Siesta Key Beach

Monday, June 13 - Bridgette and Tyler left at 4:30 this morning for the airport, and John left shortly thereafter for work, so Joe and I slept in a little, then decided to go for a drive down to Siesta Key Beach, which we had heard was one of the top 10 beaches in the world.  As we were going over one of the many, many bays here that are bridged, the drawbridge came up to let a sailboat through.  This was the first drawbridge we have had to wait for, so that was neat.

See the sail boat coming out from under the bridge.










We took the scenic route and drove along the coast North to the end of Anna Marie Island.  There were nice beaches here too, but the beach itself was not very big.  There was shade, picnic tables, and a beautiful banyan (I think) tree here, though, and a couple of piers.

We drove on past the beach we were at yesterday, and headed to Sarasota where Siesta Key is located.  
  Here is what the Internet says about Siesta Beach.

   At the "Great International White Sand Beach Challenge" held in 1987, it was recognized as having the "whitest and finest sand in the world."  Unlike beaches elsewhere that are made up mostly of coral, Siesta Beach's sand is 99% quartz. Even on the hottest days, the sand is so reflective that it feels cool underfoot. It's estimated that the sand on Siesta Beach and Crescent Beach on Siesta Key is millions of years old, and started in the Appalachians and flowed down the rivers and was eventually deposited on the shores of Siesta Key.  Shallow water depth in the near shore area together with year round lifeguard protection, makes this one of the safest beaches in the County and great for small children.


Parking and beach access were not as plentiful as at Anna Marie beach, but the sand was definitely very white and soft.  We parked and walked over to the water, but I wasn't feeling very good (scratchy throat and upset stomach), so we didn't change into our swimsuits. 

But it was really crowded here, and this is Monday!  They had a sign at the lifeguard station showing the water temperature (85) and tidal times.

But it was way too crowded.  There were a couple boats pulling parasails here, which we also had seen at Anna Marie beach.

We didn't stay long -- it was hot, and way past lunch time.  It would be a nice beach to go to, if it wasn't so crowded.  We may try it again before we leave Tampa.  We stopped at the grocery on the way home, then called it a day.  After dinner, Joe's throat started feeling scratchy too, and during the night we both woke up with severe sore throats, so we are probably in for a cold.  Isn't that great! We'll have to go over to the motorhome and get our supply of cold pills.  Tyler arrived home safely, but he thinks he is getting a cold too.  How's that for a souvenir!