WHY LIVE IN A CROWDED CITY WHEN BEACHES LIKE THESE EXIST?

IF YOU ARE YOUNG AND HAVE NO SOLID ROOTS TO A COMMUNITY, WHY NOT THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE LIVING 20 YEARS FROM NOW? AND WHY WAIT 20 YEARS TO MOVE? IF YOU LOVE LIVING IN THE CITY, SCENES LIKE THIS ARE NOT TEMPTING. BUT IF YOU ARE TIRED OF THE CROWDED MASSES, THE ANXIETIES, THE DANGERS, THE POLLUTION, THERE IS HOPE FOR YOU IF YOU ARE ONE WHO SEEKS ADVENTURE. IF YOU ARE FULL OF AMBITION AND LOVE THE BEAUTY OF NATURE, WHY SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE TRAVELING BEHIND A BUS ON YOUR WAY TO WORK. OH, IF YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED IN A LARGE CITY LIKE NEW YORK OR BOSTON, ATLANTA OR CHICAGO, THIS IS PROBABLY NOT GOOD ADVICE FOR YOU. THERE ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO CANNOT BE HAPPY ANYWHERE BUT IN THE CITY. IF YOU LOVE NEW YORK OR CHICAGO, YOU WOULD GET BORED OF JOGGING ON THIS BEACH EVERY DAY. YOU WOULD MISS CENTRAL PARK OR LAKE SHORE DRIVE. SO, THIS ESSAY IS NOT DIRECTED TO THE AVID URBAN DWELLER. WHAT? YOU ASK, WHY NOT? ADMIT IT, YOU NEED THE CITY, THE SMELLS, THE NOISE, THE ALWAYS ON THE GO TYPE OF ATTITUDES YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ENJOY. OKAY, OKAY, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU DON'T ENJOY A LOVELY BEACH LIKE THIS ONE AT ANNA MARIA ISLAND. OKAY, SO YOU DO LIKE IT, BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO LIVE THERE. FINE. I AM GLAD YOU LOVE THE CITY. IF YOU AND YOUR CITY DWELLING FREINDS WOKE UP TOMMORROW AND DECIDED TO MOVE TO ANNA MARIA, THERE WOULD BE SOME VERY UNHAPPT RESIDENTS. HERE'S THE SOLUTION. INSTEAD OF HEADING FOR THE SERENITY OF THIS ISLAND FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHY NOT RESERVE A BEACH HOUSE FOR A WEEK TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE. YOU DESERVE TO ENJOY SERENTIY TOO. BUT WITHIN A WEEK, YOU WILL BE READY TO BE BACK IN THE CANYONS OF THE SKYSCRAPERS WHERE YOU CAN HEAR HONKING HORNS AND EPITHETS BEING SCREAMED IN TRAFFIC JAMS. SO, COME ON DOWN, BUT DON'T MOVE HERE. COME DOWN, RELAX, GET A TAN, AND THEN HEAD HOME. THIS WAY, WE WILL ALL BE HAPPY.

LIFESTYLES ON THE BEACH AT ANNA MARIA ISLAND

THE BEACHES OF

ANNA MARIA ISLAND

are like one great big beautiful beach; there are beaches on all sides. It's an island, so go figure. Some beaches are better than others, true. There's the beaches for public swimming and tanning, the beaches for kind of hanging out as a couple, beaches for family reunions, etc. There's a beach for everyone.

THE HAPPIEST BAR ON THE PROMENADE IN THE 60S

IT WAS THE HAPPIEST BAR ON THE STRAND OR THE PROMENADE, whatever you chose or choose to call the ribbon of concrete that runs along the beachfront in Santa Monica all the way to wherever it ends now. It once went all the way to Manhattan Beach, if I recall. It was called The Carousel Bar. And things were really happening. It was quite an experience. I was young and had a lot to learn.