Friday Favorites is extra special this week because today is our official move to Florida date. There were many uncertainties, but with one van load and one truck load we drove about 8 hours to our house closing! Though nothing felt real, we loaded back up with keys to our new home in hand. Awaiting our arrival was a sweet welcome in the form of a stocked fridge, a hot meal and a made up air mattress for Glen and I.
Those first few months were a blur. A lot of tears were shed, but God faithfully provided comfort, direction and blessings along the way. So all that being said, I want to highlight some of our Sarasota favorites to celebrate. Again this is in no way a comprehensive list! I plan to write a travel style post for this gorgeous town. In the meantime I invite you to share in on some of family favorites to visit and bring our out of town guests to!
Sarasota BayFront
We love strolling around the marina. Only minutes from our home, we occasionally frequent the marina in the evenings to catch the sunset.
Beautiful Sunsets
Kids at Play
Fishing - South Lido
Swimming - The North Jetty
Downtown & The Markets
There's a lot of markets in and around Sarasota. Every Saturday is the Sarasota Farmer's Market, which is in the middle of downtown. There's produce, potted plants, handcrafted jewelry, the "best guacamole in the world" and the list goes on! Winter is tourist season here so there's more vendors, but I say any weekend is fabulous!
Here you find birds, reptiles, gardens (of course!) and more. Walking around this attraction makes you feel like you're in a movie or in the jungle - ha! Our favorite spot is where you feed the flamingos and ibis birds!
Selby Gardens
If you love beautiful landscapes, Selby is a must do. The banyan trees are incredible there, giving you an other worldly experience. The children's imagination are free to run wild while adults are free to unwind.
Mote Marine Aquarium
We bought a year membership to Mote in the first few weeks because our whole family enjoys seeing wildlife and sea life. The aquarium has manatees, sea turtles and even sharks. Of course there's lots of other species of fish and there's even some gators and otters to observe. The only dolphins I saw are painted on in the gorgeous mural!
The Mangrove Tunnels
We've added this to our date adventures and is a must for the outdoor explorer!
State Parks
During the late fall and winter months, we leave the beaches and head to the parks. There's certainly plenty to choose from!
The Final Giveaways!
In leading up to this special day, I've hosted a few giveaways with Simply Earth Essential Oils and Smile Brilliant. Now this week on the blog and on Instagram I'm hosting a giveaway for a beautiful Jord Watch e-card and a few of my favorite brands!
JORD Watch: Enter for a $100 gift credit towards any purchase in their shop!
Enter HERE
Enter HERE
The year flew by and I'm glad you are settled in! It sounds like such a great town with so much to do! All of your beach photos are beautiful and the mangrove tunnels would be so fun to kayak through!
ReplyDeleteJill - Doused in Pink
I could see you kayaking the mangrove tunnels Jill! We have been too busy to get back out but I hope to soon!
DeleteWOW, a year already! It sounds like such a fun town! I would love to visit!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it's been a year! Sarasota is a great place to visit. Let me know when you're coming and I'll give you the grand tour! lol
DeleteYou all visit the coolest & most beautiful places!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe are trying!
DeleteI'd say you have done a marvelous job transitioning to FL and you have explored your new city to the hilt! It's been fun to watch your family acclimate to their new surroundings. Great job Chrissy!
ReplyDeletexo,
Kellyann
Thank you my friend. Would you believe there's still more to uncover??
DeleteI am SO glad that you and your sweet family are fitting into Sarasota life! Love you!
ReplyDeletethis is lovely!! im so happy for you!
ReplyDeleteJadieegosh
Such a sweet family- exploring your new town like pros!
ReplyDelete-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
We try to take advantage of the local places as much as possible! Thanks for coming by Julie!
ReplyDelete