Getaways to the authentic Florida
Visiting here, I found myself happy that places like Anna Maria Island survive — a low-rise beach town with quaint cottages and a spectacular beach. Daytrippers will be happy to learn they can skip the weekend traffic and parking hassles with an affordable ferry service from Bradenton.
Travel writer Vicki McCash Brennan has a passion for craft beer, museums and art galleries, and they all come together along St. Petersburg’s historic Central Avenue.
Safety Harbor is ranked among America’s Top 10 in USA Today’s 10Best reader surveys for “Best Main Street” and “Best Small Town in the South” in 2025.
Egmont Key is romantic, remote and historic. Located in the mouth of Tampa Bay, accessible only by boat, it is home to an intriguing fort, gopher tortoises, beautiful beaches and more.
Nearly half of the 236 campsites at Fort DeSoto are waterfront, allowing you to launch a kayak from your back yard. And while these sites are hard to get, the price is right.
The Manatee River is wild, natural and serene in its eastern section. Just a half hour from downtown Bradenton, the Upper Manatee Paddling Trail is another world. Your trip can include a stop at a preserve where a pioneer cemetery marks the site of an early town.