rare rerio Florida Family Fun (NAPS)—Fun. Family. Florida. An inereasing numberof families are finding a fair share of fun in Florida’s Gulf Islands of Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island and the Bradenton Area. Florida’s Gulf Islands offer families plenty of fun-filled activities to enjoy. Families interested in outdoor fun can hop aboard a canoe for an exciting eco-adventure on the beau- tiful Upper Manatee River, where they can view herons, egrets, hawks, ospreys, otters, bobcats, turtles and bottlenose dolphins, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the endangered manatees. Once the main route to the Florida interior, the Manatee River features hidden white sand beaches, fresh clear waters, and a large stock of striped bass, bream, speck and catfish. The State of Florida and Manatee County have worked together to reconstruct wetlands and preserve the remains of a 1400-yearold Native American Village. Visitors can take a self-guided tour through ancient mounds that were home to native Indian tribes or take a guided nature tour with area naturalists. For information on these and other fun family attractions, call the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1 (800) 4-MAN- ATEE or visit www.flagulfis lands.com.
