Category: Hidden Gems

Ponies, Palm Trees, and Wineries in Bradenton, FL – The Travel Brats

Making plans after a crazy week can seem intimidating, and exhausting. You just got done with a wicked work schedule – how do you still have energy to be adventurous this weekend? If you are in the South Florida area, I have a solution for you. Making a game plan and itinerary will make your day an absolute breeze to allow for some relaxation coupled with unforgettable fun. Let’s begin – pick which day suits you best and go from there. Right before you go over the bridge into Anna Maria Island, Cponies is stationed and ready to give you an experience of a lifetime. CPonies is really what it sounds like – we went horseback riding in the water for about an hour. Basically, you jump up on the saddle of the horse, get into the water with a group of around 10 people and 2 guides, and they coach you through how to stay safe while having an experience unlike any other. Even for the most novice rider, this was doable and short enough to keep the risk minimal. It was absolutely amazing to see the horses’ personalities shine through, as each one had been rescued from abusers. Now, they have jobs of playing in the water with people who genuinely enjoy them. How wonderful. To read more about CPonies story and to book, click HERE.The pictures were some for the books. But let me mentally prepare you, while being in the water with the horses, you will be passing floating feces because horses have to go, they go. Also, if you are more of a nervous or extremely anxious person, this might not be for you! When going horseback riding with CPonies, I recommend you purchase the photo package for $25 and wear long pants and gym shoes that you don’t mind getting wet. After that, bring a change of clothes and find a public restroom to change and wash off your legs and feet. You may feel a little gross and sore. Once you’re changed and good to go, drive a few miles into Anna Maria Island. This quaint beach town has quite the reputation for low key settings, immaculate views, and friendly folks, so you can take advantage of the photo opportunities and time with great company. There were many highly regarded restaurants to stop at – we were deciding between Beach House Restaurant and The Kokonut Hut. We chose Kokonut for the tiki hut outdoor vibes as it was perfectly situated on the white sand beach. The views were unmatched, and gave the allure of being on a faraway tropical vacation, even if just for a lunch break.The main strip is pleasantly infused with tiny shops, mom and pop eats, and hidden gems, so you can take an hour to walk the beach and enjoy an environment that’s so far removed from the hustle and bustle. Once you’re calling the beach town quits and done with the beating sun, begin making your way back towards 75 and hit the back country roads. This is where the unexpected lies. Believe it or not, there’s a lot of Circus energy and hidden places in Bradenton, FL. YES, Circus like elephants and shows and the unimaginable. The Ringling Museum is very near in Sarasota and the Ringling brothers own quite a bit of land in the Bradenton area. On your bizarre exploration, you will head to Hunsaders Farm who are known for their pumpkin patch festivities and sunflowers. Although it wasn’t sunflower season, they had an excellent farm market with to-die-for pickles and U-pick wild flowers. It was extremely slow when I went in September, but on our way there, something caught our eyes.Did we just see a winery in Florida? A rarity, but yes we did. Unannounced, we arrived at FioRelli winery and vineyard. After talking with the workers for a few moments, we got to do a wine tasting where they showcased their favorite blends and delicious dessert wines. Their intimate courtyard was so quaint as this vineyard only employed a few people and their wines aren’t even sold in stores. So when I was say a true hidden gem, I mean it. It was much more simplistic than other wine tastings I’ve done, but it peaked my interest in learning more about wineries in Florida and nearby. My favorite was the FioRelli Blueberry wine!To wrap up the evening at FioRelli’s, there was an incredible, most watering BBQ food truck called Southern Smoked by JP on their property. They unquestionably have changed my benchmark for BBQ food. From Mac n Cheese to their Brisket dinner, I am still dreaming about that meal now. We weren’t hungry at the moment we ordered, so we got their family meal to go and ate once we got home from our 2 hour drive. We started our day early and ended up getting home around 5pm to get prepared for the next week to come. Some spontaneity and calculated adventuring is exactly what you need to feel renewed and revitalized. 

