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Mornings on St. Armands Circle

June 9, 2021

Mornings on St. Armands Circle
📍 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota

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Living in St. Pete serves as a great starting point for so many day trips. Dozens of must-visit Florida cities are just a few hours away, and some are even closer! Last weekend, I made a quick trip to Sarasota. Even though it’s only one hour south of us, I’ve never really spent much time there. I quickly fell in love with what I saw and want to make visiting SRQ more of a priority. This particular visit called for exploring one of Sarasota’s most popular destinations, St. Armands Circle. Located on a Gulf barrier island, I was blown away by how much shopping and dining there was to be had. Here’s a quick look at mornings on St. Armands Circle.

St. Armands, Beach, Sarasota, Florida, Weekend

Breakfast with a View

Because we are early risers, and the Ringling Museum was our ultimate destination, we visited St. Armands Circle with breakfast on the mind. On this particular day, I was craving a French-inspired breakfast, a la crepes or quiche. Cilantro Grill delivered! For lunch and dinner, they serve Mexican cuisine, but I was delighted to see a full list of crepes on the menu. They were incredibly hardy and served with a refreshing side salad. Cilantro Grill also serves freshly squeezed orange juice. It was just (chef’s kiss) the perfect way to start the day. Sitting on the second-floor patio, we were able to enjoy a birds-eye view of the circle and St. Armands Park.

Explore St. Armands Circle

After feeling positively stuffed from breakfast, we decided a walk around town would be the best solution. Although the stores hadn’t yet opened for the day, I loved window shopping at the beach boutiques. Our next visit will be during business hours. I also made a note of the other restaurants I can’t wait to visit—namely, Tampa Bay’s iconic Columbia Restaurant, Blu Kouzina, and Crab & Fin. From there, we wandered into the nearby residential neighborhoods for some coastal home inspiration. Can you guess which color combination was my favorite?

Beach Day on Lido Key

What’s another quintessential St. Armands activity? Well, going to the beach, of course! Lido Key is a quick stroll from St. Armands Circle is a picture-perfect example of Gulf Coast beaches. We had left out beach bags at home but still made the walk to take a quick look. As to be expected, I saw beautiful blue waters and impossibly white sand. There are several Lido key resorts that are right on the water, including the Ritz Carlton, just in case you want to plan a little vacation.

St. Armands, Sarasota, Beach, Florida, Weekend

Consider this a friendly reminder that a vacation or getaway can be as short as you need it to be. Just a few hours spent in a different town, with new experiences, was enough to help me feel recharged and inspired for what lies away. Ask yourself, where are you going to visit this weekend?

Love from Florida,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.

Exploring the Ringling Museum

June 7, 2021

Exploring the Ringling Museum
📍 Ringling Museum, Sarasota

As a born-and-raised Floridian, it’s so easy to only think about the beaches and theme parks. A benefit from this past year, not being able to travel fully, is that I had ample opportunity to explore more of the Sunshine State. Palm Beach, Boca Grande, Amelia Island, I loved each destination. The most recent city I added to that list happens to be one of the closest. Just a quick drive away from St. Pete, over the Skyway Bridge, is the Gulf Coast gem of Sarasota. For this particular visit, I only had one destination in mind for exploring: The Ringling Museum!

Sarasota, Ringling Museum, Florida, Art, Travel

The History

Where to begin with the history? The Ringling Museum is named after John Ringling, best known for his circus empire in the early 1900s. He and his wife Mable would spend their summers in Sarasota and ultimately purchased a large property overlooking Sarasota Bay. While he was a man of many hobbies, he was also a prolific art collector. Upon his death, he willed his collection, his mansion, and the rest of the property to Florida. Since the Ringling Museum formed in 1927, it has been named Florida’s official art museum and is viewed as one of the best cultural institutions in the state.

The Ca’ d’Zan

When we arrived at the museum, I made a bee-line for the Ca’ d’Zan. A lover of all things Venetian, the Ringlings were inspired by the Floating City in Italy to create a Gothic revival mansion steps from Sarasota Bay. In fact, Ca’ d’Zan translates to House of John in Venetian dialect. As you walk through the mansion, you can’t help and think, “if these walls could talk.” John and Mable Ringling would frequently hold extravagant parties here. Nearly 100 years later, every corner still oozes the opulence and gild associated with the Roaring Twenties. Not to be outdone is the bayfront façade. Here, you get a full view of the home’s stain-glassed windows and gothic features. It was enough to leave me speechless.

Ringling Museum, Sarasota, Florida, Art Museum, Travel

The Gardens

After the Ca’ d’zan, we took the time to walk through the sprawling gardens on the Ringling property. Mable Ringling, in particular, had a very green thumb and took great pride in her work. Her greatest joy was the Rose Garden which serves as a central point to the museum. In total, there are about 66 acres of garden space, includes 14 sweeping Banyan trees that make you feel like you’re in an ancient forest. To take full advantage of the gardens, I recommend coming during the cooler Spring or Fall months.

