©2006 Ferne Arfin. All rights reserved.

Ferne Arfin
United Kingdom for Visitors
at Anna Maria Island

I've never been much of a Florida fan. I don't sun bathe, I don't like
theme parks, I absolutely loathe man-made "Attractions" that seem put in
place to give tourists something to do besides shop and eat. A lot of the Florida
I had seen seemed over developed and full of what I call "Florida 
intersections" -- two discount drug stores facing off, diagonally, while
the other two corners are occupied by dueling banks.

So when my sister invited me to see her new house on Anna Maria, I have to
admit that I didn't expect much besides a much needed sunshine break.
What a surprise then, to discover this wonderful little islet. 

Anna Maria has no big shopping centers, no "Attractions" - just the kind of
attractions that nature has created, an empty, soft white, sugar sand beach,
that is easy to walk on for miles,  beside the warm turquoise waters of the
Gulf of Mexico, amazing birds, dolphins that jump across the sunset, right on cue -
and a shabby, barefoot, unpretentious, lived in quality.

Add to that, seafood to write home about, great ice cream, a free trolley to ride
up and down the island on, and dozens of cute little places to stay. I
suppose I could get used to this.

The Blue Heron pictured above was a bird that regularly made the dusk rounds at the
Beach Bistro - one of Florida's best restaurants, I'm told, and The
Sandbar, another popular spot up the beach.

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