(light acoustic music) - [Jeff] Sometimes the contrast we find in the places we travel define the destination.

This is a full blown gator haul out right here, I'm not kiddin' ya.

(Dave laughs) When the glow of big city lights can be seen just minutes away from wild spaces like this, you know you're somewhere unique.

Dave's gonna get his camera out.

(Jeff laughs) This is Tampa Bay Florida, where modern meets mangroves, and a little bit a mystery.

- There's somethin' sittin' in that dark spot.

- [Jeff] Oh under that tree?

- Yeah, go check it out Jeff.

- [Jeff] I don't know about that.

We've come here to film the sunshine states West Coast capital, including nearby St. Petersburg.

Let's go check out the pier.

While taking a closer look at the diverse wildlife found in very nearby swamps, parks, and seaside preserves.

Oh dude, up ahead there's a dorsal fin stickin' out.

And while the middle of July may be a challenging month to travel here weather wise.

(thunder rumbling) Oh man.

The small crowds and big thunderstorms set the stage for an unforgettable adventure where alligators and big foot share the same turf.

I can't believe there aren't warning signs or like a skull and crossbones or somethin' around here.

And once again, we learn another important lesson of try.

(people laughing) I feel like this thing's gonna jump right onto my jugular vein.

Where the preconceptions of places we think we know can only be dispelled through discovery, (birds chirping) to reveal the contrast of a destination and the magic they hold.

So Zack, just so you know, right above your head is a spider, okay.

- [Zach] Spider or web?

- [Jeff] Both.

(upbeat music) When you travel, the world becomes a smaller place.

- Pretty incredible stuff.

- [Jeff] When you explore with friends like mine that are outdoor cinematographers, destinations definitely come to life.

(thunder rumbling) - Okay, that was loud.

We share our love of travel with our cameras, telling the stories of earth's most amazing places in every frame.

But on every adventure.

Oh shoot, Dave!

The unplanned moments are the ones we remember the most.

I did bring a bag of raw chicken, hang on, I'll be right back.

(men laughing) - [Man] What's up?

- Here we go, Lake Como.

I'm Jeff Aiello.

Little bridge.

(Jeff grunts) And this is "Outside Beyond the Lens".

It's not always about the obvious big view behind you, sometimes the prettiest things are right below your feet.

- [Announcer] Production funding for "Outside Beyond the Lens" provided by visit Fresno County, nature, diversity, found in the heart of California Central Valley.

From Fresno and Clovis you can drive to three nearby national parks.

By Hedrick Chevrolet.

- Hedrick Chevrolet is proud to support the spirit of travel in each of us.

Every journey has a first step, adventures start here.

- [Announcer] By Advance Beverage Company, serving Bakersfield and Kearn County for over 50 years.

From our family to yours, supporting valley PBS and the wonders of travel.

By The Penstar Group, promoting opportunity and growth for collaboration and partnerships for the future.

By Hodges Inc, Battery Storage Systems.

Would you rather invest in the power companies infrastructure or you own?

And by Visit Yosemite Madera County, California's gateway to Yosemite National Park.

Explore the outdoor magic of Madera County, and be inspired to discover more.

(upbeat music) - [Jeff] When we think about travel, for most it's usually tied to a limited amount of vacation time, once or twice a year.

So planning where to go typically starts out with a short list of destinations, Europe, Hawaii, the Caribbean, the places you see on the Instagram feeds luring you to a getaway paradise.

But to mix things up, I highly recommend throwing that strategy out and simply pick a few days in a city right here in America, that you've never been to, to expand your travel horizons and deepen your appreciation for the good ole USA.

Chances are, you will be surprised at what you find.

And for us, there's always something to point a camera at.

(birds chirping) For this trip, we picked Tampa Bay.

Not the first prize on Florida's tourism bingo card, but maybe it should be.

We came here not really knowing what to expect, but are eager to discover what the sunshine states west coast has in store for us.

Okay, so after a drive from the Tampa Bay Airport, grabbed the rental car, drove about 30 miles south, and we're in the little town of Ruskin right now.

Now for this trip, I just sorta threw a dart at the board with a vacation rental sight.

I saw a picture, I knew I wanted a place on the water, so we could shoot like right outta the back yard.

