My Favorite Places on Anna Maria Island

I spent last week in Anna Maria Island, Florida and it might just be my favorite little town ever! I love so much about being there, and I thought I would share some of my favorite little spots on the island. you know, in case you're planning a trip there and looking for the best places to go :)

1. First, of all - the beach!! My family spends most days at the beach. we walk down around 10 or 11 in the morning and stay all day long! We pack snacks and lots of books and enjoy the waves! The beach in Anna Maria is stunning. The sand is white and the water is bright blue and crystal clear. I love sitting by the ocean and watching the pelicans dive for fish! Now, when I'm not at the beach, you can find me at one of these other locations...

2. The pier is so beautiful! Each board on the pier has a name on it and it is so fun to walk down and read the names. This year, when we walked down the pier, there were a couple men cutting scraps off fish so the birds were going nuts! I am not a fan of fish scraps or birds so I kept my distance and snapped some pictures instead :)

3. Chipotle is my jam - we don't have Chipotle's in Canada so I'm always sure to grab a burrito when I'm in the States and they never disappoint. We go up into Bradenton to go to Chipotle and it's a bit of a trip (~30 minutes) but the burritos are so worth it!!

4. The little ice cream shop on the island is called Two Scoops. Of course, they have to be true to their name and hand out two scoops of ice cream on each cone! They have such fun flavors! I got Gator Tracks this year, a delicious blend of chocolate and peanut butter and I'm already looking forward to going back next year!

5. Three Island Monkeys is just the cutest little gift shop, I love browsing through their store each year!

6. This was a new place for me this year, I had never stopped into Saltair before but I was a big fan! They have cute shoes, dresses, beach cover-ups... I found the cutest clutch there, but I just couldn't justify having another purse in my life right now. So, I'm hoping it's still there when I go back next year, because I still want it!!

7. The local bakery there is called Hometown Desserts and it is a darling little shop along Pine Avenue. I've tried a couple of their treats over the years (their popsicles are to die for!!) but i think I love their key lime pie best! So good! If you are in Anna Maria, I definitely recommend stopping into Hometown Desserts for a treat!!

8. There a series of little shops called The Egret in Anna Maria and I love browsing through their stores! There's The Egret's Landing, The White Egret and The Egret's Nest. They have fun home decor, Christmas ornaments and the most beautiful jewellery!!

9. This year, my family discovered a fun place called Pineapple Junk-tion. i have to admit, I was initially drawn to this place because I love pineapples but it really was the coolest store. It was a junk store, so everything was really old, but it was re-purposed or refurbished into some pretty wonderful things! There was a car from the 60's in there, old portraits of celebrities, old couches that had been reupholstered - it was so fun to look around in this store!!

What are your favorite vacation spots?