We went to St Armand's Circle on 8/21/2013. St Armand's Circle is located on 300 Madison Dr #201 Sarasota, Fl 34236. This Circle is filled with shops, restaurants, scenery, and statues. This is a great place for picture opportunities, shopping, and dining. We got there around 10am and walked around to all the shops and then had lunch at the Columbia restaurant.   

During our time at St Armand's Circle we walked in all the shops, ate ice cream, ate at the Columbia Restaurant, and took lots of photos. There were many neat shops at the circle including Pepper Place, a wooden map store, a gallery, an olive oil store, and a variety of souvenir shops. We highly recommend going to Pepper Palace where you can sample a wide variety of bbq sauces, hot sauces, dips, and seasonings. We sampled a few of the hot sauces, salsas, and bbq sauces. We asked the owner what bbq sauce would be the best for pulled pork and he recommended a customer favorite called the Honey Chipotle Run BBQ sauce. I would have never tried it if he would not have suggested it and it was the best bbq sauce i have every tasted. We bought a bottle to take home as a gift and the manager informed us that we could place orders by phone or online to be shipped to our home if we wanted any more in the future. 

The Columbia Restaurant has amazing Spanish food. They have a very classy restaurant set-up with an outdoor patio area. We ate there around 1:00 p.m. and the place was the most crowded restaurant on the circle by far. The lunch menu had a wide variety of Spanish dishes and the restaurant gave great portion sizes for the money. They give you hot bread before your meal that was delicious. The waiter was very nice and accommodating. We recommend the key lime pie for dessert. Don't miss this fine dining opportunity while visiting Bentley Street. We provided dinner and lunch menus in Bentley so be sure to check out the menus!      

This week we went and ate at the Daiquiri Deck in Siesta Key. They have off street parking in the back of the restaurant, an outdoor deck, an indoor eating area, a raw bar, and a bar area. They have a wide variety of alcoholic drinks. I ordered the Kryptonite daiquiri and it was very good! It is pictured below. The service was fast and the waitress was very friendly and accommodating. We ordered the siesta burger and a salmon wrap, both were very good. You get a choice of fries or coleslaw with your meal. We also ordered a strawberry smoothie which was very refreshing after a good day at the beach! Overall a very positive and welcoming atmosphere to eat in. For more information visit their website at www.daiquirideck.com this restaurant is a short ride from Bentley street on 5250 Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key. A menu can be found online or in house menu drawer. Check out the daiquiri deck on your next visit!!

Here are pictures and a video of Sarasota Bay Park. The Sarasota Bay area is home to Marina Jacks, O'Leary's Tiki Bar and Grill, beautiful views, walking paths, beautiful picnicking spots, boat rentals, fishing opportunities, and much more. The Bay Park is located at One Marina Plaza, Sarasota, FL 34236 which is about a ten minute drive from Bentley Street. 

Getting colder and colder up North.  Isn't it time you planned for a vacation to Florida?  

We just finished renovating and furnishing a neat 2 bedroom in Sarasota that sleeps 6 and is now ready for your stay: South Gate Home
P.S. don't just look at that water... go there. goSiesta.com

Not your run of the mill people at this event but I recommend all make the trip. Watch the sunset while the locals pay respects to the God of the sun or who knows what. People of all ages and areas come with their drums to join in to this fun and interesting event every week at the largest public beach access in siesta. 

Sarasota, FloridaSiesta Beach is the number one beach in the 21st annual Top 10 Beach List, produced by coastal expert Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, Director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research.    

Siesta Beach in Sarasota boasts that it has the finest and whitest sand in the world, and I cannot argue with this claim; the powdery sand is nearly pure quartz crystal.  The beautiful blue-colored water is clean and clear, making it so inviting to bathers and swimmers.  The beach is hundreds of yards wide, attracting volleyball players and beachcombers as well as those who just want to find their place in the sun.  Waves at Siesta Beach are normally measured in inches and the beach gradually slopes into the Gulf waters, making it a very safe area for children.    

This beach park is complete with showers and bathrooms, snack bars, grills, picnic tables, shade trees, and a large parking area, which does fill up on summer weekends.  Siesta Beach is a smokeless beach, earning extra points for cleanliness and environmental management. My favorite time to visit is after Labor Day when things have calmed down, and the water is still warm enough for swimming until November.  Snowbirds from northern climes call this area home during the winter because of the great weather.  The beaches are for exploring, but not swimming at this time of year, albeit I have been in the water as early as March.


1.  Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florida 
2.  Coronado Beach in San Diego, California 
3.  Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii 
4.  Main Beach in East Hampton, New York 
5.  Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks of North Carolina 
6.  St. George Island State Park, Florida panhandle
7.  Beachwalker Park Kiawah Island, South Carolina 
8.  Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts
9.  Waimanalo Bay Beach Park on Oahu, Hawaii 
10. Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida