Mondays are usually slow days, if they follow a busy weekend. This Monday was not so slow. We took Suzanne’s sister Janice mountain biking at Santos Trailhead in Ocala. After renting a bike for her, we hit the “single track” bike trails. Kids call off-road mountain biking “dirt world”. Fortunately, it was a perfect day, warm but not humid, and sunny in the open areas but shady on most of the trails, which wind through heavily forested pines and hardwoods with lots of Spanish moss, small limestone rocks, and trails often covered with pine needles.
There were only three other cyclists on the trail today, so crowds weren’t an issue. The trail was narrow in only a couple of places; here are Janice and Suzanne successfully negotiating a tight twin pine tree obstacle (both are wearing big smiles!).
An added feature near the trailhead is a fun park with mogul-style dirt jumps (also called “whoop-de-dos”) and a 10 inch wide bridge for skills training. Here is Your Correspondent trying to emulate a 16-year-old catching air on the whoop-de-dos… at least I didn’t “endo” (slang for going end over end, over the handlebars).
There was also a short narrow bridge for practicing balance and riding a tight “line”. I was 50-50 on this test; I made it all the way across on this run, but went off the edge with 2 feet to go on the second run. It was a blast!
We enjoy riding the single track trails at Santos Trailhead so much that we would like to ask any of our readers who would like to try this out to join us there at 10:30 AM on Wednesday 21 November, the day before Thanksgiving. The ride would be on the easiest/prettiest trails there, and whoop-de-dos would be optional. You do not have to be an experienced, jocko bike rider, but having ridden a bike in the past 10-15 years would help. Bike rentals are available at the Trailhead for $20 for four hours. If you are interested, please email me at ftgiesemann@aol.com.
Following our ride, we had a bread and cheese lunch (yes, and a glass of vino as well) on our lanai with Ruthie. What a way to end a great morning! 
We try to eat healthy, but on special occasions splurge with a decadent lunch like this. After all, being from New Orleans, my motto is “Live to Eat!”
1 Comment
Lois Anne
Magnificent shots of the Santos Trail, Ty. I still have a little "Rock Hopper" mountain bike that I love. And the lunch reminds me of our week in Paris for our 50th Anniversary…bread, cheese, and wine. What a fun Monday with family!