Pasture Preserve And Bay Lake

Another close in treat for when you don't have all day for a ride from the Clermont area....

Find your way out to Bay Lake.  When you take Lake Erie Rd, you will pass by the county park called Pasture Preserve.  Really pretty road, and a short tree tunnel in the bargain!  Love those.

Going west out of Clermont on 50, go south on CR561.  You can stay on CR561 into SR33, OR take a couple of cross-over options, Pine Island Rd, or Florida Boys Ranch Rd.  Ride it a few times and try all the CR 561, CR 565A, CR565B variants out that way, they are all good.   Once you dump into SR33, just a short way south you'll pick up Lake Erie Rd going west.  You'll know that you are there when you see Smokey Bear warning you of the day's fire danger and the fire observation tower.  Lake Erie Rd goes into the Green Swamp community if Bay Lake, and you can turn north to get back to SR50 from there.

Have fun, watch out for Sandhill Cranes!

Ferndale, Still Good, Change Is Coming

With the new turnpike connector, growth coming into the Ferndale - Monteverde area can't be far behind.

They put up that new traffic circle on 561 a while back.  A new Publix just opened where 561 dead ends into 19 in the west edge of Tavares.

They are building a hotel on the west shore of Lake Apopka (near The Gourd), on that old Scott's Fertilizer property that turned into an upscale mansion community in Monteverde.

But, the riding is still good.  The Green Mountain Scenic Overlook was a huge win for the area, always beautiful.