1. Ponies, Palm Trees, and Wineries in Bradenton, FL 16:36
2. SWFL Food Junkie Celebrates Hidden Gems and Supreme Eats From Fort Myers to Naples 54:58
3. Taking You On The Perfect Colorado Weekend Getaway 14:22
4. Packing, Planning, and Safety Tips for Your South American Travels 16:10
5. An Exploor Guide to Peru and the Modern World Wonder, Machu Picchu 36:13

As many of you know, that I co-created the “Who Wear There” Podcast with my wonderful friend, Sofia. I love to share these resources with my followers on Thoughtful Blonde, so here’s the run down – In episode 33, The Travel Brats interview the lovely and well-rounded, Suzi, who is well versed in all things Boulder, Colorado, skiing, adventuring, breweries, and yummy places to eat. In this episode, Suzi shares her insight about making the most out of your Colorado trip by showcasing the best local eateries, CU Campus, biking and skiing hot spots, and must dos.

Travel Brats asked: “Where are we talking about today?”

Suzi said:

“Boulder is a city at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, in northern Colorado. To the west, are the Flatirons which are craggy rock formations overlooking the city. Downtown’s is the pedestrian Pearl Street Mall which includes art galleries, cafes, restaurants and boutiques. To the north, about 45 minutes away is Rocky Mountain National Park and to the south/southeast is Golden and Denver.Fantastic skiing exits 90 minutes away with half a dozen world class ski resorts nearby.

Boulder is home to the main campus of the University of Colorado, the state’s largest university. The city frequently receives high rankings in art, health, well-being, quality of life, and education.

Boulder was a popular hippie town in the 1960s and re-invented itself as an affluent outdoorsy town, but it’s still very rooted in its hippie traditions.” 

Travel Brats asked: “Who lives there? What’s the environment like?”

Today, there’s lots of organic, natural items, as well as a number of breweries, and lots of great restaurants. “I like to say all the hippies had to grow up and wanted education and outdoor recreation for their children.

Additionally, there are world class road cyclists, skiers, and climbers that call Boulder home. Both NOAA and NIST have sites in Boulder and most recently, many tech companies have moved to Boulder and even Google has a large campus in town.”

Travel Brats asked: “What are the best things to do there?”

Suzi said: 

• Lots of road biking – anywhere on the Front Range as well as climbing into the mountains.
• Lots of mountain biking – generally one must go up and then come down. Single track and dirt roads.
• Lots of climbers – seek out Boulder to climb year round
• Lots of hiking – can be either flat or up the mountain. Lots of trails from Golden to Lyons. 
• Climbing the Flatirons from Chautauqua http://www.protrails.com/trail/138/boulder-denver-golden-fort-collins-lyons-flatiron-1 is a favorite tourist To Do.

Travel Brats asked “ What are more things to do along with the best hikes in Boulder?

Suzi said: 

• Tour of Celestial Seasonings http://www.celestialseasonings.com/visit-us/tea-tour
• Etown – NPR radio music show https://www.etown.org/
• Boulder Theater – (Art Deco theater from 1930’s) can be any show https://boulderdowntown.com/go/boulder-theater?gclid=CjwKCAjw5Kv7BRBSEiwAXGDElW339gTT1JaR8sxfRxdetjjm9klXVuN98R2PTL5iVDOE8mPRcpcfNxoCPn8QAvD_BwE
• Fox Theater – music venue – divine https://www.foxtheatre.org/
• Chautauqua Auditorium – any music or show or reading venue https://www.chautauqua.com/happenings/venues/auditorium/
• Eldorado State Canyon Park – south Boulder https://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/Parks/eldoradocanyon
• Fiske Planetarium – on CU campus https://www.colorado.edu/fiske/
• Favorite Bookstore – Boulder Bookstore on Pearl Street https://www.boulderbookstore.net/
• Rent a bike – great bike paths, road riding, and offload riding
• Danshabe Tea House – good food & historic https://www.boulderteahouse.com/
• Farmer’s Market – Saturdays 8am-2pm and Wednesday evenings 4p-8p
• Colorado Shakespeare Festival – June-August on CU campus – 2 venues https://cupresents.org/series/shakespeare-festival/
• Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art https://bmoca.org/
• Bolder Bolder – 2nd most populous 10K on Memorial Day https://bb10k.bolderboulder.com/
• Boulder Creek Festival – Memorial Day weekend https://bouldercreekfest.com/
• Open Space Trails https://www.summitcountyco.gov/105/Open-Space-Trails

