Nature, Art & Sports for Romantics
Located between the Gulf and Tampa Bay, Bradenton is one of the oldest cities on Florida’s “quiet” side. At its Manatee Village Historical Park, visitors interested in life a century ago can walk through authentic structures – a well-stocked general store, a boat-building shop, even a settler’s home built in “Cracker Gothic” style.
The natural history of Manatee County is told at Parker Aquarium. Here "Snooty," the oldest living manatee born in captivity, holds court in a 60,000-gallon tank. Catch less-venerable sea creatures off Bradenton’s Sunshine Skyway fishing pier, the world’s longest. The 1 1/2-mile-long pier is open 24 hours and charges a fee to drive onto it and fish.
No wonder the nearby Clearwater area rocks with watersports; it has some of the broadest beaches on the Gulf Coast. Jet skis, water bikes, parasails, and boats for every kind of fishing adventure rent at the Clearwater Beach Marina. Importantly, the area is gaining recognition for its ecotourism efforts. Clearwater Marine Aquarium, for example, not only shelters dolphin, otters, and sea turtles; it also teaches visitors how to help protect them.
St. Petersburg is home to Fort DeSoto Park (rated among America’s top-ten beaches). Yet it also surrounds visitors with man-made beauty. The Museum of Fine Arts, Salvador Dali Museum, and Florida International Museum all mount world-class, international exhibitions throughout the year.
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