Liz and Ben do Anna Marie Island Florida 2024

Joe, Matt & Liz Our last day here on Anna Maria Island and we decided to play golf again at River Run golf course. It is the cheapest golf course in the area and is in reasonable condition. We played with a couple of men who were uncle and nephew and they kept us entertained the whole way round the course. The uncle, Joe, had two attempts at driving on nearly all the holes and the nephew, Matt, could hit the ball a long way and if he found his drive his short game was not good. They laughed about it all and were good company. Ben won again with a good score so he has won this holiday overall. However when his handicap is corrected hopefully I will be able to do better. As it was our last evening here we decided to eat out. We chose the Waterfront restaurant which is just around the corner from our condo. By the time we got there after golf we were told that we wouldn't be able to get a table that evening. There was a chance that if we were prepared to eat at the bar we may wait...

Our trusty 'RAV 4'  Steed The day started wet but it soon cleared and from 10am it has been a lovely sunny day. We had been told that the Roser church next door to us was having it's monthly breakfast so we decided to go and try it. The church has a very large footprint and was apparently set up as the first one on the island prior to any bridges being built. Because of this it elected to be non-denominational and welcomes people of any religion. The breakfast consisted of 2 pancakes, sausages, butter and syrup and we could have had biscuits and gravy as well! This afternoon Ben did some more fishing and I went for a walk on the beach. It consisted of beautiful white sand with a few people enjoying the sun and sea. I was out for about 2 hours and finally found my way back to the condo. Ben was reasonably successful with his fishing and added his catches to the next door neighbour's net to use as bait when he goes off fishing on his boat. This evening we were eating up t...

 We awoke this morning to pouring rain and very strong winds. It was forecast for most of the day so we decided against going anywhere. We sat and watched it all from the window. It did however stop raining at lunchtime and the wind did abate so we decided to go for a walk along by the beach. We walked as far as the condo we have booked for next year to have a look at it. Not having the address for it we thought we found the right place which looked suitable for what we are looking for. Good catch When we got back to our condo Ben did an hour's fishing but although the underlying temperature was warm the wind proved to be too cold for him to stay outside for too long. We ate in and watched golf on television in the evening.

We decided to go back to Buffalo Creek to play golf today as the next 2 days are forecast to have some rain. It has been hot today but there were a few spots of rain on our way back from golf this evening. Ben had a very good front nine today but not so good on the back and he ended up getting the same number of points as yesterday. I did not play quite so well today and ended up with 2 points less than yesterday so Ben won again. We have one more round booked on Sunday before we return on Monday. Today we were joined by 2 Canadians who did not know each other until today. Jason was younger and he hit the ball a long way. The other one was Doug who hadn't played for 6 months because of a shoulder injury. He was older (71) but when he got going he also hit the ball a surprisingly long way. I felt very much the one who was unable to hit the ball a long way but they tolerated me! They were pleasant to play with and good company. Sea Riding! On the way back we stopped to take pictures ...

Wall to wall sunshine all day! Another sunny day with a light breeze and very pleasant temperatures in the mid 70s and low humidity. Ben spent a bit of time fishing before we went out to play golf. 'Air Plants' hanging from the branches Today we played at Buffalo Creek again. This course and River Run we played yesterday are the best we have played.   We played on our own and both had our best rounds to date. Ben won today with a 2 under handicap round. The course was in good condition apart from 2 greens which had been vandalised but we managed to avoid the damage. The staff were also very welcoming and helpful. Granny's awesome long approach shot We haven't really talked about driving here.  You have to keep alert at all times as lane discipline (up to 4 lanes) is non-existent with cars weaving in and out to gain a place.  The main arterial roads are busy with speed limits up to 60 mph.  One convention Ben likes is that you can turn right through a red li...

Liz on the tee It was a lot cooler today when we got up. It was sunny but there was quite a strong breeze. By mid morning the wind had gradually subsided and by the time we arrived at River Run golf course it was very pleasant. The day gradually became warmer and by 4pm this afternoon the temperature was back up to the mid 70s.  We enjoyed the golf course. It was much tighter than other courses we played but interesting to play. Our partners today were from Michigan. We couldn't work out their relationship but Larry and Sandy seemed to play on the same course in Michigan. Larry apparently had major heart surgery 3 months ago and although his golf was disappointing for him, he managed to play 18 holes. Sandy was in a separate buggy with her friend Debbie who is recovering from having broken her ankle a year ago. She was still using a crutch and wasn't playing. Larry and Sandy's golf was mixed but they were slow. Ben spoke to the people who were playing behind us but they wer...

