Photos: DreamLarge launches first BLVD Bike Ride tour

DreamLarge hosted its first BLVD Bike Ride on July 18, which encouraged Sarasotans to ditch their cars and see the historical areas of the city by bike. 

The tour was led by John McCarthy, the executive director of Historic Spanish Point, who has been studying Sarasota history for 40 years. Leading the group of 30 through the Rosemary and Newtown districts, McCarthy discussed Sarasota history as they drove past landmarks.

"We went down lots of little streets no one ever goes down," he said. "This (bike ride) gets people to slow down and take (Sarasota) in."

The ride was put together by Julia Groom and Samantha Wuerfel as part of DreamLarge's initiative to bring more events to the Rosemary District. Their goal was to educate and inspire participants "while creating a safe, fun environment to cycle and meet other like-minded cyclists."