The right way to ring in the new year...

Been a while since I went on a trip anywhere for fun.  Well, except for every single trip I've gone on in the last year and a half.  ;)   But this was different.  I wasn't training.  I wasn't racing.  I was going to Florida to spend time with my girlfriend Nikki G.   I got a hotel about 10 minutes from the Santos trailhead,  and there are currently over 60 miles of trail there... soon to be 70,  thanks to the OMBA SORBA volunteers and their hard work.  Those trails are awesome.  A little bit of everything....   beginner, intermediate, advanced, and the infamous 'double diamond'  or expert trails.  We rode a few hours, exploring the trails, took a lunch break, then rode even more until just after dark.  We packed Nikki's 'Magicshine' light just in case we out-rode the daylight, and it's a good thing we did.   On the way back we saw an armadillo in the trail and an opossum just before that!
First time I've ever seen an armadillo in person.  Neat creature.  Looked like a tiny dinosaur or something...

After the riding ceased we returned to our hotel and went out to eat dinner at a wonderful french restaurant in Downtown Ocala called 'La Cuisine'.  Since Nikki had lived in France for about a year at one point, I thought this would be a great romantic meal.  I was right!  She loved it...   and so did I.  In fact my stomach is growling now just thinking about it....    the duck l'orange and the side dishes were amazing.  The duck just melted in my mouth... fantastic! 

Next morning we stopped off in Cocoa Beach for a surprise I cooked up for Nikki G...     a surf lesson!  Here are some pics from this trip for you all...