Sarasota / Lido Beach Students enjoy discovery time spent on one of the grandest beaches along the Florida gulf coast – Lido Beach. With an average year-round temperature of 75°F, Sarasota’s 35 miles of beaches and six barrier islands are an ideal location to relax and learn. Did you know: John Hamilton Gillespie, the first mayor of Sarasota, is credited with building America’s first golf course. John Ringling used some of his circus elephants to construct the bridge that now bears his name. Links: Lido Key Beaches Sarasota Florida Timeline   1843 1886 1902 1927 William Whittaker, a young adventurer, becomes one of the first to settle in the Sarasota area. John Hamilton Gillespie, a Scottish aristocrat and member of the Queen’s Bodyguard for Scotland, settles in Sarasota. Gillespie becomes the first mayor of Sarasota. The Ringling Causeway Bridge that connects the mainland with St. Armand’s Key is named after John Ringling of “Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus” fame.                 Copyright © 2006 WorldStrides  Legal Policy  Privacy Policy  Terms & Conditions