This is Anna Maria Island

This place first came recommended to Olivia and I from my brother, Jere and sister in law, Anna. They raved about the simple way of life, calm waters and perfect downtown area.... so we had to see for ourselves.

We brought our bus down to an rv resort called Buttonwood RV which sits just over the causeway to Anna Maria Island. We could pretty much walk or ride bikes to anything from this spot...

My favorite part about this place is that they did an amazing job of preserving access to the beaches for all. Despite there being plenty of high end homes and hotels, beach parking was abundant and free! Every stretch of sand we visited was spotless, well kept and there always seemed to be a beach styled restaurant not more than 5 min away. I know... it seems perfect... at first it seemed too good to be true...

There was a true sense of calm here and I don't know of many places on the US mainland quite like this. You truly feel like you're in the Caribbean while you're here. The water had a clarity like nothing i've seen in the coastal states and the sand was soft as can be...

We spent many nights watching the sunset over the gulf, alternating beaches to soak up every inch of the island while we were there. This place is absolute magic...

The cafes we all perfect, the food was good everywhere we went and I think my favorite spot was the beachfront restaurant called The Sandbar...

We have many more enclaves throughout Florida to explore but as of now... Anna Maria might just be our favorite place in the sunshine state.