Right?! When we moved to Florida we visited quite a few amazing beaches, but Longboat ended up being one of our faves. It is such a peaceful place. Even though it takes a little longer to access and there are no amenities, we think it is worth it too!
Well we did do a Siesta Key video as well, but don't disagree that Longboat is better in many ways. Lucky for you, our channel doesn't have that many viewers yet, so I think Longboat will continue to remain a secret for a while 😆. Thanks so much for watching!
Those of us on Longboat enjoy our "empty" beaches. We enjoy not being slammed with people that trash places, have no respect for others and think everything is about them. Every place doesn't need to have people crawling all over it at capacity 24/7.
Your point of view is totally understandable. We don't want Longboat to turn into another super touristy beach town either. There are enough of those around already. We don't think the type of disrespectful tourist you mention generally has much interest in a place like Longboat, and we doubt that will change any time soon. The island is not set up to attract/accommodate a huge amount of tourists, and we hope it stays that way. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
You guys are killing it with the Florida content and recommendations. You've basically planned an entire vacation's worth of activities if I follow your videos! 👌 That water looked so refreshing and such a pretty colour. My hubby is all about the ice cream stops so that ice cream flight would be a definite must try for him. It's been so long since there has been live music anywhere here, seems like a great vibe and yummy food! What a great day!
Thanks so much :) and it seems crazy that so far we haven't ventured too far from our city. There are sooo many more areas in Florida with great options too! I hope the live music in your area returns soon, we sure missed it during the pandemic too.
My wife and I are sitting in the Turtle Cafe Bar having breakfast as I write this comment. The owner said many customers have stopped in and mentioned watching this RU-vid video. Thank you again for the great content.
That's so great to hear, Bill! We are always curious about what impact, if any, our videos have on the businesses that we showcase. It sure is good to know that we are driving some business their way! Thanks so much for your support!
That opening shot of the water... everything in this video looked like bliss! Loved that the grill had boats hanging from the ceiling! And an icecream flight sounds perfect 😄 It was nice to hear about your favourite local musician too 🙂
And another banger! You two drop some of the most amazing and detailed Florida “explorcation” videos around. Keep up the great work. Love it as usual. LLWAV!!
Wow! The beaches are so cool. It’s like you are in somewhere in the middle of Hawaiian island! There are so many things to do here! Thanks for showing us all the beautiful things that FL has to offer!
LOL sorry, Jason. We had always heard amazing things about the Dry Dock's seafood. The prices were a little outside of our budget unfortunately, but we were more than happy to enjoy our burger and chicken sandwich while taking in those views!
Hello fellow Floridians! We love exploring our state and beyond. Looks like you have some great videos for us to check out as we look for new places to explore. We live on the east coast of Florida and have yet to make it over to the Gulf side when the water has been that blue. We're going to have to keep trying!
Hello and thanks so much for watching! It really is hard to match the beauty of Longboat Key beaches from our experience. We hope you can make it over sometime to experience them for yourselves. We have plans to do some more exploring of your side of the state in the future, but for now, we just keep finding new things to do around here. There sure is no shortage of activities to keep you busy here in Florida!
Wooow, this place is picture perfect 🥰 the water...the sand...just stunning 💙 So jealous of you guys swimming in that beautiful water 🙈😅 Ooh, that ice cream looks delicious! All your food looked amazing!
Thanks so much guys :) Longboat has been one of our favorite islands to visit ever since we moved to Florida, we sure think it is special ❤ I am so glad the water was calm that day because it was HOT and I wouldn't have survived out in the sun much longer without cooling down 😆
Its because they have very limited eating and drinking spots. Its more for the residents. How lucky they are to have all this unspoiled beach, quiet and clean is so important.
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. We certainly are respectful visitors and always hope that the majority of people who watch our videos are as well, but of course there will always be exceptions. Having now lived in Florida for over 11 years, we find ourselves discouraged by the ever increasing amount of residents and tourists as well as the more crowded beaches. But we always try to remember that we were once tourists as well who, and we relied greatly on travel blogs and vlogs like ours to find some of the spots that we enjoy today. Thankfully I doubt our video had to much impact on the amount of people visiting Longboat, and we have no intentions on making more Longboat content anytime soon :)
Sarasota locals keep telling me to go east or north to avoid the red tide and new issue(?) but you guys never seem to encounter these things. Even my mom in Deerfield Beach (east coast) said that people don't swim in the summer because of the algae bloom (and it's supposed to be better on the east coast).
