Just a short entry to finish off this ride. This was truly an adventure to remember -- almost 600 miles on the motorcycles, most of it challenging and exciting; dangerous curves, crazy roads, steep dropoffs, and using the training that paid off, and kept us on the road. There were a few bikes that went down in the curves, and the riders are OK.
Today's ride was routine, especially by comparison. We came down from Travelers Rest to I-385 in Greenville, merging onto I-26 to Columbia, where we picked up I-20 to Florence. Our timing was as good as it gets, missing the rush hour in Greenville, then arriving at Columbia before lunch. Traffic was light, and we rolled on, straight through to Florence.
Riding brings risk, that's a given. But training, practice and determination mitigate that risk, and make the ride worthwhile. I'm grateful to the instructors that gave us not only the basics but their experiences and insights. I'm grateful to Linda for being a part of this with me. I can't imagine not seeing her in the rear-view. And I'm looking forward to our next adventure.
Next week, we'll be participating in the "Fight Like a Girl" charity poker run for Breast Cancer Awareness. A good cause, a lot of fun and comradery, and another opportunity to ride.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Blue Ridge Parkway, October 17, 2011
Today was the kind of day that can truly be classed as an "adventure." It started out well, with temperatures in Asheville around 44, with the promise of mid-70's. We took it easy, and had a light breakfast at the Best Western. Linda took this from outside our room as I was cleaning the bikes. This couple was from Massachusetts, with their ultimate goal of California. They were doing between 130 and 200 miles a day, and enjoying every minute of it.
I've said it before -- most bikers are good people, like all of us. It's the 1% of them that give motorcycles a bad name.
We checked out and hit the road around 10, headed west to Maggie Valley, where we turned onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our goal was to ride the Parkway to Highway 276, then down towards Greenville, and the Hampton in Travelers Rest.
I have to say, the Blue Ridge Parkway on a motorcycle gives you an incredible view of some of the most beautiful scenery you could ever hope to see. And we were blessed with perfect weather: mild temperatures, clear blue skies. While the speed limit throughout the parkway is 45, everyone went at their most comfortable speed, as the road twisted and turned up and down the mountains, with the majestic view around every corner.
One of the disconcerting things is that there are damn few guardrails along the edge, and the drop-off could be 50 to 200 feet down. We passed a few recent rockslides as well, but none that blocked the road. There are a couple of tunnels that turn in the middle, leaving you in the dark for a bit before the other opening becomes visible.
It's a fun ride, at first. Up and down the mountains, gliding around curves (not as bad as Lake Lure, and not as fast, either). We stopped at several overlooks, and at the Information Center, We did about 40 miles of it, and after a while, it just got to be work.
We pulled off at Highway 276, and stopped at a rest area to check the maps. When we started up again, the Garmin directed us to the National Forest Road, and we took it. It turned out to be a single lane crushed rock road, 14 miles long! There was no safe place to turn around for over 5 miles, and we just kept going, around switchbacks and turns, up and down the mountain, at about 20 miles an hour. For much of the ride, I could look to my right, and right down the cliff. Needless to say, it took a lot of concentration to keep from freaking out!
We had to stop at one point, and move a large branch from the road. It took about an hour, and when we came out we were about 30 miles from the hotel. I guess it was kind of a shortcut, but I'm gonna have a word with Garmin and the State of North Carolina. Whose dumb idea was to identify this trail as a "road?!"
All in all, we traveled about 135 miles today, and it took over six hours. I'm glad that we took the trip (although I would happily have passed up the National Park Road), I'm proud of myself, and especially proud of Linda -- she bought a Blue Ridge Parkway pin for her vest at the Info Center, and truly earned it!
Tomorrow we leave northwest South Carolina for home, and it looks like it will be just ahead of the rains that are due in on Wednesday. It was truly an adventure to remember!
You can see why they call them the Great Smoky Mountains!
By the way -- I finally got about 5 GB of video from the ride! I'll edit it and get it up on YouTube soon. It's pretty cool!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Dateline: Ashville, NC, 10/16/2011 3:30 PM
Words are not enough to describe the run today. What a blast!
We got to ZMax Dragway around 7:15. The sun was just coming up, and it was around 45 degrees. There were already 50 bikes at the staging area, and the organizers were, well, organized.
Sign-in, gift packet, Krispy Kreme donuts and coffee, then wander around to see the beautiful Iron Horses on display. We stopped by the official Pace Car for pictures.
Kyle showed up, and the press were hot on his heels. He did about three different interviews before getting the ride rolling.
I'm not sure what the total of bikes were there, but as you can see here, there were a lot of them, even an hour before the ride.
Kyle gave us the ride briefing, One of the police officers joining the ride gave us the safety rules, and a prayer was said. The siren blew, and we had 5 minutes to mount up.
One of the failings of the GoPro video camera is the lack of feedback, especially from the rear of the unit. I was certain I turned it on just before starting, but apparently I didn't get the button pressed enough, and I don't have some of the most fantastic video you may ever see. Sorry. I hope tomorrow's ride will be better.
We pulled out around 9:30, and rode up the dragway track. It strikes you as to the amount of rubber embedded in the track from the thousands of dragsters that have roared down the surface. At the end we turned and headed out, down to I-85 Southbound, for about 20 miles to Shelby, where we picked up US74 West. The scenery is beautiful, the trees showing off their fall colors of red and gold. When we got to Lake Lure and the 4-lane became two, the ride got . . . interesting.
As we wound around the lake and then the mountain, we were challenged with hairpin turns, both heading up and down, some of them lasting for 270 degrees! While were doing between 25 and 40 mph, the turns got tighter and more challenging. I found myself leaning over farther than I thought possible, and then straightening and immediately leaning the other way for the next impossible turn. The safety classes we took a few years ago really paid off as we sucessfully traversed the winding course. In the town of Lake Lure, people were everywhere on the sides of the road, waving and cheering us on.
Taking a trike around that course is in some ways tougher than a two-wheeler, in that you can't lean or counter-steer. Instead you have to work against centrifigal force as you push the handlebars to do your bidding. It's real work, and Linda was amazing. When I had a chance to look behind me (and it wasn't very often), she was right behind me, enjoying amost every curve.
Near the end of the curves, there was a tight, left hairpin curve. I took a deep breath, downshifted and counter-steered, pushing the bike over as hard as I could. Suddenly, I heard my foot peg scrape, and my foot bounced up.
I've been told that, when you do that, it's your bike telling you that you've leaned far enough. They weren't kidding! But that doesn't prepare you for the feeling you get when it happens. It was only for a second, then I let up just a bit and finished the curve before exhaling. I heard Linda on the CB, "I didn't like that one at all!" Me neither! It took about an hour before the adreniline stopped pumping.
It wasn't long after that we arrived at Asheville Harley-Davidson in Swannanoa. Gene Lummos was kind enough to open his store for us (he's usually closed on Sundays), and we had barbeque for lunch. Afterwards, there were the raffle drawings. While there were some interesting items on display, our numbers didn't come up.
We had only 6 miles to travel from the Harley shop to the Best Western, and we checked in around three, exhausted. It was a great day, and we're looking forward to the ride tomorrow on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Stay Tuned!
We got to ZMax Dragway around 7:15. The sun was just coming up, and it was around 45 degrees. There were already 50 bikes at the staging area, and the organizers were, well, organized.
Sign-in, gift packet, Krispy Kreme donuts and coffee, then wander around to see the beautiful Iron Horses on display. We stopped by the official Pace Car for pictures.
Kyle showed up, and the press were hot on his heels. He did about three different interviews before getting the ride rolling.
I'm not sure what the total of bikes were there, but as you can see here, there were a lot of them, even an hour before the ride.
Kyle gave us the ride briefing, One of the police officers joining the ride gave us the safety rules, and a prayer was said. The siren blew, and we had 5 minutes to mount up.
One of the failings of the GoPro video camera is the lack of feedback, especially from the rear of the unit. I was certain I turned it on just before starting, but apparently I didn't get the button pressed enough, and I don't have some of the most fantastic video you may ever see. Sorry. I hope tomorrow's ride will be better.
We pulled out around 9:30, and rode up the dragway track. It strikes you as to the amount of rubber embedded in the track from the thousands of dragsters that have roared down the surface. At the end we turned and headed out, down to I-85 Southbound, for about 20 miles to Shelby, where we picked up US74 West. The scenery is beautiful, the trees showing off their fall colors of red and gold. When we got to Lake Lure and the 4-lane became two, the ride got . . . interesting.
As we wound around the lake and then the mountain, we were challenged with hairpin turns, both heading up and down, some of them lasting for 270 degrees! While were doing between 25 and 40 mph, the turns got tighter and more challenging. I found myself leaning over farther than I thought possible, and then straightening and immediately leaning the other way for the next impossible turn. The safety classes we took a few years ago really paid off as we sucessfully traversed the winding course. In the town of Lake Lure, people were everywhere on the sides of the road, waving and cheering us on.
Taking a trike around that course is in some ways tougher than a two-wheeler, in that you can't lean or counter-steer. Instead you have to work against centrifigal force as you push the handlebars to do your bidding. It's real work, and Linda was amazing. When I had a chance to look behind me (and it wasn't very often), she was right behind me, enjoying amost every curve.
Near the end of the curves, there was a tight, left hairpin curve. I took a deep breath, downshifted and counter-steered, pushing the bike over as hard as I could. Suddenly, I heard my foot peg scrape, and my foot bounced up.
