Guide to Longboat Key Sarasota Florida

Longboat Key has so many hidden treasures and Adventures to explore. 

I'm going to share the ones we explored. This Earth has so many amazing places and so many right in the State you live. You just have to pack up the car and get out there and explore. Each time we go out we always find something new and fun! This is best place for the day or a Weekend getaway with the family or just yourself.

Longboat Key is a town in Manatee and Sarasota counties along the central west coast of the U.S. state of Florida, located on and coterminous with the barrier island of the same name. Longboat Key is south of Anna Maria Island, between Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

 It is almost equally divided between Manatee and Sarasota counties. The town of Longboat Key was incorporated in 1955 and is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Longboat Key Beach is seriously one of the best beaches we have been to. 

There is very little people at any time of the year. If you stop by the Welcome Park Sign with all the Bird Names and species you will find Each and everyone one of those plus more roaming and exploring the Beaches. It was Neat for Kylie to Learn about each of the Birds. Along with every kind of Seashell you can think of! The sand feels so soft and white and the sun doesn't make it hot at all like most beaches. 

SHOPPING

Another must while in Longboat Key is St.Armands Circle Shops and Restaurants.

 We spent the entire day just shopping, exploring and tasting yummy Treats and Food. 

Some of Our favorite Stores- Fresh Produce, Little Bo'tique, crazy shirts, just because,  Napels soap store, Gem. We went into every store just to see what they had. We loved each and every one.

Treats and Food- Le Macaron (Kylies most favorite) , Big Olaf Creamery- BEST PLACE- Yummy pies and IceCream, GIGI cupcakes- So many amazing Yummy choices, 

The Pepper Place- It was so much fun trying all kinds of BBQ sauce and hot sauces along with salsas.

 Spice Exchange- This was our favorite Stay tuned for a blog on it. We tried so many spices and Every Flavor Sugars. We picked our favorites to buy. Kylie's Favorite was the Raspberry Sugar, Strawberry Sugar,  Ranch Dill Dip I loved all the mixed blends and picked up two kinds of Curry. stay tuned for some yummy recipes.

The Peanut Shop- So many delish tasting peanuts. Not just salty but sweet and any flavor you can think of. Favorites Garlic and milk and dark chocolate.

They offer FREE samples of each one they make!  I recommend Buying a peanut tree at the Peanut shop because it will be so neat for your little ones to learn how peanuts grow.

This is a map to save they have them every so often but its hard to see on there. 

Dinosaur World Theme Park In Florida

Recently We took a trip to Dinosaur World, a less-dangerous version of Jurassic Park, is situated on 20 acres and contains more than 200 life-size dinosaur sculptures. There's also a "boneyard playground" for kids and educational programs with paleontologist experts Although Kylie seemed to know almost everything they said it was very neat to know all the info they were giving us was facts and truth. She was excited that she knew about most of it.

We always pass the huge sign on I4 and have always wanted to stop. 

Since this summer is over and She has started school we have made a new plan to try A new adventure that we have not done yet. So this is now off our Kylie's Adventure Bucket list.  I must say at first I was A little worried she would be to old for it but rest assure she loved it and cant wait to plan our next trip there. 

General Admission rates include access to over 200 life size dinosaurs along with the theme park’s numerous shows and exhibits including the area’s largest, interactive boneyard, the giant skeletal playground and the Prehistoric museum featuring an impressive collection of animation dinosaurs, prehistoric dinosaur eggs, raptor claws and everything dinosaur.

Additional encounters such as the Fossil Dig and the Dino Gem Excavation are also available. 

Dinosaur World is open year round Daily 9am to 5pm 

There is no food service at the park. I highly suggest packing a picnic to dine with the Dino's. I would Pack water, food, and snacks. It's mostly outdoors and the Florida weather is extremely hot. You will want to keep hydrated. If you forget to pack food ahead of time there is a subway down the street but other then that there is nothing else very close.

 

Our Favorite part of the whole trip was the Fossil Dig and the Dino Gem Excavation.

 Kylie was talking about it for hours after we left. She loved being able to find her very own real gems and stones. So many cool ones to take home and keep for our collection.The Fossil dig was neat they let you take home 3 fossils. If you aren't sure if you want to trust me your little ones will love it. 

Another awesome thing we did was picking our very own Geode Rock to crack open. 

They have this machine that presses the rock and cracks it right down the middle for you. This was so neat to do. We love ours and is so beautiful in our collection. 

Kylie had never heard of this so when we got to surprise her she was so excited! So not only is there tons of cool Dino's to check out there is also tons of hands on fun things to experience with your little ones!

Geodes are neat they can form in any cavity, but the term is usually reserved for more or less rounded formations in igneous and sedimentary rocks. They can form in gas bubbles in igneous rocks, such as vesicles in basalticlavas; or, as in the American Midwest, in rounded cavities in sedimentary formations. After rock around the cavity hardens, dissolved silicates and/or carbonates are deposited on the inside surface. Over time, this slow feed of mineral constituents from groundwater or hydrothermal solutions allows crystals to form inside the hollow chamber. Bedrock containing geodes eventually weathers and decomposes, leaving them present at the surface if they are composed of resistant material such as quartz.

When cut in half, visible bands corresponding to varied stages of precipitation may at times show patterns that reveal point/s of fluid entry into the cavity and/or varied colors corresponding to changes in chemistry. Ours was clear Quartz and we love it very much. 

 

Another fun area was the Bone Yard. Kylie loved digging in the sand for a huge Dinosaur fossils. We spent about an hour digging up bones and having fun. There is also a cute Dino Playground for the kids to play on. We love to swing and play so having a playground was A plus. 

 

I had a blast making so many fun memories for her to remember forever. 

As parents We must remember its our job to make our Kids childhood filled with endless Laughter, Fun Adventures, Happy memories for them to remember. 

I love nothing more in this whole world then making memories with my Beautiful Daughter.

 I could not be more blessed. If  you're thinking about taking a trip to Dinosaur World We Highly suggest it!!!!

Childhood

This is a photo of my Daughter Puddle jumping! Some people hate rainy days but we absolutely love rainy days. Puddles are the best to jump in and no matter what we are wearing the minute we see a puddle we look at each other and usually she's the first to jump. I think it's little moments like these kids remember for a lifetime. I know I Cherish each moment we spend and every little memory we make. All the little moments become big moments later on in life. I know as a child one of my favorite things to do was jump in puddles and get soaking wet just the idea of being so c are free is what feels the best. I love watching Kylie be carefree and happy. There's no place I'd rather be then watching her grow, love and support her and be her number one fan!! I encourage all moms to take a step back and enjoy life before you wake up and it's gone.