Sarasota is on Florida’s Gulf coast, a few miles south of the more famous Tampa and St. Petersburg.  If you’re coming to the area to see pre-season baseball, Sarasota is centrally located for pretty easy access to multiple stadiums.  Sarasota’s own Spring Training facility is Ed Smith Stadium, used by the Baltimore Orioles to prepare for the regular season.  Quite a bit of money was spent by the city of Sarasota to upgrade the stadium recently and it shows.  It’s one of the nicest small baseball stadiums you’ll find anywhere.  Everything about it has a “major league” feel, just smaller.

Adjacent to Sarasota to the north is Bradenton, home of McKechnie Field where the Pittsburgh Pirates have been training for many years.  While Ed Smith Stadium is like a miniaturized major league ballpark, McKechnie Field has the look-and-feel of a minor league park with some of the feel of a county fair outside.  Not that any of that is a complaint, it’s still a comfortable place to watch a game.

Our base while in Sarasota was the Hampton Inn and Suites Sarasota-Bradenton Airport.  Externally, the hotel looks like a mid-20th-century work of cubist art.  Internally, everything was modern and comfortable.  Our only complaint is that the furnishings are a little on the sparse side.  An additional comfortable chair would be nice and it’s surprising to find hotel rooms without a mini-fridge these days.  But the location just outside the airport on University Parkway made it easy to find places to eat and get to any of our destinations in the region.

One of the biggest attractions in Sarasota (and practically within walking distance of the Hampton Inn and Suites) is the Ringling Museum of Art, created by circus guy John Ringling.  More than just a single museum, it’s a collection of attractions that includes a couple of circus-related museums, the art museum, the awe-inspiring Ca’ d’Zan Mansion (with more art), beautiful gardens and the Asolo Theater – which originally opened in Italy in 1798 and was transported to Sarasota by Mr. Ringling in the 1940′s.  Obviously the Ringling Museum is a place where you can spend an entire day or more.

The mainland cities of Sarasota and Bradenton are separated from the Gulf of Mexico by a series of barrier islands.  Travel across the John Ringling Causeway (his name is everywhere) west from downtown Sarasota and you’ll arrive at Lido Key, home of the popular St. Armand’s Circle shopping and restaurant area.  Go north from there and you’ll be traveling along the narrow Longboat Key toward Bradenton.  A separate bridge on the south side of town takes you to Siesta Key, considered one of the nicest beaches in the country.

The May NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule starts with the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama.  The 187-lap race starts at noon on May 6th.  The race weekend in Alabama also includes the Aaaron’s 312 Nationwide Series race on May 5th at 3pm.  The defending champion of the Aaron’s 499 is Jimmie Johnson.  The NASCAR guys return to Talladega for the Good Sam Club 500 on October 7th.

May’s second stop in the Sprint Cup series is at Darlington Raceway for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at 6:30 pm on May 12th.  Last year’s winner – when the race was called the Showtime Southern 500 – was Regan Smith.  Darlington is in the northeast part of South Carolina, about 10 miles from I-95.

The stock cars spend the last two weeks of the month at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  Two special events are scheduled for May 19th, the Sprint Showdown and the Sprint All-Star Race.  On May 27th it’s time for the Coca-Cola 600, when Kevin Harvick will be looking to make it two years in a row.  The Nationwide Series also stops in Charlotte on May 26th for the History 300.

For open-wheel racing fans, May is always the biggest month of the year as the stars of Indy Car racing prep for the Indianapolis 500.  This years race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana starts at noon on May 27th.  Sadly, 2011 winner Dan Wheldon won’t be around to defend his title after his fatal accident in Las Vegas at the end of last year’s season.

The process of becoming the Golden Nugget Atlantic City has been much more complex than throwing some paint on a few walls.  All of the guest rooms are beneficiaries of a switch to a more modern decor.  There are lots of great views from Atlantic City’s hotels, but the Golden Nugget has something a little different as it overlooks the Atlantic City marina.

