With seven miles of gulf coast beach, Anna Maria Island is comprised of three cities (not the kind of large scale city most of us would envision) with a combined population of under 10,000 – it feels more like a seaside town. The pace of life is laid-back. Local residents are warm and greet visitors like family. There are no high rise condos blocking beach views and access. Fast food chains are virtually absent, allowing visitors to discover unique local establishments.

I get this euphoric feeling every time I go to Anna Maria. It starts as soon as I arrive at Tampa Airport. It grows with the first pelican I see soaring in the sky, and is followed quickly by the scent of sea air. With each bridge that I cross on the drive down to the Island, I can feel my shoulders start to relax and my tensions fade. Once I’m over the last bridge on Cortez or Manatee, I know I'm in for a treat, because it's finally Island time!

The whole family loves the flora and fauna near the beach house. The colors are vivid. Palm trees rustle in the warm breeze. Tropical birds and cute little lizards (that help keep nuisance insects at bay) dart by. Gentle manatees glide by silently in the intercoastal waterway . Sea turtle nests appear on the beach. There's even a wildlife sanctuary just down the street (you’ll recognize it by the bunny rabbits and turtles in the front yard enclosure). Our kids love to visit the bunnies to feed them carrots and lettuce.

We can take a barefoot early morning walk to the beach and see the dolphins cavorting in the ocean. And we can return in the evening to watch the sun go down. Every sunset is different - sometimes the sky is filled with dramatic puffy clouds and every shade of crimson, magenta and blue and other times the sky is clear as the fiery orange ball drops below the horizon.