Red tide should not be an issue now unless you are highly sensitive. This time of year the gulf waters cool down significantly and the amount of red tide (if any) is quite low. We hope you enjoy your time in the Sarasota area. Their beaches are hard to beat. This last summer (2021) was really bad for red tide, and it's true that for a good part of it swimming would have not been advised. That said, more often than not the Sarasota area beaches have been fine to swim at even during the summer. We are all hoping that last summer's high red tide levels are not the new normal.
You two are awesome thank you so much for the video’s and info. We went to siesta key Beach the last week of October and first week of November 2023. We absolutely loved it but not before watching your reviews on the very place we went again thank you very much for all your hard work. Don &Gin WV
Thank you so much for watching our channel and for taking the time to comment! Even though we live in St. Pete now, we still go back down to Siesta and Longboat at least 2-3 times a year. They're a bit further of a drive now, but ALWAYS worth it!
I work here, and there is no "off season" this year. Be prepared to sit in traffic on the LBK bridge. But it truly is paradise. I sometimes almost pinch myself that I get paid to work in paradise lol
Yes, it was filmed in early June. The beaches are definitely a lot more crowded during Spring break, although I don't suspect that Longboat gets too much of a Spring break crowd.
You got lucky you didn’t catch the red tide. People down here got tired of the ever occurring red tide which makes people sick, that’s why it’s deserted 🤷🏼♂️
Thanks so much for exploring Longboat Key with us. If you enjoyed this video make sure to give it a thumbs up and let us know in the comments. If you have any questions about visiting Longboat you can also leave them in the comments. If you are interested in exploring more beach towns in the greater Tampa Bay area check out our Best Beaches of Florida Playlist here: ru-vid.com/group/PLOT_jgQ5dAKzvBN1bjx7NQYqme_8vKSBF
Thanks so much for your simple, but informational clip. I will definitely check out your other clips and refer your channel to my friends. Thanks again!
We got married on Longboat Key on the beach in 2007! We LOVE it there!!! So many memories. At the 3495 Gulf of Mexico Dr Address. Right at the bottom of that boardwalk entrance to beach.
It's extremely rare for there to be alligator to be in the gulf, as they are fresh water animals. So definitely not because of alligators. Sharks on the other hand are in the waters and almost every Florida beach, but I've never hear of any attacks on Longboat or any reason to believe they have more sharks than any of the other beaches around here. Thanks for watching.
Hi Keilly. It seems to be pretty hit or miss in our area right now. At the moment northern Longboat Key is rated "medium" for red tide, while the Sarasota beaches are "high". The best thing can do is to track the "Daily Sample Map" which is linked to on this website: myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide/
Thank you! Longboats accesses are small and a bit tricky to find, so we figured it would be a nice thing to point out on this video. We're glad you appreciate it!
Omg the turtle at the turtle coffee bar is so cute. That breakfast pizza looks delicious. Can't believe how empty the beach is, the sand and water look absolutely amazing. Damn, that fisherman caught a big one, that's so awesome. Love that there's so many different beach access areas, and looks like the beaches are pretty empty along the way too. Lunch looks delicious, we can see why it was a busy restaurant. WHATTTTT no brewery?!? Fine I guess we will settle for ice cream haha. Really looks like you guys had an amazing day!
I just found you guys. I LOVE that you give the pros and cons of areas. I always need to know if a place is accessible and has amenities and good places to eat and quiet spots to enjoy the beach that aren't just touristy. We live in Central Florida and now I want to plan my visit based on some of your explorations. TY!
Thank you so much for the kind comments, Cathy. We really try to to include useful tips and information to help people make the most of their trips to our area. We're so glad to here that you found this video to be helpful and have motivated you to check out our beautiful area of Florida!
We totally understand why. We think it would be a great fit for us to live in our later years as well. For now, we love visiting for a week each year. Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment!
@@dbedazzling1 so sorry to hear red tide affected your visit, it is very bad right now :( I hope you were able to find some fun things to do away from the beach during your stay!
The turtle coffee bar was so sweet complete with a hungry little turtle 🐢😍 The white sandy beach looks incredible! The colours in this video are actually dreamy. What a great lunch spot, food and views looked incredible worth the 30 minute wait.
