Cortez Florida – Our December Home!

Cortez Florida – Our December Home! We will be spending the entire month of December at the beautiful Buttonwood Inlet RV Resort in Cortez, Florida. We will be close to family, in walking distance to 20 or so seafood restaurants, and enjoying a tropical paradise. Finally, a chance to relax for awhile and enjoy!

The Relocation

We left our St. Augustine Florida location after a good Thanksgiving week of relaxing, touring the area, and meeting some RV friends. Up next is our month long stay on the gulf coast several miles south of Tampa. The drive is 233 miles and ends with navigating around Tampa at rush hour, so we elected to stop for the night, just north of Tampa, and then finish the drive during the mid-morning lull.

Cortez, FL

Cortez is a small fishing village with a population of 4,500 and was founded by settlers from North Carolina in 1880. Today, the economy is all based on tourism and commercial fishing. The area still has a quaint small fishing village feel to it.

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Anna Maria Island

Just across the bridge is the seven mile long Anna Maria Island. It is bounded on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, on the south by Longboat Pass (which separates it from Longboat Key), on the east by Anna Maria Sound, and on the north by Tampa Bay.

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It was first established in 1892, when George Bean began a homesteading of the area. Soon the city of Anna Maria was laid out and the first bridge built in 1921.
Nearly a century later, Anna Maria Island has become one of the most popular locations in Florida, visited by both locals and tourists.

Tourism is the economy here. From the many restaurants and bars, to condo rentals, to the souvenir shops.

The Island is actually comprised of three small towns. Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach. All within that seven miles.

The tourist season is actually year round, but come January 1st, it explodes. The snowbirds arrive and the traffic and restaurant crowds become something else. It takes some planning around the peak times to avoid long waits.

Buttonwood Inlet RV Resort

Our RV park is located just west of the bridge over to Anna Maria Island. Buttonwood is a little tropical paradise with just 70 or so sites. Small and quiet with paved sites and very nice landscaping plants between each site.

They have a heated pool and a shower house, but beyond that, the main attraction is the location. Within walking distance to the beach and maybe 20 restaurants. And to the coolest Moose Lodge ever. Located on the beach!

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Many thanks to our good friends, Mike and BJ, for suggesting this oasis. While it is expensive at $1,450 per month, it is very comparable for Florida and the location. RV parks are just more expensive during the peak winter months.

Local Family

And the best part is that we have family here! Tom, Pat’s brother, and his wife Ginny, relocated from Cleveland this last February. From a large home to a 2-bedroom condo on the water with a boat lift and dock. A big transition for sure as Tom is nearing his retirement in the coming years. While we were visiting, their son Justin also came to visit from Ohio. It was great to hang out with them.

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RV Friends

Again, thanks to Mike and BJ for helping us get into this very popular Buttonwood RV park. We first met them at Betty’s RV Park in Abbeville, LA a couple years ago and have remained Facebook friends since then.

In our first week after arrival, they provided all kinds of local information and invited us to lunch and drinks at the famous Rod and Reel Pier. Soon, they were off to Illinois for the Christmas holiday with family, to return after the first of the year.

Wrap Up

Next up will be part 2 at Cortez with a Christmas visit from our three kids! They all flew in for three days of Florida sunshine. Thanks for following along! Take care and God Bless.