Sunsets – An Anna Maria Island Ritual

Sun Setting Through the Pine Trees Just South of the Sandbar Restaurant

By Jim Abbott, Orlando Sentinel
June 6, 2010

It only takes about three minutes for the sun to disappear after it touches the horizon, but perhaps nowhere on the planet is that time celebrated with more passion than Anna Maria Island.
Watching the sunset is a cherished ritual on this sleepy barrier island, about 20 miles west of Bradenton in Manatee County. Visitors and locals alike gather on the beaches to savor the dimming of the day, an ordinary event extraordinary enough to inspire spontaneous applause.

“In Anna Maria, the sunset is a celebration,” says Kathy Wooten, manager of the Queen’s Gate Resort, one of the many mom-and-pop hotels that dot the three towns — Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Anna Maria — on the seven-mile slip of island. “If you come here, it’s the one thing you have to do.”

Clapping is optional, of course.

It always seems to happen, though, whether on a secluded stretch of sand or at the iconic Sandbar restaurant on the north end of Anna Maria. In this spot, diners have gathered to watch the ritual since 1913, when a restaurant known as “The Pavilion” entertained guests who could only reach the island by boat.

Nowadays, the Sandbar features dining either indoors or on an outdoor deck with some of the tables perched on the sand itself. Employees and patrons alike stop to watch the show on the horizon, which is acknowledged by the ringing of a bell — and applause, of course.

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Manatee County Home Sales Up 43%

By Louise Bolger – Sun Staff Writer – February 3, 2010

Contrary to what is happening in the rest of the country,  South Florida real estate is making a major comeback.

Manatee County Single-Family Home Sales

Manatee County real estate companies sold 43 percent more single family homes in December of 2009 than December of 2008 according to the Florida Association of Realtors.

You can’t even credit the first time buyer tax credit for the increase since the original expiration date was Nov. 30, and it was not extended until early November which was too late for sales that were set to close in December and January.

In addition, median sales prices also went up by about 5 percent to $167,400, with most of the sales activity under $200,000.

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