Siesta Key named third best U.S. beach by TripAdvisor

Anna Maria Island may be the third best island in the U.S.
but its beaches don't rank on TripAdvisor.
File photo by Grant Jefferies

Florida might have as many beaches as Hawaii in TripAdvisor's latest Top 25 U.S. Beaches, but none are in Manatee County.

Siesta Key ranked third, the highest in Florida, and Lido Beach, also in Sarasota County ranked 22nd, according to the 2014 list released Tuesday. Lanikai Beach in Oahu, Hawaii was the top beach.

“We are thrilled to share this news,” said Erin Duggan, Director of Brand for Visit Sarasota County.  “We are honored so many visitors to our shores love their experience here and are willing to share it with others.”

TripAdvisor survey of 13,000 U.S. travelers found that 81 percent plan to take a beach vacation in 2014, compared to 69 percent that did in 2013. Summer is the most popular season for beach vacations with the most popular months being: July (23%), August (20%), June (19%).

“For those fed up with the long cold winter, there’s really no better cure than an escape to one of these award-winning beaches,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. “Even if you can’t go to one of these stunning beaches soon, just looking at the photos will take you away for a moment, until you can plan a trip.”

Siesta Key dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 from last year's beach rankings. Other area beaches that made the list include Saint Pete Beach at No. 9, Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin at No. 11 and Clearwater Beach at No. 21.

What's strange is how Anna Maria Island can rank third among U.S. islands, but none of its beaches rank at all in the Top 25. What gives? Was it the dredging equipment? Surely surveyors can come back and see there's enough sand on the beach now.
Here is the complete list

Travelers’ Choice Top 25 Beaches in the U.S.

1.       Lanikai Beach, Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii

2.       Ka'anapali Beach, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

3.       Siesta Key Public Beach, Siesta Key, Florida

4.       Hanalei Beach, Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii

5.       Wai'anapanapa State Park, Hana, Maui, Hawaii

6.       Wailea Beach, Wailea, Maui, Hawaii

7.       Hunting Island State Park, Beaufort, South Carolina

8.       Manini'owali Beach (Kua Bay), Kailua-Kona, Island of Hawaii, Hawaii

9.       Saint Pete Beach, Saint Pete Beach, Florida

10.   Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii

11.   Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin, Florida

12.   Poipu Beach Park, Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii

13.   Ko Olina Lagoons, Kapolei, Hawaii

14.   St. Augustine Beach, Saint Augustine Beach, Florida

15.   Ogunquit Beach, Ogunquit, Maine

16.   Race Point Beach, Provincetown, Massachusetts

17.   Bahia Honda State Park and Beach, Big Pine Key, Florida

18.   La Jolla Cove, La Jolla, California

19.   Pensacola Beach, Pensacola, Florida

20.   Beach at Panama City, Panama City Beach, Florida

21.   Clearwater Beach, Clearwater, Florida

22.   Lido Beach, Sarasota, Florida

23.   Assateague Beach, Assateague Island, Virginia

24.   Kapalua Beach, Kapalua, Hawaii

25.   Navarre Beach, Navarre, Florida

Major League Soccer players, staff give Bradenton social media love

Major League Soccer players and staff are giving a peek into how they’re spending their time in Bradenton and Sarasota thanks to Twitter and Instagram.

Probably the most active team showing off the area is the Columbus Crew and its players. There are photos of the guys going for a beach run in team uniform, others hanging out poolside and visiting youth academy players.

Retired Columbus Crew player Frankie Hejduk is hanging out with his team as a brand ambassador (a front-office fan position) and the team’s official website posted that the avid skateboarder took some off time and visited a pawn shop to buy a skateboard before heading to the Riverwalk skate park, posting a short video on the Crew’s Instagram account.

Think about what happened. Hejduk won the MLS Cup in 2008 with the Crew and another one in 2011 with Los Angeles Galaxy and is a two-time Olympian and represented the United States at two World Cups. 

This champion decided like a regular skateboarding Joe to plop down some cash for a board and take a spin in a public park overlooking Manatee River with teens nearby. They perhaps did not know who was skating with them at first. 

The team puts out a video to expose folks to Bradenton and hey, not only is there MLS soccer here, but a skatepark worthy enough for a pro.

Beyond that, other players and staff on the Crew and other teams are being great ambassadors for the Bradenton-Sarasota area with their tweets and pics.

Crew players Tony Chani and Kevan George at Pier 22 on Instagram with fans giving the players some local dining tips, suggesting they go to Anna Maria Island Oyster Bar, Woody’s River Roo, BeachHouse Restaurant, Pacific Rim Sushi and Mixons Fruit Farms. A few other players spent one of their first nights in town grabbing dinner at Fav’s Italian Cucina on Old Main Street.

D.C. United athletic trainer Brian Gerlach posted some interesting photos of how a soccer team takes over a waterfront hotel. The United are staying at the Hyatt Regency and one of the conference rooms overlooking the boat docks is now a training room where players get massages and treatment for their bumps and bruises. I’m sure the players don’t mind the tropical view while on the mend.

Gerlach also gave United fans a tease, wowing them with Sarasota sunsets, time at the pool and kayaking on Sarasota Bay. Not a bad way to spend some down time between soccer matches.

Check out more photos of MLS players in the Bradenton area via my Storify.

Friendly City isn't the friendliest city, but close according to Rand McNally

The Friendly City isn't the Friendliest City, but darn close.

Randy McNally announced its Best of the Road winners Thursday, which included six categories of the Best Small Towns. For Friendliest City, Bradenton was named a runner up. The winner was Kewanee, Ill., located east of Davenport, Iowa.

Bradenton also joined runner-ups Macon, Ga., Murray, Ky., and Keokuk, Iowa. While Bradenton's been nicknamed The Friendly City since the 1930s, it didn't help the votes.

