Withlacoochee State Trail

Even though rain was virtually assured, our group rode grinning into a very light breeze, just enough to make it comfortable and watched almost cloudless skies switch our focus. We became more concerned about exposure and heat than any possibility of rain, but it was easy to press on having been advised there was iced watermelon waiting for us.

Sheila, Larry, Myhra, Rick, Sandra, Phil and I started south just about on schedule after making a few hardware adjustments. Larry took over my trike and Rick and Myhra have new Trice Ts. Mark joined us about four miles into the ride and then we began the deviation. Guided more or less by whim, there were three side steps made where we examined or used facilities and just looked about.



We managed to get by the grazing gopher tortoise and the law enforcement vehicles and enjoyed a fairly quick ride down to Inverness where I heard shouts from the shade that sound like, "Where WHERE you?!" To my surprise Mei, Don, Bobbie, and Ron had completed the same trip, looking for us all the while, and must have passed while we were "off trail"! They had gotten off to a little later start and just missed us.

With the entire group together now, Don and Mei tell us about the watermelon they have brought. That generated its own mental tailwind and we sailed back to the north end. Discussing lunch, Mark says there is a Coach's Pub in Dunnellon, so that was settled and the entire group retired to the pub for a real nice lunch.

Photos are in the Gallery.

34 miles and smiles
O\vo~