We revived our failed New Year’s plan this weekend and visited Sarasota, Florida.  We stayed at the Indigo Hotel (walking distance to downtown) in this lovely room:

The Southerner and I both agreed that the hotel was very nice, but extremely overpriced.  If we visited Sarasota again, we would stay elsewhere. Although, let me just tell you that given the fact that I was pretty much sick all weekend, that bed tray was almost worth the nightly cost.  So was the Whole Foods within walking distance of the hotel.  I find that cherry-cheese danishes and lattes in bed make me feel better a whole lot faster.

During the day, I wandered in a feverish haze around downtown Sarasota, familiarizing myself with the local shops. By night, the Southerner and I ate several delicious pizzas and listened to great live music at the Gator Club.  We weren’t entirely sold on Sarasota, but we enjoyed our weekend.  Especially the live music at the Gator Club.  The morning after we went there, I woke up to several text messages I’d drunkenly sent myself with the band’s playlist so that I’d remember them for wedding planning.  See, sometimes drunk texting is a good idea.

My absolute favorite part of the whole trip: stumbling into this boy-band during the Saturday morning farmer’s market on Main Street.  Their instruments were entirely made out of “found objects,” and my fourteen-year-old inner-child was totally crushing on their inventiveness and dreamy hipster looks.