“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir
An engineering masterpiece, the Seven Mile Bridge (which is actually 6.79 miles long) was constructed between 1979 and 1982 on the Overseas Highway at a cost of $45 million and serves to connect the Middle Keys (Marathon) to the Lower Keys (Little Duck Key). Each April, the bridge is closed for a couple of hours for the Seven Mile Bridge Run, an annual event that began in 1982. Movies filmed over the years in the vicinity of the bridge include True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Licence to Kill, Criss Cross and Up Close & Personal. Outlaw country music singer David Allan Coe wrote a song titled “Seven Mile Bridge.” The bridge, which replaced a much narrower roadway built atop the remains of Henry Flagler’s railroad bridge, can reportedly withstand winds of up to 200 miles per hour.
My favorite stretch of the West Orange Trail starts at the Ingram Outpost (Mile 11.8) and winds around the Forest Lake Golf Club. I would estimate it is about a 3-mile walk if you go from the outpost entirely around the outer perimeter of the golf course and back. I like this route because it is less crowded than many other segments of the trail. In fact, I rarely encounter any other walkers in the late afternoon and usually just a handful of cyclists. You may even find an errant golf ball or two along the way!
“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.” – Henry David Thoreau
Wandering Florida 