Sarasota/Bradenton
Even during the dog days of summer, when the common wisdom says Floridians retreat indoors to the comfort of their air conditioners, the beaches and other attractions in and around Sarasota are bustling. Siesta Key Beach, just a short jaunt over a bridge from the city, was named the best beach in America in 2011 by “Dr. Beach,” a professor at a Florida university who is the arbiter of such rankings. Siesta’s snow-white, baby-powder-like sands are easy on the feet even on the hottest days of summer. For those who would rather not brave the relentless sunshine and mid-90s heat, the shops and restaurants along the main streets of the quaint gulf town of St. Armands or the famed Ringling Museum just off downtown Sarasota are fine places to chill out. And at night, heat be darned, the young, the retired and everyone in between spill out of the restaurants and cafes of the city’s historic district –- within a short drive of some very cool golf communities.