I was in need of some serious Vitamin Sea to survive the Yule tide whatever, so I escaped to…read moreFlorida for Christmas. On Christmas Day, I headed to Bradenton Beach Pier, basking in the sunshine and breathing in that salty air. The best part was there was hardly any crowds. So parking was easy, stress was nonexistent, and peace and tranquillity were the vibes. The real locals were out in full force, the egrets, and other local birds were checking out the people strolling the pier or fishing. Not much was open because it was Christmas, I'm not added to the charm. It felt peaceful, unhurried, and exactly how I wanted my holiday to be. Spending Christmas here during the off-season was a five star reminder that sometimes quiet is the best gift.

In 1921, the Cortez Bridge was constructed, connecting the Village of Cortez to what was formerly…read morecalled Cortez Beach on Anna Maria Island. It was a somewhat shoddy wooden bridge that allowed the original Ford Model T to drive to and from the island. Prior to this, the only method of reaching the island was via boat, and Cortez Beach later became known as Bradenton Beach. A drawbridge was opened in 1967 which ended the use of the wooden Cortez Bridge. The side of the bridge in Cortez Village was removed, while the side in Bradenton Beach remained and was later transformed into the beautiful Bradenton beach pier you see today. This is a place that you can relax, see birds and marine life, boats, great sunrises, clear water, fish and just enjoy "Old Florida." Benches, swings, modern restrooms available with restaurants and shopping near by. Parking is very difficult to find so you might have to park at the beach and walk here during peak times.

Emerson Point is one of those how-is-this-not-more-famous? kind of places. Whether you're into…read morehiking, biking, kayaking, or just soaking up the views, there's always something fun to do. The hiking trails are great, the kayak launches make it easy to get out on the water, and the observation tower is a must--climb to the top for an awesome bird's-eye view, including the Sunshine Skyway Bridge showing off in the distance. There are plenty of picnic spots, plus a pavilion with nearby restrooms (always a win). One of our favorite things is walking out to the Portavant Temple Mound, where helpful signs bring the area's history to life. And if you're looking for photo ops, this place delivers--nature shots, family photos, you name it. We've had ours taken here more than once. No matter if you're exploring, relaxing, or snapping pictures, Emerson Point always has beauty waiting around the corner. There's even a welcome center near the pavilion to get you started. A perfect spot to wander, relax, and fall a little in love with Florida!

This was our first time here and there is so much more to explore! We drove all the way to the…read morepoint and parked in the lot. There are portable bathrooms there and a lot of small beaches. We walked and stopped and enjoyed the water! We brought the bike and scooter and stroller but didn't get a chance to use them this time although there are plenty of good sidewalks to use! We will be back!

My husband and I went fishing today, August 29th, 2016. I've never been fishing before, so I…read moredidn't really know what to expect. My husband went 3yrs ago on another charter when we were visiting Anna Maria. Capt. Kyle is a 4th generation charter captain. His charter is super nice and clean. He has a live well for bait and knows where to take you to get all the fish you can possible catch. Check out his website - lots of pics. Capt. Kyle is professional, knowledgable and friendly. He's got two big yeti coolers on board for your drinks and food. You are guaranteed a good time. As soon as a reeled in my line, he had another one baited for me and my husband. It's was non stop action! I couldn't believe how many fish I was bringing in. We tossed the small ones back, but they were even fun to catch. We ended up with red fish, trout, snapper and mackerel. Had a great time and now it's time to have The Sandbar Restaurant cook them up for us. Kyle filleted the fish for us right after we were done. Call him, you'll have a blast !

5 stars for Captain Kyle! We've been on a ton of charter trips and he is now our go-to guy for…read moreinshore and Tarpon fishing. He is a pro and will put you on the fish!

We had such a Great day with Captain Chuck and FirstMate! Kept us with fresh bait and on top of the…read morefish!!! Will definitely go fishing with this crew again!!!

If I could give NO stars I would! THIS IS A FRAUD! They took my money, confirmed the trip and then…read morenever showed up. Found out that the boat hasn't left the dock for months! Then they had the nerve to send me a "Thanks for spending the day with us" email. WHAT A JOKE. DO NOT BOOK!

Phil was an amazing captain. He made sure we caught fish. We…read morehad a great time and caught some big fish. Very knowledgeable will definitely use his services again.

Captain Phil Is amazing. We had a wonderful time with the family. Caught a lot of snook and trout…read more He is very patient and knows where the fish are.

A 2 mile long Riverwalk along the Manatee River. We walked past a skate park, over train tracks,…read moresplash water park, playgrounds, an amphitheater & some art installations. This is an expansion of Rossi Park between the Green and DeSoto bridges. There were clean shady seating & lots of signage about the Riverwalk. There were cameras & we felt very safe.

Bradenton river walk is a 1.5 mile wood and concrete path along the water with swings, chairs, a…read moresplash pad and a skate park along the way. There's artwork and great views of the river.

Great day out with Captain Gregg. Knowledgeable, personable and patient with rookies.read more

Captain Gregg took us out fishing around Sarasota. For my sons' first fishing trip it was a hit and…read morethey can't wait to go fishing again!

My boyfriend and I live in Lakewood Ranch and decided that we may want to go fishing at the pier…read morethis weekend. We decided to drive up just to check out a good spot and drive through. We went to the South fishing pier first. The gentleman in the booth was very kind and friendly and allow us to drive through just to see what the pier was like for tomorrow night. We decided to take a look at the Northside fishing pier, and when we got to the booth, we very kindly explained to the lady in the booth that we were looking to go fishing tomorrow night and asked kindly if we could just drive through. We had our Service dog with us, but did not have his vest on. She raised her voice at us and told us we were not allowed to go past her booth that she was demanding we turn around or even back up! I told her he was a Therapy dog and asked her kindly once again if we were allowed to just drive through that we were not getting out. Once again with her voice raised, she told us absolutely not, and that he should "have his vest on"! Wow... Not a very nice person to have representing one of our State Parks! Needless to say, we will be sticking with the Southside fishing pier tomorrow night. And there's our tax dollars hard at work for a very nasty and miserable old bitty!

It's a great place to go crabbing and a lot of fish are around the pier we caught about 5 dozen…read morecrabs

When the locals need to rent a boat, we call Tanner. We've…read morerented boats from at least 4 different outfits in the area - not only is LiGT fairly priced, but Tanner provides genuine customer service that you just won't find elsewhere. There's really not much more I can say. Do your due diligence and research the other rental options, but it's highly likely that you'll come back around to Life is Good Today and Cap'n Tanner. You'll be glad you did!

We have rented from Tanner once a year or so for the last about seven years on our yearly trip when…read morewe drive down to NC and we cannot say enough about how much we appreciate him! We have such great boat vacation family memories thanks to him. He is timely, helpful, reliable and super kind. Could not recommend anyone more!