Island Real Estate

Family Fun on Anna Maria Island

Family is all about love, and we have plenty of things you’ll love to do with your family while vacationing on Anna Maria Island.
Robinson Preserve Treehouse
Make it a day trip and visit some of the Manatee county parks which are as close as a bike ride to Anna Maria Island or check out some of our other day trip recommendations! There are plenty of other parks to have a picnic or you can spend a day with the kids at the local children’s playgrounds.
Robinson Preserve Kayak
If you’re looking for a local family friendly restaurant try checking out Manatee Sports Grill featuring live entertainment and a comfortable inviting atmosphere.
Florida Aquarium
If you’re getting tired of swimming or visiting the many beaches in the area there are plenty of public pools to visit as well. Take a trip to one of the area aquariums to get a close up look at the sea life! A short trip to the Florida Maritime Museum will be both educational and fun for the whole family.
Anna Maria Turtle Watch
If you’re visiting during the summer there are plenty of additional options, such as participating in the turtle watch which takes place between May 1st-October 31st. The kids can learn about the local turtles and see some of the nesting grounds that are penned off with stakes and tape right on the beaches. Kids can also learn to surf with the kid’s summer surfing camps! You can also find some information on the Thieves’ Market which will be open on select days between November 10, 2012-April 13, 2013 which can be found by clicking the link.
St. Armands Circle
St. Armands Circle also offers plenty of family fun. Featuring shops, restaurants, and sights galore there is plenty to keep you in the area for a full day. There is also the Bridge Street Market in Bradenton Beach to check out.
Island Pearl
Take a water shuttle trip on the Island Pearl to various locations and maybe even see some dolphins! Or for those who prefer solid ground the Anna Maria Island Trolley the Crown Jewel will take you around the island for free!

If you would like you can take a video tour of Anna Maria Island before you visit to get acquainted with some of the sights and locations!

Invite your kids to share their opinions or check out more activities in our Kid’s Corner or check out the Top Ten Kid’s Activities.

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Sarasota – The Ringling Art Museum Celebrates International Museum Day!

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The Ringling Art Museum in Sarasota will be observing International Museum Day on May 18th. Enjoy free admission to the museum art and view the special exhibit, Herb Ritts: L.A. Style which closes on Sunday, May 19th.

While at the Ringling Museum make sure to take a stroll through the Bayfront Gardens. The gardens are open to the public from 9:30am – 6:00pm and does not have an admission price.

 

The Ringling Art Museum
5401 Bayshore Rd
Sarasota, FL 34243
(941)359-5700

Palmetto – 5th Annual River Regatta Race

River-RegattaThe Regatta Pointe Marina hosts the 5th annual River Regatta race held Saturday, June 29th. All races are held on the Manatee River. The competitors schedule is as follows: Friday, June 28 6:00pm to 7:00pm Check-in/On-site Registration; 7:30pm Skippers Meeting (All race meetings will include complimentary food and beer!) Saturday, June 29 10:30am Warning Signal for race; 5:00pm Awards Ceremony & Party (Race day will also include complimentary beer & entertainment!)

The race will be governed by the current Racing Rules of Sailing and the West Florida PHRF Class Rules. Participants without a PHRF certificate will be assigned a rating at the discretion of the Regatta Chair. Its open to all Sailboats. Classes you can expect to see include: Spinnaker, Non-Spinnaker, True Cruiser, Pocket Cruiser, Racer Cruiser, and Multihull.

If you would like to compete eligible boats may enter by completing the entry form which can be found at the Riverhouse Reef & Grill website and only costs $45 to register. All registrations received after Monday, June 17, 2013 will be charged a $10 late registration fee. Each entry will receive one Saturday night dinner ticket, one regatta shirt and one regatta hat. Shirts and hats for late applicants are subject to availability.

Regatta Pointe Marina
1005 Riverside Dr
Palmetto, FL 34221
(941)729-6021

Holmes Beach – Great American Music Event Benefit for Georgia Gibbons

GAME_posterHolmes Beach City Hall Field will be the location for The Great American Music Event, also known as G.A.M.E., will be held on May 3rd-5th. The event will be free admission and feature a wide range of live music and a large variety of delicious food. Unique arts and crafts will be present as well as a kid’s area providing a safe and fun place for children.

G.A.M.E’s proceed will be going to St. Pete Preservation, the charity sponsor for Anna Maria accident victim Georgia Rose Gibbons.