Ringling Museum, Art, Sarasota, Travel, Florida

The Art Museum

The piece de resistance of The Ringling must be the Art Museum. It’s the greatest testament to John Ringling’s legacy. The exterior is designed to look like a Renaissance Italian palace in the prettiest shade of pink. As you walk through the sweeping archways and statues, you instantly feel transported to Europe. Inside, there are 21 different galleries filled with Baroque and Late Medieval art straight from Ringling’s extensive collection. Throughout his life, he had acquired well over 1,000 pieces. Although I don’t have an art background, visiting art museums is one of my favorite pastimes. Walking through the museum was such a joy. I just can’t believe such a beautiful collection was right in my backyard all along.

Ringling Museum, Sarasota, Art, Florida, Travel

The Circus Museum

Because Ringling made his fortune through his family’s traveling circus, the property also has a special museum to honor that heritage. So, if I’m being honest, I have a slight phobia of clowns steaming from my childhood. While there were none in person, I was a little on-guard while walking through this museum and probably didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have. I did love the vintage advertisements and 44,000 piece model that showed how vast his traveling circuses were. The Circus Museum gives a kid-friendly element to the Ringling and makes the experience perfect if you visit as a family.

Ringling Museum, Sarasota, Florida, Art, Travel

What an experience! The Ringling Museum was the perfect excuse to visit Sarasota. As you plan a trip to the Gulf Coast, be sure to make time away from our world-renowned beaches for an opportunity to explore a different side of Florida. Happy travels!

Love from Florida,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.

Paradeco: St. Pete’s Cutest Coffee Shop

June 4, 2021

Paradeco: St. Pete’s Cutest Coffee Shop
📍 111 2nd Ave NE, St. Pete

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One of my greatest joys is when I get to sit and watch the world pass in a cafe. No matter where I travel, whether domestic or abroad, I always make them a priority. Here in St. Pete, I’m a regular at many coffee spots on the local scene. I had been anxiously awaiting the newest arrival for nearly a full year. There was something about their Instagram presence that spoke to me. I truth, I think it had to do with the heavy use of sea greens and bubblegum pinks, my favorite color combo. Paradeco finally was able to open its doors in May, and you know I was one of the first to visit on opening weekend. Let me introduce you to what I’ve officially dubbed St. Pete’s prettiest coffee shop.

Where is it located?

Location, location, location! Paradeco has made its home in the heart of Downtown St. Pete, just off of iconic Beach Drive. Kitty-corner from some of my favorite restaurants (Cassis, Moon Under Water), this is the perfect spot to start your day. Stay and watch the world pass through sweeping windows. If you prefer to take your drink to-go, I recommend walking down to the end of the St. Pete Pier for a great workout. Especially if you get here in the morning hours, street parking is abundant. Although St. Pete is a smaller city, you’ll be in the heart of the metropolitan when filling your coffee habit.

What’s the story?

Tom and Sonya, the owners, are a bonafide power couple who wanted to bring more incredible coffee to the Sunshine City. The name Paradeco comes from their love of Art Deco design from the early 20th century. Since St. Pete is their version of paradise found, the name is pretty much right on the nose. I’ve had a chance to chat with both of them, and I can safely say that they are so incredibly warm and inviting, as is the rest of their team. They are also current members of The Specialty Coffee Association.

What ‘s on the menu?

Since no visit to the coffee shop is complete without David, we each have our personal favorites. While his go-to order is almost always an americano, he was so happy to see pour-over coffee on the menu. I, on the other hand, like to treat myself to an oat milk latte occasionally. As we sat, sipping our drinks, both were made to perfection. For bits to eat, they offer a wide arrange of baked goods, including vegan and gluten-free options. If you want something with a little more substance, there’s also an ever-growing smoothie and food menu that I can’t wait to try.

Why will you love it?

Honestly, just look at the pictures. Once you walk inside and escape the Florida heat, you are greeted by a wave of beautifully combined colors and patterns. No detail, no matter how small, was overlooked. Sometimes, you find places that only focus on an aesthetic for the social media notoriety and skimp on quality. When you visit Paradeco, you’ll be greeted like family and are guaranteed to have an incredible coffee experience. They are such a wonderful new addition to the St. Pete landscape.

As St. Pete continues to grow as a city, and attracts new visitors from around the world, I’m so happy to support the small businesses that make this city special. While I have a genuinely love for some many place in the Sunshine City, Paradeco is now, without a doubt, on my list. Welcome to the neighborhood!

Love from Florida,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.