News & Notes Eco-Adventures (NAPSA)—Eco-tourism has become one of the more noteworthy trends in vacation planning. One of the more appealing places promoting the delicate balance of nature is Florida’s Gulf Islands of Anna Maria, dubbed “Fantasy Island” by Florida Monthly magazine, and Longboat Key, located in the Southwest region of the state. DeSoto National Memorial located on the Manatee River. In the Bradenton area, visitors can hop aboard a canoe for an exciting adventure on the beautiful Upper Manatee River. There, travelers can enjoy the wide variety of subtropical vegetation and an area still rich in wildlife. Once the main route to the Florida interior for the area’s first settlers, the Manatee River features white, “sugar” sand beaches, fresh clear waters and a large stock offish. Another major attraction is the Emerson Point Preserve—369 acres of natural wetland communities that include canoe areas, interpretive trails and boardwalk. It’s also rich in history with a 1,400 year old Native American village on site. Visitors can also head farther north and spend a day canoeing on the Little Manatee River, one of Florida’s few unspoiled waterways. Other possibilities include the world’s longest fishing pier, remote tropical islands and Leffis Key, a pristine shallow-water habitat great for birding. To learn more about eco-adventures in Florida’s Gulf Islands, write to the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 1000, Bradenton, FL 34206, call (800) 462-6283 or visit www.flagulfislands.com.
