Day 10 - Highway, a lake, and hills!
Day 9 was a layover with Tom in Tampa. After a relaxing day yesterday Tom drove me out of Tampa to the outskirts of Brandon where I started riding. I would follow state road 60 straight east to get back on the ACA route
The first order of business though was to attach the flappy flag that I found on the road on Friday. There had been some discussion on the FB group about being seen, after a car plowed into 4 riders in North Carolina recently. Frosty Woodrich said you must have a flappy flag. So when I saw this one lying on the road side I grabbed it. It looks like one that would have come with a kids trailer. So I attached it to my rear rack and I am very happy with the result.
The new flag got put to the test today as I was on a busy highway all day. The shoulder was fine in some places but narrow in others. Traffic was not bad but steady and fast. I had no problems.
The route I plotted through Lake Wales took me along the lake and then up a real hill! I was amazed. I think I found the biggest hill in Florida. And I did it 3 times. I found a great place to camp but had stupidly not stopped in town to get water and enough for dinner. So I made a trip back in. The place I found is on a sandy road in some trees next to a golf course. And at the end of the sandy road, at the edge of the golf course there is an outhouse! That is twice in a row I found stealth camping spots with an outhouse for my morning poop.