The Lowest High Point

July 8, 2017

My husband and I have reached the age of dreaming about retirement. Years ago, the awareness that our younger years were behind us hit at the same time. We stood at the window admiring the Gold Finches, looked at each other and said, "We're doing it, aren't we?" We were officially crossing over to middle age.
Now, retirement looms around the corner, and we're exploring--South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and a couple of interludes in Mississippi and Alabama. David has a fondness for the Tallahassee area where he grew up. A lot of his adventures were along the Gulf Coast near Alligator Point and Apalachicola. I arrived in Michigan and slowly gravitated south. Mobile won me over to all things coastal and southern.
The southeast is on our radar, but I would look closer at the states of Washington and Oregon if I had a willing partner. We both would consider the Great Lakes sans sub-zero temperatures and piles of snow in winter. So, the Southeast likely will be our destination.
We spend free time on Mapquest, Zillow, Trulia, and City Data looking for the place to say, "Honey, I'm home!" David wants to rock a boat as much as possible. I want to embrace the surf and sand. We both want to enjoy an active Salt Life.
This weekend, I stumbled across a place called Nocatee nestled between Jacksonville and St. Augustine. The location on the map has an appeal, but Google street view only goes so far. One point on the map lists Nocatee Mountain Bike Trail. I have to smile every time anyone in Florida references a hill, and laugh a little at the mention of a mountain. It takes me back to the day my sister and I, new to the Orlando area, were invited to a friend's house. The directions were to, "follow the curve in the road, go to the top of the hill and take the first left." We drove for miles looking for 'the hill'!
I wonder, how high can Nocatee Mountain Bike Trail possibly be? In the list of state elevations, Florida has the lowest high point at 345 feet above sea level. http://www.netstate.com/sta…/tables/state_elevation_mean.htm
Would it make more sense to call it Nocatee Mountain-Bike Trail? Either way, Nocatee has my attention. I'll let you know what I find.
~LowTide explorer, Carolyn Fjeran

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