13. Do the thrift-shop thing, Sarasota style. Everybody, but everybody (including the town's top designers) goes to Curtis Brothers, a secondhand emporium at 2088 12th St. housing everything from vintage plateware to lovely antique case goods and upholstered furniture. The Woman's Exchange at 539 S. Orange Ave. is the grandmama of all consignment shops, chock-full of furniture, clothes, Oriental rugs and even garden statuary-everything you need for your new getaway condo. Curtis Brothers, (941) 366-9766; Woman's Exchange, (941) 955-7859.

14. Thrill to the sounds of roaring motorboats and the sights of talented young skiers jumping, somersaulting, wake boarding and performing heart-stopping four-tier pyramids at the Ski-A-Rees, a Sarasota tradition for almost 50 years. The award-winning amateur water-ski troupe gives free Sunday performances in the fall and spring right off City Island. 115 Ken Thompson Parkway. (941) 388-1666.

15. Stroll picturesque shopping mecca St. Armands Circle and try on a Tommy Bahama silk shirt with a hibiscus print or a Lilly Pulitzer sundress in pink and lime-green (depending on your gender). Then try not to drip any ice cream on it when you sample the goods from Big Olaf, Kilwin's, Ben and Jerry's or Scoopdaddy's. St. Armands proves this simple truth: You can never have too many ice cream shops.

16. Get lost in a time warp at Jack Vinales Antiques at 539 S. Pineapple, where it's always somewhere around 1950. This is the place to pick up genuine Bakelite, McCoy pottery, a Heywood Wakefield coffee table, a starburst clock or a cool chrome martini set. Jack is thoroughly knowledgeable and refined, and he'll steer you to the right mid-century-modern merchandise. And he always has an interesting assortment of art on the walls. (941) 957-0002.

cheers!

Hide the camera and hand over the keys. These classic Sarasota concoctions are not for the faint of liver.

17. Start off the evening with a little seafood in your booze. Siesta Key Oyster Bar's Oyster Shooter is a glass of Absolut Peppar, Tabasco and horseradish with a real (but not live) mollusk at the bottom. It looks like brine and tastes like burning, but how often do you find a shot you can chew? 5238 Ocean Blvd., Sarasota. (941) 346-5443.

18. Head next door and ask the bartender at the Daiquiri Deck for the Seven Deadly Sins. He'll fill your glass from seven of the Deck's spinning frozen-drink machines (including flavors like "Purple Haze" and "Deck Diesel"), top it off with Bacardi 151, and you'll do a little spinning of your own. 5250 Ocean Blvd., Sarasota. (941) 349-8697.

19. A Sarasota institution on North Tamiami Trail, the Bahi Hut ferments a secret mixture of rums and fruit juices daily for its Sneaky Tiki. It tastes virgin compared to the Bahi's famous Mai Tai, but look out: The sweet little Tiki packs a kick that'll creep up on you. 4675 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 355-5141.

20. Breathe in the sawdust, hot dogs and cotton candy that are part of the city's circus tradition. During the December holidays and over spring break, you can gasp at the daring and skill of the PAL Sailor Circus performers-Sarasota County students one and all. And during February you can head over to the Circus Sarasota Big Top for thrills, chills and laughs from top international pros. May all your days be circus days. PAL Sailor Circus, (941) 361-6350; Circus Sarasota, (941) 355-9335.

21. Those in the know stop by Selby Gallery, at the Ringling School of Art and Design, to acquire great student art at a very affordable price, especially during the Best of Ringling student show each spring. But it's not just works from young up-and-comers you can find here; the gallery also presents exhibitions by its talented faculty and from regional and national artists and designers, whom you frequently have a chance to meet and greet. 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 359-7563.

22. Bone up on what you didn't know about Sarasota's heritage with a visit to the Sarasota History Center, tucked away between the tourist pagoda and Art Center Sarasota on North Tamiami in a 1941 building that bridges art deco and art moderne. Even when the center isn't hosting one of its special exhibitions, it's still a treasure trove of books, newspaper clippings, maps and old photographs that capture the sense of the last 150 years or so along our shores. 701 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 861-1180.

23. Get a case of culture shock by attending four-count 'em, four-operas during one of two special March weekends at the Sarasota Opera House. (They're La Bohème, The Marriage of Figaro, I masnadieri and Die Fledermaus). You can also attend four plays over one weekend at the Asolo Theatre during November, January or March (that includes one FSU/Asolo Conservatory production). You may be exhausted, but you'll be entertained and enlightened, too. Sarasota Opera, (941) 366-8450; Asolo Theatre, (941) 351-8000.