Florida Back Roads: 441 South from Orlando

Florida Back Roads: 441 South from Orlando

The day after Thanksgiving is my personal photo safari day. Historically, I spend Thanksgiving with my cousins, my kids, my uncle and some friends in Clermont. The day after I just want to cruise home and hopefully make some great discoveries on the way.

My criteria this time is that it has to be a road I had never been on but one i could easily cut over to the turnpike if the weather got really bad. Otherwise, a cloudy day presets all kinds of cool options photo wise.

i left armed with two turkey sandwiches, some ham and my Starbucks vente breve vanilla latte. i was ready for whatever came my way.

I drove on the turnpike south from Clermont to 192/441. That cost about five dollars. I got a little turned around and was loosing juice on my phone and the nice toll booth lady handed me a paper map.

There is a bit of traffic but it lightens up.

The first town is St Cloud. They do have a historic downtown but I chose to keep driving to make up the time lost by hanging out in the morning and going out for breakfast.

Now i know 192 will take me to Melbourne and there was going to be a right out there some where. I figured there would be a big sign. There was not. The right was in the little town of Holopow. You can make a U-turn a short distance from that corner.

Just this short distance out of Kissimmee the landscape was rural. I honestly didn’t think I was gonna see much.

Until i saw this:

and this

Forever Florida photo: cyndi lenz

Forever Florida
photo: cyndi lenz

Forever Florida is an adventure park located in the wild of Central Florida.  They have the only zip line roller coaster in the USA. They offer horseback riding, camping, and Trail buggy adventures.

A rattlesnake zipcoaster, pereguine plunge and panther Pounce. Oh my!

There is a main building with a gift shop and a restaurant. The patrons were bragging about the hamburgers made from fresh homegrown meat.

MMMM… hamburger. I skipped the hamburger and almost instantly regretted as I chowed down on turkey with lettuce on multigrain bread as I headed south.

My plan was still to hop on the turnpike when I got to rt. 60.

I arrived at the Desert Inn an decided to pull over for some photos.

Located on the corner of 60 and 411 the Desert inn and restaurant is a historic site in Yehaw Junction. In the 1930s, the spot was originally named “Jackass Crossing,” a reference to the burros that the ranchers rode to the inn. Throughout the years, the Desert Inn has been a trading post, gas station, and dance hall. In 1994, after being added to the National Register of Historic Places, the unused rooms about the restaurant were converted into a modest museum that featured a bordello suite with red carpet, lace pillows and a swing.

The restaurant was open. Since I posted a few photos on Facebook many friends raved about the food especially the cat fish and the burgers.

At this point one can hop back on the turnpike or even take 60 to Vero Beach. I’m just not ready for civilization yet but I don’t want to go all to Okeechobee.

i check my nifty paper map and low and behold in 18 miles i can take a left on rt 68. That road turns into Orange and leads into Ft Pierce. There are loads of ranches and farms. I took a right on Sneed and proceeded to Midway Rd.

Normally, if going this way I’d drive straight to Indian River drive hang a right and head to Jensen Beach.

I left Clermont around 1 pm and got home around 4:30 Instead of going straight i had to go down 95,  across Crosstown, left on Port St Lucie Blvd, right on Westmorland and right on Federal to pick up my Kodi.

The entire trip was not really that far out-of-the-way. It  totally worth it to drive the road less traveled in rural peaceful Florida.

Here are some of the photos:

https://www.facebook.com/Treasurecoast/videos/1684966664902376/

If you have a favorite road trip let us know.

You can email me: Clenz@mac.com

TreasureCoast

TreasureCoast

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  • Posted 6 years ago

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