SARASOTA STAYCATION

Since the pandemic started back in March, Jacob and I have done a whole lot of nothing. And it's driving us C R A Z Y! We are busy bodies, we really love exploring and adventuring on our days off together. Trying new restaurants, visiting new towns, doing all the things; so being cooped up in the house for the last four months has been miserable to say the least.

On the bright side though, we did make a move in April and so we have been a bit occupied with getting settled in, so that has certainly helped keep our minds off of the many fun excursions that we have had to cancel for this year. *sheds silent tears*

Any-who, one of the many benefits to living in Florida is that Jacob's grandparents own a vacation home in Sarasota/Nokomis that we have the privilege of being able to visit just about any time we want. So we decided that last week would be the perfect opportunity to sneak away for a long weekend for a change in scenery and a sanity break from the home quarantine life.

We spent 3 nights and 4 days lounging by the pool and taking sunset strolls on the beach.

IT. WAS. GLORIOUS.

We packed our own food for the trip to maximize our social distancing abilities, though we still allowed ourselves to venture out a few times for some vacation treats (because how could we not?).

The first night, we got lost in the most beautiful neighborhood, trying to find Nokomis Beach. We weren't at all upset that the GPS took us the extra long route. We eventually found our way on to the beach for a gorgeous sunset and that sweet, salty air!

Day two, we hit the pool at the community clubhouse. I honestly feel like I can't even call it a clubhouse, it's more like a resort! They have a really wonderful little poolside bar/grill with some of the BEST food. I could have lunch there every day and be totally happy, and the pool is GORGEOUS.

So, we had lunch and lounged by the pool, reading for most of the day before we headed out to chase another beach sunset.

Though we didn't stay for the full sunset because we were both getting pretty hungry, so we set out to feed this growing baby and wound up stopping at the Old Salty Dog to share a seafood platter. I had never been to this restaurant before, though I was always curious about it and it was a good meal! It's a super casual setting, so if you're looking for something a little more upscale, this is not the place for you, but if you're good with flip flops, beach cover-ups and a dog friendly atmosphere, you'll be happy you went!

On our final day, we spent the afternoon driving to Nokomis Groves for some of that famous fresh orange/vanilla ice cream! It's a tradition for us to visit this spot every single time we vacation in Sarasota. It's one of my very favorite things (the ice cream is TO DIE for). We couldn't leave without it.

Later that day, we decided to go explore Downtown Venice, which we had never done before and it was positively lovely! There wasn't a lot that was open due to the virus, but we vowed to return during our next visit to check out all of the adorable shops there or even to just grab some coffee and read in the shade.

While we were there, we did manage to find a delicious pizza place with an incredible view! It was hot as Hades sitting out there, but it was worth it to take in the scenery. We'll definitely be returning to Made In Italy to sample more of their authentic Italian cuisine!

Our trip was not nearly long enough, but we were grateful for the time we had and we're looking forward to exploring more of the local scene the next time we go!