Manchester United Methodist Church



MO-Hab XXIII – The First Virtual Ride – Week 3 Over 4000 miles logged! Over $4000 raised!We did it! We made it to Key West, FL during the first three weeks of logging miles. Congratulations! But our mission is not yet complete. We still have a goal of raising $25,000 for Habitat for Humanity St. Louis. Wouldn’t it be great if we could surpass that goal as well? We have 68 people participating in the MO-Hab Ride this year. We can do it!!We’ll keep walking, running, and cycling until we raise $25,000. Our new destination is Wallagrass, ME.The MO-Hab team logged an amazing 1995 miles this week on the virtual trip from Osceola, MO to so many familiar places including Springfield, MO; Memphis, TN, Tampa, Fort Myers, Key West, Miami, Orlando, Daytona and my favorite, St. Augustine, FL.Surely we were encountered typical spring weather and that means RAIN! But in the words of Ray Smith, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear!” We came prepared and continued to cycle, run and walk for the good of Habitat for Humanity St. Louis.I’ve always wondered why so many people retire to Florida. Now I know, it’s because there are so many trails! Some of the more notable trails we enjoyed include…Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail?runs 16 miles between Tallahassee and St. Marks and is part of the Florida National Scenic Trail. It’s?Florida’s first rail-trail and follows the route of the state’s longest-operating railroad that was used primarily to?transport cotton?from plantations to awaiting ships.Nature Coast State Trail is “one of the Sunshine State’s best kept trail secrets” according to . Located near Jacksonville, FL it connects five small rural towns.Withlacoochee State Trail ranks in the top 10 of Florida Bike Trails. The 46-mile rail-trail goes through small towns, the Withlacoochee State Forest and other natural areas including rivers and lakes. If you want to be one with nature, this is the trail to be on. The diversity of life found along this old rail bed is truly unique.Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail?(FKOHT) stretches the length of the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key West, the southernmost point of the continental United States. It’s 106.5 miles and part of the East Coast Greenway which will link multi-use trails from Florida to Maine.And who doesn’t enjoy a ferry ride! If you have enjoyed the training rides that took us from Missouri to Illinois on the Grafton Ferry, you will LOVE the Key West Ferry! Setting sail out of Fort Myers with bikes in tow, we traveled across calm seas 137 miles to Key West, FL. What an adventure! So excited to reach our original destination, we took some time to do some sightseeing. We stopped at the iconic buoy marking the southernmost point of the United States, just 90 miles from Cuba. Then off to see the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum located in the heart of the Old Town Key West. Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote in this home for 10 years during the most prolific period of his Nobel Prize career. We stayed awhile in Key West to enjoy the palm trees, sea breezes and beautiful sunsets before continuing our journey north. I’m so glad we extended our route! So many beautiful places to see along the east coast of Florida. For some of us they were familiar vacation destinations…Miami, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Daytona Beach just to name a few. Our last stop and my favorite stop was St. Augustine.St. Augustine, founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, is the Nation’s Oldest City. It has cobblestone streets, quaint cafes, bars, unique shops, bed and breakfast inns, and lots of history! We all received a diploma from our visit to the Oldest Wooden School House depicting school life in the 1800’s. And of course, a trip to St. Augustine’s would not be complete without a tour of Castillo de San Marcos.The construction of Castillo de San Marcos began in 1672 and while it’s not the oldest Spanish fort, it was the most impenetrable to enemy attach and fire resistant. It was made of coquina. I found it interesting to learn that during the Revolutionary War while it was being used as a military prison, it held three signers of the Declaration of Independence within its walls. If only those walls could talk! Today the Castillo is a lasting landmark of seventeenth century St. Augustine.Everglades National Park Key Express Edison Bridge, FLThe Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in the heart of Old Town Key West, FLOldest Wooden School House, St. Augustine, FL Nature Coast State Trail HYPERLINK "" Withlacoochee State Forest HYPERLINK "" HYPERLINK "" Withlacoochee State TrailFort Fraser Trail Roadside attraction along the Tamiami Trail ................
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