News & Press - Anna Maria Island

Old Florida Charm & Fun Still Exists on Anna Maria Island

BIRMINGHAM PARENT - Carol Muse Evans publisher/editor
Tortuga Inn Beach Resort was named "Best Place to Stay."
If you’ve dreamed of taking your children to the “old Florida” you remember visiting as a child, it still exists – on Anna Maria Island. Life is really laid back on the island, located about an hour southwest of Tampa, Florida. It is like a hidden jewel and a step back in time in Florida history and tourism, and though tourists abound, it doesn’t feel “touristy.” As one restaurant owner put it, “What we’re selling here is relaxation.” And relax, you can. Families who just want a great beach trip will fi nd everything they need here, and very affordably priced. Beaches are just steps from resorts and condos that dot the beach line, and very little walking and steps are involved. You’ve still got the beautiful, white sand of the Florida Gulf Coast here, but the sand’s a little fi ner, and crushed shells are also part of the mix. In fact, there’s a multitude of shells here, if your family likes shelling. Surf’s up a little higher here, and the water is crystal clear, blue-green. Click to view.

Vertical Tampa Bay

PHOTOGRAPHY - SUSAN JEFFERS - Published with permission from VERTICAL Tampa Bay
LA ISLA BONITA - Summer issue photo shoot at Tradewinds Resort. Click to view.

In One Hour - Retreat Mind, Body & Soul

By Leslie Joy Ickowitz - Published with permission from VERTICAL Tampa Bay
In One Hour - Retreat Mind, Body & Sou - Anna Maria Islandl - Read full article.

Eight Florida isles, no two alike

By Andrea Sachs - Washington Post - Jan. 17, 2010
GULF ISLANDS, Fla. - If I were a brown pelican, flying high above the Gulf of Mexico near Sarasota, I imagine that I would see thin strips of land trimmed in white, surrounded by water as clear and blue as the cloudless sky above. However, I am not a bird. I am flightless, and as I drove across bridge after bridge to eight different islands in the chain, I found that though they all inhabit the same body of water, they are hardly identical octuplets.

Nor are these islands clones of the Florida Keys, the more popular and party-wise archipelago off the state's southern tip.

The Gulf Islands are arranged like steppingstones along the western coast of Florida. You can skip from one to the other - Anna Maria Island to Longboat Key, City Island, St. Armands Key, Siesta Key, Casey Key, Venice, and Manasota Key - with few interruptions. But as I ventured from one key to another, I couldn't help noticing that what I had left behind only faintly resembled what I had just arrived at. The structures, natural environments, amenities, mind-sets, and even sand compositions varied remarkably, creating islands with unique, identifiable characters.

They say that no two snowflakes or Baldwin brothers are alike; I'd add the Gulf Islands to that list.

Anna Maria Island - Low-key and all - natural

Anna Maria Island is Florida as a living diorama, with no chain hotels, a speed limit that never exceeds 35 m.p.h., and a building limit of three stories. It is also home to a genteel first lady.

"We are loath to go the route of Longboat Key, with condo high-rises," said Rhea Chiles, the wife of former Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles, whose family has owned property here since 1958. "The look of the place has been passed down from one generation to another. It's all of those words: quaint, neighborly, natural."

Chiles was the visionary behind the Studio at Gulf and Pine, a multi-use space that exhibits local artworks, including a painting of her own, and holds classes, such as the book club I was making her late for. So I left Chiles to her plot twists for the turns of a kayak.

Shawn Duytschaver, whose family opened the first gift shop on Anna Maria, owns Native Rentals, where he rents boats and preps guests before pushing them off to fend for themselves. He suggested that I paddle Robinson Preserve, a 400-acre mangrove and salt marsh reserve that opened in 2008 and is buffered from motorized traffic. (By comparison, around nearby Lido Key, kayakers must contend with the din of boats and cars, he said.)

At the put-in spot across the Intracoastal Waterway, Duytschaver handed me a laminated map and said I could probably make it to the bald eagle nest before sunset. He also warned me about the black "bugs" in the mangroves. They're not spiders, he said, but crabs. Underlying message: Don't freak out and abandon ship.

I found the small entryway to the preserve but got my left and right confused. Instead of kayaking in the wider bayou (to the right), I ended up in the narrow tunnel, where mangrove roots kicked out like chorus girls. In several areas, my paddle was wider than the channel. At one point, I was so wedged in, my only choices were stand up and pick up the boat or try an eight-point U-turn. Only the crabs know which option I took.

