Sarasota in the Rain

A rainy day in Sarasota

We've wanted to visit beautiful Sarasota for several years, and the opportunity finally came today, as the intermittent rain made beach activities somewhat undesirable. I've always thought the city would be the Florida version of Deauville -- upscale, with lots of disposable income.

I can see how it Sarasota might be a destination for the "beau monde". It's full of high end shops and restaurants and seems to be full of people with money to spend. We entered the city limits, stopped at the very helpful Visitors' Center, and decided to have lunch at the Crab & Fin, a seafood restaurant on St. Armand's Circle. That roundabout is certainly French enough but this part of town is very American and a little reminiscent of South Beach. The rain didn't seem to deter tourists and natives out for lunch and a little retail therapy.

We ate inside, a good idea on this very damp day. I had the gulf shrimp roll and Bob chose the tuna melt. My glass of Pinot Noir was excellent and Bob said the bar scotch was much better than he had expected. The best side was the house apple slaw, a tasty salad served on lettuce.

Sarasota north beach on a rainy day

Our visit was limited to a quick walk on the beautiful long beach, and a drive on  John Ringling Boulevard, named after the founder of the circus.

We drove home in unrelenting rain, which let up a little after our arrival. We had a drink on the deck ... but it's pouring rain again, and it looks as thought there won't be much sun during our last week in Florida.

St. Pete seemed a little shabby compared to Sarasota this evening, but our deck view is still spectacularly lovely, even in the rain.