anna maria trip
 

Hi-
I have a trip planned to Anna Maria next Wednesday for a week. We plan to spend the entire time out on the beach relaxing, looking for shells, sitting on our deck drinking wine watching the sunset, eating outdoors on the piers. Here's my question: what is the REAL red tide situation down there? My husband has very poorly controlled asthma, and I suffer from pretty awful respiratory allergies. The owner of the place where we are staying made me feel really dumb for thinking of cancelling my trip ("...you people up North") but I'm just trying to be cautious, and I don't really trust her. I've done a lot of research, I know it won't kill me or poison me, but I really don't want to blow our entire vacation budget for the year (we only take one) and have the sneezies and wheezies for a week.

Help??? Advice???

Thanks from a dumb Northener.

Hi - This is a website that posts the results of red tide testing - I think it's every Friday: www.floridamarine.org But the thing is, one week Anna Maria may be fine but the next week red tide has drifted north or south and Anna Maria is affected. I don't have a terrible reaction to it, but I still wouldn't want to hang out at the beach when it's present. Given that is what you want to do, you both have respritory problems, and this is your big vacation of the year - I would probably head somewhere else.

t73a, I live about an hour north (as the crow flies - or the tide drifts) - on Treasure Island. Conditions have been steadily improving since Katrina passed by, stirring things up and moving things along. I've even seen some live crabs and fish, and the water's been crystal clear. If you have an offshore breeze, you won't notice the Red Tide.

But with your husband's asthma, I'd perhaps call around - even try calling some of the nearby resorts on AnnaMaria and explain where you're staying, and your husband's situation. I'm betting you'll be able to get somebody who will give you the real truth! For example, I once called Honeymoon State Park on behalf of a Fodorite, and the ranger gave me the straight story. Keep calling til you get a satisfactory response.

I know this won't make you feel good, but I am about 20 miles directly north of Anna Maria at the southern tip of St Pete Beach. Yesterday, I experienced a lot of choking and a noticeable odor of dead fish. Today (this morning aat least) the respiratory situation hasn't bothered me. It's a day to day thing, and probably the wind is the biggest factor. If the wind is out of the east, which is frequently not the case, you will probably have no ill effects whether the red tide is there or not. If the red tide is there, and the wind is out of the west, you will feel it. As I am not directly at Anna Maria, I cannot tell you for sure what it's like. But here in south St Pete Beach it still gives us trouble sporadically. If you want to be optimistic, the whole situation could well change in a week. What we need most of all, probably, is a good cold front to clean up things. In a week, that could happen. Good luck.

We had reservations for Anna Maria for November and we cancelled them and booked for the east coast. My husband also had alot of health issues and we primarily wanted to go to the beach....soo...I couldn't see taking the chance. I was tired of trying to get the straight truth from people about Red Tide - but looking at the official web site- it is clear that it is not gone. Good Luck - I hope you are able to reschedule.