Auburndale to Plant City – Better Part of Discretion

Diane entering the Circle B Bar Ranch Preserve

We had planned to be in Ybor City by end of day, but we exercised discretion.  Facing strong headwinds and chance of rain, but not wanting to forego the Circle B Bar Ranch Preserve, we traded less miles today for more tomorrow, turning today’s planned 51 miles into a more manageable 36 miles.  Tomorrow’s ride into Tampa will be about 30 miles.  We still had headwinds and we did get drenched in a cloudburst, but we quickly dried out and arrived in good stead at the Holiday Inn Express, with an upgrade to studio.  Nice!

There were lots of people enjoying the Preserve, but no one was seeing alligators at all, let alone Humpback or Fabio.  But we did see one moving down the water in search of something tasty.  We did about five miles of bike touring, and saw gobs of birds, the songs of which never ceased.  And it is a lovely well-maintained preserve. 

Other than the Preserve trails, which were gravel, the only trail we rode today was when we left the Preserve and immediately were on the Fort Frasier Trail, which we rode for about four miles. 

Tomorrow will be our last full day of touring central Florida, and it will be an all on-road experience until we reach Tampa.  We’ll do some Tampa Bay stuff the next day, and fly home the day after that.

Resting up in Plant City,

Diane & Rob

Diane begins her search for gators. 

No gator yet, but Diane spies a bird.

Still looking.

At last success! (Look near the far bank. Its snout is slightly obscured by the hanging vine in the middle of the pic.)

With the gator of the day spotted, Diane begins the task of picking her way around the roots busting up through the Trail and leading us out of the Reserve.

But not before Rob can get his wildflower pic of the day :)

And our dawdling in the morning is rewarded by a short but drenching rain at noon.  Such is biking.