Abandoning the mangrove, I entered open water, where mullet were jumping so high and so close to my boat that I could feasibly have landed one with some clever maneuvering. I hadn't gotten far into my laissez-faire fishing when I spotted a bald eagle sitting stoically in a tree. Having reached my goal, I turned back, a much easier trip now that I was wise to the tangle of mangroves.

On the Gulf Islands, sunset is a momentous occasion. At the Sandbar Restaurant, on the beach on Anna Maria Island, waiters ask diners to guess the time of the sun drop. Those with the correct answer win a bottle of champagne.

The wait for a table exceeded the time left before sunset, so I watched the show from a dugout in the sand. At 6:58, a bell rang. Couples kissed and families snapped photos with the cranberry-streaked sky as a backdrop. I overheard a waiter consoling his customers about their losing time, trying to ease their disappointment with dessert.

Hopping the Gulf Islands - Places to stay

Tortuga Inn Beach Resort

1325 Gulf Dr. N. Anna Maria Island 1-877-867-8842
www.tortugainn.com

Spacious rooms with tasteful Old Florida decor. Across the street from the beach. Rates from $120, depending on season and hotel type.

Holmes Beach celebrates 60 years at Founder's Day

BY PAT COPELAND - SUN STAFF WRITER
HOLMES BEACH - Mayor Rich Bohnenberger welcomed guests celebrating the 60th anniversary of the city's incorporation and the third annual Founder's Day on Friday at city hall.

Guests mingled in the city hall lobby telling stories of the past and enjoying historic photos, while a quartet from the Anna Maria Island Chorus and Orchestra played in the commission chamber.

At the program's start, the American Legion Color Guard posted the colors, Margaret Smelser led the group in the national anthem and Carol Saggau offered a prayer.

"What makes our city great is the citizen participation," Bohnenberger told the group as he prepared to announce the Community Partners award, which recognizes individuals and organizations that have contributed to the quality of life in the city.

This year's award was presented to the Anna Maria Island Privateers and Bohnenberger noted, "For 39 years, this organization has worked to benefit the children of the community."

Following the presentation, city officials and members of the AMI Chamber of Commerce cut the ribbon on the new restroom by the skate park that was built with a donation from Rex Hagen.

Island flocks to Parrothead Dance

BY TOM VAUGHT - SUN STAFF WRITER
BRADENTON BEACH – Jimmy Buffett take note: you might want to be out our way next year when we hold our next Parrothead dance. Not because it bears your brand, but because if you’re not there, you’re missing a great time.

More than 300 people paid $10 each to enjoy hors d’oeuvre in the Anna Maia Island Community Center’s auditorium along with a cash bar featuring beer, wine and margaritas and $2 Cheeseburgers in Paradise and most of those people came to dance.

Dan Mobley played some of Buffett's tunes and then Island Idol third-place winner David Teitelbaum sang. He did a great impression of Elvis while singing "Can't Help Falling in Love."

Taylor Zebracki, who won a karaoke contest recently at the Sandbar restaurant, also sang and the female winner of the Island Idol contest in association with the Real Florida Festival, Katie Greenwood, gave a spirited rendition of several songs.

After that, DJ and singer Mike Sales took over a got the crowd out on the dance floor. When he played "Macarena," the crowd followed along, then he got two volunteers to bring out the limbo pole and everyone went under it. He introduced another song and told them to form a conga line, which snaked through the huge auditorium. The crowd formed the letters with their arms during "YMCA" and before long, the crowd was cheering after each song and there were more dancers than people sitting at their tables.

If you've ever been in a conga line at any past or present Anna Maria Island nightspot, you'll want to come back next year because the Parrothead dance is slated to return.

"I've already booked it for next year because it had a great turnout and the crowd had so much fun," said Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Special Events Coordinator Susanne Arbannis. "The best part for me was to see everybody get up and move."

Real Florida Festival Organizer David Teitelbaum said that he was impressed that the Chamber and the Community Center worked so well together. "This is the first time the two groups have worked on a project together and it was an obvious success," he said. "A lot of people said that they had never been to the Community Center before, so it shows that we could attract a lot of people who don't normally come to events there." Sales said it was gratifying to see a crowd enjoy themselves.

"It was the right music for the right group and they had a ball," Sales said. "I fed off their energy and picked the music I thought they would enjoy and they did."

Arbannis said she would announce the date of next year's dance later, after they iron out the details.

Island rallies for free trolley rides

BY TOM VAUGHT - SUN STAFF WRITER The first annual Real Florida Festival has come and gone, and it was a weekend that featured something for just about everybody from one end of the Island to the other.

It began with the Holmes Beach Founder's Day celebration at city hall and a daylong festival in the adjacent field.

