Information for
Home at Holmes Beach |
5506 Holmes Boulevard, Holmes Beach, Florida
On beautiful Anna Maria Island |
Beach |
That's why you came! Turn left out of the front door, and walk straight for about two hundred yards down the path next to the condo complex onto the beach. There are beach toys for Unit B in the wagon on the lanai, and for Unit A in the wagon in the laundry room. There are beach chairs in the laundry areas for each unit, and those wagons are for taking your stuff to the beach. If you have so much stuff you need to drive to the beach (we know the feeling), you can drive everything to the Manatee County Public Beach, about a mile south where Manatee Avenue ends, or to Coquina Beach State Park, an especially nice combination of beach and shade (!) for picnicking or just keeping the car out of the sun. Whatever route you take, there are five miles of unobstructed Gulf beach at your disposal, from the top of the Island to the bottom. If you prefer the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and a view of the Sunshine Skyway and the mainland, Bay Front Park is on the east side in Anna Maria (the city) and Palma Sola Causeway is the beach on both sides of Manatee Avenue, the road that probably brought you to Anna Maria. |
Bicycles |
Decent bikes can be rented at the Ace Hardware store or other outlets on the Island for a small fee. |
Carport/Driveway |
When Units A and B are rented to different groups, the carport should have one space available for each unit. Other cars should be parked in the driveway. Caution: speed limits on the Island are strictly enforced! |
Cleaning |
Supplies for everyday cleaning can be found in the kitchen areas and mop closets in Units A and B. If you use the last of something, please replace it if you can. Please don't leave the place a mess. |
Dining In |
We've tried to stock the kitchens in Units A and B with every utensil you will need for cooking, even for a crowd. The dining area in Unit A will accommodate four comfortably. In Unit B, we have supplied three small dining tables (two expandable) for flexible eating arrangements. There are four folding chairs in the closet in the back bedroom. |
Emergency |
Holmes Beach has a 911 emergency call system. See also the numbers in Bark Realty's book in each unit. |
Fire Extinguishers |
There are fire extinguishers in the mop closets in Units A and B, and under the kitchen sink in the Cottage. |
Information |
The Chamber of Commerce (where Gulf Dr. turns west), Holmes Beach City Hall (two blocks east and one block north) and Anna Maria Island Library (two blocks east) have lots of this, and see also a basket of brochures and a looseleaf book in the living rooms in Units A and B. |
Laundry |
There is a washer/dryer behind the carport for Unit B, and off the patio at the back of the house for Unit A. Feel free to use detergent that is there, and kindly replace it if you use the last. |
Linens |
There are sheets, towels, kitchen linens, beach towels and rags in the linen closets in Unit A and Unit B. The beds will be made with fresh linens when you arrive. The beds in Unit B and the Cottage are all queen size, and there is one extra set for each bed in the closet of the Unit B rooms. The sheets for the sofabed and extras for the Cottage are in the linen closet in Unit B. The extra sheets for Unit A beds are also in their bedroom closets. Please take only the beach towels to the beach. |
Local scene |
There are actually three towns on this little island. Holmes Beach is the largest by a factor of three, with almost 6000 souls. Anna Maria (to the north) and Bradenton Beach (to the south) have about 2000 each. Locals feel that the towns have very distinct characters. |
Outdoor Grills |
There are two in the back yard, one for Unit A and one for Unit B, both charcoal. Please feel free to use them, and clean them after use. The house cleaners are not responsible for these. If you run out of charcoal, more is available at the Ace Hardware and at many other outlets on the island. See the sign on the laundry set in Unit A for easy charcoal lighting instructions. |
Restaurants |
Depends on your taste. Some of the most popular on the Island for dinner are the Beach House and Gulf Drive Inn, near each other on the water in Bradenton Beach, the Sandbar and Rotten Ralph's on the water in Anna Maria, and DaGiorgio's in Holmes Beach. We like the Fit to Eat Deli (within easy walking distance) or Paradise Bagels for breakfast, but we haven't tried them all. Café Epicure in Sarasota is our current favorite dinner place, but we also like the Sandbar, Maestro and Mr. Bonz on the Island, and lots of others. If you feel comfortable at places you know from home, every chain restaurant known to man (or woman) is arrayed along Cortez Road. |
Telephones |
There are two phone lines in the house. 941-778-3028 rings on two phones in Unit A. 941-778-3018 rings on two phones in Unit B and one phone in the Cottage.
Both lines allow free local calls and toll-free calls (800, 888, 877 and 866 numbers). Long distance can be accessed through your own service using their toll free number. |
Temperature (Indoor) |
Units A and B have central heat/air conditioning with thermostats in each unit. The cottage has a room air conditioner and a space heater. Please be sure when you leave to turn off the air conditioner or heater in the Cottage, and set the thermostats in Units A and B to 85 in the summer and 60 in the winter. Unit B also has a dehumidistat with instructions on the bulletin board. |
Trash/Recycling |
Trash pickup is on Mondays and Thursdays, yard waste pickup is on Wednesdays, and recycling is picked up on Mondays only. Newspaper, glass and plastic bottles, and cans go in the recycling bins. Trash barrels and recycling bins are available at the carport for both units. You can also recycle plastic and paper bags at the Publix (bins near the door). |
