July 4, 2012: Sarasota: Part of the Suncoast Offshore Festival, the fireworks kick off at dusk or around 9:00pm with great viewing from anywhere downtown… including Bayfront Park and Island Park as well as South Lido Beach on Lido Key. http://www.exploringsarasota.org/off-shore-racing.html
July 4, 2012: Siesta Key: Fireworks over Siesta Key blast off at 9:15pm just north of the volleyball courts, so viewing is good from anywhere south and along Crescent Beach (south of Siesta Public Beach), by boat on the Gulf, or from the Intracoastal waterway.
July 4, 2012: Venice: Fireworks are staged at the south Venice Jetty with great vantage points for viewing along Venice Beach, Nokomis Beach or by boat on the Gulf of Mexico or Intracoastal waterway, northeast of the Jetty. Fireworks begin at sunset.
July 2, 2012: Longboat Key: The Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant hosts “Boom Boom on the Bay” at 760 Broadway St. Longboat Key. Mar Vista is on the Northern Tip of Longboat Key (just south of the Anna Maria Island southern tip bridge). Fireworks begin after dark on Sarasota Bay.
July 3, 2012: Bradenton: Head to McKechnie Field for Marauder’s Baseball game followed by a Fireworks display. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. as the Marauders take on the Blue Jays with game time at 6:30 p.m. and the post-game fireworks show. Tickets: $6 – $8. 1611 9th Street West, Bradenton.
July 3, 2012: Anna Maria Island: See fireworks explode over the Gulf of Mexico right from the beach at the Beachhouse Restaurant. Fireworks commence after dark. 200 Gulf Drive N, Bradenton Beach.
July 4, 2012: Anna Maria Island: The Anna Maria Island Privateers annual 4th of July Parade starts at 10 a.m. at Coquina Beach and travels the entire length of Anna Maria Island to Bay Front Park. There’s an after Parade gathering at the Cafe on the Beach from noon – 4 p.m. with live music, food and drinks.
July 4, 2012: Anna Maria Island: The 26th Annual Sandbar Restaurant Fireworks Spectacular is at the north end of the island next to Pine Avenue. 100 Spring Avenue, Anna Maria Island. Fireworks after dark. Viewing is free.
July 4, 2012: Longboat Key: The Annual Freedom Fest celebration begins at 9 a.m. in Bicentennial Park starting with a patriotic parade of parents, kids and pets. Decorate your bike, wagon, pet or face. Festivities will also include games, food and fun. 383-2466
July 4, 2012: Bradenton: The Old Main Street Party runs from 4 – 10 p.m. Closed to vehicles starting about 2:30 p.m., there will be live music and vendors along old Main Street. Fireworks display over the Manatee River at dark.
July 4, 2012: Palmetto: The celebratory fun begins at 5 p.m. at Lamb & Sutton Park with a free 4th of July concert by Three Dog Night beginning about 7:30 p.m. and performing until dark when the night sky explodes with color near the Palmetto Fishing Pier around 9:30 p.m. There will be food vendors and more. 700 Tenth Avenue W. Free admission.
July 4, 2012: Englewood/Manasota Key: From 11:00-7:00pm, the festivities begin with a Cajun festival and craft fair on Dearborn Street in Olde Englewood. That leaves just enough time to get to a good viewing spot on the beach for the fireworks display.
The Cajun Fest will feature Cajun music, a water slide and bounce house for the children, and traditional games for the whole family. Food, always a big feature of any 4th of July celebration, will include Cajun favorites like gumbo, crawfish and red beans and rice.
The evening will, of course, be capped off with a 30-minute fireworks display, which will begin at 9 p.m. World Champion Garden State Fireworks will be launching shells from Jefferson Cove on Middle Beach. Admission is free, and the best viewing areas are: Blind Pass Beach (Middle Beach) on Manasota Key Road; Indian Mound Park off Winson Avenue; Lemon Bay Park just off Dearborn Street;and the Royal Palm Marina at779 W. Wentworth Street.
