For our last walk in 2020, we chose Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, FL. This is a 3.5-mile circular path around a man-made 400-acre lake which was initially excavated during the construction of the highway and later enhanced for sprint rowing and regatta games. We usually prefer hiking in natural settings but the overcast and… Continue reading Nathan Benderson Park
Category: Florida
Siesta Key Beach to Point of Rocks
Hiking along Siesta Key Beach is one of our favorite local places to walk. Siesta Key is an eight-mile-long island that is accessible by two bridges from the mainland. On the Key, there are three beaches: Siesta Key Beach, with adjacent Crescent Beach, and further south Turtle Beach. We accessed the beach from the pavilion where… Continue reading Siesta Key Beach to Point of Rocks
John Ringling Causeway Bridge
John Ringling Causeway, aka, the Ringling Bridge is named after John Ringling of the Ringling Brothers Circus. It spans across Sarasota Bay and provides stunning panoramic vistas of Sarasota and the keys. Though the 65-foot tall bridge extends from Sarasota Bay to St. Armands Circle (about 2.6 miles), we only walked the first portion to… Continue reading John Ringling Causeway Bridge
Jelks Preserve
To calm my post-election tenterhooks while awaiting the outcome, Dennis and I sought refuge in the Jelks Preserve near Venice, FL. There the cool breeze, the buzzing of insects, and the sun reflecting on the river chop helped calm my spirits. I suggest downloading the map and following the markers 1 to 19 around the… Continue reading Jelks Preserve
Celery Fields
Before turning back the clocks this weekend, Dennis and I wanted to see the sunrise. Since Dennis is not one to rise early, getting him to agree to venture to the Celery Fields in Sarasota was more than unusual. We arrived before sunrise. After summitting 85 feet to the third highest point in the county,… Continue reading Celery Fields
Sleeping Turtles Preserve
Sleeping Turtles Preserve lies just west of T. Mabry Carlton, J. Memorial Reserve in Venice and about 20 miles from home. This 174-acre preserve is divided by the Border Road and contains in all about 5 miles of interconnecting hiking trails, including a single-track along the Myakka River. To date, the northern side of the… Continue reading Sleeping Turtles Preserve
T. Mabry Carlton Reserve
About 20 miles southeast of Sarasota, the T. Mabry Carlton Reserve is a wonderful midweek wilderness escape. The reserve has over 90 miles of trails and is nearly 40 square miles. We only hiked about 5 miles in the small black rectangle pictured below, following the red and then green trails. Upon arrival, we hiked… Continue reading T. Mabry Carlton Reserve
Rothenbach Park
About 10 miles from our house is a waste management landfill that was converted into Rothenbach Park. This community park at the end of Bee Ridge Road has about five miles of paved trails, playgrounds, and picnic areas. Since this old landfill is the highest point of the county, about 90 feet above sea level,… Continue reading Rothenbach Park
Local hiking: no need to travel far when there is so much to see nearby.
Hello, Everyone. Much has happened since I last posted. Last fall, I took several trips cruising the Caribbean and even visited the Panama Canal. Since I had previously toured many of the islands, I chose not to write about them again. And then the pandemic arrived and I canceled all travel plans. Though I do… Continue reading Local hiking: no need to travel far when there is so much to see nearby.
Tweaking gear
A few trial hikes discouraged me from using Dennis’ Gregory Z35 Pack. The torso is about two inches too long. It didn’t sit right and caused me to lean forward too much. Not wanting to spend money on another pack, I decided to use my Osprey Talon 33 back pack. I’ll miss the extra three cubic feet, but not… Continue reading Tweaking gear