Lakewood Ranch | The ULTIMATE City Guide | Sarasota County, Florida

[@garyhynick2066]

I'm from iowa & I'm the guy in the orange shirt at the bar @ Good Liquid. My friend lives in Lakewood Ranch & I was down for a visit when you came in. I knew who you were because, my wife & I watched your episode about cheap eats in Siesta Key. My wife loved the smoke salmon @ that breakfast place. Love your channel!

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much for reaching out, Gary! Your friend sure took you to a good spot. We were really impressed with the food and the beers at that place! It's so cool when we run into people who have seen the channel, especially those from out of state... and from my (Skylar's) home state of Iowa! Next time you see us make sure to say hi!

[@chrispham7064]

This looks like so much fun. Oh my goodness grill cheese sandwich looked so good. Thanks for sharing this video. Look forward to your next video. Have a wonderful weekend you guys.

[@Explorcation]

Thanks for watching Chris! I can confirm the sandwich was delicious. We hope you are well and enjoying your weekend too 💗

[@TheWrightLifeTravelChannel]

Those obstacle courses looked crazy! Thanks for sharing!

[@Explorcation]

They are quite challenging and certainly a good way to overcome a fear of heights!

[@CrystalNouveauC]

Love you videos! They're both fun and informative. I'm seriously thinking of moving to Sarasota and really like the LWR area. Are there any other areas you guys recommend I should check out? I'm in my early 40s, single with no kids and currently live in Miami but I'm ready for a change and slower paced life 😅

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much! Yeah the LWR area is a great starting point. It's nice, new, pretty safe, and not too far from Sarasota or St. Pete! We honestly wouldn't even know where to begin with recommendations on areas to check out without knowing more about you, but we loved our time living in Sarasota and downtown St Pete. We are currently in Palmetto (right between the two), and we love the location and how quiet it is compared to downtown St. Pete.

[@PrimeTimeTravelers]

Wow that area has changed. Our wedding party stayed in hotel there in 2007 before we got married the next day on Longboat Key beach.

[@Explorcation]

It really has grown and changed so much over the last several years. Do you guys have any plans to get back to Longboat Key anytime soon?

[@PrimeTimeTravelers]

@@Explorcation we usually head that way every few years. We are trying to vlog all the Florida State Parks (there are 175!) So we have to head that way at some point but we know Jupiter area is calling us soon!!! Stay tuned!

[@Explorcation]

@@PrimeTimeTravelers wow I didn't realize there were so many, that is quite the goal, but you guys can do it 😁

[@PrimeTimeTravelers]

@@Explorcation Yeah we are planning to do a few more this month too in Jupiter area. We enjoy them and hope they help others out.

[@gmpny3945]

Thank you for sharing another enjoyable video. I especially enjoyed the candy segment. Growing up in a Greek household I quickly developed a sweet tooth and along with the traditional pastries I grew up eating lots of Russian and Ukrainian chocolates. Skyler is a brave man eating the scorpion.

[@Explorcation]

We'd never seen a candy store like that before and had so much fun browsing through everything. The scorpion was dry and relatively flavorful. Not terrible, but far from good 😆

[@billyc3757]

I must know, Jamie did you spit out the chalk candy? Hahahaha! My money is on yes.

[@Explorcation]

😆it sure didn't look like I was enjoying it! I did actually eat it 😄

[@OurTravelPlace]

Looked like a great day, even if the weather was a bit hit and miss. I bet that mint shampoo bar really wakes you up 🙂 Yeaahh love that crunchie was the number one selling bar (they are pretty great tbf). Curious to see what you think of that one (I kind of want to pop out and get one now!)

[@Explorcation]

It really was a good day. We have learned to embrace the rain in Florida 😆 We finally tried the Crunchie Bar this weekend, and it was good! It was actually crunchier than I expected. Since it is described as a honeycomb center I thought it may be a little bit softer. I would have another for sure!

[@BeingBedingfield]

Your breakfast spot looked amazing! We’d definitely love to go to Treeumph! Brussel sprouts?! 😅 would definitely never have thought to order it, but it actually looks pretty good! So cute to see turtles from the restaurant 😍 The ice cream looked really delicious , glad that you still felt good after having it. Yay for shopping 🤗 Lol, I just had a Crunchie yesterday 😅 Ah no, can’t believe Skylar ate a scorpion 🙈😂 Really like the architecture at the plaza…and your Thai food looks delicious!

