where's the beach

My weekend in the Tampa/Sarasota area was seriously relaxing. I’ve not visited that particular part of the state before; there is so much beauty to see and absorb. At first I was quite excited about the prospect of roaming about with my camera however, I found myself to be increasingly pensive about potential shots for some reason. Perhaps the cloak of humid yet non-oppressive air lulled my senses a bit, forced me to drink in my surroundings more slowly so much so, that I didn’t take nearly the amount of pictures I normally do. That said, as I rode in the car, the bridges we drove over provided scenic overload…

Even from the lanai, the views were lush…

The animal kingdom is not at all shy (though I did not see a full crocodile, something I had really hoped to capture, I did see just the top of one skimming across a pond as we whizzed by)…

The first thing I asked when I arrived was “Where’s the beach?” Spending even a few minutes with my feet in the sand grounds me in a way that no other place in nature can so I had to get there. The sound of wild wind and crashing waves signaling a brewing storm is exhilarating…

And a plate of colorfully aromatic, simple and sumptuous food is always just the right answer for an inquiring stomach…

What I came to realize is my trip this time was really about quality not quantity in more ways than one so when I boarded the plane, I flew home at peace with all.

keep your peepers open!®