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Wading In to Go Net Dipping and Finally Meeting Snooty

I consider myself to be somewhat of an outdoors-type person. I love being outside, whether it’s walking, running or just relaxing. So, I was really looking forward to visiting Emerson Point Preserve.

Located on Sneads Island, near Palmetto (which can be a drive from Longboat Key, if you don’t where you are going), Emerson Point is a 365-acre preserve. Here you can enjoy the area’s natural beauty through the hiking and biking trails as well as kayaking and canoeing opportunities. If you just want to take in everything on a clear day, head to the observation tower. However, I think the pinnacle of this area is the Portavant Temple Mound and the visible shell middens. At over 1,200 year old, it’s also the largest one in the Tampa Bay area.

If you’re looking for a more in-depth experience into Emerson Point, go with a tour guide. Owner of Around the Bend Nature Tours and naturalist, Karen Fraley guided the group along walkway near the temple, providing background information on the plants and the mound itself. We made our way to the grass flats where, if we wanted to, go net dipping. As the story would go, the tide was higher than usual and there was a slight wind, so the water was at a good level. Rolling up our shorts, we wadded out and scratched our nets along the grass. Some of us, who caught on immediately, were able to catch shrimp and other small sea creatures. And as for myself, after three tries of getting nothing, I did eventually catch two small shrimp.

With semi-wet shorts and squeaky shoes, we headed to South Florida Museum in Bradenton. What makes this attraction unique is the fact it’s three different places located under one roof. There’s the museum part, which is the largest natural and cultural history museum on the Florida’s Gulf Coast. On the first floor, you can view exhibits and collections that tell Florida’s story from the very beginning. On the second level, the exhibits take you on an interesting journey through the state’s history that features a look at tourism and other industry important to the Sunshine State.

Bishop Planetarium is a dome theater that shows different astronomy features. You can view such presentations as Infinity Express, which explores the universe, and Extreme Planets that focuses on what makes a planet habitable.

The last place is the Parker Manatee Aquarium, home to Snooty, the manatee. Born in 1948, he holds the distinction of being the first manatee born in a man-made, fully-protected environment. You can view him and his friends happily swimming around, either from an above water view or a below water view.

As posted to www.SouthernByways.com by Apryl Chapman Thomas on August 16, 2008.