I had very much looked forward to this trip and it did not disappoint.  The trails were consistently in very good condition and, in most cases, well signed.  As I mentioned earlier in this journal, each trail section is maintained by the county in which it is located.  Some counties did an outstanding job, others have room for improvement.  The gaps, with the exception of a portion of the Good Neighbor Connector, were unmarked.  I am assuming the gaps were unmarked to avoid any potential liablity issues by "directing" riders onto roads.  I appreciate the advice and cue sheets I was fortunate enough to have available to me from folks who have previously ridden the trail and posted on their experience.  I am particularly grateful for the cue sheet that delineated a 41-mile Sumter County "Bypass".  While this route is not traffic free by any means, it was clearly preferable to riding a 25-mile stretch on very busy RT 50.  In hindsight, I wish I had drilled down on the connectors, aka gaps, prior to the ride.  Reducing or eliminating the confusion that sometimes arose with the connectors would have definitely enhanced the total experience.

For those who will ask what sections I enjoyed the most, I would say I hope to have the opportunity in the future to revisit the northern half of the Pinellas Trail, Starkey Wilderness Park, the C2C sections of the South Lake and West Orange trails, as well as the Wekiva Seminole, Spring to Spring and East Central Regional Rail trails.

I am also extraordinarily grateful to my wife and partner Laura.  Riding unsupported would have certainly posed some significant challenges particularly with lodging.  With Laura's support, I could simply focus on carving up the adventure into chunks that made sense to me without having to be concerned about proximity to lodging and other resources.

The bikes are packed away in the back of our vehicle and I will be headed home to NH in a couple of days.  Laura will fly to Kentucky for a short visit with her sister and we will reconnect in Portland. ME.  

Once the bikes have been tucked away for the season, I can turn my attention to the next bike adventure.