I've been told that, when you do that, it's your bike telling you that you've leaned far enough. They weren't kidding! But that doesn't prepare you for the feeling you get when it happens. It was only for a second, then I let up just a bit and finished the curve before exhaling. I heard Linda on the CB, "I didn't like that one at all!" Me neither! It took about an hour before the adreniline stopped pumping.
It wasn't long after that we arrived at Asheville Harley-Davidson in Swannanoa. Gene Lummos was kind enough to open his store for us (he's usually closed on Sundays), and we had barbeque for lunch. Afterwards, there were the raffle drawings. While there were some interesting items on display, our numbers didn't come up.
We had only 6 miles to travel from the Harley shop to the Best Western, and we checked in around three, exhausted. It was a great day, and we're looking forward to the ride tomorrow on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Stay Tuned!
Dateline Charlotte, 6AM Sunday, October 16,2011
It's about 45 degrees here right now, but by the time we head out from ZMax, it should be mid-50's; a little cold, but good weather for leathers. I'll be waking Linda in about 5 minutes. We have a lot to do: repack the bikes, get a little breakfast (COFFEE!), and gas up the bikes. I think the trip is only 135 miles, well within our range, and within most motorcycles.
I did get some video on the GoPro yesterday, about 40 miles or so. Most of it straight road from Darlington to McBee; I'll try to get it edited. At least we know it works, so I'll get some footage today, and then Monday.
I did get some video on the GoPro yesterday, about 40 miles or so. Most of it straight road from Darlington to McBee; I'll try to get it edited. At least we know it works, so I'll get some footage today, and then Monday.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Dateline Charlotte, October 15, 2011
We've gotten pretty good at packing for these trips, and it didn't take long at all for a 3-day adventure. But what to pack was tough. You see, we're going to see a 40 degree (or more) swing in the temperature! Charlotte in the afternoon is about 80 degrees; Maggie Valley on Monday morning is expected to be in the high 30's. Leather jackets and chaps, face coverings, thermal underwear and more for the cold; short-sleeve shirts and lighter jackets for the warmer. Heck we've each got three different pairs of gloves, from warm-weather riding to gauntlets with liners!
We had a terrific ride from Florence to Monroe, North Carolina. For much of it, we were the only ones on the road. North of Hartsville, the road is large -- four lanes, with a wide median -- and the dotted lines blinked by like morse code. The weather was absolutely perfect -- 75 degrees, sunny, no clouds at all. Just blue sky above, and the road below.
Of course, all that changes when you hit Independance Blvd, just into Monroe. And it was 22 miles of heavy traffic, with the typical metropolitan drivers weaving in and out. We took our time, and managed to keep our sanity.
We pulled in to the Microtel Inn at Tryon Road and W.T.Harris Blvd about 1:30, way too early to check in. We found a TGIFriday's nearby and had a good lunch.
When we got into our room, Linda wanted me to get some beer, so I went back out to the nearby WalMart (I think there's one nearby everywhere). It being race weekend, the parking lot was full, but I found a spot way out and walked in.
(Quick joke -- what do you get when you mix WalMart people with NASCAR people? More WalMart people!)
It's almost 6, and we're probably just gonna crash, and get plenty of sleep for tomorrow's ride. We're gonna try to get to ZMax by 7:30 or so.
We had a terrific ride from Florence to Monroe, North Carolina. For much of it, we were the only ones on the road. North of Hartsville, the road is large -- four lanes, with a wide median -- and the dotted lines blinked by like morse code. The weather was absolutely perfect -- 75 degrees, sunny, no clouds at all. Just blue sky above, and the road below.
Of course, all that changes when you hit Independance Blvd, just into Monroe. And it was 22 miles of heavy traffic, with the typical metropolitan drivers weaving in and out. We took our time, and managed to keep our sanity.
We pulled in to the Microtel Inn at Tryon Road and W.T.Harris Blvd about 1:30, way too early to check in. We found a TGIFriday's nearby and had a good lunch.
When we got into our room, Linda wanted me to get some beer, so I went back out to the nearby WalMart (I think there's one nearby everywhere). It being race weekend, the parking lot was full, but I found a spot way out and walked in.
(Quick joke -- what do you get when you mix WalMart people with NASCAR people? More WalMart people!)
It's almost 6, and we're probably just gonna crash, and get plenty of sleep for tomorrow's ride. We're gonna try to get to ZMax by 7:30 or so.
Kyle Petty's Ride to Victory IX-- October 16, 2011
Finally, it's time to ride!
I've been looking forward to this ride for months. We took this ride last year, and had a really good time. We signed up for this trip as soon as they began taking applications.
Victory Junction is a year-round camping environment for children ages six to 16 with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son Adam, the camp is located in Randleman, NC, with a proposed second location in Kansas City, KS. Victory Junction offers programs for a range of disease groups and maintains strong relationships with more than 30 partner hospitals. Victory Junction’s mission is to provide life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment. As a not-for-profit organization, the camp operates solely through the support of generous individuals, groups and corporations to provide this experience at no charge to children and their families.
The ride will begin at ZMax Dragway, across from the Charlotte Motor Speedway, at about 9:30 on Sunday morning. We'll ride to Harley-Davidson of Asheville, via Lake Lure. Last year, there were about 400 bikes, and 500 riders. I hope there are more! Yes, the race is tonight; last year we paraded past the remaining campers on our way out, and they seemed to enjoy it.
It's about 54 degrees here in Florence right now, but it's expected to warm up. Tomorrow morning in Charlotte, the low is expected to be 45 -- brr! We're packing for cooler weather.
This year, Linda and I are taking advantage of the trip to take a long weekend. We'll be staying in Asheville overnight, and on Monday morning, we plan to travel to Maggie Valley, and then on to the Blue Ridge Parkway, where we'll loop back around to Greenville for the night. The ride should be about 145 miles, and some of the most beautiful scenery in the area.
We'll be taking lots of pictures, and I'll try to post them each night from the hotels (3 hotels in three nights -- I think I'm going for a record!). I am determined to get some video from the Blue Ridge Parkway. Keep your fingers crossed!
Monday morning in Maggie Valley is forecast for 40 degrees, but it should warm up to about 75 -- perfect weather for a ride through the mountains.
By the way, you can make a $10 donation to Victory Junction by texting the word RIDE to 27722 on your mobile phone. Let me know if you do; I'd be interested to know how many people donate to this worthy charity.
Stay tuned!
I've been looking forward to this ride for months. We took this ride last year, and had a really good time. We signed up for this trip as soon as they began taking applications.
Victory Junction is a year-round camping environment for children ages six to 16 with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son Adam, the camp is located in Randleman, NC, with a proposed second location in Kansas City, KS. Victory Junction offers programs for a range of disease groups and maintains strong relationships with more than 30 partner hospitals. Victory Junction’s mission is to provide life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment. As a not-for-profit organization, the camp operates solely through the support of generous individuals, groups and corporations to provide this experience at no charge to children and their families.
The ride will begin at ZMax Dragway, across from the Charlotte Motor Speedway, at about 9:30 on Sunday morning. We'll ride to Harley-Davidson of Asheville, via Lake Lure. Last year, there were about 400 bikes, and 500 riders. I hope there are more! Yes, the race is tonight; last year we paraded past the remaining campers on our way out, and they seemed to enjoy it.
It's about 54 degrees here in Florence right now, but it's expected to warm up. Tomorrow morning in Charlotte, the low is expected to be 45 -- brr! We're packing for cooler weather.
This year, Linda and I are taking advantage of the trip to take a long weekend. We'll be staying in Asheville overnight, and on Monday morning, we plan to travel to Maggie Valley, and then on to the Blue Ridge Parkway, where we'll loop back around to Greenville for the night. The ride should be about 145 miles, and some of the most beautiful scenery in the area.
We'll be taking lots of pictures, and I'll try to post them each night from the hotels (3 hotels in three nights -- I think I'm going for a record!). I am determined to get some video from the Blue Ridge Parkway. Keep your fingers crossed!
Monday morning in Maggie Valley is forecast for 40 degrees, but it should warm up to about 75 -- perfect weather for a ride through the mountains.
By the way, you can make a $10 donation to Victory Junction by texting the word RIDE to 27722 on your mobile phone. Let me know if you do; I'd be interested to know how many people donate to this worthy charity.
Stay tuned!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Wildwood, NJ -- August 7th, 2011
We checked out of the Red Roof Inn in Virginia Beach around 7 this morning, and started on the northward trek across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. It wasn't very hot, but the humidity made up for it. It was cloudy, and the ride across the bay was nice and easy. After getting the 360 degree view last year on the bikes, it was anticlimatic.
The ride was uneventful up the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and we made good time. We arrived at the Lewes Ferry port at 10:20, 5 minutes after the ferry left. Oh, well. We hit the gift shop and bought some new hats.
Funny thing is, the hats (with Cape May Ferry logos on them) were imported by a company in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We had to travel 500 miles to get a hat from 70 miles away!
When we got to the hotel, we were able to check in right away, and we spent the afternoon with the family in the pool.
Anyway, we're safe in Wildwood for the week. I'll update this blog if there's something to report, or we get some good pictures. We're planning to do a carriage ride in Cape May, and it should be interesting.
