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August on Anna Maria Island: Green Water, White Sand

Video above via my iphone4 low resolution #2 camera on the face of the phone.

I managed to break away from my to-do list long enough to enjoy a couple of hours on Anna Maria beach Wednesday. The water was really clear despite the chop from the stiff afternoon sea breeze.  There was a fairly large crowd at the Manatee Public Beach so I drove north to the Magnolia access.

My usual parking place–the dirt lot at the corner of Magnolia and Gulf Drive, across from the old IGA–is now reserved for patrons of the Sandbar restaurant. This was a real downer because I’ve been parking there since about 1978. However, Anna Maria has opened up a couple of spaces along the street for parking and I managed to snag one, though I looked with nostalgia upon the surfeit of parking spaces in the nearly empty lot across the street.

I enjoyed a relaxing swim, cooled off in the breeze, and watched the happy clouds drift by. Then I had to get back to my to-do list. I’m hoping to spend a couple of days on Anna Maria this fall, just to hang out and listen to the sounds of the surf all night.

Here’s a very short video clip of the water and beach I shot Wednesday with my Canon S5 IS point-and-shoot:

For comparison, below is a short video clip of the water on Treasure Island in Pinellas County, shot the day before with my iphone4. Note the difference in water color and clarity. I have no idea why Pinellas County beaches do not generally have the same water clarity that Anna Maria and Longboat Key have. But it is definitely worth the drive down to Anna Maria to luxuriate in the clear bright green waters.

Anna Maria gulf water and beach

Shallow water off Anna Maria beach, looking north toward Magnolia Ave.

Anna Maria beach near Magnolia Avenue

Because of limited public parking and no facilities this beach on Anna Maria Island rarely gets crowded.

Turtle nest on Anna Maria Island

Getting the kids involved in "sponsoring" sea turtle nests is a great idea. They need to learn early to be good stewards of nature.

Summer clouds over Anna Maria Island

Cumulus clouds paint a picture over Anna Maria Island. Looking south towards Holmes Beach.

Umbrella and chair on the beach

My "office."

Cumulonimbus clouds over Bradenton

Cumulonimbus clouds were quickly growing over Bradenton and menacing the island. As it turned out, they remained east of the island and blew north across the Manatee River.

This is one of the main reasons people come to Anna Maria Island during August. What else can you do when the air and water are both 90 degrees? Thank God for the sea breeze!

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