Lazing on Longboat Key, Florida

Sandpiper Inn, Longboat Key, Florida

Hotel Review:  The Sandpiper Inn

I recently found a sleepy Florida isle snoozing between the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay; one that rarely makes national news with the exception of 9/11/2001. President Bush was on island when the tragedy broke. Another story slipped onto the pages of  USA Today naming the Mar Vista Restaurant as a top ten place to meet a millionaire husband. No surprise really, the average price of the 75+ private island homes stands at $827,000.

Longboat Key rests in Southwest Florida, 20 minutes from Sarasota, surrounded by Caribbean blue water, miles of unspoiled beaches and yes, upscale lifestyle. But, fortunately you don’t have to be a millionaire to visit. I arrived at the Sandpiper Inn and found a throw back to days of Old Florida vacationing. The lodgings offer 11 ground-floor studios, one and two bedrooms, with  fully equipped kitchens and individual patios; all rooms are non-smoking. The Sandpiper snuggles a barbeque area amidst tropical gardens, yet sits close enough to the shoreline for ocean waves to be heard all night.

At daybreak, I merely stepped outside my room and started a beach walk. I huffed along  as ribbons of  lilac slipped into dawn and sand pressed between my toes. I exercised alone with my thoughts, a few shore birds and a blue heron. Late sleepers, I guess; no one appeared during the hour.

Empty Beach

Had I turned in the opposite direction toward the main thoroughfare, I could have fallen in the entrance to Euphemia Haye. The famed restaurant holds such a superior reputation that people drive 60 miles from Tampa for dinner. Being curious, I popped in their intimate upstairs bar one evening; found a cozy room with a masterful mixologist, comfortable seating, and seductive, live jazz. First class, indeed.

Harry’s Restaurant lies further down the street, a tasty laid-back spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner or Harry’s gourmet take out (See previous post: I’m Just Wild About Harry.) Steps away stands the Backyard Bike Shop, providing rental bikes by the hour, day or week. Cycling remains the easiest way to get around the ten-mile long haven. Bike lanes are available on both sides of newly repaved main drive, which runs straight down the Key.

The Sandpiper Inn is not a B & B, they have an even better arrangement with the nearby Blue Dolphin Cafe. Guests receive a $25 voucher to spend on breakfast which is available any time of the day. Everything served at this locals hangout is prepared on premises by Culinary Institute graduates. The muffins alone are worth the trip.

Close-up of a Mote Marine Laboratory Seahorse

One of barrier island’s highlights is The Mote Marine Laboratory, a non-profit institution dedicated to marine research and conservation. Workers actively involved themselves with rescue and rehabilitation of animals during the recent Gulf disaster.

Shawn Garner ranks among the country’s top seahorse scientists and raises the species for other aquariums, zoos and science institutions.  He explained, “Only when you learn about seahorses can you fully comprehend their beauty and uniqueness and why we need to protect them.”

Mote also farms sturgeon for the marketplace and fine restaurants. Historically, the fish prized for its caviar was depleted in the wild. Mote developed the ability to clean and re-use water efficiently while raising the seafood.

Mar Vista Pier

The renown Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant was built in 1912 with rusticated concrete blocks made onsite. The original house section is considered one of the twelve oldest surviving structures on Longboat Key. Guests arrive by car or boat, tying-up at the pier. They dine at water’s edge outdoor tables below gnarly old Buttonwood trees or on a covered deck. The bayside pier glows in the evening with gorgeous underwater lights. Seafood and steamer pots containing Snow crab, Dungeness crab, shrimp, mussels, and Maine lobster tails are the house specialty. Must say, my margarita rated top-shelf honors.

Underwater Lighting- Mar Vista Pier

Sarasota considers herself the cultural capital of Florida and little Longboat Key has its own Center for the Arts. Here, residents and tourists find classes and concerts plus a lecture series in conjunction with the Historical Society.

Tom Aposporos , President of the Chamber of Commerce had reason to beam about a recent award. He said, “In 2010, Conde Nast Traveler magazine readers ranked Longboat Key number two for best island destinations in North American.” Okay, that’s a mouthful but just think, the isle beat out Vancouver Island in Canada, Key West and Nantucket. In case you are wondering, Kiawah Island, SC took the top spot.

Longboat Key Beach at Sandpiper Inn

By the time I left the Key, I was more than satiated from irresistible restaurant offerings. I eased into total relaxation; found getting around easy and the sea air intoxicating. LBK is an ideal place to kick off your shoes and savor the sunshine. More adventurous can kayak through canals and mangroves, bike in safety, tennis, golf or fish. Little wonder most guests stay a week and snowbirds return year after year. I can’t wait to go back myself, and I’m a Floridian.

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If you go:

Sandpiper Inn, 5451 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, FL  34228

941 383 2552

Sandpiper Inn guests enjoy the sunset from their patio

Casa Marina Hotel, Jacksonville Beach: Hometown Get-Away

Sunrise at the Casa Marina

Getting Away in my own Hometown

Sometimes it takes a push to get out the door in your own hometown. When you’re on the road and away from home as much as I am, who stays in a local hotel?  However, the International Food, Wine and Travel Writer’s Association, of which I’m a member, was holding a two day conference  in nearby Jacksonville Beach.

So, I checked in, though somewhat embarrassed to admit I’d never set foot in the Casa Marina Hotel before. The Historic Hotel of America is a grand dame dating back to 1925 and restored to reflect the timeless glamor of the era.

