I’m Always Up for a Siesta! (or Oysters Galore)

by Brown…Rick Brown

My buddy…and Naked Sunfish webmaster Dan…has consulted in Sarasota, Florida for a number of years. And when his new contract came up he decided to buy a house. After all, he spends anywhere from 10 to 12 days a month there. And I’m sure living in a hotel…no matter how nice…gets pretty old. So Dan bought a beach house on Siesta Key…right across Sarasota Bay. I have this theory that visiting someone really isn’t the same as a vacation, although there are obvious exceptions to this formula. Yet last May we both decided to forgo our usual Florida Keys trip and spend time together in his new “beach bunker”.

We met at Tampa’s airport where we picked up a rental car and drove the hour or so it takes down. But Dan had certain priorities before we got to our destination. The first day it was a big screen TV. My first trip to Siesta Key (and subsequent ones as well…although not quite as elaborately) was as much house warming party as anything. The two essentials any guy needs we acquired that first week in May, the aforementioned television and a BBQ grill…of course. And while I am not enamored with Florida’s mainland generally, I have taken a liking to this small island. I must have. I have visited 4 times in the past 9 months.

When I visit alone Dan is usually working during the day. So I’m on foot. And that’s great because the beach (and it’s a lovely one) is a 7 minute walk…into Siesta Village it’s not quite 20. In late autumn and winter this is a pleasant jaunt in 70-degree weather. In May and early fall it’s an exercise involving perspiration like you wouldn’t believe! And it rains quite suddenly as well. Conversely, when it is humid swimming is a cooling pleasure, while waters in winter…if you dare go in…involve some major shrinkage. I’m sure you catch my drift.

The village is not large. And although it does have a few god awful, relatively high-rise condos and/or time shares, there is still enough left of the old Florida funky charm that the atmosphere seems low key party quaint if you will. The main strip in the village is a good example. There is the Siesta Key Oyster Bar, The Old Salty Dog (where your dog is more than welcome), The Beach House and a local martini hangout aptly called The Blasé Café. There are also more than a few tacky and not so tacky souvenir, beach apparel shops, jewelry store, an intriguing cigar store whose hours I dare you to figure out, a very decent old style super market (alongside an outdoor Laundromat) and various restaurants. Of course since this is Florida one can find a different breakfast café for almost every day of your visit. My personal favorite is The Sun Garden.

The people are friendly and always say “hello”. One day while crossing the street a city bus stopped to let me walk through the crosswalk. I gave the driver a friendly wave of thank you and she immediately leaned out her side window, smiled and yelled “You’re WELCOME!”

One of the coolest aspects of Siesta Key is that it is a bird sanctuary. Everything from gulls to sandpipers to woodpeckers abound. And the beach is wide with dunes, sea oats, vegetation and turtles! A lot of families, Europeans, and locals mingle with the usual beach babes and quasi surf dudes. Depending on the season you might see a sand sculpture contest, giant kites flying, volleyball, football, and of course Frisbee. The atmosphere is wonderful and a walk can take most of your afternoon if you do the extent of the beach’s length.

My wife Yvonne and I drove down to Siesta Key for Thanksgiving last year. We took our dog Henri as well. First big trip for the French Boy and he loved being included…just sitting in his little car seat taking it all in. Ordinarily a long drive such as this can be a real “marriage tester”. But we took two days each direction and had plenty of tunes on the iPod and it really wasn’t bad. We enjoyed ourselves so much we're planning on driving down with Henri again sometime! I know Henri is still thinking about all those birds to bark at. And I’m looking forward to spending some time in the surf.

While there we visited the John and Mable Ringling Museums. Ringling was one of the famous circus brothers and Sarasota was their headquarters for a long while. Surprisingly, the art museum is quite beautiful and the collection is larger than one might assume. The grounds and mansion make for a beautiful tour as well. There is also a circus museum. It’s interesting seeing the old circus wagons, posters and even famous clown Emmett Kelly’s “Weary Willie” outfit. But it is so politically correct it feels sanitized. I suppose the lack of animal exhibits and only caricatures of circus freaks is a 21st Century reality. That keeps complaints at a minimum. There are also artistic endeavors ( The Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg ), concerts and interesting neighborhoods to explore nearby.

I’m looking forward to returning to Siesta Key...whether driving down with Yvonne or if I sneak off to visit Dan alone. I eat a lot of oysters while I’m there. Between my 4 trips in the past 9 months I have eaten over 250! And while I am not sure the legend about eating them is true, between low airfares, a place to stay costing only a house-warming gift, and “oyster happy hour” (a dozen for 6 bucks from 3 – 6 pm daily) at the Siesta Key Oyster Bar…I am more than willing to continue my research!!