Florida resort guests will soon have the privilege of touring the luxuriously appointed private railcar of John and Mable Ringling, which will be on display in September in the Circus Museum at the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, just minutes from Longboat Key Club & Resort, an exclusive Southwest Florida resort.

Built in 1905 by the Pullman Co., the 79-foot railcar originally cost $11,325. Its overhaul, funded by a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation, cost $400,000.

The reconditioned railcar was delivered to the museum complex in mid-August, where a wall had to be knocked down to get the car onto a piece of rail track and into the Circus Museum, so Florida resort guests could eventually get a view.

Christened the Wisconsin by John Ringling in 1905, the railcar’s interior includes an observation room, three bedrooms, a dining room, kitchen, bath and servants’ quarters. Fortunately, the original stained-glass transom windows of the car were intact. Florida resort guest enjoying a Florida beach vacation at Longboat Key Club & Resort will eventually be able to tour the Ringling’s opulent railcar.

Museum officials have set January 2009 as the official opening of the Wisconsin, which doubtless was the smallest of the Ringlings’ residences – a perfect bookend Ca’ d’Zan – the couple’s 66-acre estate and dream home on the Sarasota Bay – just minutes from Longboat Key Club & Resort, an exclusive Southwest Florida resort.

Visitors to Florida resorts during September 2008 will find a variety of exciting events taking place in the Florida Keys; and Florida resort guests enjoying a Florida beach vacation at Longboat Key Club & Resort may want to consider exploring some of these nearby adventures.

On Saturday, September 13th, Florida resort guests can drive down to experience the 2nd annual 1960s Bird Bash in Key Largo, which benefits the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center. Species from all over the world will be on display.

The weekend of September 19th-21st, motorcycle enthusiasts from around the U.S. will travel through the Keys to Key West to raise money for charity during the 36th Annual Key West Poker Run. We looking forward to thanking many of these bikers with a cause when that stop to enjoy a Florida beach vacation at Longboat Key Club & Resort along their way,

Also turning a Florida beach vacation into work and play, Some of the best bonefish anglers anywhere will participate in the Marathon International Bonefish Tournament in Marathon from September 25th-28th. You and your family can take a day tour from your Florida resort to come see the big ones that don’t get away!

These are all uniquely Florida events, and examples of why a Florida beach vacation is such an exceptional experience. Information about these and other area events is always available from the concierge to Florida resort guests at Longboat Key Club & Resort.

A set of bones found on the beach by a Texas woman and her children while on their Florida beach vacation could be a deep-sea snake or an eel, a taxidermist told the family.

However, an archaeologist told Tiffany Robinson, who was on a Florida beach vacation in the Longboat Key area, that the fossil might be that of a large fish.

Ms. Robinson has her own opinion about what the skeleton with a large head and sharp, daggerlike fins could have been.

She says, “It looks like a dinosaur.”

The remains mystified mammal researchers at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota and professors at the University of South Florida.

“I’m more baffled that the specialists, the people who should know what it is, have no idea what it is,” said Robinson, a Dallas native who is on a Florida beach vacation with her family.

When the family spotted the bones, their mother turned the find into a paleontology lesson. The family took the remains back to their condo and the children did Internet research, making their Florida beach vacation an educational experience.

When they could not identify the remains online, the family shopped the bones around to experts, who suggested it could be a reptile or a giant grouper.

Whatever the skeleton is, Robinson said she will ship it back to Dallas before the family’s Florida beach vacation ends next week. Her 8-year-old son, Kyle, plans to hang the strange remains in his room.

“But I told the kids that if it is something that has never been discovered before, we’ve got to share it with the world,” Robinson said.

St. Armands Circle, just minutes from Longboat Key Club & Resort, is a favorite of our Florida resort guests. Distinctive in concept, history and beauty, St. Armands provides an unforgettable experience for Florida resort guests from all over the world.

St. Armands is an enchanting circle of boutiques, shops and gourmet restaurants set amidst lush tropical landscaping, courtyards and patios, antique statuary and contemporary architectural design, all of which creates an atmosphere of warmth, elegance and style. Florida resort guests can relax in the restaurants, explore the shops - from trinkets to treasures, gourmet snacks to candlelight feasts - or just sit in the sun.

Today, more than 100 stores on St. Armands Circle pamper Florida resort guests from all over the U.S. and many foreign countries, but in the early 1900s, the area was just a mangrove island too far from the small fishing village of Sarasota to attract much attention.

