Top Ten things to do with Pets on Anna Maria Island

I am married to a veterinary technician.  Dogs, cats, birds, snakes, lizards and lots of other pets are all part of the family.  So why leave your pet behind when Island Real Estate has so many pet friendly properties.  Let’s get down to business….the best spots to take Fido, the family pet while visiting Anna Maria Island.   Unfortunately, Anna Maria Island does not have any pet friendly beaches but there are plenty of other options.  By the way, not sure if this is the exact order but they are all great things to do!

#10 – Take a walk up in Anna Maria City with an easy to tie up leash.  So many places to visit and so many businesses that are excited to see your pets.  Just walk Pine Avenue or Rudy’s and string them up.  Rudy’s actually has a dog paw wall where you can measure the height of your pet(s).   Last time I was at Rudy’s sub shop they had a dish of water outside.  Don’t forget Ginney and Janie’s, they are pet friendly inside last I was there.

#9 – Go up to Bayfront park in Anna Maria City and enjoy a picnic while you enjoy the bay.  If you have children they can have fun on the playground as well. Grab a sandwich for a quick fun afternoon.

#8 – Go take a walk at Robinson’s preserve.  The park has a wonderful tower that has gorgeous views of the Tampa Bay.  There are miles and miles of walk way’s with pet friendly bag stands as well as paved walkways as well for roller bladers.

#7 – Go to the causeway and let your pet enjoy the beach and the water.  The causeway is the beach you see traveling to Anna Maria Island on Manatee avenue or State Route 64.  It is only about 1/4 of a mile from 75th Street on the mainland of Bradenton, Fl.  Just a short 5 minute drive of Anna Maria.  If you want to grab Google maps type in Anna Maria Island in and move the map East until you see Palma Sola Bay.  That is the spot where pets can play in the water.

#6) - Go visit Sarasota amd St. Armand’s circle.  The Circle in Sarasota is a fantastic shopping area with clothing,

 jewelry, artwork, etc.  Lots of great local gifts and trinkets to grab.  In addition, lots of ice cream shops and restaurants with outdoor seating that allow you to sit outside with your pet and grab a bite to eat.  If shopping is your passion then try Red Barn Flea market in Bradenton as well.  Much of the flea market is outside and there are some indoor areas however sorry, not absolutely sure they allow pets.  Here is a video of the Red Barn Flea market.

#5) – Go visit the Sarasota Bay and water park, Bay Front park.  There is a great park over by Marina Jack’s.  I am sorry we do not yet have a blog on this but hope to write one soon.  While there go grab a special treat for your pet in downtown Sarasota.  Grab a snack at Max’s dog bakery on main street in Sarasota.   Walk up and down main street window shopping, maybe even grab yourself a snack then stop in at Max’s dog bakery for a treat!

#4) - Fort Desoto Park in St. Petersburgh.  There is a very large dog park that allows for dogs to swim in the Ocean.

#3)  Just bringing your pet on vacation is a big treat.  Grab one of Island Real Estate’s pet friendly properties with a pool and let us know a pet will be using the pool during your reservation.  Many of our pool properties can be pre-arranged to be cleaned twice during your stay for no extra charge!  Island Real Estate’s vacation rental website allows you to search for only pet friendly vacation rentals!  They have made the process easy!  

#2)  Visit Lakewood ranch and take in a Polo match.   Horses and lots of spectators taking in the Polo action.  Polo matches are open to the public on Sunday’s and they typically start matches in December and they go until April.  The kids can take a hay ride on one of the breaks and your pet will love you for it.  Get out in the sunshine on their over 140 acres and spend some time outside where the entire family including your pet will create memories for a lifetime.   Check out the polo match video below.

#1)  Drum roll…. All dogs love to run and play take them to GT. Bray Park in Bradenton, Florida.  This is a fenced in park where dogs can run and have fun with lots of other dogs.  Of course you need to have a mild mannered dog as there are lots of dogs inside the area.

Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce – February Music Festival

The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce is firing up their Friday Festivals right on schedule.  If you have never made it to a Friday “Fest” you are missing a real treat.  The first Anna Maria Friday Festival of 2010 is scheduled for Friday February 19, 2010.   The time starts at 3 PM and the Music and vendors stop at 10 PM.

The Festival is held up on Pine Avenue in Anna Maria City at the EAST end by the public pier.  Most folks park on Pine Avenue as they find a spot traveling EAST along Pine Avenue.  There is some serious parking at the church and the market across from the Roser church on Pine Avenue.

The Friday Festivals held by the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce are always a good time because there are lots of arts and crafts booths as well as food booths to wet your appetite with our local flavors of food.  The Chamber offers alcohol to patrons.  I have been told by many it’s the coldest beer you can find on a Friday night at just $3.00 for a good size beer.  There is also white and red wines available as well as in the past a mixed drink like a rum-runner.  While you are having some great eats you can listen to some great local bands with live music.  The best of all – the EVENT is FREE.  Yes, it is FREE.

