With the cooler temperatures that makes it easier for us to spend time outside. The biggest shift is from 100 degrees to low 90s. As the weather gets colder and the season changes the Goddess shows us that this change is all around us. We enjoy going on hikes, big or small. I love the freedom it gives me. I love the connection I feel with the God and Goddess as I walk. Our hunt for the perfect hike took us to San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park, in Alachua, Florida. This amazing park is a favorite quick hike on our lunch break. Let's first look at how hiking benefits us. It helps you improve your mental health. Being surrounded by trees which release more oxygen allows your brain to function at a more fluid level. While hiking you are surrounded by nature and not the craziness of the everyday world allowing your brain to decompress. It reduces anxiety and depression. Suffering from both of these things I can honestly say that hiking gives me such happiness and such a relief that I feel I can truly breathe. The doubts the thoughts are replaced with sounds of birds, and wildlife. It builds up your muscles and tones up your entire body. I can feel my legs growing stronger and looking leaner which is a happy side effect. Looking back from the beginning of Alachua we need to go back thousands of years. First, the Timucuan tribe lived in Florida for thousands of years before the Europeans came in the late 1500s. The Timucuan Indians called the sinkholes in the area “chua” which eventually turned to “Allachua” or “Lachua. Later after the Western Railroad passed the little town of Alachua. Alachua's first railroad was started in 1884. It moved expanded from Palatka, through Alachua to Waycross, Georgia. As more and more citizens began to relocate along the new rail line. The City of Alachua was officially established in the late 1800s. The county is now known for its diverse culture, local music, and local artisans. San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park was established as a state park in 1974. This stunning 7,360-acre preserve is an ecological experience. It has one a variety of trees, from hardwoods to a field of hammocks. The limestone, creeks, sinkholes, and ravines. These ravines and hills drain back into the Florida aquifer. While on their multi trails be on the lookout for the local wildlife. You may spot white-tailed deer, gray foxes, and turkeys. This park is unique because it has trails not just for humans, but horses too. Forty million years ago, horses roamed North America. They then began to migrate to Asia over the Bering land bridge. Horses disappeared from America for thousands of years. Horses were first reintroduced to Native American tribes by the European invaders. The Indegiouns tribes were terrified when they saw the half-man and half-beast. As a result, the invaders were able to kill mass amounts of Indegiouns. North America was widely covered with open grasslands, serving as a great habitat for horses. Horse numbers grew rapidly. The Native tribes eventually overcame their fear of horses, but their fear of the invaders was valid. There is a 3.6-mile Cellon Creek Trail that winds through shady woods. If you would prefer a more open fields and pinewoods ride you can try the 4.4-mile Turkey Creek Trail. In addition to horse trails, you can also grab your bike and go for a ride. The trails are for all biking levels. This first cycle did not look like the bikes we think of today. It didn't have pedals, brakes, or chains. The bicycle has gone through a lot since its creation in the early 18th century. The very first ‘bicycle’ was created by a German Baron by the name of Karl Von Drais. This wooden bike was called the Laufmaschine, the ‘running machine.’ By the mid-1800s, they would add an extra wheel or 2. Our modern bike design came from John Kemp Starley. The bicycle he designed had two wheels of equal size, with a chain drive to the rear wheel and an adjustable saddle. For a shorter ride, there are two 1-mile single-track trails. The Sanchez Trail follows the flow of Turkey Creek and the Sidewinder Trail winds around wet-weather ponds and along slopes. Both of these trails interconnect with the Turkey Creek Trail. The Cotton Tail Trail is a 1-mile beginner's level trail. The Tung Nut Loop Trail connects to the back of the Cellon Creek Trail and is an 8-mile advanced trail. The Hammock Hub is a 2-mile loop with few challenging climbs and large log bridges. The shortest trail is the Sweet Gum Loop which is a short 1.6-mile. “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”
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