The REAL RETIRED HOUSEWIFE OF FLORIDA hits the off-road sandy trails of Florida
Let me tell you sand in Florida is not limited to the beaches. It is everywhere, including the back road trails.
I have had my motorcycle license endorsement for over 5 years (from back in the day in Ohio). I took the Ohio Department of Public Safety Basic Rider course at a local motorcycle shop. The course involved some classroom instruction and a couple days of practice riding. At the end, I took the test and got my motorcycle endorsement. It was lots of fun and I highly recommend it.
My husband, Brian, is an avid motorcyclist. In fact his love of riding was one of the many reasons for moving to Florida. He wanted to be able to ride year round. Most days he rides to work and on the weekends he does off-road events (hare scrambles and enduros).
I am an occasional rider...a few times a year. I like gentle rides on back roads and some off-road adventures. Brian and I have explored lots of back roads in Ohio, West Virgina, Kentucky and South Carolina.
Since our move to Florida, I have kept to the back roads because of the special skill (guts) needed to handle the sand on the off-road trails. Finally I put on my Big Girl Pants and told Brian I was ready to try the off-road trails at Croom. Here I am all suited up (including my Big Girl Pants/jeans, long-sleeved shirt, helmet, sturdy footwear and gloves). My motto is:
Still there were long stretches of high ground that gave me my adventure in the sand. It may look like a flat trail, but I couldn't get the series of small hills (called sand whoops) in the picture, some hard-packed, some sand. Kinda like moguls in snow-skiing. This area was my favorite!
Sometimes we took the Trail Less Travelled.
A couple of times, I found I was going too fast when I hit the loose sand. But my motto was:
In the end, I never fell, had a great time and gained some valuable experience in the sandy trails of Florida. Brian rewarded me for a job well done with a margarita at our favorite Mexican restaurant, The Coyote Rojo in Bushnell, Florida. I needed it because I was very sore the next day!
Since our move to Florida, I have kept to the back roads because of the special skill (guts) needed to handle the sand on the off-road trails. Finally I put on my Big Girl Pants and told Brian I was ready to try the off-road trails at Croom. Here I am all suited up (including my Big Girl Pants/jeans, long-sleeved shirt, helmet, sturdy footwear and gloves). My motto is:
"All The Gear...All The Time"
Lucky for me we have had a few afternoon showers last week. Well, that is good...harder packed trails. And that is bad...lots of standing water. Sometimes we went thru the water, sometimes we went around the water and sometimes we turned around.
Still there were long stretches of high ground that gave me my adventure in the sand. It may look like a flat trail, but I couldn't get the series of small hills (called sand whoops) in the picture, some hard-packed, some sand. Kinda like moguls in snow-skiing. This area was my favorite!
Sometimes we took the Trail Less Travelled.
First time I saw a tree in the road, I freaked out. Turns out they were fun and easy.
A couple of times, I found I was going too fast when I hit the loose sand. But my motto was:
It will hurt to fall ... so don't fall
In the end, I never fell, had a great time and gained some valuable experience in the sandy trails of Florida. Brian rewarded me for a job well done with a margarita at our favorite Mexican restaurant, The Coyote Rojo in Bushnell, Florida. I needed it because I was very sore the next day!
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