Happy Wednesday! Hopping on here to share my Anna Maria Island vacation recap with AMI Locals! You guys- it was AMAZING and thats just putting it mildly! First off, this is the cutest, most quaint, island I've been to and I just loved the vibes we had on the way to our house in the Uber. But when we got to the house...we were blown away. We didn't have the best weather because, well, Florida gets winter too! It was cloudy pretty much the whole time and in the mid 60s. But I am definitely not complaining because it was still better than the weather here in Indy and the stunning home made up for it because we didn't mind for ONE SECOND chilling at the house!
Where We Stayed
We had the pleasure of staying at the home 'Coastal Queen' and it was unreal! The island is only about one mile wide and about seven miles long! The house we stayed at was at the very far north end of the island and it was only a five minute or less walk to the beach! The best part- it has a rooftop and you can see the ocean perfectly and its beautiful! You can also see the skyway bridge to Tampa from the rooftop too which is super cool! Everything in the home was immaculate. It was decorated beautifully and beachy! This house had 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms so it had lots of room! It was so cozy- we just loved being there! It also had a heated pool/ spa which was absolutely amazing. I was always up for a dip in the pool or spa after whatever we were doing for the day!
About AMI Locals
AMI Locals (instagram: @amilocals) is a vacation rental company NOT a real estate company. So they basically manage vacation rentals that are individually owned- super cool! They actually have grown so much the past year that they now manage 168 vacation homes on the island which is so impressive! All of the homes come fully stocked with the essentials like; bath towels, beach towels (so convenient because I always forget to pack these lol), dishwasher pods, trash bags, paper towels, toilet paper, and internet/ cable. They also have a welcome binder handy for your convenience for things like; wifi password, rules, how-tos for the techy stuff (tell you how to access how- to videos as well), things to do on the island, places to eat, beach access, water activities, airport transportation, island rentals, and more! Having all of these things right at your fingertips at the home made life SO easy especially if you aren't familiar with the island! They also have the best customer service. If you need anything at all during your stay- they have phone numbers to reach at anytime if needed! The house we were in, coastal queen, had a heated pool and hot tub (most of their homes do), and it also was stocked with pool noodles and toys which is awesome! The garage also had a pool table for even more fun with the family! I had the luxury of meeting a super sweet staff member from AMI locals and she took us to four other homes that they manage so I could take some videos to share on Instagram (instagram: @meganmarod) throughout the next few weeks with you guys! The other homes that we got to tour were JUST AS amazing and beautiful. We loved them all! All of their homes are so unique and decorated so gorgeous and have total island vibes! I also love that they have all different sized homes from homes for a couple all the way to homes for groups of 18! I cannot speak highly enough about this company. They made the whole vacation rental process a BREEZE and an unforgettable stay! I'm already looking into other homes that they manage that we want to visit another time LOL!
Places to Eat
The Donut Experiment- highly recommend! We walked there on the first morning we woke up in Anna Maria! It was about a 15 minute walk but super enjoyable! This place was sooo good! You fill out a sheet to completely customize your donuts! They have so many different toppings and you can do whatever you want! We got a half dozen and they were so delish! I also grabbed a vanilla iced coffee which was yummy as well!
The Ugly Grouper- we hit this restaurant the first day as well! The food was delicious! I always crave grouper when in Florida so this was my first change to get a grouper sandwich and it didn't disappoint! We sat outside at a table and it was a nice environment with an outdoor bar/ tvs as well! They also have the "ugly grouper" outside that you can take a picture with!
The Sandbar - this was a super good restaurant right on the ocean- seriously gorgeous views for lunch or dinner! We went for lunch one day and just sat there after we ate for a bit because the view was beautiful! The food was also amazing! Definitely recommend.
This was yummy goodness!
Poppo's Taqueria - okayyyy for all my taco lovers! This place- SO good! We actually were staying in one night because it started to get rain y and windy and we only had a golf cart. I discovered that Island Eats Delivery delivers Poppo's (which we had been wanting to try) so we went for it! Island eats made it super convenient to just order everything right online and it literally came within 20 minutes- impressive! Not to mention, Poppo's was amazing. We got a quesadilla, tacos, a Mexican bowl, and chips and guac and EVERYTHING was delish!
