Just so you aren’t alarmed, I promise we aren’t leaving Florida, although when the heat really gets going, I do start dreaming about some of my favorite places across the country that have cooler temperatures. And one of those places is Colorado.
Last summer, I got to add a new reason besides cool temps to love Colorado: mountain biking. Real mountain biking, not Florida hill biking. There is some Bureau of Land Management property near where we visit in Colorado, and over the last few years some gnarly cross-country mountain bike trails have been created on the land. The problem was we were in the mountains, so just at the house we stayed at we were over 8,000 feet in elevation. And from there, to actually get to the trailheads, you have to bike uphill. Oh, that first day was tough. My biking buddy promised he would stop as many times as needed, and although I feel like I’m in pretty good shape, I had to stop at least 10 times. 45 minutes later, I’d huffed up a few more hundred feet in elevation or so and found myself in “The Phases” as the trail area is called. I’m guessing the person who created the trails had a fondness for the band Phish and breakfast cereals, because the trails all had phun names like Phased and Confused, Phroot Loops, and Phrooty Pebbles.
Names aside, I quickly realized I was not in Florida anymore. I’ve done most of the trails at Alafia and Balm Boyette, and those trails are fun, but they are mostly made up of short, steep descents followed by punchy, quick uphills, and you sort of repeat that over and over. Of course, in Florida, you can just ride out and start a trail. On these Colorado trails, it was a commitment to get to the trailheads. That first day, I only went halfway to the top. It took me a few more days at elevation to let my lungs adjust so that I could ride to the topmost trailheads, where I think the elevation tops out around 9,000 feet. But I did more riding in 7 days than I think I’ve done in a year. Sure, it was a lot of work to get to the top, but, wow, it was fun zipping downhill. Way more downhill than I’ve ever experienced in Florida. Lots of trails with flowy twists and turns, and, of course, some well-placed boulder patches to challenge my ability to stay on my bike. (There were plenty of moments where I opted to walk the bike over a feature.) I stopped to take some pictures, but you know how pictures like that are, they never quite match what it looks like in person.
The last trail that we rode was called Ridgerunner. On this one, I wish I had stopped for some pictures, but, honestly, by the time we were doing the giant downhill runs, with some fast 180-degree berms, it was over, and I wasn’t about to ride back up. It was wildly fun and one of the most challenging trails I’ve ever done. A mix of rocks, boulders, downhill, uphill, and a good length to make it worth the initial uphill climb. I can’t wait to go back and ride again!
The bonus was that on some of the mornings when we set out on our bikes, it hadn’t even cracked 40 degrees! It was a great break from the hot weather of our typical July. But July is halfway over, which means August is almost here, so, really, is it too early to break out the fall-scented candles? Kidding, but we are in the full swing of planning lots of fun in the garden for the fall season. We’re just a month away from our 4th annual Plants & Pets on August 23, we’ll have Yoga in the Garden on August 2 and September 6, and then it is practically fall veggie season. But I’m getting way ahead of myself. Keep on enjoying your summer, it may be hot, but we live in the land of flowers, beaches, and, well, just a tropical paradise. Enjoy the sun, enjoy the flowers, and when you are ready to have fun in your garden, come see us.
P.S. We want you to come see us, but not next Tuesday, July 29, 2025 because we will be closed for a staff event. We’ll be here on Monday as usual, closed Tuesday, then back to regular hours on Wednesday. We look forward to having you stop by.
