Every year, when October 15th rolls around, Floridians get their crab crackers ready. It’s the harvest—and not the kind in the garden. No, this one’s water based, yielding up the Sunshine State’s most scrumptious crustacean, the stone crab. For eight months, crabbers… Read More
While there’s plenty to see and do along the coast, turn your attention to the city of Sarasota (it’s that gorgeous, glittering skyline that greets you upon your descent from the Ringling Bridge, FYI). Head for Downtown, where you’ll quickly discover some… Read More
Dinner restaurant: So many great places in Sarasota. My home for 31 years has been Anna Maria, so if you want to think outside the box, try The Feast. It’s in a small shopping center on Anna Maria, and it’s AH-Mazing!! Make… Read More
Meet our fearless leader, Michele Knuese. Having been in the local vacation rental business for over 30 years, Wisconsin-born Knuese was perfectly poised to take the helm of Florida Vacation Connection in 1994. As owner and manager, Michele calls upon her decades… Read More
Longboat Key and its surrounding islands are a shopper’s paradise, and not just because the shopping is set in one. It’s the fact that so many of our retail options offer everything you need to put together an ensemble fit for… Read More
When circus maestro John Ringling settled in Sarasota with his wife, Mable, they decided they needed an art museum on the property to house their considerable collection. It took two years to build the Ringling Museum, which opened in 1927. Today, the museum’s… Read More
If you’re here in Sarasota in the fall and winter, you’ll want to take advantage of all that’s on offer. The area comes alive with festivals and events that highlight everything we get to enjoy here year round: fresh-caught seafood, great local music… Read More
You’ve probably heard about Sarasota’s wildlife scene—frolicking dolphins, osprey and egret, sandhill cranes plucking along the shore. . Our warm coastal waters are rich with manatee and all manner of fish, a dynamic ecosystem that many creatures call home. But there’s one… Read More
Longboat Key’s premier park is one of the most beloved places on the island, and not just because of the three—count ’em three—pickleball courts. No, these nine acres set right on the water are dedicated to sports and recreation of all kinds,… Read More
If you’re an angler, you’ve chosen well: Longboat Key and the Sarasota area host some of the best fishing in the Sunshine State. We’ve got offshore and deep sea in the Gulf, freshwater fishing from inland lakes, and the unique ecosystem provided… Read More