Suzi continued on to say:

“What you find in Boulder is that everybody does everything meaning most folks do hike, bike, ski, climb, and anything else outdoors. The Pearl Street Mall https://www.pearlstreetmall.com/ is a pedestrian mall that has lots of restaurants and shop. Both locals and tourists alike will be on “the mall”. The “hill” is a subsection of Boulder where the CU Boulder students congregate or hang out. Generally, most locals stay away from the “hill” since that area of town borders the CU campus.”

Travel Brats then asked the infamous question — “Where should you eat there?” 

Suzi said: 

“Favorite Breakfast Spots:

Walnut Cafe – on 30th – known for great pie https://www.walnutcafe.com/

The Buff – great coffee & skillets https://www.buffrestaurant.com/

Dougs Diner – awesome breakfast bowls https://www.dougsdiner.com/

Snooze – nice casual & healthy https://www.snoozeeatery.com/branches/1733/snooze-boulder/

Village Inn – typical counter diner https://www.villageinn.com

Dot’s Diner – good diner https://www.dotsdinerboulder.com

Tangerine – a bit upscale with local food http://www.tangerineeats.com

Lots of Coffee shops – 

Ozo Coffee – https://ozocoffee.com

Amante – http://www.amantecoffee.com

Sole – https://www.facebook.com/caffe.sole.1/

Red Rocks – https://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/listings/red-rock-coffeehouse/2124/

Laughing Goat – https://www.thelaughinggoat.com

Tune Up in Full Cycle (Bike shop) – https://www.fullcyclebikes.com/about/the-tune-up-pg148.htm

Favorite Lunch Spots:

Le French Cafe – great lunch (crepe & salad) as well as breakfast. https://www.lefrenchcafeboulder.com

Snarf’s – great deli https://www.eatsnarfs.com

Backcountry Pizza and Taphouse – good happy hour https://www.facebook.com/Backcountrytaphouse/

Verde – Upscale Mexica https://www.verdeeatdrink.com/boulder

Favorite Dinner Spots:

Frasca – Foodie people – creative local food – Italian influence https://www.frascafoodandwine.com

Carelli’s – near Will Vill (dorm on campus) excellent traditional Italian with lots go great fish; awesome garlic toast https://carellis.com

Audrey Jane’s Pizza – carryout – to die for! Just on Diners & Drive in. https://www.thepizzagarage.com

The Kitchen & Kitchen Upstairs & Next Door – real food (Boulder, Denver, Chicago) https://www.thekitchenbistros.com/location/boulder-colorado/

Sushi: Zanmai or Japengo – Both on Pearl Street https://boulderdowntown.com/go/sushi-zanmaihttps://boulderjapango.com

Jax – Oyster Bar – a few in other CO cities https://www.jaxfishhouse.com/boulder/

The Cork – Old school steak house; great happy hour https://bouldercork.com

Favorite Breweries:

Avery Brewery – https://www.averybrewing.com

Gunbarrel – https://www.gunbarrelcenter.com

Upslope – both in town – snacks only – empanadas & soft pretzels https://www.upslopebrewing.com

Southern Sun and Mountain Sun – great beer, burgers, salads, buritto, nachos, & wings. Love the Colorado Kind (AMERICAN E.S.B 6.2% ABV) http://www.mountainsunpub.com/contact.htm

Twisted Pine – good appetizers  – pizza https://twistedpinebrewing.com

Oskar Blues Taproom – on Pearl Street. Solid! https://www.oskarblues.com/location/boulder-co-oskar-blues-taproom/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5K3JsImC7AIVieDICh3XrAuNEAAYASAAEgIuAfD_BwE

For more information on Boulder, listen to our podcast! Enjoy

https://www.instagram.com/thetravelbrats/