Walking has become part of our self care routine that we do daily. Most often we find ourselves at the beach either at sunrise or sunset.
Both times of day have their own uniqueness to them. Sometimes we enjoy both ends on the same day, and the walk I'm writing about for this #WednesdayWalk by 
Living on the Gulf coast of Florida comes with breathtaking sunsets nearly every night throughout the year. It is rare that the clouds are completely blocking the view, though it does happen.
The purpose of this walk was to visit the Venice Fishing Pier. We started at a small park called Service Club Park. It's a welcoming park equipped with a bathroom and outdoor shower to wash of the sand from the beach.
Then there is a long elevated walkway that has 6 gazebos with picnic tables connected to the path. It's an awesome place to have a dinner and watch the sunset.
Once you pass the gazebos you get to the beach and are greeted with this view:
We are going to turn left from here to go towards the pier. You can often see dolphins swimming in these waters, but we didn't spot any tonight.
It's not too long of a walk to the pier from here as you can see in the next pic.
We walk a little ways, but the sunset is difficult to keep your eyes away from so we constantly look back.
I'm not sure exactly how far it is, but it has to be at least 10 miles of beach that is continuously walkable. This area would be closer to the northern edge of this beach.
We are going to walk on the pier, but you have to go under it first. The architecture of the posts always makes for an interesting perspective to photograph.
To access the pier you have to walk up to the restaurants. There are two restaurants and a gift shop here.
Sharky's and Fins specialize in seafood dining with sunset views and live music. There was a band playing a cover of Jimmy Buffet when we walked past.
Your first step onto the pier crosses underneath an arch. You can see that it is a popular place to visit. This walk was actually on a Friday so it was a little busier than most nights.
Walking out on the pier feels like walking towards the end of the earth, lol.
There is a bait shop conveniently placed in the middle of the pier for fishermen that didn't come fully prepared.
The sun constantly changes moment to moment. We can be talking with each other or a visitor then look back at the sun and it looks totally different.
Sunsets always bring out big smiles in both of us.
I am a complete amateur with only a phone to capture images. Zooming way in on the sun highlights the deep oranges.
I love the way the reflection on the water makes it appear as if the sun is melting.
The zoomed out view presents a different palette.
One thing about sunsets that many people probably miss is to look back towards the east. It can paint the clouds in colors that crayon makers would have trouble naming.
This is an active fishing pier and if you look on the left side you can see the white "sink". It has running water available for people to clean their catches.
We have been here a handful of times and have only seen a couple small fish reeled in, all of which were thrown back.
One last look at the sky after the sun has completely set. Such an amazing marvel we have the opportunity to watch each night.
I usually don't have the camera handy when we are at the beach for sunset as we practice sungazing during the last half hour when it is safe for us to directly look at the sun.
It is intense the first few times you do it, but it's easy for us since we've been doing this for years. The sun has healing properties as does the salt water, which we are usually wading in when we gaze.
I hope you enjoyed this sunset walk along the beach and pier. Have a wonderful night and see you next week 🌞
