Sarasota Through the Ages

By Kara Chalmers

Published: February 29, 2008

Text Size A A A

For a perfect family vacation, it's tough to beat Sarasota. This city, located on what's known as Florida's "Culture Coast," offers a rare assortment of activities that appeal to kids of all ages, from tots to teens.

Lots of families come for the azure, Gulf of Mexico beaches, as the water is known for being calm, clear and warm (i.e. perfect for kids). The three that are tops with families are – from north to south – Lido, Siesta and Venice beaches. All have year-round lifeguards, ample parking, concessions, restrooms, showers, picnic tables and beach volleyball nets. Lido Beach also has an outdoor pool with lifeguards. Siesta Beach has a playground, picnic pavilions and grills, tennis courts and a ball field. A bonus: Siesta's white, velvety-soft sand is made of quartz, so it doesn't get hot (i.e. little feet won't burn). And at the Venice Beach concession, in addition to the usual beach fare, there's some of the best Greek food around, including spinach pie and Greek salad. Dining is under the shade of a large, breezy picnic pavilion.

For an alternative to the beach, check out Sarasota's Bayfront Park, home to a large water fountain, where little kids can splash in the water jets and play alongside sculptures of an alligator, turtle and fish.

However, there's much more to Sarasota than fun in the sun… and in the water. The area's thriving arts and culture scene – including renowned museums, theaters, the ballet, symphony and an opera – rivals that of many big cities. Two particularly kid-friendly museums are G.WIZ – The Hands-On Science Museum and The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

At G. WIZ, kids learn about electricity, magnetism, color, sound and music – among many other scientific topics – via fun, interactive experiments and exhibits. They can measure how fast they run, see their own "frozen shadows" and speak to friends clear across the room using the speech tubes or whisper dishes.

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is a beautiful, Renaissance-style gallery and outdoor courtyard that houses a collection of European, Asian and American art that's sure to impress older kids and teens. But a visit to Ringling offers more than just art. There are also lush gardens and the striking Ringling Mansion (called the Cà d'Zan) to tour for a taste of John and Mable's lavish lifestyle, as well as a circus museum and the new Tibbals Learning Center, which contains the largest miniature circus in the world.


If your kids prefer creatures to culture, check out  Mote Aquarium, which offers an up-close look at sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, manatees and other marine life. Touch tanks let kids learn what starfish, sea urchins and stingrays (without stingers) feel like. Don't miss shark feedings, held at 11 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the interactive movie about a missing dolphin.

Next door to Mote, at the Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary, view all types of birds that have been nursed back to health at the sanctuary. At Sarasota Jungle Gardens, kids can meet flamingos and hold parrots. The zoological gardens house birds of prey, alligators, crocodiles, snakes, turtles, tortoises, wallabies, emus and spider monkeys. Kids like the daily shows, which showcase the amusing antics of the gardens' inhabitants. And on weekends during certain times of the year, Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary holds shows with awe-inspiring and funny performances by tigers and other animals.

To get a feel for Sarasota's wild side, visit its two spectacular state parks – Myakka River and Oscar Scherer – where families can interact with nature via hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, camping and picnicking. Myakka River State Park, one of the oldest and largest in the state park system, is known for huge alligators and fabulous bird watching. It offers airboat and tram tours and a canopy walk through the treetops, which ends at an observation tower offering breathtaking views. The park's concession rents bikes, canoes and kayaks (and sells gator stew and gator jerky). Oscar Scherer State Park, known for its Florida Scrub Jay habitat, also offers two lovely, meandering nature trails, and swimming and snorkeling in Lake Osprey.

Comments

Submission Guidelines  

 

Only your name and comment will be displayed to other users. See our Privacy Policy.

Have you seen...?