Thanks guys! 🐢❤ that turtle was sooo tiny and cute. We were actually really lucky on our trip, normally we get at least a rain shower during the day but every day ended up being bright and sunny alll day (making it great for filming the color of the water)
Love your videos. I learn so much about different spots here in Florida. This is absolutely beautiful, I think I’ll head out there this weekend with the family. I love these beaches where it’s not overrun by people. Sometimes It’s nice to be in the mix of it all but I love just love It when it’s us and a hand full of others around. I see there is a boat ramp about 5 miles away, should be a nice place to launch the jet ski. Do you know if we would be allowed to ride a ski up to the beach?
We here you Brian. Sometimes we enjoy a beach with more of a high energy/party vibe, but more often than not we just want to chill out. As far as the jet skis, you won't find any jet ski rental places on Longboat, but we're fairly sure that they cannot prevent you from riding them up the beach. We have definitely seen jet-skiers doing just that while out on Longboat. We hope you all have a great time on the island!
Psalm 25:14 New King James Version The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant. 2 Samuel 14:17 New King James Version Your maidservant said, ‘The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in discerning good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.’ ” Genesis 22:13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. Romans 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Exodus 20:13 New King James Version 13 “You shall not murder. Matthew 4:4 New King James Version But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Romans 4:4 New King James Version Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. Ephesians 6:13 New King James Version 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. James 2:13 New King James Version 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Psalm 56:5-7 All day they twist my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They gather together, They hide, they mark my steps, When they lie in wait for my life. 7 Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God! Revelation 18:20-24 NKJV 20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!” Finality of Babylon’s Fall 21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. 22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. 23 The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by YOUR SORCERY all the nations were deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.” Deuteronomy 30:7 NKJV 7 “Also the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. Luke 21:26 NKJV men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:7 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. Psalms 69:12 Those who sit in the gate speak against me, And I am the song of the drunkards. 1 Samuel 16:18 Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.” 2 Corinthians 4:16 New King James Version Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. John 14:12 NKJV “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. John 11:25-26 New King James Version 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Psalm 16:10 NKJV For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Psalm 104:32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke. John 11:25-26 New King James Version 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Sorry Cole. If it helps any, our channel is still pretty small and not many people watch it, so hopefully Longboat will remain mostly a secret for a while longer!
I love watching all of your videos! I really appreciate the clean language you use. Thank you 😊 Will you be making videos in other parts of Florida? I’d love to see other spots to visit. Side note, if you’re still struggling with sciatic pain have a chiropractor massage your piriformis muscle. It will literally take the pain away!
We're so happy to hear you are enjoying our channel! Yes, we definitely do plan on making videos on other parts of Florida, hopefully later his year! Also, thank you so much on the sciatica tip, we really appreciate it!
Florida beaches are so inviting, you two are so lucky to live there. The waterfront lunch place is so nice! The water is so clean and turquoise color. So beautiful. Theres an ice cream shop too!
I am sure we don't have to say this, but we absolutely love this area of Florida. There is a beach experience for every type of person who wants to enjoy the beach. Thanks so much guys :)
Glad to see you stayed at Gulf Tides! My gf and her family have several timeshare weeks there. If you haven't eaten at Mar Vista at the north end of the island, you should check it out. It's a little pricey, but the food is amazing!
We've spent a week there every year for the last 4 years now. We love it! Such a beautiful stretch of beach. We've heard lots of great things about Mar Vista, but haven't made it there yet. It's definitely on the to-do list. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment, Kyle!
That's a great suggestion. We were lucky to have visited Longboat a few weeks before any red tide started being reported, but it's definitely getting quite bad in Tampa Bay and on some of the gulf beaches.
@@Explorcation I live in Venice, Sarasota County. All Sarasota beaches have red tide now. Very sad. The kill of marine life is awful. Even large critters like groupers and manatees. 😔
Nice video, thanks! Have to say, tho, whenever I see a "live music" sign at a restaurant, I run the other way, as it invariably means some guy with an overly loud PA, singing or playing out of tune, drowning out any hope of a peaceful dining experience! Your guy Trevor seemed a little mellower...
