Family Getaways 2008 - (Page 15) family getaways Above left, wall climbing at the Sharks Tooth Festival. Above right, drawing of Venice’s El Patio Hotel. Right, aerial view of Warm Mineral Springs. Festival photo courtesy Sarasota County Parks and Recreation, El Patio courtesy El Patio Hotel, Mineral Springs courtesy Reach Out International. El Patio is a genuine example of Old Florida culture, the kind of place steeped in stories and a refreshingly authentic space for the kids to explore. A stay there puts families close to the beach and to the goingson downtown, with its manageable shopping district with old-style Florida stores such as shell and sponge shops. Stop by Nifty Nic Nacs just up the way on Venice Avenue for a nostalgic shopping treat. Kitsch-loving kids will appreciate the Betty Boop and Peanuts-inspired inventory. It’s a pop culture paradise for all ages, with fun tokens and memorabilia (think action figures, wry cards and gag toys). Want to extend the coolest history lesson ever? Order a banana split at The Soda Fountain, Venice’s oldfashioned ice cream parlor for soda jerks of all stripes. The staff here dresses like another time, maneuvering the gooseneck tap with gusto and serving up ice cream sodas and ice cream. Hot dogs, burgers and fries are also on the menu, along with lots of Americana to look at and big band music playing overhead. Both Venice and Englewood boast quality family-friendly theater, a neat alternative to the usual lights-andeffects shows geared to kids. The award-winning Venice Little Theatre’s past shows include classics such as Harriet the Spy, Cinderella and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Englewood’s Lemon Bay Playhouse – a true community theater built from the ground up by area amateurs – features student performances and locally written plays. A visit during one of Lemon Bay’s open houses lets the kids tour the playhouse and talk to some of the principals about what it takes to organize community theater. When the kids are clamoring for the outdoors, hunt for sharks’ teeth at Venice Municipal Beach, a local favorite that’s sure to be a hit with even the savviest little beachgoers (there are sand volleyball courts and boardwalks for tykes both athletic and contemplative). While you’re at the beach, cool off with a red or blue sno cone from Caribbean Sno-Ball Company, located in the beach’s 1964vintage pavilion (let the kids describe the pavilion’s distinctive shape – is it bat-like? A tribute to stingrays?). This funky Jetsons-style eatery offers nofuss fries and donuts, too. Vintage Venice Facts: • At the Venice Public Library, go inside for an exhibition on The Black Stallion book series. Black Stallion-series author Walter Farley and his wife, Rosemary led the construction of the library in 1965 at 300 South Nokomis Avenue. The exhibition includes manuscripts, movie scripts, Farley’s original typewriter and a saddle. • Want to show the kids what an original McDonald’s sign looks like? The McDonald’s at 1720 South Tamiami Trail just south of where the 41 bypass hits Tamiami Trail has one in the lobby. • The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus was headquartered in Venice. At the old train station on the Intracoastal, there is a statue of tiger trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams. Family Getaways 15
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