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Take a free ride along the Legacy Trail by registering for Sarasota County’s surrey program. |
SARASOTA COUNTY – Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, in partnership with Friends of the Legacy Trail (FLT), announced this week the start of the 2018 surrey ride program. This popular program offers a fun option for residents and visitors who are mobility-challenged or might otherwise be unable to enjoy the experience of riding on the trail.
FLT volunteers pedal the surrey and passengers on a free 45-minute surrey trip that leaves from Laurel Park on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from Jan. 9 through March 28, 2018, with times available each day at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon. Riders can sit back and enjoy the ride on a four-passenger, four-wheeled, canopy-covered surrey while FLT volunteers provide the pedal power. The ride includes information and the history of the Legacy Trail and its surroundings.
Pre-registration is required by calling 941-486-2757. Space is limited to four participants per ride, per time slot, and participants must sign a waiver. Registrants must have the ability to climb up one step onto the surrey bicycle. Riders should wear sun protection, a light jacket on cooler days and sturdy walking shoes.
Passengers meet inside the Sandra Sims Terry Community Center at Laurel Park, 509 Collins Road, Laurel. All Sarasota County programs prohibit participants from smoking or bringing pets. The event will be cancelled if it rains and at times when it is very cold. For information on weather cancellations, contact Laurel Park on the day of a scheduled ride at 941-486-2753.
The surrey ride program has been well received by passengers, and FLT volunteer pedalers have benefited greatly from meeting and visiting with the riders, organizers say. The surrey was a donation by FLT to Sarasota County to promote the Legacy Trail and other county parks.
The Legacy Trail is the regional backbone of a recreational and nature-based trail system connecting communities across Sarasota County and stretching into neighboring Charlotte County. It offers several areas to stop, rest, learn about its history or just enjoy the natural beauty. The Trust for Public Land and Sarasota County recently announced the purchase of 2.7 miles of former railroad right of way to extend the trail toward downtown Sarasota.
For more information, call the Sarasota County Contact Center at 941-861-5000 and ask for Legacy Trail surrey rides or visit legacytrailfriends.org or scgov.net/parks.