We love our famous, sugary sand beaches, but we also love experiencing the great outdoors in all its wild glory. With the Florida heat and humidity still bearable and school almost out, here’s our annual list of 10 favorite public parks or nature preserves in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
These are places to relax and picnic or perhaps hike and kayak. Located both near and far from our biggest cities, these are oases where beautiful scrub jay and regal osprey dot the blue skies, with waters populated by jumping mullet, mellow manatees and, yes, the occasional alligator!
Thanks to the pandemic, we spent a lot more time exploring during the past year. So, you should find more detailed entries as well as a couple of new ones. Covering places in Sarasota, Venice, Osprey, the UTC area, Bradenton and Palmetto, these parks and nature preserves are presented in alphabetical order.
From cult classics with a vast internet following like Shake Shack, to greasy and consistently good crowd pleasers like Five Guys, there are plenty of places to get a good quality cheeseburger in Sarasota.
But while many fast-casual burger places keep it simple and put the emphasis on serving a solid patty with fresh ingredients, the newest player in the local burger world seems to have a flair for the dramatic and over the top.
Burger Culture, a gourmet burger restaurant based in Tampa, is opening its first Sarasota location inside the Mall at University Town Center at Interstate 75 and University Parkway. The company plans to open an 1,800-square-foot restaurant on the mall s lower level next to Intimissimi and across from Bath & Body Works sometime in June.
Every time I drive through University Town Center, it s as if the buildings in the shopping and entertainment district have mated with each other and multiplied.
It s hard to remember a time when the Barnes & Noble building was just a patch of land, or when Ford s Garage was just a coming soon sign and not an actual, physical structure. Just when you think there s no more land to build on at UTC, site developer Benderson Development Co. makes some magically appear, seemingly out of nowhere.
But one patch of land at University Town Center that I consider to be conspicuously empty is the terrain between the Mall at University Town Center and I-75 – UTC s elusive East District.
Wednesday, May 5, 2021 | Custom ComTek Sales Advocate Dana Scott and Owner Bob McDonald of Cypress Creek enjoyed having conversations with people from unfamiliar businesses. They said alliance events are very helpful for forging new business connections.Buy this Photo
Wednesday, May 5, 2021 | Cory and Mindy Poff of Cory and Mindy Photography came to the trade show with their friend, Gregory Claxton, of Florida VIP Realty. The Poffs met Claxton through the Kingdom Business Alliance, a Lakewood Ranch-based nonprofit.Buy this Photo
Wednesday, May 5, 2021 | Mattison s City Grille Chef Garrett Pristley tends to the braised short rib, which was one of the most popular dishes at the entire trade show.Buy this Photo
3. Treat Yourself Like A Queen Womens Expo at UTC
Ahead of Mother s Day, the third annual “Treat Yourself Like A Queen” Womens Expo returns to The Mall at University Town Center with 40-plus local exhibitors catering to women. There will also be a stage featuring dance performances from local studios, a mother and daughter look-alike contest, and fashion shows highlighting new styles from mall retailers. In addition, the expo will feature free activities such as a photo booth hosted by CoolToday and a drink sampling station hosted by Loaded Cannon Distillery. There s a VIP Experience as well, plus a Women’s Indie Market being held outside of the mall right by Kona Grill. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, The Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota; mallatutc.com