Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
personal via canoe, kayak and pontoon-style airboat. During mating season in April and
May, the guttural love songs of the males ring out across the waters.
The extensive park offers much more besides: its hammocks, marshes, pine flatwoods
and prairies are home to a great variety of birds and wildlife, and 38 miles of trails cris-
scross the terrain. In winter, airboat trips (adult/child $12/6) depart at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm
and 2:30pm; call for summer times. Winter-only wildlife trams run at 1pm and 2:30pm and
cost the same.
A camp store and cafe are located at the
Myakka Outpost
( 941-923-1120;
www.myakkaoutpost.com
; canoes/bikes $20/15; 9:30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8:30am-6pm Sat & Sun)
,
from where you can also organize tours, and kayak and bike rentals. The recommended
campground
(sites $26)
is prime during dry season, from January to April; avoid rainy,
buggy summer. The five cabins (per night $70) have kitchens, air con and linens; book
To reach the park from Sarasota, take US 41 south to Hwy 72/Clark Rd and head east
for about 14 miles; the park is about 9 miles east of I-75.
Venice
About the only resemblance Venice has to its Italian namesake is that it's an island in the
sea. Venice has scenic, tan-sand beaches but is otherwise an extremely quiet seaside town
that's most popular with retirees and families with young kids, who enjoy hunting for
shark's teeth. It also appeals to budget-minded travelers looking for a low-key getaway -
far from the condos and hard-drinking beach bars elsewhere. Here, entertainment pretty
much begins and ends with saluting the tangerine sun's nightly descent into the shimmer-
ing ocean.
From US 41/Tamiami Trail, Venice Ave heads west directly to Venice Beach. About five
blocks east of the beach, the main downtown commercial district lies along W Venice Ave
between US 41 and Harbor Dr.
Activities
All Venice-area beaches have free parking.
Venice Beach
BEACH
