General James A Van Fleet State Trail

I met up, once again, with the infamous Central Florida CRABS in Mabel this morning for a most pleasant sortie into the Green Swamp. A gentle, southerly breeze and lots of shade made the cool of the morning last longer than expected. And yet, the ground must have been warmed up good because we saw as many as two dozen gopher tortoises, a black snake, and a rat snake along the way. In addition to observing a half dozen wood storks, this turkey crossed our path early into the beautiful ride.

West Orange & South Lake Trails

My best Wednesday in months clicked by in the form of 47 leisurely miles pedaling from Winter Garden out to Clermont and back to Clarcona. Started off the morning noticing a basking serpent (possibly an eastern indigo), saw a most unusual model of a pirate ship (the owner actually put it in Lake Mineola), then a very large raccoon crossed my path around the noon hour. This trail is very well maintained, traffic was much lighter than the weekends, and there was a significant breeze out of the east, making the entire ride quite comfortable.

Indian River Drive

Enjoyed a lovely ride with the CRABS in Cocoa this morning. We followed up with lunch at Ryan's Village Pizza & Pub. Here's a link to Bob's video:

https://vimeo.com/64274914

First day

Retired at last. Out on my first day's ride.

Joining the CRABS on the Withlacoochee State Trail tomorrow morning to ride north.
Check the Ride Schedule link ->

Cross Seminole Trail

Phil, Glenn, and Gordon joined Larry, Sheila, Rick, Myhra and me for my first visit to Black Hammock Trailhead near Oviedo, FL. We pedaled along a beautiful trail into a stiffening headwind over to Lake Mary. A real treat for me was crossing several amazing bridges, the likes of which are not often seen in the more rural areas I am used to riding. Hikers, joggers, skaters, families, and dogs blended respectfully with cyclists on this nicely maintained corridor as it provided a very natural experience traversing suburban development. The return trip was quicker than expected as the wind had grown even stronger.

After the ride, the group reconvened at the Townhouse Restaurant in downtown Oviedo for some excellent refueling. Another perfect ride stolen from the advancing jaws of winter in Central Florida.

Rollin' on the River

Just enjoying a simple ride on dirt down to the Santa Fe River. It is very peaceful here at Rum Island. The way winter ought to be.

Happy New Year!

Withlacoochee

Phil and I met up in Inverness this morning and took our time readying for the ride. We had pretty much been assured we'd be on our own. One thing you can always count on when riding the Withlacoochee State Trail is you are very unlikely to be alone! In fact, it matters not how you choose to enjoy the trail, you'll surely see someone else doing it your way.

Today was no exception. The perfect weather had arrived to the delight of all. There was a dog-centric celebration in Inverness, walkers, runners, riders, stollers, & grinners were in play all the way down to Floral City where what appeared to be a Model A car show lined the trail as we slowed in to town.

We stuck to our plan and rode just a little south of Lake Townsend Park before turning around to head back and put on the feed bag. Stopped in to visit Regis & Cindy with a little chatter about camping plans. Meeting one friend after another it seemed many more of us had had the same idea after all. We met Ali & Gosia celebrating Ali's birthday on a mile/year ride.

Quite a beautiful day for enjoying a beautiful trail in Florida.

Thanks for the ride plan, Phil!