Ketch-up: Sarasota

Hmmmm....okay let's see, over the past couple of days we have been to about 3-4 Wal-marts, 2 Targets, 1 or 2 Best Buys, & a Radio Shack. J' wants to get a TV so we don't have to keep going places & spending money (out of our budget) to watch the games, so we have been everywhere that would sell the exact TV he wants. Found that no one carries it & we'll probably order online. We have also gone sticker shopping -I got a bad-ass ring too (we started collecting stickers from all the places we've been or just liked to put on one of our main 'bed' boards in the van). We spent a couple of days in Siesta Key on the beach, really only an hour or so because we get bored or I get hungry, then once we pick up to go and check on Savannah we always end up moving on...haha.

[caption id="attachment_2013" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Siesta Beach parking.Better get here early, they fill up fast![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2015" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I guess everyone is on the beach! Siesta Beach picnic area[/caption]

Then, today we finally got our TV. We ended up ordering it online and had it shipped to us down here, to a private postal service. Even though it cost $5, instead of the $3 they told us over the phone, I don't think it was that bad of a deal. I mean, we got a package on the road...how cool is that!? So yay, we got a TV!! Now we can watch the games and even have a little something to do at night when we both don't want to read or do computer stuff. I think it will be a nice break and a nice treat since we haven't had TV in almost two years!

[caption id="attachment_2016" align="aligncenter" width="300"] TV Time![/caption]

Since we had left the beach to go pick-up our new purchase, we decided to find a new place to hunker down for the day. We drove over to the place where they had the Farmer's Market that one day, Phillippi Estate. They have a huge park there and docking stations for kayak's to get into the river so we figured it would be a nice quiet place to spend the rest of the day (no overnight parking there).
So glad we did too. J' was able to work at a picnic table under a gorgeous tree, Savannah was able to do her thing, sneakily though since they don't allow animals in the park...tee hee and I walked around & took pictures. It was gorgeous there, glad we stopped for a few hours.

[caption id="attachment_2017" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Antique Rose Garden[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2018" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I thought all roses smelled the same. NOPE!! These roses smelled like mango & cherry candy… so yummy![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2019" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Such a neat little place this is[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2021" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Another beautiful rose, that smelled so sweet it almost smelled edible.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2022" align="aligncenter" width="300"] J’ working away in Sarasotaville[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2023" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Phillippi Estate[/caption]

PEACE

51- January day at Siesta Key by Ayevangabond

The Sarasota Idle

We moved around a lot today. We're not really getting the REALLY hot and sunny weather we had hoped for in Florida, but we do get spotted days and it's not totally freezing, like back home, so it's a plus anyway ya slice it. J' really had to get down and do some work so today was more of a work day than a play day but it's gotta be done. We put in a Borders in our GPS, got to it, loaded up everything to take inside and after our loooooong walk from the parking lot discovered that they closed their doors. Luckily, a Barnes & Noble (who probably put them out of business) was just a half mile down the street. We sat there for a couple of hours, until our computers were close to dead (only one plug-in and it was taken), then got back in the van, plugged in and drove "across the street" to the mall (Westfield Sarasota Square). It's a pretty nice mall. We sat in the Food Court and worked for a little while longer until J' couldn't take the exhaustingly slow internet speed there. From there we got back in the van, ate a little something and worked a little more.

[caption id="attachment_2029" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Internet at the Mall! YES!!!! Can you find the most interesting name on the list? haha some people…[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2030" align="aligncenter" width="300"] J’ working & me people watching at the mall[/caption]

J' really wanted to watch the game (Broncos vs. Patriots) so while he was working I was trying to find a place to go....again close and within our budget. We found a few places and went to three of them before we made a decision. We were looking for a good atmosphere with good seats and a good price. We ended up at a place called Crusty's Pizza.

[caption id="attachment_2031" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Crusty's for the game[/caption]

We walked right in, found a great spot to sit right in front of a bunch of t.v's! They had a plug-in right where we were sitting with free wi-fi...not that J' would want to work now, but at least it was there! The food wasn't too bad either. It was nice and we were able to watch the game without any annoyances and crowds & we barely paid anything. It was what we were looking for and we found it, so I don't think you can ask for more than that!

PEACE

 

Artsy Fartsy Sarasota

Since we've been in Sarasota for a few days now, we decided to actually see what Downtown Sarasota looked like instead of going straight to the beach. We found a parking spot right on the main street and were surprised to notice we didn't have to pay for parking (where we were), but as we walked across the street, there was meter parking and a daily parking stand where you get a ticket to put on your dashboard...we got lucky. We walked around and looked at all of the cute shops that they have. It was still pretty early in the morning so not a lot of people out but it was nice just the same. Still very refreshing.

[caption id="attachment_2034" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Window Shopping[/caption]

We walked all of Downtown, down to Selby Five Points Park. It's very artsy and beautiful down there. We saw the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre, The Sarasota Opera House, the Public Library which is huge and gorgeous, a Starbucks that looks like it cost a million dollars for a cup of coffee and art EVERYWHERE. It was neat and I'm glad we stopped for the time we did.