[@Explorcation]

Brussel sprouts are one of the few foods I (Skylar) refused to eat as a kid, but now I love them. Especially when they are fried and covered in a delicious cheese sauce! I just heard that crunchies are really popular in Australia too. I wonder why you don't see them any where in the US. I feel like we've been unjustifiably cheated out of crunchies our whole lives 😂

[@AquariusTraveller]

Nope sorry - You can keep your Brussel sprouts to yourself HAHA - About the only things I don't like..LOL. But OMG Skylar, I love the scorpion tester. I tried one once around Monument valley, but it was solidified inside a candy and probably easier that what you did...But the chaser was a good option too LOL The Treeumph place looks exactly like a place near us, we did it ages ago and I was so sore after HAHa, but it was a lot of fun and got us out of the house. I think I will go back again one day But need to hit up the weights a few times before LOL Do crunchies come from the UK...never knew that - We have them everywhere here and I actually though they were Australian. Go figure and we have so many things to same as the UK. Love the End - Enough recording - Lets eat!

[@Explorcation]

I (Skylar) despised brussels sprouts as a kid, but now I love them (at least when they are fried and covered in fondue)! The scorpion was basically flavorless, but the texture was quite strange, so I was definitely glad to have the candy chaser! We've been hearing from people all over the world that they have crunchies... it seems like the US is the only place that doesn't have them. So strange! We did finally try our crunchy the other day and enjoyed it quite a bit. We definitely could have got more (and probably better) shots of that food at the end, but I was starving 😂 We would love to try the obstacle course in your area (or any other tree-top course). We pretty much have figured out how to do all the obstacles at our local one, so having some new ones to figure out would be a fun challenge!

[@AquariusTraveller]

@@Explorcation I have not tried Brussel Sprout again, Scarred as a child and just can't get there. But I suppose if they were served to me at a friends dinner, I might try...LOL We use to make our own Crunchies as a kid.... so easy to make. If your ever around here, I'll take you to the Tree Top coarse I know of :)

[@Explorcation]

@@AquariusTraveller well, if you every find yourself in a brussel sprout situation...you will have to tell us what you think of them 😆 We would absolutely love to go the tree top course!

[@stuartwood5571]

No one ever talks about the healthcare facilities and quality of doctors and hospitals in the area. Important stuff to older retirees.

[@Explorcation]

Good point Stuart. We're not really sure what the best way to research this would be, but it's something we'll keep in mind when making videos like this in the future. Thanks for watching.

[@BrianBrick-uo3xi]

Scorpion 🦂 kandy 💚🐍🎸🌙⭐️🌊🇯🇪

[@Explorcation]

Eating that scorpion was quite the experience for sure! 😆

[@LJSW-rp6xm]

How did you find the Crunchie? Being from England I’m quite perplexed that it’s the number one seller there? 😂

[@Explorcation]

This shop was the only place we've ever seen one. But apparently, there is a pretty large European population in the Lakewood Ranch area, and they all come to Suitcase Suites to get their Crunchie fix!

[@Explorcation]

Alright, we want to know...would you be most excited about the sweets like Jamie..or the scorpion like Skylar?! Thanks so much for exploring Lakewood Ranch with us. If there are other places you would recommend leave them in the comments! And if you want to know more about any of our stops in this episode check out the video description for all of the business websites. If you are looking for an adventure nearby then make sure to check out our TreeUmph episode here kzbin.info/www/bejne/roOtXnt4iNh3r9k

[@rhondalyn100]

Another fun road trip from downtown St. Pete! I always appreciate you putting the cost of your dining and fun adventures on the screen. Excellent show, as always...your filming, narration and editing skills are Top Notch, guys! 🙂

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much Rhonda 💗🙏it does take some extra work to include the prices, but we are finding that many people do appreciate it. Feedback like yours helps us to make decisions about our filming/editing to continue to improve our content :)

[@Tom007Tiger]

If your ever on Main Street go to station 400 for breakfast or brunch they are always consistent, amazing food and the staff is awesome I’ve never waited long for my food and it’s never been wrong

[@Explorcation]

Thanks for the recommendation. We will try to check it out next time we're in Lakewood Ranch!

[@jimmybrownett5983]

🚶🏃🚶🏃🚶🏃🚶🏃🚶🏃🚶🏃🚴🚴🚩

[@ElizabethLavandera]

I don't see any golf carts anywhere. Is this not a golf cart community?