The ride was uneventful up the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and we made good time. We arrived at the Lewes Ferry port at 10:20, 5 minutes after the ferry left. Oh, well. We hit the gift shop and bought some new hats.
Funny thing is, the hats (with Cape May Ferry logos on them) were imported by a company in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We had to travel 500 miles to get a hat from 70 miles away!
When we got to the hotel, we were able to check in right away, and we spent the afternoon with the family in the pool.
Anyway, we're safe in Wildwood for the week. I'll update this blog if there's something to report, or we get some good pictures. We're planning to do a carriage ride in Cape May, and it should be interesting.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Wildwood NJ -- August 6 - August 14, 2011
Dateline Virginia Beach, August 6th, 3PM
We watched the weather carefully for a week, trying to determine what the weather would bring for our trip. After two months of over-the-top heat (so many days over 100 degrees), and weather prognostications that showed the weekend to have between 30 and 60 percent chances of "Isolated Thunderstorms," we hoped for a break that would allow us to take the motorcycles like we did last year. Finally, this morning we decided that the chances of rain were just a little over our comfort zone, and we decided to take the car.
Don't get me wrong, we've ridden in the rain (see our Savaanah posts), and while it's not the best travel, if it's only brief storms, we would still ride. As it turned out, our decision proved to be the right one.
We left around 9 this morning, under cloudy skies. While the temperature wasn't too bad, the humidity was high, and I was sweating from loading the car. We got on I-95 and moved north, running about 78 mph and making good time.
Not far after Fayetteville, we started noticing the oncoming vehicles were using their wipers, so we knew we were going to hit some rain. Did we ever! Between the hard rain and the vehicle splash, visibility was somewhere around 40 feet, and we were slowed to between 40 and 50 mph for most of 100 miles or so. It was tense driving, lots of brake lights and amazingly, no wrecks.
As we crossed the state line into Virginia, the rain slackened, and when we stopped for lunch in Emporia (10 miles from the border), the rain was gone. In fact, as we turned east on Highway 58 towards Norfolk, I noticed the road was dry!
We did hit a shower or two in the 90 mile run from Emporia to Norfolk, but nothing like in North Carolina.
We pulled in to the Red Roof Inn on Northampton Blvd in Virginia Beach around 2:45, and checked in. You may recall that we stayed here on the way up last year, and I dropped my keyring on the floor and left it behind. The Desk Clerk (Linda) found it, and kept it at the front desk for me, and we picked it up on the way back.
Well, Miss Linda was here today, and, in front of her boss, I told her that, because of her kindness last year, we made reservations for this year, both going and returning. I hope that the compliments did not go unnoticed by her boss, and I know she was grateful. She did remember us from last year, and that we rode in on the motorcycles.
Tonight, we'll probably head across the street to the sports bar for dinner. Then in the morning we'll head across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. I'm hoping we'll get some video of the ride, and I'll tell you about it when we reach New Jersey. Can't wait to get my "toes in the water, ass in the sand!"
Life is good today.
We watched the weather carefully for a week, trying to determine what the weather would bring for our trip. After two months of over-the-top heat (so many days over 100 degrees), and weather prognostications that showed the weekend to have between 30 and 60 percent chances of "Isolated Thunderstorms," we hoped for a break that would allow us to take the motorcycles like we did last year. Finally, this morning we decided that the chances of rain were just a little over our comfort zone, and we decided to take the car.
Don't get me wrong, we've ridden in the rain (see our Savaanah posts), and while it's not the best travel, if it's only brief storms, we would still ride. As it turned out, our decision proved to be the right one.
We left around 9 this morning, under cloudy skies. While the temperature wasn't too bad, the humidity was high, and I was sweating from loading the car. We got on I-95 and moved north, running about 78 mph and making good time.
Not far after Fayetteville, we started noticing the oncoming vehicles were using their wipers, so we knew we were going to hit some rain. Did we ever! Between the hard rain and the vehicle splash, visibility was somewhere around 40 feet, and we were slowed to between 40 and 50 mph for most of 100 miles or so. It was tense driving, lots of brake lights and amazingly, no wrecks.
As we crossed the state line into Virginia, the rain slackened, and when we stopped for lunch in Emporia (10 miles from the border), the rain was gone. In fact, as we turned east on Highway 58 towards Norfolk, I noticed the road was dry!
We did hit a shower or two in the 90 mile run from Emporia to Norfolk, but nothing like in North Carolina.
We pulled in to the Red Roof Inn on Northampton Blvd in Virginia Beach around 2:45, and checked in. You may recall that we stayed here on the way up last year, and I dropped my keyring on the floor and left it behind. The Desk Clerk (Linda) found it, and kept it at the front desk for me, and we picked it up on the way back.
Well, Miss Linda was here today, and, in front of her boss, I told her that, because of her kindness last year, we made reservations for this year, both going and returning. I hope that the compliments did not go unnoticed by her boss, and I know she was grateful. She did remember us from last year, and that we rode in on the motorcycles.
Tonight, we'll probably head across the street to the sports bar for dinner. Then in the morning we'll head across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. I'm hoping we'll get some video of the ride, and I'll tell you about it when we reach New Jersey. Can't wait to get my "toes in the water, ass in the sand!"
Life is good today.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Savannah Road Trip: Sunday, May 30, 2011
We headed out to breakfast around 8 am, and found the Cobblestone Restaurant in an old building just west of the Hyatt. You had to walk up the alley, and enter through a door that reminded me of something from the 1800’s, and looked to be about that old. The booths along the outside wall sloped inwards; the ones on the inside wall did not, though not as much. The food was good, the coffee just passable, but it got us ready for the day. Back to the hotel to pack.
I went looking for a cart, and I was told that the bell hops would come and bring our stuff down. I’m not crazy about being forced to accept their services, and it wasn’t that much luggage, so we carried it down ourselves.
At the desk, the clerk asked how we enjoyed our stay, and I told her about the same as I mentioned in the Saturday blog: the location was the best, the room was fine, but I could get a room equal to or better than the one we had for better than half the price just about anywhere. Even that wasn’t too big a deal, as we knew what the cost of the room would be when we reserved it. What I wasn’t happy about were the extra charges for the “nothings.” They charged us $10 a night per motorcycle per day ($40 if you don’t want to do the math), and we had to park our own, and we parked them in one space! I told her that, anywhere else (except the Hilton), Internet access was included. While the concierge was helpful, I could have walked out to the girl at the curb and signed up for the carriage tour; the concierge actually made a call to talk to someone less than 100 feet away.
I told her that I wasn’t as much complaining as wanting to get my misgivings on the record. Companies should know that their customers resent the hidden charges and such. I wasn’t angry, I was just giving her my opinion. The next thing I knew, she had whacked $100 from the bill, leaving it cheaper than the original daily charge. I tried to explain that it wasn’t my intent to get her to do that, but she insisted that she wanted to be sure I was satisfied with our stay, and would come back.
We got on the road for home around 10:15, and were quickly in South Carolina, where the first things I saw were a fireworks stand and a nudie bar – great gateway sites for our state! We had plenty of time, nowhere to be, so we agreed to stay off the Interstate if we could. What a great decision that was!
The skies were a bit overcast in the morning, but quickly gave way to white fluffy clouds and beautiful blue sky before noon. We cruised along, traveling up Highway 17, the miles rolling under our wheels smoothly. We crossed over I-95 once, then had to get on it for a few miles, then got back off and headed towards Charleston.
Traffic was light as we passed through The Holy City (Charleston – named for the many church steeples visible in the skyline), and we were soon crossing the tall bridge into Mount Pleasant, The USS Yorktown standing proudly at Patriot Point.
Mount Pleasant was the most un-pleasant part of the ride, as it had the trifecta of items to ruin a road trip: traffic, construction and lots of red lights. I think we hit one green light for every 4 red lights through there. Finally we turned onto Highway 41 and headed towards Andrews. I didn’t realize just how far it was up that highway, but there was no traffic, and we had beautiful scenery to keep us interested. We stopped for gas in Jamestown, where we found some older (older than us!) bikers that were interested in our bikes. We chatted with them as we had something to drink, then it was back on the road.
The towns flew by: Andrews, Hemingway, Johnsonville, Kingsburg, and we were on Old River Road, the last leg of the journey. Nice curvy road, sun filtered through the trees, speed limit 55, and no traffic. It doesn’t get much better!
We were hungry by then, so we turned up on 327 and headed toward Red Bone Alley for an early dinner before heading home and jumping in the pool to try and cool off the sunburn.
All in all, the ride home was an additional 50 miles, and about 2 extra hours. But it was a much better ride, on a much better day, and truly worth the detour.
Our next scheduled adventure is over the 4th of July weekend, when we’re riding to Charlotte for the weekend, where we’ll go to the Verizon Amphitheater to see Zac Brown. Can’t wait!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Savannah Road Trip: Saturday, May 27, 2011
The Hyatt Regency Hotel has one thing that makes it worth staying there – the location. Little else is included. There is a concierge, and she can help get things going, but it’s nothing you can’t do for yourself. The rooms are about the same as any other hotel we’ve stayed at (some for half the price have been much better), the bathroom is smaller than most, parking is extra, Internet access is extra, and no refrigerator in the room. But being right downtown on River Walk has been really nice.
