Florida may be home to oranges, hanging chads, and retirees, but it is also home to my friend Caitlyn from grad school. I’ve been threatening her with a visit to her hometown of Sarasota for months, so with Yankee spring training scheduled and a weekend get-away on my must-do list, I booked my flight for March.My limited—yet vivid—memories of Florida are likely akin to yours: riding the Dumbo ride at Disney, wandering around Epcot, swimming at the beach, meeting Minnie Mouse (she knocked my mom’s sunglasses off her head mid-hug). So I was eager for my first trip to Florida as an adult, where I’d achieve unique memories from a non-Disney perspective.
And boy howdy, was that first perspective an incredible one—landing in Tampa, the sun glistened off the water and it looked as if we were headed straight for it. Driving over the Sunshine Skyway has a nice ring to it and the uninterrupted view of the bays and Gulf of Mexico are picture-perfect.
Entering Sarasota, a city of about 50,000 people ranging from students to oldster Northeastern transplants, I was impressed with the surroundings. There wasn’t a hint of touristy gimmicks and the water surrounded us, boats bobbing up and down in the harbor and an 80-foot statue of a sailor kissing his gal…ok, so there may have been some signs of gimmicks.If you’re craving a dose of tourism, then there are plenty of keys lined with shops, bars, and restaurants to visit. St. Almond Key (ok, so it’s really called St. Armond but whatever) is crawling with tourists and locals alike, and it’s just a hop and a skip—not even a jump—away from the beach. Or check out the many other keys in Sarasota, from Otter Key to Coon Key, Bird Key to Siesta Key.
Caitlyn and I relived our grad school days and did a mini British pub crawl, hitting up Shakespeare’s and the Cock and Bull (they certainly had the names down). It was at Shakespeare’s where my dreams of finding British alcohol in America came true—they had Strongbow Cider…on tap. Glory! Then a couple stouts ‘round the open-pit fire at the Cock and Bull capped off the evening.
Steinbrenner Field in Tampa is home to Yankee spring training, where the boys in pinstripes get together for a month of scrimmage games and warm-up practices. Coming off a World Series win in early November, these guys have been enjoying the off-season since and spring training is the time to shake off the cleats and wave hello to the fans. Seating about 11,000 fans, Saturday’s game was packed to the brim and we scored upper deck seats along the left field line. Playing the Blue Jays, my prediction of pure Yankee domination failed to come true as they lost 9 to 1. Pretty pathetic, guys.Luckily, my studly Yanks didn't let me down post-game as we waited above the locker room exit, like the girly stalkers we truly are. We were privy to several players making their way to the parking lot, with a few even stopping to sign balls. The best sighting of the day was catching a glimpse of the one-and-only Jorge Posada. He gave a wave as the crowd greeted him with a "hip-hip-Jorge” and we saw him get into his Porsche 911 Turbo and zoom off, predictably to the stately residential community he shares with the likes of Derek Jeter.
Saturday night out in Sarasota has apparently been revolutionized by the transformed downtown scene. Once a place to be avoided, now it’s tough to even snag a parking spot as the city’s youth flocks to this central spot. With lots of options to choose from, we ended up at Ceviche, a trendy Tapas bar with four floors of fun—a dining room, a Flemenco room, a bar, and a rooftop bar equipped with heaters and a view. Here’s a travel money-saving tip: don’t open a tab at the bar and take a sip of delicious white sangria if you want to save money. Oh well, it was entirely worth it.What is noticeably lacking from my Florida vaca was seafood…and it remained that way intentionally. The only thing I detest more than sushi is seafood. Lobster? Should have stayed a talking friend to the Little Mermaid. Crabs? Keep chillin’ under the ocean, guys. Oysters? Blurgh. Yup… so gross I made up a word for it. So with that in mind, Caitlyn was kind enough to avoid all seafood eateries and instead took me to a seaside eatery.
The Old Salty Dog is off the beaten path, yet it was packed full of patrons salivating for some grub. We beat the crowd and secured “the best seat in the house,” out of the sun and looking out onto the water. From fish sandwiches to appeal to the seafood-loving crowd (again, blurgh) to deep-friend hot dogs to appeal to the, well…I’m not quite sure who that appeals to other than Adam from Man v. Food. I opted for the traditional burger, and damn was it top-notch.
Overall, my Florida rendezvous with Caitlyn was a success. No signs of Disney and just enough beach to satiate my craving for sea and surf. Sarasota seems to be a great get-away for those seeking sun in Florida, but want to avoid fighting throngs of tourists. I can’t guarantee you’ll run into any hanging chads, but to have the true FL experience, be sure to have a pint of OJ (or sangria).
