It’s been six weeks since I traveled anywhere, so when I heard Gov. Ron DeSantis was reopening Florida’s state parks, I was excited.
The fine print, however, was that not all of the parks were reopening, and none were open for overnight visitors.
Still, it was something. I seized the chance to get out of the house and away from Miami on a trip to the newly reopened Withlacoochee State Trail north of Tampa.
Recumbent bicycles are a popular style on the Withlacoochee State Trail in Central Florida. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
The trail is one of the two or three most popular of the 57 rail-to-trail conversions in Florida, according to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. The 46 miles between Lacoochee and Dunnellon were once part of the Atlantic Coast Line railroad, and the concrete mile markers along the path still refer to how many miles separate riders from the railroad’s headquarters in Richmond, Va.
One of the things that makes the Withlacoochee popular is that it is asphalt paved for its entire length, making for a smooth ride. My daughter and I did about one-third of the length between Inverness and Nobleton on a Saturday and saw dozens of riders.
Many of them were older trail riders who have adopted a variety of recumbent bicycles to save some wear and tear on their bodies.
We were lucky to have two magnificent weather days, as a high pressure ridge brought very dry and cool air that is unusual for early May. Along the northern third of the trail, which we tackled on Friday, there were fewer riders but more wildlife: rabbits, turtles, a baby opossum, big black turkey vultures and a variety of songbirds. The guidebooks say early risers often see deer.
Inverness, which we made our base, is the biggest town along the trail. There are several bike shops there, including David’s World Cycles, which offers rentals and is just off the trail. Parking is free at Liberty Park, a nicely renovated municipal park downtown.
A good ride for those who aren’t avid cyclers is the 7-mile run between Inverness and Floral City, the most urban stretch, which has some good scenery and places to stop. In Floral City, grab a burger or a beer at the Shamrock Inn, less than a block off the trail, before heading back.
Although we stayed at a private campground, there are several hotels in Inverness, including the Central Motel, which is right on the trail and next to the Cinnamon Sticks restaurant, a popular breakfast spot.
The Rock Pointe Ranch, a three-room B&B on a horse breeding farm in Floral City, is another option.
The Shamrock Inn is a popular pitstop along the Withlacoochee State Trail in Floral City, Fla. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
Like Sleeping Beauty, Inverness was just reawakening when we visited. Of two restaurants we patronized for dinner, one had been reopened for less than a week, while the other was on its second day of resumed operations.
Both said there weren’t a lot of visitors in town yet. Which was perhaps fortunate for us because restaurants are limited to using 25% of their capacity, but we still were seated right away on a Friday and Saturday night.
It was fun, and a bit odd, to be dining out again, especially in restaurants that were a quarter full and missing some of their tables. At three of the four places we dined the wait staff did not wear masks, which left us a little uneasy.
But servers were clearly grateful to have work and an income again after going without both, and I think they were also happy to be back delivering hospitality and service to guests, as well.