Friday, August 14, 2009

Scramble to Myakka


Today Jill and I took the Scrambler out to Myakka River State Park. From Sarasota, this is a quick 20 minute ride east. There’s so much to do at the park that it would be impossible to describe in a year of blogging. For motorcyclists it provides a beautiful, slow canopy drive with lots of opportunities for wildlife viewing. From the road, you can see deer, alligators, pigs, wading birds, hawks, snakes, and more! You might enjoy a quick stop at the famed Canopy Walkway or an airboat ride ($$) on the upper lake.

Our entry fee was $4, but experience tells me that it varies depending on the time of day and who greets you. If it’s not the weekend, make sure you enter from State Road 72, the main, south entrance.


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The Scrambler is perfect for this kind of short, morning trip. We packed nothing but some cash, and in what seemed liked just a few minutes, we were there. We made a quick pit stop at the upper lake and headed to the north entrance/exit to the park. Along the way, we were surprised by a deer next to the road. It’s good to drive slow and easy here.

The roadway was occasionally surrounded by standing water, common this time of year. The smell of this water always reminds me of fun times at the park. These areas are also filled with wildflowers. Today large, pink-purple flowers were abundant.

From the north exit/entrance, you can continue north to State Road 70 to Myakka City or Arcadia. There are lots of easy, rural miles waiting there. Instead, we chose to head home and get some lunch.

If you live in the Sarasota, Bradenton area and you haven’t ridden through Myakka River State Park, well … you might be the only one of your kind. Plan the trip and have fun!

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