Siesta Key & Rollerblading
Jul 5th, 2007, 10:41 AM
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Siesta Key & Rollerblading
I'm looking forward to a vacation in Siesta Key. For those familair with the area, are there any good places to roller blade there? Any paths, etc without a lot of traffic, curbs, things that I could crash into? Stopping when blading is not my specialty. Or should I leave my blades at home and just walk for exercise? thanks for any tips.
Jul 5th, 2007, 10:47 AM
#2
I haven't roller bladed there so don't know this for certain, but the nice wide sidewalk seems to go on forever and there certainly are a ton of people on bikes. I'd think it would be a terrific place to skate with few worries about driveways/curbs.
Jul 5th, 2007, 12:17 PM
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Are the sidewalks pretty clean of sand and stone? Speaking from last year's big crash at Longboat key, that will clog up a roller blade wheel and cause a major fall, something I dont care to repeat. thanks for any more info.
Jul 5th, 2007, 01:27 PM
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The part of Siesta Key that I'm familiar with has tons of driveways all along the sidewalk. I would think you'd be stopping and starting all the time, or at least having to slow constantly as you approached another driveway. I have rollerbladed for the past 10 years and would not rollerblade in Siesta Key. I don't know of any paths in the area. The beach is beautiful, why don't you get your exercise walking the beach?
Jul 9th, 2007, 08:41 AM
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Thanks for the info Kathy. Maybe we should have a rollerblading GTG for the western new york posters! I tried to respond fri but my response didn't seem to post. We're staying at the El Presidente. It meet eveyone's requirements. I hope its nice. I searched here, the web, VRBO for find a place. Any other info on Siesta Key is welcome-restaurants, shops, rainy day activities, evening activities, parks. 2 adults, 2 sons, one turns 18 on the trip and the other is almost 21.
Jul 10th, 2007, 05:13 AM
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We vacation there every year and this is what I can offer.
Eat at the Lobster Pot (Shore Sampler is good as well as Oyster Rockefeller) and have ice cream at Olaf's in the willage. On Sunday afternoon (6'ish) go to the Drum Circle http://www.simplysiestakey.com/DrumCircle.html
on the public beach. In the village there is a good breakfast place (Cafe Continental). It is on the right headed north in the second strip mall (green roof). I personally think the Broken Egg (famous b-fast local sucks).
From your condo facing the mainland go to the right and there is a 7-11 and liquor store down the street. You can also use the internet in the little strip mall there to print out your return boarding passes. There is also a pharmacy. Grocery shop at Publix on the mainland for better prices food selection than the one grocery on the island. There is one just past the intersection of Midnight Pass and Tamiami Trail.
Facing the gulf go to the left at low tide and around the retaining wall and you are on Point Of Rocks. You can find some nice shells there. If you go out in the gulf directly from the Sea Castle (almost last condo unit on beach before Point Of Rocks) about 75-100 yards you can find huge sand dollars in about 5-6 feet of water at low tide. Take a boogie board to float on and a grocery bag tied to it to put the dollars in. Look for a ditch and they pile up there.
The Ringling Museum http://www.ringling.org/ is good. A trip up to St. Armands handles a rainy or cloudy day. I wasn't impressed by the Mote Aquarium.
If I were a roller blader I think I would head off on some of the side streets around and north of the village.
Eat at the Lobster Pot (Shore Sampler is good as well as Oyster Rockefeller) and have ice cream at Olaf's in the willage. On Sunday afternoon (6'ish) go to the Drum Circle http://www.simplysiestakey.com/DrumCircle.html
on the public beach. In the village there is a good breakfast place (Cafe Continental). It is on the right headed north in the second strip mall (green roof). I personally think the Broken Egg (famous b-fast local sucks).
From your condo facing the mainland go to the right and there is a 7-11 and liquor store down the street. You can also use the internet in the little strip mall there to print out your return boarding passes. There is also a pharmacy. Grocery shop at Publix on the mainland for better prices food selection than the one grocery on the island. There is one just past the intersection of Midnight Pass and Tamiami Trail.
