Has anyone experienced "red tide" in Siesta Key recently? We have a condo reserved for June and have never been there during red tide, just wondering what to expect! Thanks for any info or tips.

http://www.mote.org/~mhenry/rtupdate.phtml

Yes, we do have red tide this week end. But not too too bad. What condo are you staying in?

We are staying at Midnight cove, week of June 11, and our kids LOVE the beach so we're really hoping the red tide is not a problem...too late to cancel now though! Thanks for the info.

My husband was fishing at the north end of Casey Key last night, which you can throw a stone to Siesta Key from. He said it was not bad at all. Hopefully it will get better and not worse for your vacation. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Suppers you should be fine by June 11th, I too will keep my fingers crossed, but really it is not real bad right now. Sorry, freak of nature we cannot control--altho Mote is working on it

Egads, Red Tide?!!!

We too are arriving in Siesta Key on June 11 [that is if tropical storm Arlene permits.] So, let me see now... Red Tide... Arlene... what else can go wrong? We haven't had a vacation in 3 years and I find myself glued to the weather channel with so much to do. They are reporting Floridians stocking up on flashlights, batteries, bottled water, etc. Will the supermarket shelves be bare when we get there? We are flying. Should we bring cautionary items with us? Any info would be helpful. Hey, it pays to have a sense of humor when dealing with Mother Nature! Perhaps we should think of this as an adventure rather than a vacation. Darn, I didn't watch the last Survivors episodes!

Siesta Linda, are you reading this? Could she be gone to the supermarket getting batteries, flashlights and bottled water?!!! All kidding aside, updating and any info would be appreciated.

I live on Siesta and trust me, live is very normal around here. You won't even know there is a storm out in the Gulf. The store shelves are fully stocked and you will be able to buy batteries for your cameras and whatever else.

I'm not much of a beach person, but I live about a 1/2 a block away and I have not noticed any discomfort from red tide. I'm usually very sensitive to it.

So, it looks good for your vacation on our little paradise.

Don't worry, be happy!

I remember you all talking about red tide back in March. Has the red tide lasted this long? Or did it go away in March and now it's back?

Hey Seagull--AA is right life is pretty normal around here. However, it is cloudy and likely will rain today and probably tomorrow too--sorry!! Red Tide is pretty much gone, Arlene is way out in the Gulf and hopefully will stay there.

Enjoy your vacation---even in the rain there is always the Daquiri Deck- after one drink you will not care about the rain--lol.

Like your sense of humour

Thanks to all who answered my rant. It's good to know that the area is not in a state of panic, although it would have been justified because of last year's hurricane.

I have a particular interest in FL. My parents lived in Vero Beach in the 70's and it was beautiful everytime I visited. They've passed on and are buried there. In fact, I looked up their house on the Indian River County site and a picture of their old house popped up. I hear Vero has changed a lot. Needless to say, the photo kind of left a lump in my throat. Their back yard was full of orange, lime and grapefruit trees. Must be easy to grow those trees in that vicinity. Indian River fruit is extra delicious.

Five years ago we vacationed in Ft. Walton/Destin and it was beautiful. The only thing I disliked were the stingrays that traveled in herds of up to 100. They would move up and down the beach all day, feeding, I guess. I was amazed at the people standing right next to the herds in the water. Not me! Those stings can ruin a vacation.

Hey, you Siesta Key folks... a friend told me about a nice little place to eat that the locals go to. I think she said Captain Kirks. When you go over the bridge to Siesta, she said turn left and go up a little ways and it is in a strip mall on the left. It was described as a cafe restaurant, small, but has reasonable and great food. If anyone can verify that it would be great.

Got to run errands and pack for tomorrow's flight. If you should see a woman and her daughter and grandsons running around Siesta laughing and having a good time, odds are it will be us. Don't call the police... we're just happy folks and make our own fun... the funnier and light hearted, the better!

It's Captain Curt's, and yes it is left on Midnight Pass Road if you are coming over the south bridge. It is a popular place.

Curt's is located in a strip mall by the south bridge. The more happening and lively commercial strip is in the Siesta Village. It's about 2.5 miles north/west of the south bridge. Many restaurants, shops, bars.....

It is raining now and it looks like it will be for some time. It will probably rain tomorrow, but once the storm goes north it should be sunny and clear for the rest of the week.

Welcome to our little paradise!

Have a wonderful stay!

Thank you all. I am much more optimisic now. Thanks for the verification on Captain Curt's.

The tide hasn't really been a problem up St. Pete way. And I've not heard too many complaints anywhere. It's popping up now up north -- Maine!

The hurricane supplies are on sale here and the taxes have been lifted by the state of FL for certain hurricane supplies as an incentive for people to buy them and be prepared. But just a lot of rain now. And I am hoping it will stay that way.

My family is coming for the week of the 18th how is the "Red Tide " as of today. I'm kinda leary of coming?

Any input would help

i was in sarasota/venice this weekend and red tide is in full force. we hungout at the poolw hich is fine becaue i live in fll so i dont care if i get to the beach or not..i hope it clears up because there were tons of dead fish on the beach acoording to the vews reports i saw.

Oh no, a friend of mine who lives in Tampa just called me. She let me know about the red tide. I will be arriving in Siesta Key on July 1st, I just called my hotel and they confirmed that dead fish are being picked up off the beach everyday. Is it really that bad?!! Mote Marine says it's moving slowly northward, does anyone think it will be gone soon? SiestaLinda, thanks for the Daquiri Deck comment, I love that place.

Gool luck to everyone going the the gulf coast. My family and I backed out. We are traveling with four kids and three of them have pretty bad allergies. We were supposed to be going to Indian Shores Beach on July 2.

It's here. I started to notice a light cough since yesterday.

The good news is that you still have 10 days.

Hopefully it will be gone by then, and I'm being selfish here only because I'm home till the 19th of July so I'm stuck.

Sigh. Heading your way, AAFF, tomorrow for 5 days moving my mother from one retirement facility to another. Had hoped to have a couple of walks @ S. Lido, but not if things are still bad. Will probably be busy hooking up computer, phone, Lifeline, etc. anyway. But I always feel gypped when I get to S'sota and can't swim.