Weedon Island Preserve, St Petersburg

There's a popular fishing and boating area at St. Petersburg and a boardwalk over the tangled roots of mangroves. This nature lover's recluse is the Weedon Island Preserve. Here, from the top of an observation tower, there's a great view of Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg's pretty skyline. While you're looking, you're likely to spot a heron or egret, and glimpse black crabs darting along mangrove branches. There's a fishing pier, picnic tables with charcoal grills, a canoe/kayak trail and historical markers pointing out an Indian mound and an early airport ruin.