We headed down for breakfast Saturday morning, and decided against the 18.95 breakfast buffet at the hotel, so we headed out to the walk, finding Huey’s, a small restaurant not far from the hotel. Linen tablecloths, quiet atmosphere, good coffee and a delicious breakfast.
Darlington had thunderstorms the night before, and there were some problems with the systems at work, so I had to connect to the Internet after all. We worked out the issues in about an hour, and headed down to the concierge to ask about the carriage rides that stopped out front. She arranged everything and called to reserve our seats on the 11 o’clock tour. We could have stepped out front and spoke to the girl that she had called, but I guess everybody needs a job, right?w
The weather on Saturday was much better than Friday, and it was sunny and warm for our carriage ride. Our tour guide gave us a history lesson as we rode.
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| Our Carriage |
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| We had another couple take our picture, and we took theirs. |
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| Our Guide. |
Savannah is an interesting town, with a mix of architectures from the 1830’s on up. Several huge fires over the last 150 years have destroyed parts of the city, and the rebuilds after each changed the look of the city. Now there are groups trying to restore some of the grandeur that Georgia’s oldest city once had. In order to build or rebuild here you have to have your plans approved, and they won’t be unless you are going to have your designs complement the area. It’s working, as we saw a building that was put up in the 1990’s that looked the same as the one next door from the 1830’s!
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| The first of many houses that were saved from demolition and restored. |
There are 22 squares in the town out of the original 24 that General Oglethorpe laid out. Apparently, his plan for defending against an attack by the Spanish back then was to bring the outlying farmers and their livestock inside the city walls. The livestock could be kept in the squares during the siege. Afterwards, the farmers could return their livestock to their farms and rebuild. Savannah was never actually attacked, but it seems like a good plan. The squares now contain monuments and plaques to the various famous people in the area, including Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts.
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| One of the squares around town. |
The tour was slow moving, and fun. It lasted almost an hour, and we arrived back at the hotel for lunch. Across the street, we discovered the Moon River Brewing Company, a microbrewery using the old City Hotel. We stopped in and had a couple of their own beers and appetizers (we have reservations for the dinner cruise, and didn’t need to fill up) before heading back to the room for naps.
By the time we got up and dressed we had about an hour to spare before boarding, so we sat on the patio overlooking the River Walk and enjoyed the breezes coming off the river. The river traffic was heavy, and several large container ships came through on their way to the harbor. These giants dwarfed the two tour boats as they lumbered slowly by.
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| Showdown on the river. |
We were the first ones to board the River Queen, and were shown to our table by the windows. The couples on either side of us were friendly, and we passed the time while we waited for dinner with drinks and conversation, while listening to a “lounge singer” type croon out old tunes, styling them in ways you may never have heard (and in some cases, never wanted to, either!).
The food was served buffet style, and they came to each table to let you get in line. It kept the line shorter, and you didn’t have to stand there as long. There were large shrimp, pork and beef roasts, and potatoes and vegetables. The desserts were varied and sweet, and we enjoyed everything. John, our waiter, reminded me of Larry from the “Larry, Darryl and my other brother Darryl” fame from the old Newhart show. He was attentive and friendly, and apologized profusely when he knocked over a beer on his tray, splashing Linda. She kept her good graces though, and used the dryer in the ladies room to dry her blouse.
After dinner, our entertainer pulled people from the audience to participate, and I was chosen to come up and don a sombrero and shake a maraca (along with 5 other guys) to the tune “Under The Boardwalk” with a bit of Jimmy Buffet style. Once you’re up there, you might as well go with the flow, so I danced and shook my maracas with the best of ‘em, and tried to encourage the others to let go and have some fun. Later, I had several ladies come up to me and tell me I was a “good sport.”
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| Shaking our maracas! |
Next, Linda got up and did the twist, and the girl next to us declared that she should go up alone and joined her. That started more of the ladies to go up and dance, until there were ten or more.
We danced a slow dance together (something we don’t do too often), and enjoyed being with each other. After our entertainer did the basic line dance numbers we headed to the bow of the ship to watch the lights of Savannah as we returned to the dock, around 9 o’clock. One quick drink at the hotel, and it was back up to the room for bed.
Sunday we’ll be heading back to Florence, and I’m looking forward to the ride, as it’s supposed to hit about 90 degrees and mostly sunny. Should be a great ride to top off a great weekend.
Savannah Road Trip: Friday, May 26, 2011
Linda and I have finally made our plans to visit Savannah. We had wanted to see this old city each time we passed on our way back from Daytona, but by the time we got this close to home, we just wanted to continue. This time, Savannah would be our destination, and Memorial Day weekend seemed like the perfect time.
The weather man hasn’t been cooperating. While it had been hot and mostly sunny all week, there was a “thirty percent chance of isolated thunderstorms.” Normally this translates to “normal summer weather” around here, as the heat and humidity work to cook up the afternoon showers.
We woke this morning to scuddy clouds and brief bursts of sunshine, and checked the weather again. No change in the precipitation percentages, at least in Savannah, and it was finally agreed that we would take the bikes. We packed and loaded up, and we were headed out at 10 am.
Our route was another decision that took some doing. While I-95 is the fastest way to get there, it’s by no means the most pleasant ride, and I wanted to take the side roads as much as possible. This would have meant driving down Highway 52 towards Charleston, then working our way around through Summerville, and only taking the Interstate for a short jaunt before getting back on Highway 321 to take us to Bay Street, where we have reservations at the Hyatt-Regency.
Linda reminded me that Spoleto, Charleston’s Arts program, was starting up this weekend, which would greatly add to the traffic. Sitting still on a motorcycle on a crowded road is even less fun than the Interstate. With the slight chance of rain and the congestion issues, we decided on the I-95 route.
At the last instant I decided to at least add some side-road travel, and we headed down Highway 301 through Effingham, Olanta and Turbeville, picking up I-95 some 30 miles further down the road. It’s not well travelled anymore, so we made good time.
Just north of Olanta I looked in the mirror and realized that I couldn’t see Linda’s headlights. Her fog lights were bright, but the normal headlamps (which are on when the bike is running and to my knowledge can’t be turned off) were dark. When we were able we pulled in to an abandoned Exxon station.
Before I could get off the bike, Linda had shut hers off. When she restarted it, the lights came on, making me wonder if it had been my imagination, or glare from the sun, or some other such phenomenon. Getting back on the road, when I looked back at her, I could see the lights clearly; they had definitely been out earlier. My guess is that there was an electronic glitch that turned them off, and restarting the bike had reset the glitch – rebooting always seems to help! I resolved to keep a close watch on them the rest of the trip, but they never went out again.
As we rode out of Turbeville towards I-95, drops of rain began to cling to the windshields, and the road was wet. It wasn’t too much, and we rode out of it before we turned on the ramp to the Interstate, so we kept going. Within 20 miles it was a different story. The ran began to come down in earnest, and just above Manning the visibility became poor enough that we pulled under an overpass to wait it out a bit.
As I’m trying to dry the windshields, the trucks roaring past were throwing enough spray to coat the insides of the shields! In about ten minutes the rain slacked off and I hurriedly wiped the water from both the inside and outside of the shields, from the dashboards and the seats. We took off again, and were soon back on dry road, where we began to dry as well.
As we crossed the bridge over Lake Marion, I looked east across the water. It looked like the rain was coming down about a mile from us, over the lake. We’ve been out there in a storm before – not a good thing.
For the rest of the ride, we rode in and out of smaller rain showers, but it was never bad enough to pull over again. They say that with a Goldwing, as long as you’re moving forward your not getting wet. Well, that’s not quite true, but we didn’t get soaked, and we dried quickly once the rain quit. That 30 percent chance of rain translated to us getting rained on for thirty percent of the ride.
I have to say that Linda is the best ride partner I can imagine. With the CB’s keeping us in contact, we work together to negotiate the traffic, and she is an expert at opening the left lane so I can move over to pass the slowpoke in the right lane. During the rain showers she pulled back a bit for safety, but not enough so that another car would pull between us. She’s a safe rider, experienced and cautious, alert and prepared for anything. That makes the trip even better. While I’ll always worry about her, I really don’t have to, so I can relax and enjoy the ride.
Walterboro marked the first hundred miles, and following our normal policy, took a break for lunch at a Zaxby’s just around noon. In thirty minutes we were back on the road, with only thirty miles of I-95 to go. We did see lightning off to the east, but we didn’t get much more than a sprinkling. At Ridgeland the Garmin directed us to exit to Highway 17 South, and we paralleled the Interstate for about twenty miles, mostly on two-lane blacktop, at 55 mph. This is more what we had in mind, and the ride was easy and traffic was light.
At Highway 321 we headed towards downtown Savannah, the rain threatening again. We crossed the bridge over the Savannah River, and exited to the “25 Connector” that would bring us to Bay Street. One funny note: on the maps, the road is listed as “25 Conn.” so the Garmin kept telling me to exit to the “25 Connecticut.”
We pulled up at the Hyatt and asked the valet parking attendant where we could park while we checked in. He directed us to follow him and he led us to the underground parking garage, where we were assigned to a “Compact Cars” space. We have a cone to use when we go out to reserve the space for us. The bikes are protected from the weather in a well-lighted area, and we took the elevator up to the front desk for checkin. As it was, we got them parked before the rain started up again.
Robert, our bell hop, brought us to our room, and brought in the bags. The room is nice enough. It faces the front of the building, and we can see that the carriage tours stop here. We hope to take one on Saturday, and as I’m finding out, we just need to check with the concierge to get things done.