Loggerhead, leatherback and green turtles regularly nest on Florida beaches… from March through October. All three are federally protected and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission will heavily fine anyone tampering with a nest or turtle.
A female digs her nest in the sand with rear flippers and lays approximately 100 leathery ping-pong ball-size eggs. After covering, the eggs are left to incubate from 45 to 60 days with hatchlings emerging from April through November.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnrfRn6ka_A
Commission experts say one way to help sea turtle hatchlings is to turn off or shield home or business lights that face the ocean. Hatchlings may confuse artificial (nighttime lighting) with the sparkle of seawater, and often go in the wrong direction when leaving the nest. Hatchling deaths occur from dehydration, cars, fire ant attacks or raccoons.
PLEASE report anyone disturbing a sea turtle nest. If you see a dead turtle, or one that is being harassed or injured, call the commission’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at (888) 404-3922.
If interested in a guided beach tour, go to http://islandturtlewatch.com/get-involved/tours/
For additional turtle information, go to:
http://islandturtlewatch.com/
So, you’re planning a holiday beach vacation. Below are a few hot items to make your visit memorable, sun safe, useful and fun.
Easy Underwater Camera: Lining up a killer coral shot while bobbing in the waves is no small feat. The Explorer Series snorkel-mask camera makes taking clear, five-megapixel photos and videos a hands-free snap. The camera, from Liquid Image Works, can be used up to 15 feet underwater. liquidimageco.com, $100.
Smarter Sand Toys: Even a careful parent can accidentally leave behind a shovel—especially one hidden deep in a sand castle’s keep. Zoë B biodegradable beach toys will ease your eco-guilt: The corn-sugar-based bioplastic breaks down to organic materials in as little as two years if immersed in water or soil (regular plastics can take up to 500). zoeborganic.com, $22.
E-Book Shield: Electronic readers have many strengths, but beach-friendliness has never been one of them. The new Kindle KlearKase, made from the same tough, transparent polycarbonate used in F22 fighter-jet windows, takes scratches, splashes, and errant grains of sand out of the equation. amazon.com, $50.
Futuristic Beach Blanket: Large towels are bulky and take forever to dry. Instead, flop down on the ingenious Grand Trunk Parasheet, a beach blanket made from nylon parachute material—it dries in minutes, is mildew resistant, and stays cool to the touch even in the blazing sun. Weigh it down via built-in corner pockets that can be filled with sand. llbean.com, $40.
Waterproof Playing Cards: Stack the deck without getting it soggy with Invisible Playing Cards, by designer Peter Woudt. Made of transparent PVC, a flexible and durable plastic, the deck is easy to wipe down should it come in contact with saltwater or a melty ice cream cone. momastore.org, $8.50.
Carry-on Sunscreen: Bulky bottles of sunscreen are decidedly TSA-unfriendly. SmartShield Towelettes provide waterproof (and sweatproof) SPF 30 protection that won’t trigger security. As a bonus, you get insect protection via chemical-free repellants like cedar essence and lemongrass, which remains effective up to four hours. smartshield.com, $16 (for a pack of 15)
To-Go Grill: Who doesn’t love a beach cookout? For one, the guy who has to carry the cooler, the grill, and the utensils. That’s where The Buccaneer comes in. This all-in-one cooking kit includes an insulated tote (perfect for carrying raw hamburgers) with a reinforced base that stores a grill. A zip-open pocket holds essential BBQ tools, such as a fork and tongs. beachmall.com, $135.
Check the sandy bars and fabulous sunsets blog for action and options on Anna Maria to Manasota Key.
Safe travels and see you…at the beach!
Take a look at 22 great options, from Anna Maria Island to Manasota Key. Some are directly on the beach while others seek views from windows and rooftops. Many entertain with reggae or Jimmy Buffett vibes while others low key it with piano and jazz.
