You never want to be in a hurry when you're trying to get on Siesta Key or off it, because inevitably you'll encounter this scene. The drawbridge on Stickney Point Road opens to allow tall sailboats and other vessels pass through. It used to open on demand whenever someone wanted to go through; but, the Coast Guard changed the schedule about five years ago so that it opens every 20 minutes, if necessary. The traffic stop this time was actually quite short, with the bridge going up and down quickly. When I lived in Michigan there was a drawbridge near Grand Haven (another popular tourist destination), which occasionally would get stuck in the up position. And, believe it or not, at the time there was just one engineering firm in the state which could be dispatched to fix it --- and it was located three hours away. Talk about a traffic nightmare! I've never known that to occur here; however, if it did, at least one would have palm trees to admire during the wait.
