BY Ashtyn Steele
The sound of old country music mixes with the sound of laughter that echoes through the streets of a gated neighborhood. Inside the house, a father and son exchange daring grins as they challenge each other to a competitive game of Uno. The repetitive draw four card symbolizes the added minutes to the game that seems to have been going on for days.
Outside, a mother and daughter share a conversation over sweet tea and lemonade as they rock in their rocking chairs. The ice melting in the glass shows the heat of the day. It’s summertime, and it’s the summer for staying in and staying home.
It’s summertime in 2020.
A pandemic has changed many of our plans. Booked flights are canceled flights, museum tours are virtual tours and traveling to a different country is now traveling to different couches around the house. Families have been locked inside since March; and though the world is beginning to re-open, there’s still a desire to have fun.
It’s summertime in 2020, which means coming up with ways to have fun but also be safe. Now is the time to try new things! Let’s go outside, get active and enjoy the beauty in nature.
Here’s a few ways to stay safe and still enjoy your summer:
1. Bike Riding
Wind rustles through the trees, stirring dirt from its resting place on the ground. The wheels to the bike hug the edges along the gravel road. A neighbor looks up from a yard project, wiping a drop of sweat in the summertime heat to wave “hello!”
The trails in Plant City are more than just a relaxing place to ride a bike- they’re a place to explore. Let’s take a ride:
Historic Downtown District
Tucked in the back area of the historic downtown district are houses that date back to the early 1900s. Ride under giant oak trees and follow the red brick road as you smell the scent of gardenia bushes floating through the air. The wrap-around porches and screened doors tell a story of simpler times that’s replicated in the way of life most Plant Citians abide by.
The red brick streets pave the path to many restaurants, shops and businesses in the heart of the city. Continue straight and pass antiques, boutiques, local lunch spots and charming parks within the downtown blocks. The lush green grass and gazebos make the scene look picture perfect.
Turn, and you’ll ride into the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum. It’s an important landmark in Plant City because railroads are where the small town originally got its fame. In 1884 Henry B. Plant came to Plant City, first named Ichepucksassa, and saw opportunity with business and agriculture. Given the location between Tampa and Orlando, he extended the South Florida Railroad to connect the cities and expand business.
As the mid-day sun beats down on the pavement, stop by The Corner Store for an ice cold lemonade and a healthy, nutritious meal that leaves you contently nourished. There are many vegan and gluten-free options to choose from. Eat a healthy meal after a few hours of physical activity and relax on the couch cushions or at the wooden bar while you enjoy your meal. The Corner Store is open Tuesday- Friday 11AM- 7PM, and Saturday 11AM- 3PM ready for your visit.
Enjoy a stroll through downtown, and explore the history there is to uncover!
Blackwater Creek Nature Preserve
The tall grass and towering trees instantly immerse you into a scene that puts you in the wild, except this is a lot safer. The dirt trail weaves throughout a portion of the 2,200-acre preserve filled with mesic pine flatwoods and blackwater streams. It’s the perfect outing for when you’ve been locked in the house for too long and need to burn some energy- or calories!
Blackwater Creek highlights the beauty in nature and creates a peaceful atmosphere to bike along the trails next to streams of water. Riding your bike around the property, choose left or right, this way or that way. The trails are a maze-like path. There are many paths to choose from, so you’ll never get bored. If you’re lucky, you might spot a few wild horses and deer trotting along the edges of the property or deep in the woods.
Go at sunset for an extra sweet treat!
Edward Medard Conservation Park
Swing from the roots of trees extending from one hill to the other. Adventure through the deep woods and stir up the sand scattered along the ground. It’s a kid’s playground and an adult’s outside gym. Medard Park is a neat place to hike and bike.
The hilly landscape covers 1,300 acres and is from the phosphate mines that were once on the property in the 1960s. The tree roots are exposed from under the ground because of the erosion from mining, and this is what the park is famously known for around the area today.
The hills of Medard Park are perfect to play on and fun to ride through. If you’re in the Plant City area, you’ll definitely want to check this out.
Adventure through the parks of Plant City and enjoy the peace that comes with it. There’s so much to explore!
2. Picnic
The red and white buffalo check tablecloth rests upon the freshly-cut grass of the yard mowed the day before. The sound of children laughing from the next house down echoes through the air at the same time the scent of the peanut and jelly you uncover greets you.
It’s a nice day for a picnic. Try a new alternative to peanut butter and jelly and a twist on sweet fruit.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Rolls
Thick creamy peanut butter layered on top of smooth, sweet strawberry jam is rolled into soft slices of bread. Peanut butter and jelly rolls are the perfect bite of sweet and salty.
It’s a must pack picnic snack because it’s easy, convenient and who doesn’t love a good PB&J?! It’s a new spin on a classic lunch time meal that’s made by flattening two slices of bread and spreading peanut butter and jelly on each slice. Next, roll the slices and cut into four pieces.
The Jiff recipe calls for Smucker’s jam, but it’s better paired with local juicy red strawberries. Plant City is the winter strawberry capital of the world. While most of the fruit is grown during the California summer months, Florida’s rich soil and hot weather make it great for agriculture.
So, the next time you want some jam for your next lunch, pick some local strawberries and get to jammin’!
Fruit Kabobs
Pile plump green grapes and sweet pieces of cantaloupe are followed by juicy watermelon bites and dices of cold strawberry on a skewer. Take a bite and enjoy the fruity sensation with juices dripping down your chin and on to your old T-shirt. It’s a fruit kabob!
Really, you can do any combination of food, but fruits are more common. It’s a healthy alternative to oatmeal cream pies and potato chips. Pack two or three for each person at your picnic because everyone will definitely be reaching for more.
Expert tip: use the skewer after your meal to make teeth extra clean for pictures after!
These two snacks will have you energized for the park trails. Ready. Eat. Play!
3. DIY Waterslide
Water sprays from a hose and soaks into the ground, watering the grass that’s withered from the summer heat. Soap splashes off the clear tarp and forms puddles on the sides. It’s every kid’s dream.
Slide into summer with a DIY waterslide at home.
The directions are simple and supplies are few. Lay 100 by 10 foot clear visqueen on the ground. Line the sides with pool noodles to keep you from going off the mat. Stick landscaping pins in the noodles to nail down the plastic. Wet the slide with a water hose and pour tear-free soap to make it extra bubbly.
Next: Have fun! Lay flat on your stomach and let the smooth surface glide against you as you zoom past your surroundings, or lay face up on your back to make it like a traditional slide. For added fun, blow up a few floats and inner tubes to gain speed. It’ll make the adventure more fun and daring.
The Florida summer heat will be beat! (Notice a theme in all three ideas? It’s hot in Florida)!
It’s summertime in 2020. Let it be the summer of fun at home in Plant City, Florida.