Rather confusingly, Longboat Key is not part of the Florida Keys chain, but can be found near Sarasota on the Gulf Coast. Longboat Key is famous for its scallop shells, which are strewn along the beaches, and for the Avenue of the Flowers, a long boulevard filled with boutiques and art and craft shops as well as St. Armand's Circle for shopping and fine
dining. In nearby Sarasota, a surprising cultural feature is the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art, which has an impressive collection of paintings.