And I just said, "Let's go with that."

I didn't have a lotta time, I chose.

And we're in the little town of Ruskin Florida right now, and we're pullin' into this neighborhood that looks a little interesting.

It's a mix, there's like some really nice houses, and then there's some.

- It's about to come down.

- There's some places that are less than nice.

And we're just trying to figure out, we're getting some rain now, lots of thunderstorms.

We're here in July, so July in Tampa, it can be really stormy in the afternoons, big strong thunderstorms and lightning, sort of a natural cycle that happens here.

But I'm kind of, I think the directions say to turn here on Canal Street right?

- Dead end, so yeah.

- Okay, okay, so we're turnin' on Canal Street.

And then when I looked it said (wipers squeaking) at the turn of the road we're gonna take.

- [Zack] Go straight.

- Go straight at the dirt road.

(light acoustic music) (car door opening) (Zack groans) Vacation rentals like this usually work out better for the crew and I, and are more cost effective than hotel rooms.

(birds chirping) In a place like Tampa Bay that has so many rental options close to wild places like this mangrove, we can actually use where we're staying as a legit place to explore.

We're gettin' our first look around at the Ruskin bay side lodge here that we got on a vacation rental site.

And it looks pretty good, Zack and Dave are over here gettin' some shots, (birds chirping) gettin' their gear warmed up and broken out.

Still have a lotta thunder activity the area, but this is really cool, yeah.

(birds chirping) Since it's late in the day and we're all tired from traveling, our bay side home for the next few days is a perfect place to settle in and capture some of the afternoon thunderstorms approaching that are typical of the meteorology in Central Florida in July.

(thunder rumbling) After the rains subside, sunset and storm clouds spar in the changing light, the Tampa skyline in the distance adds scale to the maze of mangroves in the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve below.

(thunder rumbling) Tonight, we rest, tomorrow, we explore the preserve for an up close look at the photographic contrasts this part of Florida offers, where distant city lights flicker in the deepening darkness of Tampa Bay's brackish wilds.

(crickets chirping) (birds cawing) All right, so we're gonna try out the little kayak they have here, it's actually a nice kayak.

- Yeah, it's big, should be good.

- Two person kayak.

We'll see if there's any cotton mouths laying in the bottom of it here.

All right, good.

(kayak clinks) Okay, cool.

Yeah, oh (beeping) there's crabs in it though.

(birds chirping) It's a new day in Tampa Bay, the skies over West Central Florida are clear and bright, not yet subject to the atmospheric forces of extreme heat and humidity that will turn the calm into convection, and another round of afternoon thunderstorms.

(birds chirping) I feel like you're lower than me in the water.

There's no way you weigh more than me.

- No.

(Jeff laughs) - I.

(Dave laughs) (birds chirping) - [Jeff] Kayaking through a maze of mangroves in the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve is a fun way to experience these unique ecosystems up close, quietly, and in a way that isn't overly intrusive to the wildlife that can be found here.

(birds chirping) Hold on, I got a crab on my leg.

They seem friendly.

There he is, yeah, he's just.

Oh, he's right by your hand now Dave.

The red mangrove is a tropical tree common along Florida's Central and Southern coasts.

The bright color of the prop roots give the mangroves their name.

The pods that can sometimes be seen hanging off the leaves actually grow into mature trees before dropping into the water, giving them the best chance to find perches in the salty silts below, and quickly grow, adding to a labyrinth of biodiversity here with countless routes to explore.

Now yesterday when we came in here and looked around, this, the tide was out here.

And so this was pretty shallow.

There were some shovel nose birds in here feeding in this little cove that we're cruising in, but man this is the simple stuff.

And look at this, what are we, like maybe 100 yards from the house, if that.

- Go around the one point and you're in all this.

- [Jeff] Yeah, this is really pretty.

(birds chirping) Let's go through that little notch up there.

- [Dave] It's deceiving too, because you don't know which ones circle around.

- Right.

- I mean there's so many small islands that.

- [Jeff] Oh we're over some brackish stuff here.

Water depth is what here Dave?

- [Dave] Oh, it's gotta be.

- [Jeff] Push your oar in the water and see.

- Gotta be three or four feet at the most.

