Weather: low 76 degrees, high 95 degrees, mostly clear skies
We took a short ride down US 301 to the little town of Wildwood today. The town was not known for much when we lived here, and it looks like nothing has changed. In fact, the population decreased by about 500 people between 2000 and 2005. That's a strange fact, since most places in Central Florida increased in population over that period of time.
Wildwood was an Amtrak train stop until 2004, and the old train station is now used for a CSX maintenance yard. We saw few signs of change in town other than that the main street through town has become a four lane road. The town does have a new city hall, which tends to stand out in a small town like this.
Many people pass through Wildwood every day without actually seeing the town. I-75 passes through the west side of town on it's way north and south. The town receives some economic activity from the interstate highway, primarily from service stations and convenience stores. Florida's Turnpike has it's northern start a couple of miles south of town.
The thing I remember most about Wildwood was that when we lived in Ocala, Wildwood had a high school football team that was just about the best in the state for their classification of school. They would go anywhere and play anyone, even schools that had higher enrollments. They won many more games than they lost. They played against Ocala High School when Ocala had one of the best teams in the state, and they almost won the game. I think an indication of the respect that Ocala had for them was the fact that Ocala said they would play Wildwood, but only if the game was held in Ocala.
The more interesting part of the trip was how things have changed between Belleview and Wildwood. Some of the road is now four lane, and most of the rest of it is being changed to a four lane. There are many more houses along the road now, and signs are plentiful of the impact that The Villages, a huge planned community, has had on the area. We used to go to Summerfield to buy vegetables, but saw little sign of that kind of farming going on now.
Just another day of remembering the past, and seeing how things have changed.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Wildwood, Florida: The Crossroads Of Florida
Not all who wander are lost.
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