Channel your inner Indiana Jones and take a walk on the wild side of this Gulf Coast hot spot: Paddle through alligator-filled waters, see dolphins in the wild, canoe through mangrove-lined waterways or hunt for fossils on sugary white beaches. The adventure Begin your exploration at Myakka River State Park, where you can backpack through 39 miles of trails that Native American warriors once roamed. Then hop into kayaks and paddle upriver as gators glide by. Younger kids and faint-of-heart parents can opt for the airboat tour instead—bring your binoculars to check out the ospreys and bald eagles. End the afternoon by climbing the 74-foot-high Canopy Walkway tower. Also explore the Sarasota Jungle Gardens, where the kids can feed flamingos, chase butterflies and hold an alligator and a Burmese python. And hop over to Casperson Beach in Venice to dig through powder-white sand for prehistoric sharks' teeth. Also take the Sarasota Bay Explorers' Sea Life Encounter Cruise at Mote Marine Laboratory to experience dolphins, puffer fish and sea horses. Other attractions Check out G.WIZ-The-Hands-On Science Museum, with 85 exhibits including robot building and animated filmmaking, and the Circus Museum at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art to study the big top. Where to stay The suite-only Colony Beach & Tennis Resort (from $195 per night) on 18 beachfront acres features a complimentary kids' camp, pool, spa and an award-winning restaurant. For more info www.sarasotafl.org; Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, 800-282-1138, www.colonybeachresort.com.Photo: Tom Bol Photography