The Wandering Disciple

The hiking trail at Quick Nature Preserve is a great way to get outdoors and enjoy a stroll along the bay. The trail leads you from the parking lot along New Pass and winds through a few saltwater lagoons before passing alongside Sarasota Bay.  Located on the southern top of Longboat Key, the Quick Point Nature Preserve is a hidden gem. Less than a mile in length, this trail is more about taking in the coastal scenery and the wildlife than logging mileage. It is a great place to observe wading birds feasting on the fish that come into the lagoons.  Taken: July 16, 2011 at Quick Point Nature Preserve (Longboat Key, FL)

One way to get away from the blues of life is to embark in some Vitamin Sea therapy. The clear waters and abundant sunshine of the Sunshine State make for a great way to escape reality and relieve some stress in paradise.  This is Greer Island on the northern tip of Longboat Key. Not really an island, but rather a secluded peninsula that was once only accessible at low tide. Today it is a popular spot to enjoy a day at the beach.  Taken: July 16, 2011 at Greer Island (Longboat Key, FL)

Down by the bay, there swims some dolphins. On a clear day you can see dolphins jumping, fish swimming and tourists playing in the clear waters of Sarasota Bay. The bay is the main body of water that seperates downtown Sarasota from the barrier islands of Lido Key and Longboat Key. (Photo: July 19, 2011)

Forget about Winter Wonderland, the coastal wonderland is where its at. Miles of white sand, not snow lines the coast of the Sunshine State making it the go to place to escape the winter weather. (Photo: July 16, 2011)

This natural lagoon is one of the many great waterscapes within the Quick Point Nature Preserve along Sarasota Bay. The nature trail through the preserve starts along New Pass and goes along the bay through mangroves and lagoons before reaching the bay overlook. (Photo: July 16, 2011)

A tree on the banks of the Sarasota Bay make a great photo op along the nature trail at Quick Point Nature Preserve. The trail winds through mangroves and marshes on the way to the bay. (Photo: July 19, 2011)

A group of Terns enjoy the powdery sand of Greer Island on the north end of Longboat Key. The isolated beach is a great place to see a wide variety of shorebirds. (Photo: July 19, 2011)

A quiet lagoon is just one of the many hidden wonders found within the 34 acre Quick Point Nature Preserve. Located along Sarasota Bay on Longboat Key, the preserve provides many hiking, fishing and wildlife watching opportunities. (Photo: July 16, 2011)

A pair of Royal Terns play in the surf at Greer Island. Located on the northern tip of Longboat Key along the Gulf of Mexico, Greer Island is home to many species of shore birds. Its importance to the birding community has landed this beach on the Great Florida Birding Trail. (Photo: July 16, 2011)

Longboat Key, Florida: Located at the northern point of Longboat Key is a secluded primitive beach only reachable by foot or boat. In a short walk you will leave behind the hustle and bustle of the island resorts and become immersed with the quiet beach and the nature that can be found here. Greer Island also known as Beer Can Island is a small stretch of land located along Longboat Pass at the north end of Longboat Key. Here you will find 2,000 feet of primitive beach along the Gulf of Mexico. The “island” is more like a peninsula now since recent beach projects have replenished the beaches enough to make it an easy walk to the island. Prior to the work, visitors needed to reach the island by boat or wait until low tide and walk across a small waterway that separated Greer Island from Longboat Key during high tide. The island is home to many coastal birds leading it to be listed on the Great Florida Birding Trail. Skimmers, terns, willets, black-bellied plovers and oystercatche...