Oh yeah, that's couple feet, if that.

- Couple feet.

Big movement right there.

- Sure we've gone over, I'm sure there's stuff all around us.

Yeah, this one goes around.

- Yeah, this is cool.

(Dave laughs) Okay, that was a lotta fish, right?

Was that a school, or a big alligator?

- [Dave] I don't know, I looked over right after all of it happened.

- Oh look it, it's a bunch of bait fish.

There's a bunch a stuff in here.

Oh dude, up ahead there's a dorsal fin stickin' out, straight ahead through the notch.

You know, Zack has the drone up right now, I wonder if he's seein' any of this out in front of us.

(frogs chirping) Wow, yeah, look at the tails, see the tails sticking out?

- Yeah are those?

- They're probably.

- I wonder if they're, snook or.

- Snook or, there's no, I don't know, do they have bone fish in here?

- I honestly don't know.

- Okay, so we're comin' up on, this is really cool.

All right we're comin' up on some big predatory fish up here, and there's a lotta bait fish around.

But we can actually see the fins of these fish stickin' outta the water.

Now Dave's gonna get his camera out.

(Jeff laughs) They saw us, they were like, "Later."

(frogs chirping) Snook are a popular game fish in Tampa Bay, and throughout the brackish shorelines of the south.

But since we're short a couple of fishing poles and any real idea of what to throw at 'em, we wrap up our quick introductory paddle in the preserve, and head back to the house.

(light acoustic music) (birds cawing) (upbeat music) To illustrate the contrast of experiences that can be had along Florida's Gulf Coast, we're back in the car a short time later, and headed north to check out Tampa's neighbor city to the west, St. Petersburg.

These two cities share real estate on the north end of Tampa Bay, but St. Petersburg shines with its own distinct flare as a hub for music and the arts.

One of the top places to check out when you're here, for both locals and tourists with camera gear, is the St. Pete pier.

(people talking indistinctly) All right, so Dave, Zack and I have shown up at the St. Pete pier here in St. Petersburg.

Really nice community area with one of the world's longest piers, like a 3,000 foot pier, we're gonna check that out right now.

The waterfront behind me, beautiful boats, the beautiful architecture of St. Pete behind me.

There is open air markets here, there's this really cool net thing that looks like it's water if the wind's blowing, we're gonna check that out.

But right now, let's go check out the pier.

(upbeat acoustic music) This landmark pleasure pier extends into Tampa Bay, and is part of a 26 acre pier district in St. Petersburg, featuring five restaurants, an environmental education center, playgrounds, beach access, and numerous artworks.

(people talking indistinctly) When the boys and I hit a place like the St. Pete pier, we like to split up and wander around on our own with no real plan.

The individual experience we each have on these solo photo safaris, typically leads to a more diverse shot list, since we each see the world a little bit differently.

(jet ski rumbling) (soft music) I also like to make sure we're not all shooting with the same lenses, so how we capture what we see will have a variety of images that helps the final cut and the visual storytelling we're here to bring to life.

(people talking indistinctly) The finish line on our St. Pete pier stroll is the large building in the distance called Pier Point, a beacon guiding us in like a lighthouse in a summer squall.

(people talking indistinctly) The shade underneath Pier Point is our first place to find relief from the brutal summer sun and wicked humidity.

Hot?

- It's a little warm, (Jeff laughs) just a little bit.

What, 95 plus whatever humidity.

- [Jeff] Humidity's I think at 762%.

- [Woman] Yeah I was surprised.

- [Jeff] I need something cold to drink right now.

I'm waitin' for Boomer to get up here.

- Something with some ice.

- [Jeff] Yeah, that'd be good.

It's a pretty fun place to shoot, huh?

- Yeah.

There's a lot goin' on, lot goin' on down here.

Fun people, fun scenes.

(people talking indistinctly) - [Jeff] A cool tropical concoction at the tiki bar overlooking the downtown skyline of St. Petersburg is the perfect pay off to our Sunday stroll on the pier.

Thinking that we enjoyed this and a paddle in the mangroves all before lunch, hammers home the wild range of things you can see and experience in a place like Tampa Bay Florida.

