The Florida Connector creates the opportunity for two loop routes in Florida. The main loop is created by intersecting the Atlantic Coast Route Section 7, from St. Augustine via Ft. Myers to Ft. Lauderdale. A second loop option is to cycle from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West returning to Ft. Myers on a ferry and then across the state returning to Ft. Lauderdale.
The Florida peninsula is honeycombed by underground springs which have caused numerous sink holes. Some of these "sinks" get to be fairly large. For example, Thrill Hill Rd. passes in and out of a 100-foot deep sink hole north of Mount Dora. Disney World is located south of Oakland and Winter Garden. Many campgrounds and motels offer shuttle service into Disney World, which would be the best way to reach this fun spot. Ranches, open scrub, and grassland near Wauchula and Arcadia lead to a (slightly) downhill ride along the tea-colored Peace River. The route is rural and well away from tourist corridors from north of Cape Coral through Ft. Myers to Ft. Lauderdale. Florida's west coast is often swampy and ringed with low-lying mangrove jungles. The route skirts the southern banks of Lake Okeechobee and access is available to ride around it on a path built by the Corps of Engineers. Historic Ft. Myers, a transportation center and access point to the famous Everglades, serves as a pivot point of the route with its ferry services.
Current Printed Version: 2009
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