Inside city hall, the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra provided the music for the 60th anniversary of Holmes Beach as Mayor Rich Bohnenberger introduced former mayors and outstanding citizens and visitors looked over the historical photos and news stories on display. The action moved to the field at 5 p.m., where music prevailed as the crowd looked at arts and crafts, enjoyed food and drink and the Island Idol contestants performed. Katie Greenwood won first place with lively performances of Patsy Cline and Janis Joplin songs. Chip Ragsdale took second with an original song about Anna Maria Island, and David Teitelbaum took third with songs made popular by Neil Diamond and Dean Martin. On Saturday, skateboarders took to the nearby skate park for a competition of talented kids 6 to 18 years old, sponsored by the city of Holmes Beach, West Coast Surf Shop and Six Third Productions.

The arts and crafts festival began again at 9:30 a.m. with live musical performances, food and drink and shopping for unique items. The Community Center took on a Margaritaville look starting at 6 p.m. at the Parrothead Dance hosted by the AMI Chamber. Those who paid the $10 entry fee got free hors d'oeuvres from the Sandbar, The Sun House, Island Gourmet and Rotten Ralph's restaurant. The Chamber sold $2 Cheeseburgers in Paradise."The venue moved Sunday to Bradenton Beach, where gray skies and a misty rain kept some people away for the morning run/walk on the beach. Only five people signed up, two of them on vacation. They decided to enter when they read about the event in The Sun.

Rich Medema, of Elmhurst, Ind., took first place in the run with Dana Snell, from Bradenton, coming in second and Keith Grabill, of Midland, Mich., coming in third. The walkers were Steve Huneke, of Bradenton, in first place; his wife, LeAnne, in second; and Frank Burberry, of Danville, Ky., in third.

Bridge Street was dressed up with outdoor vendors in tents selling everything from souvenirs and arts and crafts to green products and services in honor of Earth Day. The mist continued until about 11:30 a.m. when it got heavier, forcing the band Hwy 41 to pack up or risk damaging its equipment. One of the two kayak dealers offering free kayak demos failed to appear and nobody had tried a kayak by noon. The bad weather did force cancelation of some activities, but those who stuck it out were rewarded when the skies cleared Sunday afteroon.

Organizer David Teitelbaum said he felt the three-day event had gone far to increase public awareness of the trolleys and to raise money for non-profit organizations and to keep the trolleys on the Island fare-free as the county deals with the loss of grant money that kept them free for the past several years.

"We'll assess what we did and make some changes for next year," he said. "All in all, I thought it was a great weekend, and I thank everybody who helped put it on and those who attended."

Young talent tapped for festival

Lisa Neff- Islander Reporter
The search for two Island Idols - one male, one female - will begin April 10 at the Gulf Drive Cafe, 900 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach. Auditions will take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., according to Mike Sales, who is coordinating the event for the Real Florida Festival. Contestants must be 18 or older. Click here for full story...

It's a buffet of Buffett

BY TOM VAUGHT | SUN STAFF WRITER
HOLMES BEACH - We all know that Jimmy Buffett is the leader of the "Parrot Head Nation" and that would include just about any place in Florida, so a big part of the three-day Real Florida Festival will be the Parrot Head Dance on Saturday, April 17, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Anna Maria Island Community Center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.
The dance brings together some familiar flavors and sounds that make this place so special. Admission is $10 per person or you can reserve a table for eight people for $70. Tickets are on sale now at the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, 5313 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.
Featured in this event are raffle items including resort accommodations on the Island, restaurant gift certificates, golf lessons, horseback riding, gift baskets and more. You can purchase raffle tickets at the Community Center or at the dance. The cost is $1 for one ticket, $5 for six tickets or $10 for 13.
Local restaurants will be donating the Island cuisine and the sponsors will be selling "Cheeseburgers in Paradise" for $2. There will be a cash bar offering beer, wine, margaritas and soda.
Local DJ and singer Mike Sales will play some Buffett music plus reggae and other Island sounds, with the help of other local entertainers. The winners of the Island Idol contest will also be there to entertain.
Enjoy keeping the trolleys fare-less for another year as well as an evening in Margaritaville. Bring your dance partner and show them how it's done in our little Island paradise.
For more information, call Chamber Special Events Coordinator Susanne Arbanas at 778-1541 or log on to www.realfloridafestival.com.

Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine

Anna Maria Island Wedding Festival - March 19, 2010
A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to attend the third annual Anna Maria Island Wedding Festival on Florida's Gulf Coast. We stayed at the charming Tortuga Inn Beach Resort - situated right along the intracoastal waterway and across the street from a private beach.
Click here to view complete story...

