Myakka River State Park

Only 30 minutes from Sarasota, but feels like a long distance away.  Myakka reminds us of the Everglades, swampy, alligators everywhere, and many varieties of birds loving this tropical area.  We took a swamp boat to check out the area.  Our guide mentioned that there are 500 to 1,000 gators living along the banks of the Lake Myakka; definitely not a place to go swimming!





We also did some great biking, including daily trips to the concessionaire where WiFi and ice cream are available.  Also walked the tree top canopy walk, the largest one in the US.




And finally got some good use out of our new binoculars and telephoto camera lens to check out all of the birds.

This is a pretty neat place.
Also liked our campsite at Palmetto Ridge, a very modern campground; even full hookups, along with terrific showers. Not that we don't like the rustic, but sometimes it's kind of nice to back into a perfectly level gravel site and just "hook up."