98 Leaving TR

March 23. We are pulling out of Travelers rest with a couple of simple objectives.  1.Find out the source of the wonderful fragrance in the area and 2. Start working our way West and North getting in a position to make a dash for Minnesota if the need arises.
     Turning left at the Park gate we are going to stop at St Joseph and see if anyone is at the Kumquat growers.  Suggestions for the fragrance are  oranges, honey suckle or Kumquat's,  A small citrus about the size of your thumb, the peel is sweet while the pulp is sour for some reason you aren't suppose to eat the seeds, I wish we would have known that before we found the tree.   A couple of pictures a taste a smell of the fruit and the blossom and we knew we hadn't found the fragrance.   A few miles down the road we seen a produce stand surrounded by an orange grove.  Maybe we will find the answer here.  A & K Produce 14847 Matt Barthle Road, Dade City Florida had just recently opened for business.  Here the mystery was solved the owner a lifelong resident said it was the orange blossoms themselves that provide the fragrance they bloomt after the fruit has been picked.  A family business, there were dogs and children milling around.  I took a few minutes to sterilize a baby's nipple with a wet one I had in my pocket, now lets get on the road before I see him drop it in the dirt again.   Armed with a pint of strawberry's we hit the road again.   
     Over an hour and fifteen minutes and we are 5 miles from where we started.  We rode the rural Florida roads this is the kind of scenery we have been looking for, overcast but warm.  Farms and ranches, pastures with horses and cattle grazing.    We were traveling down Ponca De leon Blvd (98).  Our plan was to join Highway 19 and travel up the West coast of Florida.   Just South of Homosassa Springs we hit 19,  looks like now we can put on some miles.  There was a fruit stand across from the traffic light and Ruthie was still determined to get some kumquats.  No luck but after sampling melons and oranges we left with some more produce, no more stops.  I think she feels bad if she stops and doesn't purchase something,  Hope we don't stop at a furniture store, we had to rearrange to fit the oranges and melon.  Next door we filled with gas, when I returned to the cycle Ruthie was visiting with a couple and digging in the trunk looking for something.  I said " she's not getting out the slide projector is
she?".   Evidently she was going to show them some of Michelle's blinged out Bandana's.  The conversation jumped from one thing to another, from cycles to riding to children to riding and cycles and of course eating destinations.    Debra and Ken both rode there own cycle, hers was the same model Michelle had just purchased, a Harley Street Glide Special.  It reassured us that she liked it and was able to handle it.   With ride safe wishes we were on our way again.  Nice people!  Leaving them we talked about the destination they were heading for, a place called the Freezer and the wonderful shrimp they served.  I think he said they

Even the median had color.

went thru 3000 pounds a week.  Hard to believe but it sounded good to Ruthie.  I couldn't pronounce the name Homosassa, a little place right on the water.  We hadn't committed yet,  a few miles down the road I seen the turn on the left.  A quick decision as we passed it found the next place to do a U-turn and headed for the bay.   We never

Edith is showing remarkable courage
with Ruthie swinging that mallet!

seen a sign for the Freezer a couple of inquires and here it is at the junction of West Creek Lane and South Boulevard Drive.  Wasn't fancy matter of fact it was hard to tell it was a business.  Just outside they had a boiling pot going full steam.   It is an old looking dive maybe undergoing some construction, rumor has it that it was used by the Indians to store ice.   We seen Debra and Ken ( we are not stalkers,). They invited us to join them at their table, Fresh boiled shrimp, wings, snow crab and beverages, we had to try them all.  To crack the crab they furnish you with a wooden mallet, Ruthie used it to work out some frustration.  It

Ken and Debra

turned out to be a wonderful meal, every thing was great and the best part was sharing with Debra, Ken, Nelson & Edith (they had joined us at the table visiting from Arizona.  Maybe we will see them on a winter trip sometime.)    If we had a mileage goal for today it would be depressing, we had been on the road for almost three hours and had traveled about 37 miles.   On the way to the Freezer we had seen a unique ancient structure.  Stopping to read the information we found out it had been a steam driven sugar cane mill involving the labor of up to a 100 slaves. 
 Back on the road again we turned North pulling into Chiefland Florida for the night.    







  We have had many comments ( some negative) concerning our travel plans. Perhaps this snapshot of todays travel I posted on Facebook that day will clear it up.

B = 9:56 AM Left travelers Rest @ Dade City Florida

A = Search for information on Kumquat's , picture with tree. Sampled one (kumquat, not tree)) Stopped at produce stand looking for Kumquat's. Sterilized baby's bottle nipple, found out about Kumquat's, orange blossoms, monster trucks and produce. Purchased strawberries. Back on the road 10;40 AM  miles traveled 5

C = 11:29 produce stand looking for Kumquat's, purchased small sweet Mellon and oranges. Met Debra and Ken @ gas station next door. Discussed motorcycles, trips, families, bandanas and places to eat. Wished them well and said good bye. 12:19 PM miles traveled aprox 30.

D = Homosassa Florida, the Freezer tiki bar. Seen Debra and Ken ( we are not stalkers,). They invited us to join them at their table, Fresh boiled shrimp, wings, snow crab and beverages, great time.

Left 2:56 aprox 37 miles total traveled

E = 4:06 PM Chiefland Florida days end approx. 100 miles traveled.

Summary: In between points, Lots of great people, photos of old sugar mill, hills, valleys, beautiful trees and landscape. Now it should make perfect sense to everyone. Or maybe you have to be on a cycle to understand.  And we accomplished both our original goals.     As Debra said it was a perfect day

PS: It might take us a few extra days to get back to Minnesota