Ocala National Forest

 

A riding gem for central Floridians, anytime you get a chance to ride in the Ocala National Forest, always good.

This loop starts in Eustis and is an 87 mile run through some beautiful scenery.  Start out on US19 in Eustis, break northwest on CR452, just north of downtime Eustis proper.  The road has a dedicated turn lane and CR452 is marked for the Lake County Fairgrounds that way.  Pass the fairgrounds and stay on the road.  It will open up to some wonderful highland vistas before long.  Once it dead ends into CR42, go west and watch for the next intersection.  SE182nd Ave Rd has an old convenience store at the intersection, go right.

Eventually, you'll come out to 314A (SE95th), go left again.  This intersection has a single gas pump, unleaded only, it'll do in a pinch, or wait a few miles to one more fuel chance if you need it.  Other than these two spots...  

Once on 314A, watch for 464C on the left, go left and immediately cross the wild Oclawaha River at Moss Bluff.  There is a lock here and a wonderful family diner operation, Duck's Dam Diner.  Always a great breakfast or lunch, highly recommended.

After you have had a great breakfast at Duck's Dam Diner, go back over the river to 314A and go left.  Stay on this and the second spot for fuel is very close.  Later, crossing SR40, there is more gas at a Kangaroo gas station.  Stay on 314A all the way up to 314.  This stretch of 314A between Moss Bluff and SR40 is really pretty, nicely paved, fast sweepers, changes in elevation, its great.

314A ends at 314, go east towards Salt Springs, coming into US19 and back south to Eustis down the main route of the forest.  The Veterans Memorial at the VFW center in Salt Springs is pretty cool.  US19 is designated the Florida Black Bear Scenic Highway.  The ranger station south of SR40, on US19 sometimes is open, and has some of the history of area.  Good stop when it's open.  Love the photograpgh of the old guy hunting via sidecar, classic.

There was an article published in Rider Magazine a few years back, about other riding routes and places in the Ocala National Forest, see attached link.
 http://ridermagazine.com/2011/07/19/florida-black-bear-scenic-byway-motorcycle-ride/

Here's a link to a previous post about Moss Bluff and Duck's Dam Diner:
http://www.roadtipsfromtrusttheroad.blogspot.com/2014/07/dining-at-moss-bluff.html

The Fort Gates Ferry operates in the forest also, very cool.
http://roadtipsfromtrusttheroad.blogspot.com/2010/07/take-river-ride-fort-gates-ferry.html

Minneloa Interchange > Goodbye Ferndale And Sugarloaf

Saw the new road construction today up near Ferndale.  Just a few hundreds yards west of the Ferndale Limits sign, the new turnpike connector intersection is coming in. 

The turnpike interchange at Minneola stretches all the way up to CR561A, and will serve to open up the typical Florida development scenario.

The good citizens of Ferndale and the surrounding Sugarloaf Mountain homesites have been battling to preserve the rural astectic of the area.  But the road, she's-a-comin', and once there, all the trappings of suburban Florida can't be far behind.

Ride it while you can. 

Get Your History On - Ride The Cove

The central Florida Highlands offer some magnificent Florida riding!  Real hills, lakes, great wooded expanses, beautiful high clear crests offering wonderful blue sky views...  all are wonderful

Riding through the area framed up from Cedar Key, to Gainesville, to Cocoa, to Tampa, one is travelling through a historical area of interest, beyond it's natural good looks.  This area was the primary territory fought for in The Second Seminole War.  The history of the three Seminole Indian Wars in Florida is pretty tremendous.  Failed treaties, broken promises, distasteful tactics employed....this war was more costly to the US Government than the western expansion indian wars more commonly known in the general public.  The Seminole Tribe never surrendered.  Battles took place through the three segments of the war from Pensacola (US General invades sovereign nation territory) to South Florida.  Local organizations host annual re-enactments at these historically important spots.  Okeechobee recently improved a section of battleground there, and hosts re-enactments in February.   Dade Battlefield has a big event, usually very early January.

