Holmes Beach area restaurants & shopping (Tampa, Sarasota: rent, house, university)

[Wedge Antilles]

Staying in the Holmes Beach area for a vacation, usually go to Sanibel Island so this is a change. Any ideas of things to do for a family on vacation? Family friendly restaurants, shopping, site seeing etc? Thanks for any ideas you have.

[Sunshine Rules]

You didn't mention if it's younger children or older children, so here are a few suggestions, depending on age group:

On Anna Maria Island you can find segway tours, rent scooters, ride the free trolley, take a kayak tour, go fishing on a charter boat or at one of the local piers, there's snorkling, dolphin tours, rent bicycles, go horseback riding and of course, great beaches.

In Bradenton you can see Snooty the manatee at the Bishop Planetarium & South FL museum in downtown Bradenton, play miniature golf at Smuggler's Cove on Cortez Rd (pirate themed with lots of waterfalls), visit the historic Desoto National Memorial at 75th St NW in Bradenton or the old Cortez historical fishing village just off the island on Cortez Rd.

There are boat tours to Egmont Key State Park out in Tampa Bay.

Sarasota to the south has Mote Marine & aquarium, there's the G Wiz science museum down by the bayfront and Sarasota Jungle Gardens features tropical bird and reptile shows, including large snakes.

For day trips, Busch Gardens is in Tampa and Lego Land in Winter Haven (formerly Cypress Gardens).

For shopping, the Ellenton Outlet Mall on I75 just a few miles north of Bradenton is large, lots of great shops. Sarasota has a smaller outlet mall at University & I75. Anna Maria Island has a number of cute little shops and gift shops. Sarasota has South Gate & Sarasota Square malls. St. Armands Circle is a great destination spot too in Sarasota, just off the bayfront across the Ringling bridge. Lots of shops, restaurants and only a block from Lido beach. There's a big Corvette car show at St. Armands on May 5th.

For eating, the area has a lot to offer, especially if you include Bradenton and Sarasota. But on the island, the Beach House is a popular destination spot, Bistro on Island's End, the Gulf Drive Cafe, Peach's on Bay street and Rotten Ralph's on Bridge street to name a few of the more family friendly places to eat.

Anna Maria Oyster Bar and Demetrio's Pizza House in Bradenton are also local favorites.

[geosulcata]

We eat at the Beach House and Tortilla Bay. Both are good and very different from each other. The Beach House is great for its location. Sundays, there is a nice market on Bridge Street. There are also some fun shops and mini-golf down that street (where the round about is). The trolley is free to ride and will take you to the grocery store (Publix) and back. I wouldn't recommend going off the island. It is so beautiful, you should spend your vacation there enjoying the sunsets and wonderful beaches. Early morning walks can turn up sand dollars, various conchs, and even sharks teeth.
Our girls like Two Scoops ice cream on the north end of the island.
Enjoy!