See Sarasota Like a Local | Sarasota FL | Travel Guide

[@Explorcation]

Hey everyone thanks so much for watching. If you haven't been to Sarasota, which stop in our video would you be most excited to visit? If you have been to Sarasota, did we make it to any of your favorite spots? Or are there any you would add to the list?

[@ikreate4u]

Hi. I live in Sarasota. I love Simon's Coffee House for great creative vegan and regular food options.

[@balto4]

Mote Marine Aquarium is great. Loved this vid though just thought I would mention it

[@Explorcation]

@@ikreate4u thanks so much for the suggestion :), we haven't been there before. Next time we are in town we will have to check it out!

[@Explorcation]

@@balto4 Thanks so much for watching. I am glad you mentioned Mote! We thought about going there when we filmed our Lido Key video but just didn't have time.

[@balto4]

@@Explorcation Yes so many places to visit in one area cant see everything for sure

[@steves281]

Thanks for focusing on fun instead of just beaches. It looks like you two had a great day!

[@Explorcation]

Our pleasure. We do love our beaches here, but you can only lay on the beach for so long!

[@sarahelizabeth9585]

your videos have helped me so much with planning my trip to Sarasota. I love watching all your videos. You guys are so little to watch it. Super helpful. Thank you :-)

[@Explorcation]

We're so happy to hear that our channel helped you plan your trip! Thanks for watching, Sarah!

[@christinag8740]

Thank you again for these great videos, I am subscribed. We liked when you came to Lakewood Ranch. Next time you come to Lakewood Ranch, Go to Gilly Girls which is next store to Suite case suites

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much Christina, we really appreciate your feedback and support 💗 we will have to check out Gilly Girls next time we visit LWR!

[@jeremybrunette6561]

I really appreciated your videos on the Sarasota area when I was planning my vacation. Der Dutchman was a huge hit with us, and we ended up eating there three times during our stay! Your beach guides were great too! I found the Lido Key video very helpful in planning our day there. Thanks for all the help!

[@Explorcation]

Der Dutchman is one of the things we miss most about Sarasota. We just stopped through a couple of weeks ago to grab on of their strawberry filled donuts. They only make them in February and they are so amazing! We're really glad to hear that our videos helped you to make the most of your time in Sarasota and we really appreciate the support!

[@claudiahansen4938]

Great video! We'll be there this August, and can't wait to try your faves. Especially JRs Old Packing House!

[@Explorcation]

Woohoo! You definitely will not want to skip JR's! Thanks for taking the time to comment, Claudia. We hope you have a great time in August!

[@claudiahansen4938]

@@Explorcation thank you! I'm getting a lot of inspiration from your videos. Can't wait! I am going to invite our friends who live near Bahia Vista to meet us at JRs, since I see that it's close by to them.

[@Explorcation]

@@claudiahansen4938 oh yea, Bahia Vista isn't far, enjoy your trip planning 😁

[@kenishiamcclain6262]

I just made it home from my vacation!! I love this place!!! I will definitely be back returning 🏖

[@Explorcation]

We are so glad you had a wonderful experience and hope you get to return soon😃 Thanks so much for watching!

[@ANTOINETTEATFUN]

This is another great video! Been to Sarasota once! Such a beautiful place and lots to do. Thank you for sharing

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much for watching, we are happy to hear you've been to the area. Did you have a fave spot in Sarasota?

[@aaronmartinburke]

Thanks Explorcation! We're hoping to move to somewhere in the Tampa area and are now in Sarasota vacationing. We've done of a lot of what you've recommended.

[@Explorcation]

That's so great to hear that you've tried out some of the spots from our videos. We hope that you enjoyed Sarasota as much as we always do. Thanks so much for watching and for taking the time to comment!

[@ramunegaizutis1286]

Beautiful SW Florida! My husband and I can't wait to get back there. Your videos are great! Thanks for sharing so many fantastic places to explore when we are finally able to visit again 🙂

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much for watching and for your comment :) We are thankful to be able to share so many places and things to do in the area. When you do get to plan a visit, is there an area that is on the top of your list?

[@LucasWorldTravel]

Great to see your old stomping ground. Love your picks that fish and chowder looked so good. I see why you called Sarasota home for so long!

[@Explorcation]

We had such a fun day going back to our fave spots - thanks so much for watching :)

[@JC-po6yj]

What a fantastic video of the lovely Sarasota.Nice breweries, delicious cuban food…Thanks guys!!!

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much for watching :) Even though we ended up moving to St Pete, we really enjoyed Sarasota too!

