Anna Maria Island

Anna Maria Island Florida beach and island shore living, vacation and rentals.

Robinson Preserve

It’s suddenly high season on Anna Maria Island. You can tell by the tremendous increase in traffic, by the length of time it takes to get a table at restaurants, and by the number of house-guests we locals are welcoming. One of the good things about having guests is that it gets us out to enjoy things we don’t usually do when we’re busy with work and daily routines. There are so many wonderful activities and attractions to enjoy on Anna Maria Island and in the nearby region. This week, a guest was the reason I visited Robinson Preserve for the first time. This lovely preserve is just across the bridge, accessible off of Manatee Avenue.

Robinson Preserve trail Opened to the public July of 2008, this 487-acre natural area features 56 acres of diverse marshlands, 10 acres of uplands and open water. There are 2½ miles of kayaking and canoeing streams, and 6 nature trails, with 6 bridges, winding through the mangroves. The 500 foot boardwalk serves bird watchers well, and the trails are great for hiking, biking and horseback riding.

Sponsored in part by the County Conservation Land Management, the preserve houses endangered species like the gopher tortoise, indigo snakes and the Florida scrub jay.

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Tags: biking, Environment, hiking, kayaking, Robinson Preserve, wildlife trail

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The Not So Big Sailboat For Anna Maria

Anna Maria Island has the great advantage of sitting on Tampa Bay. This means it’s one of the very best spots on the Florida Gulf Coast for sailing big boats. But it’s amazing how few large boats are seen sailing in Tampa Bay. Why are there not frequent regattas? In most parts of Florida sailing means having to motor in channels for a long time to get to open, deep water. Anna Maria Island sailboat owners have it made. From the shelter of their canal homes or homes on Bimini Bay, it’s a very short trip distance into the Gulf. There are no draw bridges to wait for. Once the motor is turned off and the sails are raised that’s what sailing is all about.

Just because it’s a great place for large boats, that doesn’t mean Anna Maria Island is not also a good place for small sailboats. In fact, the sheltered, shallow waters of Bimini Bay make this the perfect place for small shallow-draft boats such as Sunfish. Even then, it’s important to be ready to pull up the dagger board to avoid hitting the shallow bottom. In fact, it’s a good idea to pay attention to the 2’ tide, and for the sake of the fragile marine ecosystem, sail only when there is clearly enough depth to be sure the seagrass bottom won’t be scraped. Just outside Bimini Bay, the waters are often benign in Tampa Bay, and it’s fun to explore the coast of the island in a small boat.

I grew up pushing my Sunfish several blocks to a sandy beach and sailing it in a shallow bay. But Sunfish are also fun to sail in the Gulf. How easy it would be to push a Sunfish or other small boat on a trailer, then pull it across the sand to launch and sail beyond the small surf we usually have here.

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Tags: Sailing, Sports, Sunfish, Tampa Bay

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Anna Maria Island Outdoor Dining

One of the most wonderful things about living on or visiting Anna Maria Island is the fact that it’s possible to enjoy meals outdoors almost year-round. Sometimes I forget this, when it comes to eating on our own deck. I assume it’s either too hot or too cold. Then I walk by one of the popular restaurants and notice the outdoor deck is full. When given a choice, restaurant-goers seem to choose to sit outdoors, if at all possible. They must be hardier than I am at home. Sometimes that’s because the restaurant has made a few special arrangements to keep the customers comfortable.

For example, in winter, the breeze can be a major factor in making outdoor dining too cold, and so it’s obviously a good idea for a restaurant to erect some sort of barrier to keep the dining area from being cool. This could be in the form of plantings, or even a wall or plastic curtain. Another way to keep winter deck diners warm is with large heaters, which seem to be more and more prevalent at fine restaurants. The other day I enjoyed a wonderful lunch on the deck at the Sand Bar, and the heater really warmed the otherwise crisp air. It feels sort of decadent, but since we keep our house unheated as many days as possible, I suppose we can occasionally indulge in such a luxury when we go out.

Summer is a more challenging time to eat outdoors on the island. It’s not only the heat and humidity, but the bugs, which can be uncomfortable. We actually do not have as many bugs as I would have thought, but it doesn’t take many “no-see-ums” to interfere with the enjoyment of a nice meal. This is when the breeze can help local dining establishments. A place like Rotten Ralph’s, with tables on a deck right over the water, is unlikely to have many bugs. With this in mind, we have occasionally eaten a meal on our dock, instead of on the deck that’s part of the house, and I think it has made a difference in terms of insect bites. The temperature has also been cooler because of the breeze over the water. The restaurants that are right on Anna Maria’s Gulf Beach, such as the Sand Bar, the Beach House, the Gulf Front Café and Café on the Beach, are all more tolerable in summer because of the sea breeze.