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| My little friends in Gainesville |
I knew from five months of research that this part of Florida claims
to be bicycle friendly. Now after two
days of riding on mostly wide shoulders, lightly trafficked backroads, and even
two dedicated bicycle trails, I believe that it tries very hard to entice ones like me.  |
| Florahome Bike Trail |
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| In the towns, bike lanes like this one make riding safe, and drivers tend to give us plenty of room |
Florahome, built in 1899, rose on a sandy hill above the swamp. Today the swamps are drained, a railroad has come and gone, and this wide bike trail provides a safe and scenic ride.
For the last sixteen miles of riding to Gainesville yesterday,
I enjoyed the Gainesville-Hawthorne Bike Path, a Rails-to-Trails project. With railroad abandonments over the past
thirty years, comes a need to allocate those rights-of-way to worthwhile purposes. Thankfully, many are being converted to
bicycle, equestrian, and pedestrian trails, usually a combination of all three. Here, an old railroad milepost reminds of
smoke pouring from the stack of a steam engine pulling passengers and freight. I waved to a hundred or so Gainesville day-riders
out for a Saturday workout or leisurely pedal through forest and swamp. 
The bike trail meanders through pine/oak forest with Spanish moss waving in the wind from high branches. In some places, remnants of the swamp remain, murky places I would not want to wade into.
Today, I did not ride, but rest after the first 120 miles
since Daytona Beach. I hope to get into
shape over the next few days, but for now it’s time to let the soreness wear
off. Tomorrow, I’ll ride to High
Springs, followed by Live Oak, Monticello, and Tallahassee.
Sharon,
ReplyDeleteYou are inspirational! I'll put air in my bicycle and ride this afternoon imagining your trip. It's been sitting in my garage for over 5 months.
Have a good ride Keiko.
DeleteLove the pictures of the Spanish Moss, swamp and trails... It will be fun to share these on Friday on the big screen after Red Door Poetry! I hope you can rest up and shape up in the two days and that it warms up too! It looks insulting to your friendly little bike to have to lay down on its side like that or did she tip over? Or is that standard practice in the bike world? We're just back from a champagne birthday brunch for Ron the owner of Colonnade Gallery at Burger Continental, Marilyn, Robert and Tim were there too. Now we are finding our brains before Moonday. Tim will ride in our car, and Rob Stewart will try to come, I am panning to read a poem on his Okie Bungalow in the open... and he knows it. I will post a copy for Friday so you can read it.... Hugs, missing you!
ReplyDeleteThe bike resting on her side is resting from the long haul. She did not tip over, but leaned over easily.
DeleteWell hopefully, she is finding a nice cozy comfortable bike bed to sleep in not on the side of the road! Moonday was wonderful. Suzanne Lummis, I had never heard her before, is a wonderful poet, read some of her poems if you find a book in your travels or on the web... I think you would like her very much. Taura and Bryan read a sweet and spicy duet of poems, I loved that. Robert read his recent poem about the shadow of a light cord, and Tim spoke a memorized poem that he wrote in response to Yiwei's talk when he visited us! So the reading even had a Red Door Reunion aspect too. I read my poem on Robert's art and had him stand and wave to the audience like a composer when his music is played at a concert. Hope you have an interesting and restoring time there!
DeleteHi Sharon, I really enjoyed the pictures of the swampland as I have never actually seen a swamp in person. What kind of wildlife have you come across in this part of Florida? You know - I'm thinking alligators and such! LOL I'm guessing because the temps are so low that you don't have to worry about mosquitos. Don't you really hope that many counties and states all over the map will do what Putnam County has done to make biking safe and convenient? Safe journey friend. Mary T.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen a single mosquito or tic. Nor have i seen a single alligator, nor a married one.
DeleteThe country is certainly more bicycle friendly than it was in 2007 when I rode west through its midsection.
So happy you have not seen any married alligators. That would be double the trouble. Or recently divorced ones. They might be extra hungry. Good to know too that the pictured bicycle had not toppled but was only resting. I was a bit concerned. As always, I really appreciate your comments and images. Through them, I feel that I too am making my way across the country--as if I were sitting on top your steering wheel looking with you through the screen of a bicycle navigator or a rear view camera. (I have a Prius with a wonderful navigator and rear view camera that shows me directionally where I am going and visually where I have been.) To be able to fly through space with the freedom of a bird, alighting where you would like to linger seems so enviable. And so enriching. All the sensations--sights, sounds, smells and more of our diverse country filing you as you go. I smile thinking of you winging your way west.
ReplyDeleteSusan, you wing your way west and all directions. All sensations, sights and sounds are ours. I wonder often why I go so far to find them. I too, have a rear-view camera, a little mirror attached to my glasses. It shows me where I have been, and that is good too. Nice to have you join me here.
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