Route #1 Manhattan Farms – Nokomis – Osprey – Vamo

This first bicycle touring route through Florida marks the beginning of the Discovering Florida project and coincides with the feast day of Saint Augustine, namesake of the oldest European settlement in the peninsula. The route takes place entirely within Sarasota County and covers approximately 40 miles through former settlements, abandoned railway corridors, and coastal landscapes along the Gulf of Mexico.

The journey begins in Manhattan Farms, near the Myakka River, at an abandoned gas station built in the 1980s and later closed due to its environmental impact. From there, the route passes through Venice and enters the Legacy Trail, a former Seaboard Air Line railway corridor that has been converted into a multi-use greenway. This section highlights the key role railroads played in the region’s development and how their abandonment reshaped the landscape.

The route continues through communities such as Nokomis, Laurel, and Osprey, home to Spanish Point, one of the best-preserved archaeological sites in western Florida. After crossing onto Casey Key, a barrier island now characterized by luxury residences, the route returns to the starting point, passing beaches, bays, and former railroad enclaves along the way.

The complete route and its historical context are included in Discovering Florida – Volume 1.