Monday, January 25, 2021
Inverness to Venice
The drive from our hotel near Inverness to our next hotel in Venice can be done in three hours, but we took a more leisurely six. Enjoy the journey!
They said it, not me
The hills of central Florida
The very unique Boyett's Grove & Citrus Attraction in Brooksville began in the 1960s as a simple fruit stand and just kept adding attractions, including a tourist-trap gift shop, ice cream and snack bar, gold panning, mini golf, art gallery, and even a small wildlife park, aquarium, and aviary. The gift shop was quite quirky. If we were still kids, our allowances would have been GONE! It was worth a look around, even without paying for any of the extra “attractions.”
Throwback tourist trap
Mural outside the citrus attraction
After Boyett's, we got on I-75 for a while and made some quick miles south, leaving the interstate again in time to pick up a tomato for our lunch sandwiches and some fresh strawberries at Turners Produce, a large roadside stand on US 41 in Palmetto.
Next we stopped at The Sea Hagg, a nautical salvage shop in the historic village of Cortez. Full of treasures and curiosities, the store left us both amused and amazed. We spent a fun-filled half hour wandering around and met a self-proclaimed pirate sitting near the shop's front door, another far-out Floridian. I'm not quite sure if he worked there.
One more fine Florida diversion
Look out behind you!
A mermaid skeleton, of course
Giant seahorse
We continued over the Cortez drawbridge onto the barrier islands, driving the length of Long Boat Key before returning to the mainland at Sarasota and proceeding to Venice. The Hampton Inn in Venice is right next to the Legacy Trail. Since it was late in the afternoon when we arrived, we unloaded our bikes for a quick 5-mile ride before checking in, riding south past the Historic Venice Train Depot (now a city bus stop).
Bike bridge over US 41 on the Legacy Trail, Venice
Along the peaceful path
The Hampton Inn & Suites Bayside Venice is in a great location for biking, and with the bike racks conveniently located right outside the front doors, we won't need to load and unload our bikes from the truck for a few days! The king room is large and comfortable, and a balcony across the hall overlooks the swimming pool - a great place to kick back with a beer. We'd reserved two nights here but immediately decided to stay for three.
View from the balcony
A mile from the hotel, we had dinner at Plaza Mexico Bar & Grill. The food was great, and we had plenty left over for lunch tomorrow.
Tom
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