[caption id="attachment_2035" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Selby Five Points Park[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2036" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Starbucks (I wonder how much it cost to live up there?)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2037" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Proposing Art![/caption]

After the park we were on our way to the beach and since the morning never really turned into a hot afternoon, as we were sitting waiting for one of the drawbridges to go back down, we veered off into a parking lot of have lunch. We ended up spending half the afternoon here because it was so quiet and sooo windy outside anyway.

[caption id="attachment_2038" align="aligncenter" width="224"] She could sleep anywhere, any time[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2039" align="aligncenter" width="300"] My Babaa’ working on a windy day[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2040" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Just right off the main road. Crazy no one else is here…all ours for the day![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2041" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A girl snatched my camera out of my hand as I was self-po’ing it and took this picture! Weird but nice of her![/caption]

PEACE

48- Resting by the Bay by Ayevangabond

Keep on Truckin': Back to Sarasota

[caption id="attachment_2122" align="aligncenter" width="207"] “Unconditional Surrender”
Kiss Statue in Sarasota[/caption]

Since we didn't get to spend a lot of time in Sarasota the first time around, we thought it would be a good idea to circle back and try it again. It's a really clean town and there are quite a few beaches (& dog parks).  We were driving to Siesta Key and ended up taking a small detour to The Phillippi Farmhouse Market. It was a Wednesday and we were surprised to learn they do a mid-week market, so you don't have to wait until the weekend! Now that's fresh food!! It was smaller, this day, we were told because of the inclement weather...but we still walked around and saw the venues that were there. There some pretty cool ones too!

[caption id="attachment_2124" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Bonsai guy. He says, “If you buy a tree and it dies,
come back and I’ll give you another one.”[/caption]

For a few days, we had been throwing the idea around of going to a campground to stay overnight. J' had seen videos and read some blogs on a certain campground/RV Park in Sarasota and we figured since we were right here that we would see what a night would cost and if it was feasible, we would jump in.... so we jumped! We drove over to the Sun'n'Fun RV Resort and booked ourselves in for the night. It's beautiful here. They have 2 Olympic size pools (which, I'm a sucker for an amazing lap pool!) a top of the line workout center (I think it was just opened the week before we got here). They have all kinds of sports, full on laundry facilities, bathroom facilities, they even have a dog wash! It's pretty sweet. I wish we could just live here! haha

[caption id="attachment_2125" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I could live here! I mean look at that pool!
Laps here I come!![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2126" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Joon Van in all of her glory at our campsite[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2127" align="aligncenter" width="300"] We took a walk…saw this sign on the path
Only in Florida!![/caption]

 PEACE

 

41- Sun'n'Fun Pools by Ayevangabond

Georgia to Florida

Well, we were finally able to take some time off for adventure! Woo-Hoo, slap your knee and call me Sally!! Actually I really don't like that name, so don't call me that... Before we departed we made sure that Joon Van had everything tightened up and bolted down as well as the house.

[caption id="attachment_2086" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Joon Van is dressed & ready to mingle[/caption]

The 31st of December, we were ready for take off and we did just that. It took us about 5 1/2 - 6 hours to get to the Florida line. We stopped at the visitors center right at the border of Florida & Georgia, (Joseph O. Striska Official Florida Welcome Center I-75). We made lunch: cooked sausage on our grill and eggs that we took from our fridge so we didn't waste them. I was just going to have almonds, pb and almonds but J' talked me into a little piece of sausage!  We had Savannah on a leash by one of the tables they provide at the center. It was a beautiful day and it was glorious to have a tank top and jeans on and not be cold!

[caption id="attachment_2088" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Cooking lunch in Sunny Florida[/caption]

For the first few days we found ourselves stopping at rest stops or pretty overlooks (where we wouldn't get run off) and taking everything out of Joon and rearranging so I wouldn't go crazy...we couldn't find anything! I guess it happens even in the smallest of spaces. 

[caption id="attachment_2089" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A beautiful rest stop right outside of Tampa going to Sarasota[/caption]

Before we left home, I researched some things for us to do that were either free or cheap. I found some pretty cool things. One thing that really made my trip was one of the first things we decided to join... a drum circle. There is a drum circle that goes on every Sunday night @ Siesta Key and Wednesdays too, at a different beach (Nokomis maybe??) We wanted something to celebrate our adventure & our New Years. After all it was January 1, 2012!! This drum circle was off the hook, it was pretty bad-ass. Totally 100 % free and totally freeing of your soul. We got there super early because we heard that it gets crowded, I thought there would be like 30 people....more like 300 people! Since we were there at the beginning, we had front row seats, that made it so much more fun. They had everything from drums to one solo guitarist, belly dancers, hula-hoopers, this guy with a feather that just totally made the whole experience for me and freedom. We all danced and people watched and just enjoyed the music and company of everybody around. We also were able to enjoy the majesty of the Sarasota sun sinking down below the water...now that is beauty!

[caption id="attachment_2090" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sarasota Sunset[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2091" align="aligncenter" width="224"] The awesome guy with a feather & a ‘hooa’[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2092" align="aligncenter" width="300"] It all started with one drum[/caption]

PEACE

11- Drum Circle gets bigger by Ayevangabond