Back from Sarasota

It was a quickie trip for us, more to just get out of the cold than a real need to go on vacation. Little did we know the weather in Florida would be not much better than the weather in Buffalo...sunny, cold and windy there vs cloudy, cold and windy here. Ok, so it was 20 degrees warmer in Florida, but c'mon, when you go away you have certain expectations. I'll be telling a bunch of stories from our trip on air over the next week or so, and here are a couple of primers:

Buffalo drivers, as bad as we think they are, are better than Florida drivers, especially those on I-75 or I-4. The automakers could save a ton of $$$ by not putting turn signals in any car bound to be driven on those roads. No one uses them. They could also save money by eliminating the numbers zero--80 on speedometers. No one goes under 82 on those roads. Except for those driving Buick's. You know my motto...I've never seen a Buick go over 54.

If you are going to Sarasota and can't find the right flight or airfare into SRQ or Tampa, try flying into Ft. Myers. It's an ez 75 minute ride to downtown Sarasota. Except for the crazy drivers on I-75.

Finally, need to tell you about this really cool boutique hotel we stayed at, The Hotel Ranola. My wife found it on tripadvisor.com. We would normally stay on the beach, but why pay $350 a night to do that when it's not beach season? Plus we wanted to explore downtown Sarasota, after doing the SIESTA and LONGBOAT KEY thing so many times. Hotel Ranola was an AWESOME choice.

It was originally built in 1926 and has been revived as a small hip boutique hotel with 9 fabulous units. Robert & Kim Livengood have done a great job with the place, and we instantly like them as Robert is a HUGE Springsteen fan (Kim not as much) and used to work in broadcasting in the 90's for Dick Clark Productions. Funny, but I never asked if he knew DC!

The hotel is perfectly located for city stay, close to Sarasota Marina, and a 10 minute car ride across the bridge to St. Armands and beaches. We stayed in one of their Queen apartments for less than $200 a night including taxes. Next door was main street Sarasota, with a ton of bars and shops. Think the Buffalo Chip Strip for 40 year olds. Here are a couple of pics.

No that's not wine in our room...we would never do that!

I have no idea how this blond got in my room, or who she is talking to. But I enjoyed her company!

The hotel website is hotelranola.com

Two quick caveats: This is not really a family hotel. I think it would be tough to stay here with kids, but perfect for couples and singles. Also, you"ll need a bit of a city attitude when you stay there. You will hear garbage trucks making pickups in the am, and school kids waiting for the bus. But I like that type of thing...you are on vacation, but reminded that you are in a vibrant city, not a retirement condo!