Anna Maria Island offers a taste of the simple life on Florida’s Gulf Coast

The Florida Gulf Coast has been a favorite of mine since my college days, when I interned one summer at The St. Petersburg Times (now The Tampa Bay Times). In my free time, I explored the beach communities north and south of St. Pete, where I lived in a retirement hotel with my Irish-American grandmother (that’s another story…).   The Bradenton beaches on Anna Maria Island were idyllic, with long stretches of blindingly white sand, clear blue water, and few crowds. While kayaking in the...

Pickled pepper shrimp and alligator tails part of food culture in St. Augustine

Old-world architecture and charm draw visitors to St. Augustine — and there is plenty to see and do in this historic city on Florida’s northeast Atlantic Coast.   But a key reason people keep coming back is the food. To learn about four restaurants in St. Augustine where you can sample the cuisine of this historic but thoroughly modern city, please read the rest of my story in Travel Weekly here.               ​

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The Newest luxury hotel in St. Augustine celebrates the Gilded Age

Three ornate Victorian turrets top a mansard roof at the Renaissance St. Augustine hotel. Multiple porches wrap around the sprawling three-story structure, which is painted in as many pastel colors as you’ll find in the local ice cream parlor.   This popular seaside town on Florida’s northeast Atlantic Coast is the oldest continuously populated city in the U.S. and thus takes its history seriously. …   You can read my full story about the Renaissance St. Augustine Hotel in Travel Weekly here.

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