A Little Piece of Paradise in Florida

My family and I received complimentary accommodations, meals, and activities in order to write this post about a little piece of paradise in Florida. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

I’ve lived in Florida my entire life and still have so much to see. Over the weekend, my family and I got to visit a little piece of paradise on Florida’s West Coast. The Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, and Long Boat Key area is located between St. Petersburg and Sarasota. Crazy thing is, I used to live in St. Petersburg and never managed to make the 1 hour drive to visit this area. It’s bordered by Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico which makes for the most beautiful scenery.

A Little Piece of Paradise in Florida

Needless to say, all week my family and I were so anxious for this trip that when we finally arrived we were very excited! We had the pleasure of staying at The Bridgewalk Resort on historic Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach the entire weekend. I have to be honest that I didn’t know what to expect when we arrived because this was our first time to the area. We got to The Bridgewalk Resort after normal check-in hours, but that wasn’t a problem. The resort had an easy process for late check-in. Our room had a great view of The Fish Hole Adventure Golf and Bridge Street. At night, we could hear music from the restaurants on the street. It was a great way to relax.

The Bridgewalk Resort had some great amenities including complimentary continental breakfast, a swimming pool, and complimentary wi-fi. They even had beach toys, umbrellas, and chairs that are available for guests to check out at no charge when they’re headed to the beach. A major plus of staying at The Bridgewalk Resort is that it is in within walking distance of tons of restaurants and attractions. There is even a small beach across the street that we took a few short walks on.

Things to Do in Paradise

The Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, and Long Boat Key area has so many things to offer from beaches to miniature golf to museums. Oh, and let’s not forget shopping. Tatiana loves the beach so when she found out that we would be spending the entire weekend on the beach she was happy, and of course we had to go to the beach every day we were there. There were 2 major beaches that we noticed: Coquina and Manatee Beach. Both were great and not overcrowded which is a plus for us. Although we love the beach, we don’t like the crowds. It takes away the peacefulness when there are too many people around. Plus when there’s not too many people, you can have more room to build sandcastles and bury Dad!

Another great thing to do when visiting the Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, and Long Boat Key area is miniature golf. The Fish Hole Adventure Golf was across the street from the resort. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a terrible golfer but I took one for the team here. T loves playing mini golf and her Dad loves beating me in anything. I suffered through 18 holes and lost miserably but nonetheless we had a blast!

And if you’re a hard-working mama like myself, you have to sure to take the time for yourself and head over to Searenity Spa to get a relaxing massage and a facial.

Taking a tour of the island with Paradise Tours is a must! The tour is offered 3 times a day, 7 days a week and will take you around the entire island. It’s about 90 minutes but it’s a lot of fun especially for the little ones. The captain gives you a tour of the island while letting you know about its’ history. He’ll even let the kiddies snap a cute photo behind the wheel!

Places to Eat in Paradise

If you know my family, you know that we love good food! There was definitely no shortage of good food in this little piece of paradise in Florida. A few places were recommended to us before we left for our weekend trip, but 2 places stood out to all of us the most: The Beach House Restaurant and The Donut Experiment. Both of these places are a gem to the island! Talk about good food and making memories. The Beach House Restaurant has great waterfront seating and wonderful live music at night. The menu has a wide variety of options that everyone is sure to love.

I’m not even sure that I know how to explain The Donut Experiment. It’s unique concept allows anyone to make the donut of their dreams. It’s literally donut heaven!

All in all, we had an amazing time visiting the Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, and Long Boat Key area. We played, we laughed, we ate amazing food, and we got to see an entire part of Florida that we’ve never seen before. Have you ever visited a little piece of Florida known as Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, and Long Boat Key area?