| check-in time: 3:00 pmcheck-out time: 11:00 am. casual rooms offer free wi-fi, flat-screen tvs and minifridges, as well as microwaves and coffeemakers. suites add sitting areas with pull-out sofas. off i-75, this informal hotel is 6 miles from gamble plantation historic state park, and 5 miles from both creekwood park and manatee village historical park. complimentary perks include breakfast and parking. some have whirlpool tubs. other amenities consist of a 24-hour exercise room, an outdoor pool and a snack shop, plus guest laundry facilities
Tampa International Airport 51 min
DeSoto National Memorial Park (25 min)
Nod to the famed explorer's landing site with living-history camp, exhibits, shore & nature trails. The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature (14 min)
A planetarium, aquarium & history museum under 1 roof with dioramas & films. Lake Manatee State Park (18 min)
This waterfront park offers freshwater boating & fishing, plus camping (though no actual manatees). Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Downtown Sarasota campus (28 min)
Showcase for thousands of tropical plants, plus a conservatory & garden museum, in a historic space. Nathan Benderson Park (16 min)
600-acre park on a lake with rowing facilities, including a boathouse & regatta center. Sarasota Classic Car Museum (24 min)
Venerable site showing 90+ classic, exotic & muscle cars, plus antique music boxes & phonographs. Sarasota Jungle Gardens (26 min)
Historic attraction featuring more than 150 animals & shows in a tropical setting. Gamble Plantation Historic State Park (11 min)
Florida's only surviving plantation home, circa 1840, set on lush grounds & open for guided tours. Sarasota Bay (37 min)
Named an estuary of national significance, this subtropical, coastal lagoon is popular for kayaking. Florida Railroad Museum (20 min)
Transport history told in interactive exhibits & a 13-mile weekend ride, plus locomotive rentals. Big Cat Habitat Gulf Coast Sanctuary (20 min)
Animal sanctuary home to big cats & other wild species offering animal encounters & seasonal hours. The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (25 min)
State art museum founded by the circus magnate with 31 galleries in a pink Renaissance-style palace. Mixon Fruit Farms (11 min)
Citrus grove with a play park, alligator encounters & a store serving orange flavored ice cream. Ca' d'Zan (27 min)
Once home to the Ringlings, this circa-1924 mansion draws inspiration from the palazzos of Venice. Tibbals Learning Center at The Ringling (25 min)
Ringling Circus archives, with historical documents, costume drawings & art (by appointment). | 
