Plan Your Florida Vacation
The aim of this blog is to provide as much information about things to see and do whilst you are on the holiday of a lifetime in the vacation capital of the world - The Sunshine State of Florida.
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Oakland Nature Preserve
Posted on November 4th, 2010 No commentsWritten by: Julie Hart
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We were on our way to the cycle trail at Winter Park when we came across Oakland Nature Preserve. As luck would have it we were way too early for the cycle hire shop so we went back to check it out.
There was free parking and free entry, a good start so we duly signed the visitors book and set off, not really knowing what to expect. We arrived at the same time as a party of schoolchildren and could hear one of the teachers remonstrating with Tyler to be sure not to bring anything out of the woods! I wonder what he did last time! They went off the visitor centre and we set off along the boardwalk.
The preserve is part of a forest which has been restored and reading the information along the trail we learned that many species of animals, birds and insects have been returned to their natural habitat since the project began. We saw lots of butterflies and birds but really it was more about what we could hear as much as what we could see. There were tall trees and thick vegetation on either side of the boardwalk and a cacophony of sound, none of it made by humans.
There were plenty of information boards telling us what to look out for as we strolled along in the heat.
After about half an hour or so we came to an observation deck overlooking Lake Apopka and to our great delight we could actually see a couple of gators out on the lake. Not a place for a dip then. We could hear a loud noise which we assumed to be bullfrogs but try as we might we couldn’t spot them.
There was lots of interesting information about the history of the Lake and the agriculture around it over the last few decades. The lake has also been brought out of decline and we stayed a while just listening and watching before meandering back.
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CYCLING IN FLORIDA
Posted on July 5th, 2010 No commentsWritten by: Julie Hart
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We like to do a bit of cycling at home so Dave used his very limited computer skills to search the net and find somewhere to go in Florida. He came up with a trail not too far from out villa at Winter Garden. The West Orange Trail is 22 miles of tarmac cycle track which is almost completely flat.
We started at a place called Killarney Station where we hired the cycles, it opens at 11am on weekdays and 9 am at the weekend. From there we cycled into Winter Garden. This is a really pretty city with sidewalks and pavement cafes and shops. Even though it was quite hot in May it was comfortable as we created our own breeze and there are no tough hills.
From there the trail leads through countryside and the back of housing estates and a bit goes through a more industrial site but on the whole its very pretty, very relaxing and enjoyable. There are stations along the route with rest rooms and water fountains and we also discovered to our great relief that there were water fountains along the way which we thought were trash cans. These apparently are of a type found on golf courses and contained deliciously cold water to refill our bottles. Its a long way between some of the stations!
We cycled for 12 miles and then decided that it was time to turn back. It’s an old railway track so it’s one way out and one way back but still interesting. We were out about 3 hours altogether and that felt about right - we might try to go further next time. You can hire cycles at Winter Garden and start there if you want to. You could get all sizes of bikes including those with trailers for kids and it was very reasonably priced. Maybe next time we’ll start at the other and and stop in Winter Garden for lunch.
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Pinellas Trail
Posted on May 22nd, 2009 No commentsWritten by: Steven Humpleby
Authors WebsiteFrom the perceived vision of wanting a safe place to enjoy bicycle riding, strolling or jogging, and the opportune abandonment of a 34-mile corridor of CSX railroad, the Pinellas Trail was borne.
The first 5-mile section of the Pinellas Trail opened in 1990, connecting Taylor Park in Largo to Seminole Park in Seminole. Nowadays the trail is 34 miles long, and spans nine cities and towns throughout Pinellas County, connecting the County from north to south. The Trail meanders through some of Pinellas County’s most picturesque parks, scenic costal areas, quiet waterways and tidal streams. Joggers, in-line skaters and bicyclists alike contribute to the 90,000 people currently using the Trail each month, and the construction of eight overpasses ensures safe passage above traffic at busy intersections.
As well as the enchanting views, artwork can also be found along the Trail. Nine separate sculptures, made of fabricated aluminium, are positioned to help identify community locations (St Petersburg, Gulfport, Seminole, Largo, Belleair, Clearwater, Dunedin, Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs), and are a tribute to its railroad history.
The Trail starts at 34th St in St. Petersburg, and posted along the Trail are numbered green signs depicting station numbers, which are 500 feet apart and can be used to calculate distance travelled or to report any problems along the trail. A pocket-sized flip chart map/guide book is available, which shows rest stops, restaurants, pay phones service stations and bike shops, etc along the length of the Trail. The ‘Guide to the Pinellas Trail’ is entirely free, and is available at the Trail office, information desks, area libraries and on the internet.
Basic Rules Governing The Trail:
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The Trail is only open during daylight hours, and alcoholic drinks are prohibited.
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Pedestrians and handicapped have the right of way, wheelchairs should use the pedestrian lanes and electric handicap wheelchairs are always permitted
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Bicyclists are required to obey all traffic controls and signals
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Cyclists are not permitted to wear headphones at any time and under age 16, they must wear a helmet
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Electric bicycles and motorised vehicles (except wheelchairs, maintenance, law enforcement and emergency vehicles) are not allowed on the Pinellas Trail, nor are horses
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Bicyclists and skaters should obey the posted speed limits. No racing or race training
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Skaters should use the bicycle lanes, and both skaters and cyclists should give an audible warning when passing
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Pets must be kept on a max. 6 foot leash and under control
As St Petersburg is located 96 miles from Kissimmee, bike and skate hire may be more suitable. Rental shops near the route are as follows:
TARPON SPRINGS: Neptune Cyclery, 13 Safford Ave S, Tel (727) 943-5805
PALM HARBOR: Sun West Cyclery, 625 Palm Harbor Blvd, Tel (727) 785-0110
DUNEDIN: Energy Conservatory Bike Shop, 745 Main St, Tel (727) 736-4432
Great America Trails Bike Shop, 357 Scotland St, Tel (727) 734-5976
CLEARWATER: Chainwheel Drive Inc, 1770 Drew Street, Tel (727) 441-2444
Clearwater Cycles, 1881A Drew Street, Tel (727) 230-4819
LARGO: Outspokin Bicycles & Proshop, 619 Missouri Ave N, Tel (727) 518-2329
D & S Bike Shop, 11561 Walsingham Rd, Tel (727) 586-6437
SEMINOLE: Trail Sports, 6572 Seminole Blvd, Tel (727) 395-0509
Bicycle Outfitters, 11198 70th Ave North, Tel (727) 319-2453
ST PETERSBURG: Beach & Trail Bike Shop, 7100 9th Ave N, Tel (727) 384-6608
Incidentally, the public bus service runs a ‘bike on buses’ program whereby each bus has a cycle rack that takes 2 bikes (over 16”), so that both you and your bike can either be transported further afield, or just to take the easy route back!
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