subject: Vacation Holidays in Bradenton Florida [print this page] Vacation Holidays in Bradenton Florida Vacation Holidays in Bradenton Florida
Bradenton is located on US 41 between Tampa and Sarasota. The area is surrounded by waterways, both fresh and saltwater. Along the Gulf of Mexico and into Tampa Bay are over twenty miles of Florida beaches - many which are shaded by Australian pines. Bordered on the north by the Manatee River, Bradenton is located on the mainland and is separated from the outer barrier islands of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key by the Intracoastal Waterway. Anna Maria Bayfront Park located on the north end of Anna Maria island is a park overlooking Tampa Bay. The business district and community of Bradenton Beach on the southern end of Anna Maria island is oriented toward vacationers who come to enjoy the surrounding beaches. Longboat Key, the next barrier island south, is popular with shell hunters along its beaches.
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Each spring the Hernando DeSoto Historical Society celebrates DeSoto's landing with a month's worth of events, including the SeaFood Festival, a homemade boating race at the Palma Sola Causeway beach, a fishing tournament, a musical and fashion show, a formal-dress ball, and parades. Headquartered in downtown, the Society also supports various local charities, visits local schools and retirement homes, and supports its sister organization, Conquistador Historical Foundation, and its student exchange program with Barcarrota, Spain - Bradenton's "Sister City."
Bradenton is served by Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in nearby Sarasota, Florida and is connected to St. Petersburg, Florida by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The Sunshine Skyway is a 5.5-mile (8.9 km) cross-bay bridge that rises 250 feet (76 m) above the bay at its highest point. Remnants of the old Skyway bridge have been converted into a fishing pier extending into Tampa Bay from both sides of the bay.
Bradenton is home to numerous businesses, including nationally known Tropicana Products Inc., the famous juice maker; Champs Sports; the corporate offices of Beall's Department Stores and plays host to many fun, family attractions and events, including Winter Wonderland, Get Down Downtown, and other events on downtown's beautiful, well-lit streets and Rossi Waterfront Park, which stretches along the scenic Manatee River and includes an outdoor amphitheater, playground equipment, benches and gazebos and a granite-marble memorial to the victims of the 9-11 tragedy and the local public servants who have perished in the line of duty.
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Get started enjoying our warm, friendly atmosphere by touring the South Florida Museum, which is actually three sites in one: The artifacts displays, Bishop Planetarium and Parker Aquarium.
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The white dome, one of the downtown skyline's most recognizable structures, is the Bishop Planetarium, home to one of the world's most advanced planetarium projectors. Its state-of-the-art projector can take visitors on a visual journey through the galaxy while they relax in reclined seats and gaze at the theater's eye-popping graphics. Stick around for an evening show: Spectacular light and graphics set to ear-piercing rock music.
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Snooty, the oldest living manatee in the world born in captivity, lives in the Parker Aquarium, and the museum's artifacts section takes visitors up close and personal with the creatures that once roamed the area, the tools used by ancient man, and more. A few years back a visiting member of the Smithsonian described it as one of the best small museums in the country.
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If you're looking for more history, swing by the Manatee Village Historical Park, 1404 Manatee Ave. E., for a step back into time to see how Manatee County's early pioneers lived. The village features the restored, 1913 train engine known as Old Cabbage Head. Also among the many pieces of history?here are the Wiggins Store, built in 1903 as a general store and gathering place; Manatee Burying Ground, the final resting place for many of the county's pioneers; First Courthouse, built in 1860, the oldest remaining building built as a courthouse in the state; Old Meeting House, which opened in 1889?as one of the first?Christian churches; and more. Not bad for free admission!
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For an exciting vacation adventure or a lifetime of relaxed living, come see how Bradenton has become increasingly cosmopolitan in character while retaining its small-town charm. The City is home to the Village of the Arts, a growing neighborhood of renovated cottages just south of downtown that provides homes, studios and galleries for dozens of local artists and other small businesses, including three restaurants. The businesses all open their doors on the first Friday evening and following Saturday afternoon of the month during the ArtWalk.
In a nutshell, the City of Bradenton is a wonderful, safe and growing place to live and visit, and we hope you decide to make beautiful Bradenton your next vacation destination!
