I was just as excited on the second day of the road trip as I was the day we started. I was filled with wonder at what we might experience on our coastal drive. I knew I needed to come up with a plan ASAP so that I wouldn’t miss any more important places I wanted to stop! I had figured out Cavin’s second vacation rule of “no turning back” when I missed out on stopping at two amazing donut establishments!
As we began our day, Cavin and I talked about what we wanted to do. We talked about getting tickets in Tampa to see the baseball game that evening. About that time, I heard from a friend who had recently vacationed on Anna Maria Island located just south of Tampa. That sounded like the perfect place for our adventure of the day.
I was getting excited about going to this island I had never heard of before this day. I got out my modern-day encyclopedia… you know…. my handy dandy iPhone! According to Google Maps, we were just over two hours away from Anna Maria Island. I even found a restaurant that had my taste buds watering! We put it in the GPS and I could feel the excitement inside of me. I just love an adventure, and it’s not every day that you get to discover an island. It felt like Cavin and I were modern-day explorers. I can only imagine how Christopher Columbus must have felt!
Before the first permanent settler arrived, Anna Maria Island was discovered by Native American tribes. Later on, it was also discovered by Spanish explorers including Hernando de Soto who passed by the island in 1539. There are a few different stories about how the island got its name. The most likely theory is that one of the original settlers named the island for his wife Maria and her sister Anna.
The first permanent resident came to the island in 1893. At that time the island was a harsh jungle infested with mosquitos, rattlesnakes, alligators, and porcupines. Maybe I should be glad I wasn’t the original explorer! I wouldn’t want to come face to face with any of these creatures, even though it does sound a lot like Keego – the community where I grew up!
Fast forward to today’s adventure… As we drove onto the island, it had the feel of a charming beach town from days gone by. The houses are quaint and reminded me of a simpler time. Bicycles, golf carts, and the free island trolley are the prevalent modes of transportation. We observed vacationers enjoying their summer away from reality. We also saw permanent residents who came as vacationers, but never went home! Hey! Is that an option????
We arrived at The Waterfront Restaurant to find it located in a picturesque area of the island. It overlooked Tampa Bay with the Anna Maria City Pier jutting out across the water. The restaurant was full of character. The original building had been built as a beach cottage way back in 1922. They have outdoor dining overlooking the bay, so of course, that was the option we chose!
To get a taste of the menu, Cavin and I opted to share an appetizer and an entree. For the appetizer, we chose Fried Queso Blanco. The menu described it as, “hand-breaded Mexican queso blanco with cilantro mojo sauce and a drizzle of chili orange jarritos reduction.” We didn’t quite know what to expect, but it sounded like an adventurous choice. For our entree, we selected the Gulf Shrimp, which sounded more like what we are used to. The options for the shrimp were blackened, fried, grilled or island jerk-style. We went with the island-jerk-style… since we were on an island adventure!
The appetizer was a plentiful portion. The fried cheese wedges were hot with a lightly battered coating. The white cheese was ooey-gooey goodness. The sauces were a little different from what we are typically used to in South Alabama, but we enjoyed the flavors. The cilantro mojo sauce reminded us of chimichurri sauce that is native to Argentina. We used to eat it at our favorite steak restaurant when we lived in Panamá. The chili orange jarritos reduction sauce had a sweet, tropical taste. It was a little shocking to the taste buds at first, but the more we ate it, the more we liked it.!
As we finished up the appetizer, we were anticipating the entree that was sure to be delicious. It arrived in a timely manner and looked great. The jerk-style shrimp were placed atop of a plentiful portion of hot seasoned fries. I picked up the shrimp, took a big bite out of it…. and much to my surprise…. I did not like it. I looked at Cavin’s face to see his reaction after eating his first shrimp. I could tell from his eyes that it was not up to his expectations either. I continued to eat the fries and told him he could have the rest of the shrimp. As we discussed the meal later in the day, we weren’t sure if it was the seasonings we didn’t like or the shrimp themselves. Everything else about the experience was awesome… perfect setting, perfect service, perfect atmosphere…. We would go back, but we would definitely choose a different entree next time!
Upon leaving the restaurant, we browsed in some of the island shops, took a stroll out on the city pier, and visited the public beach. We even saw the original jail on the island where prisoners were kept in an open-air cell and tortured by mosquitos! Having grown up in Keego, I know the torture that mosquitos can inflict!
What a fun adventure this had been! It’s not every day that you get to explore a laid-back tropical island! As we thought about where we should go next, Cavin mentioned the Tampa baseball game which was scheduled for later that evening. Unfortunately, I had to remind him of his rule…. We were already south of Tampa… and there’s no turning back!
Sampling the South… one island at a time!