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Tread the Boards Over Scenic Shores of Lettuce Lake

Lettuce Lake

Once again proposing to my wife that we venture into nature on our day off, she quickly suggested Lettuce Lake. What sounds like a 1930’s screwball euphemism for a tub full of cash and probably gin is in truth a natural treasure in a floodplain of the Hillsborough River. Christa regularly passes signs for it on her way to work and had filed it away as a sometime destination. Now seemed the perfect sometime.

A semi- to fully-aquatic habitat, a star feature of Lettuce Lake is the wooden boardwalks that wind their way from pinewood flats and xeric hammock through cypress and hardwood swamp forests around the brink of the crescent lake that formed in the lowland depressions. Stoked by her enthusiasm for an outdoor stroll, I rolled full steam ahead without investigating and hoped for a pleasant surprise. We hopped into the sporty little runabout and took off for Crunchy Water Pond–that is Lettuce Lake.

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Trek Devious Terrain of the Fish Hawk Creeks and Alafia River

Fish Hawk Creek (North) Nature Preserve, Lithia

In the mood for an afternoon trek in the woods, but not wanting to drive any further than I had to, I consulted Google Maps and found that a nearby spot can be found at the Lithia Springs Fish Hawk Creek (North) Nature Preserve. That’s a big name for a little plot of land nestled among the affluent Fishhawk Ranch developments.

There are also a lot of features for this little plot of land. Aside from the preserve, Lithia Springs Conservation Park is a Hillsborough County regional park leased from the Mosaic Phosphate Company that offers gator-free swimming in the clear 72-degree spring fed waters, hiking, camping, pavilions, grills and a playground for the kiddies.

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Savor Toasty Subs and Meaty Mom Tacos

Review: S+S Tacos & Stuff and Marian’s Sub Shop, Ruskin

On our way home from Dooley Groves where we picked some of those fantastically sweet Honeybell oranges, we passed a li’l ol’ shack that shared two separate but equally enticing food service establishments: Marian’s Submarines and S+S Tacos and Stuff. The giant taco sign on the roof set off bells in my stomach-brin. Continue reading “Savor Toasty Subs and Meaty Mom Tacos”

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Get into the Groves in Rustic Ruskin

Dooley Groves, Ruskin

It was a bright and brisk January morning, one month after our insanity fueled, mid-holiday, relocation to Florida. We managed to survive both the move and our first Christmas away from home. Now that we could relax we wanted to do something wholly Floridian and headed to Ruskin and Dooley Groves.

We were going to pick some orange jewels from their bountiful trees. 

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Explore the Rougher Side of the Alafia

Alderman’s Ford Nature Preserve, Plant City

As noon drifted by I was feeling up for a solo hike. Since Christa had some stuff to do at home, she wished me farewell and I slung my light pack and water bottle over my shoulder and took the Sporty Little Runabout to Alderman Ford Preserve near the little community of Durant.

Distinguished from the similar sounding Alderman’s Ford Conservation Park by a distance of two miles as the crow flies—5 miles as the car drives–the Preserve offered the rough trails I didn’t find at the Conservation Park. So, I brought my trekking poles along for prodding away snakes and maintaining my balance as I poked and explored the riverside wilderness.

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Walk the Treetops of Central Florida

Myakka River State Park

As a tack on activity to fill-out our day trip to Sarasota, we decided to pay a visit to Myakka State Park. In the chilly weather and without chairs or blankets, our visit to Lido Key was destined to peter out after our sixty-minute walk up and down the shore. Though, some french fries and vinegar would have helped.

We needed another outdoor activity to fill out the day and the map app was indicating a funny sounding State Park within a half-hour’s drive. And they have a canopy walk.

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Go for a Warm Wintry Walk on the West Shore

St. Armands and Lido Key

We hadn’t been to the beach proper since a little vacation we took in 2016. We wanted to park our chairs in the sand, soak in some rays and read a cheap paperback while eighties tunes whispered from the radio. We’d walk out into the sea, chest high and bob up and down, our pasty skin tuning lobster against the olive water. When we’d realized the tide had brought us a quarter mile down the shore, we’d struggle to swim back in line with our chairs; repeat ad nauseam (literally–the briny makes me queasy). But it was January and a chilly one at that.

We were only a week into the new year and the Florida weather was beautiful, but it wasn’t quite warm enough for that sort of beach activity. Neighbors were draping blankets over their tropical shrubs to protect against the frost. We realized this when we planned to journey to Sarasota and check out the beach of Lido Key.

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Eating Dutch in the Sunshine State

Review – Yoder’s Amish Village, Pinecraft

Hey, now. This road trip to the beach needs a breakfast stop.

We’d been living in Florida for a month and had yet to visit a proper beach. I suggested we check out Lido Key outside Sarasota. Several Amish and Mennonite acquaintances back home told me that the Sarasota region was an Anabaptist oasis for warmth in winter.

I was curious to see how the old orders take liberty and thought my wife might appreciate a little taste of PA Dutch (Deutsch) to ward off the homesickness. Thus, we decided to visit the little village of Pinecraft on our way to Sarasota and Lido Key

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