Sarasota, Florida, may not be either Disney World or Miami, but it is home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, as well as serviceable art museums and a fascinating marine aquarium. It’s a great place to spend your next vacation.

Siesta Key and Longboat Key, while although it can be a little pricey for some, it does have miles of award-winning beaches, along with plenty of beach activities: boating, dining, and playing.

One of the most popular beaches in the whole of Florida is Siesta Key beach with its quartz sand. It is unique in that even on the hottest of days you can still walk barefooted on the sand without fear of burning the soles of your feet.

An amazing sight you must see when visiting Sarasota or Siesta Key is the drum circle. This happens on Siesta Key every Saturday night, and brings together local poets, musicians and drummers. It’s an amazing spectacle to witness.

At the intersection of 41 and University Parkway sits the Classic Car Museum, a treasure trove of antique automobiles and other Americana, such as arcade games and posters. Practically across the street from the Classic Car Museum is the Ringling Museum of Art, an ever-growing museum complex funded by circus magnate John Ringling’s estate.

Down the street from the Ringling Museum lies the Sarasota Jungle Gardens, a botanical zoo in which one can feed pelicans and flamingoes, sit among exotic plants, or pose for a photo with several parrots perched on your shoulder. Further south along US 41, you will find the Mote Marine Laboratory, a marine aquarium.

Any aspiring bird watchers, or animal loves, should make the effort to visit the Pelican Man Bird sanctuary. This facility takes in injured, lost or abandoned birds and nurses them back to health.

For such a small city, Sarasota offers a surprising variety of ethnic food restaurant. Popular recommendations include ‘Mickey’s’ on Pineable Avenue, and ‘Tropical Thai’ on Main Street. There is also a lot of restaurants for the vegetarians among us.