Travel & Outdoors

Flower Power

Photo of the Week: Coreopsis in Bloom at Myakka River State Park

Tickseed's bright yellow flowers are like a blanket of sunshine.

06/05/2026 Photography by Damon Powers

Scare Crows

Why Are There Crow Effigies on Lido Beach?

Endangered shore birds are nesting along the beach, and this year bird protectors are using a novel deterrent—crow effigies.

06/03/2026 By Jules Telfort

'Tis The Season

Selby Gardens' 'Queen of the Night' Cactus Will Bloom Soon

The gardens will host a one-night-only viewing party so they public can watch the cactus' flowers open, which only happens one night every year.

06/01/2026 By Staff

Tourism Update

Sarasota Tourism Rose in March. Visitor Spending Didn’t.

More travelers came to Sarasota County during peak season, but shorter stays and softer restaurant and entertainment spending kept March’s economic impact nearly flat.

05/20/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Peace River Rush

An Airboat Ride on the Peace River Offers a Front-Row Seat to Gators, Birds and Wild Florida

While airboat tours are famous in the Everglades, you can experience them closer to home in Arcadia, located in neighboring DeSoto County

05/05/2026 By Lauren Jackson

From Land to Sea

Award-Winning Wildlife Photographer Carlton Ward Jr. Returns to the Gulf

“This is a return to my first connections to nature,” Ward says. “This is where the wildlife corridor and the Gulf meet.”

05/05/2026 By Isaac Eger

Sarasota Confidential

The Locals' Guide to Sarasota

Whether you’re visiting, new to town or just need a refresher on the joys of living here, explore our only-the-locals-know guide to our region.

05/04/2026 By The Editors

Siesta Sway

The Only Florida Beach on the 'World’s 50 Best' List Is in Sarasota

Siesta Beach ranked No. 28 on The World’s 50 Best Beaches list for 2026, climbing from No. 42 last year.

04/29/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Turtle Power

Mote Documents First Sea Turtle Nest of 2026

It's a loggerhead sea turtle nest on Venice Beach.

04/27/2026 By Staff

Green Scene

A New Mural at Pine View School Honors Florida's Native Plants and Animals

Plus, a few fun ways to celebrate Earth Day today.

04/22/2026 By Lauren Jackson

In Full Flower

Selby Gardens Botanist Discovers Three New Plant Species

“It’s not enough to say, ‘The forest is important,’ especially nowadays. You have to give reasons why, and biodiversity is a way to communicate to the broader community about why an area needs to be conserved."

04/08/2026 By Megan McDonald

Trees, Please

City of Sarasota Will Give Away 200 Trees on April 18

The popular event returns as part of The Bay's Earth Day celebrations.

04/04/2026 By Megan McDonald

For Land's Sake

A Sarasota Environmental Program Has Saved Miles of Open Space From Bulldozers

But will voters renew it?

04/01/2026 By Brad Edmondson

The Rundown

Venice Is the Shark Tooth Capital of the World

Head to the annual Sharks Tooth Festival on April 11-12, which includes family-friendly activities like food trucks, live music, fossil specimens for purchase and hands-on fossil digs for the kids.

04/01/2026 By Lauren Jackson

Get Crackin'

The Makings of a Florida Cracker Cabin

The 18th- and early 19th-century architecture reflects the importance of ventilation and shade, with high ceilings, large window and a signature wraparound porch.

04/01/2026 By Lauren Jackson

Cow Town

Who Were the Florida Cracker Ranchers?

Throughout the 1800s, Cracker cattle roamed freely across Florida’s terrain, grazing on native scrub grasses.

04/01/2026 By Lauren Jackson

Spend a Night in Florida History

Triangle Ranch Preserves Florida Cracker History

Triangle Ranch is a 1,200-acre working ranch abutting the Myakka River, with cattle and pastures dotting the property between patches of Florida forest thick with palmettos, cabbage palms, pine trees and oaks overflowing with Spanish moss.

04/01/2026 By Lauren Jackson