So if you are an Anna Maria Island Visitor or live here year long it is a fabulous event for young and old.  Go check out some great live music outside with the Tampa Bay in the background at the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Friday Festival.

Be careful, if you are a visitor you may never go back and don’t worry, if you have to miss the Friday festival in FEB there are plenty more throughout the entire year!

The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce presents:
Island Music Festival    FRIDAY FEST
Date: Friday February 19, 2010        Time: 3pm to 10pm
Location: Pine Ave & Bay Blvd     Village of Anna Maria

Featuring: Koko Ray & The Soul Providers and Bootleg

Proceeds to benefit The AMI Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Fund; Participating Island Businesses and Local Not for Profit Agencies.  If you are interested in participating in future Friday Festivals as a music venue, craft booth, or eatery just email the Chamber of Commerce.

For a location of the event see the map below and it is on the NORTH WEST corner of Pine Avenue and Bay Blvd.

View Friday Festival in a larger map

Two Scoops, great ice cream in Anna Maria

Two Scoops is located in Anna Maria City on Anna Maria Island.  It is a great location next to Waterfront restaurant as well as the Anna Maria public pier.   They offer sundaes, ice cream cones, cookies and lots more treats.  It is a great spot to visit and grab an ice cream.  There is plenty of parking and there are gift shops in the plaza although most ask not to bring food into their stores.

Once you pick up an ice cream walk across the street to the public pier and meander down the public pier and feel the bay breeze in your face.  Watch folks fishing, watch the moon, or just listen to the surf.  It is a perfect end to a busy family day.

Two scoops also has sandwiches, hot dogs, and chips.  There are about 5 tables inside to sit at with a few benches in the East Bay plaza that you can sit at while grabing a bite or ice cream.  Two scoops does not have an outdoor seating area and parking is FREE.

Two Scoops
101 South Bay Blvd
Anna Maria City, Fl 34216
(941) 779-2422

For more information on things to do be sure to visit our top things to do pages.

Historical Society is a must visit while vacationing on Anna Maria Island, Fl

If you frequent Anna Maria Island or if it’s just your first visit, the history of Anna Maria Island is quite staggering.  The Anna Maria historical society is located on Pine Avenue in Anna Maria City, Fl.   It’s free and is a great spot to visit for half an hour to an hour to learn Anna Maria Island’s journey to the 21st century.  Most of the information that follows below is thanks of the Anna Maria Island Historical Society.  The Historical Society offers a phenomenal book named “The early Days” which offers more fascinating facts about the Anna Maria Journey from 1893-1940.  Thanks to the author Carolyne Norwood who wrote the book.

The first settler of Anna Maria Island was George Emerson Bean who built on the island in 1893.  George settled in Anna Maria City and his son and associates developed roads and a water system to support homes on Anna Maria, Fl.  One of the partners was Charles Roser.  Charles invested a great deal of money on Anna Maria earned by selling his invention of the Fig Newton to Nabisco.  The same business group built a pier at the end of Pine Avenue in 1911 to draw visitors from Tampa and St. Petersburgh.  The pier allowed for steamers to make daily stops to let visitors fish, bathe in the Gulf of Mexico, and enjoy the sunshine and sand.

How did Anna Maria Island get it’s name?  Well officially in 1943, Washington made the name official.  Unfortunately there are several stories that could explain the name.  One story is the name was taken from the mother of Christ, Mary and her mother, Ann.  Or…One of the early Spanish explorers of Anna Maria Island had a mother named Anna Maria.  We probably will never know for sure but there are more stories that could explain the Island’s name and of course plenty more can be learned by visiting the Anna Maria historical society.  

In the back yard of the historical society the “old jail” can be found.  Traditionally the jail offers a fabulous photo opportunity for visiting friends and family.  The jail was built in 1927 originally to handle late disturbances from a newly formed bar on the West end of Pine Avenue.  Anna Maria City needed a spot to hold tavern goers when they created disturbances and needed time to cool off.   The jail had a wooden roof with bars that left jail goers open to a night of mosquito swarms and plenty of bites.  The jail caught fire in a wind storm in the 1940’s and ever since has been used as a popular Anna Maria City photo opportunity.

The Roser church still stands on Pine Avenue where it was originally built in 1913 and saved in the early 1930’s from the jungle taking the church over.   The church still stands on Pine Avenue today and is still used to this day.  In fact my son sings with other children every few Sunday’s.

