Getting What You Wish For

We made a change of route today and moved to a closer campground than originally planned. Instead of 55 miles, it was only 30 miles. The destination was Wekiwa Springs State Park. The ride was mostly county roads heading south-south-east. Actually, since roads in Florida are mostly on a grid, it was south, a bit east, more south, etc. The ride was much more interesting than yesterday, but the weather gods weren't going to make it easy. They provided a fairly strong headwind.


View Clearwater Lake to Wekiwa Springs in a larger map

Ellen left before me intending to make a grocery stop on the way. I didn't get far out of the park before seeing a couple of large birds grazing in a field beside the road. The seemed too large to be herons, and it wasn't near water. I stopped for a closer look. They were a pair of Sandhill Cranes. I took a couple of photos, not expecting much, as I was shooting into the sun. But about five miles further on, after I'd turned south, there was another pair, right next to the road, just asking to have their photos taken. I started to call Ellen to see if she was very far ahead and just as I did a truck drove by and they took flight. When I did get through to her, I'd noticed a sizable flock further away in the fields. It turned out that she had seen them when driving by, which was just as well since she was just approaching the supermarket, only a few miles from the park.

At about 10 miles into the ride, I took a shortcut that took off about a mile of travel. It showed up on the Zumo when we were planning Ellen's route, but I'd routed her along the main county roads. Expecting that it was a GPS joke—routing down some rutted dirt road to save a few yards—it turned out that it was actually a nice paved back road. I took it since saving about a mile is significant on a bicycle.

I passed two properties opposite each other along the road. The one on the right had high chain link fencing and barbed wire and signs announcing that I was under video surveillance and trespassing was forbidden. The one on the left had a high wooded pallisade fence, pointed on top, also claiming that I was on video. It even had a sign saying "NO-TING HERE WORTH Dieing FOR" (with just that spelling). My first thought was a Hatfield-McCoy rivalry, but I nixed that idea when I saw the "Don't tread on me" flag that has been co-opted by the Tea Party. I was reminded of the 1960s Buffalo Springfield lyrics:

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your heart it will creep
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware

I snapped a couple of photos (here's back at you, bud!) and rode on.

I soon passed an unusual auto dealership. Right in front it had an emerald green mini-Hummer. I had to stop and inquire. It is called the Hummer HX and is actually licensed by GM. It is a street-legal electric Low-Speed Vehicle(LSV) and can be registered as such in all states. A $20,000 toy!

More interesting was the Sand Reeper, a miniature Jeep-like vehicle. It is also street legal as an LSV, but the dealer said it will do nearly 60 mph out of a 53 hp 800 cc triple. It is more equipped to be an off-road vehicle with four-wheel drive and locking differentials. It even has a winch on the front and tow rings on the back. A $16,000 toy ... of course that is only a couple of thousand more than a new F800GS (motorcycle), but it has 85 hp and does a bit more than 60 mph. Then again, it doesn't have all-wheel drive. Randy at Central Florida Reeper awaits your call.

This area of Florida seems to be a horticultural center. I passed many plant and tree nurseries and large greenhouses. They were interspersed with subdivisions with big lots, probably 2-5 acres, each with a large house. There were other farms as well and the terrain rolled a bit. There was even a section of twisty road.

As I was pedaling through the twisties, I could see a Harley coming the other way, he entered a curve a little wide and disappeared from my view, to be accompanied by a loud scraping sound, eliciting a bit of a cringe on my part. He emerged from the curve unscathed, but I'm sure he dragged his big floorboards. As I entered the turn he had just left, I could see a large very dented section of guardrail on the outside of the curve; it looks like several people had taken wider lines than they should.

He was followed by a big Class A RV which took the opposite track. He didn't bother with the curve, just doing in a straight line, moving about three feet in to my lane. Glad I wasn't on the GS.

At about 20 miles, I got to the final southbound road, Rock Springs Road into Apopka, a four-lane highway. It started with a bike lane but that ended within the first mile. From that point on there was no shoulder, but also a curb. It was kind of like riding on Route 3A through Hingham and Weymouth, with fewer lights and side streets. My path was due south, uphill and into the wind for the next five miles. I could see the traffic light ahead where I was supposed to turn for the last few miles to the park, but I didn't seem to be able to reach it. At 300 yards before the light, a couple of young cyclists in full lycra zoomed past me, a mini-peleton, went through the light and disappeared. Groan.

When I turned east at the light the road became two lanes again, but was still curbed with constant traffic. I broke one of my rules and hopped onto the sidewalk. It ran down the outside of a series of gated communities and I assumed that it must be a bike path, no one behind those gates would ever be out walking on it.

At 1 PM, almost exactly four hours after I left Clearwater Lake, I pulled up to Speedy. Ellen had been there since 10. I'd arrived just in time for lunch. Ellen is not entirely comfortable with the Zumo (GPS) as she has seen us routed badly too many times. However, she dutifully follows its directions. Approaching the park, the Zumo said turn right to your destination, which she did. Entering through ornate gates, rolling green lawns and fountains, her first thoughts were that I certainly knew how to pick state parks, this was gorgeous. Then she approached the very fancy country club building and knew it should have been left into the state park rather than right into the country club.

For me, the afternoon was quiet, checking mail, downloading data from the ride and taking a needed shower (did I mention that it was in the mid-80s again today). I also made reservations for camping over the next three days. Ellen was informed by the ranger at the gate that virtually all the Florida state parks fill up each weekend, starting on Thursday nights. She was right! I went online to ReserveAmerica, which handles reservations for Florida state parks and got the last two RV sites at Lake Louisa SP for Thursday and Friday nights and the next to last RV site at Highland Hammock SP for Saturday night.

Ellen took walk up to the Wekiwa Springs, through the woods and along a boardwalk over a marsh. She saw egrets and another Gopher Tortoise on her walk. Since her encounter with the snake, her pace has become a little slower than her usual speed walk.

There were people swimming in the springs, the main attraction of this state park. It is paved around the edge like a swimming pool. There is, however, the sign warning swimmers that there may be alligators. The spring discharges 62 million gallons of clear 72° water a day which empties into the upper Wekiva River. I doubt many alligators come up in the spring and any that do are shooed out by the staff.

Finally, it was time for dinner, chicken tenders from the market deli, a salad and Häagen-Dazs dulce de leche ice cream to top it off. Time to plan tomorrow's ride to Lake Louisa.

Today's photos