Lately I’ve been spending quite a bit of time bouncing back and forth between GNV and Melbourne to visit my 93-year-old mother in assisted living.
It’s a tedious, three hour-plus drive, but I seldom make the trip without my bike. And on the return leg I invariably stop at a rail-trail to, um, shake off the auto tedium.
One of my favorite jumping off points is the Edgewater trail head for the East Central Florida Regional Rail Trail. It’s convenient because the trail head is less then a mile from the I-95 Edgewater exit.
I’ve frequently done 20-25-30 mile out and backs on the trail. And once, with friends, we rode all the way to Sanford, on Lake Monroe, some 42 miles distant from Edgewater.
The thing you need to know about this trail is that it is extremely rural – cutting through some very dense, tropical, even jungle-like terrain.
The trail itself is drop dead gorgeous. Still, if you keep your eyes peeled, you are likely to see some very, um, interesting oddities along the way.
For instance, I encountered Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s long lost second cousin twice removed.
Which rests not far away from the little plane that coulda, shoulda, woulda.
You may notice this little fixer upper as the trail parallels Maytown Road.
Hey, why not stop to talk politics with trail side neighbors? They love that!
And then there’s this giant tin man as you approach Osteen.
Listen, if he only had half a brain he could be Governor of Florida.
Sadly, there is also this poignant memorial to a murder victim.
By all means, jump off the trail long enough for a visit to the Osteen Diner. It’s a kick, and the food is pretty good too.
Oh, and if you’re not hungry, they’ll sell you a Miniature Zebu.
I waited an hour for the Creature Of The Black Lagoon to emerge. Unfortunately, at the time he was reportedly poolside at Mar A Lago.
Volusia County has done a great job of connecting its trails for multiple destinations.
If you stay on the trail long enough you will eventually emerge from the jungle, cross the mighty St. John’s River and end up in beautiful Sanford, on scenic Lake Monroe.
You really ought to check it out.
FreeGNV 