Beyond Tampa: Robinson Preserve in Bradenton

On a recent Saturday we made the trek down to Bradenton to visit relatives.  Bradenton is in Manatee County, on the south side of Tampa Bay.  We all took a visit to Bradenton’s Robinson Preserve, a fairly new nature area that is free to the public.  To get there, we had to cross Tampa Bay on the Sunshine Skyway bridge.

It was a chilly, somewhat overcast day, but the preserve is lovely and peaceful.  Beautiful grasses grow wild and native birds are easy to spot.

There are hiking trails and a canoe/kayak launch.

The highlight of the park is probably the observation tower that offers spectacular views of the area, including a view of the Sunshine Skyway from the “correct” angle.

The image below is a combination of two photographs.

Seeing Robinson Preserve for the first time was a real treat, if you have plans to visit Bradenton I highly recommend it.  More information about the preserve can be found at the Manatee County website.