This evening Tony and I went down to Sarasota Bayfront Park to walk around!…read moreFree parking! The huge famous "Unconditional Surrender" Statue depicting the infamous end to War World 2 was on display! This is very lovely! Highly recommend!

The Unconditional Surrender statue (even the name is bursting with a romance and hope) is 26 feet…read moretall aluminum computer generated statue by Seward Johnson of an iconic 1945 photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt, V-J day in Times Square. It is installed along the Bayfront between O'Leary's Tiki Bar & Grill and Marina Jack. It's easy accessible with plenty of parking spaces around, and gorgeous backdrop of blue sky and marina in the back. A sailor kissing the nurse, both happy to hear that the war is over.. it is hard not to feel an enthusiasm and hope, great addition to the Downtown Sarasota.

The Bidwell-Wood House is located at 1260 12th Street and is a one and one-half story Classical…read moreRevival, wood-frame structure with a Georgian floor plan, built in 1882. The house formerly was located at 881 Florida Avenue, and prior to that, 900 S. Euclid Avenue, and prior to that it stood near the intersection of U.S. 41 and Wood Street. It was moved to its' current new home in Pioneer Park in October of 2006. This is one of the oldest document homes in Sarasota county and now serves as the offices of the Sarasota historical society. Many rooms in the home are maintained as they would have been during the late 1800s/early 1900s. It's a very interesting and informative place to visit. It also has an interesting history: On December 27, 1884, Charles Abbe was murdered in front of Mr. Bidwell's store. Bidwell was associated with the Sara Sota Vigilante Committee. It is alleged that plans for the murder took place at the Christmas Eve housewarming. Mr. Bidwell was arraigned and sentenced and the Bidwell property was sold in 1885. In recommend stopping in if you have time.

There aren't a lot of 19th century history in Florida (air conditioners for the win) so this is a…read morelittle treasure for history lovers. We did go on a Friday, but the tour guide for the 1 pm said no one had been by all day, which is a shame. I hope it's more busy on weekends/not summer time. There is a small exhibit at the visitor center which is worth checking out, but it can be done before or after. Most of the tour was about the original owner Robert Gamble, the follow up owners the Pattens and just a little about Judah P. Benjamin's brief stay. A lot of the furnishings are original or time period accurate, and our tour guide was great at answering questions about the house and the people who lived here. I'm glad this house was preserved and is open to the public today since there isn't a lot of old history in the area that still remains. Hopefully one day, the other house on the property is restored enough to be open for tours. Only complaint about the site is the gift shop is practically non-existent. It would have been nice to get a postcard or some small memento, but they must not have enough visitors to justify the upfront cost. Luckily this site is owned and operated by the Florida Park Services so it will continue to be available as a cultural relic and hopefully people people keep visiting.

The Gamble Mansion. You will see signs for it and it will make you curious. It has nothing to do…read morewith Gambling or Casinos it was just the name of the slave owners of this property. Very unique piece of property and history that survived old Florida from being burned down or taken over. Cheap tour was $6. And $4 per child under 12. That is what it cost to see the inside. You can walk around the outside grounds for free. Worth the tour and history lesson. Very well kept property it almost seems like it was built a few years ago and not actually 1872. Florida history is something else

As we were driving around Sarasota getting acquainted with the city, we noticed a unique building…read more We were intrigued with the graffiti art on the side of it and decided to pull in. Being from Miami, where graffiti art is very popular in various neighborhoods, we wanted to take a look. The vibrant blue colors with fish life were a perfect match for Sarasota. As in most cities, a Chamber of Commerce is a much needed organization that organizes valuable events and relationships that bring together local businesses and business leaders to build and sustain their cities. Sarasota C of C has many worthwhile events scheduled during the year to reach out to business leaders to help keep them a success. We were not able to tour the building as it was closed on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.

