Dining on Anna Maria Island, FL

Okay, this is my last Florida post {considering I've been to Mexico twice since then, it's probably time to wrap this series up--haha!} :)

With the exception of the day after the wedding, when we went here for breakfast, and a couple of days when we ordered pizza to the condo, the only meal we went out for was dinner each night.

Skinny's | This was our first dinner on the island, we had only be in town about 30 minutes, so my camera was still in my bag.  Adorable 'restaurant'.  Burgers and beers.  A 1/2 block from our rental house.  Super cheap. Sand floors & picnic tables.

Island Time | This was our first group dinner. Adorable restaurant.  Unfortunately, it was hot outside and the kids were tired and not really feeling dining out this evening, so we cut out pretty early.  They had a guy making balloon creatures for the kids. :)

You can see their moods in this photo! :)

Barefoot Tiki Bar | This is where everyone met the night before the wedding. It was the cutest restaurant we went to.  The service isn't the greatest, but they have live music, a fun washer game, and water bowls for your pup.  Plus it's all outdoors, so bonus points for that! {We left this restaurant early to take Jordyn to Urgent Care--Cullyn went the day before--you'll notice they look off in these photos, too.}

Girls in the wedding

Doing anything to keep them happy :(

Sick eyes.  About 10 minutes before she puked {luckily we had just got to the car}

Sick boy who had went to Urgent Care for his ears the day before

It's SUPER hard to see but she's holding this little ring that's tied to a string, that she swings to hook the nail.  Harder than it sounds//promise! :)

The Sandbar | This was venue for the wedding reception.  Very similar to the Tiki Bar the night before.  Way better food.  Outdoor seating.  Sand. Biggest restaurant on the island.  Adorable.  You can see lots of photos here.

Rod & Reel Pier | This was the only place we had a wait {it was brutal with two kids two and under on the gate-less pier.  I was very thankful for the extra hands our family provided!}  People fished off the pier.  Best view of the sunset.

I was scared to death the entire time that one of my kids was going to fall into the water.

A few places we grabbed cocktails...Lobstahs {great food}, Harry's {would go back to}, and D Coy Ducks {complete dive!} Noteworthy--many places on the island serve just beer and wine because of the expense of a liquor license.  

Our favorite place for ice cream treats... Joes Eats and Sweets

Have you been to Anna Maria Island?
If so, where did you fill your belly?

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To read about the drive to {& from} Florida go here. 

To read about the rental house in Florida go here. 

To read about deep sea fishing in Florida go here. 

To read about the pool & beaches in Florida go here.

To see photos from the wedding in Florida go here.

Florida | The Pool & Beaches

After looking at the photos I uploaded {before my computer was sent away to be fixed} these are all beach photos with the exception of one.  Which makes sense because the majority of our water time was spent at the beach.  We fell into the routine of going out to the beach in the morning at staying until we went back to the house for a late lunch and nap for the kiddos.  Once the kids were sleeping, the adults {except the one on baby duty, usually Papa!} went down to the pool for a bit.  

We did, however,  spend one full day in the pool.  That was they day Jordyn learned to 'swim' {with floaties} by herself.  It's probably completely normal for 2 year olds to swim with a lifejacket, but this was huge for us because up until then she clung to Adam or I so tight water couldn't get between us.  But an hour in she was swimming all across the pool by herself.  She was so proud! :)  She also overcame her fear of sand.  Poor girl has never liked sand on her feet, but she eventually got used to it and would walk around.  Although she still isn't the biggest fan of the ocean.

And, as usual with my kids, Cullyn felt the exact opposite about everything.  He loved the ocean and sand, but the pool wasn't stimulating enough for him.  He preferred to walk around the pool {with a life jacket!} trying to grab peoples' snacks, drinks, & toys.  He favorite activity though was climbing the lounge chairs {with the plastic/rubber strips} and giving his mama a small heart attack.  He also loved the outdoor shower.  Oh, and trying to shimmy out of the gate.  He only succeeded once.  :)

We only saw the Seagulls on the first day, but there were tons on Sea Turtle spots marked throughout the beach.  We have seen these on several beach vacations now, but never been around to watch them hatch.  Adam and I are hoping to catch that sometime!  

Here was our attempt at a family photo on the beach! Always a good time! :)

Overall, the water was pretty calm {in comparison to the Atlantic side, but normal for the Gulf} with the exception of one day at the beginning of our trip.  Since there were a few waves {again, decent for the Gulf} Adam and Myles decided to body surf.  I got a video, but didn't get any great photos of this.

The sand looks a little rough/rocky here, but it was remarkable soft.  There were very few shells. The beaches a couple of miles North {where Brad & Alicia got married} have significantly whiter {and a bit softer} sand.  But all of it was nice.  Similar to Tybee Beach, GA, finer then South Padre Beach, TX, & way less rocky than Cocoa Beach, FL.

Our condo from the beach.  Perfect location and on the beach.  I always love that! ;)

We were there over the 4th of July holiday weekend, so the beach was 'crowded' to the locals, but I have to say it wasn't bad at all {especially on our end of the beach}.  Nothing like Clearwater/St. Pete's public beaches in Florida.  This photo was taken on one of the busiest days.  Overall it was very calm & quiet.  With the exception of our group, of course! :)

About 1/4 of a mile to the right of our beach house was the main beach area.  This is where anyone could park to come to the beach.  They had some shops, a restaurant, restrooms, & an outdoor play area for kids.  They also had a few rentals {chairs, umbrellas, paddleboards, kayaks, etc.}

One morning, my mom watched Cullyn so Adam and I could walk Jordyn up to the playground area.  She absoluetely loved it.  Although it's always hard to tell if she really liked the play equipment that much, or if she just liked having mom and dad all to herself.  Either way, it was perfect!  With the exception of the gnats/sand fleas.

The last couple of photos were taken on our beach the morning of Alicia's wedding.

To read about the drive to {& from} Florida go here. 

To read about the rental house in Florida go here. 

To read about deep sea fishing in Florida go here.