We awoke to grey skies this morning which lasted with the odd spot of rain until 11am and then the skies cleared. The forecast for the day was rain so we didn't book any golf. Ben did some fishing and caught  a Mangrove Snapper which looked big but wasn't big enough to keep. Before lunch we went and bought some food essentials. This afternoon Ben did more fishing and I sat on the jetty with him until the sky clouded over and there was some quite heavy rain. The temperature dropped and by the evening there was thunder and lightning. The temperature is due to stay cooler tomorrow but no rain is forecast so we have booked some golf. We managed to find a Tampa Bay Rays baseball match on TV this evening   -  Liz's team - The Rays were convincing winners.

It is St Patrick's Day today and there was a parade on Anna Maria Island so we decide that coming off the island and getting back on would be even harder so we decided to stay in the vicinity of our condo today.  Crystal clear water This morning we walked along the beach to Rod Reel pier which was similar to the pier near us.  The sea was crystal clear and very inviting.  At the pier, there were lots of fishermen and visitors . We could see the fish swimming around the wooden stakes holding up the pier but not many were being caught. We tried to book our condo for next March but it was already booked out so we started to look for other similar accommodation and have booked a place with a jetty and boat mooring which we can cancel for free before January next year. We are going to rentals place tomorrow to see if there is anything else available on this complex. If there is we will book it and cancel the place we booked today. It seems that a lot of accommodation has to be...

We decided to play golf again today as tomorrow is St Patricks Day and as there is a parade on the island we thought it would be best to stay put and not try to travel anywhere.  Granny Chariot We played again at the Manatee course. The drive to the course was easy and there were few people playing. The course was clear until we got to the 14th hole and then we had to wait a bit for the people in front. I found the golf easier as I could take my time with my shots as no one was about and I managed to beat Ben today for the second time. As he didn't play so well we spent a long time looking for lost balls and  Ben managed to find 12 today and lost two. They will be useful for water balls if nothing else! Again there was lots of wildlife including a baby osprey in its nest with a parent close by.  After golf Ben did a little fishing and caught a small mangrove snapper. Baby Osprey Roseate Spoonbill

Today has been very hot and sunny and not so humid as previous days. Ben caught a large sheepshead fish this morning. It is now in the fridge having been gutted but awaiting filleting. We played golf today back at Heritage Harbour which we played two days ago. There was little opportunity at other courses. We were paired up with a couple of Canadian men who are spending 6 months here before returning to Canada for the summer. Their golf was mixed as was ours. I played slightly better than on Wednesday and Ben was not quite as good. It is a nice course with long distances between the holes with the buggy track wending its way between the houses at Heritage Harbour. We were given a free drink at the end of the round which was very welcome. Liz in full swing Bird of prey - Hawk??

We have spent a quiet day today - again hot and sunny. Ben has fished with some success this morning but all too small to eat. I joined him on the jetty for a bit of sunbathing but retired when it got very hot (88F). Friendly heron - neither of us were catching fish! We had a trip to Publix this afternoon to get some more food supplies but the journey is 4 miles and, including shop, took about 2 hours with the traffic.  

Another good golf day Today's golf was at Heritage Harbour where we played at last year. I think I probably played it better last year, but Ben had a good round. The course has apparently changed as the owners have sold land for housebuilding. We didn't really notice any difference although Ben doesn't recall there being 4 par 3s on the back 9. The course wends its way between the houses, some of which were very opulent.  Its condition was better than others we have played with lightning fast greens which made putting difficult. There were long distances between holes and it would be impractical to play without a buggy.  We played on our own but had to wait on every tee as there was a 4 ball in front of us. The weather was humid but sunny and a lot better than your getting in England. Pelicans galore Mr Crane

This morning we spent time soaking up the sun's rays. Ben fished and I sat with him giving him useful advice about how he should do it. It ended up with him having all his bait eaten but the fish were clever enough to avoid staying on the hook! Guess who! After lunch we decided to drive south down the islands over the draw bridges to Sarasota. When we arrived at Sarasota we drove to the Lido beach. I have never seen as many people on a vast beach as we saw today. It was  a lovely sunny day so everyone seemed to have gone to the beach. We walked a little way along the beach at the water's edge and then decided to return to the car. The journey home took us an hour and a half to do 19 miles because of the volume of traffic.  Lido Beach

Lurking by the Ladies Tee We had quite an interesting day today. We had booked to play golf at Heritage Harbour but when Ben looked to see where the course was this morning he realised that there was another club with the same name further away. He phoned to find out which one he had booked and discovered it was the one further away and not the one he intended to book. It said it was 46 miles away. We left in plenty of time but when he put the address in the satnav it said the distance was 78 miles. We thought we had plenty of time to get there but weren't very happy at having to drive so far for a round of golf. The traffic as usual was very busy and it was quite a hair raising journey. We arrived at the course with about 15 minutes to spare.  Liz about to hit another shot down the fairway Looking for lunch The course turned out to be lovely. It was quiet and we were able to play on our own. It was very pretty with lots of wildlife and was green and well maintained, by far th...