Seems that Jacksonville was an “in” spot during the Roaring Twenties when the hotel first opened her doors. Why the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, John D. Rockefeller and President’s Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman visited the area. Jacksonville Beach boasted a boardwalk, dance casino’s, restaurants, amusement rides and wide beaches where automobiles were allowed to drive. (You can verify this by viewing the old photos lining the hallways.)

Casa Marina

During the war years of 1939 to 1945 the government appropriated the Casa Marina for military housing. Afterward a succession of owners and renovations took place.

Recently the Spanish Mediterranean-style hotel was recognized by The Knot Best of Weddings 2010 as one of their “Top Wedding Professionals.” Brides agree as  nearly 150-175 weddings are held in house each year. And please realize, this is an intimate  27-room hotel.

The seclusion of the inner courtyard, the view from the third floor penthouse and the nearness of the ocean bring an enchanted calm to the inn.  The food is outstanding and the treasured staff are most gracious and trusted by general Manager, Mark Vandeloo.  He must be doing something right as turnover is rare.

Visiting a Jacksonville hotel turned out to be a real treat in my own backyard.

My room in the Casa Marina

Hawks Cay: Sensual Scrub, Delectable Dining and Playful Dolphins

Hawks Cay Beach

Oh my gosh! I almost feel guilty talking about this experience. However, I recently encountered the ultimate indulgence, and the best part: zero fat grams and no calories. Just mix some tangy Key Lime juice with a mojito’s cool refreshing mint to create a killer concoction. No alcohol necessary; simply add essentials oils and slather over the body.

My skin drank in vast quantities of the soothing emollients during the signature spa body treatment – a Key Lime mojito scrub from Calm Waters Spa at Hawks Cay. You see, I purposely stopped by Duck Key on my way to Islamorada, when returning from Key West. The small 60-acre island is home to the famed Hawks Cay Resort. But, little did I know I was in for such a sensual and scentual treat.

After leaving Key West and driving sixty miles, hubby Jay and I arrived at Hawks Cay.  We stopped to enjoy a tasty, casual lunch served on the pool terrace. (Loved my grilled veggie sandwich.) We watched cars cross a bridge over the Key’s shimmery turquoise water, caught guests snoozing on the chaise lounges and visualized ourselves enjoying the resort’s beachy natural lagoon.

Rest and Relaxation on the Pool Deck

I meandered down to the Dolphin Connection, an ocean-fed saltwater arena, to watch the afternoon feeding. Hawks Cay Resort is the only hotel or resort in the continental United States that features an on-site dolphin research facility. And better yet, guests have the unique opportunity to encounter bottlenoses’ in their natural environment. The Dolphin Connection program is home to a pod of smiling (yes, that’s how I see them) and highly-intelligent creatures. You can choose to jump in the water for a hands-on encounter, spend three hours as if an assistant trainer or simply stand on the dock and admire their aerial tricks.

A Dolphin Flips

I got to thinking about my family and imaging an absolutely top notch vacation.  This seemed an ideal spot to bring the grandkids and their parents—and that was before I discovered the resort offered child and teen programs and a kid’s waterpark.

Camp Hawk,  for boys and girls ages 5 through 12, offers a full (or half) day of activities, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., including nature trail hikes, pool games, snorkeling in the lagoon, scavenger hunts, crafts, stories and a kid-friendly snack and lunch. On Friday and Saturday nights, young guests can join the Kids Night Out for more fun and parental relaxation.

Hawks Cay Waterpark

AquaJam is a three-day wet-and-wild adventure camp for teens ages 12 through 17.  Enrollees explore the Keys with like-minded peers, by kayaking, snorkeling, sailing and fishing.

Lodging choices include the resort hotel or the villas which offer the comforts of home in a two-story townhouse. The furnished deck and balcony of each villa make ideal locations for a late breakfast or cocktail hour to view a sunset.

But, I’d heard about the award-winning spa, the heavenly Calm Waters Spa, and I entered to escape. My treatment began in a candlelit room where I lay face down on a warm towel. Now, imagine a slow, tepid water drip on your back, not a Chinese water torture test, but a soft warm drizzle like a rainforest shower. That alone was pleasurable enough, but my therapist, Janet, began to scrub me with minty mojito sugar, a nourishing mixture to exfoliate and rejuvenate my dry skin. The amazing part–she did this while I continued to enjoy the warm waterfall on my body.

Janet methodically rubbed my legs, arms and back, while the Vichy shower (a bar with multiple shower heads) rinsed me and damp towels kept me comfortably warm.  Once I was scrubbed, lime scented oil was applied to hydrate my skin and allowed to soak in.  I was cocooned in hot blankets and my hair was washed and shampooed with Key Lime infused conditioners.  I chose to leave the conditioner on during my wrap for lasting results.  My eyes were then covered with a mask and I lay like a mummy, wrapped and confined in a face up position. Aaaah- how deliciously decadent.

I rested like this for 15-20 minutes with soothing birdsong music before the final unwrap.  My skin felt silky, almost like my baby grand-daughter’s. Well…maybe not that soft, but a lot smoother and fuller than usual.  My husband even noticed, saying I looked refreshed and kissably tender.

Hawks Cay Lobby

I would gladly return to Hawks Cay anytime and insist on staying longer than a few hours.  I’d truly love to treat my family.  I know each and every member would find something exhilarating to occupy their days: scuba, kiteboarding, chartering a boat, fishing, kayaking, beach combing, snorkeling, playing in the kid’s pirate pool, the spa, dining in various restaurants or just relaxing in the ocean breeze.  Hawks Cay is a first class resort, a place of barefoot elegance and one that promotes full-fledged memorable fun. Cheers- it certainly gave me something to talk about. Now, anyone for a real mojito?

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