The landscape alternates between urban centers, phosphate quarries, artificial lakes, and citrus groves. This section runs through the so-called Bone Valley, a region where mining activity uncovered fossils millions of years old and gave rise to communities that flourished and vanished in step with the industry. Many of these ghost towns now go unnoticed by those unfamiliar with their history.
Bartow, the starting point of the route, was a key site during the Seminole Wars and later became an important railroad hub. From here, the journey reveals how modern urban growth coexists with infrastructure from the 19th and early 20th centuries, still visible in road layouts and historic downtown architecture.
The complete route, along with its detailed historical context, is part of Discovering Florida – Volume 5.
