Mon, Nov 19:  Lake Manatee SP, Bradenton, FL:  After our morning ablutions we drove over to Anna Maria Island.  Long Boat Key is just south of Anna Maria Island and is very upscale, but Anna Maria has so much more character.  Drove to the north end of the island and stopped at a little park by the water.  You can see the skyway bridge from here.  The island also has this trolly/bus that goes up and down the island making frequent stops.  You don’t even need a car here.  And it’s FREE!  We hung out at the park for a while and then drove back, stopping at the Ugly Grouper for lunch.  A nice day.  Back to our site and relaxed reading for a while until the sprinkles drove us inside.  Grilled chicken and a 6-bean salad I threw together before we left for Anna Maria.  82 over on the island.  Mostly cloudy today though—but warm.

You could really smell the salt water.

An egret looking for a meal.

There are a couple of huge Australian pines in this park.

The Ugly Grouper