Categories
Environment

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
Robinson Preserve trail overbridge

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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Categories
Sports

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.

sunfish sailboat

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.

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Categories
Restaurants

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.

Anna Maria Island Outdoor Dining 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.

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Categories
Arts

Beach Paths Art Exhibit at The Studio

Beach Path Series by Maro Lorimer
Beach Path Series by Maro Lorimer

The arts are alive and well and Anna Maria Island. In addition to the frequent arts and crafts fairs, there are wonderful exhibits at the Anna Maria Island Art League in Holmes Beach. Island Gallery West and the Artist’s Guild also have galleries in Holmes Beach. In addition to this, a very fine new gallery has been operating in Anna Maria for a couple of years. Formerly the Bistro at Island’s End, the building has been transformed into The Studio at Gulf and Pine. Owned by Rhea Chiles, the former first lady of Florida, this exquisite center for arts and intellectual pursuits presents art exhibits as well as classes in everything ranging from the game of bridge to lectures about science and philosophy.

One exhibit at the Studio that has received tremendous press coverage is “Beach Paths and Other Paintings by Maro Lorimer .” The opening reception was last Sunday afternoon, on January 17 (2010). After several days of cold rain, the sun came out and many people came out that afternoon, as well, to enjoy the serene setting of the Studio and the beautiful art it holds.

Beach Paths Art reception
Patrons enjoyed a catered reception for Maro Lorimer art exhibition

One wing of the main gallery contained eight original collages, each inspired by a particular beach path on Anna Maria Island. In addition to the originals, limited edition signed giclées were available. The artist’s statement explained that the art was a tribute to the wildness of the beach paths that connect the neighborhoods of the island to the beach. The fact that these paths are not manicured is what makes them so appealing.

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Categories
News

Anna Maria Island Temperatures Plunge

Early January (2010) has been unusually cold on Anna Maria Island. So cold that we came alarmingly close to that Florida “four letter word”: snow. Early one morning I looked outside and it was raining. The outdoor thermometer registered 32 degrees. Although it did snow just to the north of Tampa, we were spared.

Still, the temperatures remained low for most of a week, barely making it into the forties for a daytime high. We were less cold than much of the country, but still cold enough to want to stay inside. We left the heat off at night, and the house temperature dropped into the low fifties. One morning it was 48 degrees.

It was sad to see the effects of this coldest spell in ten years on the wildlife. One morning we saw lots of large fish swimming in strange circular motions near the surface of the water. These jack crevalles were suffering and most of them died, along with snook and many other tropical species.

Florida cold kills fish We have seen a dead pelican float by, and a dead egret floating across the bay. We marvel at the dedication and endurance of a parent great blue heron who has continued to sit in its nest through these frigid times. We wonder what has happened to the eggs or tiny chicks that may have been in the nest when the temperatures dropped. In general, it’s disturbing to think of what might happen to the birds’ food supply with thousands of fish now dead from the cold.

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