[@JC-po6yj]

@@Explorcation It is a very nice place. Btw did the city comission move the “Unconditional surrender” statue?

[@Explorcation]

@@JC-po6yj they did...but not very far at all. It is now located between Marina Jack's and O'Learys...so still in the same general area.

[@JC-po6yj]

@@Explorcation Cool! thanks for the update 👍🏻 That statue it’s so iconic.

[@castleofcostamesa8291]

What a fun video! I smiled the whole time. I subscribed! Thank you!

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much. We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!

[@BeingBedingfield]

Cupcakes for breakfast 🥰 nothing wrong with that! Der Dutchman looks really cool! Love the bay front park, must be so nice to walk around there. Lol, almost thought you’re going to skip the tiki bar 😂 The location of the market is so nice, interesting drink Jamie! Good timing with the storm, JR OPC looks like a great place to wait out a storm. Food looks amazing! Awesome brewery! And how cool are all those food trucks. Oooh, oysters!!! They look so delicious 🤤 BEER HERE! Craig’s dream 😅 looks like there are so many options! Sarasota seems like a great place to live!

[@Explorcation]

I just couldn't pass that cupcake up 😀 we don't get back to Der Dutchman very often! Skylar had me fooled, I really thought we were going to the market 😆 For being out all day with a tropical storm so close we really lucked out on the weather! Craig would have sooo many beers to try at Mandeville, I also like it because they usually have kombucha and mead available too 🍻🍷 Thanks so much for watching guys 💗

[@echale3]

Hey y'all, glad to see Sarasota being represented by you two. My wife and I recently discovered your channel and are now subscribers -- you two do a great job, the music is nice and stays in the background, you get the info across well, and the videography is good. My wife used to live in Sarasota, her sister lived in Dunedin, and my niece, her hubby, and our grand-nephew currently live over in Clearwater. When we got married last December we had our honeymoon staying on Lido Key, we found a little place a couple blocks south of St. Armand's Circle. O'leary's Tiki bar was tons of fun and the yachts in the marina are amazing. Maybe you two could do a segment on inshore fishing there as well as Walt's Fish Market? We had a great half-day charter with Rodbender's Fishing Charter. It was only $200 all included, and Captain Scott is great -- funny, friendly, and knows where the fish are. Plus, there's fossil shark tooth hunting on Caspersen and Venice beaches, which we found to be pretty relaxing. We already have a return trip booked and we are counting down until we go back!

[@Explorcation]

We're so happy to hear that you are enjoying our content! It sounds like you have a lot of connections to the area and have experienced quite a bit of what it has to offer! We've had Venice/Caspersen on our list of places to get to for a while now. The red tide caused us to put our beach content on hold for a while, but we are starting to get back out to the beaches now. Hopefully we'll make it down that way soon. We did a fishing charter about a year back and had a great time, and we'd definitely be down to do another one. Thanks for the recommendations!

[@NoBSEateries]

Bayfront Park looks beautiful. Love the little fairy door in the tree! Great spots! -S

[@Explorcation]

The park really is a great spot to get some exercise or just relax. We loved the fairy door too!

[@somethingelse823]

theres a bunch of those little fairy doors hidden all around downtown

[@TiaandAndy]

Love that you took us along like a local! We seriously need to visit at some point, there is seriously so many amazing places! Hahah hey, whats wrong with owning a yacht :P Always time for a quick stop at a tiki bar.

[@Explorcation]

Maybe that's the angle I need to approach Skylar with.... If we buy a yacht we can visit more tiki bars! 😂

[@TheAverageTourist]

Oh man I really want to visit Sarasota! Seems like there is a lot to see and do there and I really like all of the market options for fresh produce. The oysters at the end looked so tasty - my hubby hates seafood so we never really go anywhere that features it... except for fish and chips 😂

[@Explorcation]

Sarasota really is a wonderful place to visit, but we might be biased 😆 I can really only do cooked oysters, I had a raw one recently....I did eat it...but can't say I like it! They oysters at Monk's are realllly good. When you do visit Florida you will have plenty of options for places with seafood and other delicious entrees 😀

[@EnjoyLifeWithDevshi]

So nice

[@Explorcation]

Thank you Devshi!

[@exploreaswego]

Thanks for sharing Sarasota! The funny thing is I was having an argument with my sister about it because there is another place known as Saratoga which is in NYC. HAHA. Good times. Can you guys get us on one of those yachts? I'm sure that would be a great way to experience Sarasota. Love the farmers market! Flowers and soaps you can't go wrong!!! Loved your videos and enjoying all the food, especially the oysters! YUM!

