Depending on who you are, spring break is either a blessing or a curse. If you’re a teacher, you probably ran out the door as fast as you could when the principal announces “the parking lot is being re-paved at 2:30PM.” If you’re a parent, it certainly can be stressful. It’s like a flashback from 2020 when you had to homeschool your kids for months! Luckily it’s not 2020, and the outlook is high that the kids will be back in school the following week. So where do you go? Especially with gas prices as high as they are! There are some great places, within 1-2 hours that you can go that relate to gardening. Check out our suggestions:
5 Places To Visit For Spring Break:
- Marie Selby Botanical Garden
We’ve been members of Selby Gardens for years. They always have great displays that usually follow a theme or an artist depending on the time of year. The garden is a decent size and will take you 1-2 hours to walk the entire location in Downtown Sarasota. They do have another location called Historic Spanish Point in Osprey. Selby has a fun kids area where kids can burn some energy running through the Banyan trees and the rope bridges. If you get hungry, be sure to stop by the Selby House Cafe. They serve Michael’ on East and it is delicious! The cuban is a personal favorite. Enjoy beautiful gardens and a lovely view of our very own Sarasota Bay. Visit their website for more information before you go! http://www.Selby.org
2. Hunsader Farms
Looking for farm animals, u-pick, and some great ice cream? You’ve come to the right place! Hunsader Farm is known for their fantastic pumpkin festival and country Christmas, but you don’t need a festival to take a visit there. The kids will love petting the goats, miniature horses, rabbits, and more. There’s a playground where the kids can let their imagination wander. The eat-shack has great food, and end the day with a sweet treat from their ice cream parlor. Our favorite time of year though is the u-pick fields. Depending on when you visit, you can experience picking strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, and even zinnia flowers. Take some of your best family photos within the expansive flower fields. It’s truly breathtaking! Be sure to follow them on Facebook to get the latest updates.
3. Bok Tower Gardens
Bok Tower Gardens is a little bit of a drive for those that live in our local area of Sarasota-Bradenton, but it’s totally worth it! Bok Tower is located in Lake Wales and is open 365 days a year. They even let your DOG come with you for a small fee of $5! This expansive property is 250 acres and also bodes a 3.5 mile Pine Ridge Preserve Hiking Trail. Needless to say, you could make your visit an all day affair! There’s lunch at the Blue Palmetto Cafe’ and fun activities for the kids at the Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden! Check out their website for more information on planning your next visit!
4. Jungle Gardens
Both of us remember going to Jungle Gardens as a kid. With a beautiful landscape, parrot show, and Flamingos galore, who wouldn’t remember it? Jungle Gardens is certainly a hidden gem in Sarasota County. Shaded paths allow for a relief from the Florida heat. Older kids are able to hold a parrot, so it’s also a great photo opportunity! Watch out for the gift shop thought. We ended up walking out of there with a half bear half manatee stuffed animal, but how could we say no? This 10 acre attraction has animals and plants that kids and adults will both enjoy. Visit their website for more information on tickets and events.
5. Myakka River State Park
Connecting kids with nature is such an important element to growing up. Myakka River State Park offers 58 square miles of lush pinelands, wetlands, prairies, wildflowers, and nature. Let the kid’s imagination run wild through the many trails offered. One of the coolest attractions is the canopy walkway. This allows for you to observe life in the tree tops of oaks, palms, and pines. It’s suspended 25 feet above the ground with a tower at 74 feet! View the gorgeous landscape and Osprey fly above. Myakka River State Park brings old Florida landscape to you. Be sure to bring bug spray and lots of water for hiking! Check out their website for more information.
No matter where you decide to go this Spring Break or beyond, we hope that you enjoy the moment! In today’s society it’s so easy to let the moment pass right by you. Soak in this special time with your kids because you only have so many Spring Breaks with them before they are off to college or on their career path! Now go explore what our local area has to offer!
The Veranda View 