Across Florida in 4 days: A high-adventure bike ride from coast to coast

ORLANDO Fla I never quite know when the opportunity will arise to check another item off my Florida bucket list When the invite came to cycle across the Sunshine State I jumped at the opportunity After my epic eight-day kayaking odyssey on the St Johns River and a multiday trek on the Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail last year my insatiable itch for adventure needed to be scratched again Kevin Bolton a friend who works at Adventure Cycling in Winter Springs texted me around Thanksgiving with the invite to embark on a self-supported ride coast to coast joined by bike mechanic Ben Chalone who designed the journey Over several days and miles we pedaled from St Pete Beach to Ormond Beach navigating our way through lush greenery of the Nature Coast and over the ancient sand dunes of Ocala National Forest From right Kevin Bolton Ben Chalone and Patrick Connolly stand for a group photo at Upham Beach Park in St Pete Beach before beginning a bike ride across Florida on Feb Patrick Connolly Orlando Sentinel TNS Other than a weeklong bikepacking journey in from my hometown of Pittsburgh to Washington D C my cycling experiences have been limited to day trips Though there is a paved path from coast to coast this passage was set to take us along dirt trails meaning I would have to outfit my full-suspension mountain bike with bags for camping gear and clothes I accomplished this by borrowing equipment from bikepacking enthusiast J C Mazza who works at Kyle s Bike Shop in Orlando In addition to securing gear my cycling legs needed certain waking up before attempting this feat As days counted down to our Feb departure I tried to wrestle myself into biking shape by going on rides four days in a row mostly around - miles each We aimed for a a m start on that Saturday when we began our journey A busy week left me no time to sleep on the night before what was supposed to be a -mile day function use strict window addEventListener message function a if void a information datawrapper-height var e document querySelectorAll iframe for var t in a facts datawrapper-height for var r i r e i i if r contentWindow a source var d a records datawrapper-height t px r style height d Day My first century On the trail a m Set up camp p m Weather High low mostly sunny and breezy Mileage Memorable moment Jay B Starkey Wilderness Park Spirit Tree Best snack BBQ brisket sandwich Biggest gripe Suncoast Trail I don t know where I d be without ability drinks and the stubborn persistence it took to drag my tired self to Upham Beach Park in St Pete Beach for a pre-dawn start I also owe major kudos to my girlfriend Karissa for agreeing to shuttle me there in the middle of the night By the light of flashlights our critical others snapped photos of us looking groggy but determined with the width of Florida in front of us to conquer To officially mark our start we wheeled our bikes across the sand to touch the Gulf with our tires The first stretch of day one sent us north on the paved Pinellas Trail which brought countless road crossings on covered bridges requiring us to muscle our way to the top then speed down As the sun rose high in the sky we identified a break from heat as we pedaled through Jay B Starkey Wilderness Park more than acres with plenty of shade The natural scenery took us away from urban centers and privileged us with full immersion in pine flatwoods The next chapter of our day tested us as we battled midday heat on the Suncoast Trail with cars flying past just a fence separating us from Suncoast Parkway The Spirit Tree makes for a welcome break spot with wind chimes that pay tribute to lost loved ones during a bike ride across Florida on Feb Patrick Connolly Orlando Sentinel TNS As we cycled on we stopped for a respite under shade from a magnificent live oak named the Spirit Tree Its wide branches were adorned with hundreds of ornaments and wind chimes countless of which seemed to pay tribute to lost loved ones During a long break in Brooksville we identified an answer to our voracious appetites at Florida Cracker Cook Shack The down-home establishment specialized in brisket sandwiches which we devoured before sprawling out in the restaurant s grassy backyard If we had spent anymore time there we would have fallen asleep After a gas station resupply we cruised downhill and onto Good Neighbor Trail which took us on a -mile ride to Withlacoochee State Forest and our impromptu campsite for the night We were exhausted as we navigated dirt trails at the end of a more than eight-hour ride but jubilant as we crossed over the -mile mark marking my first century and longest ride ever Kevin Bolton pauses to take in natural scenery during a bike ride across Florida on Feb Patrick Connolly Orlando Sentinel TNS Day Rain on our parade On the trail a m Set up camp p m Weather High low partly cloudy with a brief downpour Mileage Memorable moment Biking through a rainstorm Best snack Wings and pizza Biggest gripe Feeling cold and wet tire trouble After an incredibly long haul on day one we felt like we had earned the right to have a leisurely start to our second day We had only miles to make that day but time was still of the essence Around a m we departed camp after enjoying coffee warmed by Ben s small wood-burning stove Our first miles of the day located us navigating twists and turns of the Croom mountain bike trail system A mostly sunny morning on the paved Withlacoochee State Trail gave way to gray clouds Our group was all too aware of the approaching rainstorm but we couldn t quite time our pace to find shelter before we got caught in the weather s crosshairs We were stuck on a -mile stretch of roadway with cars buzzing past a inadequate feet away Related Articles Sleeping like royalty Castle stays are growing in popularity The hottest amenity coming to an airport near you is a rooftop bar It s the end of cheap flying as Americans tire of budget airlines Bed breakfasts are making a comeback and here are particular of the best towns to find them The new rules of airline loyalty programs As rain beat down on us and sent water splashing up from our tires I tasted the salt dripping down my previously sweaty face To add a little extra drama to our already-adventurous circumstances an RV narrowly missed sideswiping our group We longed for the paved trail and sunny skies that fortunate us earlier that day but secretly enjoyed this midday plot twist It kept things compelling after all As we