3-Day Sarasota Grad Getaway

Equipped with 3 working labs, 2 fully operating touch tanks, and 1 highly impressive 135,000-gallon shark habitat, this marine lab and aquarium is the perfect spot to let your students learn, engage, and have fun. Mote allows your students to watch research happening in the labs but also allows them to watch the animals themselves, and study their natural environment and daily rituals.

Wildlife observation at it’s finest is what you will find on your second educational stop, teh Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary. Live animal demos, public education series, and immersive animal habitat experiences await, mostly featuring, of course, rescued big cats of all kinds. There are also, however, other rescued animals such as bears, lemurs, monkeys, and exotic birds.

The Marina Jack Restaurant along bay area downtown offers a really special lunch/dinner sightseeing cruise on the Marina Jack II, these cruises being one of the best ways to see the sights of the waterfront, learn something new, and eat a fantastic meal.  Your group will enjoy the dinner cruise tonight, the dinner itself featuring prime rib or salmon. Cruise past LIdo and Bird Key as you enjoy the air-conditioned inside or fresh air open deck.

Start your morning out at Sarasota’s Bayfront Park and Marina, the perfect spot to exercise, sightsee, wildlife watching, or enjoy a breakfast or brunch picnic. Bayfront Park is conveniently located right next to the Ringling Bridge and Marina Jacks, in a nice central location. Enjoy the promenade, fountains, statue, tiki bar/eateries, and most of all, those phenomenal views all throughout the park.

Next stop: SHOPPING. St. Armand’s Circle is a premier shopping and dining district dedicated to/inspired by Ringling himself. Sitting between the Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, this ‘continental marketplace provides history, ambiance, and lush green spaces. You will find almost anything you are looking for among the several local and nationally recognized shops here, in fact, St. Armand’s Circle has been distinguished as one of the 3 high-end shopping districts in the United States that produce its own shopping magazine (successfully).

After some shopping and eating your group will have time to explore the entire barrier island of Lido Key, their best option for fun outside of St. Armand’s Circle is the Lido Key Beach itself. Take an afternoon to soak up some sun, splash in the surf, and settle down in the sand!

To top off your evening your group will visit Livingston’s Amusement Center, the 50,000 square foot entertainment venue that holds go-karts, billiards, bumper cars, bazooka ball, and a sprawling arcade. This is the perfect place to ‘eat, drink, be amused, and socialize’ as they say, and you will also get a chance to eat dinner here at the onsite eatery featuring classic bar foods such as pizza, wings, and burgers.

Head to Tampa before you leave Florida and enjoy a world-class theme park and zoo, Busch Gardens. This 335-acre wildlife and recreation mecca hold both animals and roller coasters, making it the perfect place to spend a day with student groups, no matter what age. Head to the 29-acre Serengeti Plain to see the giraffes and bongos, then head over to the wilder side of things and catch a ride on the Gwazi dueling wood coaster. Trust us, this is going to be a seriously fun stop for all involved!