We are on a trip, out of town for our “normal” spring training in Florida. The normal part is that we are cycling in central Florida, the rest is sort of surreal. We are in isolation at an AirBnB in remote, rural Citrus County. We have been here for 2 weeks, we have ridden 13 times, we have eaten 14 dinners at home and have enjoyed about 3 lunches out. And we have even had some desserts! So let’s get to it…
We are in a three bedroom house that backs up to a canal which links up with the Withlacoochee river a few miles to our west.
We’ve observed lots of water birds as well as hawks, but have no pictures. We’ve ridden our off-road tandem along the canal and on the extensive labyrinth of unpaved roads in the immediate area (remember, very remote and very rural).
We are closest to the Santos trail and have ridden it a few times. We really like the paved Santos because it offers hills and curves which are two things you don’t often get on bike paths since most of them are converted rails-to-trails.
The Santos Land Bridge over I-75 
Santos Trail
The Withlacoochee trail is close to 50 miles long with many trailheads so we are able to start at various points and decide just how long we want the ride to be.
Here we are enjoying the Withlacoochee trail and river with Linda and Eric in one of our rare rides with another couple.
We had a visit with Laura and Earle in Ocala and rode through horse country with them.
Last, but NEVER least in our travels, we have had a few desserts. We lunched at The Front Porch, where there is always room for pie.
We visit the iconic Twistee Treat and order their version of the Blizzard. Next time we’ll share the small size or each get the extra small!
And in Floral City we visit the Ferris Groves for fresh shakes (twice). It’s strawberry season so on our first visit we have the strawberry shake, but on our second visit we try the orange shake and it tastes just like a creamsicle.
The weather for our first two weeks has been outstanding. On our last night near Hernando we are treated to a beautiful sunset.
We are hopeful that we will be vaccinated in the next few months and that we can go out on the road again soon. We wish you all good health and good times in the future.
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Eve and Roger's Cycling Adventures 
So happy you are enjoying our wonderful weather and riding in central FL, We love the Santos trail. Stay well and hope to see you soonish!
and I thought you were stuck in the rain in Atlanta. Have fun!
What great shots!!! Very jealous (in a good way!). Ride in good health and safety always!!!
In November we were in the Orlando area and while Dan was getting his Sea Plane Rating I was out riding the many trails in the area. I loved all the variety of trails and can’t wait to go back. I have heard so many great things about the Withlacooche Trail but was hesitant to ride it on my own since I have zero ability in the bike repair area. We visited Cocoa Beach in December and rode a trail out of Titusville that connected and connected and connected. Nature was abound as we rode!! I purchased a book called Florida’s Paved Trails which gives good info about all the wonderful Trails Florida has to offer.
Happy Biking 🚴♀️ I🚴♀️🚴♀️
Hey you two! looks like lots of fun. We’ve been wintering at Grand Oaks Resort & RV Park in Wiersdale, FL which isn’t too far from y’all. We’re in So Cal visiting Cliff’s family until March 30. If you’re still in Florida, it would be great to catch-up! All the Best!
:):)
We spend a month in Florida a little further south outside Bonita Springs. Funny thing, we visited some relatives near Floral City and drove right past the two places you have pictured for your treat stops. We really enjoyed the warm weather as we rode to bring back some of our strength after having COVID in January. Our first ride was only 8 miles and we worked up to 29, we have a long way to go to get back to our normal but spring is coming to the Mid-Atlantic states. 🙂