Tampa International Airport 46 min
Gamble Plantation Historic State Park (7 min)
Florida's only surviving plantation home, circa 1840, set on lush grounds & open for guided tours. Lake Manatee State Park (25 min)
This waterfront park offers freshwater boating & fishing, plus camping (though no actual manatees). Riverwalk (15 min)
Picturesque riverside park for strolling & enjoying the sights, with a playground & benches. Mixon Fruit Farms (20 min)
Citrus grove with a play park, alligator encounters & a store serving orange flavored ice cream. Manatee Village Historical Park (17 min)
Park area filled with restored historical buildings including a barn, general store & church. Sarasota Classic Car Museum (29 min)
Venerable site showing 90+ classic, exotic & muscle cars, plus antique music boxes & phonographs. Ca' d'Zan (32 min)
Once home to the Ringlings, this circa-1924 mansion draws inspiration from the palazzos of Venice. The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (30 min)
State art museum founded by the circus magnate with 31 galleries in a pink Renaissance-style palace. Tibbals Learning Center at The Ringling (30 min)
Ringling Circus archives, with historical documents, costume drawings & art (by appointment). DeSoto National Memorial Park (27 min)
Nod to the famed explorer's landing site with living-history camp, exhibits, shore & nature trails. Robinson Preserve (29 min)
Nature preserve with hiking & biking trails, picnic areas, a boat launch & observation platforms. Sunshine Skyway Bridge (15 min) Florida Railroad Museum (12 min)
Transport history told in interactive exhibits & a 13-mile weekend ride, plus locomotive rentals. The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature (15 min)
A planetarium, aquarium & history museum under 1 roof with dioramas & films. Little Manatee River State Park (19 min)
Aquatic preserve park featuring a winding river, equestrian trails, campsites, picnicking & fishing. | 