At a friend’s suggestion, we wanted to go to the Crab Shack on Tybee Island for dinner tonight, and we knew we wanted to take the dinner cruise Saturday night on the paddle boat that docked just next to the hotel. The concierge suggested that we take a cab to the Crab Shack, and had a business card for “Big Mike’s Taxi” that would take us there. He made the arrangements for the dinner cruise, and we headed out to River Walk for a stroll in the light drizzle that stayed with us until about 5:30.
We actually walked to the end of River Walk and back, with a stop at The Warehouse for a beer. The Hyatt is actually built over Bay Street, and we passed it to take a free tour of an old, but working sailing ship. It’s in beautiful shape, and by this time the sun had come out, the cool breeze keeping the heat at bay. A beautiful afternoon.
We found this memorial near the ship. It honored the veterans from Chatham County that gave their lives in World War II. I thought it was a fitting reminder of what Memorial Day is all about, and I was amazed at the number of names that were inscribed in the bricks surrounding the memorial itself.
The doors we used to leave the hotel indicated that they couldn’t be used to get back in, so I wasn’t sure if there was another way from the back. As we were headed back, I recognized our bell hop, Robert. He took us to the door that, with our key card, got us back in to the hotel, and to what I think is the fourth bank of elevators in the hotel. This one takes you up to the lobby, where you transfer to the main glass elevators. You have to use your key card to go up to your floor on this one.
We were ready for dinner so we called Big Mike for a taxi, and he (not Big Mike) showed up within ten minutes. We made the thirty minute ride out to Tybee Island. The view across the marshes is beautiful, and in no time he dropped us at the Crab Shack. He suggested we give them a call about 25 minutes before we were ready to leave, and someone would come back and get us.
The Crab Shack was a good choice. There are several areas you can choose from to eat: inside (all screen-in so you still get the breeze), or outside by the water. There’s a separate bar and gift shop, as well as an alligator pond with small (three feet long) gators. We both got the Shrimp and Crab Leg combo. The tables have a hole in the center with a trash can below so you can through the peelings in. The food was delicious, and there was plenty of it.
We called Big Mike and then strolled around, the constant breeze refreshing. When we finally sat down to wait, it was only a few minutes before our same driver showed up and took us back to the Hyatt. The ride back is certainly different in the dark, as there are no streetlights out there. It was really the best way to get there and back, and while I wouldn’t call it cheap, I would call it reasonable.
We stopped in at the bar off the lobby, and sat overlooking Bay Street, listening to the street musician blowing his trumpet below us. He would play a few bars from some song, then move on to another. We heard “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the theme songs from “The Munsters” and “The Brady Bunch,” and as one girl walked past him, a bit of the old stripper music. Funny!
All in all, a really great day. Looking forward to Saturday as we try to pack in as much tourist-type adventure as we can.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Daytona Bike Week 2011 -- March 4th - March 11th
I always put the most recent entries for the trip at the top, so if you're not keeping up, start at the bottom!
Thursday, March 10th
After a week of going and doing, we had some down time today while the rains came through and soaked the area. At about 7 this morning during a short break in the rains, I watched one guy spend 30 minutes drying his bike, only to have the rains come back and wet it down again. Doesn't anybody else check the weather?
We did some laundry this morning so we don't have to when we get home. By the time we finished it was clearing up outside, so we ventured out to TGI Fridays for lunch (20% off with our hotel key -- nice). We had intended to go to the Kennedy Space Visitor's Center today, but by the time we got out, we figured we wouldn't have the time. Next year we'll put it earlier on the agenda (another good excuse to come back next year).
We finally decided to take a ride to the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse. It's about 16 miles down Atlantic Avenue, along the coast. I passed the parking lot (I think I did that last year, too), and went around the bend to find the Lighthouse Landing, a small restaurant at the Ponce Inlet. We could hear acoustic guitar playing, so we parked and headed back to the deck that overlooked the inlet. We had a beer and listened to some great music for a while before heading back to the hotel.
After being here for a week, and staying in a hotel right on the beach, we finally headed down to the ocean. I put my "toes in the water, ass in the sand," so I could at least say I'd done it. The water had to be in the low 60's, and we didn't stay long.
After a full week here, I think we're both looking forward to heading north tomorrow. We've had a really great time, and had some good rides around the area. But tonight I think we'll repack everything so we can get on the road in the morning. Temperature is supposed to be around 47 tomorrow (about 10 degrees warmer then when we left Florence), so it shouldn't be too bad.
I'll post our stops on Facebook for those who may worry about us on the road. If we decide to stop in Savannah, that will be another adventure! Thanks for reading, and I hope it was entertaining.
Wednesday, March 9th
Today is the day that the Cabbagepatch has the Cole Slaw Wrestling, so we decided to head on over. We had to pass the Speedway again, an 8 lane traffic jam at any time of the day. Once we got past I-95 (and after correcting for an error in navigation -- mine) we headed ten miles down Tomoka Farms Road. As we neared our destination, we saw developments with signs like "Quiet Country Living," "A Peaceful Place In The Country." Then we hit Sopotnick's Cabbage Patch Bar, and well over 1,000 motorcycles.
This is just one parking area, across from the event -- I saw at least three others around it.
We were met at the crossing by a lovely Indian maiden who was happy to pose for us:
When they saw me posing with her, the Donnely brothers insisted that Linda pose with them:
For the most part, the event is like most at this kind of thing -- a lot of tents with a lot of stuff to buy, from t-shirts to leather goods, and anything motorcycle-related in between. When you first walk in you see the fenced in area. To the right is a mound about 8 feet high, and there were trucks backed up to it, apparently throwing cabbage heads into shredders, making the cole slaw. To the right there was a huge Clydesdale. Stop looking at the twins in the foreground, and you'll see the horse!
At the Best Butt contest, Linda told me to go up to the stage and enjoy. I just did what she told me to do!
We did get some good food -- Full Moon was offering a Beef Brisket dinner. It was good food (for a change)! Afterwards we walked up Main Street and back, and headed for the hotel. Another good day of riding and seeing the sights.
Tuesday, March 8th
We started Tuesday with a drive on The Loop, a 23 mile ride highlighting the beauty of Florida. It takes you through some beautiful residential areas, along the Halifax River, through the Tomeka State Park, and over the Intercoastal Waterway, winding back to Ormond Beach. The trees overlap the road and the sunshine dapples the road as you cruise through some of the prettiest scenery around.
I think I finally worked out some of the issues around the video camera, but I only got about half of the ride around The Loop. I'll edit out some of it (the full file is over two gig) and post it later.
We stopped at a bridge across the Halifax River to take some pictures.
Later, we headed for Iron Horse Saloon for the afternoon. It's north of Ormond Beach on US 1, and it's a great place to have fun. When we got there, this band was playing (I didn't get their name, sorry). They played older songs with their own style. Like CCR's "Midnight Special" with a Cajun rythym. When they did "The Devil Went Down To Georgia," this girl fiddled better than Charlie Daniels!
Next on stage were a pair of crazy biker celebrities Allen Ross and Hank Rotten Jr. They've been performing at Bike Rallys for 30 years, from Daytona to Sturgis. Songs include "Harley in the Rain," "Alcohall of Fame," "Grandpa Snorts Viagra," and other songs. We laughed through two sets, and bought their albums They are funny, and just plain friendly folk.
This girl was so taken with Ross and Rotten's music, she just had to get up and dance. The guy in the orange shirt dancing with her is just some guy that was inspired to dance with her.
Some other pics from Iron Horse:
OK, one last picture. We thought this guy looked like Floyd Pepper, the guitar player from The Muppets Show!
All in all a beautiful day, a great ride, a lot of fun and music. This is what our trip is all about!
Monday, March 7th
Today it was predicted to be cooler than the weekend -- temps starting out in the 50's, moving up to 70 by 3 o'clock. I think it got a little warmer, but maybe only 75. Still, beautiful weather for riding.
After breakfast, we put on our leathers, and headed north up the A1A to St. Augustine. It's about 50 miles away, and winds it's way through some very pretty seaside towns and marsh lands. I had intended to get video of the ride, but I'm having problems figuring out the video camera. Instead of video, I got two still photos -- one of me turning it on, and one of me turning it off. I've downloaded the instructions, and I'll try again on Tuesday.
The intent of the ride (apart from a beautiful 100 mile ride), was to see how the Bridge of Lions came out. When we were in St. Augustine in 2007, there was a temporary bridge, and they were rebuilding the original that had opened in 1927. There are supposed to be two marble lions that guard the entrance to the drawbridge.
For much of the ride, the Atlantic Ocean is visible to the east, and the colors of the water ranged from deep green to light green. At the midway point in the ride at the Matanzas Inlet, as you cross the bridge, the ocean is to the east, and the Intercoastal Waterway is to the left.
The bridge itself is complete, and it's really beautiful. They merged new technology with the traditional look to stay in character with the town itself. But the lions are missing!
We drove around town for a bit, passing the Flagler College cafeteria, where you can see the original Tiffany glass windows (protected by plexiglass because of their value), the original City Gate (400+ years old) and the Castillo de San Marco fort that has guarded St. Augustine from the beginning. Really, if you've never been here, you should visit. Take the Little Red Train tour through town and learn it's history. It will be worth the trip.
