Ideas near Venice, FL

[Anonymous]

We are traveling to Venice, FL to visit recently relocated grandparents this summer and I am looking for things to do/places to go near there perhaps as mini trips with DH and the kids (5 and 8 months). I hear Legoland is good and close by. Does anyone know of any other good spots for day trips or overnights that are an easy car trip from Venice? Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Well, my in-laws live in Venice and I've been dozens of times. My child is 5.
Things to do: Ice cream in downtown Venice.
There is a fountain in downtown Venice which sprays water.

Other things are further away:
Sarasota: Mote Aquarium
Sarasota: Jungle Gardens
Tampa: Busch Gardens (1.5 hours away)
Dinosaur World (near Plant City 1.5 hours away) -- totally worth it for this age, we have been twice
I have not been to Lego Land, it is further than Dinosaur World, but not by much.
We've been to the big cat rescue in Punta Gorda, FL
We went to Sailor Circus, but that is only a couple times a year.

Check out tripadvisor. I don't recommend the Ducky tours, total waste of money. I reviewed it for Trip Advisor.
Siesta Key - Sarasota beach
Fort Desoto Nat'l Rec Area (great beach)

We always go canoeing in Oscar Scherer State Park.
We are starting to explore south of Venice to Fort Myers.
We had a nice time in the Imaginarium (Children's Museum in Ft. Myers)
We saw manakees at a part south of Venice. Summer will not be the time to stop there, that is a winter, spring thing.

We walk down to the local beach and play in the sand and waves. You can bike, if you have bikes.

Is that enough?

[Anonymous]

We did a half day speedboat rental in Clearwater and went over to Caldesi Island State Park, which is a deserted beach island with a small park-run marina on the backside.
Canoeing on the river, a tour boat ride on the lake, bikes or or just a walk on the nature trails at Myakka River State Park would be fun. I went before kids and saw PLENTY of alligators and wading birds up close from a canoe on the river. Ibis, wood storks, roseate spoonbills, feral pigs, deer etc.
Gasparilla Island is known for its tarpon fishing - Boca Grande is the tiny town there.
Siesta Key has a drum circle on Sunday afternoons and there are good restaurants in downtown Sarasota (Pineapple Square area) as well as St. Armand's Circle.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens was beautiful and could be good grandparent outing with lunch nearby.
Did not get to all the other attractions we wanted to see - Ringling Museum (art & circus and mansion and waterfront garden) Mote aquarium, Ford and Edison winter estates and car collection...