When I moved to the USA I was convinced I would find It very challenging to walk places. As a person who doesn’t know how to drive and who also was about to start the college life, I thought the easiest solution available, was to get a bike!
I moved to an apartment complex near my school and I noticed I had all the amenities available in a walking distance, so every turned out perfectly! I wouldn’t even need to use the bike that much, only to go faster to my classes and come back. I didn’t consider the fact that I would eventually get bored of my routine and I would start wondering how to go places with my beloved bike. Moving to a different country can be scary, you get homesick easily and there’s an adaptation period everyone goes through. Starting my bike adventures definitely helped me to go through those tough times and pushed me to fall in love with my new home away from home, the city of Winter Park.
I couldn’t be luckier to be honest. Winter Park is an incredible place to be a bike owner! Almost a month before moving in I discovered the Cady Way Trail, a super handy route made for the community to bike, jog or just walk around. It runs from the intersection of Aloma Avenue and Howell Branch Road/Hall Road (just east of Goldenrod Park in Goldenrod) west and south to Coy Drive in Orlando, just past the Fashion Square Mall. At the northern terminus, you can cross the road and pick up the Cross Seminole Trail (trail I haven’t explored yet but definitely will as soon as the COVID-19 issue settles down)
It’s a very pleasant ride, you pass by some nice neighborhoods and that’s, for sure, a great way to connect with the community. What I love the most of the trail is that is surrounded by nature, down in the pictures you’ll see a beautiful shot I took at the Golden Hour, near to the Scarlett Road intersection.There are a lot of trees and lakes on the way, it’s pretty common to run into squirrels and birds. Don’t worry though, I still haven’t seen an alligator on the trail!
Besides the Cady Way Trail, I’ve felt very comfortable being a biker in Orlando. There are many places to park bikes, wether it’s malls or shopping centers. One of my favorite places here, The Kraft Azalea Garden has bike spots in their parking area. If you want to explore Winter Park, everyone will recommend Downtown Winter Park (I’ll totally post some other day about that only) but I feel the best way to get to know the area is by moving around the neighborhoods. The Kraft Azalea Garden is in one of those suburban areas and it’s an incredible place to just stop by and relax. It has this nice monument called The Exedra, which makes it a picture perfect location!
Putting this post in a nutshell, I don’t see a reason to avoid being a bike person in this pretty city. If something it’s extremely convenient, environment friendly and benefitial, money-wise.Riding a bike is kinda like meditation to me, I feel it’s a physical activity but most importantly, it’s a wonderful tool to explore the world. Suggestion I would give out: be careful with our moody Floridian weather and use as many sunscreen as possible. Also, always drive responsibly and take care of yourself!
Pictures in order:
- View of the Cady Way Trail.
- Cute lake at some Winter Park neighborhood.
- View of the lakefront at The Kraft Azalea Garden.
- The Exedra monument at The Kraft Azalea Garden.