The key was first bought in 1893 by a French fisherman - Charles St. Amand - for $21.71. His name was misspelled “St. Armand” on the deed. Visionary circus magnate, John Ringling, purchased the St. Armands Key property in 1917 and planned a development that included residential lots and a shopping center in the form of a circle. Unfortunately, the depression got in the way and it took until the 1950s for St. Armands to begin to draw real business - and Florida resort guests.

John Ringling’s influence is still evident today in the planning and design of streets radiating from the circle at the island’s hub and the Italian statuary from his personal collection strategically placed around the key. This shopping circle that attracts Florida resort guests looks very much as Ringling originally envisioned it, with the palm lined medians, park-like setting, and tropical landscaping.

St. Armands Circle is an experience all Florida resort guests will want to include in their Florida beach vacation. From the exclusive shops to the cozy European-style cafŽs. It’s part of what makes your stay at Longboat Key Club & Resort all yours.

On the barrier island of Longboat Key, Florida – where you’ll find Longboat Key Club and Resort – are a number of exceptional fine dining restaurants. Read on to learn about a few top picks, and gain insight on where to dine during your next Florida resort vacation.

Pattigeorge’s restaurant, just minutes from our Florida resort, brings American, Italian, Asian, Caribbean and Latin American tastes and traditions to the table – all amid panoramic bay views. Preferred among Florida resort guests for great seafood from local waters, as well as grilled and barbecued meats, crisp greens and house-baked desserts, PG’s is designed to please modern palates.

Another favorite among visitors to our Florida resort, Euphemia Haye is a Wine Spectator award-winning restaurant where you’ll find such signature dishes as crisp Roast Duckling, as well as the ever-popular flambéed Prime Peppered Steak. Fresh seafood, homemade pasta and vegetarian dishes are available at this restaurant – ideal for Florida resort guests seeking a refined, romantic atmosphere – while sweetbreads and a Veal special are offered nightly.

These are only two of the many fine dining establishments offered on Longboat Key, and there are many more to explore on the island and in Sarasota. Plan your Florida resort vacation today, and treat yourself to the many flavors of our delicious tropical locale.

In February 2008, The Ringling Museum of Art announced that a donation by Howard Tibbals, a Longboat Key philanthropist and circus enthusiast, will provide the seed money for a new circus museum and learning center at the John and Mable Ringling Estate in Sarasota, Florida.

Combined with a state match of $4 million, the money will go toward the first phase of construction of a new circus museum that will eventually replace the 40-year-old structure – an exciting new attraction for guests of Longboat Key Club & Resort, an exclusive Florida resort on the southwest coast.

Tibbals’ long-term plan calls for 50,000 square feet of new space that will cost up to $32 million. It is an ambitious vision, but, as Mr. Tibbals’ says, “f you don’t dream, you don’t get there.”

The Tibbals Learning Center houses a handcrafted miniature circus that was built by Mr. Tibbals himself and has become the centerpiece of the museum. The model is a sprawling miniature show featuring thousands of tiny people and animals. Tibbals is still making new pieces to add to the project he has been working on for nearly 50 years.

“It’s one of a kind,” said Ringling Executive Director John Wetenhall. “Howard Tibbals created a massive model. It’s twice as large as many people’s homes.”

Florida resort guests have been astounded by the detail and imagination of Mr. Tibbals’ work, just as they have been drawn to The Ringling Museum of Art for decades.

And soon, this museum will have an even bigger “big top” venue. Staff members are excited about expansion plans made possible by a $4 million donation by Tibbals, which will also include a study center for circus historians.

Florida resort guests can find out more about visiting hours at The Ringling Museum of Art by calling Longboat Key Club & Resort at 888-350-7730.

Automotive museums are scattered throughout the South, where Nascar was born and still thrives. From antique cars to dragsters to Nascar racing exhibits, auto enthusiasts staying at Florida resorts should have no trouble finding exactly what interests them.

One such museum is located near Longboat Key Club & Resort, and guests of this exclusive Florida resorts have found it to be an exciting attraction. Built in 1952, the Sarasota Classic Car Museum (SCCM) – which recently completed a huge renovation program – opened its doors to the public in February of 1953 and is recognized as one of the oldest car museums in the world.

Located on U.S. 41 in Sarasota, Florida, the Museum’s 60,000 square foot facility sits on four acres of land near the Florida resorts and close to such other attractions as The Ringling Museum of Art and the Asolo Theater, home of the Sarasota Ballet Company.

