Sarasota Keys to Anna Maria Island Motorcycle Trip

On another beautiful warm and sunny day, one of our favorite trips is through Sarasota and up the several keys to end at the pier on Anna Maria Island.

The waterfront in Sarasota has many unique statues and sculptures.

The first bridge takes us onto Bird Key

 Then onto Longboat Key, with its golf courses and luxury condos

And finally, Anna Maria Island.  First stop Bradenton Beach.

Even with sea fog, it was comfortable riding without coats.

Close up view of the pier behind me - Smell was powerful!

Real orchids graced our lunch table.

Sea fog shrouded the bay, so the Sky Bridge wasn't visible today.

Several rays swam near the pier

The rays seemed to be chasing the fishing birds.

Anna Maria Pier's history

Motorcycle Ride to Sarasota Islands

It has been a motorcycle riding weekend for us here in Florida.  On Saturday we went on the ride sponsored by the Methodist Church of Englewood to benefit the Helping Hands charity.  The ride was a roaring success, collecting over $11,000 and 4,000 pounds of food.
Click on the link to see us riding out (Ron and I appear at 1 minute and 30 seconds into the YouTube video)  Our friends Patti and Fran are on the beautiful yellow trike in the first part of the video.
Helping Hands Motorcycle Rally - December 3, 2011

Today we tagged along on a ride that Patti and Fran had planned to go to Anna Maria island with their Canadian friends (who are fast becoming our friends too!)

The day couldn't have been more perfect for a ride up Sarasota Key, then Longboat Key, then Bird Key, and finally, Anna Maria Island.

There are some amazing statues along Sarasota Harbor, but this by far the most impressive.

We still have a hard time feeling Christmassy when it is 80+ degrees outside, but this was a pretty impressive manger scene.

Lots of stuff going on, but we breezed past a truck pulling contest on one of the beaches, several flea markets, and lots of shopping opportunities and continued on to Bradenton Beach.

Where we stopped for lunch.  

Always nice to eat outside in the sea air.

Last stop, Anna Maria Island Pier where we watched the fishermen for awhile before stopping for an ice cream cone.

A nice lady on the beach volunteered to take a picture of all of us.

Unfortunately we had already eaten lunch because there is a restaurant on the end of the pier.

Another beautiful day and another great ride!