ATTRACTIONS
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Martin Beck
AN AIR OF EXCITEMENT Four wheeling is one thing, but four wheeling in a 14-foot wide, 16-foot tall, 40-foot long, behemoth truck is a whole other adventure. STORY: ROXANNE BROWN
≈ PHOTOS: NICOLE HAMEL
fter a one-hour group ride through The Showcase of Citrus’ 2,500-acre citrus and cattle ranch on one of its massive 4 X 4 trucks, Clermont’s Shannon McCartney and her nine-year-old twins were thrilled. They’d all ridden through an orange grove, a muddy swamp, and some rough and bumpy terrain home to dozens of different wild animals, yet each got something totally different out of the experience. “I enjoyed hearing about the family who own this, learning about their history, and about citrus,” Shannon says. Rylan, however, says he found fun in trying to stand up in the middle aisle of the truck during the ride to have a look at the scenery, and keep his balance, but found it nearly impossible at times. With a huge grin on his face, Rylan says, “It was so bumpy, we just couldn’t stay standing.”
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As for his sister Kinsey, her favorite part was looking for, and spotting so many of the animals living on or visiting the grounds. “We saw three alligators, lots of birds, cows, zebras, a goat, and even a wild turkey,” she exclaims excitedly. The one common sentiment they shared was that it was a good time had by all. “I think everyone really liked it. It was a fun experience,” Shannon concludes. The ride is part of the Monster Truck Tours at the Showcase of Citrus, dubbed Florida’s Fresh Air Attraction. “This place is designed for enjoying the outdoors, and one of our goals here is making the outdoors accessible to people,” says Martin Beck, one of the venue’s monster truck drivers and tour guide of the entire Showcase experience. “It’s kind of like a one-stop shop where a big family can come and find something enjoyable for all of them and at an affordable cost.” As the Showcase of Citrus’ website explains, people taking the truck tour get to ride the world’s largest 4 X 4 trucks, measuring 14-feet wide, 16-feet tall, and 40-feet long.
Kaitlyn Smith
Roxanne Brown
