Rita Mann headshot for author bio

Rita Mann

Journalist & Storyteller

About Rita Mann

Rita has an adventurer’s spirit. Her long career as a brand marketer and business consultant is interwoven with several mini-careers as a journalist for newspapers and magazines, interior designer for luxury model homes and medical writer for ground-breaking procedures.

Rita’s love of story leads her to places she's never dreamed. After 22 years in the West, Rita returned to her native South. She landed in beautiful Sarasota, where her explorations have sparked a love of all things Florida – culture, history, art and nature.

Whether writing about sunny adventures in Sarasota or gravel biking and kayaking Florida’s many state parks, Rita craves an insider’s view of place and the unusual. Her recipe for storytelling is simple: Dive into a topic or place. Stay long enough to make sense of it. Craft a story that inspires learning and longing of topic or place. What happens next is magic. 

More Articles By Rita Mann


Children's Rainforest Garden at the Downtown Selby Gardens Campus

Discover calm, inclusive spaces and thoughtfully adapted experiences around Sarasota that make exploring easy and enjoyable for visitors with sensory sensitivities.

Sarasota’s natural beauty and cultural richness are for every body and every mind—that includes travelers who experience the world a little differently.

2025
June

dining outside of columbia restaurant

Sarasota’s six keys offer the best land-and-lure dining experiences within view or easy stroll of blue waters and white sand 

Sarasota’s keys are strung like a pearl-white necklace flowing down our piece of Gulf Coast shoreline. Each key is accessible by a span of uniquely arched bridges. And each island has its own vibe and culture, so it’s little wonder that dining experiences vary, too.

2025
February