Thanks for the kind comments, Mike. I get what you mean about the music. While some venues consistently have high quality musicians that add to the experience, we've definitely been to plenty of places where the music is too loud (or just not good) and takes away from the experience. Trevor is great at knowing his crowd and adjusting his volume and setlist for the venue.
Our son works at Tyler’s on LBK. He’s a senior in high school. We are very fortunate to have raised 5 children on Anna Maria. And random…Trevor’s brother is our vet and is married to my husbands cousin.
Wow thanks so much for sharing! We've often talked about how amazing it must have been growing up on Anna Maria Island. Trevor is a good friend of ours and his whole family is great. We normally spend a few days on Longboat every year and will definitely be stopping by Tyler's when we visit again this spring. Hopefully we'll see your son!
We're so glad that you found our video to be helpful, James. We hope Longboat Key end up working out for your shoot. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!
That is awesome, we hope you enjoyed your time there. We really love going there for a day trip when we can make the drive. Thanks so much for watching!
Just got home from our stay in Longboat Key. We watched your video ahead of time so we hit up a bunch of places that you recommended, including Whitney's. The beaches at Longboat Key are my favorite beaches now. Our stay was a dream and I'm glad I watched your video ahead of time. Thanks.
That would be really challenging to have highly restrictive diet needs, especially when travelling. While I wouldn't say I (Jamie) can eat whatever I want, I can eat most foods without issue. Skylar on the other hand can and will eat just about anything!😆
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!
Hi guys! You are both such a cute couple and I have loved looking at the videos! My family (myself, husband, 1 son) are going to be doing a beach day on a "break" day from DIsney. We dont want to go to Cocoa Beach because we went last time and want to do something different. I just recently discovered this area online: Ana Maria Island, Longboat key, etc... and just love the water and sand! So my question is if you just had one day to drive out and experience one of these areas and aren't too keen on busy beaches, what beach would you choose? We would like to go to a place that has both beach and shops/restaurants to have a bite for lunch. Id love to hear what you would consider top priority for this area when doing a 1 day beach day?
Hi Tara, thank you for your comment and for watching :) this area really has some great beach options, and your question comes at a great time. Saturday we actually have a video covering our top 10 beaches in the Tampa Bay area, and I think there may be a few on the list that would fit what you are looking for. If you have any questions after that video goes live definitely let us know :)
Hey that's where Dovydas the amazing guitarist and singer performs! Greatest guitarist ever. ...check him out on his RU-vid channel . You won't regret it!
That's true! We used to go see him quite often when we lived in Sarasota. Back then he went by the name "David Smash"... before he got on Guitar Magazine and blew up on RU-vid. I've gotten to talk with him briefly and he's a really nice guy too. There are a lot of really talented musicians in the Sarasota area, and Dovydas is certainly one of them. His guitar playing really is insane! Thanks for watching, Maggie!
@@Explorcationthanks for your reply! Hope I can get to visit Sarasota one day looks beautiful from everything I've seen! Also would love to see Dovydas live but they will be a little while yet as I live in BC, Canada!! Dovydas still lives in the Sarasota area and has been performing at Bradertons Village of the Arts but is planning on traveling around the US and just performing wherever he's able to! Lots of his fans have invited him to their area to play...I hope he does well and stays safe through it all! It's great that you met him and I agree he seems to be a great person outside of his amazing talent! Love your sunshine state and the beautiful Sarasota area!
@@maggiem8143 we hope you get to visit the area too, it really is a beautiful city 🙂 I didn't know Dovydas has been playing at the Village of the Arts lately, maybe will will get to see him again before he starts traveling. That is such a cool idea to travel around the US and play, he has soo many fans throughout the US and the world!
@@Explorcation yes at the Adobe Graffiti Lounge on April 16 at 7:00 but you can go early and need to bring your own folding chair apparently! Maybe his last gig before he goes traveling? Hope this helps...I follow him on RU-vid and FB so that's where I get my info! 😊
I know we usually get good sunset footage but we didn't this time 😩 We try to only film these kinds of videos where we eat/drink all day once every 2 weeks....I don't think we could keep up eating like that on a regular basis 😆 by the end of the day we are always sooo full. Thanks so much for watching ❤
I’ve watched 3 of your videos today. First time I’ve seen your page, and you two film very helpful videos. Taking my wife on our honeymoon to siesta and longboat key. I used to have a condo in longboat key and would be there every summer as a kid. Can’t wait to show it to her for the first time how beautiful this side of Florida is. Thanks again for the great info and tips In your video!!!
