Take a hike

Thanksgiving Is the Perfect Day to Visit a State Park

It's become an annual tradition for my family to head out to Myakka River State Park on Thanksgiving Day.

12:58pm By Cooper Levey-Baker

Parks to Play In

Walk Into the Past at Historic Spanish Point

This 30-acre bayfront sanctuary is authentic Old Florida at its finest.

11/21/2020 By John McCarthy

Outdoor Adventures

It's Election Day. Let's Go Take a Hike.

Stop refreshing Twitter and recharge in nature at Oscar Scherer State Park or Myakka River State Park.

11/03/2020 By Allison Forsyth

Parks to Play In

Enjoy Robinson Preserve, a Rare Coastal Habitat, by Boat or on Foot

Formerly agricultural cropland, the preserve is being restored as salt marsh, one of the rarest coastal habitats.

11/01/2020 By John McCarthy

Parks to Play In

Slip Away Into Nature at Scherer Thaxton Preserve

This 287-acre preserve off Honore Avenue is adjacent to Oscar Scherer State Park.

11/01/2020 By John McCarthy

Parks to Play In

Five Wonderful Preserves to Explore

It’s great to live in a community with places like this to still the mind and stir the soul.

11/01/2020 By John McCarthy Photography by Everett Dennison

Parks to Play In

Hike or Bike Through Rothenbach Park's Gorgeous Oak Hammock

A series of trails at the site of the former county landfill provides access to some of the nicest woodlands around.

11/01/2020 By John McCarthy

Parks to Play In

Enjoy Robinson Preserve, a Rare Coastal Habitat, by Boat or on Foot

This 62-acre preserve along the south shore of the Manatee River is a popular place to hike, kayak and paddleboard.

11/01/2020 By John McCarthy

Parks to Play In

Hike—or Drive—to Emerson Point Preserve, a Native American Temple Mound

A highlight is the sandy shoreline at the westernmost tip, with Robinson Preserve and DeSoto Memorial across the river and Anna Maria Island and the Sunshine Skyway in the distance.

10/31/2020 By John McCarthy

Fast Track

Doug Holder Appointed to Florida Horse Park Board

Doug Holder is also a former state representative and is an original partner of the Legis Group, a consulting and lobbying firm.

10/09/2020 By Staff

Best beers

The Best Breweries in Sarasota-Manatee

With a dozen breweries to choose from, our region’s craft beer scene has never been better. Here's what's on tap.

10/07/2020 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Taking a Detour

Local Food Trucks Adapt to an Industry Radically Altered By Covid-19

“We’re trying to adjust and adapt. It’s nothing like it used to be.”

09/22/2020 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Neighborhood guide

Where the Locals Eat in Lakewood Ranch

The Lakewood Ranch and University Town Center area offers a bevy of great dining options.

08/24/2020 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Out East

Nine Reasons to Love Lakewood Ranch

For more than 20 years, a new city has been rising to the east. Here are nine reasons to celebrate that right now.

08/24/2020 By Ilene Denton

Open up

Manatee County Has the Chance to Create a New Land Conservation Program

If voters approve a new measure this fall, the county could acquire land to protect water quality and fish and wildlife habitat, preserve environmentally sensitive land and create public parks.

08/14/2020 By Cooper Levey-Baker