I visited the R&R Ranch in Lithia, Florida a few weeks ago and saw the small petting zoo. The animals were very soft and very docile. There were many rabbits, including a few “ruby” rabbits. These are albino rabbits with pink eyes. There were also guinea pigs. These were the only animals that showed any nervousness around me whatsoever, though not overly so. The rest seemed quite used to meeting strange humans (some stranger than others). Nearby was a goat, a pig, and several chickens with extremely soft feathers. I love all animals, but scorpions and sea urchins aren’t nearly as fun to pet – although caterpillars would be a nice addition (hint, hint).

The people there are as friendly as the animals (I didn’t try petting them) and they talked with me a while. The R&R Ranch was founded in 2002 by Barbara and her son Jeremy in order to introduce children to farm animals because it seemed that not many people do that anymore. Their goals for the ranch are to stay small, friendly, and personal. It is a valued place for camps, horse riding lessons, field trips, and birthday parties. In fact, there was a party going on when I got there. They also offer hay rides, horse feeding, pony painting, and have a small playground. The horses love children. More can be learned about them at the website. This is one place in Tampa Bay you should definitely visit.

9805 Bryant Road, Lithia, Florida
RRRanchLithia.com

Written by Daniel Noe, InkDoodler.com

Deep in Lithia lie the 6312 acres of mostly forest that make up Alafia River State Park. This is a popular place for bicyclists. Off the sides of the mixed-use trail are countless bicycle trails. These trails are narrow, twisted, and very hilly due to the entire place having been used as a phosphate mine in the past. Mountains are a rarity in Florida and this is one place for mountain bikers to get their fix. They are rated as “epic” by the IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association).

I did not know any of this before I went and I don’t have a bike; I went for the extensive walking trails, which are shared by bicycles, horses, and also tortoises. Soon after leaving the trailhead, I rounded a corner and saw a tortoise coming from the other direction at a decent speed. Only when I got close did it take any notice of me and this was just to slow down a bit every time I moved. I completely forgot that my new phone can take video, so instead all you get is a photograph. I also took a picture of a navy blue dragonfly that miraculously held still as I approached and I saw a large spider.

The trails were a bit confusing. Even though they are marked, they are not always marked at every intersection, and there are many side trails not on the map. Most of these are bicycle-only trails, but it is not always easy to tell. After getting lost several times over I found myself near where I started. Since I was more tired than I expected that day, I decided to leave early without seeing most of the park. On the way back to the parking lot, I saw two tortoises where before there had been one. Very cute.

Alafia River State Park also has a nice campground, nice picnic spots, and fishing ponds. I’ll have to go back when the weather is cooler and I have more energy.
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14326 South County Road 39, Lithia, Florida
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Written by Daniel Noe, InkDoodler.com