Manatee & Sarasota Counties & Tampa Bay Area travel information

Bradenton- http://cityofbradenton.com/  With plenty of museums, historical sites and cultural events to choose from, the city of Bradenton offers small town charm with all the amenities of a larger city. also the home of Tropicana orange juice, McKenzie field spring training center for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the beautiful Gulf beaches of Anna Maria Island and Longboat key

Anna Maria Island -9 miles in length & 2 mile wide . miles of sugar white sand beaches, and a relaxed old Florida atmosphere & style all to its own,  this destination is a natural choice for tropical vacationers looking for golf, tennis, water sports, shopping, plus many cultural and historical attractions Located close to all the major attractions, yet far from the maddening crowds make Bradenton & the Gulf Island Beaches

Anna Maria City-Situated at the northern tip of Anna Maria Island, a long  stretch of beaches, dunes, sea oats and Australian Pines lying between the Gulf of Mexico and the Intracoastal Waterway. This part of the Island is mostly residential with a few restaurants & shops nestled in a quiet community with two fishing piers& a Bay front park.
Holmes Beach - The largest of Anna Maria Island's three municipalities. is the center of Anna Maria Island and host the Manatee County Public Beach
Bradenton Beach -   Located at the southern tip of Anna Maria Island,  community of many charming shops, restaurants and accommodations.

Longboat Key-The island of Longboat Key divides between Manatee County and Sarasota County. & lies between the Gulf and Sarasota bay and has 12 miles of white powder sand beaches.

Palmetto- to the north of the mile-wide Manatee River and is the hub of the county's agricultural industry, with tomatoes being the number one crop. Palmetto also is home of the Manatee Convention Center which draws top name  entertainment, sporting events, business meetings and trade shows.

Sarasota-- to the south - a beautiful upper class area with a artistic community heritage. Home of the John and Mabel Ringling Art Museum, Sarasota Jungle Gardens, Selby Botanical Gardens ,   Mote Marine Aquarium and research center,  Myakka State Park and one of the shopping gems of Florida called St. Armand Circle.

Tampa & The Tampa Bay area -- (Tampa Florida) big city by the water . Has many luring qualities such as: major league baseball team the Devil Rays, a major league soccer team  the Mutiny. NFL football team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and a NHL hockey team  the Tampa Bay lightning.  A historical Cuban cultural area called Ybor city.  Many museums including the Salvador Dali  museums and Holocaust Museum.  The Tampa Bay area also has many theme park attractions like Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, Lowry Park Zoo, Florida  Aquarium, (Mosi) Museum of science and industry and the Florida State Fairgrounds. The Tampa Bay performing arts center and cruise ships leaving from the port of Tampa. Don't forget most of all Nearby beaches include Clearwater Beach, St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Anna Maria Island and Longboat key.
Orlando area - Attractions - Home of the world famous   Mickey Mouse at Disney World , You can ride the movies like twister, Jaws and King Kong at Universal Studios, & Have a great night out at Church Street Station , you can swim with the dolphins, have a close encounter  with some sharks at Sea world,  Travel around the world at Epcot And have a feast fit for a king at King Henry's Feast , take a ride on the space shuttle or watch a launch at  Kennedy Space Center  Medieval Times and  without ever having to leave Orlando. You can also see  Splendid China  Typhoon Lagoon , River Country Water Mania , Wet 'n Wild
Nickelodeon Studios , Ripley's Believe It Or Not

Have a great Florida vacation. Hope this site will help you with your Florida visit & travel plans