[@Explorcation]

😆 I haven't been to Saratoga, but I am sure it is quite different from Sarasota! We are still working on our yacht connections 😂 we will let you when we've got one ready for you guys ;) Thanks so much for watching!

[@sierrawilson6632]

You guys do such a great job, I love all your videos! I'm curious what made you guys decide to relocate from Sarasota to ST. Pete?

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and for your continued support, Sierra! We just really fell in love with the downtown St. Pete area. We love how walkable/bikeable it is, and how we rarely have to deal with driving in stop and go traffic (Sarasota was getting pretty bad in that regard). We also were starting to get into rock climbing, and Sarasota has no climbing gym. So after a couple years of driving to St. Pete nearly every weekend, we just decided it was time to move. We loved our time living in Sarasota, but have never regretted the decision to move to St. Pete. Thanks for the question. Let us know if you have any more. We plan to do a Q&A video when we hit 10k subs (hopefully sooner than later), and are always looking for ideas for questions to answer in that video!

[@samanthamccormick1505]

Very nice couple

[@Explorcation]

Thank you for the kind comment, Samantha!

[@milu7025]

Another great video! Thank you very much!!! 😄 We are going to travel to Sarasota in June, how is the weather there?

[@Explorcation]

That's exciting! June is starting to get into the rainy season in Sarasota, which means it will likely be pretty hot (highs around 90) and pretty humid, with a scattered shower likely on most days. That said, the showers are usually brief and most days have plenty of sunshine. The water temperature should be really nice too.

[@milu7025]

@@Explorcation I think we will survive brief showers! 👍😜 Thank you very much for the answer! Ciao from Italy! 😀🇮🇹

[@Explorcation]

@@milu7025 yes, we're sure that you will survive 😆 Thanks so much for you support!

[@upploverabhi905]

Nice from India

[@Explorcation]

Thanks for watching

[@upploverabhi905]

@@Explorcation ok dear

[@upploverabhi905]

Bye bye 2021and2022 happy new year dear

[@AquariusTraveller]

There another tiki bar...LOL It seems everywhere you go to film, or any day your filming - There seems to be a storm rolling in. If this a common occurrence in the Florida areas? Nice to see where you guys live - I had to look it up and see exactly where and no wonder you have posted so much on St Pete's :) The butter cheese oysters looked pretty good - I love a good seafood joint, but matts not a big fan...LOL. But he would go for all the beers, although I've never seen him do a sample tray....Might have to give that a go next time. Thanks for sharing guys :)

[@Explorcation]

Tiki bars are EVERYWHERE around here 🍹😆 Currently we are in our rainy season, it is typical for there to be an afternoon shower everyday, but those are usually quick and roll out just as fast as they move in, but if there is a tropical storm or hurricane in the area then it can rain all day....so it is a bit tricky planning filming days during hurricane season. We really do love where we live, and enjoy being able to share our experiences with others. If you two make it over this way we will have to go out for some seafood and beer 🍻

[@AquariusTraveller]

@@Explorcation I think northern parts of Australia can be like that, but we don't get hurricanes. Here in Brisbane it can go months without rain but in the summer is can be overcast and rainy for weeks. You have yourself a date.... also take my to see the dugongs... Lol

[@Explorcation]

@@AquariusTraveller seafood, beer and dugongs ...sounds like a plan ;)

[@AquariusTraveller]

@@Explorcation lock it in !

[@TideKnotTravellers]

How about the budget for half a yacht? We’ll pay the other half and share! 🤩 Love that Skylar talked you into stopping for a quick drink 🍹 the market looked great though, you did well enduring the mid August heat. Great timing for lunch during the storm too!

[@Explorcation]

Umm...that yacht plan sounds like a great idea, let me talk with Skylar and get back with you 😆 Hahaha we were totally walking around the tiki bar to walk to the market when he just couldn't wait 🍹so glad the timing did work out with the storm. Thanks for watching guys!

[@TideKnotTravellers]

@@Explorcation 😂 you timed it all great!

[@Explorcation]

@@TideKnotTravellers sometimes things just work out like that :)

[@TideKnotTravellers]

14:24 that eagle had Skylar perfectly 🦅😂

[@Explorcation]

right? i was like DONT MOVE 😆

[@brantleymoore9670]

Y’all are a sweet couple . Me and my wife are coming to Sarasota soon from asheboro North Carolina . Hopefully in April . We wanna live at gulf gate apartments or Saratoga place . We are actually gonna come down in 2 weeks for a short weekend and look at these places and some others . Do you know anything about these two apartments ? Do you have any suggestions for good apartments ?

