Happy Monday everybody!
We had a great weekend full of good eats, good exercise and good napping weather!
After laying low on Friday night we headed to meet our friends for dinner and drinks at Mellow Mushroom on Saturday night. It was delish and I must say that no trip to Mellow is complete without an order of Garlic Balls – sooooo good; must recreate!
![photo_1 photo_1](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-l1cPdRmunTU/UDrEJK9knpI/AAAAAAAAMhE/Hl4vR3Xf-oI/photo_1_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Sunday morning started with a new favorite – cinnamon chip pancakes.
I love cinnamon chips and have always had a hard time finding them, but luck was on my side when I spotted them in the grocery store the other day…they are probably just out for the fall/holidays, but you’d better believe I’m going to stock up. These pancakes were so warm and delicious – the perfect amount of cinnamon spice!
![photo_2 photo_2](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-e6ZYOH0xZ90/UDrEJ4Jot6I/AAAAAAAAMhM/1rVbg3QISSI/photo_2%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
After breakfast we checked out the radar and realized that we’d better get out and do something productive while we still could. With TS Isaac on the horizon, the weather was coming; like it or not.
![photo photo](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8OgKpuusagc/UDrELTKo8mI/AAAAAAAAMhU/k_-grPh1bWY/photo%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800)
We toyed with the option of doing one of our “go-to” bike trails, but then opted for an exploratory ride in nearby Mount Dora. We looked up routes on www.mapmyride.com and found one called Between the Lakes.
It looked like a nice long ride with lots of scenery so we took a chance (knowing that we would probably get wet along the way).
![P1020321 P1020321](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-aJar5S3TUVw/UDrEMBOLRMI/AAAAAAAAMhc/bWwLqawi_f0/P1020321%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Our ride started in the heart of Mount Dora and quickly headed out of town.
![P1020325 P1020325](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-p-QNTt5nbto/UDrENt46sSI/AAAAAAAAMhk/Ckb2dGfgb-Q/P1020325%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Although there weren’t many bike paths, luckily for us there wasn’t much traffic either and the lake views were gorgeous every step of the way.
![P1020340 P1020340](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bSul7EG7Ykg/UDrEPtQ6K1I/AAAAAAAAMhs/iA2Bs4lcGCU/P1020340%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Not to mention the views of the houses – holy moly – they were gorgeous!!!
![rain biking rain biking](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-jQKr-WcvKXw/UDrEQhxfLcI/AAAAAAAAMh0/I1Vq4jagx3Y/rain%252520biking%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Mike was in charge of checking our progress. The last thing we wanted was to be lost with a storm approaching. The good news was, we only had to turn around once!
![P1020333 P1020333](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-t41fZW2xgaE/UDrERSqAxHI/AAAAAAAAMh8/geCfKrdpzhY/P1020333%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
The 16+ mile route took us from Mount Dora to Tavares to Eustis and then back to Mount Dora – all of which have adorable historic downtown areas. They are all so quaint!
![rain biking2 rain biking2](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bUtKWxQ4AQI/UDrESO4OnWI/AAAAAAAAMiE/RxmDCpJfP8w/rain%252520biking2%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
![rain biking1 rain biking1](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Oc8zmq0xuJw/UDrES1fhzeI/AAAAAAAAMiM/PHKdKwY1hLE/rain%252520biking1%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Downtown Eustis
![rain biking3 rain biking3](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fsqJMzvjlKk/UDrEUUu-7jI/AAAAAAAAMiU/jpaiIag47xg/rain%252520biking3%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
After about an hour and a half we stopped for refueling before the last 4ish miles of our trek. It’s a good thing we did, because a few minutes later this happened:
Downpour!
![P1020361 P1020361](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-oJJQYAidJ6U/UDrEV1KmtfI/AAAAAAAAMik/KcVxcSFDMyg/P1020361%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Reason #561 a waterproof camera is a great investment –
rainy bike rides!
![P1020364 P1020364](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BGWePp-lTnk/UDrEWk5kIbI/AAAAAAAAMis/Sni8IyIS9Ik/P1020364%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Downtown Mt. Dora – still busy despite the rain!
Finally, although soaking wet, we made it back to Mount Dora where we loaded up and headed home. Our initial plans were to stop and grab a bite to eat at one of the local eateries, but that got nixed as we couldn’t wait to get home to take a warm shower and a nap!
![P1020368 P1020368](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Uzu__YmfnVE/UDrEXdfO_mI/AAAAAAAAMi0/fn--Lu6rDrM/P1020368%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Another great weekend of biking!
![photo_2 photo_2](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-A5zw50ETgwc/UDrEZiKmcdI/AAAAAAAAMjE/fkeOE2xTbS4/photo_2%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800)
This is the original route we were going to follow (on the left) and our actual route (on the right). I forgot to start the tracking when we started, so our ride was actually a bit longer than 16.6…probably more like 18. Not bad for a lazy Sunday!
As we gear up for the Labor Day Weekend, our menu plan is pretty simple. We are headed down to West Palm Beach for the Second Annual Cox Family Extravaganza with our friends this weekend and we couldn’t be more excited (not to mention college football starts, too!!!). We can’t wait to get down there!
Have a great week; and for all of those Floridians – stay dry!
M: Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry
T: Wild Rice and Chicken Soup
W: Bacon and Cheese Quiche w/ Sweet Potato Fries
Th: Pot Roast Baked Potatoes
F: West Palm
Sa: West Palm
Su: West Palm