The Museum features a “living” collection of over 100 automobiles, which is constantly updated through acquisitions, exchanges with other car museums, and through donations of vehicles from collectors. Some of the museum’s star attractions are John Lennon’s Mercedes Roadster, Paul McCartney’s Mini Cooper and a dragster belonging to Don Garlits.

Established as a non-profit organization in 1998 so that it could expand its role in the preservation of the cars of the 20th century and their history, the Museum’s mission is to educate and entertain visitors on these magnificent, mechanical works of art and their impact on society over the last 10 decades.

Florida resorts guests can find out more about visiting hours at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum by calling Longboat Key Club & Resort at 888-350-7730.

Florida resort guests flock to Longboat Key Club and Resort each year during the Sarasota Film Festival. In its 10th year, the festival is already making an impact in the worldwide film scene, with a hand-selected program of 150 independent, international and short films in competition.

In recent years, the festival has attracted Florida resort guests, as well as filmmakers and actors like mainstream Hollywood’s Richard Dreyfuss, Alan Alda and Sydney Pollack. Also present are many recognized actors from the indie genre, including William H. Macy and Todd Haynes.

Admissions in 2006 topped 45,000 for films and events, and even more are expected at the 2008 festival. The 2008 festival will last from April 4 - 13 at the Hollywood 20 Theater in downtown Sarasota. Throughout the festival, Florida resort guests will find many other exciting related events throughout the downtown area.

Tom Hall recently became the full-time director of programming for the Sarasota Film Festival. He has helped refocus the festival by widening the scope of competition films. “We’ve restructured the competition… It’s not just going to be American independent premieres.” Florida resort guests can enjoy films that include foreign titles and films already being distributed, in addition to traditional independent narrative features that have not yet premiered.

Aside from exposure to a variety of films, the festival gives film buffs a chance to attend seminars, as well as receptions and a Filmmakers Tribute Dinner, where Florida resort guests can rub shoulders with industry insiders, and more importantly, garner knowledge of the processes involved in filmmaking.

For more information on the Sarasota Film Festival, visit www.sarasotafilmfestival.com.

Florida Resort guests to Longboat Key Club and Resort, located on the island of Longboat Key off the coast of Sarasota, can enjoy performances from the only professional ballet company on Florida’s west coast: The Sarasota Ballet.

The Ballet boasts a repertoire that delights Florida Resort guests and includes the great classics, works of internationally recognized contemporary choreographers, and works from Florida artists like Todd Allen, Demetrius Klein and James Buckley.

The Ballet’s repertoire for Florida Resort guests also includes such beloved classics as Swan Lake and Giselle, and original works such as Madame Butterfly, Echo & Narcissus and Zal & Rudabeh – ballets that have received outstanding critical acclaim internationally…and, here, from Florida Resort guests.

The Ballet’s outreach programs reach deeply into the Florida Resort and local community to have a profound effect upon the lives of its children and their families. The “Sarasota Ballet Academy” and “Dance - The Next Generation” programs reach more than 5,000 children annually and introduce them to dance and familiarize them with career opportunities within the arts.

Each year the Company, Academy students and “Dance - The Next Generation” students share the art of ballet with Florida Resort guests and residents by performing in local events such as the Sarasota Reading Festival, Manatee Festival of the Arts, and Sarasota Arts Day.

One of the largest and most diverse nature areas in Florida, Myyaka River State park offers Sarasota hotel guests, such as those to Longboat Key Club & Resort, the opportunity to partake in sightseeing tours by airboat and tram.

Sarasota hotel visitors can learn about the ecology of the area and the interesting features of its many inhabitants during these inspiring, informational tours. During your Sarasota hotel vacation, you can see incredible wildlife, including alligators, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, ibis, egrets, deer, wild turkey, bobcats, and many other animals and birds.

The Myakka River, designated as a Florida Wild and Scenic River, flows through 58 square miles of wetlands, prairies, hammocks, and pinelands. Sarasota hotel visitors can view wildlife from a boardwalk that stretches out over the Upper Myakka Lake, then take to the treetops with a jaunt along the park’s canopy walkway.

The park´s river and two lakes provide ample opportunities for boating, freshwater fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. And for Sarasota hotel guests who are interested in some adventure, a boat ramp provides access to Upper Myakka Lake.

Hikers from our Sarasota hotel can explore trails that cross large expanses of rare Florida dry prairie. Scenic lake tours are offered daily on the world´s two largest airboats. Safari tram tours of the park´s backcountry are offered mid-December through May.