Toronto to Key West... and More

[piotrek]

PART 2/5

Florida Bound

The stretch from East Dublin GA was not great. 441 and 27 were pretty straight and flat. I took a rest stop along 441 somewhere and took this photo of the bike against a fixer-upper property.

I guess the house spirit did not like. Enter karma… I dropped the bike almost as soon as the kickstand went up. The highway peg was damaged, but thankfully I think it saved my side case as there was just a small scratch on it and nothing got bent. The peg looked wonky but still functional enough for the trip.

Finally made it to Florida. No longer than an hour into the state, the sky ripped and it poured almost the rest of the way to Kissimmee. Traffic lights on 27 were terribly timed. When the rain eased, I relented and jumped on the freeway. There was no point continuing through traffic.

My people stayed in Kissimmee at one of the many resort hotels along 192. Got me a card at the front desk and made myself at home. The girls were out on an excursion somewhere.

My wife and I went to the bar later that evening and chatted up a local couple, staying at the resort. He is an army vet and now a cop, and his wife is an air ambulance paramedic. We talked and drank until close time

Kennedy Space Center

This place is really well worth a visit. I am old and inquisitive enough to have learned the basics of the Apollo and Shuttle programs over the years, but the benchmark has shifted and those early accomplishments get farther in the rear-view for younger generations. Re-united for a day... my crew and I in front of the NASA globe at the entrance to the park.

The size of the entire Apollo rocket/spacecraft made it impossible to capture in a single shot… so just a couple of teaser shots of the Apollo Stage-1 (business end), and of the Shuttle. Everything is so massive in size.

Part of the Apollo tour was a bit of a re-enactment of the launch (and landing). The launch bit took place in a space made to resemble a control room. The consoles were the real deal… we were told, and the actual launch audio and video feeds of the final several minutes are played/shown on overhead displays.

~ TBC ~

[texscottyd]

Awesome stuff @piotrek!  I look forward to seeing the rest of your journey. 

I’m maybe kinda sorta just a little bit jealous…  I’m waaaay overdue for a road trip.  

[piotrek]

PART 3/5

SOFLA and the Keys

I took 27 southbound out of Orlando area toward Florida City. It was surprisingly smooth and quick. The weather was clear, and there weren’t too many lights. I could tell the temperature and humidity creeping up, and that this was starting to feel like a whole new level. I know the dash reading is inaccurate because of the engine heat, but I don't think I have ever seen the ambient reading hit 40C before.

The Travelodge in Florida City was pretty nice considering the cost. This was my home base for a couple of days. Chairs and tables outside the rooms meant people would spend time outside in the evening and inevitably you’d strike a conversation, which was nice. Everyone was good and orderly come night time.

The bike drew attention of a neighbour (older, retired guy) a couple of rooms down and we chatted a bit. He handed me his contact info and an offered to assist if needed on my way back through his home town of Dothan AL.

Weather looked a bit of a mixed bag for my trip to Key West, with rain was forecasted for the afternoon, so I was out the door at 6am to ride cooler/drier. It was to be a busy day and I needed some buffer time in case I needed it. I stopped at the Lobster Shack in Islamorada but it was of course closed. I took a photo with the giant lobster and moved on.

It was a 3h ride to Key West, through a collection of islands and connecting bridges. The snapshot below is what I believe to be the seven mile bridge, with the now decommissioned old bridge running alongside. The old bridge is no longer continuous, but some sections look to still be accessible to pedestrian/bicycle traffic.

Key West has a pretty laid-back, touristy vibe to it. I made my way to the southernmost CONUS marker and took obligatory photos. Walked around a bit but it was HOT, and I really wasn’t dressed for it. With a 3h ride back and a couple of pit stops ahead of me, I made it a quick visit.

On way back the sun/heat came out swinging. It took a while to find a sliver of shade for a rest stop.

Lunch stop was to be at Alabama Jack’s, as recommended by @fddriver2 (thanks Jeff). I got there around 2pm and the lunch crowd was starting to fizzle out. An interesting place with a cool vibe.

I had fish chowder and fish tacos. Both very good. As I was waiting to pay, the heavens turned dark and it began to thunder. It rained good and steady on my way back toward the motel. Once the rain stopped, I decided instead to head straight for the airboat ride at the Everglades Alligator Farm, where I was likely to get wet anyway.

The next day it was time to head north for my last to-do, a visit to the Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum. I made it out of south Florida via the Everglades along 41, and then took 29 northbound. While the Everglades were flat and the roads straight, the weather was great and temps comfortable, with a bunch of greenery around me, making for a pleasant ride. Some areas further north a bit had barbed wire topped fences along each side of the road… apparently frequented by big cats.

~ TBC ~

[piotrek]

PART 4/5

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

I made sure to reserve a full day for this visit, and shortly after 10am I was at the gate. No time pressures on this day.

