Travel Guide to Odd Sarasota

5 Quirky Things to Love About Florida’s Cultural Coast

Aug 31, 2007

Don't let the title Florida's Cultural Coast fool you, underneath Sarasota's refined polish is a whole lot of quirkiness to love.

Sarasota may be recognized for boutique shopping, nightly black-tie affairs and overpriced beachfront real estate, but it’s the quirky, offbeat side making it worth the trip.

Come spring, it’s “girls gone mild” on Sarasota beaches. These teen girls and young ladies playing in the surf don modest swimwear and bonnets and most likely rode their oversized tricycles to the powder-white beaches. An Amish and Mennonite community called Pinecraft has thrived in Sarasota since the mid-twentieth century.

Homes in the neighborhood are modest and simple and it’s common to see suspender-clad men with straw hats and bonnet-wearing ladies with ankle-length dresses peddling bicycles. Stop by on a Sunday to see a game of shuffleboard. Any other day of the week, enjoy down home comfort food at one of the Amish restaurants. Yoder’s is famous for its delicious fruit and creamy pies. A handful of shops sell handmade Amish-style furniture.

Thanks to John Ringling, Sarasota and circus heritage go hand in hand. Being the winter home of the Ringling Brothers Circus is enough but having a couple of homes built for little people by John Ringling makes Sarasota pretty quirky. These tiny homes are close to Sarasota’s downtown and difficult to find but easily pointed out during a Segway tour with Florida Ever-glides, the first Segway tour company in the United States.

As quirky as it may sound, Sarasota is a decent place to watch celebrities. Jerry Springer, yes, the controversial talk-show host, now calls the city home and so do AC/DC front man Brian Johnson and tennis star Monica Seles. The King of Horror, Steven King, has a home in the area, too. Paul Reubens, later known as Pee Wee Herman, grew up in Sarasota (and his career took a hit in a Sarasota movie theater during the 1990s).

Of course, like many other cities across the country, Elvis visited Sarasota and ate at the Waffle Stop on U.S. 301 in 1956. It’s as though time stood still in this diner where Sarasota travelers can enjoy breakfast or lunch, since the diner is open daily until 2:00 p.m.

Sarasota has a nice collection of neighborhoods but there’s something special about the Rosemary District. It used to be a scary place to visit, a place where travelers made sure the windows were rolled up and doors of the Chevy were locked. These days, there’s been a revival in the Rosemary District with boutique shops like Everything But the Girl (supporting local artists), independent restaurants like the Brownstone Café and cultural-based businesses. The district is within the confines of Central Avenue, Fruitville, Road, Orange Avenue and Tamiami Trail.

Just south of the city of Sarasota is the Springs – a warm, mineral-rich, natural spring believed to have therapeutic properties and a self-proclaimed fountain of youth. It pumps out nine million gallons of 87° F water a day and has the highest mineral content than any other spring within the United States. On any given day (except during inclement weather), chattering Europeans are floating on their brightly-colored, Styrofoam noodles in a counter clockwise motion. Americans quite haven’t caught on to the therapeutic properties of the water but more are trying it out.

What’s quirky about the Springs is the dormant fountain with three gold-toned maidens welcoming visitors. A day-spa's onsite with massage therapy. A healthy and not-so-healthy café nourishes hungry bodies with carrot juices, organic sandwiches and homemade cheese pierogis.

The nearby, single-story Warm Mineral Springs Motel is extremely kitsch with its 1950s boxy and angular architecture. Rooms are equipped with kitchenettes along with modest, yet comfortable furnishings. A small grassy courtyard is great for barbecuing or just lounging.

The copyright of the article Travel Guide to Odd Sarasota in Florida Travel is owned by Jennifer Huber. Permission to republish Travel Guide to Odd Sarasota in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.