Courtney Campbell Trail

Last Friday we took a leisurely drive up the coast from Ft. DeSoto Park, through the beach communities of St. Pete Beach, Madeira Beach, Redington Beach, Indian Shores, Belleaire Beach, Clearwater Beach, and then into Clearwater. We wanted to ride our bikes on the Courtney Campbell Trail, which runs parallel to the causeway across the bay separating Clearwater and Tampa.

We hoped to find a parking lot at the Clearwater start of the trail, but no such luck. There is beach parking a few hundred yards in, but I wasn't comfortable driving Ernie and a trailer of yaks on the narrow beach, so we continued on. About halfway along is the bridge over the boat channel, and we saw another parking lot. So we stopped and I took up a second space for the trailer. We unloaded bikes, and rode the 16 mile trail.

Parking the trailer beside Ernie

Sharon crossing the channel bridge

Sharon nearing Tampa

Bikes get a separate bridge from motorized traffic

Boats get one shot past the causeway

By the time we finished riding first to Tampa, then back to Clearwater, and then back again to the parking lot we were happy to stop. We put the bikes back in Ernie, backed Ernie out of the parking space, hooked up the trailer and drove on to continue under the highway and return to Clearwater. As we made the turn to dip under the highway it became quickly obvious that Ernie was taller than the underpass! Oops!

A bridge way too low

Fortunately there was room for the trailer beside the exit ramp

Not designed for tall vehicles

There was no clearance sign, but there was less than 10 feet of clearance, maybe only 8 or 9 feet? So we disconnected the trailer and got it back in a parking space, and then backed Ernie into another space. A pickup driver was quite understanding about letting me back up and delay his exit of the lot, not that I was giving him any choice. Once out of the way, we planned our exit.

We ended up rolling the trailer back up the exit ramp from the highway in the breakdown lane beside the exit lane, and then backed Ernie up the trailer. All the time we were watching out for traffic exiting for the lot, which fortunately was only one car during the process. Backing up on a highway is just not fun, even if it is on the edge of an exit ramp. Even re-connecting the trailer was a process I completed as quickly as I ever have. A break in the traffic allowed me to merge safely, and we proceeded to Tampa, safe and sound.

Arriving at the Tampa end of the causeway, we needed to make a U-turn to return to Clearwater, so we took the first right turn to find a place to turn around out of traffic. Unfortunately, the narrow road led us to a resort with no space for turning Ernie and trailer, and we quickly met up with a friendly security guard in his golf cart. Explaining our situation, he led us on a circuitous route around the resort's buildings and pools and eventually returning to the entrance. Finally we were able to return back to FL 60 and the causeway.