Facing the gulf go to the left at low tide and around the retaining wall and you are on Point Of Rocks. You can find some nice shells there. If you go out in the gulf directly from the Sea Castle (almost last condo unit on beach before Point Of Rocks) about 75-100 yards you can find huge sand dollars in about 5-6 feet of water at low tide. Take a boogie board to float on and a grocery bag tied to it to put the dollars in. Look for a ditch and they pile up there.
The Ringling Museum http://www.ringling.org/ is good. A trip up to St. Armands handles a rainy or cloudy day. I wasn't impressed by the Mote Aquarium.
If I were a roller blader I think I would head off on some of the side streets around and north of the village.
Jul 10th, 2007, 08:18 AM
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Thanks autoeng. You provided just the type of info I am looking for. Lobster Pot is at the top of my list now! and the drum thing sounds like a lot of fun. After much thought (and Kathy's comments, the blades are staying home. I have some lovely scars from a big spill last year on Longboat Key (and some kind words for the folks at the realty company near where I fell for calling for help giving me some first aid supplies).
Jul 10th, 2007, 08:58 AM
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Autoeng has given you some good advice. I was going to suggest the Lobster Pot. We don't eat out much, the places we have stayed have ocean front decks with grills and it's great to cook a meal and eat on the water. Coasters, just over the bridge is another good choice. For the first time this year we went to the drum circle and it was entertaining. The place you are staying is nice. Check out Siesta Dunes, just a few properties away (towards the public beach) for consideration if you plan to visit again. For drinks, the Daquiri (sp?) Deck in the village is fun. The beach at Siesta is beautiful, you should love it there!
Jul 10th, 2007, 10:02 AM
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When you go to the Lobster Pot don't park in the grocery store parking lot. You can part on the pennisula by the Beach store or in the parking lot just beyond the LP but I think you have to enter from behind.
I agree that it is nice to cook out for yourself which is what I mostly do. There is a place on Tamiami to the south where you can get fresh shrimp but I just found it this year and couldn't give directions. They have a restaurant there as well so a local might know where I am talking about as I doubt there are many restaurants that sell uncook seafood for your preparation.
Coasters is on the mainland side of the drawbrige. Look over to your left as you cross the bridge onto SK and you will see it.
The boys will probably like the public beach more than Turtle Beach (where the El P is) as there might not be a lot of young ladies there. They will be needed a ride to the PB as it is a good distance to it. As far as night life there is only the village and hanging out with people in your complex. There are a couple of restaurants in the village that have live music but where you will be (Turtle Beach) will be very quite after 9:00pm.
There are some decent shops in the village for tourist items. Don't waste time with the Sassy Foxx unless you have deep pockets. It is on the right, just before the curve as you enter the village. In the little strip south of El P is the Green Turtle and a couple of others. You can also rent bikes, mopads and such in the same strip.
SK is really small a almost entirely devoted to beach time so for shopping, night life and entertainment you are limited and might have to go into Sarasota or to one of the other Keys.
If you decide that SK might be a place you want to come back to spend some time looking at other places. We loved the Sea Castle but it sold last year and this will be the last season it is open before they tear it down. They have already started tearing down the buildings behind it. We stayed at the Cresent Arms and although the condo was nice it wasn't for us. We looked at the El P but no grills on the grounds at all and no rooms on ground level (it sits on stilts and parking underneath) turned us off of it. It is nice though with great location for the pool. This year we stayed at Midnight Cove 1 (first left after turning right off of the bridge) in one of the beachfrom condos (310, I think) and loved it. Definately will go back again. It is the second complex south of the El P. MapQuest and its ariel views of SK really come in handy in checking out complexes as far as, how far is the pool from the room, where you are in relationship to other places and such.
I agree that it is nice to cook out for yourself which is what I mostly do. There is a place on Tamiami to the south where you can get fresh shrimp but I just found it this year and couldn't give directions. They have a restaurant there as well so a local might know where I am talking about as I doubt there are many restaurants that sell uncook seafood for your preparation.
Coasters is on the mainland side of the drawbrige. Look over to your left as you cross the bridge onto SK and you will see it.
The boys will probably like the public beach more than Turtle Beach (where the El P is) as there might not be a lot of young ladies there. They will be needed a ride to the PB as it is a good distance to it. As far as night life there is only the village and hanging out with people in your complex. There are a couple of restaurants in the village that have live music but where you will be (Turtle Beach) will be very quite after 9:00pm.
