Finally back on the Nature Coast Trail

What a perfect fall day for an 18 mile ride on this beautiful trail under the trees.  We usually begin our rides sharing a Subway sandwich full of fresh veggies. We started this one late in the afternoon which was perfect.  Parking in Fanning Springs, the middle of the three nature coast trails, we rode nine miles to Chiefland to our favorite reward destination, the Yum Yum Shop!   Then back again.  We almost had the entire trail for ourselves!  It was in the low 80's but felt like 75 on the trail.  Although it's been quite a while since our last ride, it was as good as ever and not difficult!

18 miles today; 609 miles thus far!

New Year on the Nature Coast

After the holidays and trips and the flu, we finally got back on the trail.  Not alot of time, so down to the easy Nature Coast Trail from Fanning Springs to Chiefland.  A beautiful Florida January day in the mid 70's.  This flat easy trail was very enjoyable.  Started with a sandwich from the Trenton Subway, then rode from Fanning Springs for 9 miles to Chiefland for a treat at the Yum Yum Shop seen in the picture.  Then back to the start and onward to the beautiful Trestle bridge over the Suwannee. 

A total of 24 1/2 miles today.  Thus far 591 miles!!

Our longest ride yet!  40 miles from Trenton to Cross City!  A beautiful ride on a very flat trail.  Most of it is out in the sun, but the first half of the ride the sky was totally overcast so we enjoyed the 70 degree temps.  The first picture below is very typical of this trail.  Not the prettiest by far--it mostly runs along roads.  The second picture is one of the prettiest parts near the top of the trail in Trenton.

Parking at the Trenton Trailhead, is offroad by the old train station in Trenton.  After about 6 miles you come to the Fanning Springs turn off (we didn't take that turn); after 8 1/2 miles you come to the beautiful Suwannee Railroad Bridge Trestle.  At 9 miles you come to Old Town where there is off road parking.  Those first 6 miles are aside Rt. 26 with alot of traffic.  However, the trail is well off road but you can see and hear the cars.  The rest of the trail runs alongside other roads, some smaller.  The trail is mostly rural.

At 19 miles from Trenton is the Dairy Queen!  Yea.  And one mile beyond is Trail's end at Cross City, for a full 20 miles. 

Total: 566.5

Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail

Probably one of the prettiest and nicest trails to ride.  We started at the Brandy Branch Trailhead which is just north of I-10 and Rt. 301.  There's good parking and porta-potties here.  The trail is very flat with only two real cross streets.  Alot of the blogs talk about industrial areas--we didn't see any!  The whole trail is under a canopy of trees.  You don't even see very many homes or businessess; only woods and pasturelands and creeks.  Since there is a wonderful canopy you only get direct sunlight when it is straight above you.  Otherwise you get filtered sun through the trees.  There is a park a couple of miles into our trip, The Baldwin Trailhead and Park.  And there is a park at the Jacksonville end, the Imeson Road Trailhead. 

The whole trail is marked and is 14 1/2 miles.  We did the whole 29 miles!

Total so far:  526.5 miles!

Local Roads and Places

Started out just riding from Tioga to where the side walk ends travelling west on Newberry Road (3 1/2 miles).   On the way home stopped at the Chinese restaurant at Steeplechase for some wonderful lunch of Egg Foo Young and Broccoli and Tofu.  Dropped by the bicycle shop to have my gears adjusted.  Came home and we wanted to ride some more. 

So we decided to ride to Haile Plantation.  Rode through Tioga and another neighborhood to come out on Parker Road, heading south to 8th Avenue and rode on the bike lane there to 91st St.  It was hilly compared to Rails Trails.  Then we took that into Haile Plantation.  Rode to 46th Drive and then through the Town Center where we stopped for some juice at the Cupcake bar.  Came back west on 24th Avenue.  There is a sidewalk until about 3/4 mile from Parker Road where there is not even a bike lane.  24th is flatter than 8th Avenue was.  Had to walk the bikes some when traffic got heavy.  It was 6 1/2 miles on this leg of the trip.

When we started the trips today it was cloudy, breezy and a chilly 61 degrees.  By the end of the trip, the clouds had gone, the sun was out and it was in the high sixties. 

Today 20 miles total. 

497.5 miles thus far.

Withlacoochee Trail from Inverness to Townsend Lake Park - November 11, 2012

Rode from Mile 16 to Mile 31 and back.  A beautiful day in the 70's!  The beginning of the trail is very flat.  The second half has alot of long slow ups and downs.  Didn't matter too much until coming back, after going 24 miles my blood sugar was dropping fast.  The next two miles were very hard--until we came to Ferris Groves and guzzeled 16 ounces of freshly squeezed orange juice and a chocolate covered strawberry.  The last 6 miles seemed a breeze after that.  We saw many gopher tortoises and a pretty dear crossing the trail.  30 miles

Total of 477.5 miles thus far.

Nature Coast from Old Towne to Chiefland

November 4, 2012
This is our favorite part of the Nature Coast Trail.  It's flat and through the trees. Old Towne to Fanning Springs (4 miles) crosses the Suwannee River via the old railroad trestle.  It's beautiful.  And a nice place to stop, look at the river and talk to other bikers.  The weather was about 70 degrees--perfect for biking.  And then it's another 9 miles from Fanning Springs to Chiefland.  The reward is the Yum Yum Shop where you can get delicious Working Cow Ice Cream at a reasonable price!  Eat outside on the picnic tables.  26 mile round trip.



447.5 miles thus far