[@Explorcation]

Lakewood Ranch is pretty big. There are definitely some areas that you can drive gulf carts all over, but we didn't see a whole lot in the places we visited.

[@caymanchristopher7014]

Love the Granary! Get there early or be prepared to wait. It’s worth it though.

[@Explorcation]

We sure understand why people love it. And yeah, if we would have arrived just 20 minutes later we would have likely been waiting for a table.

[@LucasWorldTravel]

I love the idea of a store filled with candy from around the world. How nice to taste exotic flavors without leaving your home town. Your breakfast sandwich and coffees looked particularly delicious as well. As always, great finds guys!

[@Explorcation]

The candy shop really is quite the unique experience, and one we weren't expecting to find in Lakewood Ranch.

[@christinag8740]

Thank you, so much. A up to date video about Lakewood Ranch, We always have people asking us about were We live.

[@Explorcation]

Our pleasure :) thank you so much for watching and commenting. We always enjoy our day trips to Lakewood Ranch. We were surprised to see how much there really is to do there!

[@genehinders9639]

Chocolate over Scorpions any day!! How about a Chocolate covered Scorpion?

[@Explorcation]

While I don't particularly enjoy chocolate, I will say that the scorpion would have tasted much better covered in it 😂

[@genehinders9639]

@@Explorcation ... not sure I'd partake in it either way🤯

[@billyyandle1947]

I would fly down there for that breakfast sandwich, that looked incredible!

[@Explorcation]

It was soooo good 😀 thanks so much for watching Billy!

[@caymanchristopher7014]

It’s that good, but their pancakes are awesome too!

[@Explorcation]

@@caymanchristopher7014 now we are going to have to go back to try the pancakes 😆

[@shelleycharlesworth5177]

How far is nearest hospital?

[@Explorcation]

Lakewood Ranch Medical Center is only about 2 mins from Main St.

[@RKiersted]

great editing. nicely composed

[@Explorcation]

Thank you very much for the kind and encouraging comment!

[@Unique2U05]

Was this filmed before or after Ian??

[@Explorcation]

Before... by about a week or so.

[@BobCarlson]

Funny how you are always just a few months ahead of my adventures. I’ve already viewed 20+ videos on this area but mostly real estate sales. You really capture the essence of places the way I enjoy when visiting in person. And now that my cousin just relocated there I can’t wait to head on over. And yes I would eat all those candies and scorpion. Mostly just to freak out the girl friend.

[@Explorcation]

Hi Bob, thank you so much for the kind feedback, we also found there to be sooo many real estate videos for Lakewood Ranch! Let us know about your experience when you have some time to visit your cousin. We are excited to spend more time in the Waterside Place area when the weather is nicer. One of our fave musicians started playing there recently so it is also a good spot for live music too!

[@TheAverageTourist]

My husband would have been in heaven at the world of candy. I'd probably go for the sweets over a scorpion... we have crunchie bars here and they make your molars stick together lol. The treetop adventure looked fun - lots to do in the area!

[@Explorcation]

We've had people from all over the world telling us about how they have crunchy bars where they live. It's starting to seem like the US is the only place that doesn't have crunchy bars. It's really strange! I can definitely understand how they could make your molars stick together though!

[@ScullyPop]

Lakewood Ranch! Very cool!

[@Explorcation]

Thanks for watching 🙏💗 we hope you are doing well!

[@justincarey7143]

Do you guys do anything else but eat?

[@Explorcation]

Yes, we drink as well 😆Thanks for watching!

[@reginathornton7433]

Just don't eat real bugs. They have a bug in them that can't be killed.

[@Explorcation]

Thanks for the tip, Regina!

[@reginathornton7433]

@@Explorcation I lost the video my brother sent me from KZbin, but this guy called the bugs chittons or something like that. He said all bugs are dangerous to eat, even when cooked. Oil of Oregano drops at Rollin Oats on MLK Jr in St Petersburg kills bugs, bacteria, fungus & viruses in our gut. I keep it on hand. My sons here in St Petersburg use it for a sore throat, headache, cough & for any flu instead of prescriptions. Knocks out migraines in 5 minutes under my tongue.

[@Explorcation]

@@reginathornton7433 sounds like maybe we need to get some Oil of Oregano!

[@Soyyanelis]

😆🦂🙅🏾‍♀️🤗

[@Explorcation]

😆 thanks so much for watching!

