Nokomis, FL

We left Cedar Key on 2 December. Driving back toward the mainland on Highway 24 we then turned right (south) at Otter Creek onto highway 19 - the Magnolia Highway.  We are headed for Nokomis - south of Tampa - to visit Jack and Betty, great friends from South Dakota. They travel to Florida each year. We were guided by their experience in RV's when we were looking around to buy ours.


To break up the drive we spent a night at Cody's RV park in Weeki Wachee on the way.
We had planned to drive around Tampa and well away from heavy traffic. The GPS wants us to continue on Highway 19. I can see there is a bridge with a toll coming up. We ask at the Chamber of Commerce in New Port Richey about RV's and tolls. Do we need an EPass? No- we are good to go!

Looks worse from this vantage point!

The Sunshine Skyway bridge

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge crosses Tampa Bay with a cable stayed main span. It has a total length of 4.1 miles (6.67 kms),  is 430 ft high and has a vertical height of 191 ft above a 1200 ft wide shipping channel.

It is quite beautiful! And only $1.25 toll!

The bridge and the channel it spans have had their share of tragedy.

In January 1980, 2 ships collided in the shipping channel killing 23 crew.

In May 1980 35 people were killed when the old Sunshine Skyway bridge collapsed.  Twenty six passengers in a Greyhound bus were included in that toll. The collapse was caused by a ship, the Summit Venture striking the southbound span of the bridge in a blinding rainstorm toppling much of the southbound span into Tampa Bay.
In 1984 work began on the current bridge which was opened to traffic in April 1987.

The bridge is closed in inclement weather, most recently on 25 June this year when wind gusts reached 70mph!!

We stopped at a rest area before crossing the bridge. I made lunch.
And then we were driving over the bridge. The views were spectacular; you could see the bay on both sides of the bridge (the railings are disconcertingly low in an RV).





Then we were on I 75 South to Sarasota and on to Nokomis on Highway 41 South. We are staying at the Royal Coachman RV Resort. We were made to feel very welcome when we arrived and  ... there is a great looking pool!!  We had booked for 3 nights which we extended by a further 4 days!!




The Royal Coachman has an activity for everyone. We were given a timetable of  'December Daily Activities' - there is something happening almost every hour including exercise classes, aquacises, stretching classes, bocce, shuffleboard, horseshoes, bingo and all number of card games and lots lots more.
First we were taken sightseeing by Jack and Betty - driving into Nokomis and along Casey Key - an isolated
and exclusive enclave just out of Nokomis; only a small number of residents, no massive hotels and little else but a single road and 2 public beaches; but some of the most spectacular homes we have seen.




We then drive to Siesta Beach on Siesta Key, known as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The sand is 99% quartz. Even on the hottest day, the sand is so reflective that it feels cool underfoot.


















Then onto Sarasota where we had lunch at a restaurant overlooking St Armand Circle, a shopping area a bit like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California.
Sarasota is known as Florida's cultural centre, it's affluence often credited to millionaire circus owner John Ringling who invested much of his fortune in the area - the Ringling Museum complex includes the Museum of Art and a circus museum.


 We also go by Sarasota's iconic bayfront statue - Unconditional Surrender - perched along Highway 41. The statue is 26 feet tall. Artist Simon Johnson created the piece to mimic the famous photograph of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square, New York City, after the surrender of Japan in World War Two. The statue was in the process of being reinstalled after a motorist (driving a Mercedes) crashed into it earlier in the year knocking a 3 foot hole in the sailor's leg.

































We then drive further south to Venice to Sharkey's on the Pier, a restaurant and tiki bar which is a Venice landmark. It specialises in fresh seafood. Jack ordered a bait bucket for each of us - a Margarita with a punch!!

We have dinner at a restaurant called The Outback. It is a chain of restaurants with decor distinctly Australian and great food.
Jack introduces us to a  Bloomin' Onion - a true Outback original. The onion is handcarved, cooked until golden and served with a signature sauce. It presents looking like a flower! And tastes great!