Bradenton, McKechnie Field in running for Best Spring Training City

Fans watch the Pittsburgh Pirates play the Atlanta Braves at
McKechnie Field in 2013. Grant Jefferies/Bradenton Herald

McKechnie Field looks mighty spiffy after those $10 million renovations completed in time for last year's spring training. Those renovations put Bradenton in the running for Best Spring Training City.

USA Today sports editor Bob Nightengale selected 20 cities/ballparks for a USA Today Travel 10 Best poll with McKechnie Field/Bradenton making the list. Now it's up to people to vote for the best.

Baseball fans have until noon March 24 to cast votes. Visit the USA Today Travel site here to cast your vote.

Out of the 20, 11 come from Florida including Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium, the Baltimore Orioles spring home that also had its own renovation. Ed Smith is currently in fourth place while Tampa Bay Rays' spring home at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte is in the lead.

McKechnie's renovation gave it more than 2,000 seats, more shaded areas, a 19,000-square-foot boardwalk, tiki bar and a reworked fan plaza to earn it both the Best Ballpark Renovation designation from Ballpark Digest and Design Excellence Award from Florida Planning and Zoning Association. After all the renovations, fans might never guess this stadium --  built in 1923 -- is the oldest spring training stadium.

A record 93,433 fans turned out last year to see the renovated ballpark and now with the Pittsburgh Pirates following up on a winning season, more are expected at this year's spring training.

Let me know which spring training stadium you think is the best and why below.

Siesta Key's Sea Spray Resort named TripAdvisor Top Bargain

Siesta Key's Sea Spray Resort is receiving national recognition for offering good deals.

The resort ranked seventh on TripAdvisor's Top U.S. Bargain Hotels, on the travel site's 12th annual Travelers' Choice awards.

No Manatee County resorts or hotels made this list, but two other Tampa Bay hotels received nods including Holiday Inn Express Crystal River at No. 12 and Gulf Tides Inn in St. Pete Beach for best bargains.

“We’re excited to recognize the world’s best properties, based on the opinions of those who know them best – the millions of travelers around the globe who come to TripAdvisor to share their experiences,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. “For those seeking inspiration for their 2014 travel planning, this list of spectacular accommodations that received 2014 Travelers’ Choice awards is a perfect place to start.

The average price for a bargain hotel on TripAdvisor's list was $91. An in-season rate in April at Sea Spray, the first available dates for booking through Expedia, ranged from $195 to $209 depending on the day and room.

Along with Bargain Hotels, TripAdvisor released rankings for other hotel categories, but the three mentioned above were the only Tampa Bay hotels to be recognized. One other Florida hotel worth mentioning is Florida's Resort Orlando, which was named Best Hotel for Families in the U.S.

Find the rest of the winners at http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice

Is there a hotel or resort in Manatee County that should have made this list? Weigh in below.