My Second Visit to Clermont, FL

Saturday, April 2nd

Nevada and I have been talking about another visit to Clermont, FL where she is staying for the winter and to once again to ride the hills.   The last time I did hills was with Nevada in Clermont in November 2015 at the Horrible Hundred  sponsored by the Florida Freewheelers.

I arrived on Wednesday and it was already too hot.....well at least for me.....to do any riding so Nevada and I decided to take a car ride to the quaint town of Mt. Dora.   I have heard so much about this town that it was time to visit it and check it out for myself.  On Columbus day weekend each year they host a weekend cycling event but I have not had time to check it out yet.

 You have to enlarge the photo to see the plane but we were lucky enough to see a seaplane landing at the marina.  Actually a nearby town Tavares is the seaplane capital of the world.

I couldn't pass up taking a photo under this street sign!

Mt. Dora reminded me a smaller version of New Hope.  It's full of coffee shops, bakeries and shopping.  It's a tourist trap in my opinion and there are no roads with bike lanes or shoulders to safely ride from Clermont to Mt. Dora so Nevada and I decided that this would be the only visit to this town.....at least for this trip.


On Thursday we decided to take our bikes and head to Yalaha bakery in the town of Yalaha.   The bakery serves German baked goods.....including soft pretzels....yum....and has a deli with German deli items.

Here are some of the signs along the way as well as few photos of the bakery.

One of the driveways along the way to Yalaha on a busy road. 

 There is really a town called Howey-in-the-Hills!!

 I had to take a photo of this sign for Perpetual Headwinds.  She is always interested in seeing unusual street names or towns and has been known to come up with a route to go by unusual roads in NJ!

 One of two vineyards in the area.

At the end of the day we had ridden 42 miles and climbed almost 2,600 ft.  My legs.....and my body....felt the last few miles in the heat and the final climb back to Nevada's place.  We climbed South Buckhill Road....both ways.....one with a 15% grade and that probably had something to do with it!


On Friday we decided to do a less hilly ride....I didn't know how much climbing I still had in my legs after Thursday.....and ventured out to Montverde.  What an interesting place.  Lots of roads with shoulders to ride in and that's always welcome. 

A housing development that went bankrupt in 2008.   The clubhouse looks like an Italian villa.  They are trying to bring it back.  Lots starts at $500,000 and the houses that are already constructed are well over a million. 

Some other sites while visiting Montverde.

 Montverde has one of the best private schools in Florida....Montverde Academy..... with the tuition similar to the cost of college.  It's well attended and well known.....at least in Florida.  It reminds me of The Lawrenceville School.

The pizza shop....the only restaurant in town......well almost. .....until we stumbled on this.....

Can this be true?   Who knew I was going to visit the town on this day?  It certainly got my attention

The Coffee Shop of Horrors......a new coffee shop......with Nevada posing with her bike.  They don't have their retail license yet so they were giving the coffee away free...    There was a jar for donations and I gladly contributed.

Some sites within the coffee shop

Yes it is what you think it is.....a skeleton toilet paper holder.

I would have bought some for Perpetual Headwinds but it was not freshly roasted coffee....it was bagged coffee that was previously ground.  

The coffee of the day was Burial Grounds.....pretty good but not strong enough for my taste.


We ended up the ride with 20 miles and a lot less climbing as promised.   My legs really appreciated the flatter route.



Clermont is a great town for riding the hills.  There is also a training center in town where some of the best triathlete's come to train.  It is a town not to be missed!!

Thanks to Nevada for putting me up for a few days and being such a great host.  I would have never had the opportunity to experience this hill lovers delight.....and yes....in Florida.