Dunnellon to Fanning Springs

April 4, 2008

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This was the last day of the ride and it was a long one, over 60 miles. We started with the 4.5 mile ride back to camp along US 41 in the pre-dawn light with our tailight and headlight to help motorists see us. There was much less traffic than the previous day and there seemed to be more room on the right side of the road. We enjoyed pancakes by Chris Cakes, the famous bike tour breakfast guy from Kansas. He has a fast, efficient operation. We quickly ate and were on our way; we didn't want to linger since we had a 3 hour drive to Jacksonville ahead of us after the ride.

We had a sight tailwind for most of the morning allowing us to make good time on the smooth, flat roads NW of Dunnellon. It didn't take long to reach the sight of the first rest stop at an equestrian center amidst the many horse farms in this area. There were only cyclists standing around the parking lot pondering what had happened to the rest stop which we found a few miles down the road in a field next to a gas station. There were no port-a-johns, they arrived as we were leaving again. The line was long for the one bathroom inside the gas station store. I was hungry; for most of the trip I have tried to eat a little less than normal, which means I didn't stuff myself at each rest stop, which would have been difficult anyway given the food at the stops; sliced oranges, grapefruit and pretzels. The food was good but it was difficult to get the quantity of calories one needs for a long ride.

The final rest stop of the day was at the old train depot in Trenton, the head of the Nature Coast State Trail. It was a wide, smooth trail parallel to a major road. We decided to skip the optional ride to the "historic bridge". It didn't sound very appealing at this point in the trip. We were ready to get to our bags in case there was rain and to start our drive to Jacksonville.

Inverness Town HallNature Coast TrailMom and I

At the end of the ride there was a good lunch of tuna salad, chips, and fruit awaiting us in Fanning Springs. We compared notes with fellow cyclists, wished them well on their trips home, and headed to the car. Bubba had unloaded the bags not far from the car, which was parked in a tick-infested grassy area. We changed, toweled off, and headed out. Later we spent some time picking off crawling ticks.

We had a good trip, although overall the quality of the logistics was much poorer than in previous years. There are some basic services one expects on these tours: bathrooms, food, and drinks. At many stops these were either in short supply or the volunteers could barely keep up with the demands of cyclists. The dinners were all very good, although the vegetarian dinners were occasionally very basic, as if someone's idea of being a vegetarian means they only eat vegetables. We need carbohydrates as much as anything.

We didn't care for many of the "trails" on which the cyclists were routed. Sidewalks should not be used by cyclists, especially on a major state tour. Police should provide for the safety of cyclists, and that shouldn't mean banning us from a stretch of road as they did on Keystone Rd, countering state law. We will provide our feedback, but this will likely be our last Bike Florida. There is usually too much happening back home at this time of year anyway.

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