Spring break is coming up.
I bet some of you are planning to go to Disney World for the break. Great idea. My daughter & I love that place. We’ve gone to Orlando for spring break three times.
There’s nothing like the first time seeing the joy on your child’s face when they see the Magic Kingdom, shake hands with Mickey Mouse, or even relax by the swimming pool.
But our third trip there was my favorite. That was the trip where we really got to experience the true Florida. Of course we took in the theme parks, but in the middle of the vacation, we left kiddy rides behind and went on Florida’s best ride.
It was a bike ride on the Withlacoochee State Trail. Everything about it was just as magical as any Kingdom imagined by Walt Disney. It was filled with pure southern charm:
- First, we loved the countryside on the way there.
- Next the trail was perfect; It was level, smooth, long, and carefree.
- Third, we rented a tandem, recumbent bike. OMG what a blast!!
- Fourth, we got to see box turtles, moss hanging from Cypress trees, and country stores.
- Fifth, even the drive home was fun due to a stop at a you-pick orange orchard. It was an experience we’ll never forget. We got to pick citrus fruit, shop in a store w/ homemade Florida goodies, and just wander about the orchard.
- Finally (and I know this won’t seem like much to some of you) we got to stop at a Winn-Dixie before we got back to the hotel. We had recently read the book and seen the movie “Because of Winn-Dixie,” so this was quite a treat. It’s a true southern institution and lots of fun for us visiting northerners.
