By Alisson Clark
For the AJC
Tour buses outnumber bikes in the theme-park epicenter of Orlando, but a few miles north lies Winter Garden, a town where two wheels rule. The West Orange Trail runs straight through the brick streets of downtown, where my husband and I had come to conquer the trail’s 22 miles of converted railroad.
When it comes to cycling, my husband and I are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Jeremey rides to work and loves the adrenaline jolt of mountain biking. I’m a casual rider -- road riding bores me, and hurtling over off-road trails always comes with the specter of impending dental trauma. Accommodating both of us can be tricky, but I hoped that the West Orange Trail would fit the bill.
For our home base, we chose the 1927 Edgewater Hotel directly on the trail, where two restaurants -- one Thai, one a prix fixe tasting room -- promise a tasty finale to our daily rides. We settle into our spacious, comfortable room and go over our plan: Today, we’ll get the lay of the land, exploring the town and taking a quick ride on the trail. Tomorrow, we’ll tackle the longer stretch of trail to the east, saving the shorter western section for Day 3.
Orange groves and ibis
We follow the trail, fragrant with wisteria, through neighborhoods where backyards border both sides. Then the landscape opens up, with mirror-calm lakes reflecting moss-draped oaks. We ride through some of the area’s remaining orange groves: Many were decimated in a series of 1980s freezes that crippled the citrus industry here, which eventually led to the railroad tracks’ rebirth as this trail. Not far down, things take a turn for the weird: On the roof of a disused warehouse, two giant sculptures -- an ibis and an alligator -- are laid out as if mowed down by a steamroller. We’re puzzled until we recognize the faded Florida State Seminoles logo next to the two creatures, mascots of the University of Miami and the University of Florida. Like a lot of things that masquerade as insanity in the South, it’s just college football.
At the Tildenville Outpost, we pause to admire a butterfly garden, but the call of Thai food is ringing loudly in our ears, so we begin the three-mile trek back to Winter Garden.
The newbie rolls on
Our second day begins in the sunny breakfast room of the Edgewater, where cyclists swap tales of favorite trails. Then we’re off, headed east toward neighboring Apopka.
Town yields to farmland before we arrive at the Apopka-Vineland Outpost, where we pause to admire the playground and picnic area and refill our water bottles. We cross a busy road -- a rarity on this trail -- to continue on through a long, shady avenue of overhanging trees, emerging onto a less-than-scenic section of trail paralleling a county road.
Riding past the weedy parking lots of plant nurseries, I wonder when the scenery will improve. Jeremey is chewing up the miles with ease, but my commitment is starting to flag. Then a Lycra-clad gentleman rides up behind us. His helmet-mounted mirror and onboard GPS unit suggest he’s serious about cycling, so I ask him about the upcoming stretch of the trail.
“Ahhh, let me try to put this nicely,” he says. “After about a half a mile, you’ll go through a really bad neighborhood, then the trail, um, changes and it’s, ahh, different.”
Not exactly a rousing endorsement.
“You’re better off going the other direction,” he calls over his shoulder. “You can get off the trail and go to Starbucks.”
He has clearly pegged me as someone more interested in coffee than serious cycling, and he is not wrong. We pull over to confer. A minute later, another cyclist rolls up to check on us.
“Everything OK?” she asks. It’s typical of the trail -- cyclists stop to check on fellow riders and help with flats. We assure her we’re fine and backtrack to Lake Apopka, where a hiking trail leads down to the shoreline.
Back at the hotel after a 23-mile round trip, we indulge in ibuprofen and long showers. My legs are shaky as I wobble downstairs to dinner, but the hotel’s dinner offerings are worth the effort.
Atop the Turnpike
I’m pumped about our next ride, which will take us over the Florida Turnpike to the aforementioned Starbucks. I love the idea of gliding carbon-free over the highway, then rolling up to a coffee shop on a bike.
At breakfast, however, we notice that the cyclists are donning enough foul weather gear to outfit the Gorton’s Fisherman. We have not packed so much as a poncho. It’s not raining yet, so Jeremey suggests we go for it. We’re hoping to make it to the 128-acre Oakland Nature Preserve, with hiking trails and an interpretive center.
We’re enjoying the cooler temperatures courtesy of the overcast skies, but showers start to spatter the pavement. We press on to Oakland, too lovely to miss with clay streets and Cracker houses.
By the time we reach the preserve, the drizzle has turned into a downpour. I haven’t given up on finishing this end of the trail, however. Two miles later, we cross the Turnpike and enjoy a downhill run to the western end of the trail. Soaked to the skin, we realize there’s no way we can go into a Starbucks, so we content ourselves with the offerings of the bike-rental shop: Klondike bars, cold drinks and a porch lined with rocking chairs where we can wait out the rain.
A five-mile return trip lay before us, and the storms showed no signs of abating, but we didn’t mind. We had logged 40 miles without a wreck, a squabble or even a flat tire, with some great food in the bargain. And while I’m hardly a veteran cyclist now, I did gain some wisdom for my next trail ride: namely, pack a poncho.
If you go
Tourist information: www.cwgdn.com/visitor/
Do
West Orange Trail. 22-mile rail-trail open sunrise to sunset year-round. Bike rentals available. 407-654-1108, apps.ocfl.net/DEPT/cesrvcs/parks.
Historic walking tours. Available through the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation. 407-656-3244, www.wghf.org.
Eat
The Chef’s Table. Three-course meals with optional wine pairings, also a tasting room with small plates and craft beers. Prix fixe dinner $55. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays (tasting room 4-9 p.m.); 5:30-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays (tasting room 4-10 p.m.). 99 W. Plant St. 407-656-2633, www.chefstableattheedgewater.com.
Thai Blossom. Many entrees offer your choice of protein, including vegetarian and seafood options. Entrees $10-$17. Open daily at 11 a.m. 99 W. Plant St. 407-905-9917, mythaiblossom.com.
Stay
Edgewater Hotel. Historic 1927 bed and breakfast with 13 rooms; adjacent to the West Orange Trail. $76-$130. 99 W. Plant St. 407-654-6921, www.historicedgewater.com.
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