The Wandering Disciple

An unspoiled Florida beach, free of development and free of crowds. If you are willing to put in the effort my kayaking here or rent a boat to sail here, there are quiet and unspoiled beaches dotted along the coast line. Like this one here at the south end of Siesta Key. It was created when Mother Nature closed the Midnight Pass that separated Siesta Key and Casey Key. Today, this once open waterway is not a natural and unspoiled beach. (Photo: May 31, 2015)

The calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico are a hidden gem on the Sarasota coastline. Nestled between Siesta Key and Casey Key in the closed Midnight Pass, the park is only accessible by boat or kayak. (Photo: May 31, 2015)

Sarasota, Florida: Today we decided to go kayaking on the south end of Siesta Key. We launched from the kayak launch at Turtle Beach and paddled south towards the Jim Neville Marine Preserve, with a beach stop along the way. This paddling trip was rated as one of the top 10 in our area and we were really looking forward to trying it. Our journey began at the Turtle Beach ramp. Unlike the mass of vendors we experienced last week at South Lido, the crowd here at Turtle Beach wasn't bad. We unloaded the kayaks and began our trip. The ramp leads you through a large channel with condos and homes on each side before you reach the bay. From there we headed southwest and made a stop at the beach. The beach was amazing. When we pulled our kayaks ashore, there were only a handful of people on this stretch of beach. Years ago, this was the Midnight Pass which separated Siesta Key from Casey Key. But over time, the pass closed and the county made no attempt at dredging th...