Our family loves the outdoors. Whether hiking or fishing, we get to have remarkable experiences together that we know we will be talking about for years. There was that time at Turtle Beach when a dolphin swam right up to Gwen, 12, Rohan, 11, and Tannon 10. Or that other time hiking in Myakka State Park when we bumped into a flock of wild turkeys. The outdoors in southwest Florida means sweat, no-see-ums, and sunburns. But it also means stunning sunsets, bald eagles and ospreys in your backyard, and the yip of coyotes at night right here in our landscaped communities. And the best part of being the editor of Venice Lifestyle Magazine these past two years is everything I have had the privilege to learn about our community to share with my wife, Emily, and our wonderful children. And that now includes baby Cedar, ten months old already, and just like everyone else in our family, always ready to head outside. Here are a few of our favorite outdoor places to go right here in our very own Venice. Enjoy, and get on out there!
1. Carlton Preserve
It takes less than 20 minutes to drive to the entrance of the Carlton Preserve from downtown Venice, but prepare as though you’re heading to the Everglades. At just under 25,000 acres and with more than 80 miles of hiking trails, the preserve is huge. Filled with birds, butterflies and wildflowers, there’s plenty for the camera-toting hiker to shoot. Bring extra water. You can actually get lost in the Carlton Preserve and end up hiking in circles for hours in this lovely, wild, repetitive landscape of palmettos and oak hammocks with no one else around.
1800 Mabry Carlton Parkway, Venice
2. Sleeping Turtles
This preserve is divided by Border Road into Sleeping Turtles North and South, and both sides have access to the Myakka River. Thick woods cover the trails, so the preserves have a dark and spooky feeling. There are gators in the water and because they are territorial, you can visit the same ones over the years and watch them grow. Our favorite basks on a log in the water every time we visit. He was about four feet long when we first saw him, and now he’s so big, he could easily eat any of us. Bring a pole for huge bass.
3462 Border Road, Venice
3. Venice Urban Forest
Right on the Intracoastal Waterway across from downtown Venice, this forest was reclaimed by VABI and an army of volunteers who cleaned up the old railroad tracks, and planted so much native vegetative that the forest now is a flyway for scrub jays. Every time I take a meditative walk through the Urban Forest, I am so grateful for their efforts.
Veniceurbanforest.com
4. Stump Pass Beach State Park
This lovely park in south Englewood offers a great beach on the Gulf, as well as a bay side that is perfect for throwing a cast net for mullet. I like nothing better that bunching up my 12 foot cast net, twisting my torso and casting, and seeing the net open in a perfect circle. The net comes back full of mullet, the kids cheer, and we have delicious ceviche to eat for days. Entrance $3.
900 Gulf Blvd., Englewood