November 16, 2021
Sumter County Connector
The C2C, while 85% complete, remains a work in progress. The largest gap is the 25-mile Sumter County Connector. At the moment the shortest route is along very busy RT 50. I had a small taste of RT 50 yesterday and decided to find a better route. With help from a posting and a detailed turn-by-turn cue sheet, I elected to ride what I will call the "Sumter County Bypass". It entails riding 41 miles along a series of less trafficked roads before connecting with the South Lake Trail in Groveland. The final two miles were along RT 50. I can't imagine riding the full 25 miles!
The weather was again delightful with blue skies and 75 degrees. The "Bypass" passed through central Florida's extensive cattle country. While picturesque, I elected to keep my eyes on the road. As you can see, the "bike lane" required full attention even with reduced traffic.
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Laura met me in Groveland at the start of the South Lake Trail. At the outset of today's ride I had considered riding a portion of the South Lake Trail to make tomorrow's ride a bit shorter. We decided to call it a day and head back to our Airbnb at Rock Pointe Ranch in Floral City. The ranch specializes in Gypsy Vanners a breed developed by European Gypsies to pull their wagons. Our hosts, originally from Belgium, brought six horses with them. There stallion, Toffee, was the 2019 World Champion. Getting to spend some time this afternoon learning more about this breed and meeting their very gentle horses was a highlight.
Today's ride: 41 miles (66 km)
Total: 145 miles (233 km)
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