic flamingo colony at 1825 4th St. N. (727-551-3102).
Not only does St. Pete have the largest public waterfront park system of any U.S. city, it's also an easy city to negotiate by foot or public transportation. The downtown "Looper" trolley (727-821-5166) stops at many of the tourist spots and downtown locations every 15 minutes for a nominal charge. The public bus service (PSTA, 727-540-1800) can get you around the rest of the city in all-electric buses.
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