The music schedule is as follows:

May 3rd:

5:00pm – Tanya & Company

8:00pm – Scott’s Garage

May 4th:

2:30pm – Bodie Valdez & The WhoDoos

4:00pm – KoKo Ray & Company

6:00pm – Porch Dogs

7:30pm – Critter Ridge

8:45pm – Porch Dogs

May 5th:

11:30am – The Three Howies

1:00pm – Boss Hawg

3:00pm – TC & the Trouble Makers

5:00pm – Shotgun Justice

 

Holmes Beach City Hall Field

5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, FL 34217

(941)708-5800

Universal Studios Orlando

A great day trip from Anna Maria Island is a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando! Universal features two parks catering to thrill seekers, movie enthusiasts, and families looking for a fun group activity.
Islands of Adventure Hulk Entrance
Islands of Adventure features multiple roller coasters, including The Incredible Hulk Coaster® which propels riders from 0 to 40 miles per hour in 2.0 seconds! The ride features multiple inversions and is a must ride for any coaster enthusiast! Also check out The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man® ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey® ride, Dragon Challenge™ roller coaster, and The Cat in the Hat™ ride!
Universal Studios Entrance
Universal Studios directly adjacent to the Islands of Adventure park features many more thrills to complement the park-going experience! Of the two parks at the location, Universal Studios is the more interactive of the two, featuring multiple parades throughout the day featuring notable characters, such as Spongebob, Patrick, and Bikini Bottom locals. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is a 3D motion ride experience, but the most notable feature of the ride might just be the dance party with minions following it!

You can also zap aliens in a team competition on MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack™ where you rack up score by hitting aliens strategically placed throughout the ride. Just remember to press the red button (at least before your memory is erased)!

There are also two choices for those who need to satisfy their roller coaster fix. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit® is a vertical lift coaster that features multiple inversions and the ability to pick your own selection of music from various genres. We’ll even let you in a little secret about the Rip Ride Rockit hidden songs! Hold the Universal logo for about 10 seconds after lowering your restraint and enter in the code that corresponds to the song you want!

Rip Ride Rockit

 

Code Song Artist(s)
101 Temples of Syrinx Rush
102 Smithereens Blues Before&After
103 Break On Through The Doors
104 Crocodile Rock Elton John
105 Do It Again Steely Dan
106 Candlebox Don’t You
107 Drivin’ Rain Gov’t Mule
108 8 Miles High The Byrds
109 Fantasy Aldo Nova
110 American Hi-Fi I’m A Fool
111 Unknown Guitar Solo Unknown
112 Freebird Skynyrd
113 Immigrant Song Led Zeppelin
114 Just Because Jane’s Addiction
115 Live Lenny Kravitz
116 Mexicola Queens / Stone Age
117 Unknown Synth Solo
118 Unknown Track Sax Solo
121 Runnin’ Down a Dream Tom Petty
122 Start Me Up The Rolling Stones
123 Stockholm Syndrom Muse
124 Diary of Jane Breaking Benjamin
125 Great Gig in the Sky Pink Floyd
127 Urgent Foreigner
128 Vertigo U2
129 Wheel in the Sky Journey
130 Won’t Get Fooled Again The Who
131 Klein Mandelbrot Blue Man Group: The Ride
132 Drumbone Blue Man Group
301 Float On Modest Mouse
302 I Want You Back Jackson Five
303 In My Pocket Cat Empire
304 Still Rock ‘n Roll To Me Billy Joel
306 Lose Yourself Eminem
307 Ride Like The Wind Christopher Cross
308 Run to You Bryan Adams
309 Save Room John Legend
311 Unknown Track Unknown
312 My Everything Barry White
508 Pivot Dry (local band)
701 Cyanide Metallic
702 Unknown Song Unknown
703 For Whom The Bell Tolls Metallica
704 Forever Down Black Label Society
707 Know your Enemy Rage Against the Machine
708 Lets Go Ministry
709 Mouth For War Pantera
710 Painkiller Judas Priest
711 Paranoid Black Sabbath
713 Wicker Man Iron Maiden
715 Wake Up Dead Megadeth
718 You’ve Got Another Thing Comin Judas Priest
901 Movin Right Along Muppets
902 Rainbow Connection Muppets
904 Night on Bald Mountain Modest Mussorgsky
Source

Revenge of the Mummy ride

Revenge of the Mummy® is an indoor roller coaster that plunges you through the depths of a tomb as you narrowly escape the curse of an ancient mummy! There are a couple cinematic elements and pyrotechnics incorporated that make the ride more immersive than the typical roller coaster.

As well as both of the parks there is plenty to do on Citywalk which is just outside of the parks, and free of charge (sans the parking fee)!  There is miniature golf, numerous restaurants, shopping outlets, entertainment, and at night the area transforms into a hub for the party going nightclub crowd to dance the night away with drink in hand.

