Florida Has Hills?

Who would have thought, not compared to Maine or Wisconsin but enough to use the lower gears on the trikes. Today we rode the Hawthorne/Gainesville rail-trail. We started in Hawthorne where finding the trailhead was something of a challenge. Hint when turning off 301 at he end of the street do the near U-turn and cross the RR tracks then first left.  About 1/4 mile and the park entrance is on the left. This is a great trail and well worth a visit if you're in north Florida. The first half is very straight with some long slight grade changes and is tree lined all the way. But the half near Gainesville is where the fun begins. This is not a rail-trail, no way a train could make these turns or hills. These can be thigh burners as the guide book said. We did get lost in Gainsville as other trails peel off so we turned around at about 16 miles.  Plus we wanted to make it back before the afternoon thunderstorms rolled in. This is easily one of the best rail-trails I’ve been on. Nice pavement, few busy road crossings, good scenery, some fun twists and hills.
The trikes were flawless. I really can’t imagine riding a bike longer distances ever again. After 32 miles only the legs are tired which is as it should be. I do pick up more road grime being closer to the road so glasses are a must. Next I need to put front fenders on Donna’s trike since I could see the stuff flying off the tires in to my path. We’ll have to ride this trail again before we head up to Maine.