We recrossed the bridge, and went to the Oasis, a small eatery that we visited last time. Good food, and they "welcome bikers" -- it says so on their sign! We sat upstairs and watched the bikes go by while we ate. I asked Jane, our waitress, about the missing lions. She told us that it was in the weekend paper that they would be back in place -- in two weeks! Oh, well -- a good excuse to come back next year.
It was warming up nicely as we took our time returning to Daytona Beach, and we enjoyed the sights along the way. We were surprised at how fast the trip was over, which is a sign of a good ride.
We headed down to International Speedway Boulevard, to the Honda Pavilion (hey, we own Goldwings). The tents were set up right outside the Daytona Speedway.
The Honda Pavilion stands out nicely:
Even more of a standout is the new 2012 Goldwing. In response to the economy downturn and the soft motorcycle sales, Honda elected to not put out a 2011 line of Goldwings, so the dealers could sell off the 2010's. Considering that there were only minor (mostly cosmetic) changes from 2008 through 2010, it didn't seem to matter. But the 2012 has some new design work that makes them look great.
I think they ride a bit lower than the previous models. I could put my feet down flat while sitting back in the seat. On my bike, I have to move a bit forward to put my feet down like that.
We wandered around some more, bought more souvenirs and enjoyed the afternoon. The ride back up International Speedway Blvd was stop and go all the way to the bridge. We headed back to the room around 4 for naps (seems to be a trend, but after 8 hours riding and walking, we were tired). By the time we got up, we didn't feel like finding someplace to eat. Fortunately, there's an IHOP across from the hotel, so we grabbed a bite and went back.
A great day for a ride (as are most days)!
Sunday, March 6th
We were expecting rain today. That's what all the weather sites had been predicting all week. The maps indicated the front would come through and it would rain on and off all day. Well, one day out of 7 ain't too bad. We planned to stay in, do laundry, and just hang out.
When Linda got up, we headed out for breakfast. We found a small place on Granada, across the bridge on the mainland, and enjoyed a relatively inexpensive but very good meal. We went across the street to the Winn-Dixie to pick up some supplies and found that Ormond Beach has a rule that you can't buy beer on Sunday until noon (we weren't planning on drinking it that early, we just figured we'd stock the fridge). We ended up having to head for the Publix in Daytona Beach to get the beer supplies. We got at most 5 or 6 drops of rain on us, but it looked like it was going to start raining right on schedule.
However, once back in the room, the sun came out, and Weather.com's map showed that the rain had passed. We decided to head to Beach Street and see the sights. If it rained, we'd take cover, and wait it out. Are we glad we did! In no time, the skies cleared and we had a beautiful day. We went from the skies in the picture on the left, to the ones on the right in a few hours.
I found the patch I've been looking for to go on the back of my vest. It just fits, and I think it looks great!
Linda fell in love with a new leather jacket. I'll post a picture of that later. It's really beautiful.
One of the bands was warming up for tonight, performing some really cool R&B. We split a sausage dog as we listened to the music. The sun was warm, the breeze was cool (but not too cool), the music was way cool, and life is good!
There are some distinct differences between the Main Street and the Beeach Street venues. Beach Street's activities center around the Harley-Davidson dealership, while Main Street is a more narrow road with bars and shops on either side. Beach Street has several dealers along the way, with makeshift stands for the vendors.
Came back to the room and got in a nap, then went to Barnacles for Surf 'n Turf -- 14 oz. NY Strip and Shrimp Scampi. Delicious!
Getting the laundry done tonight, and looking forward to heading up to St. Augustine tomorrow along the A1A. I'm gonna see if I can get some video on the ride. Stay tuned!
Saturday, March 5th
Up early (as usual), and at daybreak I headed down to the bikes. We had covered them the night before, but that little rainshower we had the evening before had messed them up a bit. Fortunately I brought the Ice Detailer Spray. This stuff is great for buffing out water marks and other stuff, and leaving the bikes slick enough so that the dirt doesn't stick. I cleaned and shined both bikes, sprayed and cleaned the seats and glass, and made them sparkle.
By the time I was done, Linda was up and we headed for breakfast in the hotel. Really good food, and too much of it! Then we headed south on the A1A towards Main Street, where the bikers cruise up and down while the vendors hawk their wares on either side of the street.
It was early, and many of the vendors were just getting set up, but we parked the trike and started walking. We bought our souveniers -- t-shirts, shot glass and beer glasses -- and enjoyed the 70 + degree weather, the people, and the bikes. We got our patches for our vests early, and Linda added a Shamrock to hers. I couldn't find a Slovenian patch, so I passed.
We made a full swing down and up Main Street, and took a break at Cruisin's, at the beginning of the street, and sat and watched the world go by. Here's our waitress:
From our vantage point, we could see the strange and wonderous sights that make up Bike Week:
After lunch we headed back to the hotel. On the way out, we could smell the wonderful aroma of barbeque, coming from Hog Heaven. We knew where we would eat dinner! We sat out on the pool deck and had a beer. The pool was probably around 65 degrees, but the sun was warm and the breeze was cool. When the sun went behind the hotel around 4 o'clock we headed back up to the room for naps (that's the great part of vacation -- lots of time for naps!)
We headed back down to Hog Heaven, and had to stand in line for about 15 minutes -- this place is popular! We shared a combo of baby-back ribs and chopped pork, with key lime pie for dessert -- plenty of food for the two of us.
To top off the night, a very dear friend of ours, Tausha White, happened to be in Ormond Beach for the day visiting friends. Tausha had moved to the Tampa Bay area several years ago, and we just don't see much of her anymore. We met her a Julian's, a nice lounge near our hotel and caught up. It was great to see her, and just another amazing coincidence that we seem to have on our adventures.
Sunday is supposed to be rainy, so we may not do much. But who knows what will happen?
Dateline: Daytona, March 4, 5PM
What a great day!
We were on the road by about 8 this morning. It was a very chilly 37 degrees in Florence, and we were dressed for it in layers. Linda remarked that she felt like the kid in Christmas Story in his snowsuit. I couldn't lift my arms over my shoulders! But we were warm.
Once we hit I-95, the miles rolled beneath our wheels as we headed south under overcast skies. It wasn't until we passed by Charleston that we saw the sun, and it was still only 42. But the traffic was light, and we kept going.
We kept to the 100-mile rule, and stopped at a BP station in Walterboro for gas and hot chocolate -- it was so good! Up until then we hadn't seen too many bikes, and even there, most of them were on trailers. I found it funny, because I deliberately wore my "I rode mine to Trailer Week" t-shirt!
Back on the road within 15 minutes or so, and we were passing Savannah in no time. Traffic got heavier, but we were doing about 77 mph. When we crossed the Georgia border, the road widened to 3 lanes, so we had few problems. On the other side of Savannah, we hit a road crew that slowed us down for about 10 minutes. I got to talk to a rider on a Harley as we moved in fits and starts. When we got passed the construction, we fell in line behind the Harley, and I noticed another guy fall in behind Linda. Suddenly we have a group ride as we followed the leader. It was pretty cool, that complete strangers can fall into the appropriate riding patterns (alternating sides of the lanes, two second rule, etc). Even better, the drivers in the cars and trucks thought we were all together, and gave us room. Cool!
After a while, we were on our own again, and still heading south at an amazing pace. The Garmin was telling us that we'd be at the hotel by 2:30. Of course, I knew that would change when we stopped for lunch, but still, we were making great time!
We stopped for gas and lunch at Darien, Georgia (about 90 miles from Jacksonville), and took a longer break. The temperature was beginning to climb and it was about 65 when we headed back out, so we stripped out of some of the shirts and scarves. The sun was shining, the sky was blue with mostly white clouds, and the wind began to pick up as we entered Florida.
Jacksonville was tougher, although we maintained a pretty good clip going through. When you get downtown the highway begins to curve back and forth, at about 70 mph. A lot of fun, except for the 4 lanes of trafiic moving with you. Not scary, but a time for real concentration -- watch the road ahead, watch the cars around you, watch out for each other.
We kept going until we got to the Palatka area, about 50 miles north of Daytona Beach. Quick stop for gas, and back on the road. We came in on US-1 and passed Iron Horse Saloon. It was already jammed with people, the road was coned off, and we can't wait to go back!
The Best Western in Ormond Beach is pretty nice, and accomodating for the bikers. They've cordoned of an area in front of the lobby for bikes, the room has a fridge (it now has beer and milk), we have our Keurig coffee maker for the morning, and all looks good! We have an "Ocean View" room. If you go on the balcony and lean over, you can see the ocean. Linda took this picture:
We went to the grocery store, and got caught in a quick rainshower on the way back. The rain was cold, but it looks like it's already passed. We're trying to figure out what to do for dinner. There's a German restaurant across the street. I think that, after 400 miles, we're going to crash early tonight, so we may just go there, and come back and hit the bed.
Preliminaries -- March 2, 2011
It's been a long winter when it comes to our adventures. While we've done several toy and poker runs, they really weren't enough to post about. Don't get me wrong -- we enjoyed them, and each other's company on the rides. They were just few and far between. I'm so glad Spring is coming!
We've been preparing for the Daytona Adventure since January, and I think we're finally ready. We've made a few upgrades to the bikes:
We'll take frequent breaks -- every 100 miles, and I'll enforce that rule. Since it's a 400 mile run, that means three stops. We'll get a stretch, something to drink, gas if we need it, and get back on the road. The ride is much easier that way.