The area offers numerous spots to walk the sites of battles:  Fort Foster in Zephyrhills,  Fort Cooper in Floral City, Dade Battleground in Bushnell.  The Dade Battleground is the most well developed, being able to walk the site of the battle and pay respects at the various markers on the spots where the soldiers died. An excellent museum is maintained there by the park rangers, showing Seminole and US Army dress, weaponry and way of life at the time.

Fort Foster apparently is the most built up, and is only open by appointment.  Fort Christmas is always open and a great example of the frontier fort and life, also very well restored or replicated rather, very worthwhile to ride east to Christmas!  The forts are state properties and the entrance fee is $2-$3 dollars, bring singles, put 'em in the envelope and keep your envelope stub as proof of entrance fee payment, it's usually the honor system. 

You'll see many names from places you've been to all throughout central Florida...and maybe not realized their connection to this war.  Dade, Clinch, Gaines, Osceola, Micanopy, Jessup, Jumper, on and on and on....

These locations make for great day trips out of the Orlando area.  Keep an eye out for historical markers along the way, many times the marker is all that is left of an event.  The markers tell some great tales. 

Ride, ride for your history, and ride safe in the winds of our ancestors..... 

http://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/florida-history/seminole-history/the-seminole-wars/

Citrus Tower - Go All The Way!

Got to stop by this great old-school tourist spot recently.

On US 27, north of the intersection of US27 and SR50, is a tourist attraction that has been in operation since July 1956!  Predating Walt Disney World by nearly two decades, the Citrus Tower in Clermont retains that Floridian charm.

http://www.citrustower.com/   is the link to their website.  For less than the price of  six-pack of Blue Moons, you can go all the way to the top!  The elevator goes every bit of 15 floors up to the observation area.  Fully enclosed, the views in all directions are great.  Apparently the roof observation deck has been closed for years, but the enclosed area is plenty suitable to get your view on.    The old days of actual citrus groves surrounding the tower are just a fond memory now, the view is subdivisions a-go-go all around, but is still pretty cool.  Be sure and take some pocket change to drop into the low-tech tourist thrill coin drop tube, you can hear the coin roll down the tube all the way to the bottom!

Definitely worth a short visit, take a few minutes out of a future ride to pay your respects to this grand old lady of Florida tourism.  The entry is through Lilly's Gift shop in the lobby Lillys-Citrus-Tower-Gift-Shop.  The shop has lots of old photos, articles, and memorabilia from the opening in July 1956 to current day.  The old photos are great, as is seeing some of the old originial carrillion bell equipment.

In 2011, the Citrus Tower started doing Christmas lights and a light show.  Check their website for details for this year's shows, but with the recently announced demise of the Disney Osborn Spectacle Of Lights, you are going to want to find a new family tradition......

Howey-In-The-Hills, Dewey Road Run

Found another great local road yesterday.  One to add to the list for easy to get to, expand that menu of local roads that are within an hour of home....  somedays you just don't have the time to a proper long ride, so I'm always looking for that close-in local road I've missed before...

The DEWEYS up near Howey-In-The-Hills, fit that description.  Been riding past them since 2003, never went down one.. sad to say.  Just south of Howey-In-The-Hills on SR 19, watch for East Dewey Robbins Rd, follow that to South Dewey Robbins Rd, then it turns into Dewey Robbins Rd and finally hooks up with US 27.  Once you get on either DEWEY, just stay on the pavement, and you'll come out the other side just fine.  SR 19 to US 27, or the other way, same difference.  If you hit dirt, stop, turn around. 

Great extra little loop to add to your Leesburg, Tavares, Mt Dora adventure portfolio.  

 

Toss in a stop at the Yalaha Bakery, and you'll have a fine morning ride! 

http://www.yalahabakery.com/

 

  

The new circle near Sugarloaf Mountain is almost done.  Still tricky though since the intersections are routed around the circle and not the best to get through yet.

 

 Stopped off to pick up some 303 Aerospace Protectorant for the bike, and had this photo-op.....