The Golden Nugget hotels are owned by Landry’s Inc., a company that operates a wide variety of restaurants, so it makes sense that the restaurants have been transformed into some of Landry’s more popular brands.  The featured restaurant overlooking the marina is now The Chart House, specializing in seafood.  Vic & Anthony’s is a popular steakhouse in Houston – and now in Atlantic City.  The Red Sushi Bar is also a transplant from Texas.  The company CEO recently spent some time in France and came back with the idea for Michael Patrick’s Brasserie (named after his sons).  And it wouldn’t be Atlantic City without a buffet so there’s The Buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The real money-making side of the operation – the casino – hasn’t been ignored.  The 65,000 square foot main casino floor has been re-carpeted, redesigned and many older slot machines have been replaced.  The new poker room is open and is the site of a $10,000 guaranteed no-limit hold ‘em tournament every Saturday afternoon plus cash games and smaller daily tournaments.

TheRealPlaces offers great deals and online booking for the Golden Nugget Atlantic City and many more Atlantic City hotels.

The centerpiece of the lobby is still the 120-foot tall “Flora Raris” sculpture designed by Richard Lipphold.  The sculpture’s design became the inspiration for the unique carpets now found in all of the Hyatt Regency’s 1,260 guest rooms.  New carpet is just one part of the complete renovation of all guest rooms, including wall coverings and artwork, pillow top mattresses, 32″ LCD TV’s, iHome iPod-compatible alarm clocks and high-speed wireless internet access.  The bathrooms have been upgraded, too, with re-tiled floors, granite vanities, Portico bath products, more energy-efficient lighting and low-flow toilets.

The Hyatt Regency Atlanta location on Peachtree Street in the heart of downtown Atlanta makes it a popular spot for meetings and the renovation of over 180,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space will make those events even more enjoyable.  The 29,000 square foot Centennial Ballroom (largest in the state and featuring balconies overlooking the main floor) is looking more modern than ever.  And the ballroom is just one of 60 different rooms and spaces available for events of every imaginable size.

Three new eating and drinking spots have been added on the hotel’s lobby level.  Sway restaurant features a “Southern-influenced” menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner (including an “all you can eat pie buffet”).  Twenty Two Storys is all about the beer: beverages from Georgia breweries and entrees and appetizers that use beer in lots of imaginative ways.  “Market” is a 24-hour, self-serve spot to pick up snacks and treats.

The Hyatt Regency Atlanta has an indoor connection to the Peachtree Center Station of the MARTA rail system, giving hotel guests easy access to much of Atlanta and direct access to Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport.  The hotel is less than a mile from the Georgia Dome, Philips Arena, Grady Memorial Hospital and Atlanta Medical Center.

Walk across Bay Street from the hotel, climb down some steps and you’ll find yourself in the heart of Savannah’s waterfront.  Lots of old buildings, a cobblestone street and a very busy walkway all face the water.  There are plenty of places to eat along the river – and more than plenty of places to grab a drink.  A couple of “paddle wheel” style ships offer dinner cruises and there’s a free water taxi that takes visitors across the river to the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center and adjacent Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa.

If you instead take a left turn out the front door of the Hampton Inn, you’re transported a couple of hundred years as you enter Savannah’s North Historic District.  You won’t find many more photogenic areas anywhere than the 22 well-tended squares surrounded by historic homes and churches.  It’s a great place to wander awhile and get some exercise while exploring one of the country’s most beautiful cities.

Rooms at the Hampton Inn Savannah Historic District are a little on the small side (to be expected in an older building), but very comfortable with all the modern conveniences.  If you’re not an early riser, you may find things getting a little crowded in the complimentary breakfast area.  Driving into the area near the hotel can be a little painful (streets are relatively narrow and traffic can be heavy), but once you get there parking isn’t too much of a hassle given the downtown location.  The hotel offers valet parking and there’s a city-operated parking garage right across the street that will only cost you $5 per night.

The Hampton Inn is just one of several hotels along East Bay Street that offer similar proximity to Savannah’s most popular attractions.