The correct name for this historic site is the Judah P. Benjamin Confederate Memorial at Gamble…read morePlantation Historic State Park but the right name is too long for Yelp. This is one of Florida's 175 State Parks. Florida has one of the largest State Park systems in the country and includes nearly 800,000 acres and 100 miles of beach. The Florida State Park System is the first four-time winner of the Gold Medal honoring the nation's best state park system. This State Park in Ellenton contains the only surviving plantation house in South Florida. In 1843 Major Robert Gamble established a sugar plantation in a remote region along the Manatee River. It took six years to build the Gamble Plantation. Gamble was a bachelor but he built a lavish for the times 10-room, two-story mansion with two feet thick tabby walls and wide shaded verandas wrapping around three sides of the house. Gamble only operated the plantation for 12 years and left for good in 1856 due to sinking sugar prices. After the Civil War it is thought that Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin hid out here after the fall of the Confederacy. Benjamin was a prominent Jewish New Orleans plantation owner and a trusted confidante of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. At the Gamble Plantation he was helped by Archibald McNeil, a blockade runner who secured his passage to the Bahamas before he escaped to England. In 1925, the house and 16 acres of land were saved by the United Daughters of the Confederacy who restored the house and and donated to the state. The jewel of the park is the mansion which you can tour six times a day ,Thursday through Monday for $6. In addition to the Gamble Mansion the visitors center has a small museum with exhibits and a few objects from the Civil War. One of the most moving displays is a Census Bureau document listing the enslaved people on the plantation by name. During the tour park Ranger Jesse mentions it with a pledge "We know their names and we honor every one of them." Also in the park is the 1895 Patten House, a pioneer farmhouse also preserved and maintained by the United Daughters of the Confederacy but not open for tours during our visit. Other park amenities include picnic tables, benches, and restrooms. The visitor center is open from 9 to 11:45 a.m. and 12:45 to 5 p.m., Thursday through Monday; it is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

This is a massive library. It has so much for kids and adults that you could stay all day . My…read morekids did a scavenger hunt and even got prizes.

The huge pillars & interesting done make it look more like a stadium or auditorium than a library…read more This Selby Library is the flagship branch of the Sarasota County Library System, located in downtown Sarasota. This is the county's first library, established in 1907. It offers a wide range of resources, including books, digital materials & computer classes. It is known for its vibrant space, including a children's area with an aquarium arch. The library is supported by a permanent endowment from the Selby Foundation.

This archaeological site in Manatee county is in need of some love. The signs are faded, hard to…read moreread, or vague. There are 2 parking spots, but I guess that's ok, it doesn't seem to be heavily visited. The mound is literally in front of several people's homes, which means something, I'm sure. One picnic table, an In need of repair earthen stairway that leads to the top of the mound and 3 signs of any significance. Seems maybe there could be more.

Madira Bickell Mounds is a nice place off the beaten path to have a picnic. It is nestled in a…read moreresidential area which unfortunately has been built upon an archeologically rich area. What remains is the small area and the preserved mound used by Native Americans. The park itself is very small, and the mound is overgrown by vegetation and is hard to see. There are some signs that provide information about the historical significance of the mounds. This is not a major stop of a state park. It is very small and is best suited for anyone who does have an interest in the historical aspects of the park.

My wait was short, my issue was handled Very quickly!…read moreI did not have an appointment but I was called in a very short time. The encounter with the agent was very helpful & solved my b issue!!

The young man that I got did nothing to help me. I had had a phone appointment on 3/10 which went…read moreright to voice mail. My phone never rang even tho I had entered in my phone as a contact. So I went in to the Venice Fl office and got this guy. He told me and I quote "you can't just walk in here without an appointment" I asked if he could make me one and he said NO I CANT DO THAT. He told me to call an 800 number that is only a recording. I have tried numerous times to apply on line but I get Verified it says but then at the end it says "We could not verify your identity" All I want to do is apply for benefits as is my RIGHT. Any help would be appreciated.