The Incredible Hulk Coaster®

One of the big attractions at Universal Studios Orlando is The Incredible Hulk Coaster® found inside Islands of Adventure!
Islands of Adventure Hulk Coaster
Upon entering the queue for the roller coaster you are surrounded by the lab equipment of Bruce Banner. As a volunteer for his experiment you await your turn to help him solve how to reverse the effects that caused him to become the Hulk. You can take in the story of the Hulk on the many conveniently placed monitors, as well as the generator, gamma core, and towers of power while listening to or watching through the windows as the roller coaster rips past.
Incredible Hulk Queue
After waiting you will be seated into one of the seats of the car, and pull down your harness and strap in. Banner begins the experiment, but it appears there is a malfunction and you are launched up the gamma tunnel from 0 to 40 mph in 2 seconds directly into a zero-g roll. After a cobra roll the car enters a vertical loop, and is launched through a misty tunnel which then completes a corkscrew.
Incredible Hulk Coaster Car
The length of the ride is approximately 2 minutes, and experiences 1.42Gs during the launch, has 7 inversions, reaches 67 mph, has a largest drop of 105 feet, and reaches a max height of 110 feet.
Hulk Entrance
For those who are interested in saving some time at the cost of possibly being split up, the single riders line can on average save 20-30 minutes especially during busy days and I personally make use of it with my friends each time I visit the park (which is upwards of 10 times a year)! Just let the employee at the entrance of the ride know and they will point you or your group in the direction of the single riders line. You get to stay with your group until you are placed on the ride in most cases so you won’t be away from them except for during the ride!

MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack™

Men in Black™ Alien Attack™ is an interactive motion ride inside the Universal Studios Orlando park in Orlando, Florida.

The queue winds through a MIB training facility featuring many characters from the movies. The cars seat 3 per row with two rows in each car for a total of 6 riders per car. Each rider controls their own ray gun to shoot the aliens throughout the ride with. So how about some tips to help you get the best score and impress everyone with your alien eliminating abilities?
MIB Alien Attack at Universal Studios

  1. Well first and foremost, always be shooting! You can hold down the trigger the whole duration of the ride to rack up points with every tenth shot. You also won’t tire your finger out nearly as much!
  2. The targets that are either farther away or up higher are worth more points than those that are closer!
  3. You can hit the same target multiple times so pick one and aim for the eyes! They will light up red when hit!
  4. Press the red button before entering the final tunnel! Listen for the voice command telling you to do and be one of the first two to do so to score a 100,000 point bonus. At this point there is a large alien right above you serving as a distraction although shooting it does not award additional points!
  5. Not every gun has the same accuracy so some adjustment will be required with each ride, and some seating spots are better than others! Try to get a side seat, and in the back row if possible to get the best chance at maxing out your score!

You will start out in the training area and at this point focus on one of the upper aliens until you cannot shoot them anymore! Then move to a target directly in front of you. As you exit the training area your score will briefly flash, but be ready for the aliens in the next room. Instead of shooting the aliens directly in the bush in front of you go for the ones in the windows to get more points! You can also find Frank the Pug in this area near the newsstand. He may be harder to see if you are in the car on the right-hand track though.

As you enter the next area you will be ambushed and aliens will pop out of boxes and trash cans around you and your car will be sent into a spin. Just aim for their guns for the most points in this area, but you don’t have much time here so be quick!

After the ambush you will enter a forested area before your vehicle is scanned for alien lifeforms. Look to the left and aim for the eyes in the trees! Keep hitting the same target as many times as possible and show your friends that you aren’t just the average galactic defender. After you can no longer shoot the eyes in the trees get ready to look upwards and shoot the aliens above you instead of the car of “aliens” across from you. Yes, you could hit their exhaust (located on the top of of the antenna) and send them spinning, but we’re here to get 999,999 alien slaying points! If you can’t find any more aliens to shoot towards this ending area just shoot at the exhaust on the other car, and prepare for the final push.
Do not shoot!
Now at this point there will be a large alien overhead which may seem like he’s worth a lot of points, but he is just a distraction! Push the red button that is located where you picked up your gun at the beginning of the ride and hope that you’re one of the two in your car that presses it first for a 100,000 point bonus!

With this guide and practice you will be maxing out your score in no time!

This is a great ride to use the single rider’s line on as you can normally get the bonus each time you go, and you’ll be able to get on quicker than waiting with your friends! You can also brag to your friends about how many aliens you slayed without them knowing how awful you actually did!

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey®

After you heard about Hogwarts I’m sure the first thing you did was went back through all your junk mail in the hopes that maybe you missed your letter. Well you may still be a muggle, but now you can take in the wonders of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter inside Universal Studios Orlando!
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
The feature ride of the wizarding world is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey®, which takes place  throughout the castle of Hogwarts! You will journey through the castle and the grounds surrounding with Harry, Hermione, and Ron while fighting off a dragon, dementors, spiders, and other creatures! If you successfully make it through you can expect to be greeted by Dumbledore and many other memorable friends thanking you for your assistance.

