Sarasota Quay

Developers built a new shopping area in the mid- to late 1980's called Sarasota Quay. These photos were taken of the site before tenents had moved in.

Facing west with Sarasota Bay in the background

Courtyard

Courtyard

Sarasota Jungle Gardens

One of the things I liked about living in Sarasota was that I never lacked places to go or things to see. Sarasota Jungle Gardens is one of those places that's big enough to keep your interest, but not too big that you feel you've missed something when you leave. I went there back in September of 1988, and these are a few photos I took. Mind you that these are from my early days.

Pink flamingos, and not the yard variety.

More flamingos. Oh, wait, they're the same flamingos as in the photo above.

A view of the grounds.

Whether it's watching an alligator wrangler or just strolling around the grounds, there's something for almost everyone. Check out the link to Sarasota Jungle Gardens in the Landmarks I've Visited section for more information.

A Visit to the Ringling Museum

Today I visited the grounds of the Ringling Museum of Art, in Sarasota. There is a beautiful courtyard, of which many photos (not mine) have been published in various travel magazines and books about Sarasota and Florida. On this day, I managed to get a few photos of the courtyard, as well as the Ca d'Zan, or 'House of John'. The Ringling web site has loads of information about the museum and Ca d'Zan. There's a link to the site in the Landmarks I've Visited section.

A view of the courtyard facing west. In this wide angle view, one can barely make out the bronze replica of the Statue of David.

Another courtyard shot looking to the northwest.

Another northwest shot, taken from further west.

From near the statue, facing east.

A long sidewalk leading to Ca d'Zan.

Front entrance to Ca d'Zan.

Approaching the windows from inside Ca d'Zan. I don't remember the exact details - I took the picture over twenty years ago!

Nearing Sunset on Siesta Beach

I spent the better part of a late afternoon and early evening on Siesta Beach one day in mid-September 1988. Actually, the beach was one of my favorite destinations when I lived in Sarasota. The following several photos are my favorites from that day.

Late afternoon, and not a lot of wave action.

Looking northwest up the beach. How would you like to have the Gulf of Mexico as your back yard?

Earlier in the day, this place was packed. Now that the sun is setting, most of them have gone home. This is my favorite time of the day.

In the backgroung, a pair of walkers enjoy the beach as the sun goes down. The real subject of this photo is the clump of sea oats. As I mentioned, Siesta Beach was one of my favorite places in Sarasota. I guarantee there will be more posts with it later.