IN BRIEF

Fun facts, tidbits and tips you can use

Bradenton is home to a museum, an aquarium and a planetarium.

Start your science tour at the South Florida Museum (www.southfloridamuseum.org), which is filled with life-size dioramas of scenes from the Pleistocene era to the present. Next, head to the Bishop Planetarium, a state-of-the-art domed theater that plays astronomical shows all day. End your visit at the Parker Manatee Aquarium. Snooty- Manatee County's official mascot-resides here in a 60,000-gallon tank with two other adult manatees.

THE WRIGHT STUFF

The seashell design of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (www.vanwezel.org) was conceived by William Wesley Peters, a chief architect at Taliesin Associated Architects of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Peters, who worked closely with Frank Lloyd Wright on projects like Fallingwater and the Guggenheim Museum, was inspired by two seashells from the Sea of Japan, both on permanent display. Wright's widow chose the building's purple color scheme.

TAKE A HIKE

It's December, you're in Florida and the sun is shining-so spend as much time outdoors as possible. A great way to soak up the rays and experience the natural beauty of the area is by hitting the trails. Some great hikes can be found in the 556-acre Lake Manatee State Park in Bradenton, as well as Emerson Point Preserve in nearby Palmetto, where the trail will take you past a large temple mound built by the ancestors of the Timucua tribe.

TITANIC TRIBUTE

On view through Feb. 8 at G.WIZ (www.gwiz.org) science museum, "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" tells the stories of the people on board this great ship through authentic artifacts and re-creations. G.WIZ is also home to permanent hands-on exhibits that cover scientific topics including physics, sound and electricity.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Spend a day browsing art galleries, studios, boutiques and bookstores in Bradenton's Village of the Arts (www.villageoft.hearts.com). Established in 1999, the village currently comprises about 40 businesses, approximately half of which are artists-in-residence. And if you're not in the market for art, enjoy a bite at one of the many cafés or restaurants.

The Four P's of Historic Spanish Point

PREHISTORY:

Walk inside a prehistoric shell mound (called a "midden") like the ones the area's native inhabitants lived in.

PIONEERS:

Tour the 1901 Guptill House and Mary's Chapel for a taste of 140-year-old pioneer heritage.

PALMER:

Breathe in the fragrances of Mrs. Potter Palmer's formal gardens.

PLANTS:

Wander along the nature trails and through wetland areas that feature restored native habitats.

This 30-acre outdoor museum is located in Osprey, 23 miles south of Bradenton and 11 miles south of Sarasota. www.historicspanishpoint.org

[BY THE NUMBERS]

9.5 ACRES

6,000 ORCHIDS

20,000 PLANTS

A visit to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (www.selby.org) is an essential part of a trip to Sarasota. This month is "Selby Lights in Bloom," when gardens are illuminated in beautiful, colorful lights. Coinciding with this vibrant display is "Trees from Around the

World," on display in the garden's Museum of Botany & the Arts.

See the Giant Squid

Meet Molly the Mollusk, a 27-foot-long preserved giant squid on display at Sarasota's Mote Aquarium (www.mote.org), the only place of its kind in the country where you can see the Architeuthis dux on display. The aquarium is also home to sharks, dolphins, sea turtles and a ray petting pool.