My Sched is pretty tight for 2013 already, but I would like to get in a couple 50K's scheduled for 2014, and I want to ask the ultra running community, what are the best 50K courses?   Now personally, the only 50K I have done was the one in December, one that was local to me, the Seashore Nature Trail 50K in VA, which is a pretty flat course.  (1 Minute video of a past race for a peek at it for any interested party:   )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8hN_b-nvyI

What would be an excellent 50K to do?   (I'd also like to add that for me at least, my preference is as flat a course as possible, only because that is what my training has been here on the east coast!)  But will travel nationwide, and will climb hills as well if it is a highly recommended course :-)  (Not mountains though... Not yet.... :-).    I am not familiar with many 50K courses, so please educate me on the best of the 50K's!

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What would be an excellent 50K to do?   (I'd also like to add that for me at least, my preference is as flat a course as possible, only because that is what my training has been here on the east coast!) 

the east coast isn't necessarily flat -- do you mean the Eastern Shore?  Charlottesville is pretty hilly, and we head into the mountains often.  Having said that, there is a relatively new 50k -- New River 50K that I've heard good things about.  It's rails to trails, so it'll be flat.

--I need to start some hill training.... I can run flat all day, but the second I go up a steep hill, it takes a lot out of me + my heart rate is quickly through the roof.   I suppose realistically I should work on hills as it will improve my flat running speed as well.  Not to mention, most 50K courses involve hills + trails!

Moab was challenging but great location.  Red Hot 55k.

There is a trail 50K in the San Francisco Bay Area almost every weekend. Anything in Marin County (just north of the Golden Gate) is highly recommended. They are tough, provide ~7000 feet in gain, and absolutely beautiful. You will have views of the ocean, mountains, bay and the cities. They are typically loop courses, so you might be running some of the trails a couple times, but I promise you won't get sick of the views they provide. They are also very reasonably price, have great aid stations and a fantastic atmosphere. If you are interested, check out Coastal Trails Runs, Inside Trail Runs or Pacific Coast Trail Runs, who all organize bay area races once or twice a month. Personally, I would not travel to SF just to run one of these races, but it would be a great thing to do on a vacation or business trip to SF. These are low-key races with a few hundred runners.

On the other hand, if you are looking for something more, there is the North Face Endurance Challenge in SF (also in the Marin Headlands),  which attracts people from all over the world.