FLORIDA COAST TO COAST BIKE TOUR

Overview

There is surely gold to be found in the intertidal zones off Florida’s Treasure Coast. Peruvian gold and Mexican silver, in fact, given up by any of the 11 Spanish treasure ships that went to bottom more than three centuries ago. But the real bounty of the Sunshine State’s central-east begins with water: from ocean to rivers, inlets and lakes to wetlands. To a region known for barrier islands, aromatic citrus groves, boating and sport-fishing, we’ve found onto an uncharted and original cycling destination.

Let’s start with the most pivotal intrinsic. Our most Southeastern state offers nothing but three season comfort. Fall and Winter days are consistently sunny. For a glorious week you can forget the coat and boots. Our design plays to those rich visual and natural attributes unique to Central Florida. On back roads or dedicated cycling infrastructure, this trip showcases the big Cypress that define interior Florida’s wildly lively watersheds. As well as the stately century-old Oaks fringed with Spanish moss, synonymous to the region’s Southern heritage.

On routes that key on quiet, quartz sand beaches and mesmerizingly blue-green lagoons, we dismount to glimpse a sea turtle, or manatees. Arriving for Spiny lobster and Stone crab seasons, our groups settle in, at day’s end, to the charm of an old-Florida lodge of distinction. Moved by a scrumptious tropical breeze, each epic day in the saddle closes out with a cold one. Or perhaps a Jimmy Buffett signature tropical cocktail, topped with a paper parasol to celebrate the sun-kissed Treasure Coast.

Day 1: Meet-up in Orlando. Then, two-hour shuttle to Vero Beach (pop. 16,919), nicknamed Hibiscus City; Atlantic-facing beach community set on a barrier island. The first ride of our tour sweeps north, between the coast and I-95. On that note: It’s said that Florida is the only state in the US where the further north you go, the further south you get. All subtext aside, that direction delivers rich visual history, optimum cycling routes and abundant wildlife. Egressing from Vero Beach, our route hugs the Atlantic, and more figuratively, what’s called the Treasure Coast. (An entire Spanish fleet was lost here in 1715, swept to the bottom by a hurricane. Estimates place two trillion dollars worth of booty and sunken riches within 60-miles of Florida’s coast.) Our routing, however, locks onto a natural bounty. One that resolves into a warm, tropical embrace, and a trifecta of wilderness: the St. Sebastian River State Park; the adjacent 21,000-acre Fort Drum Marsh and 6500-acre Blue Cypress conservation areas. The latter set-aside wends us past 30-46 ft. tall Cypress trees, most 6-9 at their base. Though some reach in excess of 36-ft diameter. On this stage, we’ll also gain an up-close sense of the region’s unique geology. To wit, as Lake Okeechobee retreated, it left great spans of fossilized mollusk that clung to limestone. These ancient clamshells bore and nurtured gems (called calcites). With a triumphal surge across a handsome cyclist-pedestrian dedicated bridge, we drop into Captain Hiram’s Sebastian Inn, our layover. Named for American GI who perished at Normandy, Captain Hiram’s is nothing less than Jimmy Buffett’s vision of paradise, or island escapism: an inviting resort of old Florida charm, albeit with a subtle Bahamian vibe. Set alongside Sebastian Inlet, which opens onto the Intracoastal Waterway, the gentle waters here are frequented by manatees, Bottlenose dolphins, Pelicans if not all manner of colorful waterfowl. TOTAL MILEAGE: 34-41-miles TOTAL ASCENT: 301-398ft.

Day 2: We hail today’s loop as the Lake Okeechobee out ‘n back. Known as Florida’s inland sea, Okeechobee answers to Florida’s largest freshwater lake, as well as America’s ninth largest. Hugging the 730-sq mile lake’s northern tier, our tour sweeps south, via Taylor Creek. Our enjoyably up-tempo circumnavigation lends great optics onto this tremendous natural resource, divided amongst no less than five Florida counties. Holding one trillion gallons of water—despite being only 9-ft deep—Okeechobee forms the headwaters of the Everglades. At the southern end we cycle past three different islands. Originally settled by pioneer stock, the trio of islands was abandoned in the 1960s. Closing out a brisk ride, we shuttle to Clewston. Tonight’s layover unfolds at the historic Clewston Inn. TOTAL MILEAGE: 23-72-miles TOTAL ASCENT: 180-585-ft