Robert E. Hunt Beautification Award

January 26, 2010
The Image Manatee Committee is proud to present the 20th Annual Robert E. Hunt Beautification Award to the Tortuga Inn Beach Resort. Tortuga Inn Beach Resort is a beach-to-bay luxury resort conveniently located on Anna Maria Island. In 2003, David Teitelbaum acquired the resort and over the next six years, totally repositioned, renovated, and refurbished the property. The resort includes six unique buildings of hotel rooms and suites nestled within lush landscaping and swaying palms. With its tropical charm, and scenic sunsets, Tortuga Inn truly embodies island vacationing. Whether it's relaxing at the sparkling gulf-side sundeck and pool or fishing off the private dock overlooking Sarasota Bay and the Intercoastal, the property at Tortuga Inn Beach Resort is a friendly little paradise found right here in Manatee County.

According to Kimber Bereiter, Chair of the Image Manatee Committee, "The image of our community is often interpreted based on our visual environment and first impressions. Through their efforts of creative landscape design and maintenance and the use of native plant species to instill a tropical charm, Tortuga Inn makes a positive impact on community pride and economic growth."
Read the Herald Tribune article here...

Teitelbaum honored by peers

By Tom Vaught - Sun staff writer- November 11, 2009
David Teitelbaum is a busy man. He runs three resorts in Bradenton Beach, serves on the Manatee County Tourism Development Council and he’s organizing an Island-wide effort to raise money to keep the trolleys free to riders.

All that hard work has paid off this year as the Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island named him the Anna Maria Island Businessperson of the Year at the Island Chamber of Commerce Installation Banquet on Monday, Nov. 9.
Click here to view complete story...

By Chris - Island Magazine - Octber 7, 2009
Islands Magazine selected Anna Maria Island as "THE WORLD'S BEST QUAINT ISLAND" - in it's November, 2009 list of the world's BEST 14 ISLANDS. Tortuga Inn Beach Resort was chosen as it's favorite resort on Anna Maria Island. Click here to view complete story...

AMI Weddings Boost Tourism

By Rick Catlin - The Islander - August 12, 2009
Anna Maria Island's wedding industry has grown from about 50 weddings a year five years ago to nearly 1,000 in 2008. And a large number of the members of wedding parties return to the Island as vacationers, said Caryn Hodge, marketing director for the Sandbar Restaurant in Anna Maria. Click here to view complete story...

A Florida Island, End to End, Table by Table

By By CINDY PRICE - New York Times - July 26, 2009

FLORIDA is a clever little peninsula. Just when you think you've seen everything under its proverbial sun, you stumble across a place like Anna Maria Island - a seven-mile slip of cushy white sand tucked in the Gulf of Mexico where you can dump the car, rent a bike, swim in smooth, teal waters and eat remarkably well. Click here to view complete story...

Beach Magic

By Wanda McKinney - Southern Living - March 2009

The motto of Florida's Anna Maria Island says it all: "Welcome to paradise without an attitude." Our Insider's guide helps you make it your own slice of heaven. Click here to view complete story...

   

Writers experience Island wedding scene

By Tom Vaught | sun staff writer - Apr. 22nd, 2009

If you're going to write about something, you should experience it first. That's what Lynn Walker did with her husband, Kevin Baker, when she researched her article on Anna Maria Island recently to do articles for Southern Bride magazine and Romantic Destinations Travel. Click here to view complete story ...

National publicity sparks interest in Island

By Cindy Lane | sun staff writer - Jan 4, 2009

Vacationers longing for a laid-back, old-time Florida beach vacation during the holidays found it on Anna Maria Island, courtesy of USA Today, Baltimore Magazine and the Internet. Click here to view complete story ...

Trolley appears fare-free for another year

By Rick Catlin and Lisa Neff | The Islander - July 8th, 2009

Manatee County administrator Ed Hunzeker agreed with Island mayors June 28 to keep the trolley fare-free, while at the same time endorsing a "Save Our Trolley" campaign proposed by Island businessman David Teitelbaum.
Click here to view complete story ...

Anna Maria Resort Makes Expedia Insiders' List

The Tradewinds Resort on Anna Maria Island has been ranked among the world's best hotels in the Expedia® 2007 Insiders' Select list. The hotels on the list represent the top one percent of the more than 70,000 hotels Expedia.com offers as the world's leading online travel company. The list is based on overall value, input from local market experts, and Expedia.com's collection of more than 300,000 Traveler Opinions®. The Tradewinds Resort, with a top overall satisfaction rating of 4.4 out of a possible 5, is the only hotel in Manatee County to make the list, and one of only 68 hotels and resorts selected in Florida. Click here to view complete story