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Archive for the ‘Florida’ Category

Having lived and traveled in many parts of the country, it would be hard to narrow down why I like living in Sarasota, Florida. There are so many reasons, but the number one reason being it is now January, It’s 70 degrees out there! I left my snow shovel, boots and parka in Indiana!

Sarasota is located on the suncoast about 60 miles south of Tampa Florida. With the completion of I-75,many midwesterners settled here as it was an easy drive from Michigan, Indiana,Illinois, and Ohio. Having lived in the mid west most of my life, I can really appreciate leaving the house this time of year in shorts and a tee shirt!

Sarasota has a lot going for it, Siesta Key, one of the finest beaches in the world,superb dining, if desired one could dine somewhere different every night of their life and never be in the same restaurant twice! Adding to Siesta Key, several more beaches, Longboat Key, Casey Key ,Lido Beach, Bradenton Beach, and numerous others add to the beach hopping opportunities! Most of the housing in the area are either single family homes or condos, thereby offering the opportunity for families to rent homes for the winter.

Even though the Ritz- Carlton has property in Sarasota, along with a few other chains, there really isn’t much hotel room available, making it nearly impossible for us to be invaded by the spring break crowd every year.

Numerous social and civic activities abound,nearly every club and organization in America has a facility in Sarasota. Sahib Temple, the local Shrine Center, has a membership of nearly 2000 and is featured as one of the most active Shrine Centers in Shrinedom,all Shriners are invited to attend the Thursday luncheon attended by approximately 200 Shriners.

Golf courses abound and the area is home to numerous Baseball teams during spring training.

Shopping malls and art galleries abound, as well as theater and museums.

If one has a need to get away for the week-end , Sarasota International Airport and I-75 offer that choice.

Sarasota has become the center of life in southwest Florida, making it the premier retirement location in Florida.

Florida is the 27th state of the United State of America and it shares its boundaries with Alabama, Georgia and most of the rest to the Atlantic Ocean. It is a peninsular state and is situated at the southeastern part of the country across the Mississippi river. Known for its tropical climate, Florida is otherwise known as the “Sunshine state” of the country. With a total population of about 18,328,500, this state is considered the fourth most populated state in Unites States.

The state is a porous limestone peninsula which is placed over bedrock called as the Florida Platform. This makes the state peppered with underwater caves and springs. The fresh water supply across the city is also plenty. A slow flowing river called The Everglades is the major geographical feature of the state. Earthquakes are very rare in Florida, but the state had its own minor tremors and shakes in the past. The most recent one was in the year of 2006 but with a very low Richter scale reading. The highest point of the state is at 345 feet above the sea level and is situated at the Britton Hill. Ironically this is also the lowest high point of the whole of United States.

Aptly named the “Sunshine State”, Florida has true tropical and subtropical climate. The highest temperature ever recorded in Florida stands at 32

If you’ve ever eaten a midwinter strawberry, chances are good it was grown in Plant City, Florida, known as the winter strawberry capital of the world. More than three-fourths of the nation’s midwinter strawberries are grown here on more than 7,000 acres of rich, fertile farmland.
As with many rural Florida communities, farming was the staple around which Plant City grew, initially as a large cotton center. Its original designation, Ichepucksassa, after an Indian village that once claimed the land, was a troublesome mouthful that didn’t last long. The community’s Irish postmaster renamed Ichepucksassa after his hometown in Ireland: Cork. But that didn’t last long either, in 1884, Henry Plant brought the South Florida Railroad into town; in 1885 the city was incorporated and renamed after him. The historic Union Station depot still stands on Palmer Street today, acting as a downtown area welcome center and mini-railroad museum.