Florida Trip

Joined the infamous Dawson Gang in their annual pilgrimage to Tampa, FL.  Here is a group that rides 600+ miles in the middle of winter for the purpose of riding go-carts & partying and no one thinks that's strange.  Seems to me that's as good a definition for "hard core riders" as any.

Leaving at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, Harry "Lead Foot" Dawson led us down I-95 to Savannah for the night.  I thought we were making pretty good time (the GPS average was 66.6 mph - the devil at work?) until we discovered that Charlie and Debby, who had left an hour behind us, beat us to the motel by almost an hour.  We mistakenly assumed that the sonic boom we heard while stopping for gas was the space shuttle returning to Florida.

The next morning the group, fourteen bikes with seventeen people, headed for Tampa.  The further south we went, the better the weather, until we arrived in Tampa in short sleeve shirts (and in the case of Frank, matching purse).  After a short rest, it was on to the go-cart track.

Rarely, does one have the opportunity to observe a "Jekyll and Hyde" transformation in real life (excluding the normal behavior of women, of course) so watching this group behind the wheels of go-carts was a pretty special occasion.  Individuals that would normally help little old ladies across the street were now running them over.  The general objective seemed to be getting as many "W's" (warnings) as possible on your wrist band until being completely banned from the track.

Maggie Mae	How can they stand at that angle?
World famous stunt driver Paul "Wrongway" S.	New glow in the dark bikes
Santa's helpers	If only we could all look this good on our bikes

On Saturday night while the rest of the group was out terrorizing the local neighborhoods - they called it "caroling", I had dinner with Ashley, a good friend for 26 years.  I don't like looking back in time too often (it appears to be a sign of getting old) but reliving pleasant memories shared with someone else over the years certainly was enjoyable that night.  She sent me some photos taken a long time ago in a land far away.  I recognized her and the boat but the thin, dark-haired guy beside her was only vaguely familiar.

It don't get much better than this! Dana Point, CA

Fourth of July Newport Beach, CA

Sunday, the group headed back to NC while I took off for parts south.  They were very kind not to rib me about going back to where the riding was nice and cool while I was stuck in the sunny, 80 degree weather of Florida.  I met my cousin, Joan, and her Harley in Venice and we rode together to Cape Coral.  After refueling with a home cooked dinner, I took off Monday for the Keys.

The ride across the Everglades and down to Key West was spectacular!  I saw two live alligators, numerous exotic birds, and one breath taking sunset.  Next time, I would try to spend a day or two in Key West.  Route A1A back up the east coast was also scenic, particularly, the homes and boats around Palm Beach.

On Thursday, I left Jacksonville for home.  The further north I rode, the higher I turned the thermostat on the heated gear.  Arrived warm and dry.

Trip Statistics (via GPS)...

Total Miles:  2,285
Average Speed:  53.9 mph
Riding Time:  38.7 hours