The ride is a motion ride that tilts and rocks you throughout the challenges, and seats four per car.

For those who are interested in saving some time at the cost of possibly being split up, the single riders line can on average save 20-30 minutes especially during busy days and I personally make use of it with my friends each time I visit the park (which is upwards of 10 times a year)! Just let the employee at the entrance of the ride know and they will point you or your group in the direction of the single riders line. You get to stay with your group until you are placed on the ride in most cases so you won’t be away from them except for during the ride!

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter inside the Islands of Adventure Park at Universal Studios Orlando features many rides that bring the world to life to us simple muggles!
Olivander's Wand Shop
You can visit Olivander’s Wand Shop to get your very own wand! However, you may have some difficulty getting the spells down. I’m still yet to figure out how to get the broom to magically sweep on its own or the dishes to wash themselves.
Honeydukes Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Visit Honeydukes to pick up some sweets! Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Jelly Beans, Chocolate Frogs, and many other sweets make their appearance. Just hope you don’t eat a booger flavored one! Save those for when your relatives come to visit!
Hog's Head Butterbeer
There is also the Three Broomsticks for dining. I always pick up a frozen butterbeer from the Hog’s Head pub located inside the restaurant. Butterbeer is served as a non-alcoholic drink and you can choose whether you would like it frozen or not. I personally like the frozen better!
Hogwarts Express
Don’t forget to grab a picture with the Hogwarts Express either! The train operator will be glad to pose with you for a picture. There have been rumors going around that we will eventually be able to ride the Hogwarts Express between the Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios parks! That will save a lot of walking and possibly time as Hogsmeade is located towards the back of the park, and we want you to see all the sights and get on all the rides!

Anna Maria Island – 3rd Annual Food and Wine on Pine

titleFood and Wine on Pine is a celebration showcasing the very best in food, wine, art and music that our area has to offer. Over 25 of the area’s finest restaurants will be present offering their delicious and unique foods. Over 30 different upscale wines, craft and domestic beers. Art demonstrations and more than 30 musical acts. Actors will be present depicting characters from Anna Maria Island’s rich history. A children’s area will be present for art and other activities as well as the annual sliming of CrossPointe Fellowship Pastor, Ed Moss.

Admission is free with cash only tickets for sale that can be redeemed for food and beverages. Tickets are $1.00 each with the option to purchase a Buffet Tray for $2.00 or a wine glass for $1.00. Wines and craft/specialty beers are available for tastings for 1 ticket per taste.

The musicians that will be performing throughout the day are:

  • State Road 64
  • The Manatee Concert Band
  • Chuck Caudill
  • John Dewey
  • Barby Holder
  • Scott Blum
  • Howie Banfield
  • Bill Vinhage
  • Chuck Weirich
  • Jimi Gee All Stars
  • John Rinell
  • Rick Quimby
  • Main Hatch Motleys
  • Sweet Adelines
  • Dan Crawford and Moving Target

Free parking will be available at the Anna Maria Island Community Center which is only two blocks from the event. Located at 407 Magnolia Avenue, Anna Maria City. A remote parking site is also available with a free trolley ride to Pine from the Crosspointe Fellowship at 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.

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Bradenton – The Hernando De Soto Historical Society Presents Seafood Fest

Seafood FestDowntown Bradenton will be hosting Hernando De Soto Historical Society’s Seafood Fest starts this Friday April 5th and continues through the weekend! On April 5th the festival gets kicked off at 5:00pm and lasts until 10:00pm, April 6th from 11:00am to 7:00pm April 7th from 12:00pm to 10:00pm. The family friendly atmosphere is fun for all ages with a special kids area available for free. Live music will be playing for the entire festival on two different stages with Uncle Kracker headlining!

Friday, April 5

Main Stage:
5:30pm Kettle of Fish
8:00pm Highway to Hell AC/DC Tribute
West Stage:
5:30pm The Dweebs
8:00pm Boss Hawg

 

 

Saturday, April 6

Main Stage:
11:00am Soul R Coaster
1:30pm GatorNate & the Gladezmen
4:00pm The Dweebs
6:30pm Big Daddy
8:30pm Uncle Kracker
West Stage:
11:00am Shot Gun Justice
1:30pm Renegade
4:00pm Kettle of Fish
6:30pm Whiskey Blind
8:30pm Wicked Jester

Sunday, April 7

Main Stage:
11:00am Steve Arvey
1:30pm The Dweebs
4:00pm The Boneshakers
West stage: 
11:00am Del Couch Foundation
1:30pm Gator Nate
4:00pm Big Daddy
Come on out to hear some great music and enjoy some incredible seafood!

 

Downtown Bradenton
Between 10th and 12th Street West
Bradenton, FL 34205
For a map Click Here

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