SARASOTA, FLORIDA
This started as a review of the Legacy Trail. So I can start there. I stayed overnight in Brandon, Florida, and was headed south to Fort Myers. I wanted to ride the Legacy Trail but did not do my homework as to my starting location.
I told Siri to find the Legacy Trail using both Waze and Apple Maps. Neither succeeded. When I ended up in Venice I made my way over on Venice Ave. to where I thought I would find the trail.
There is parking at the bus/train terminal in Venice. According to TrailLink.com (which I should have noted) there is additional parking:
- Patriots Park (800 Venetia Bay Blvd., Venice)
- Nokomis Community Park (234 Nippino Trail East, Nokomis)
- Laurel Park (509 Collins Rd., Laurel)
- Oscar Scherer State Park (1843 S. Tamiami Trail, Osprey)
- Bay Street Park (300 Bay St., Osprey)
- Potter Park (8587 Potter Park Dr., Sarasota)
- Payne Park (2010 Adams Lane, Sarasota)
I ended up at Nokomis Community Park. I found the trail and then headed north. I intended to head south for 1-2 miles knowing I was close to Venice. I thought I had parked east of the trail so a left turn would take me south. I also learned about the directional arrow on my Wahoo (after two years of using it). The N is not at the top of the map/computer but at the bottom of an arrow pointing up. And so when I was headed north the N was on the bottom of the screen which, in my mind, confirmed I was going south. Confused? I was.
Did you know there is a 15 mph speed limit on the trail? You will as there are signs everywhere. Even this recreational rider, into the wind, had a hard time keeping the speed to 15 mph.
The trail is straight. The trail is flat except for two overpasses. The overpass by the train depot at the southern end might be the coolest fixture on the trail.
Being a Friday morning I can’t judge whether the trail was crowded by local standards. I saw very few runners/walkers and no dogs. Don’t they like dogs here? I also saw plenty of trikes. Not just three-wheeled bicycles but trikes ridden by the Amish.
My initial plan was to ride the length of the Legacy Trail and back. Then I would meet my friend, Darrin, for lunch. But the trail has a reputation as being straight and boring.
But any new trail to me is exciting the first time. The pavement was excellent, perhaps the best I have ever ridden. Smooth pavement and no tree roots.
The trail lacks fixtures. No tunnels and no great trestles. There were a couple of bridges next to the old rail line but that was it if one was looking for rail history.
The trail crosses some busy streets and I stopped and waited for the ped-head light at each. Some seemingly were pretty long which adds to a local complaint of the trail – too many at-grade crossings.
When I reached the end of the trail in Sarasota I headed over to the waterfront. I wanted a photo at Unconditional Surrender, the statue that commemorates the kiss in Times Square at the end of World War II.
I had already decided not to return via the Legacy Trail. Was it boring? Or was the coastal route more exciting?
I headed out to Siesta Key. It’s a beautiful strip of land and overly crowded. There was a bike lane for much of it and I almost went down hard on it. At one point it was next to a sidewalk and I had to transition from bike lane to the sidewalk. I did not turn sharply but was going to ease over gradually. There was a lip and my tire caught briefly in it. But I made it and was very thankful I did not crash.
Leaving the island I came to the Tamiami Trail, aka Hwy 41. There was a bike lane on this high-speed highway. I will stop short of recommending any highway riding but for this stretch neither would I discourage it.
I was on the highway for six miles going south then turned on Blackburn Point Road out to Casey Key. I crossed a one-lane steel grate bridge over the waterway and was on Casey Key.
What a joy this ride was. The next four miles were the finest four miles I had in Florida. I regret I could not capture it in photos. On the right side of the narrow road was the Gulf of Mexico. On the left side was the waterway/bay (Gulf Intracoastal Waterway). If there was enough room there was a beautiful home, maybe even a small mansion. This really did look like the most perfect place to live. Or ride.
I rode back over to where I parked and decided I needed to the last mile of the Legacy Trail down to Venice. I was glad I did.
The last mile or first mile features the Venice Train Station which appears to be a city bus and commuter parking center. Here is where the feature fly-over ramp is also.
I finished the ride and then drove back up the highway to meet Darrin. Had I known where I was going and where we’d meet, I would have stopped in on my ride. Or if he knew he would have said to stop at Mad Moe’s in Osprey.
But it was a beautiful day and we enjoyed sitting outside.
Don’t miss the Ringling Brothers car at the Train Depot.
