We spent some time in a condo at beautiful Anna Maria Island recently. While we were there, we discovered the Pine Avenue shopping experience. This little street has one of the most interesting and diverse gathering of shops we have seen in our travels.

From The Studio At Gulf & Pine to The Anna Maria Pier, it is a walk of discovery. We found clothing boutiques, eateries and all manner of gift shops. Each had its own unique flair and stock. Incidentally, if you are looking for a place to stay, there’s also a selection of real estate and rental companies along the way.

Our Walk Down Pine Avenue

Our first stop was the Donut Experiment. We quickly found that parking in the area was at a premium. So we decided to check out the nearby shops, then dutifully move the Funmobile down the street so as to make way for paying customers.

The Donut Experiment – where every donut is a custom donut.

At the Donut Experiment, you start with a plain cake donut, then build your own creation using a variety of icings and toppings. And there’s plenty of them. Your choices range from M&Ms to bacon and even raspberry drizzle.

There’s also a selection of specialty donuts like Key Lime or Siracha. Next door is Poppo’s Taqueria. That’s a family owned and operated Mexican-inspired restaurant. Their offerings include tacos, burritos and quesadillas among other things.

Just down the way are the boutiques Pink & Navy and Bella by the Sea. Pink & Navy – or P&N as they say, is a hip and trendy shop with both clothing and accessories. Feature brands include Draper James and Sanctuary. They also have some of their own P&N branded clothes.

These are reversible and say “Gym Buddy” when inside out – a big seller at P&N.

Their neighbor is Bella by the Sea Boutique. They have what is termed “beach urban style” – as well as an assortment of fun accessories from candles to bath bombs.

Kid Stuff

We then ran up on the Shiny Fish Emporium. This is a family-friendly retail store, offering an irresistible array of unique goods, confections as well as kid crafts and activities.

This brightly colored nook at the Shiny Fish is where children – and adults – can paint shells.

Speaking of kids, we stopped in at the Flip Flop Shop & Candy Stop. It has a full line of new and retro candy, as well as a full line of sandals. They also are moving to add more children’s games and toys.

Deliciousness

Two other places we found were uber cool. There was The Olive Oil Outpost. There were so many olive oils, infused oils, balsamic vinegars, infused vinegars, pasta, sauces, pestos, artisan jams and spreads jammed into this tiny shop. We got a deal on some Moliterno altartifo cheese which was outstanding. That became an integral part of a later beach picnic.

And for supplies there was the Anna Maria General Store and Deli. It is a small grocery store in the traditional sense, with a wide range of grab and go deli selections. There’s a nice seating area outside where you can enjoy your meal and the great Anna Maria Island weather.

The Anna Maria Genral Store has a lot of regular grocery items, but there’s also plenty of organics, some wonderful collectables and a fabulous deli.

Our Disappointments

We so wanted to go out on the Anna Maria Pier. Sadly it was under renovation when we were there. The good news is, that it could be open by the time we come back. We did have a chance to watch them work on it and plan for a later visit.

A very sad sight for us at the end of Pine Avenue.

Additionally, we did not have time to stop at the Anna Maria Island Historical Society. Nor did we have a chance to visit the Old City Jail or stop by the Historic Green Village.

And even though we had the Funmobile, I had my eye on Beach Bums to see if they had a really cool vehicle for my wife and me to cruise about the island.

Apparently the woodie is not for rent at Beach Bums Island Attitude.

But that only means that we need to come back again – and perhaps again. Like many of the locations we visit in the Sunshine State, each time we return, we find new and exciting places.

Stay tuned.