Retired but Far from
Retiring, David Raymond
Sees the Sights by Trail
“
I
’
ve been bicycling all my life,” says
David Raymond, who enjoys ped-
aling rail-trails these days on his silver
recumbent. With its backrest and big
padded seat, he mirthfully states that the
bike is good for “my old age.”
“
Van Fleet [State Trail] is my favorite
because it’s out in the boonies,” says the
Florida resident and longtime Rails-to-
Trails Conservancy member. “Other than
the fact that you’re on this nicely paved
trail, you can’t see any sign of civilization.”
Those looking to follow in his foot-
steps will not be disappointed. Less than
an hour west of Orlando, the 29-mile rail-
trail traverses some of Florida’s most scenic
rural landscapes, including the Green
Swamp, a wilderness preserve unparalleled
for birding and wildlife viewing.
Raymond also favors the West Orange
Trail, a 22-mile route that weaves in and
out of woodlands, suburban communi-
ties and—aptly—orange groves. When
asked to name the best part of the trail,
he chuckles and says, “Porkie’s Original
BBQ.” The restaurant, which boasts
the “Best Ribs in the Universe,” is less
than a block from the trail in downtown
Apopka. Raymond likes to grab lunch
there, head down the trail and then pedal
back.
His playful comment is a testament to
the power of mixing recreation and busi-
ness; many restaurants, stores and lodg-
ings get an economic boost from having
trails nearby. The active retiree frequently
plans vacations around trails and has
taken such trips in 22 states. “I used to
live in the North and spend winters in the
South. Now, I live in the South and go
north for the summer,” he jokes.
Developers of the Coast to Coast
Connector, an emerging trail system
stretching 275 miles across Florida,
and including some already completed
trails such as the West Orange, hope it
will bring in tourist dollars in addition
to offering health benefits and non-
motorized transportation options.
“
It’s exciting,” says Raymond of the
Connector, an endeavor he has supported
through RTC. “I donate because I want
to make those facilities available. I think
it makes a better country to have access
to things like this.”
Inspired to support RTC’s initiatives
in Florida? To learn more, please
contact Katie McKinney Guerin at
katie@railstotrails.org
.
waterway once so heavily polluted that
it actually burned. The disaster started a
movement culminating in the passage of
the federal Clean Water Act in 1972.
On the other end of the trail, the new
project also will provide a much-desired
connection to the popular Ohio and Erie
Canalway Towpath Trail, which unfolds
southward from Cleveland more than 80
miles through a scenic National Heritage
Corridor.
“
The Towpath is the one trail that
everybody in Cleveland knows,” says Eric
Oberg, manager of trail development for
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Midwest
Regional Office, adding that excitement is
building for the new trail that will connect
to it.
In August 2014, a $5 million grant
from the Cleveland Foundation, a legacy
gift in honor of its 100th anniversary,
propelled the new trail project forward. In
recognition of this significant contribu-
tion, the trail, originally known as the Lake
Link Trail, was renamed the Cleveland
Foundation Centennial Trail. Both the
new grant and the grant fromThe Gund
Foundation were awarded to The Trust
for Public Land to further the trail as
part of their Parks for People program in
Cleveland.
Construction of its first section, stretch-
ing about a quarter-mile from Scranton
Road to Rivergate Park, is scheduled to
begin in fall 2014 and is expected to be
completed by spring 2015.
The rest of the trail, up to Wendy Park
on the Lake Erie shore, will follow as
additional funding becomes available. Trail
development is slated for completion by
2017,
in time for another centennial anni-
versary—that of Cleveland Metroparks,
the trail’s steward organization. The march
toward the lakefront will include construc-
tion of a massive pedestrian bridge over
multiple active railroad tracks. The bridge
will feature a contemporary, eye-catching
design and is expected to be a signature
part of the trail.
For more information about the
t
rail, visit
land-studio.org/project/
l
ake-link-trail
.
Will RayMond
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Share Your Trail Taleswith RTC
David Raymond
on a family
biking adventure
in northern New
Hampshire
rails
to
trails
u
winter.15
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