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By offering a wide variety of enlightening experiences within beautiful surroundings, Sarasota, Florida certainly is a magnet for those seeking the ultimate romantic vacation.

Sarasota, Florida

Norman
2004-08-11 14:35:24

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Historians are not quite sure how Sarasota derived its name. One theory is that it was named after the daughter of Hernando De Soto, Sara. De Soto, along with Ponce de Leon and Panfilo Narvez were the first explorers to land on the Gulf Coast in search of gold and silver.

Another maintains that the name may have been derived from the Spanish "sarao sota" translated as "a place of dancing." I prefer the latter, as the feeling of dancing seems to abound all around you. This is quite noticeable when you consider it to be one huge playground for sunbathing, swimming, shopping, restaurants, abundance of sunshine, unbelievable white beaches and the fantastic cultural scene.

The first inhabitants of Sarasota were the Native Americans, who 3000 years ago lived in the area, when Sarasota Bay was ripe with fish and thick palmetto brush. In fact, most of the land had been covered with cedar forests. Following the end of the Seminole Wars in the mid 1800s, Sarasota began to modernize. Initially, it was a cattle-ranching area attracting many politically disgruntled Scotsmen.

Seduced by the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company's promotional campaign in Scotland boasting about the abundance of fertile land, splendid citrus groves, cheap land and affordable housing, these newcomers packed up their belongings and boarded steamers to the promised land. Unfortunately, what these adventurers found did not exactly mirror what was promised. Most returned, however one very brave individual stayed, John Hamilton Gillespie.

It was he who built the first hotel in Sarasota, the De Soto, became the first mayor in 1902 and built Florida's first nine-hole golf course in 1885. To appreciate the difficulties the original pioneers faced, a visit to the Crowley Museum and Nature Center located in Eastern Sarasota is a must.

Sarasota's sophisticated ...