Today has been another blustery sunny day. Ben spent the morning fishing and I walked around locally looking for a shop which sold bread on a Sunday. After about an hour I gave up and we had to manage without any bread for lunch. Meanwhile Ben had broken the reel on his fishing rod so after lunch we went to the fishing shop and he bought a new rod and fished for the rest of the day with it. He caught 2 or 3 fish which were not edible so he threw them back into the water. I spent the rest of the day sitting with him on the jetty until it became too hot.It seemed generally quieter today on the island, our neighbour said that the beachgoers would be on the other side of the island as the wind would not be as strong there.

Puffer fish It has been a blustery day today but still sunny and hot. This morning Ben got up early to go to the bait shop to buy some live bait. When he went yesterday he was told the live bait sold out by 8am. He fished for an hour before we went to golf and caught a puffer fish and a sheepshead. The puffer fish is inedible and the sheepshead was not 12 inches long so had to be put back in the water. Buffalo Creek We left at 11am to play golf at Buffalo Creek golf club thinking that an hour and a half would be plenty long enough to go 17 miles. We ended up in traffic jams and only just got their in time. Fortunately we had to wait for a buggy so didn't tee off until 1pm. Today we played with two brothers who were good company. They were playing against each other so were trying to outhit each other. They did hit the ball well but mostly in the wrong direction. I just plough my way slowly up the middle of the fairway while they were looking for their balls. One of them was looking...

It has been a lot hotter today with more sun (85F). We have had a quieter day with our only trip out being to Walmart. The nearest Walmart shop is about 12 miles from here and Ben wanted some more fishing gear. The roads are very busy getting on and off the island. It took us about three quarters of an hour to get there and an hour to get back. The Drawbridge is up On the return journey we had to wait for the drawbridge to open and close to let a 'gin palace' motor launch under the bridge between the island and the mainland. The shop was successful and we also topped up with some food essentials. Ben was all set up to fish this afternoon and was a lot more successful. He caught a sheepshead fish which was just too small to keep so he had to throw it back into the water. He also caught a flounder which he gutted and is now in the freezer waiting for a partner so we can both have flounder for tea one evening. He also nearly caught something a lot bigger which he battled with bu...

Today has been another partly cloudy and partly sunny but hot day. Ben spent some of the morning fishing but with no luck yet. He says that he has seen the fish but they are not hungry for his shrimp bait. Alligator enjoying the sun We set off at about 11.30am to go to the Preservation golf club at Tara. As we are now discovering, the traffic in and out of the island is very busy. It seems as if we are going in the opposite direction to the rest of the traffic but it is still heavy and travelling at the speed limit of 25 miles per hour. We eventually arrived at the golf course and today we were buddied up with a pleasant Canadian couple. Unfortunately their golf skills were lacking as there were many shots which went in the wrong direction. We were disappointed with the course. The fairways and greens were very rough and, together with the large amount of water, golf proved difficult. We think our partners lost at least 20 balls either in the water, undergrowth or trees, I lost 3 or 4!...

 Ben had a zoom golf club meeting for most of the morning.  In the afternoon we played golf at Manatee County Golf Club.  We have played here before but never seen it as busy. We teed off at 2.28 pm and finished at circa 6.30 in the dark.  We were buddied up with 2 young men -Jonathan from Venezuela and Shaun from Columbia.  Their English was very good but they chatted in Spanish.  They only had one set of clubs which they shared and their golf was pretty wild! One of them had been to a university in the US with Cameron Norrie and had trained with the same tennis coach. he told me that Norrie had been the number one tennis player for all his time at the university and was a very good player. Better view from the Condo We ate in and as still acclimatising had another early night.

Airborne We arrived here after a long journey at about 9.30pm, USA time. The jet stream was in our favour but we were diverted well north of Orlando because of local thunderstorms. There was a bit of a queue to get through passport control at Tampa but there was an even longer wait for our luggage which eventually arrived safely. We then had to pick up a hire car which again delayed us as there wasn't a car in the parking space we were told to go to. They found us another car and we eventually left the airport and had to negotiate heavy traffic in the dark but arrived here safely in the end. The apartment is quite small but big enough for us. We have managed to carry all the luggage up the flight of steps to our accommodation. The promised supply of essentials didn't materialise so we spent the evening and early morning with water only. As expected we were awake at 5am local time, and after sorting more things out we had a leisurely drive to Publix (4 miles) to do our shopping...