Back at the beach

After a long cool spell (I won't say cold in respect to those up north!) I got back to the beach Sunday.  I was far from the only one, this beach is never as crowded as big city or resort beach's, but the parking lots where jammed and people where parking anyplace they could find to get to the beach.

It was still a bit cool but obviously people had been hold up inside long enough and had to get out and enjoy the sun.

The Venice Beach Pavilion

In my photo last Thursday this structure was silhouetted against a dramatic sunset.  Today I thought I'd share it in it's daytime brilliance. The Venice beach pavilion is a great example of the local "Sarasota School" mid-century modern style. It was designed by renowned architect: Cyril T. Tucker and built in the early 1960's.

Venice had two major building booms with distinctly different styles of architecture in the 1900's one in the 30's with the originally planned Italian influence and another in the 50's and 60's that was very modern.  This pavilion is one of the best examples of the modern style in Venice Florida.

The pavilion features a dramatic hyperbolic paraboloid roof soaring over two low buildings of coral stone and a large open air area with tables for eating ice cream from the pavilion shop or playing chess, etc.

Sweeping Sunset

This area has many dramatic sunsets and I realized that I hadn't shared one in a while.  This is from a few years ago but it is one of my personal favorites.  The sweeping roof of the Venice Beach pavilion is in the foreground and the sunset seems to take it's lead from the pavilion roof with a dramatic dark sweep through the clouds.

Beach Side Art Class

As I was driving down by the beach I saw this art class in progress and thought it was a great photo opportunity.  It's an great opportunity for many classes  are taught for free by Madge Meyer a former art teacher for eighteen years. 

Drawing classes on Saturdays are at the pavilion close to Sharkey's Restaurant and Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays they are here in the park between Venice Beach and the Army Air Base Sign.  Paper and pencil are provided or you nay bring your own, bring a chair.  Ask Madge about the advanced drawing class as well.

January at the Beach

Crisp and sunny not time for crowds at the beach, but I feel that many up north would gladly trade places with us! 

Another Angle

Clearly I couldn't resist taking another angle on the fishing pier, or using a pun on fishing.  It looks like there is someone else that fishing from another angle here as well.

Venice FL Fishing Pier

While browsing through old posts I realized that I wasn't showing the Fishing Pier yet on this blog.  Not sure how it escaped as it is one of my (and many other folks) favorite places  around these parts.  It is in fact the only fishing pier located directly on a gulf beach in Sarasota county.

This photo is taken from Sharky's On The Pier, one of very few beach front resturants in the Venice/Sarasota area.  All in all this is a great beach to enjoy for many activities and facilities.

November in the 80's

Unusual even for central Florida but in right now in November while most of the nation is in the 50's and lower we are still having temperatures in the 80's!  I'm sure it can't last much longer so we should get out to the beach and enjoy it while we can.

Laid Back Sunday

Life these days can be so stressfull that I thought I'd share a relaxing image from the beach today.  Our beaches here can indeed be very quite, calm, and relaxing.  A perfect place to just relax and let stress melt away.  If you can't make it here in person focus in on this photo for a while.  Hear the seagulls, hear the surf, feel the cool breeze and relax, you deserve it.

Family Beach Fun

The beaches in Venice FL are great places for families like this, one of the reasons is they are less crowded than many other beaches another is all the interesting shells and discoveries like fossilized sharks teeth.  Our beaches here are considered one of the best place in the world for finding sharks teeth.  It looks here like perhaps the boy has found something and mom and dad are looking.

In this photo I think I captured well a family and others nearby enjoying themselves at one of our beaches, I also really like the composition.

Beach Sunset

I'm much later than usual getting my daily photo posted (missed yesterday) in fact it is close to sunset. So what better to post than a sunset?! This one is at Mannasota Key Beach with silhouettes of park shelters, trees, fence, and a couple on a bench enjoying the view.

Glory on the Beach

When I went out to the Beach at the Beachcomber in Venice (yesterdays post) I saw some flowers I hadn't seen at other area beaches. They looked like Morning Glories but I thought the beach was an odd place for them. Turns out they are in fact Beach Morning Glories also known as Railroad Vines. Thank you Alice for helping with that.

Normally I only post one photo a day, but I thought this close up should be accompanied with a larger view.

Mannasota Beach

Last night I just felt like going to the beach, nice that they are so close! I actually hadn't been to Mannasota Beach in at least a couple years even though it's just South of Venice. I've tended to stick to the beaches on the Island. However this one is very nice too, as you can tell here, as next to it there is still a simple beach cabin rather than a mansion, condo or hotel building.

Beach Front Dining

This is not just the only place for beach front dining in Venice, but for many miles away, I don't even recall of a beach front restaurant in the Sarasota area. Sharky's On The Pier has a great Florida keys beach atmosphere, and great food too. A walk out on the pier is also very nice.

Game On

Venice Beach is a great spot for volleyball with several permanent nets set up. It's actually a great beach for lots of activities as I believe that it is not only the most central beach, but also the deepest on the island. There is plenty of room to spread out here.

The main thing I don't like here are the condos on the beach most of which I feel where very poorly designed. Also none of which would be here if John Nolan's city plan had been more closely adhered to. There should have been virtually nothing except nature and parks on the gulf side of Esplanade Blvd.

Venice Beach Pavilion

A contrast to the Italian influenced detail I showed yesterday. In the mid 1900's ultra modern architecture was all the rage and the plans for northern Italian style buildings where largely ignored here in Venice.

I wish that the style originally planned for Venice had been carried through better as some of the modern condo buildings are just ugly, but some exceptions and contrasts are nice and this is one I really like. There is also no guarantee that if other buildings had been built in a different style that they would be better, there is bad design in all styles.

The Venice beach pavilion here is a great example of the local "Sarasota School" style. It was designed by renowned architect: Cyril T. Tucker and built in 1964.

The pavilion features a hyperbolic paraboloid roof soring over two low buildings of coral stone and a large open air area with tables for eating ice cream from the pavilion shop or playing chess, etc.

Casperson Beach

A friend of mine in Oregon posting some beach photos on Facebook inspired me to post this beach photo today. Florida has great beaches for sunning and swimming, Oregon not so much, especially the swimming it's too COLD! However Oregon beaches are great for feeling close to nature and exploring.

Casperson Beach at the south end of Venice Island is the best such beach that I have seen in Florida. It's about the only beach I've seen here with rocks on the beach, which invites a bit more verity of sea life, this beach is also great for finding shells and fossilized sharks teeth.

Plus rather than being backed by condos, this beach is backed by a nature preserve which helps give the beach a very back to nature feel as well as miles of trails to explore. I've written more about this beach here at Venice Florida Paradise, there are a few more photo's there too.

Promising Path

There are a few beaches like this around here and I love it. Rather than just spread out before you, there is an area of lush vegetation with board walks through it. You have to pass through this to get to the beach, with the alluring beauty beyond increasing with every step.

Sun is back

The forecast today in Venice is calling for 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Actually we need it, but right now it's sunny and bright, a good time to enjoy the beach for a while in the morning like these folks are.

Beach Shade

Ah, now there's a nice way to enjoy the beach on a hot day. Shade umbrella, chair, cooler, what more do you need besides friends or family to enjoy it with?