Rod & Reel Pier - we went here for lunch on our last day and it was definitely one we knew we wanted to try as well! The restaurant Is on the pier above the water which is so gorgeous! It is a small quaint little restaurant but had amazing food! I got a mahi mahi sandwich and it was great! Definitely go here if you want good food and views!
Waterfront Restaurant - this was our last dinner of the trip and it did not disappoint! It was a super cute place and faced the bay! One thing that stuck out to me for sure was the lobster bisque..to die for! Overall- everything here was good! The food was big portions so we were sad we went on our last night and couldn't take leftovers lol!
Two Scoops - we had to stop by this ice cream shop! They had sooo many different flavors. The ice cream was amazing! I highly recommend for dessert. I got one of their peanut butter flavors (I can't remember the name) but it was so so yummy! You can also get toppings as well!
One scoop, two scoops, and three scoops! Delicious!
*Those were all of the places we went to eat but there are lots more on the island! We also stocked up on basics at the local Publix which was convenient! We had to get the morning essentials- coffee, creamer, and breakfast sandwiches lol!
Things To Do
Beach Bums Rentals - we rented a golf cart for three days from them and it was the best decision we made! We weren't planning on renting a car because we felt like it would be fun to walk around the island and be outside rather than in a car and we also just didn't see it being necessary. Well- after reading through AMI locals binder, we saw this rental company and we were like LETS DO IT! It was so much fun to drive around the island the whole time on the golf cart! This place was super affordable and the golf carts are street legal on the island and have mandatory seatbelts, headlights, and turn signals!
Other Things To Do/ Places To Eat
If you have a rental car or are willing to take an uber, Busch Gardens and Adventure Island aren't too far away in Tampa. There is also, of course, Disney World in Orlando! Then there is also Sea World, Legoland, and Universal Studios in Orlando as well.
Anna Maria Island Historical Society Museum
Sarasota Classic Car Museum
Darwin Brewing Company
3 Keys Brewery
AMI Dolphin Tours - I love dolphin tours!
Scuba Quest - would love to do this!
Kayak Jacks Paddle Sports - water rentals
Beach Horses - sounds so fun
Longboat Bay Charters - fishing charters
Sarasota Classic Car Museum
Darwin Brewing Company
3 Keys Brewery
AMI Dolphin Tours - I love dolphin tours!
Scuba Quest - would love to do this!
Kayak Jacks Paddle Sports - water rentals
Beach Horses - sounds so fun
Longboat Bay Charters - fishing charters
Manatee Golf Course - lots of golf courses nearby
AMI Health and Fitness - gym on the island
Island Fitness - another gym
ABC Baby Rentals - baby essentials rentals
Robin Hood Rentals - rental
Pink and Navy - shopping boutique
Sand Dollar Gift Shop - home goods
Sun and Surf - island store
Acqua Spa - wellness
The Monkey Bus - entertainment
Rooftop Views
Beach
We had an absolutely unforgettable stay with AMI Locals and I would 10000% recommend them when searching for your next vacation rental in Anna Maria Island, Florida! This was the perfect getaway in a breathtaking home! Having a rental management company with good customer service, easily accessible, and that covers the essentials makes vacationing 10x easier! Stay tuned on my Instagram stories as I will be sharing four more homes that they manage over the next few weeks- they're gorgeous!
*Thank you so much to AMI Locals for hosting us during our stay. As always- all thoughts and opinions are my own!*
I am Megan's (very proud) aunt, and I had the pleasure of visiting her on Anna Maria Island on Feb. 1. I echo her opinions on the vacation house she stayed in courtesy of AMI Locals. The house was so clean and beautifully decorated, the pool and hot tub were great, and the island itself had lots of cute shops and restaurants. If I didn't already live in the beautiful state of Florida, I definitely would want to get a group together and stay in an AMI Locals house on Anna Maria Island for a week.
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