Maximo park is just on the other side of 275 from where Bay Vista is located... but... the closest IMO, would be at Ft. DeSoto county park. And it is a waaaayyyy better boat ramp facility.
Stay in the channels - there's a lot of sand out there.
Heck, I remember when there was no bridge. To go to St Pete you either had to take the ferry or drive all the way around through Tampa, an all day trip. Now it' just a bit over an hour from Sarasota to TPA airport.
Yes F-R, i remember no skyway. i would spend my summers in Bradenton, with my favorite aunt. it opened up our entertainment world. first trip over was to go to a drive inn movie, in a corvair, to see "it's a mad, mad,mad, mad, mad world." i was 14 y/o.
I think the first time I saw the bridge was mid-80's on first trip to FL. We were heading southbound to a seafood rest just south of bridge, and north bound lane was at standstill. Someone stopped on the bridge to pick up a bag of something that fell off their vehicle, and the result was a tractor trailer hanging off the edge! By my next visit the barge had done its damage.
