Thursday, March 20, 2014

46 miles to Pine Island Beach, Spring Hill, FL.  We didn't intend to bike so far, but we took a wrong turn and went an extra 10 miles. Bob says he gets 2 desserts tonight.

Wednesday, March 20, 2014

32 miles to Brookesville, FL on the Suncoast Trail.   We stopped at a darling restaurant for lunch. They had fabulous desserts. We had triple chocolate bundt cake with ice cream and whipped cream. We ate it all before I took a photo. Trust me, it was great. The place was packed so we invited 2 bicyclists to join our table. Judy and David Miller from Lansing, Michigan were fantastic. We had been looking for the Withlacoochie State Trail. Judy and David decided they needed to give us a tour. They drove us around and showed us the trailheads, restaurants and bicycle shops. We exchanged information and I really hope we connect with them again. Who knows, maybe we will join them on some of the great rides they described in Lansing.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

34 miles to the north end of Pine Island and back with a side trip to visit Jena and her dad.  We went up to Bokeelia. Not much there, but another beautiful, spectacular day.  We stopped at the Tarpon Lodge for some blue crab and roasted corn chowder. Very tasty. We were just around the corner from Jena's dad, so stopped there to visit. We took a short ride to the pier to check on the ferry schedule to Captiva. Turns out they don't go there. Jena had wanted us to go to the Bubble Room.  Apparently, they have great food and better desserts. The traffic is so bad, it won't be worth driving there.  We'll have to make a trip down out of season when things are much calmer. Jena just got her bike yesterday, so we will try to get some more cycling in before we leave.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

18 miles bicycling around Pine Island. We stopped by a festival raising money for breast cancer care, the first annual auto show at the Moose Lodge and bought some Girl Scout Cookies.  The weather is just so beautiful, 71 degrees, crystal blue skies and a light breeze.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

29 miles to Pine Island Realty about 6 miles from my destination. I thought that I would be able to make it before the storm hit.  Alas that was not the case. The kind people at Pine Island Realty let me hang out on their porch until Bob picked me up. It's raining so hard now we can't see a thing. But it's not snow!

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

27 miles to the Edison-Ford Winter Estates.  I didn't know Edison and Ford were such good friends. The grounds are spectacular and they had great adventures as well as worked on business ideas and inventions. Edison is the only American to have been granted a patent every year for 65 years.

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

40 miles to Sanibel Island and a ride through the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge.  Riding over the causeway was beautiful.  The refuge provides sanctuary for many species of wild animals, birds, and native vegetation. We saw American White Pelicans, which we had never seen before. The ride was serene and peaceful.

Florida law is very respectful of bicyclists. Someone told me the police ride with bicyclists and if a motorist doesn't provide a 3-foot berth, he/she  will be ticketed.  Kudos also to FL for having so many bicycling lanes/trails.

Sunday, March 2, 2014.

62 miles from Venice, FL to Ft. Myers, FL. It was a gorgeous ride although I thought I would have the wind with me.  I had a really nice view in Punta Gorda for lunch.  A couple of interesting things happened today. When I stopped to check directions, I saw a very large snake winding his way through a fence. I'm not afraid of snakes, but decided I wouldn't be napping under any trees today.  When I got to the RV camp, I was really tired and sweaty. It's 83 degrees.  I showered in the men's room by accident. No harm since there was a curtain and a frosted door.  The gentleman shaving at the sink when I came out fully showered and dressed  was a bit surprised!

Saturday, March 1, 2014

13 miles on the Venetian Waterway Park Trail that follows the Intracoastal Waterway.  The Caspersen Beach Trailhead has a gorgeous view of the Gulf of Mexico.  We took a short ride today, revisited the trailhead for the Legacy Trail, checked out the Art Fest in downtown Venice and had lunch at a local institution.  Loved that they kept filling my root beer float. Usually there is too much ice cream and not enough root beer.