Meet Me on AMI

Welcome to our new blog Meet Me on AMI! We are excited to share our stories with you and hear from you! Our goal is to share with you our favorite things to do on Anna Maria Island. Everything from getting here, to where to eat, and fun things to do. 

Think of this blog as your ultimate guide to Anna Maria Island from someone who vacationed here, then decided to stay longer and longer. Ultimately, we decided to sell everything in our home state of Texas and relocate to Bradenton.

We first discovered Anna Maria Island, thanks to friends who came here for Spring Break 2020. They ended up extending their stay and we were looking for a way to make the most of locks downs. We stayed all over the island for 8 months in vacation rentals and hotels. During our 8^th month we decided it was time to buy something here. We weren’t quite ready to leave Texas completely, so we thought we would split our time here and there. After a few months of owning here no one wanted to go back to Texas. In 2021 we made the difficult decision to sell our Texas home and relocate full time. During our time vacation living on Anna Maria Island, we ate at nearly every restaurant on the island. We have shopped until we dropped for ourselves, as well as friends and family all over the island. We spent our days outside fishing, boating, and enjoying the beaches. We continue to spend most of our days on the island. We are truly soaking up the Florida lifestyle this area so generously provides. We now live just off the island, so our children are closer to school and activities.   We are truly vacationers who didn’t want to leave and became as close to locals as we can be! As Texans we know how important native roots can be, we know we will never be native Floridians, but we try our best to be the best transplants we can be.

We have 3 children who attend 3 different schools in the area. Josh continues to own and operate a successful business in Texas. After many years in automotive marketing, I have left the corporate world to help run AMI Rentals and start Concierge AMI, leaving more time for family and time to shuttle the kids to and from their various activities. It’s been an adventure to say the least, but we are so thankful for the opportunity to live our lives near the beach. The slogan “We live where people vacation” couldn’t be truer for us! Now we want to use this blog to share what we have learned along the way, tips, and tricks, and more with you.

Our first few years of visitors I created a list on my phone and shared with everyone who visited. Where to eat, where to shop, how to miss the crowds, all valuable lessons we had learned along the way.   One thing for sure this tiny island has plenty of change on a regular basis. I am excited to use our blog to share our favorite places with you and keep you updated on all things Anna Maria Island. 

We own and operate AMI Rentals, which offers street legal golf carts (LSV) for rent on Anna Maria Island. Additionally, we own and operate Concierge AMI. Concierge AMI is a full-service concierge to assist you in booking everything you need for a seamless stress-free vacation on Anna Maria Island.   

In 2022 we joined the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce. 

More blog articles coming soon!