Bike Ride With a History Lesson

 

As promised in my last post, I want to show you the bike trail we took recently along the Withlacoochee River, the Withlacoochee Bay Trail (not to be confused with the Withlacoochee State Trail).

Years ago there was a project to dig a 200-mile shipping channel from the Gulf of Mexico in a northeastern direction toward Jacksonville. 

The idea was a result of threats by World War I and II German U-boats on American ships along Florida's coasts. Ground-breaking was in 1964, during Lyndon Johnson's presidency. The effort was put to a halt by President Nixon in 1971 due to the opposition by scientists, economists, and activists in a group called the Florida Defenders of the Environment.

The bike trail we followed on this trip runs alongside part of the canal project. The trail makes for a scenic ride as you will see.

The night before our adventure we figured out how to load our bicycles onto the new rack and took off in a westerly direction on about an hour's drive.

When we reached Highway 19, our directions told us to turn left. We did not take "Follow That Dream Pkwy" since that was not the plan for the day. We didn't know why that road was given the name, but I Googled it a few days after we got home.

The street was so-named after a movie starring Elvis Presley, Follow That Dream was filmed in the area. Perhaps that information will lead to another adventure for us on another day. But to get back to our bicycle ride...

The parking lot at the head of our trail is large with acceptable restrooms, several picnic pavilions, and an informational kiosk about the flora, fauna, and history.

The trail is wide asphalt where no motor vehicles are allowed, just bicycles and pedestrians. Bike trails are in the place of former railroad tracks, so the route tends to be pretty level (i.e. no serious hills). If you are seniors like us who don't use electric bikes, then you know how welcome that is. (electric bikes have become all the rage in retirement communities)

Along the path there are roofed wood decks with picnic tables overlooking the Withlacoochee River. The above snapshot is looking to the east.....

.... and from the same standpoint, this is the river looking to the west. It was a very calm morning, early enough for the air temperature to be cool and the river water was as smooth as glass.

We didn't stop at all the rest areas, but there were enough of them to be able to see water on both sides of the trail.

A huge swampy area at low tide was on our left. Sea shells washed up from the Gulf were scattered on the muddy river bottom. 

Our wood walkway did not extend past the muddy area to the water, so we could not look for manatees that day. But in truth, these "gentle giants" are probably not in this body of water yet. In winter they prefer to occupy Florida's warm natural springs that maintain a constant temperature of 72 degrees. 

The above isn't the best picture. I have lightened it up as much as my tools permit. I wanted to capture some of the hurricane carnage from this last summer. There were many downed trees and branches along the swampy side of our trail. To see this in person is sobering.

There was also a lot of smaller plant-life alongside the trail which the storm left in mounds.

This trail is five miles long, so to ride it out and back is ten miles exactly. You can see the end of the path culminating with this shelter that overlooks where the river empties into the Gulf of Mexico. If the shelter looks a little askew, it is. Storm damage, we are sure. 

From the shelter we got a very good view of where the waters merge. A motor boat passed by us from the Gulf, presumably fishermen. As beautiful as this was, we did not linger long because itty bitty gnats were biting our ankles. That was a problem while we were stopped at that point, but not on the ride itself.

This mile marker verified we had ridden our bikes for 5 miles to reach the Gulf end of the trail. Also a helpful amenity along the way were rest rooms. The trail is very bicycle-friendly.

Because this is alligator country, the obligatory signs warn people to be careful, never feed the wild animals, and approaching them is discouraged, too. We saw no gators on that day (that's not a complaint from me, in case you're wondering).

Having gone to the Gulf and back, we knew we were nearing the end when we pedaled under the bridge at Highway 19.

Lest I give you the wrong impression, we are not speed-racers on our bicycles. Peddling and occasionally coasting is our preference. And a round-trip of ten miles is just right. (maybe a couple more, but not much)

Bike helmets, sturdy shoes, and our chartreuse shirts were the uniform of the day. We each had a water bottle strapped to our bicycles, which we used at every stop along the way.

Lunch after the ride was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a side of potato chips and bottled water. Not fancy but filling. I slathered the peanut butter pretty thick on both slices of bread to prevent the jelly from seeping through, causing the bread to turn soggy. 

In closing this out, and while thinking of the history I've shared,  Proverbs 16:9 is appropriate meditation:

The heart of man plans his way,

but the Lord establishes his steps.

While we make our plans, God ultimately controls what happens. 

Until next, time, grace and peace.