A New Bike Trail for The Palm Tree Bikers

We thought it was cold on last week's bike ride! It was about the same temperature as last week as the group left Lake Magic. However, none of us were prepared for what greeted us when we parked our vehicles and stepped out into the steady wind bristling from the north across Lake Minneola.

 

 

 Like jets lined up for landing, the PTBs make their presence known at the boat launch in the southern tip of Lake Minneola. The Minneola Trailhead is a new trail for the Palm Tree Bikers.
(If you check out the link above you'll see the trail actually begins where we started and heads due east. We headed west. The city has the trail we headed out on going nearly around Lake Minneola.)
Our plan was to head west and north for a number of miles and return. At about the three mile mark we began to encounter some rather hilly terrain and (most of our riders) made a turn around at about five miles. (Some of us made the turn earlier.) The trail is well paved and wide.

 

Photo below looking east at the Citrus Tower.

 

The twenty-eight riders' vehicles lined up and patiently waiting for our return.

 The cooler temps driven by the wind made for early pit-stops for nearly everyone. We should add their facilities were great.

 

You'll notice we're now into the trees... and no wind. Fortunately, at about the first mile we were on the westerly side of the lake, in the trees and out of the wind.

 To clarify, most of us didn't really need the facility... we just wanted to relax in the warm sun and no wind! We extended our "stay" just a bit longer.

 

We enjoyed the rest of the ride a little more relaxed without the wind hitting us.

 

 Photo below is looking toward the southern rim of the lake. The building is to be our "new" lunch spot for this ride.

 

 Looking north. The photos of the lake belie the stiff wind hitting us coming from the north.

 

Our group headed to "Lilly's on the Lake" for lunch.

The restaurant is sitting nearly mid-point of the southern edge of Lake Minneola. On warmer days you can dine on their picturesque deck with a panoramic view of the lake.

And, for the record my roving reporter tells me Lunch was very good and Lilly's wait staff did a fine job serving our riders.

It's safe to say we'll be visiting Lilly's on the Lake again as part of our lake view bike trek.

 

Also in the news.

The PTB's will be gearing up for another one of our monthly get-together next week.

We've welcomed a number of new PTB members recently due to the increase in campers and friends of Lake Magic campers joining our weekly rides.