The wife and I headed to Florida, Jan 8. Very cold up here ,also very cold down there. Three nights at 18 to 22 F. We tent camped for for 8 day. Then caught a boat at Tampa and headed for Mexico.
  About the riding and where I will probably get into trouble. I would have to say next to the Shawnee that Florida by far is the best place to ride a bike IMO (that I have ridden). With that said, the trails I rode were Santos,Croom, Loyce Harpe Park ( Carter Road ),Alafia, Balm Boyette, and Wilderness Park. 7days 128 miles.
Some pic.

I love the exotic look of the Spanish moss around the trails.

Nice pics.

I have to contradict you purely on the fact that MOUNTAIN is in the description of mountain biking.  Florida is alright to ride and looks amazing, but its below sea level.

It comes down to personal opinion on where the best riding is I guess.  I dont believe the best riding is even in the USA, but thats my opinion.

Nice pictures, atleast your riding, Im out here snowboarding and riding a trainer.  Theres two trails "legally" open and they are crowded with spandex and cyclo cross bikes.  Booo hiss.

Does your wife ride?  Mine is wicked lazy.  If your wife does ride, then I'm jealous and that Florida trip just doubled in sweetness.

Guder yes, not only look  exotic, but is exotic. Can be in a city one minute and the wilderness the next.
Colin, no problem about Florida riding it is just a opinion. No my wife does not ride. But loves to camp and travel.

Eli: Do you own a pole barn for riding?  I think I remember you coming into the Surgeon and talking about trials riding a Cowan.  Year round trials riding would be pretty sweet.

Yes, that was I. Have since bought a Raven 7.0 BT. Still not very good a trials, it takes lots of time.

I have no balance standing still.  I have to rock front to back to track stand.  I can hold a line while moving but standing still, no dice.  Everytime I do something "trials" esq I end up with chipped teeth or stitches in the face.  I kinda gave up on it.  SIU medical services didnt mind the business though.  I had 53 X-rays in 4 years, all bike related.  

Nice photos Greg.  U run into any gators?  Another grad student here does bird surveys down there and he encounters them regularly.  Any good stories from all those miles?  You need to swing over to AL to ride next time.

I've ridden FL.  I would agree its an excellent place to ride.  The habitats and terrain are super unique.  I just love riding new trails anywhere though.  Such an exciting experience.  My favorite trails are steep, smooth, tight, rocky, fast, rooty, open, winding and technical

Colin, Ryan Leech in Mastering the Art of Trials " says balance can be learned" with that said. I while learning balance ( trials ) have broke three riding helmets and one pair of glasses.
My worst falls or wrecks were always on the Rail Trail 2 TKO. Of all places! Just riding along.

Phil, no encounter with gators on this trip. But in the past when we took a canoe or kayaks seen many many gators while paddling. Most times when a gator is sunning on the bank or a log they will say put. If you go to wards them, they just slide in to the water on problem. On the Myakka River, I had read do not paddle if you are faint of heart. So I had to go and did not tell my wife that it was full of gators. She stopped counting at about 50. The bad encounter, went up river about 2 miles and the back. And the river would get very wide, almost like a small lake. Then would neck down to a very thin channel 5-6 feet wide and go 200 to 500 yards. As  I was coming out of a channel on the bank, lay two big 10' gator. As i went by they got up on all fours and hissed. As my wife went by they jumped into water wright beside her. And cut a hole in the water, maybe   3' by 3'. My wife did not like this at all. And as she past me, she called me a name or too. Will find those pic. and post later.
As far as my favorite trail, it is always the one that I am on
And one day I will swing through Al and ride with you.

That's a pretty good gator story!

It's funny you say that about balancing.  A few times I've read that some people just cannot wheelie and cannot ever learn.  I'm not sure I agree, but I suppose it's possible.

Quoted Text

Florida is alright to ride and looks amazing, but its below sea level.

If it was below sea level wouldn't he be scuba biking?

Have lots of gator story's, just not much of a writer.
Here the pic. of the encounter.

Quoted from mgholson

If it was below sea level wouldn't he be scuba biking?

"The Mean Elevation of the state of Florida is only 100 feet above sea level".  Sorry, they are actually above sea level.

If he was Jesus, would his power to walk on water be transferred through the bike?  One more reason why it would be cool to be Jesus.

Not that it matters much to the discussion and I know it was just a joke, but it's early and I'm avoiding work...

Quoted from paper by US Global Change Research Project

A third of the Everglades, for example, has an elevation of less than 12 inches above present sea level.

http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/nacc/education/southeast/se-edu-5.htm

As the sea and fresh water levels fluctuate, they have rivers which run backward, and they are delighted to brag about them to visitors.

I didn't think there would be any mountain bike riding in Illinois the first time I googled it and found yous guys, but I've accepted that it's mountain-bike riding rather than mountain bike-riding.

Guder, I like your initiative

Eli, I cant stand Ryan Leech.  His voice is so monotone that it drives me crazy.  I stopped watching his video after 5 minutes.

Check out Danny McAskill on the old Pinkbike.com, the New York Times wrote a piece about him and his trials riding.  That kid is plain sick.