Day 3: Day 3’s ride follows the Ormond Loop, seguing into the 3230-acre Bulow State Park. A northerly neighbor of Daytona Beach, the Ormond area is decidedly more tranquil—think bowling, pickleball and pools—if not nature and cyclist friendly than Daytona. Pointing our front wheels onto a network of scenic state and county back roads, this stage merges onto vestiges of the Old Dixie Highway. Our routing transits Pine forests, lakes turned red by tannic acids and swamplands patrolled by alligators. Constructed in 1915, then expanded in 1925, the Old Dixie passes over moveable bridges—to accommodate boat traffic—not to mention before more deeply rooted mainstays. Namely, the largest stand of iconic Southern live oak trees. One such beauty, known as the Fairchild oak, is four centuries old, and the largest of its kind. Today’s ride also visits the ruins of an ante-bellum plantation remarkable as much for its remoteness as its building materials. Constructed of coquina, great horizontal slags of sediments embedded with trilobites, mollusk and other invertebrates, the plantation and its adjacent sugar mill offer a fascinating glimpse onto what was the region’s first enterprise/economic lynchpin. Overhead we’ll likely glimpse Bald eagle and Swallow-tailed kites, a small black and white raptor. Our ride closes out at the Minneola Inn, alongside Ormond Lake. A turn-of-the-century property, the Inn gracefully projects old Florida aesthetics, but nuanced with a decidedly Key West vibe. More so, there might not be a better spot to view the sunset, or decompress post-ride than at the Inn’s waterfront Tiki Bar. TOTAL MILEAGE: 23-milesTOTAL ASCENT: 266-ft.

Day 4: The day’s ride loops over what’s known as the Alps of Florida. (Don’t snicker, Westerners.) Climbing a total of 1445-ft, our route peaks out at 309-ft ASL. Sweeping through farmlands, vineyards and orchards from Clermont, west of Lake Apopka, today’s ride is punctuated by the Sunshine’s State’s steepest rollers, terrain completely atypical of the Florida peninsula. At Clermont (pop. 30,200), about 22-miles west of Orlando, we gain unprecedented view finding via the Florida Citrus Tower. Built in 1956, the 226-ft tower lends a 360-degree view of the surrounding orange groves. Our ride closes out at the Mt. Dora Inn, yet another signature lodge. TOTAL MILEAGE: 33-miles TOTAL ASCENT: 1445-ft.

Day 5: The day’s ride follows a rails-to-trails course, the Withlacoochee: a linear state park shaped around a dedicated bike path, the state’s longest paved trail spanning 46-miles altogether. Smartly built atop the erstwhile Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, this ride sweeps between a pair of chained lakes. Then over former railway trestles, by virtue of small bridges engineered for cyclists and pedestrians. All throughout, the framing along the Withlacoochee Trail is quietly stunning if not gleefully rich in feathers and fur. To either side of trail roam Wild turkey, White-tailed deer and wild hogs; these five to six foot long interlopers reach 150-lbs and up. Speaking of up, overhead we’ll very likely encounter herons, Sandhill cranes, wood storks, limpkins (a long legged shorebird) as well as a great many songbirds. Transiting successive state forests, we enter Richloam: a 58,000-acre preserve of pine savannah mixed with forested wetlands. Rolling in and out of piney forest, we stop to savor small, rural Florida townships. They include the stately and picturesque Floral City (pop. 5216), named for its abundant wildflowers. Should the impulse set in, those gardeners amongst us are free to yell “floribunga”! here. The ride partly follows the 70-mile Crooked River, sweeping through the Citrus Wildlife Management area, the Flying Eagle and Jumper Creek preserves, respectively, before our peloton curls off for Inverness, where we overnight. TOTAL MILEAGE: 23-62-miles TOTAL ASCENT: 420-1767 ft.

 Day 6: Our wrap-up day ride follows the Fleet Trail. From quirky Mascotte (pop. 5538), named for a small tobacco hauler that sailed between here and Cuba during the Spanish-American War, we sweep across the east edge of the aforementioned Richloam Wildlife preserve; then merge into the adjacent 110,000-acre Green Swamp preserve. Paralleling I-75, west of Orlando, we reach the headwaters of no less than four rivers: the Peace, Withlacachoolee, Ocklawaha, and Hillsborough. Ultimately, our route bisects a 560,000-acre plateau of wetlands, lowlands and sandy ridges; a critical habitat and drinking water source. Closing out here we shuttle back to Orlando. TOTAL MILEAGE: 19-miles TOTAL ASCENT: 378-ft.

Activities

This Trip is Rated Fitness Levels 1-2

Daily Activities

Day	Activity	Easy		Moderate		Seasoned
		Miles	Feet Gain	Miles	Feet Gain	Miles	Feet Gain
Day 1	Road Biking	Easy: 35 Miles	301 Ft. Gain	Moderate: 41 Miles	398 Ft. Gain
Day 2	Road Biking	Easy: 23 Miles	180 Ft. Gain	Moderate: 45 Miles	360 Ft. Gain	Seasoned: 72 Miles	585 Ft. Gain
Day 3	Road Biking	Easy: 23 Miles	266 Ft. Gain
Day 4	Road Biking			Moderate: 33 Miles	1445 Ft. Gain
Day 5	Road Biking	Easy: 23 Miles	420 Ft. Gain	Moderate: 30 Miles	547 Ft. Gain	Seasoned: 62 Miles	1767 Ft. Gain
Day 6	Road Biking	Easy: 19.5 Miles	378 Ft. Gain