Sarasota: Pieces of Paradise
The Visit Sarasota website covers all the see-and-do basics, but in our quest to make each of your visits memorable we also publish monthly "Pieces of Paradise" (POP) newsletters to share what’s happening and happy-ning in the Sarasota area.
Sunset Tour by E-bike
POP March 2024
We took it as an opportunity for a date night, but another customer shared that it was his third tour in as many weeks - his "go to" entertainment for visiting guests (and apparently he frequently entertains guests!). Whatever the occasion, we recommend an electric bike ride with...
Florida Camping
POP February 2024
If you're thinking about tent camping in the northern U.S. during the month of February, our advice is: don't do it. We assume that your love of cold temperatures was not a factor contributing to your decision to buy a seasonal home in Sarasota. But if you enjoy camping and you stay in Florida during the winter months, then you're (probably) in luck!
Museum of Art & Whimsy
POP January 2024
True to its name, the Marietta Museum of Art and Whimsy is not your everyday art museum. You won't find any paintings of "personal anguish" (as described by the museum's founder) here. To the contrary, the museum is "a Smiley Place."
Marietta Lee opened the doors of the museum in 2010, following her career
Creator's Farm & Garden
POP November 2023
Extra, extra, read all about it! Be one of the first to visit a developing attraction that will surely become a beloved local gem. Creator's Farm and Garden is the dream and brainchild of the Toney family. The amount of planning and summer planting
Shopping for the Floridian
POP October 2023
Full disclosure: we do most of our holiday shopping online. And the really "Floridian" gifts are most readily available in the local Mom and Pops stores of Downtown Sarasota, Venice Main Street, and the like. But there are some essentials that every Floridian should have, and if you've got to buy them...
The Drive-ins
POP September 2023
When Miranda was
When Miranda was growing up, a favorite pastime was heading to the drive-in movie theater in Delmar, Iowa. While there were as many as 4,000 drive-ins in the U.S. during the 1950s, today there are only 350 (7 of them are in Florida). This summer we decided to re-live the experience with a trip to the Ruskin Family Drive-in.