The winners were determined by votes and social media engagement, and because Bradenton was a finalist, had to enter a video, which you can see above, as well as an essay. Here's an excerpt proclaiming the friendliness:

Friendliness even colors the city’s approach to arts and culture. Named the #2 small city for arts in America byAmericanStyle Magazine, Bradenton is home to the Village of the Arts, an eclectic community of artists living and working together in a downtown neighborhood. Here, visitors can immerse themselves in a world of creativity, tour working studios, and even chat about inspiration and technique with an artist over a glass of sweet tea. Bradenton is also home to a potpourri of thriving galleries, art centers, theater troupes and a full calendar of musical performances, including the Bradenton Blues Festival.

The friendly approach to life transcends fun times though. Mayor Wayne Poston reports that much business in Bradenton is still accomplished with a simple handshake. In addition, the community comes together to enthusiastically serve those in need. Residents built more than 100 homes for Habitat for Humanity, and volunteer at local food banks. The city is also home to Southeastern Guide Dogs, an organization that brings new hope to the visually impaired. 

Bradenton, Florida has been “The Friendly City” for generations. Residents are still offering a warm welcome to visitors today.

The contest was sponsored by RV club Good Sam and Geocaching.com, and focused on cities that have a population of 150,000 or less and could only be in the lower 48 (sorry Hawaii and Alaska). Voting ended Sept. 3.

The Bradenton Herald reported about the contest in July when the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau tried to push out the vote:

Bradenton was entered last year in the contest, but did not win. This year, Rand McNally sent her an email notice reminding her to enter Bradenton in the contest. The visitor's bureau enlisted the help of the City of Bradenton to get the word out. Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston said it was a easy decision to make. "It would be a natural for us to win with our Friendly City slogan," said Poston. "We want to make sure people get out and vote." 

Another Gulf Coast city also received accolades. Punta Gorda was named runner-up for Most Beautiful city, losing out to Jefferson City, Mo. The only other Florida city recognized in the contest was Merritt Island, a runner-up for Geocaching.

(h/t to Realize Bradenton)

Siesta Key's Sea Spray Resort named TripAdvisor Top Bargain

Siesta Key's Sea Spray Resort is receiving national recognition for offering good deals.

The resort ranked seventh on TripAdvisor's Top U.S. Bargain Hotels, on the travel site's 12th annual Travelers' Choice awards.

No Manatee County resorts or hotels made this list, but two other Tampa Bay hotels received nods including Holiday Inn Express Crystal River at No. 12 and Gulf Tides Inn in St. Pete Beach for best bargains.

“We’re excited to recognize the world’s best properties, based on the opinions of those who know them best – the millions of travelers around the globe who come to TripAdvisor to share their experiences,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. “For those seeking inspiration for their 2014 travel planning, this list of spectacular accommodations that received 2014 Travelers’ Choice awards is a perfect place to start.

The average price for a bargain hotel on TripAdvisor's list was $91. An in-season rate in April at Sea Spray, the first available dates for booking through Expedia, ranged from $195 to $209 depending on the day and room.

Along with Bargain Hotels, TripAdvisor released rankings for other hotel categories, but the three mentioned above were the only Tampa Bay hotels to be recognized. One other Florida hotel worth mentioning is Florida's Resort Orlando, which was named Best Hotel for Families in the U.S.

Find the rest of the winners at http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice

Is there a hotel or resort in Manatee County that should have made this list? Weigh in below.

Motorworks Brewing opens Tuesday to Facebook Fans

The exterior of Motorworks Brewing at 1014 Ninth St. W. in Bradenton. The brewery plans to open Tuesday. PAUL VIDELA/Bradenton Herald

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/11/14/4828157/motorworks-brewery-to-hire-20.html#storylink=cpy

Bradenton's first modern brewery is finally opening, but the brewed beers won't be quite ready.

Motorworks Brewing, 1014 9th St. W, announced on Facebook Wednesday that the brewery is opening its brewery starting Tuesday, Jan. 22, for Facebook fans from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m:

Be among the first to sample Motorworks beer, plus 25 guest taps, an extensive bottle selection, and local spirits. Mingle with the owners and brewers while enjoying video games inside and corn hole, a putting green, or bocce ball outside in our huge beer garden.

Let's not kid ourselves though. Anyone who knows about this opening will be walking through the doors, and if the admission is clicking Like on Motorworks' Facebook page, then that's both a clever social media push and an easy way to not feel guilty about showing up without being a Facebook fan.

After that, the brewery is open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. to the general public. Once this place is humming, customers can expect to hear some live music in the tap room, too.

As you read from Motorworks' announcement, they'll have plenty of beer and liquor available, but you can't buy the beer that they brew yet, so samples are being passed out. The brewing can't be done until the equipment is all in place to do mass brewing, and according to the state Department of Business and Professional Regulations, the brewing license hasn't been granted yet. 

This week the brewery is awaiting 90 bbl fermenters that are 20-foot-tall stainless steel tanks. They're so big that owners Denise and Frank Tschida hired Tom Winkler PE to cut open 8 to 12 feet through concrete floors. 

The tanks are being imported and were at customs in Miami on Wednesday, said spokeswoman and brewery vice president Ann Altman and are expected to be installed within the week.

  

Once the large tanks arrive this week, the fun isn't over. Workers will use a gantry-style system to actually lift the tanks, pass them through an opening on the second floor back wall, and lower them into place. 

The brewery is welcome news to not only the approximately 20 employees that will have probably the most exciting job (other than a reporter's), but folks around the Village of the Arts are giddy about what this brewery could do for the neighborhood. Motorworks' first partnership with the village is figuring out a food partnership with neighboring Charisma Cafe.