I spent Labor Day in Sarasota with two goals in mind. Hit up a few spots on my Florida travel bucket list, and relax in our cute AirBNB. This was not a pound-the-pavement, eat seven meals a day type of trip. Not every trip has to be jam packed with a full itinerary.

THE WHITNEY

We needed to waste some time before we could check-into our lodging so our first stop was a restaurant on Longboat Key called the Whitney. It’s a beautiful restaurant with a seafood centered menu. They have a lush and well decorated outdoor patio which was the main reason it lured me. The visit wasn’t seamless and the food was not anything amazing, but would recommend this place based off how safe I felt eating here and the service. It’s a shame because it’s such a gorgeous spot.

THE RINGLING MUSEUM

I’ll be honest, I did not care to take a deep dive into the history of John Ringling because I’m personally anti-circus, but I do appreciate that upon his death he willed his Sarasota mansion, the museum, and his entire art collection to the state of Florida. We bypassed the exhibits that had to do with the history of the circus and went straight to the the house, Cà d'Zan. I wanted to see the grounds that at one time the richest man in the world had built in his name. The building is beautiful and to be right on the water reminded me a lot of the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami.

John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

The art museum is the 16th largest in the United States and houses the vast collection that John acquired in his travels to Europe. The collection has a variety of paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, photographs, and decorative arts from ancient through contemporary periods and from around the world. You aren’t going tt find any modern art here, it’s mainly old world masterpieces and a collection of Baroque art.

Sarasota Art Museum

This much smaller museum in located inside an old school, which makes it look like it’s going to be expansive but it’s not. There were some cool modern exhibits and knowledgeable staff who freely gave information about certain pieces without being overbearing. You probably won’t be here more than an hour, but for art lovers I’d recommend.

MARIE SELBY BOTANICAL GARDENS

I’ve been recommending this garden to everyone because I found it to be a real gem in Sarasota. Although we have gardens in Orlando, none are quite like this. It’s broken into different sections, and I have to say I loved the Children’s Rainforest Garden, which is an elevated garden that gives the sensation of traveling through the treetops. The succulent garden is quite mesmerizing, and there are places to sit and enjoy the sound of the ocean which is something you can’t get in Orlando.

RANDOM EATS

Truthfully, we were more into relaxing and hanging at the Airbnb on this trip so (and a few places we tried were not good) so my eats from the weekend are limited, but at least they are tasty.

Anna’s Deli

After seeing all the good reviews (and it’s proximity to a Jeni’s Ice Cream) we visited the University location of Anna’s deli. Better than any Publix sub, I would go back here in an instant. Heavy Florida vibes, no frills, clearly a lot of regulars filtering in and out, and just a solid sammy all around.

Bavaro’s Pizza

One of the nights in we ordered pies from Bavaro’s Pizza which has a few locations on the West coast. I have no idea if there is better pizza to be had in Sarasota, but I thought these were solid pies.

Screaming Goat

Screaming Goat Taqueria is a tiny little taco spot outside of the posh parts of Sarasota. Everything we got tasted fresh, had great flavor, and quick service. I would definitely recommend.

COFFEE

You know I love my coffee exploring. But nothing in Sarasota wow’d me. However I’ll still share some places that where decent, but of course you always have Buddy Brew as a standby.

PROJECT COFFEE

We stopped for a to-go coffee and breakfast item downtown at Project Coffee. While my coffee was decent, the food was sadly awful. Everything is vegan, which we knew, but the biscuits were so dry it bordered inedible. Having the luxury of eating the most wonderful vegan biscuits here from Winter Park Biscuit Co., the texture was undeniably not up to par. Go for the coffee, skip the food.

Mojo Risin

This spot that serves coffee along with smoothies, acai bowls, and more, so I knew the latte might not be the best I’d come across, and it wasn’t. But it was also not awful!

You’re probably better off just going to Buddy Brew.

Weekend in Sarasota