January 12, 2016
Winter Haven to Orlando
OMG! Woke up and the temperature outside was 46°F! More like Winter Central than Winter Haven. Fortunately, it is a short ride today, maybe 40 miles. I re-routed myself through Winter Haven proper to take advantage of the downtown bike trail (technically the Chain of Lakes Multiuse Trail), which I somehow missed during the planning process! Got to be flexible! It will connect me directly to my route, which originally went west, north, and then back east.
After some discussion, Mark and I agreed to defer breakfast till later in the morning to allow him to get some work in and allow the weather to warm up to at least the low 50s. We agreed to head out at 11:00, grab some breakfast, and then I would hit the road with plenty of time to make my 40 miles, and Mark would drive on to Orlando for an early check-in.
It all worked out fine except for a hiccup over our first choice for breakfast, which was closed, and our second choice, Andy's Drive-In, stopped serving breakfast by the time we arrived. A hamburger with fries would have to suffice!
So shortly after 1:00 PM I pushed off north, looking for the trailhead for the Chain of Lakes Multiuse Trail. The actual trailhead is not well-defined (at least from my perspective), but I found "a" trail pretty quickly and started out of Winter Haven.
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As you can see, Winter Haven has a very nice trail. The early part is mostly urban, but as you move further north, it quickly becomes suburban (i.e., more car-centric) and eventually rural.
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Before you enter Lake Alfred (that is a town's name; I did not enter a lake!), you need to cross US 92. The crossing is very odd, as the Chain of Lakes Trail ends here at a driveway curb cut, but you can see another trail on the far side of the highway. With no clear way to cross. There is a signalized intersection to your left, but no path to it, not even a sidewalk. So I bounded across the eastbound lanes as best I could, using the median as refuge before crossing the westbound lanes.
I followed the far path for a short distance, entered a residential neighborhood, and shortly recovered my original route at N Buena Vista Drive, which becomes FL 557. That was not a great road to ride, but it did take me to Deen Still Road, which was pretty but also busy with trucks.
At the end of that section of road, I was only 14 miles from my Disney World hotel, which meant only 10 miles from the edge of that great domain (they own a huge tract of land). So the roads leading there were not great: busy and sometimes lacking shoulders and bike lanes. But eventually, the Magic Kingdom!
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Maneuvering on "the property" was not easy. It is downright unfriendly to cyclists. That surprised me, as I expected better. But I eventually made it. Time for an attitude adjustment! Time for "dreams to come true" ha ha.
Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 728 miles (1,172 km)
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