Fort De Soto - Sarasota/Bradenton Area

OK you have me a bit confused. Ft De Soto is in the St Petersburg area. Bradenton and Sarasota are considerably south of that, especially Sarasota. Sarasota has a lot to do, the is the Ringling Circus Museum, the Asolo Theater, lots of great beaches, Myakka River State Park and its walkway up at the top of the trees, many alligators and lots of other critters. St Pete area has good beaches at St Petersburg Beach, there is a great aquarium in Tampa, and there is the Ybor City area for a taste of old Florida just to mention a few. Bradenton doesn't have as much to offer tho it does have a good beach. I think there is good shelling on Anna Maria Island there too, but check on that since I'm not sure.

A bit inland from Sarasota you can canoe on the Peace river and find lots of fossil sharks teeth (Arcadia Canoe Outpost). Further south Venice Beach offers shelling and also fossil sharks teeth on the beach.