Heard there was a visit happening in Florida I think they said they were coming to Bradenton
or was it something else?
but yeah so just so you know locals don’t call it that we just call it Anna Maria island or long boat key
but yeah if you are visiting There I will gladly come because that’s actually my favorite Florida island destination to vacation at! You know it’s good if the locals say it’s good
but yeah I’ve been there many many a time so I can show you the best restaraunts to eat at (they’re to die for) but also you have to go at the right time or you will have an hour wait
annnnnnd just a few other tips from a Florida native
1. bring bug spray. And money to buy more bug spray.
2. wear sun tan lotion Ag all times you’re wleocme
3. shower daily or you will have sand in your butt please clean your butt I’m serious or you will have serious problems and wash your hair or it will get crusty
>if you are artificial blonde avoid the pool or your hair will turn green unless you wash it out immediately after
4. don’t sit in the sand , or right at the shore where the water rushes up or you will get sand in those areas. Yes.
5. look where you’re walking closely and bring flip flops because you’re probably not used to the feeling of hot cement or sand burning your feet, flip flops best ones for Florida terrain and getting wet are rainbows thank me later it’s what all the locals wear because they are insanely comfortable and durable even in the sand and water
6. bring a cooler and a mini fan, a structure to sit under, an umbrella and rain boots for when it storms daily at 5pm and becomes a monsoon of mud, and a chair to sit on as well as a bag you don’t care about bringing to the beach and getting ruined.
7. don’t put sunscreen on your eyebrows or your lids or near the crevices of gour eyes, and after touching sunscreen don’t rub your eyes thank me later
8. Pick a beach house with an out door shower thank me later
9. shuffle your feet in sandy bottom of water if you see a sting ray and it will go away
10. If you get bumped that’s not a fish and you need to get out because it’s a shark. Sometimes they bump things to see what it is while they’re circling it. Run away. Run away swiftly.
11. check the AQI and red tide report, as well as undertow / surf report and storm warnings. If there is hurricanes out somewhere in the gulf you’re going to have rough water if you’re on the west coast. And if you’re on the pacific obviously check what’s way out at sea and yeah you’ll have much more intense undertow during these times
12. 8 foot waves before storms are fun to play in but if you’re not a strong swimmer you might drown
13. if you do get pushed down by a wave really hard protect your head by going into a ball and lacing your fingers together behind your head with your elbows to your ears. Number one way of drowning with surfers is just hitting head on rocks and going unconscious then people can’t find them and they get ducked out to sea very quickly
14. don’t go past the drop off. You’ll know it when you find it. It just goes straight down like a terrifying abyss. That is where sharks hang out in Florida, and it’s considering “the feeding zone.” Not even shitting you. As long as you stay before that point you should be fine but just keep an eye out for fins popping up.
15. don’t align yourselves with the surfers. Stay away if you can, they lose control of their boards and then they hit you right in the temple. it really leaves a mark.
16. don’t swim in retention ponds or still water that’s washed into a pocket on shore. Avoid the retention ponds.
17. stay off the sand dunes, technically it’s illegal to go tracking around in them and it’s protected nature conservation for the turtles and shit. Locals will frown upon you.
18. no lights on the beach at night, baby turtles hatch at midnight and need the moon to guide them to the sea because that’s just how god intended it to be. There are laws about residential lights they have to be a certain tone but yeah… don’t recommend going on beach at night anyway as it’s very very very buggy like not exxagerating you will inhale several bugs and if you do make a light that actually makes it worse and attracts all of them to you so yeah
19. Don’t have sex on the beach yes it’s illegal but ifs also very unenjoyable and bad so I’ve heard because of the Sand.
20. don’t trespass or park somewhere that’s not your property. Beach police don’t have a lot to do and will take the time out of their day to find you and give you tickets or get you in trouble
21. if there is a sign that says don’t go on the beach past this time don’t go on the beach past that time because once again police will find you they are bored and love arresting wild youngins
22. if you park on the beach high tide comes at 5ish so get your vehicle off the beach before that point or you will be stuck like actually stuck yeah
23. Get raybans or oakleys if you don’t want them to fall of your head while playing sports etc
24. don’t leave your wet towels and bathing suits out after being in contacts with sea water it will smell like death keep up on the laundry by washing daily yep I know… but trust me it’s easier than dealing with 90 soaking wet mildew towels at the end of the week
25. Don’t re-wear wet bathing suit. Wash. Dry. Then wear. Nasty.
26. Don’t wear your bathing suit to sleep.
fun things to do on the beach:
1. check out local surf coffee and donut shops etc. local pizza, Mexican, local bars if you’re into that. People are very social at the bars. Also, cool little artsy boutiques.
2. in Bradenton there is area called the rotunda which is great for shopping tourists and they have a Starbucks… it is the only Starbucks on the island. You’re welcome.
3. call ahead to make sure a place is open before you go. When you’re on the islands, especially in covid times, majority of places are Just “open when they feel like it” and don’t have a schedule lol
4. rent bikes and bike up and down beach (but don’t sit on the bike it will make your butt sore, bike over the flat sand only or it willl be hard and you will slip and fall down.)
5. rent dune buggy or gulf cart and drive it around
6. play corn hole hacky sack or soccer, volleyball, chicken, or Marco Polo, water volleyball
7. try kayaking or paddle boarding
8. jet skis. Are so much fun.
9. Take a boat tour
10. don’t rent a boat and try to drive it if you don’t actually have sailing training you will get stuck most likely and ruin the boat costing 10k (I’ve seen tourists do this. It’s really hilarious to the locals but for them they’re literally crying and having a panic attack while they’re stuck on a sand bar lol)
11. the weird strip of beach that’s next to the highway is gross and not where you should hang out but people who are tourists from out of the country usually go there because they don’t know better and Floridians are like “you know that’s not the beach right”
12. don’t go in the St. John, I’ve seen people paddle boarding in it, don’t know why they even allow people to do that but it is the most alligator infested waters that Florida has like on record, not kidding. It’s actually out of control.
13. NSB is the shark capital. Of the nation. You’ll be on the west coast so that doesn’t matter but, now you know. People actually die of shark bites there like regularly. I know someone who has. NSB is very popular among locals and is Florida’s most crowded beach but the water is literally forbidden
14. you can take a helicopter tour of the island and if you want you can go over NSB too and see the shark infection from above All in the feeding trough past the drop off and then you’ll see why I say the water is forbidden
15. Hair ties. Always have hair ties on your wrist. Multiple hair ties. Cannot have enough hair ties and head bands.
more fun things to do:
1. wake up at 5am and walk on beach watching sunrise!!’ This is a must and is worth it do it at least one day!
2. don’t miss the sunset either. They’re pretty impressive.
3. read the restaraunt reviews before you go
4. plan for bad weather always,… florida is bipolar and showers occur at random
most Importantly
STAY HYDRATED &
and if you have children put vest and floaties on them and Don’t stay more than 5 feet away, keep your eye on them at all times. You have no idea how fast it happens. But it happens, I’ve seen it, and it’s horrible.
parents took their eyes off their 7 and 8 year old for children for two minutes and they drowned to death.