And speaking of wild, there's another place on our Tampa Bay bucket list that we've been researching ahead of our trip, a place home to swamps, gators, and the legend of a mythical beast that some say can be smelled long before it allows itself to be seen.

(thunder rumbling) Okay, it's a new day and we are on our little strike down to Myakka River State Park.

We're just about 10 miles east of Sarasota Florida, we're about, what'd you say, like 45 minutes is what the GPS said?

- Yep, yep, 45-- - 45 minutes south of Ruskin where base camp is for us, there at Tampa Bay.

And this park is known for a lotta things, including incredible wildlife, a lotta alligators, some great hiking trails, and also the highest level of big foot sightings in Florida from what I've read.

(upbeat acoustic music) Just outside of Sarasota Florida, Myakka River State Park is something everyone who knew we were coming to this part of the country said we had to check out.

The park is open eight AM to sunset, 365 days a year, and costs six bucks a car to get in.

We hit the visitor center first to get an idea of what to expect inside the park, and to get our bearings with an extensive trail system winding through the swamps.

(birds chirping) Obviously, wildlife viewing is a big draw for folks coming to the park, but one thing that really jumped out at me was no stuffed bigfoot exhibit.

Weird that they'd leave a display of the famous skunk ape off the list.

Somewhat confused, we're back in the car, and headed to the heart of the park, now with our next stop coming up.

(birds chirping) Birding is a big deal in Myakka.

Its 37,000 acres is home to wading birds, raptors, song birds, migratory birds, and ducks.

This birding boardwalk stop is a great place to punch out into places you dare not venture into without it, and gives us some nice photographic viewpoints.

(birds chirping) (crickets chirping) Pushing farther into the swamps of Myakka, even though it's not being openly discussed amongst ourselves, we're each quietly scanning into the depths of the forest, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Myakka skunk ape.

(frog croaking) Sightings of the skunk ape in Sarasota County are frequent, with many who have had up close encounters, reporting the ape to smell of rotten eggs when startled.

In 2013, footage of two skunk apes in this open field was captured by several park visitors.

The beasts, seemingly unaware of the attention they drew, as they lumbered in the tall grasses.

(birds chirping) Could the Myakka skunk ape be proof of a large bipedal north American ape species, long referred to as bigfoot, actually existing in the swamplands of the Gulf Coast?

For now, the search continues, as we close in on a spot the park map shows is an excellent place for spotting big gators.

So you guys, you see gators right now?

- Wow there's bubbles.

- Bub, that was a constant bubble.

- That looks like a water boatman which is a aquatic insect.

- No, see those bubbles?

I think that's.

- There's something sitting in that dark spot.

- [Jeff] Oh, under that tree.

- Yeah, go check it out Jeff, go for it.

- [Jeff] I don't know about that.

- We-- - Well what's interesting to me is if you look over here, there's a little viewing area, it looks like something's actually come up outta the water like it's matted down over there.

- Let's walk over.

- [Jeff] Yeah, let's check that out, yeah.

What do you see, orb weaver?

- It's-- - Oh shoot, there's one right in front of me.

- Engineering marvel.

- Keep doing that, hold on, hold on a second, put your hand back there.

- [Jeff] So Zack, just so you know, right above your head is a spider.

- I saw it.

I saw it.

- [Jeff] Okay.

- [Zack] Spider or web?

- [Jeff] Both.

So Dave is showing us the tensile strength of the orb weavers web.

Okay, so this right here, this is a full blown gator haul out right here, I'm not kiddin' ya.

(Zack laughs) - [Zack] I'm not kiddin' ya.

- Nope, this is where they haul out.

I can't believe there aren't warning signs, or like a skull and cross bones, or somethin' around here.

(upbeat rock music) The heat and humidity make exploring on foot here in July a little rough, but it also keeps park crowds on the small side.

(crickets chirping) It also makes the alligator viewing tough, since the big gators the park is known for will stay hidden in the shade, or just submerged for most of the day.

After a refreshing blast of AC in the rental car, and chugging a lotta water, we're onto another trail to check out more of Myakka.

The Myakka canopy walkway allows park visitors to get an up close look at life in the tree tops of oaks and palms.

The walkway is suspended 25 feet off the ground, and connects two towers with a 100 foot long bridge.

