Livin' The Dream at Manasota Key

01/14/2026

Hi. It's Kim! I explained in an earlier post that we sold the condo on this page in 2021. FB for some reason would not let me transfer ownership to the page, nor delete it.
Since then, we have missed the island so much that in March 2025 we purchased a cute 2 br/ 2ba hurricane ravaged freestanding home in the Englewood Beach Villas (behind Circle K and Gulf Realty), and it has been a huge project to say the least, and is still a work in progress, but we are getting close.....so it's time we let you in on it!!

I am making this final post to invite you to follow along as we get Villa 61 ready for our home away from home, as well as welcoming guests when we are not there.

We still have a ways to go, and renting details to work out...but here is your invitation to leave this dormant page and be some of the first to join us on our journey as we complete Villa 61!





https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584020586166

Beach vacation rental at Manasota Key, FL

05/22/2025

Hi everyone. This is Kim, the owner of this unit from 2018 to 2021. This complex has been decimated by 2024 hurricanes. The page has been invalid, however, I cannot get FB to delete. No notifications that come from here are valid at this point.
I will update that Richard and I have again purchased on the island, a villa behind Barefoot Trader and will be offering rentals (55 and over) when the hurricane damage has been repaired, hopefully beginning in the spring of 2026. Watch for our page Villa61, coming soon.

11/01/2024

This page is no longer valid, but I cannot get Facebook to delete. Please unfollow and unlike. No notifications come here that are valid at this point.
Thank you.

08/01/2019

We had a great adventure in the creek yesterday with Paleo Discoveries, look at all the shark teeth and fossils we found! Even a megladon! We highly recommend Fred and his company, top notch, and only 1 1/2 hours from the condo!

07/25/2019

What an exciting turtle nest excavation this morning!

07/23/2019

Excavating a nest after it hatched. This nest has 89 hatched, 10 that didn't hatch, 4 dead in the nest. More clips im post.

07/23/2019

Final event in my morning experience was that they were going to excavate a nest. This nest hatched 3 days ago, then mother nature has time to do her thing. On the 4th day, they dig it up and record their findings.
This particular nest had 105 that hatched, nearly 20 that didn't 3 that hatched but didn't make it, and one little guy who was alive and well that I got to help keep him in the shade while he made his way to the water, all the time we were cheering him on!
Made my day...so much so, I am going back out in the morning even earlier because I missed a mother of one of the new nest going back in the water by less than 10 minutes!
A HUGE thank you to Coastal Wildlife Club and all the volunteers who put in countless hours for these turtles and their babies!

07/23/2019

What a treat for me (Kim) this morning! This is post 1 of 3 about it!
After seeing the tracks for 2 new nests, the volunteers had a little bit of a difficult time locating where the eggs were in one of the nests because of the way the loggerhead had covered them, but in no time, they found them and marked both nest.
On to the 3rd new nest right in rhe same area......

06/13/2019

Wow! How interesting to watch a live sand dollar bury itself. Remember to never take live shells! Sand dollars are often mistaken for dead, when they are very much alive. Live sand dollars will be dark in color, and as in this video, where you see its little spines moving, the back is covered with spines as well. If you are unsure, just turn it over and wait a minute, when its spines begin to move, you know it is alive, gently place it back in the water. Dead sand dollars will be light in color and have no spines.

02/17/2019

Tonight's sunset sent to us by friends, it makes us feel like we are there, not 1,000 miles away!

12/04/2018

Let's see..75 steps to the sand, completely updated, but just one thing was missing. Not anymore!! Guess who's unit got a full sized washer and dryer today? We are beyond excited that our great handymen were able to make it work. It wasn't easy, but it's done and all put back together!
Have you been thinking about booking your vacation with us? Don't delay, call Pat at Gulf Realty and tell her Richard and Kim sent you!