We plan on taking a lot less clothes this year -- a couple pairs of jeans, a few shirts. Last year we bought 10 shirts while we were there. We can wear them! And we'll use the laundry facilities at the hotel. More room for souveniers!
Our plans include some side trips:
Thursday, March 10th
After a week of going and doing, we had some down time today while the rains came through and soaked the area. At about 7 this morning during a short break in the rains, I watched one guy spend 30 minutes drying his bike, only to have the rains come back and wet it down again. Doesn't anybody else check the weather?
We did some laundry this morning so we don't have to when we get home. By the time we finished it was clearing up outside, so we ventured out to TGI Fridays for lunch (20% off with our hotel key -- nice). We had intended to go to the Kennedy Space Visitor's Center today, but by the time we got out, we figured we wouldn't have the time. Next year we'll put it earlier on the agenda (another good excuse to come back next year).
We finally decided to take a ride to the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse. It's about 16 miles down Atlantic Avenue, along the coast. I passed the parking lot (I think I did that last year, too), and went around the bend to find the Lighthouse Landing, a small restaurant at the Ponce Inlet. We could hear acoustic guitar playing, so we parked and headed back to the deck that overlooked the inlet. We had a beer and listened to some great music for a while before heading back to the hotel.
After being here for a week, and staying in a hotel right on the beach, we finally headed down to the ocean. I put my "toes in the water, ass in the sand," so I could at least say I'd done it. The water had to be in the low 60's, and we didn't stay long.
After a full week here, I think we're both looking forward to heading north tomorrow. We've had a really great time, and had some good rides around the area. But tonight I think we'll repack everything so we can get on the road in the morning. Temperature is supposed to be around 47 tomorrow (about 10 degrees warmer then when we left Florence), so it shouldn't be too bad.
I'll post our stops on Facebook for those who may worry about us on the road. If we decide to stop in Savannah, that will be another adventure! Thanks for reading, and I hope it was entertaining.
Wednesday, March 9th
Today is the day that the Cabbagepatch has the Cole Slaw Wrestling, so we decided to head on over. We had to pass the Speedway again, an 8 lane traffic jam at any time of the day. Once we got past I-95 (and after correcting for an error in navigation -- mine) we headed ten miles down Tomoka Farms Road. As we neared our destination, we saw developments with signs like "Quiet Country Living," "A Peaceful Place In The Country." Then we hit Sopotnick's Cabbage Patch Bar, and well over 1,000 motorcycles.
We were met at the crossing by a lovely Indian maiden who was happy to pose for us:
I'm not sure -- can you tell if she enjoyed it?
There was a constant stream of bikes and cars going both ways on the road, and the county Sherrif's department did a fine job of keeping things moving, and getting everyone across.
For the most part, the event is like most at this kind of thing -- a lot of tents with a lot of stuff to buy, from t-shirts to leather goods, and anything motorcycle-related in between. When you first walk in you see the fenced in area. To the right is a mound about 8 feet high, and there were trucks backed up to it, apparently throwing cabbage heads into shredders, making the cole slaw. To the right there was a huge Clydesdale. Stop looking at the twins in the foreground, and you'll see the horse!
We walked around the event, and picked out our souvenir t-shirts before finding a place in front of the cole slaw mound.
The girl in the picture above was selling beer to the people around the field while we waited. Yes, that's body paint, and two shells. I quipped "You know, I've heard that if you pick her up and hold her to your ear, you can hear her scream." Thanks to Ron White for the joke. It got a big laugh.
It was hot in the sun and they kept delaying the event. Finally they brought on the first two girls, and they did a best of three falls.
By the time the second match was started, we were tired of standing there in the crowd. You're so far from the cole slaw, you can get a better view in the tents on the televisions, but it's kind of like regular wrestling -- after a while you've seen enough. We headed to the tents to get something to drink (and to sit down) before heading out.
Cabbagepatch and Cole Slaw Wrestling is something that you need to see -- once.
We decided to head to Main Street to get something to eat, and see the sights. You've gotta love our timing -- we got to the Full Moon in time for the Best Butt Contest, then over to Dirty Harry's for the Wet T-Shirt Contest!
Yes, the girls in the picture above were shining boots -- I actually looked down at mine to see if I needed to have them done!
This girl was posing for tips. I really felt that I needed to help her out. Wouldn't you?
We did get some good food -- Full Moon was offering a Beef Brisket dinner. It was good food (for a change)! Afterwards we walked up Main Street and back, and headed for the hotel. Another good day of riding and seeing the sights.
Tuesday, March 8th
We started Tuesday with a drive on The Loop, a 23 mile ride highlighting the beauty of Florida. It takes you through some beautiful residential areas, along the Halifax River, through the Tomeka State Park, and over the Intercoastal Waterway, winding back to Ormond Beach. The trees overlap the road and the sunshine dapples the road as you cruise through some of the prettiest scenery around.
I think I finally worked out some of the issues around the video camera, but I only got about half of the ride around The Loop. I'll edit out some of it (the full file is over two gig) and post it later.
We stopped at a bridge across the Halifax River to take some pictures.
Later, we headed for Iron Horse Saloon for the afternoon. It's north of Ormond Beach on US 1, and it's a great place to have fun. When we got there, this band was playing (I didn't get their name, sorry). They played older songs with their own style. Like CCR's "Midnight Special" with a Cajun rythym. When they did "The Devil Went Down To Georgia," this girl fiddled better than Charlie Daniels!
Next on stage were a pair of crazy biker celebrities Allen Ross and Hank Rotten Jr. They've been performing at Bike Rallys for 30 years, from Daytona to Sturgis. Songs include "Harley in the Rain," "Alcohall of Fame," "Grandpa Snorts Viagra," and other songs. We laughed through two sets, and bought their albums They are funny, and just plain friendly folk.
This girl was so taken with Ross and Rotten's music, she just had to get up and dance. The guy in the orange shirt dancing with her is just some guy that was inspired to dance with her.
Some other pics from Iron Horse:
OK, one last picture. We thought this guy looked like Floyd Pepper, the guitar player from The Muppets Show!
All in all a beautiful day, a great ride, a lot of fun and music. This is what our trip is all about!
Monday, March 7th
Today it was predicted to be cooler than the weekend -- temps starting out in the 50's, moving up to 70 by 3 o'clock. I think it got a little warmer, but maybe only 75. Still, beautiful weather for riding.
After breakfast, we put on our leathers, and headed north up the A1A to St. Augustine. It's about 50 miles away, and winds it's way through some very pretty seaside towns and marsh lands. I had intended to get video of the ride, but I'm having problems figuring out the video camera. Instead of video, I got two still photos -- one of me turning it on, and one of me turning it off. I've downloaded the instructions, and I'll try again on Tuesday.
The intent of the ride (apart from a beautiful 100 mile ride), was to see how the Bridge of Lions came out. When we were in St. Augustine in 2007, there was a temporary bridge, and they were rebuilding the original that had opened in 1927. There are supposed to be two marble lions that guard the entrance to the drawbridge.
For much of the ride, the Atlantic Ocean is visible to the east, and the colors of the water ranged from deep green to light green. At the midway point in the ride at the Matanzas Inlet, as you cross the bridge, the ocean is to the east, and the Intercoastal Waterway is to the left.
The bridge itself is complete, and it's really beautiful. They merged new technology with the traditional look to stay in character with the town itself. But the lions are missing!
We drove around town for a bit, passing the Flagler College cafeteria, where you can see the original Tiffany glass windows (protected by plexiglass because of their value), the original City Gate (400+ years old) and the Castillo de San Marco fort that has guarded St. Augustine from the beginning. Really, if you've never been here, you should visit. Take the Little Red Train tour through town and learn it's history. It will be worth the trip.
We recrossed the bridge, and went to the Oasis, a small eatery that we visited last time. Good food, and they "welcome bikers" -- it says so on their sign! We sat upstairs and watched the bikes go by while we ate. I asked Jane, our waitress, about the missing lions. She told us that it was in the weekend paper that they would be back in place -- in two weeks! Oh, well -- a good excuse to come back next year.
It was warming up nicely as we took our time returning to Daytona Beach, and we enjoyed the sights along the way. We were surprised at how fast the trip was over, which is a sign of a good ride.
We headed down to International Speedway Boulevard, to the Honda Pavilion (hey, we own Goldwings). The tents were set up right outside the Daytona Speedway.
The Honda Pavilion stands out nicely:
We wandered around some more, bought more souvenirs and enjoyed the afternoon. The ride back up International Speedway Blvd was stop and go all the way to the bridge. We headed back to the room around 4 for naps (seems to be a trend, but after 8 hours riding and walking, we were tired). By the time we got up, we didn't feel like finding someplace to eat. Fortunately, there's an IHOP across from the hotel, so we grabbed a bite and went back.
A great day for a ride (as are most days)!
Sunday, March 6th
We were expecting rain today. That's what all the weather sites had been predicting all week. The maps indicated the front would come through and it would rain on and off all day. Well, one day out of 7 ain't too bad. We planned to stay in, do laundry, and just hang out.
