Rolling
white-sand beaches and sparkling azure waters combine with a sophistication and
charm to make Sarasota the gem of Florida’s Gulf Coast. The endless array of
activities and the exhilarating mixture of attractions, restaurants, shopping,
and accommodations are a sure fit for any traveler.
Relax at a four-star resort or a quaint sea-side
inn, explore master works of art, catch a round of golf, stroll through
world-class shopping, canoe through unspoiled waterways lined with mangrove,
dine on a bay front cruise, or just dig your feet in the sand and bask in the
glow of an evening Gulf sunset, whatever your pleasure.
How it All Began...
Sarasota first became a “modern” town in the 1880s when the town was promoted in
Scotland by the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company in 1885. It was a breath
of fresh air, promising an abundance of fertile land, plentiful citrus groves,
and affordable housing. Scottish families looking for a new start boarded
steamer ships and set sail for Sarasota. Unfortunately, upon their arrival, the
town was little more than a frontier camp. Needless to say, most of them left.
But among the hardy souls who stayed to complete their dream was John Hamilton
Gillespie, a Scottish aristocrat, lawyer, and member of the Queen’s Bodyguard
for Scotland. It was this man who is believed to have built America’s first golf
course, right here in Sarasota. Quite an entrepreneur, Mr. Gillespie also built
the upscale DeSoto Hotel on Main Street for tourists and prospective investors.
For his efforts, he was later elected as Sarasota’s first mayor in 1902.
A “Paradise for the Pampered” as early as the 1910s,
Sarasota began attracting some of America’s most wealthy, who, with their own
style, helped to define the county of Sarasota. Today’s Historic Spanish Point
was once the posh waterfront winter estate and gardens of Bertha Palmer, widow
of Chicago developer Potter Palmer. That’s not all—what is now Myakka River
State Park was once Palmer’s 30,000-acre ranch in eastern Sarasota, called
Meadowsweet Pastures.
Courtesy of Sarasota
Convention & Visitors Bureau
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