Anna Maria Island
Sandbar Restaurant, 100 Spring Ave., Anna Maria. 778-0444; groupersandwich.com. Right on the beach with live entertainment
BeachHouse Restaurant, 200 Gulf Drive, Bradenton Beach. 779-2222; groupersandwich.com. Right on the beach with live entertainment
Gulf Drive Café, 900 Gulf Drive N. Bradenton Beach. 941-778-1919; gulfdrivetiki.com Right on the beach with live entertainment
Rod & Reel Pier and Restaurant, 875 N. Shore Drive, Anna Maria. 778-1885. View from the restaurant and Pier
Bridge Street Bistro, 111 Gulf Drive South Bradenton Beach. 941-782-1122; bridgestreetbistroonline.com (more upscale) View from the restaurant and balcony
Beach Bistro, 6600 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. 941-778-6444; beachbistro.com/ (moreupscale)
Window views on the beach
Bradenton
Cortez Kitchen, 4528 119th St. W. 798-9404; thecortezkitchen.com. Views from the restaurant deck with live entertainment
Pier 22, 1200 First Ave West. 941-748-8087; pier22dining.com. Views from the patio and restaurant with live entertainment
Tarpon Point Grill, 801 Riverside Drive. 941-746-8700; tarponpointgrill.com. Tiki bars on the Manatee River with live entertainment
Longboat Key
Hilton Longboat Key, 4711 Gulf of Mexico Dr., 941-383-2451 (more upscale) Partial views from the tiki bar and restaurant
The Chart House, 201 Gulf of Mexico Drive. 383-5593; chart-house.com (more upscale) Views from the restaurant
Lido Key
Lido Key Tiki Bar, 1234 Ben Franklin Drive. 941-309-2000; ritzcarlton.com. Right on the beach
Lido Beach Resort Tiki Bar, 700 Ben Franklin Drive. 941-388-3175 Right on the beach
Lido Beach Resort’s Lido Beach Grill, 700 Ben Franklin Drive. 941-388-2161 (more upscale) On the hotel’s eighth floor overlooking Lido Beach, Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island with nightly entertainment
Old Salty Dog, 1601 Ken Thompson Parkway. 388-4311; theoldsaltydog.com Views from their patio deck
Sarasota
Boatyard Waterfront Bar and Grill, 1500 Stickney Point Road. 921-6200; boatyardwaterfrontgrill.com. Views from the restaurant with live entertainment
O’Leary’s Tiki Bar and Grill, 5 Bayfront Drive. 953-7505; olearystikibar.com. Right on the bay with live entertainment
Marina Jack, 2 Marina Plaza. 365-4232; marinajacks.com.(more upscale) Views from patio and restaurant with live entertainment
Ritz Carlton Bay View Burger Bar, 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive. 941-309-2000; ritzcarlton.com (more upscale) Partial views from the patio
Ceviche’s Loco Luna Rooftop Bar, 1216 1st Street. 941-952-1036; ceviche.com/ (more upscale) Rooftop views with live entertainment
Pop’s Sunset Grill, 112 Circuit Road | Nokomis. (941) 488-3177; popssunsetgrilltogo.com Partial views from deck and restaurant on Inter-coastal waterway with live entertainment
Casey Key
Casey Key Fish House, 801 Blackburn Point, Osprey. 941-966-1901; caseykeyfishhouse.com/ Views from tiki bar and restaurant with live entertainment
Venice Island
Sharky’s on the Pier, 1600 Harbor Drive S. 488-1456; sharkysonthepier.com. Right on the beach with live entertainment
Crow’s Nest Marina Restaurant, 1968 Tarpon Center Dr. 941-484-9551; crowsnest-venice.com (more upscale) Partial views from the restaurant with live entertainment
Manasota Key
Lock and Key, 2045 N Beach Rd. 941-474-1517; lockandkeyrestaurant.com Partial views from the restaurant and bar
Gulf View Grill, 2095 North Beach Road. 941.475.3500; thegulfviewgrill.com/ (more upscale) Elevated views from the restaurant with live entertainment
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