Resort stay: August 6-13, 2005 Four Winds is a very nice small timeshare, the kind I like. It is located in an exclusive and very wealthy...
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Resort stay: August 6-13, 2005
Four Winds is a very nice small timeshare, the
kind I like. It is located in an exclusive and
very wealthy area which is both beautiful and
peaceful. Other than the beachfront pool, there
are essentially no amenities, which keeps the
resort quiet and small. The 1 bdr unit (207) we
had was very nice, recently redone and was large
and very nicely furnished, including a complete
kitchen with all the amenities one could want.
Great bathroom, with separate sinks in 2 rooms.
Supposedly an independent restaurant (Maison
Blanche) on site, but only “sort of” open.
Operators have an attitude problem, and when
they claim they are open, they aren’t. Guess I
wouldn’t eat there anyway.
Though beachfront, the beach was in the process
of being replenished during our visit, with 2
tractors spreading course sand (an error to be
corrected with a final layer of fine white
sand). While this made the beach essentially
unusable for the week, it wouldn’t have made any
difference: THERE WAS A RED TIDE in full bloom
all along the gulf coast. This condition had
been prevalent for 4-6 weeks and was getting
progressively worse, so the beach and ocean were
unusable anyway. This stage of the red tide was
killing fish and they, along with lots of
seaweed, were floating in and landing on the
beach, along with an absolutely strong and
unbearable odor. At times it was even so bad
that it reached the pool area and balconies. We
vacation in Florida very frequently, and had
never run across this before, and I never plan
to again! I will always check with some marine
agency before planning a trip to the ocean, in
Florida or anywhere (New England has them
occasionally also). While Longboat Key has O.K.
beaches, Siesta Key, the next one south, has
what is considered to be the finest (best) beach
sand in the world according to some of the
oceanalogical agencies. And they are right
(along with the Panhandle beaches)! But still
the red tide.
Best: Very upscale area, including Sarasota;
definitely a wealthy enclave. Good restaurants
(some VERY expensive), lots of shops in one
contained area, St. Armands Circle on Longboat
Key, and a lovely area with nice ocean and bay
views. Close to Sarasota for everything else.
Worst: Longboat Key beaches: course sand, but to
be improved.
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