We are off! Merchberger’s 2023 RV Travels begin

Late last year, Dave and I signed up to ride in the first annual Grit, Gravel, and Roll bike ride, located near Ocala, FL (north central FL).  Scheduled for April 22^nd, we thought it would be great event to start our 2023 RV adventure.  The event was held at the Black Prong Equestrian Center, which borders the Goethe State Forest, providing miles of gravel paths for cycling.  The beautiful equestrian center holds elite horse competitions each weekend during the winter months.  It was a gorgeous venue, with acres and acres of various horse areas, on-site restaurant, food truck, dog park, and a beautiful pool.   The on-site cottages each had 4 horse stalls as part of the cottage and their premium RV sites even had pavers! Unfortunately, I was unable to ride as I just had a steroid injection in my left SI joint (which links the lower spine and pelvis).  Dave, joined by our good friend Tom from the east coast, enjoyed the bike ride; however, with lots of soft sugary sand and large potholes, they wish they were on mountain bikes rather than gravel bikes.  Dave & Tom wanted to enjoy the pool post-ride, so Barb (Tom’s wife) and I said, “Why not!”  After a fun afternoon at the pool, the event catered a yummy BBQ dinner.