Amazing Anna Maria - Day in my Lyfe - 4

Hey Guys!

It took a while but this is the last and final blog post about my trip to Anna Maria Island! If you haven't checked out the other days, read them here: Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3. The last day of my trip involved saving a life, so keep reading to find out the whole story!

*Disclaimer: My views and opinions are never swayed and will only recommend products or places I love or enjoy. I am not being sponsored by any of the places mentioned in this post. Just want to share my experience on this lovely island!

Like the previous days, I woke up extra early to watch the sunrise. But before getting dressed I looked at my weather channel app, to which it said the "feels like" was 35° F... I'm a South Florida girl, who is not used to temperatures below 60°, so I was FREEZING. I put on as many layers as I could, grabbed my camera bag, and walked to the bay. The super wolf blood moon was the night before, and I was pleasantly surprised to still see out and shining bright!

One of the best decisions I made when packing for the trip was bringing my rain boots! I was able to keep my feet semi-warm (and dry) from the frigid ocean temps. The tide was extra low this morning, so I walked through a little bit of water to get to the first sandbar.

As I kept going, I noticed a funny shape in the sand...

I realized it was a starfish, burying itself to try and stay alive. The high tide was still a few hours away, and I knew I had to help. So I took off my gloves, pulled it out of the sand, and placed it in the water.

I literally could not feel my fingers for the rest of the morning... but I could deal with being uncomfortable if it meant that one of my ocean friends lived on for another day. This reminded me of little story that was printed on a mug we had when I was a child: "One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?" The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die." "Son", the man said, "Don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!" After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, "I made a difference for that one." - Loren Eisley I continued walking, admiring the cloudless sky and pretty colors over Tampa Bay.

Then the sun finally started to rise! I loved the bold reddish orange glow surrounding the sun.

After sunrise, I went back to the resort to pack up and check out. We said our final goodbyes to the family, then hopped in the car to head to Sarasota.

Unconditional Surrender - Sarasota Our first stop was the Unconditional Surrender statue. It is about 25 feet tall, made of bronze, and created by J. Seward Johnson.

The inspiration for the piece was the iconic photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt, taken on August 14, 1945. He took it in Times Square, New York City, after the streets were flooded with people celebrating the end of World War II. It was a spontaneous kiss between a sailor and nurse, and through the commotion Eisenstaedt never got their names. The photo was featured on the cover of Life magazine and has become an iconic symbol of V-J Day. Many people have come forward claiming their identities as one of the pair, but there's much debate as to what is factual.

I found out that the day after I took these photos, someone vandalized the nurse's legs. Although there has been some controversy surrounding the statue, to me it's a must see stop along the Sarasota Bayfront.

Siesta Key Beach We continued heading South, then West, 'til we made it to this Siesta Key Beach Access.

We hung out there for a few minutes. Taking tons of photos and enjoying the gorgeous beach views.

Der Dutchman There's an area of Sarasota known as Pinecraft, and is home to the Amish and Mennonite community. I was familiar with the area from a previous trip about 5 years ago, and knew exactly where we should grab brunch.

Der Dutchman's, is a bakery, restaurant, and gift shop that features a reasonably priced buffet spread. We got there at about 10:30 a.m., so the breakfast buffet was still available. There were tons of homestyle choices from pancakes, eggs, muffins, french toasts, and even fruit streusel bakes. But the real star is their assortment of pies! (I've tried a few different ones, and it's some of the best pie I've ever had.) If you're ever in the Sarasota area, you should definitely check them out! From there we got back on the highway for the long drive home to Miami... Although the winter weather didn't allow some of the things I had originally planned (like kayaking or taking a boat out to Egmont Key), I still had a FANTASTIC time in Anna Maria Island. It's such a quaint little island, with powdery white sand beaches and crystal clear water. I'm already planning a trip to go back in the summertime, cause I'm eager to go swimming with my fishy friends again! If I've inspired you to explore this island in the sun, feel free to message me on Instagram or comment below! I'd love to see your take on it and what fun things you get up to. xx -Lala