Thank you so much for watching our videos and taking the time to comment, David! We are always trying to make our videos both helpful and entertaining, and we're so glad to hear that they've been helpful to you and your wife! We are actually staying out on Longboat right now. The weather has been perfect and the water is absolutely beautiful!
Empty beaches you guys hit us probably just at the right time during the winter it’s covered with snowbirds and traffic is horrendous and has been growing exponentially every year seem to be as crowded as the panhandle
We are certainly thankful to have visited during the times that we have, as we have never experienced horrendous traffic on Longboat. Thanks for watching, Kellie 🙂
Thanks! Great video. I will now pin these access points. I live in Sarasota but rarely visit Longboat as much as I love it because of how hard it is to see the access points while driving as well as the mostly limited parking. Once there, however, it is usually the most serene and enjoyable beach experience one can have. ❤
We agree that for someone who isn't familiar with the access points, finding parking at the beaches can be a challenge. We hope that this video helps make it a bit easier for you and others to enjoy the amazing Longboat Key beaches!
I love your videos! Thank you for sharing!!! Do you use a go pro or what do you use for your videos?! I am a realtor in the area and love how good/clear/sturdy your videos are! Would love to learn a few things! I’m glad you loved this area, it’s where I grew up and will forever stay!
Thank you for the kind comment, Melanie. We use a gopro maxx for most of our videos when we are outdoors and/or moving. For stationary shots or indoor/low light shooting we now use our Sony ZV1 which we just bought a couple of months ago and love!
Longboat is definitely much slower paced than Longboat Key. We usually just drive there for the day from St. Pete, so unfortunately we do not have any recommendations for vacation rentals. I'm sure there are plenty of good ones out there though. Good luck!
Great video. My wife and I honeymooned on longboat in 2012 and now we spend 2 weeks every may or June on longboat. This brings back wonderful memories.
Thanks, Danny. We're glad that you enjoyed it. We do remember the water being particularly beautiful that day. We can't say for sure if some type of filter may have been on when we were filming that day or not. We had recently purchased a new camera, which honestly, we are still trying to figure out how to use!
That's one spot that we've always wanted to try but have yet to make it too. We plan to get down to Longboat at least a couple times this year, so hopefully we'll finally be able to give it a try!
Guys, Florida is just the place to not only holiday but live. You guys are living your best life. Longboat key is just so absolutely beautiful, I can't get over the beautiful colour of the sea and how empty the beaches are. The sound of the waves crashing is just music to my ears. It's always a great start to a day with a piece of pizza especially a breakfast one 😍🍕😂 Thanks for giving us serious FOMO of not being in Florida hahaha absolutely love these videos guys. Keep giving us this awesome content.
I am glad you guys feel the same about the breakfast pizza 😆 When we moved to Florida it took a while to adjust to "living" here vs just being on "vacation" and Longboat ended up being one of our favorite beaches. The more tourist ones are a lot of fun but we also really appreciate the more secluded areas like Longboat. Maybe some day you guys can visit and we can show you first hand the best of what Florida has to offer 😊
We visited during the week in June, I think it was on a Friday. We started filming on the beach in the morning and visited the various beach accesses throughout the day. We hope you have a lovely time when you do visit!
We've only visited Venice once a few years ago. We do plan on going back soon, and will likely make a video. Please let us know if you have any recommendations for the area!
Great video of Longboat Key! I was wondering what the name of the relaxing background music & artist in your video at 9:20? I would like to use this soothing track in one of my projects. Thanks!
I promise there's 1000's of people on the beach everyday, peeing in the water 💫 the only way to get a private beach is to rent a house on the beach and then it looks secluded like that because there's no access to that area but if you come to visit you're going to have a few choices of beaches yes they're beautiful but it's so, so amazingly crowded here usually in the Summers Sarasota was dead now it's like the peak of season. I would wait to visit and move here until the people start leaving! You can barely drive over 30 mph ... There's always traffic delays you always have to leave an hour ahead of time, not complaining I live in Paradise, but just stay where you are people!!
That's a great spot, Phil. Beautiful stretch of beach, and almost always parking available. We don't get to Longboat as often as we'd like anymore either, but love to get back there whenever we can!