[@Explorcation]

Thanks for the kind comment! We've been in the Saratoga Place complex before but never inside one of the units. It seemed like a very nice place, and a very quiet neighborhood. We've never been in the Gulfgate Apartments either, but we love the Gulfgate neighborhood. It probably won't be as quiet as Saratoga Place, but you'll have so many cool businesses within walking distance. When we lived in Sarasota, we rented briefly in the Villagio Place condos which we really liked, and then we bought a house, so we unfortunately don't have any recommendations on apartments form personal experience. We hope you enjoy your time in Sarasota, and we're sure you'll love it there regardless of which complex you chose!

[@DS-go8mn]

Lived here 20 years, everyone I know has at least one rental house. They are making tons of money. Way better than the stock market!

[@Explorcation]

I believe it. Real Estate can be a great investment, especially at times like these when housing prices and rents are at record highs. Thanks for watching!

[@jadeheart911]

Life is short ! ...eat that cupcake for breakfast if thats what you want ! ..lol !!!

[@Explorcation]

That is a great point. Thanks for supporting my cupcake breakfast 💗😆

[@MariaGarza-ws3we]

What about by Bee Ridge?

[@Explorcation]

We'll have to get try to make it back to Sarasota someday to show more of the things to do further to the south! Thanks for watching.

[@brookD1980]

Great video! I grew up from birth to age 26 going to St. Pete Pass a Grille area 3-4 times a year from Kentucky. My husband and I are 41 and i havent been in years. We have a trip booked for January to St Pete. Are you all from Florida? I wondered what it was like actually living in St. Petersburg. I almost moved in my early 20's but decided against it.

[@Explorcation]

That's great to hear that you two will be making it down here in January! We both grew up in the midwest, but have been in Florida for over 8 years now.... 6 in Sarasota and 2 in St. Pete. We love both cities, and have no plans on leaving St Pete any time soon.

[@MrDogStream]

i am confused,…. do you guys live in st pete or Sarasota?

[@Explorcation]

We are currently in St Pete but when we initially moved to Florida we moved to Sarasota and lived there for 7 years.

[@JERios-wv8lx]

@@Explorcation Why did you leave Sarasita, if you like it so much?

[@Explorcation]

@@JERios-wv8lxgood question. We got really into rock climbing and Sarasota had no climbing gym. Where we live now (St Pete) has a great climbing gym plus great beaches and entertainment options similar to Sarasota.

[@veronicacastaneda4088]

Can you help me any recommendations what hotel close to st amm circle shopping and eating thank you 😊

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much for watching, Veronica. We live close to Sarasota so we've only done day trips, and unfortunately we can't recommend any lodging from experience. We hope in the future that we get a chance to stay at more hotels and resorts in the area so that we can provide good recommendations to our viewers. We hope you find a great place to stay and have a wonderful time!

[@stpetefl]

Video on St Pete Sunrunner next? 😁

[@Explorcation]

It's definitely coming, John!

[@shawnaustin8957]

👍👍

[@Explorcation]

Thanks for watching!

[@crazytravels3202]

Hello new friend 👋🤩

[@Explorcation]

Hi! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your support :)

[@kathyhicks810]

Where should we stay in Sarasota? Would love to spend a vacation there

[@Explorcation]

Are you looking to stay close to downtown, Lido, Siesta, or somewhere else? What are your priorities? (Being close to the beach, close to shopping, close to airport, in a walkable area)? If you can provide a little more information we can try to give you a good recommendation 🙂

[@kathyhicks810]

@@Explorcation I want close to the beach. We are retired and active. All adult would be a hope, but not deal breaker. Thanks

[@Explorcation]

@@kathyhicks810 I am not aware of adult only in that area, but I think there are some great options. We do not have personal experience staying but I would recommend looking into The Resort at Longboat Key Club - we've driven by many times and it looks very nice. It is on the beach and also on a huge property with lots to do. The Westin in Downtown Sarasota is just across the Bay (so not far from the beach) and has a great rooftop bar and within walking distance of the John Ringling Bridge to Lido. Limetree Beach Resort is on Lido on the beach and is close to a park that is known for kayaking. Sorry we don't have more experience staying in the area, but we hope these are helpful!

[@kathyhicks810]

@@Explorcation Those sounds like great ideas! Thank you.

[@Explorcation]

@@kathyhicks810 YW :) we hope you find the perfect place to stay for your trip.

[@YvonneTheArtist]

I'm in Sarasota now... drove from NM. Many have warned me about the red tide making me want to drive east (hotel stays are out though so...). Question: The Amish eat SUGAR..??

