Sarasota Nature Preserves

For the natural beauty of interior Florida, visit Myakka State Park, east of Sarasota on Route 72. Cabbage palms, laurels, live oaks and longleaf pines adorn this home to opossum, armadillo and wild pigs. Myakka rates as Florida’s largest state park. Camping and canoeing are available. Tram tours and airboat rides are alternatives for those who want to go beyond nature trails. Another place to get up close to natural wonders is the Lake Manatee State Recreation Area on Route 64 east of I-75 in neighboring Manatee County. It’s a 556-acre setting surrounding a lake almost five times as large. Also worth seeing: the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and Pelican Man’s Sanctuary, both in Sarasota.