rolled into Ross Prairie Campground the temperature had dropped almost degrees leaving us shivering as we looked for cover from rain and lightning As soon as the rain subsided we pedaled onto the Cross Florida Greenway Trail a beautiful stretch of pavement with rolling hills and incredible scenery This area was once at pitfall of becoming the Cross Florida Barge Canal but was instead transformed into a world-class trail system and masses green space stretching miles from the Gulf Coast near Dunnellon to the St Johns River near Palatka Several miles in I couldn t help but notice a strange bump with each wheel rotation As we stopped to inspect Ben located a bubble in my worn-out rear tire I called the Santos Bike Shop which was about to close and arranged to have them leave a new tire outside the shop so we could fetch it That turned a tricky afternoon into a solvable situation An immaculate dinner option presented itself as we discovered Zella s Pizzeria Italian near the bike shop It felt as if we couldn t down enough calories to replenish what our bodies spent that day but we sure tried with greasy garlic- Parmesan wings pepperoni rolls and chicken bacon ranch pizza A pizza restaurant in Ocala provides necessary sustenance during a bike ride across Florida on Feb Patrick Connolly Orlando Sentinel TNS After finding a quiet spot in the woods to pitch our tents for the night and building a small fire to dry our damp shoes Kevin reflected on his company I am thankful to be doing this trip with an outdoorsman like Patrick and a cycling purist like Ben he disclosed Day Into the wilderness On the trail a m Set up camp p m Weather High low mostly sunny and mild Mileage Memorable moment Scrub-jay sightings Best snack Swamp pizza Biggest gripe Sugar sand The air felt frigid as I opened my weary eyes for the third day of our two-wheeled march across the state My legs ached and my posterior was sore from all that time on the saddle as I willed myself to unzip my tent door and face the day A morning boost came in the form of a warm shower and hot breakfast at nearby Santos Campground While getting clean for the first time in days was worth the time we didn t start making serious progress until late morning After a stretch of roadway we located ourselves again immersed in wild Florida A dirt trail took us through Marshall Swamp where we stopped for pictures on a boardwalk in a magnificent cypress dome We made good time on pavement before finding ourselves at the edge of Ocala National Forest a swath of population land encompassing acres of the state We were excited about the immersion in wilderness but our spirits briskly sunk along with our tires as we encountered deep sugar sand The conditions forced us to walk our bikes as we worried about the time this would cost us Our fears subsided as we landed on freshly-graded dirt roads which took us through the width of the forest We flew down ancient sand dunes and muscled our way through the uphills barely seeing another soul out there We stopped for a quick photo op in front of the Navy s Pinecastle Bombing Range before passing Farles Prairie Recreation Area It was shortly after that we enjoyed our trip s first Florida scrub-jay sighting Our moods were instantly lifted at the sight of Florida s only endemic bird species in its natural habitat Smart and social scrub-jays exist in cooperative family units and bury thousands of acorns which they claim later We counted nine or birds in the span of about a mile as they perched to inspect us and sent curious glances our way As afternoon stretched on we landed at Sparky s Place Restaurant in Astor where we took advantage of the hospitality and swamp pizza which has an Alfredo sauce base beef french fries and bacon bits c With our bellies full and spirits lifted we rolled into Lake George State Forest after dark using lights to tackle and find a quiet place to camp Day Speeding to the finish On the trail a m Finished p m Weather High low partly cloudy and pleasant Mileage Memorable moment De Leon Springs pancakes seeing the Atlantic Best snack DIY pancakes Biggest gripe Headwinds International Speedway Boulevard We re going to have tailwinds all day Kevin proudly released to the group as we packed up camp My tailbones were sore and my legs tired after nearly three days of nonstop cycling and the thought of having the breeze at our backs on our final day boosted my mood As I glanced at our journey for the day it dawned upon me we would be passing by De Leon Springs It had been years since Kevin visited and Ben had never been so I described the make-your-own pancakes restaurant concept to him So it s like hibachi pancakes Aw hell yeah he mentioned Kevin Bolton has make-your-own pancakes at the De Leon Springs State Park pancake restaurant during a bike ride across Florida on Feb Patrick Connolly Orlando Sentinel TNS Better yet it was only about miles to our breakfast destination That combined with the fact we would see the Atlantic Ocean that afternoon proved a powerful motivating force in getting us moving We cruised into the state park on a quiet and pleasant Tuesday morning and swiftly got seated at the only table on the restaurant s outdoor screened-in patio We scarfed down pancakes and enjoyed coffee during a leisurely stop that felt like a fitting reward for three days of hard work As morning yielded to afternoon we determined ourselves on the shoulder of International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach where we faced headwinds and cursed Kevin s incorrect weather forecast We made a quick stop at a brick road that formed one of Florida s earliest highways before pedaling onward to the gravel roads of Tiger Bay State Forest As we unveiled our way back onto pavement and into Ormond Beach traffic we were ecstatic with our increasing proximity to the ocean We made a final push to make it to the top of Granada Boulevard Bridge taking in views of Halifax River on the way before we sped down toward the beach Karissa and her black Lab Leo were there to celebrate the finishing moment Huge grins stretched ear to ear as our tires touched the Atlantic the sea foam coating our shoes as we lined up for a last group photo Cycling across Florida gave me a rare glimpse into stunning scenery flora and fauna that make up our state Though I was uncomfortable at times along the way I loved the adventure and seeing the Sunshine State in such a unique way My weary legs were in need of a long rest but even then I knew the trip was certainly something I would do again