The first bridge to Anna Maria Island began construction in the mid-summer of 1921.  A significant storm wiped out half the bridge however the bridge prevailed against all odds and was finished in 1922.  The bridge spanned the bay to now Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach to the fishing village of Cortez.  Bridge Tenders pulled a series of cranks to lower vehicle gates and moved to a larger crank which created a gap in the bridge to allow boats to pass by.  Once the boat passed by the bridge tenders would reverse the order to close the gap and allow cars to pass again.  The wooden planks would sometimes slam up and down making very loud noises. 

With the help of a bridge more people visited the beach and several business men started the Bradenton Beach Pavilion in the Winter of 1922.  The pavilion had hundreds of lockers, a dance floor, eating facilities and owner luxury apartments on the second floor.  The beach pavilion burned down about a year after opening and the owners rebuilt.  It burned down a second time in 1929 after the Florida Boom and was never rebuilt.

Jack Holmes first arrived on Anna Maria Island in 1925 and it was love at first site.  He served on the city commission for several years.  Jack moved away from the island first to work on a project in New Jersey where he met his wife.  Returned to Anna Maria to leave again during World War II to assist in building camps for the US Army Corps.  Finally after the war Jack returned to Anna Maria Island to purchase 350 acres in the middle of the island and began the transformation of swamp land to bay homes.  A few years thereafter, citizens held a meeting and decided to incorporate the area and name it in his honor, Holmes Beach. 

Now skipping ahead 80 years, Anna Maria Island has become more popular, sees more visitors, but much of it’s simplistic nature has stayed in tact due to several zoning guidelines.  No drive thru’s allowed and no construction over 37 feet are a few of the guidelines that have helped keep Anna Maria Island special.  For more information visit Island Real Estate’s blog where there is a ton of information on Anna Maria Island.  If you have never visited, what are you waiting for?  Be careful, one visit can end up being a lifetime but then again, there are worse places to live than paradise.

Birds Nesting at North End of Anna Maria Island

The spring nesting season is upon us here on Anna Maria Island.

At the north end of the island, near Bean Point, and also in mid-Anna Maria, where the beach is extremely wide and covered with small dunes and patches of beach grass, the seabirds are nesting.

We’ve seen terns, black skimmers and sanderlings sitting their nests, which are basically just scrapes on the sand in semi-protected areas. Often the Audubon Society comes out and ‘ropes off’ the nesting areas with skinny stakes and string to keep curious (but uninformed) beachgoers out of the area.

It’s very easy to scare a bird off its nest without even noticing that there IS a nest. So if you’re out walking at the north end of Anna Maria Island, please be careful. Note that nature is coping with the loss of habitat as well as can be expected.

For more information on the birds of the island, call John van Zandt, or email .

Kayak Rental

Kayaking is fabulous fun and excercise.  There is something to be said about paddling up and down the Gulf coast without the sound of a motor or other man made distractions.  You may walk away with a once in a life time dolphin encounter.  Its fairly common and its best to ask the kayak operator for suggestions where to find the natural sitings you crave.  Kayak tours are fairly inexpensive and you gain a different perspective looking at properties, the shoreline, or canals from a kayak.  There are several kayak rental shops on the island.  Most deliver however you can find kayak rentals on all three cities of the island.  Native Rentals can be found in Holmes Beach in the shopping plaza.   They provide kayake tours, bicycle rentals, and they only rent or tour with sit on top kayaks. 

Native Rentals
5416 Marina Drive
Holmes Beach, FL, 34217
(941) 779-2453

Anna Maria Bay Front Park

Anna Maria Bay Front Park is a fantastic playground with plenty of parking, several swings, and a modular raised modern play area. One plastic cork screw slide, three other smaller slides, a small rock wall, several covered areas, jungle gym bars, and lots more for children to play with. A large covered picnic area sits very close to the playground which allows parents to sit and watch their children play. There is also another covered area close to the swings. The swings have (2) traditional large swings as well as toddler swings that fully encompass the child when swinging. This playground is the quietest of the four however weekends in February, March, April, June, and July can be fairly crowded. Weekdays will offer fabulous care free play time for your child. Swing your child while you take in a million dollar view of the Tampa Bay as well as the Skyway Bridge. There is a small sandy beach with picnic tables nearby. So take them to enjoy playground then take a dip if the weather permits. Afterwards, stop by the public pier for some ice cream as a treat at the plaza on the corner of Bay and Pine Avenue.

Anna Maria Bay Front Park
310 North Bay Boulevard
Anna Maria City, Florida, 34216

Anna Maria Island Theatre | Island Players

If you are in town while the Island Players are in session take in a fantastic “home grown” play at 10009 Gulf Drive in Anna Maria City. Usually they have 5 different shows that go on from middle of October to the middle of May. They claim to be “the best little playhouse in Florida” and I know most who have taken in a play would agree.

Visit their web site at Island Players.  Visit Island Real Estate for Vacation Rentals or Homes in Anna Maria City.

Island Players
10009 Gulf Drive
Anna Maria City, FL, 34216