FLORIDA COAST TO COAST BIKE TRAIL DAY 2

One of the rare C2C Trail signs.  The 
lack of trail signs made 
navigation difficult as there are a lot of
confusing intersections along the way.
I think Mickey and Minnie were in charge of signage.

     Day 2:  46 Miles.  80+ degrees and sunny, slight tail wind.  In my pre-trip training I only exceeded 50 miles once.  Now I was planning to string together 5 50 mile days.  I was very nervous that I was asking to much of myself.  Since I felt committed, I decided to start my days at a leisurely pace to manage my energy output and save something for after lunch.  Also, I was trying to accomplish 30-35 mile mornings to have easier and shorter afternoons.

    To start the adventure, Nan dropped me backed at Draa Park around 8:30 AM and off I went.  After 8 or 9 miles I happened upon the White Sands Buddhist Center.  The center was only 100 yards off the bike trail and boasted 3 massive Buddhas.  I had the grounds completely to myself and found the place to be fascinating.  After a short tour I had to get going as I had a lot of miles left before lunch.

Big Buddha.

Sleepy Buddha.

        Shortly after checking out Buddha I came across another interesting fellow:

The Buddha setting was definitely more serene.

    The day was perfect for a ride and, since it was a Tuesday, there were very few bikers on the trail.  Still, one biker dude was frantically trying to push for speed and coming wobbly and fast in my direction.  As he got closer I noticed that not only was his helmet tipped to one side, but it was being worn backwards!  It made me wonder what might have been in his morning coffee.  

    This section of trail which started in Titusville and ended in the Sanford/Lake Mary area was the most scenic and isolated stretch of the entire C2C Trail.  The trail was smooth with very few breaks for intersections.  There was a very clear transition along the trail as I started in a swampy palm and palmetto area but transitioned to pine and live oak forests.  Since it was sunny and in the mid 80's the openness of the palm/palmetto sections offered no protection from the sun.  However, the pine forests and the live oak forests offered lots of welcomed shade; especially the live oaks.  I love the live oaks as their branches are always draped with Spanish Moss which delicately cascade off their limbs and sway gently in the slightest of breezes.  

Usually, the live oak canopy was very thick.
Here it was dappled with shade and sun; but it
always felt much cooler to ride in.

    When I ride on a trail such as this I almost fall into a zen-like trance as my legs just seem to move without thought as I zone-out.  It seems as if I can go 10 or 15 miles in an instant.  So it seemed as if I hit my lunch stop in no time at all!  In fact, the lunch stop was 30 miles from Draa Park.  Lunch was at the world famous (in the owner's opinion) Osteen Diner in Osteen, FL.  I was moving along so well and felt so good I even arrived before Nan.  The Osteen Diner was typical diner food; but well prepared.  And best of all it was the only place to eat along the trail over its entire length that day. 

"Alleged" older menu at the Osteen Dinner.
The menu now offers a much wider
and expensive selection.  

    After 46 miles my day ended in Sanford/Lake Mary, a very congested area adjacent to I-4; a major Florida highway.  However, my day was not over as a short drive from our hotel put us in the beautiful town of Sanford on Lake Monroe.  Sanford is an up-and-coming town heavily populated with the younger set who don't mind the commute to Orlando.  The town was full of breweries, distilleries and brew pubs with heaps of al fresco dining spots.  We found one of the best restaurants for dinner located on the shore of Lake Monroe.

"St. Johns River Steak & Seafood" on Lake Monroe.

    I had planned on a 50 mile day; but my actual distance was 46.  46 was more than enough.  After a full day of riding I crashed early, nursing a sore butt from sitting in one spot on my narrow bike seat.  Of course, a couple of cold ones at the restaurant helped to further brighten my successful first "big day."