Ohio Weekends > Florida > Sarasota

We took our first trip to Florida (together) in October 1997, for our honeymoon. We chose Lido Key off of the Sarasota coast because neither of us had been there before. It was a place to share for the first time together.

Our flight arrived in Tampa, Florida, and we drove across the spectacular Sunshine Skyway Bridge toward Sarasota.

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We stayed at the The Holiday Inn Lido Beach in room 701, a whirlpool suite (aka "Heaven on the Seventh Floor"). The Holiday Inn had great views of both the beach and the harbor. While we enjoyed the whirlpool, we did manage to see a few sites because, as my mother says, "There's only so much a girl can stand!"

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At the nearby Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, we got to see rescued manatees and dolphins up close. We were surprised a few years later to see the Mote Aquarium featured in the IMAX movie Dolphins back home at the Ominmax theater in Cincinnati, Ohio. Directly across from the Mote Aquarium is the Pelican Man Bird Sanctuary, a refuge for many species of injured birds.

During our week's stay on Lido Key, we were often in the mood for Italian cuisine. It would be difficult to choose between Cafe Baci and Cafe Spazzo. We tried deep-fried plantains for the first time at the Tommy Bahama Tropical Cafe, located on the trendy and exclusive St. Armand's Circle. (Our Chevy Lumina rental looked pretty pitiful next to Jaguar and BMW convertibles.)

We returned to Lido Key in the summer of 2004 with our two daughters. The turquoise water and white sand were more spectacular in June than they had been during our November honeymoon. And Tommy Bahama's plantains and black bean salsa were still fabulous!

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, Florida
(941) 388-4441

Pelican Man Bird Sanctuary
1708 Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, Florida
(941) 388-4444

St. Armand's Circle

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Cafe Baci
4001 South Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, Florida
(941) 921-4848

Cafe Spazzo
5252 South Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, Florida
(941) 925-1498

Tommy Bahama Tropical Cafe
300 John Ringling Boulevard
Sarasota, Florida
(941) 388-2888

The Holiday Inn Lido Beach
233 Ben Franklin Drive
Sarasota, Florida
(800) 892-9174
(941) 388-5555

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