One of our favorite days out is to drive down Highway 41 to Myakka State Park. It is only about 40 minutes drive from Anna Maria island and is one of the oldest and largest state parks. Covering 58 square miles of lakes, wetlands prairies, hammocks and pinelands, visitors can enjoy watching wildlife from a boardwalk that stretches out over Upper Myakka Lake or take to the treetops with a stroll along the canopy walkway. You can walk or drive slowly along the main paved road that travels through the park. Pause at the bridge to look down onto the lake to see alligators sunning themselves on the banks and gliding through the waters. Along the route catch glimpses of deer, wild boar and Florida birds. Go boating, freshwater fishing, kyaking or canoeing, ride on the State's largest air-boat and from May through mid-December take an tram ride through the park's back-country. Take some burgers or steaks in a cooler and cook out on the barbecue grills provided in the picnic area. Eating out in the fresh air beside the lake, food never tasted so good. If you don't want to cook out, then just take a quick trip to Publix grocery store before you leave - take a whole cooked lemon pepper or barbecue chicken, one of their house salads and some delicious breads and pastries. This is a day out that all the family will enjoy. Writing this reminds me of the time we went out to the park when it was flooded after a massive rain. We went out onto the boardwalk and on our way back were concerned to see that a small alligator, about 3 feet in length, had parked himself on the end right across our way off. We waited for about 5 minutes and threw a piece of vegetation in his direction to scare him off. He slid off the boardwalk and swam away. Just as we were passing the spot where he had been, one of our party who is a real prankster was lagging behind suddenly started screaming and running. Nobody looked back, we just all took off together through the flooded banks as fast as our legs could carry us. Of course it was nothing and we all ended up with the giggles. I still laugh about it now. http://www.amisland.com/