Ocala

I was in Ocala for the about 3 weeks.  I love all the hiking and biking the area has to offer!  I stayed at Santos Campground, which is also a trail head for the Florida Trail as well as miles and miles of mountain biking trails.

I used to do a bit of mountain biking, but it can be pretty tough.  When I was a member of the Virginia Air National Guard unit near Richmond, we used to bring our bikes to drill and go riding after work.  More often than not, on Monday morning I would report to the clinic to have something x-rayed.  The trails we rode were pretty technical, with lots of obstacles, rocks, moguls, hills and ditches.   In one spectacular wreck, I went flying over the handlebars, landing elbow first.  I burst the bursa, (a fluid filled sack) and it swelled up very nicely.  To add insult to injury, I bent the end of my handlebar. That required some minor surgery to saw off a little from both ends to make them even.  The trails here are nice and level, not too technical at all.  It’s more like a dirt path through the woods.  It reminds me of the trails I used to ride in Michigan with my friends Bob and Marylou.   They are long enough to be able to ride all day. 

When it comes to hiking, this area is awesome!  I spent most of my time doing different segments of the Florida trail.  I went over to Ocala National Forest and was excited at the number of different trails there.  I talked to some people about volunteering, but they want a 6 month commitment for the National Forest.  The campground I was in is a state campground and they only want a 3 month commitment for volunteers, so I’m putting my name on the list for next year.   It’s a small campground, only 23 sites.  It’s pretty empty during the week, but come Friday night, every site is in use, many with 3-4 tents crammed in.  And every person here has a mountain bike.  There is also a huge open area where boy scout troops come, also to do some mountain biking.  As I walk around I want to warn everyone to lock up their bikes.  They are everywhere and not a single one is secured, except mine.  I hope the thieves never find this place.  There is a locked gate, but someone could still walk in. 

The first week here my Mom came for a visit.  We visited the Marjorie Kinan Rawlings home in Cross Creek. She was a local author who wrote the Yearling among other books.  For lunch we went to the Yearling restaurant.  They had southern cooking including fried grouper sandwiches.  There was a guy playing blues guitar while we ate.  We decided to splurge on pecan pie for dessert, a big mistake.  It was wonderful, but just too sweet.  They topped it off with homemade whipped cream and drizzled with caramel.  Since pecan pie is my favorite, I polished mine off somehow.  Of course, I felt like a half dead slug the rest of the day. 

I decided to change out the handle bars on my new road bike, from the traditional curved ones to straight bars like you would see on a mountain bike.  It’s much more comfortable, but a bit pricey.  In the end, it’s worth it because it’s what I want!  I found a 15 mile paved trail and took it out a few times.  WOW I love my new bike!  I want to get back into century rides (100 miles), but so far I’ve been having trouble finding paved trails with any distance.  I hate riding on the road side, it’s dangerous and just not fun.  Once I get back up north, there are many more Rails to Trails places to ride long distances.

Next stop Tuscaloosa Alabama for a 2 week Habitat build.