@PhotoAl suggested looking into a tour, but unfortunately these take place Fri-Sun. No biggie though… the place is plenty big with lots to see and read. From the antiques to the quirky and everything in between, the collection is really wide ranging. Much to be learned by reading the exhibit notes and stories too. Teaser photos don’t give it justice, but here...

I was hoping to find a bike that my Dad used to ride in the 60s, a Junak 350. They do have it but it's in storage in poor condition... so maybe some years down the road.

Went for a walk to see some of the track. A pedestrian bridge and an overhang platform allow for some nice vantage points to watch the races.

~ TBC ~

[piotrek]

PART 5/5

Bee-Line for the Border

After Barber my mind was set on getting home. The plan was to overnight in Walton KY, and then decide on the best option home... via Buffalo NY or Detroit MI. I left Leeds at 6am and jumped on I65. The weather was good and the ride fast, for a short while. Things came unglued in Tennessee, where it rained persistently for a good 2h. My GPS quit on me (water), although now that I was on the Interstate it was of limited use. I did manage to take a wrong exit and find myself in the middle of Nashville’s rush-hour traffic. Thankfully I wasn’t stuck for long and managed to find my way back on I65.

Props to the front desk attendant at the Motel 6 in Walton. He was super helpful in setting me up with heaters to dry my boots and helmet. The next morning I decided to go through Detroit. My ride was fast and dry. I crossed the Ambassador Bridge, and there it was... Canada . 🙂

I really enjoyed the trip, and even though there were some trying moments, they are all part of the adventure. I am glad I took my time (save for the last couple of days). Gave me a glimpse of the country that you just don't see barreling down the Interstate. Now it’s time to look over the bike, fix what’s broken and give it a bath. No issues overall really... the bike started and ran great. Chain lube daily and gas was all it needed. One auxiliary light failed (again 😒).

Notes and Observations

1. Raingear. My Olympia gear failed against heavy sustained downpours. I brought it instead of my usual Rainseal set because it was lighter, easier to pack and breathable. I found the raingear useless in super hot weather anyway. Last thing I needed was another layer, and the cooling effect was very welcome. On early mornings and further north, I needed my raingear to keep me dry and warm.
2. Boots. I took my vented Alpinestars SMX-3 boots. Kept me nice and cool... and wet when the rains came. This meant having to dry my boots at the end of a soggy ride. Not a big deal, but a to-do.
3. Tires. The Dunlop Mutant did well in wet... but it’s really not like I was looking to find the limits. I did one time feel my rear jog sideways a bit in the twisties, but that might have been just an error on my part or road grime. Great grip in the dry and generally better feel/compliance than say, Roadsmart 3. They were much easier to slip onto the rims too.
4. Windscreen. I took the short screen with a deflector. This was a bit of a compromise, biased toward cooling. Not great in the rain and at freeway speeds.
5. Ear plugs. I think I will invest in custom molded plugs. Foam plugs work great but not great in hot weather as they expand quickly and become hard for me to insert. 
6. Low speed low/off throttle clutch basket grinding sound has become pronounced on this ride... so something for me to fix in the off-season.

~ END ~

[piotrek]

5 hours ago, texscottyd said:

I’m maybe kinda sorta just a little bit jealous…  I’m waaaay overdue for a road trip.

I am jealous every time I see ride photos from the wet coast. Some people... I won't name names, like @betoney... keep rubbing it in.

[texscottyd]

2 hours ago, piotrek said:

I am jealous every time I see ride photos from the wet coast. Some people... I won't name names, like @betoney... keep rubbing it in.

Yeah, that @betoney guy seems kinda sketchy to me…  I sometimes wonder if he’s really a 9 year old kid catfishing us all from a frozen village outpost in Siberia.  🤷‍♂️

I mean, honestly, nobody gets to do  that much cool riding…. 😀

[betoney]

56 minutes ago, texscottyd said:

Yeah, that @betoney guy seems kinda sketchy to me…  I sometimes wonder if he’s really a 9 year old kid catfishing us all from a frozen village outpost in Siberia.  🤷‍♂️

I mean, honestly, nobody gets to do  that much cool riding…. 😀

Too funny...

In all seriousness, like many members on here we get a limited "riding season" due to weather and a lot of our mountain passes are closed most of the year due to snow.  When given the opportunity, I kind of go hog-wild once the weather permits.  I start planning routes and budgeting around November for the following summer.  I've already booked vacation days from work for next summer.

My philosophy is "Each years riding season only happens once and then its gone forever, make the most of it".

[wanderer]

Cool trip! that's the way to take a trip with the wife and kids! 

My one and only time in Florida (a moto trip reported on this forum in October 2019) I thought I never needed to see Florida again. But the Kennedy Space Center! That's pretty cool. I need to see Florida again.

And yes, we're all jealous of @betoney. Even those of us that live in California but can't seem to get that many trips in.