[@Explorcation]

We hope you are enjoying Sarasota as much as we always do! Red tide is generally very minimal (if any) this time of year, so I don't think it's likely to be a problem for you. And yes, the Amish definitely eat sugar, at least the ones around here. Thanks so much for watching, Yvonne.

[@YvonneTheArtist]

@@Explorcation I need a place to live YEAR-ROUND. On pure faith, I think I'm headed east. Many on the FB Sth Fl water protection site responded to my question about which coast...

[@Explorcation]

@@YvonneTheArtist glad to hear you received some responses. We hope you found a place :)

[@tri-healthycbd1446]

Where can I get the best burger in town?

[@Explorcation]

Our vote goes to Shakespeare's English Pub. We order either the Carmelized Onion and Brie or the Cheddar Bacon Horseradish Burger. Amazing.

[@TheDward123]

I was hoping this video would include more than just where to eat and drink.

[@Explorcation]

Sorry to hear it did not live up to your expectations, Dward.

[@tessabergamot6961]

How many beers can you have in Florida and take to the wheels after? :)

[@Explorcation]

That would depend entirely upon the strength of the beer, the size of the person, and the length of time over which the beers are consumed.

[@tessabergamot6961]

@@Explorcation haha was only kidding, of course! Also, wondering if you guys have any insights on which cities/neighborhoods are good for artsy/design type of people. So, lots of thrifts/goodwills/flea/vintage/antique markets etc. Very specific I know, but looking to move to an area with these options available. Thanks for all your work!

[@skylarwayne5184]

@@tessabergamot6961 ahh gotcha... sorry for the overly serious response 😅. Bradenton has the Village of the arts which is great. Gulfport and Safety Harbor are both very artsy communities as well. And then of course St Pete if you want a bit of a bigger city vibe!

[@Explorcation]

@@tessabergamot6961 🍻😁 hmm there are a few areas that come to mind Downtown and the Warehouse Arts District are known for being artsy, as well as Gulfport. As far as thrifts/goodwills/etc I know there are options throughout the city, but am not really sure if there is a specific area of town to recommend. I hope that is a little helpful!

[@anthonyvalenti9093]

Wow! The booze and food tour. It would be nice if Florida had a real high speed rail system to visit these nice cities instead of driving. A train takes around 8 to 9 hours. Yuk. You can drive it in 4 to 5. I guess we are just too busy sending billions to Ukraine. From Jacksonville, Florida

[@Explorcation]

We agree 100% on the rail system. It will be interesting to try out the Brightline route from Miami to Orlando when it's completed. Hopefully it ends up getting extended over to us in Tampa Bay and up to you in Jacksonville!

[@deanstein3093]

Sarasota is nothing like Hallandale Beach its nothing to really do that's why left.

[@Explorcation]

Things definitely move a little slower in Sarasota than in the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area! Thanks for watching, Dean.

[@vipersaim]

See Sarasota like a local? You mean hanging out at my house and watching KZbin? I've been here most of my life, and that's pretty much all I do. lol It's one of those weird things I guess, like I know I live in paradise, and we've got the most amazing beaches in the world... But... meh. I never go. I wish I could see Sarasota like a tourist.

[@Explorcation]

Yeah, we have found that many locals tend not to get out and enjoy the things that are right in their own back yard. Hopefully our videos can inspire locals to get out and explore too. But if you want to explore Sarasota like a tourist, you can check out our Siesta Key or Lido Key videos! Thanks for watching, Jordan.

[@ChiVegas2011]

See Sarasota like a "local". How are y'all's livers doing after this day? 😂

[@Explorcation]

Not too bad... we've had a couple years to recover! 😂

[@ChiVegas2011]

@@Explorcation 🤣🤣

[@AquariusTraveller]

hang on a second - Bacon on a donut ? What the?

[@Explorcation]

It is soooo good! If you ever get a chance to try one we would definitely recommend it 😃

[@AquariusTraveller]

@@Explorcation Haha.....I'll believe u 🤣🤣

[@Z-A_JOY]

so you started your day with sugar and fat after alcohol cocktails which contain more sugar lol just it's not my way to enjoy life I felt stress to watch how much sugar you can take and I am surprised if you don't feel fatigue and dizziness ...

[@Explorcation]

Yeah, definitely not our healthiest day of eating 😆 and we definitely did get tired (but we also walked a few miles). We're happy to report no dizziness though! Thanks for watching!

[@MsLaziesArse]

Thnak You!! This video is very helpful because we're coming to visit ^^

[@Explorcation]

We're so happy to hear that our video helped you plan your visit, Kim. We hope you have a great time in Sarasota!