Florida

February 28
Happy Birthday Rudy! An overcast, warm and muggy morning, gradually sunnier through the day. We spent a good amount of time at Pensacola's University of Western Florida trails, which were actually pretty nice! Rudy got in a solid 38 miles (probably closer to 40) of riding for his birthday - thoroughly enjoying himself. I tried another longish run, but shouldn't have been so greedy, it was a little too much for the right calf, which had a nasty tight spot for the second half of the run and a few days after. Biking was OK, so I got in a little ride too while Rudy was on his second 20-ish mile loop. We went out for dinner at Marina Oyster Barn - good food, but no birthday specials - sad! We were treated to a few verses of the Happy Birthday song from a little stuffed bear though. We got out of town somewhat late and just camped at another big rest area a little east of Pensacola, not too noisy - good for just spending the night.

March 1
The start of another month! A few hours of driving brought us to Tallahassee, and Tom Brown Park - right in the city. A pretty nice sunny day in the 70s !!! but a bit breezy, not an issue on the wooded trails. Just a little biking for me, trails were a little confusing, but the few miles I got in were fun. I found a nice little spot for yoga while Rudy got in more of the trails. We didn't go too far to camp in Apalachicola National Forest. Dinner was grilled mushroom and swiss sandwiches. Entertainment was Trivial Pursuit - two wins for Rudy.

March 2
Early morning storminess - was done raining by the time we woke up.

standard forest

A little strolling around for me before the three hour drive to Ocala. We biked from Santos Trailhead, which had a nice little skills park and well maintained, fun trails too.

A little different forest

After a couple hours of biking, I just escaped some afternoon rain, but Rudy got poured on! At least it was warm. We headed to Lake Panasoffkee for the night. Ate some pasta and played some Trivial Pursuit - two wins for Leslie.

March 3
There were some issues with our camp permit (a lot of places have free camping, but you need a permit) so we needed to move to the day use area before 7am. We opted not to check out trails at the park (seemed pretty geared toward horses) and headed to Lakeland and Loyce Harpe Park. I hiked and Rudy biked the nice little network of trails. This area was more jungly looking - what would be expected in Florida.

There was a little gator there - I was too slow

I only saw one baby gator, but Rudy got onto more remote trails, closer to the water, and did see a couple bigger ones. We finally headed to Zolfo Springs, where my Grandparents spend winters, for nearly a week of visiting, Grandma's cooking, and lots of cards!

March 4-8
Our time in Zolfo Springs included a lot of relaxing and games. A few highlights were visiting Solomon's Castle - highly recommended!

All re-purposed materials!

Lots of orange blossom aroma encountered

Some regional specialties, like Mexican Bacon (pork jowls), tamales, and of course citrus fruits! And checking out nearby Pioneer Park - small, but interesting little trails, and other fun family things, like a zoo!

 

There was pretty fantastic weather for March - a little muggy, but lots of 70s and sunshine.

March 9
A little jog for me, some delightful scrambled eggs with local peppers, and a little more visiting before we departed Zolfo Springs and headed north. We stopped at Ocala Santos Trailhead again to enjoy more of the trails on a nicer day. There was a lot of setting up for a mountain bike festival over the weekend, so more people, but really not too crowded. We found a spot to camp in the nearby Ocala National Forest, ate some bean burritos, and played a game of cards (3/13) Leslie win. And we were tired!

March 10
A took in a little stroll, back to more woodsy, and less jungly Florida, still feeling a little sluggish, and like there something flaring up allergies in my head!

not logged

logged

We continued on to Tallahassee, stopping in Apalachicola National Forest for the Munsen Hills trails. A run for me went better than expected, but still feel like I'm not up for more than ~10 miles yet. Rudy biked pretty much all the trails there. The area was recently burned and fairly flat, so not the most exciting trails, but still good to get out. We found a camp spot within the National Forest, not far from the trailhead, ate grilled cheese sandwiches, and watched Man on the Moon.

March 11
The morning was cool and breezy, but clear and sunny. I enjoyed yet another short stroll before we checked out another trail system in Tallahassee at Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park. There was some sort of cross country equestrian event happening (the joys of Saturday!) so a lot of traffic getting into the park, but the biking trails were not too crowded at all. The trails were twisty and rooty, but not super technical, and pretty fun.

I like this new-to-me sign

Lots of poison ivy - luckily, a lot of the Florida parks we've been to have little showers to at least rinse off right away. Next, a few hours of driving in to Georgia, where I have more family near Columbus. Visiting, yummy chili and cornbread, hanging out, watching soccer and rugby, and a couple games of cards made for another chill evening with my lovely relatives!