You are quick Karen! Thanks for posting the trip experience.

Yes, it was a great day with wonderful and very compatible people. The weather was very breezy but very delightful!! Steve was showing some leg with his shorts. We could have spend so much more time in old downtown SRQ if our agenda wasn't created around avoiding the traffic; this time of year it's brutal.

I'm not a regular of Whole Foods but I like the one in Sarasota better than other WF so I was glad to have a few minutes to show Karen.

The bonus was the recently opened Pensey's. I don't think normal people squeal when they see a Pensey's. As you all know, it's so much fun to go to these places with CF members.

TJ's was a zoo! It's in a closed Rooms-To-Go showroom so it's a good size store. I was able to buy frozen and refrigerated items that I normally can't because it's 7 1/2 hours to the TJ's in Atlanta that I normally go to.

Fun day!

Sounds like a great day. I have to admit I thought I was in heaven the first time I visited a Penzeys here in Minnesota 15 years ago.

I just discovered a great salad dressing/dip at TJ's. It's in the refrigerated produce section. It's a lite, creamy Cilantro dressing. I just love it!

Sounds like you had a nice get-together. I hope we get to see some pictures of Steve in his shorts.

Can you believe that I live about 20 minutes from Penzey's and have never gone? TJs and WF are very close and I go often.

I love the fresh soups at TJs. Not the kind in a box, but in the refrigerated section. My favorite is Ancient Grains Lentil. Yum.

Glad you all had a fun time and that the weather was nice.

Karen, you missed the nice weather here in Michigan! (grin)

OK, you're visiting Cathy and Ray, so you get a pass. It's kind of funny that we have a Penzey's right in Grand Rapids, though, and you had to go all the way to Florida, LOL. Their Vietnamese Cinnamon smells wonderful, doesn't it?

The closest TJs or Whole Foods is in Ann Arbor, of course, and I can't see that we'll ever get one any closer, so I'm envious of your trip.

So, Florida, Steve in Shorts, TJs and seafood, PLUS Cathy and Raymond? How could it get better?

Annie

What fun!

I remember sniffing herbs with Cathy. Somewhere on one of my dead computers I have pictures.

We're heading for TJ's Friday morning....yay.

Annie, I'm sorry I missed the nice weather in Michigan but I don't think you had much sunshine with those warm temps did you? Don't get me wrong, I love Michigan, but it is really nice to see the sun almost everyday this time of year. And yes, Steve was in shorts showing off his great tan. It's that Itilian blood and olive oil he has pulsing through his veins. He can just step outside in the sun a couple of times and is more tan than the person who lays in it for hours.

Dedtired, I'm not sure about the pictures. Our camera wasn't working because the batteries were almost dead. Took some using our phones but I don't know how well they turned out. Of course there were none of Steve, only Cathy and I. Sorry LOL

Karen

Sure hate I missed it. One of these days, I'll be able to meet some other CFers. In the meantime, I'm planning a trip to Oviedo to see my Mom later in February and will try to stop at the new TJ's in Gainesville (it's only 1 mile off I-75!) on the way home. I'll be SURE to throw a cooler in the back of the truck!

Cathy& Karen

I am so glad to hear that you had a wonderful time! Next time, if you are planning a trip on the weekend I probably can join you...
And I agree that is always fun to go shopping especially for food related items.

Silvia

Spoken like true CF'ers. Other visitors would clamor to other retail stores, but you're in heaven over food shopping. LOL

What a great experience for you. We only have one very large company with several off shoots of the same store.
They recently opened a huge Loblaws in the former Maple Leaf Gardens in downtown Toronto.

When I used to go to Michigan for the odd weekend, grocery shopping never entered my mind. Now I would die to be able to find the varieties of foods, especially canned tomato flavours.

Warmer weather in Florida warms the bodies.

Nicest people I know meeting each other warms the hearts.

Pictures please?

dcarch

What a wonderful day indeed! Having met three of the four of you, I can attest that you all got on fabulously and had a lot to talk about!

The closest Penzey's to me is about an hour, so I usually drive 7 hours and go to the one in Oak Park IL! Go figure...

Love TJ's and Whole Foods, too but again, they're along way from my home in the "boonies". But they are opening a new TJ's this coming summer/fall only 1/2 mile from my work, so I see lots of paychecks being spent there in the near future!

Glad you all could get together, and really glad you get to enjoy some sunshine. Not sure when I'll see the sun again around here! LOL

Linda

That sounds like an ideal visit and shopping trip. Shopping for food and kitchen gadgets is the only kind of shopping I like to do. What a fun day, thanks for sharing.

Sally

Sounds like a beautiful day weather wise and a wonderful day of shopping! Being a foodie comes with certain resposibilities...like always having an ice chest in the back of your vehicle! Load 'em up, I say!

It's so nice to meet up with our friends from the CF. Glad you guys enjoyed your time together! I would like to see pictures!

Katie, I remember sniffing herbs ;-) with you, Cathy and a few others at the Pensey's in Michigan for Canny Camp. We had such a good time and made some pretty great memories!

Yup, it was a CF agenda for sure. We didn't even turn our heads as we passed the really nice boutiques, clothing stores, and antique shops but took great pleasure in sniffing the herbs at Pensey's.

Speaking of foodie responsibilities, as I prepped for the trip with my cooler, ice bottles, TJ shopping bags, GPS and addresses, I forgot the CAMERA! Sorry.

Shoppers were in sandals, spaghetti straps, shorts. But NONE of them had the TAN that Steve has. I've seen and had a lot of tans, but his is rich in color and depth. I hope Karen didn't notice that I kept look at him, yes he is handsome too. Okay, was that just weird?

Sounds like a wonderful meet-up. Glad you all had so much fun. Maybe someday......

If you only purchased one thing at Penseys, you have far more restraint than I do. The one thing you did buy (Vietnamese Cinnamon) is probably the best choice of all. It's the only cinnamon I use. I've had numerous inquiries about what cinnamon I use from people at the farmers market. It smells THAT good!

Have a fun time in FL...not nice outside here in MI today!

Nancy

Cathy, you are too funny. No I didn't notice you looking at Steve, and yes I think he very handsome too. I tell you, it's that Italian blood and olive oil in his skin. Ha!

Nancy, I was so taken off guard that there was a Penzey's Store there that I couldn't even think of what I needed. Only the cinnamon. And yes, it is the best cinnamon I have ever used! What else would you have purchased Nancy? If I get a chance to go back again I want to have a list.

It really was such a great time! Cathy is a hoot and Ray is so nice and sweet! Oh, Cathy is nice and sweet too!!!

Karen