Get out in nature with tours produced for many areas of our state.

The weather’s perfect at this time of year (witness all the delighted tourists!) so let’s see some of our own state.

Explore the cultural, historical, and architectural treasures of the Sunshine State with Florida Stories, a walking tour app from the Florida Humanities Council. Whether you’ll actually listen as you walk or simply imagine the delights from the comfort of your chair, the phone app allows users to learn about the history of some of Florida’s most unique towns. Try a close-to-home venue such as Phillippi Estate Park or Bradenton/Old Manatee on foot, then hop in the car for a road trip to explore other places.

Oh, but wait: there are auto tours of our own county before you go. The Sarasota County Centennial 2021 created wonderful guides for areas of our county, including Bee Ridge and Vamo, and you can learn more here. If you’re a bit hazy on how to download an auto tour app to your phone and use it while driving, they’ve written a straightforward guide to that.

More of a nature child? Check out https://floridatrail.org/ As they say: “The Florida Trail Association (FTA) develops, maintains, protects, and promotes a network of hiking trails throughout the state. In the app, you can explore the Florida National Scenic Trail interactive map, get up-to-date trail notices and closures information, get news and volunteer event opportunities, and download the trail and base map data to use the app while offline.”

Or perhaps you’re a botanical gardens lover? Well, you’re in luck, you can split this tour in half, seeing as how our own Selby Gardens is right in the middle of this suggested itinerary!