Little bouncy, not bad, low bridge.

(Jeff grunts) The final climb to the main tower puts you on top of a 75 foot platform overlooking wetlands, tree tops, and a mix of prairie and hammock ecosystems.

How's it going guys?

Hi.

Right on, here we are on the top.

With a number of mountains or foothills in this part of Florida at zero, being able to pop up at all and take an expansive view like this is a great way to understand the scale and reach of Florida's wild places.

The overall layout of Myakka River State Park gets a big thumbs up from us.

And even though it is soul crushing hot and humid outside, we had a lot of fun exploring here.

That has got David Boomer written all over it right there buddy.

- I don't know about that buddy.

(Jeff laughs) - [Jeff] Yes, the only sighting of the skunk ape we had was in the gift shop.

Dude, look at the skunk ape shirt.

- [Dave] That's gotta go home with you man.

- [Jeff] And even though we haven't seen one alligator, a somewhat aggressive swamp squirrel really pushed its luck, begging for food during lunch.

I feel like this thing's gonna jump right onto my jugular vein.

- [Woman] Really?

- [Jeff] This little guy doesn't understand that Zack will protect that barbecue sandwich like the hungry dog on its bowl.

(woman laughs) It's not their teeth that gets you, it's their little claw.

(woman in black tank top laughs) - See, I'm scared of their teeth.

(light acoustic music) - [Jeff] On the drive outta the park, we crossed the last bridge over the Myakka River to see if we might change our luck on the gator spotting.

And while the skunk ape won the trophy for hide and seek champion of the day, we finally captured a few alligators in the lake near the bridge.

- [Dave] Jeff, you got one comin' right at you on the shore!

- We're on the river right now, and just behind me down here is a big ole alligator, we've estimated him to be about 12 foot long, not 100% sure, but that's our best guess right now.

And he's layin' there in the shade, stayin' outta the sun, which is about 94 degrees right now.

And he keeps opening his eyes and looking at us, but I got the 600 millimeter lens out on him, so we got in real close to him, we got a good look at him.

But this is what we wanted to do when we came here was see some alligators, we don't get to see these back home very often, so this is really cool.

(birds chirping) Extreme caution, and a healthy amount of common sense, will keep you from winning the Darwin awards for natural selection in a situation like this.

On hot days, these bigger gators wanna stay cool and close to the water, but take it from someone who has tempted fate with these amazing creatures long ago, they can explode with lightning fast speed, and need to be respected at all times while observing or photographing them.

Back in Tampa now on our last night as another series of thunderstorms begins to organize and move slowly towards us from the east.

(thunder rumbling) The lessons learned on this adventure will be long remembered.

(birds chirping) We picked a place to visit that was beyond our normal checklist of destinations, and landed here with open minds and a curiosity to learn more.

Being curious is a wonderful way to travel.

In a place like Tampa Bay, curiosity is the key to unlock the contrasts sometimes hidden behind the obvious things we're drawn to see.

There is a lot of joy to be found when you travel like this, (people talking indistinctly) that makes almost anything you do on a trip something to remember.

(upbeat music) And for one big bolt to hit right in front of me right now.

Right.

Now.

Right.

Oh, that one hit out there in the distance, that was cool.

Right now.

(Zack laughing) (Dave laughing) - Oh is that cute.

- [Jeff] Roll credits.

(light acoustic music) - [Announcer] Production funding for "Outside Beyond the Lens" provided by Visit Fresno County, nature, diversity, found in the heart of California Central Valley.

From Fresno and Clovis, you can drive to three nearby national parks.

By Hedrick Chevrolet.

- Hedrick Chevrolet is proud to support the spirit of travel in each of us.

Every journey has a first step, adventures start here.

- [Announcer] By Advance Beverage Company, serving Bakersfield and Kearn County for over 50 years.

From our family to yours, supporting valley PBS and the wonders of travel.

By The Penstar Group, promoting opportunity and growth for collaboration and partnerships for the future.

By Hodges Inc, Battery Storage Systems.

Would you rather invest in the power companies infrastructure or your own?

And by Visit Yosemite Madera County, California's gateway to Yosemite National Park.

Explore the outdoor magic of Madera County, and be inspired to discover more.

(upbeat music)