A Weekend in Sarasota and Siesta Key
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I just got back from sunny Florida and visiting somewhere warm during the winter was so good for my soul! I wanted to share a quick review of our trip and the places we visited while we were there.
Last fall, my close girlfriends decided we all needed a weekend away and one of my friends had a relative with an Airbnb available in Sarasota, Florida - just a few miles away from Siesta Key! We made these plans way before Covid started to escalate again and all of the airlines were having issues with flights and cancellations. At the beginning of our trip, my girlfriend and I had to deal with a canceled flight the night before our trip and had to scramble to find another flight. So glad that we were able to find something for the same day - when we were waiting for our flight, we heard several other passengers talking about how they had been waiting for 3 or 4 days just to get on this flight!
All in all, we got to Sarasota without any trouble, rented a car, and were on our way to our Airbnb to catch up with our girlfriends and eat a late dinner! The Sarasota Airport was not too large, easy to navigate, and also super easy to pick up and drop off a rental car. Especially with some nonstop flights between BWI (Baltimore, MD) and Sarasota, this was an easy to trip to make! I had a blast catching up with my childhood and college girlfriends and thoroughly enjoyed soaking up some sunshine for a few days without the worries of motherhood pulling at my shirt. I highly recommend a trip to Sarasota and/or Siesta Key for a mom’s weekend away or as a family-friendly vacation spot!
The Beach at Siesta Key
I think it’s easy to say this has been my favorite beach that I have ever visited! Most of my beach-going experience has been Mid-Atlantic East Coast beaches, which are not bad but are much more rocky and shelly and hard to walk on in bare feet. The waves on the East Coast also tend to be rougher. Also not a bad thing, but not really my vibe, and makes this mama a bit nervous when it comes to my toddler running towards the water.
The sand and waves at the Siesta Key Beach were SO calming! It was the most beautiful white sand that was super soft and not at all rocky, and there were barely any waves while we were there, so the water was lapping the edge with a soothing calm sound. I would love to go back to visit with my husband and son and can easily see myself sitting towards the water’s edge while my son runs around in the water with my husband.
I was also very impressed with the playground and picnic tables that greeted us at the yellow entrance when we entered the beach! It appears there are four different main entrances that are color-coded, so I don’t know what all of the other entrances had, but we found parking done at the end near the yellow entrance, so that’s where we entered the beach. Just looking at the playground made me miss my husband and son! He would have so much fun on that playground - and it would give us as parents a nice break without chasing him around the water the entire time.
There was even an elevated platform for bathrooms and a concession stand, where I grabbed myself a frozen lemonade - it hit the spot for this pregnant lady on such a hot day in the sun!
Places to Eat in Sarasota, FL
Screaming Goat Taqueria
Screaming Goat Taqueria claims to be a laid-back, quick-serve outlet offering an array of Latin-infused street tacos, bowls & burritos. We actually placed an order for delivery at the end of the day to enjoy back at our Airbnb after a day of traveling for all of us. I ordered the Beef Barbacoa tacos and a side of chips and guacamole to share with some of my girlfriends. These tacos were SO incredibly tasty and were truly authentic - just the way I like them!
Apollonia Grill
This was another restaurant that we ordered take-out to eat back at our Airbnb. In full transparency, I didn’t end up ordering anything from here and just got myself a pizza and some cheesy bread delivered to the house (pregnancy cravings!). But my girlfriends were absolutely RAVING about the food they got from this Mediterranean restaurant and especially loved the Prosciutto & Fig Flatbread.
Places to Eat in Siesta Key, FL
Sun Garden Cafe
Our first morning of the trip, we wanted to spend time out at brunch somewhere so that we could sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather and catch up since so many of us had not seen each other for so long! One of my girlfriends came across this cute little cafe in Siesta Key and it was a huge hit! Sun Garden Cafe has a breezy ambiance and serves garden-to-table American fare & popular breakfasts. I ordered the Native breakfast plate (two eggs, fruit, toast and added bacon) and it was phenomenal! The bread is made in-house and the bacon had a sweetness to it that made the edges nice and crispy with tons of flavor.
Friday Brunch with the girls at Sun Garden Cafe in Siesta Key, FL
The Hub Baja Grill
For the last night of our trip, we decided to go out somewhere in The Village of Siesta Key. Finding parking was a bit of a challenge, but we happened to find a spot in the Municipal Parking Lot (hallelujah!) and enjoyed some outdoor dining at The Hub Baja Grill. All of downtown Siesta Key was really busy on a beautiful Saturday night, but we managed to get a table without waiting for too long at The Hub! I enjoyed some chips and salsa for the table and even more street tacos! I ordered the Pork al Pastor street tacos and swapped the red beans with black beans and it was all incredible!
Girl’s night out at The Hub Baja Grill in Siesta Key, FL
Meaney’s Mini Donuts & Coffee House
I spotted this cute little donut stand on the way to brunch our first morning in Siesta Key and couldn’t help but stop to visit for some “dessert” after our dinner in The Village of Siesta Key! These donuts came hot and fresh and I had them topped with cinnamon sugar. I ate them SO fast and thought about going back to order more, but was definitely super full from all of the food I had that night. I seriously love some hot and fresh donuts, and am still drooling over the donuts that I had at this stand!
Big Olaf Creamery
After dinner (and donuts), my girlfriends and I walked over to get some ice cream at Big Olaf’s Creamery in The Village of Siesta Key. Since I had donuts, I didn’t get any ice cream, but this place was SO busy - it’s clear it was really good based on how popular it was! My girlfriends got peanut butter cup, mint oreo, mint chocolate chip (and probably more that I’m forgetting!). Such a fun little spot with a little bit of indoor seating and lots of benches outside.
Where to Stay in Sarasota, FL
We stayed at the adorable Bowline Bungalow in Sarasota, Florida since it was a connection with a relative of one of my girlfriends, so we were able to get a good deal and even though it was intended for 4 people, we were able to have an air mattress that allowed us to have one additional guest. I’m sharing that Airbnb listing below, but also highlighting a few other listings that are not too far from Siesta Key and look like lovely places to stay!
As much as we all loved being in sunny Florida at the beginning of the New Year, we decided it would probably be best in the future to wait a few weeks or months later in the Winter to avoid some of the potential sicknesses that arise post-holidays and the craziness of flights and travel right after the New Year. Regardless of some of the difficulties in getting there… we had an INCREDIBLE time together in Sarasota and Siesta Key and are already making plans to return!
my childhood and college girlfriends at the beach in siesta key, fl
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