There are some decent shops in the village for tourist items. Don't waste time with the Sassy Foxx unless you have deep pockets. It is on the right, just before the curve as you enter the village. In the little strip south of El P is the Green Turtle and a couple of others. You can also rent bikes, mopads and such in the same strip.
SK is really small a almost entirely devoted to beach time so for shopping, night life and entertainment you are limited and might have to go into Sarasota or to one of the other Keys.
If you decide that SK might be a place you want to come back to spend some time looking at other places. We loved the Sea Castle but it sold last year and this will be the last season it is open before they tear it down. They have already started tearing down the buildings behind it. We stayed at the Cresent Arms and although the condo was nice it wasn't for us. We looked at the El P but no grills on the grounds at all and no rooms on ground level (it sits on stilts and parking underneath) turned us off of it. It is nice though with great location for the pool. This year we stayed at Midnight Cove 1 (first left after turning right off of the bridge) in one of the beachfrom condos (310, I think) and loved it. Definately will go back again. It is the second complex south of the El P. MapQuest and its ariel views of SK really come in handy in checking out complexes as far as, how far is the pool from the room, where you are in relationship to other places and such.
Jul 10th, 2007, 10:54 AM
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Walt's Seafood market on S Tamiami in Sarasota has fresh shrimp and they also have a restaurant there.
Another favorite of mine is Two Senoritas on Main Street Sarasota (pretty good food - great margaritas!)
I know about where you fell - 7-11 and real estate office there? (We're up on Longboat.)
Another favorite of mine is Two Senoritas on Main Street Sarasota (pretty good food - great margaritas!)
I know about where you fell - 7-11 and real estate office there? (We're up on Longboat.)
Jul 10th, 2007, 01:31 PM
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All this info is making it hard to wait for vacation. I just had to re-book a later flight b/c the kids baseball team (which DH coaches) is likely to be in the finals! Last year , they didn't win a game. Go figure. We wont lose any time at SK, only a couple of days with BIL & SIL in the Villages beforehand. Thanks everyone for the info...
Jul 10th, 2007, 04:37 PM
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If Midnight Pass is the first road out to Siesta Key that I would encounter heading south from sarasota then yes, that's where Walt's is. The address is in the 4400 block of S Tamiami.
Generally the seafood I get at Publix is pretty darn fresh. Another really fresh market would be Cortez Seafood up on Cortez Road but that's more convenient for Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island.
Have a great trip!!!
Generally the seafood I get at Publix is pretty darn fresh. Another really fresh market would be Cortez Seafood up on Cortez Road but that's more convenient for Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island.
Have a great trip!!!
Jul 11th, 2007, 03:39 AM
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I live on Siesta Key and we have great bike/roller blading/running path along the entire length of the main road. It's about 4-5 ft wide, paved and clearly marked.
Don't listen to anybody that tells you otherwise.
Don't listen to anybody that tells you otherwise.
Jul 11th, 2007, 03:43 AM
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oh and I forgot to mention that about 3/4 of that the paths are on both side of the road.
Nothing to worry about. Bring your skates. If nothing else, you can always skate on the very quiet back roads where there is hardly any traffic other than the locals driving around.
Nothing to worry about. Bring your skates. If nothing else, you can always skate on the very quiet back roads where there is hardly any traffic other than the locals driving around.
Jul 11th, 2007, 04:02 AM
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Rachel - do you run? Siesta Key is a great running beach - very flat and hard. In fact, we noticed most people wear their sneakers to run on the beach, and I did that last time, too.
I'm like you - I'm not great stopping on rollerblades. We have a great path along the river drives in Philadelphia that I have skated with very few problems until 2 weeks ago. A women was with her small yippy dog on one of those stupid retractable leashes and the dog basically chased me and the leash acted as a trip cord and I fell.
I'm like you - I'm not great stopping on rollerblades. We have a great path along the river drives in Philadelphia that I have skated with very few problems until 2 weeks ago. A women was with her small yippy dog on one of those stupid retractable leashes and the dog basically chased me and the leash acted as a trip cord and I fell.