[@briansounalath]

She’s the youngest person to ever live there

[@shawnaustin8957]

👍👍

[@Explorcation]

Thanks Shawn!

[@cj7767]

I love you guys

[@Explorcation]

💗💗💗 thanks so much for your support!

[@mariagiselerezende4323]

Hello ! Thank you for de informations about Tampa Bay Area. We are going to spend Christmas in Sarasota; what do you recomend to do on 25th December ? Because everything will be closed...

[@Explorcation]

So sorry that we are just now seeing this comment, Maria. We hope you found something fun to do in Sarasota on Christmas and enjoyed your time here in Florida. Thanks so much for watching our channel!

[@hart316]

#Jealous!

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@lindamcmahon517]

Thanks!

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much for watching and for your generosity 🙏💗both help us to continue to create content here in Florida and beyond

[@briansounalath]

She’s beautiful. Hi

[@ryanladendorf1678]

Looks like a fun place to visit. Thank you for sharing.

[@Explorcation]

We agree, I think Lakewood Ranch is often overlooked since it isn't right on the coast. It is super nice and worth a visit in our opinion. Thanks so much for watching 💗

[@HyperXism]

We live in Parrish - just down the street from Lakewood ranch. You have just given us some good eating ideas...

[@Explorcation]

We're so happy to hear that you've found our video to be helpful. Thanks so much for watching and for taking the time to comment!

[@trustinyeshua5966]

Where are the people?

[@Explorcation]

We try to go to places when they aren't too busy so we don't have as many people in the shots. But this day was likely less busy than normal because of the storms rainy weather most of the day.

[@stevewalther2293]

They are inside watching Netflix with the AirConditioner running...

[@tammywinter6608]

Always looking for new places to take my grandkids and obstacle/zipline looked like fun. Ice cream and candy after. Perfect. Another great video, love your taste in eats and entertainment and how you deal with the weather. You never let it spoil your fun. Looking forward to where you go next.

[@Explorcation]

Hi Tammy, thanks so much for watching and for your comment. You are right, LWR could be a great day trip for kids...✔adventure...✔ice cream....✔candy...what more could they want 😆 As far as the weather, we always try to be grateful to live in Florida where we don't have to deal with snow and ice. If that means we have to deal with the rain from time to time...we will take it 😀

[@cristianMoon24]

Wow lake wood ranch has so many unique stores and small businesses love all the town centers. I wish Riverview had things like this

[@Explorcation]

It really does have some pretty amazing things to offer, Christian. It's a very well planned-out community. Thanks so much for watching and for taking the time to comment!

[@stevewalther2293]

Wow...Bars and Restaurants...manufactured town...

[@Explorcation]

Yeah basically, and many people love it.

[@krissypoof]

I love Lakewood Ranch it's very peaceful and beautiful ❤️

[@Explorcation]

We agree 100%, Krissy. Thanks so much for watching and for taking the time to comment.

[@reginathornton7433]

Have seen Realtors advertising new housing in Lakewood Ranch. What a DELIGHTFUL community! Thank you for sharing 😁👍❤

[@Explorcation]

It does seem like there is a lot of realtor advertising for this community! I knew LWR was growing, but I honestly didn't realizing how many different communities there are now. Thanks so much for watching :)

[@reginathornton7433]

@@Explorcation i saw commercials on TV too. I think on Bay News 9. A beautiful community.

[@ramunegaizutis1286]

Dream community for my husband and I! These Canadians would love a home in this area! Thank you for for the video!

[@Explorcation]

You are so welcome, Ramune. We definitely understand why so many people dream of moving here!

[@ralphalberti6851]

I moved to Lakewood Ranch from New York and have never looked back. It's a wonderful place to live.

[@Explorcation]

@@ralphalberti6851 we are so glad to hear you enjoy living in LWR!

[@judyarmstrong397]

I'm vegan so watching you eat a scorpion was disgusting. I like that you let us know that there is vegan ice-cream available but it would be great for you to try it and let us vegans know how the ice-cream is.

[@Explorcation]

Lol Im sure many non vegans also found it to be disgusting. We do try vegan things on our channel on occasion. Sometimes we actually even like the vegan version of things better than the original.

[@dianedionisio1250]

People all around the world eat and do things differently than you. Take what you like to see and leave the rest. The world isnt catered to your preferences

[@judyarmstrong397]

@@dianedionisio1250 I will not be watching any more or your videos