Around 6:35 this morning, I took off on my mountain bike at the same time my wife took off in the truck, only I was heading out for a fun MTB ride and she was heading to work. Seems unfair, huh? Not having a clue where I was headed, this morning’s ride turned out to be pretty darn good as well as educational. When riding through the Forest Ridge area, I learned who the City of Fort Lauderdale was named after. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Lauderdale,_Florida After riding around the “Forest Ridge” and “Tree Tops Park” areas, (http://www.broward.org/PARKS/TREETOPSPARK/Pages/Default.aspx) I twisted my way around a bunch of trials and country roads towards another park called “Vista View Park.” http://www.broward.org/Parks/VistaViewPark/Pages/Default.aspx Vista View Park is the park that used to be a large landfill. The area now serves as one of Broward County’s favorite parks for joggers and cyclists mainly because of what we locals call “Mount Trashmore.” After riding on some more trails and sidewalks, mostly trails, I entered my neighborhood’s park, “C.B. Smith County Park.” http://www.broward.org/parks/cbsmithpark/Pages/Default.aspx This 345 acre park is a mere stone’s throw from our home. It was in this park that I got a good photo shot of what appears to be a Florida Wood Stork. All in all, this morning’s bike ride was an awesome journey. I simply love my sub-tropical neighborhood.