When Linda got up, we headed out for breakfast. We found a small place on Granada, across the bridge on the mainland, and enjoyed a relatively inexpensive but very good meal. We went across the street to the Winn-Dixie to pick up some supplies and found that Ormond Beach has a rule that you can't buy beer on Sunday until noon (we weren't planning on drinking it that early, we just figured we'd stock the fridge). We ended up having to head for the Publix in Daytona Beach to get the beer supplies. We got at most 5 or 6 drops of rain on us, but it looked like it was going to start raining right on schedule.
However, once back in the room, the sun came out, and Weather.com's map showed that the rain had passed. We decided to head to Beach Street and see the sights. If it rained, we'd take cover, and wait it out. Are we glad we did! In no time, the skies cleared and we had a beautiful day. We went from the skies in the picture on the left, to the ones on the right in a few hours.
I found the patch I've been looking for to go on the back of my vest. It just fits, and I think it looks great!
Linda fell in love with a new leather jacket. I'll post a picture of that later. It's really beautiful.
One of the bands was warming up for tonight, performing some really cool R&B. We split a sausage dog as we listened to the music. The sun was warm, the breeze was cool (but not too cool), the music was way cool, and life is good!
There are some distinct differences between the Main Street and the Beeach Street venues. Beach Street's activities center around the Harley-Davidson dealership, while Main Street is a more narrow road with bars and shops on either side. Beach Street has several dealers along the way, with makeshift stands for the vendors.
More pictures from Beach Street
Anybody wondering if I'm having a good time?
Getting the laundry done tonight, and looking forward to heading up to St. Augustine tomorrow along the A1A. I'm gonna see if I can get some video on the ride. Stay tuned!
Saturday, March 5th
Up early (as usual), and at daybreak I headed down to the bikes. We had covered them the night before, but that little rainshower we had the evening before had messed them up a bit. Fortunately I brought the Ice Detailer Spray. This stuff is great for buffing out water marks and other stuff, and leaving the bikes slick enough so that the dirt doesn't stick. I cleaned and shined both bikes, sprayed and cleaned the seats and glass, and made them sparkle.
By the time I was done, Linda was up and we headed for breakfast in the hotel. Really good food, and too much of it! Then we headed south on the A1A towards Main Street, where the bikers cruise up and down while the vendors hawk their wares on either side of the street.
It was early, and many of the vendors were just getting set up, but we parked the trike and started walking. We bought our souveniers -- t-shirts, shot glass and beer glasses -- and enjoyed the 70 + degree weather, the people, and the bikes. We got our patches for our vests early, and Linda added a Shamrock to hers. I couldn't find a Slovenian patch, so I passed.
We made a full swing down and up Main Street, and took a break at Cruisin's, at the beginning of the street, and sat and watched the world go by. Here's our waitress:
From our vantage point, we could see the strange and wonderous sights that make up Bike Week:
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| Yes, they're towing a boat! |
After lunch we headed back to the hotel. On the way out, we could smell the wonderful aroma of barbeque, coming from Hog Heaven. We knew where we would eat dinner! We sat out on the pool deck and had a beer. The pool was probably around 65 degrees, but the sun was warm and the breeze was cool. When the sun went behind the hotel around 4 o'clock we headed back up to the room for naps (that's the great part of vacation -- lots of time for naps!)
We headed back down to Hog Heaven, and had to stand in line for about 15 minutes -- this place is popular! We shared a combo of baby-back ribs and chopped pork, with key lime pie for dessert -- plenty of food for the two of us.
To top off the night, a very dear friend of ours, Tausha White, happened to be in Ormond Beach for the day visiting friends. Tausha had moved to the Tampa Bay area several years ago, and we just don't see much of her anymore. We met her a Julian's, a nice lounge near our hotel and caught up. It was great to see her, and just another amazing coincidence that we seem to have on our adventures.
Sunday is supposed to be rainy, so we may not do much. But who knows what will happen?
Dateline: Daytona, March 4, 5PM
What a great day!
We were on the road by about 8 this morning. It was a very chilly 37 degrees in Florence, and we were dressed for it in layers. Linda remarked that she felt like the kid in Christmas Story in his snowsuit. I couldn't lift my arms over my shoulders! But we were warm.
Once we hit I-95, the miles rolled beneath our wheels as we headed south under overcast skies. It wasn't until we passed by Charleston that we saw the sun, and it was still only 42. But the traffic was light, and we kept going.
We kept to the 100-mile rule, and stopped at a BP station in Walterboro for gas and hot chocolate -- it was so good! Up until then we hadn't seen too many bikes, and even there, most of them were on trailers. I found it funny, because I deliberately wore my "I rode mine to Trailer Week" t-shirt!
Back on the road within 15 minutes or so, and we were passing Savannah in no time. Traffic got heavier, but we were doing about 77 mph. When we crossed the Georgia border, the road widened to 3 lanes, so we had few problems. On the other side of Savannah, we hit a road crew that slowed us down for about 10 minutes. I got to talk to a rider on a Harley as we moved in fits and starts. When we got passed the construction, we fell in line behind the Harley, and I noticed another guy fall in behind Linda. Suddenly we have a group ride as we followed the leader. It was pretty cool, that complete strangers can fall into the appropriate riding patterns (alternating sides of the lanes, two second rule, etc). Even better, the drivers in the cars and trucks thought we were all together, and gave us room. Cool!
After a while, we were on our own again, and still heading south at an amazing pace. The Garmin was telling us that we'd be at the hotel by 2:30. Of course, I knew that would change when we stopped for lunch, but still, we were making great time!
We stopped for gas and lunch at Darien, Georgia (about 90 miles from Jacksonville), and took a longer break. The temperature was beginning to climb and it was about 65 when we headed back out, so we stripped out of some of the shirts and scarves. The sun was shining, the sky was blue with mostly white clouds, and the wind began to pick up as we entered Florida.
Jacksonville was tougher, although we maintained a pretty good clip going through. When you get downtown the highway begins to curve back and forth, at about 70 mph. A lot of fun, except for the 4 lanes of trafiic moving with you. Not scary, but a time for real concentration -- watch the road ahead, watch the cars around you, watch out for each other.
We kept going until we got to the Palatka area, about 50 miles north of Daytona Beach. Quick stop for gas, and back on the road. We came in on US-1 and passed Iron Horse Saloon. It was already jammed with people, the road was coned off, and we can't wait to go back!
The Best Western in Ormond Beach is pretty nice, and accomodating for the bikers. They've cordoned of an area in front of the lobby for bikes, the room has a fridge (it now has beer and milk), we have our Keurig coffee maker for the morning, and all looks good! We have an "Ocean View" room. If you go on the balcony and lean over, you can see the ocean. Linda took this picture:
We went to the grocery store, and got caught in a quick rainshower on the way back. The rain was cold, but it looks like it's already passed. We're trying to figure out what to do for dinner. There's a German restaurant across the street. I think that, after 400 miles, we're going to crash early tonight, so we may just go there, and come back and hit the bed.
Preliminaries -- March 2, 2011
It's been a long winter when it comes to our adventures. While we've done several toy and poker runs, they really weren't enough to post about. Don't get me wrong -- we enjoyed them, and each other's company on the rides. They were just few and far between. I'm so glad Spring is coming!
We've been preparing for the Daytona Adventure since January, and I think we're finally ready. We've made a few upgrades to the bikes:
- We added running lights to the front -- two bright lights that stay on with the low beams. They provide a unique look that makes people stop before they pull out -- definately a good, safe upgrade!
- We added pulsating brake lights -- when you press the brake, the lights flash several times before staying on. People behind tend to stop farther back, so I think they're doing their job.
- For Christmas I got a GoPro video camera that I'll mount on the front of the bike. I'll be posting videos this year.
- The Goldwings have built-in circuitry for CD changers, but that seems so 20th century (OK, no comments about the CB's). However, J&M have come out with an MP3 player that mounts in the trunk and hooks up to the CD connection. You load up an SD memory card with tunes (up to 1,000) and use the built in controls for the CD to play and navigate.
- Most importantly, we had "risers" installed on the handlebars. Linda had complained that on long trips her shoulders would be sore from leaning forward to grasp the handlebars. After discussions with Chris, Quent and Allen at Honda of Sumter, we decided to have the risers installed. They raise the handlebars and pull them back towards you. Now, the arms are at a more comfortable angle, and we're sitting up straight. Should be a much more comfortable ride to Daytona.
We'll take frequent breaks -- every 100 miles, and I'll enforce that rule. Since it's a 400 mile run, that means three stops. We'll get a stretch, something to drink, gas if we need it, and get back on the road. The ride is much easier that way.
We plan on taking a lot less clothes this year -- a couple pairs of jeans, a few shirts. Last year we bought 10 shirts while we were there. We can wear them! And we'll use the laundry facilities at the hotel. More room for souveniers!
Our plans include some side trips:
- Iron Horse Saloon -- we had such a great time last year, we have to go back!
- We'll take a day trip to St. Augustine, up the A1A, see how the Bridge of Lions came out (it was being rebuilt in 2007 when we were there last), have lunch, and head back.
- If the wildfires are under control, we'll head down to Cape Canaveral for a day, and do the tour.
- Wednesday should include a trip to the Cabbage Patch Saloon for the Coleslaw Wrestling.
- Of course, we'll be visiting Beach and Main Streets for the main events.
We'll have a lot of time for other things as well, and we'll take and post lots of pictures. As before, I'll try to post every night before bed, or first thing in the morning if I'm too tired. I hope you like the blog. Comments are welcome!
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