The Keys Day 10

Caryville, Tennessee to Home:  259.7 Miles

We woke up to evidence of rain, but it was still mostly dry.  After a couple final hotel waffles, we were on the road before daybreak.
It lightly rained off and on for the first couple hours.  Driving north through the foothills of the Appalachians was nice, but we were in go-home mode.

We had a gas stop just south of Lexington before making the final stretch home.  The rain stopped after Lexington and clouds dissipated.  A short day on the road means getting home with enough time to do some laundry and attend to anything else that needs to be done.
Before noon, we pull into the driveway.  Thankfully, little rain at home during our trip to The Keys means the lawn does not need to be mowed - which is good as the lawnmower is still broken.

After being gone ten days and riding the Goldwing over 2750 miles, it is good to be back home on a beautiful early fall day.

The Keys Day 9

Valdosta, Georgia to Caryville, Tennessee:  470.5 Miles

After a couple hotel waffles, we were on the road while it was almost still too dark - the clear lens motorcycle glasses were in the saddle bag.  It got light soon enough.
Temperatures were moderate, in the low 70's, compared to the last week and much lower humidity as well.

Once on the road, we made very good time.  I-75 through Georgia is mostly three lanes so for only the second time I can remember, I set my cruise control and never took it off until a fuel stop 170-some miles later.  The only other time I can remember doing this was in Wyoming.

After stopping for fuel between Macon and Atlanta, we continued through Atlanta.  Timing was good, with the bulk of rush hour over, but traffic was still heavy.  The HOV lanes through Atlanta helped immensely.  Even though traffic was tolerable, there was less harassment in the HOV lanes.  I was surprised at the level of abuse of the lanes though - especially given that traffic wasn't at capacity.  Most drivers respect the treatment of HOV as a "separate" roadway, but many cars and even a truck crossed the double while lines.  I don't know about Atlanta's enforcement of HOV lanes, but police in other areas of the country I've driven through have very little humor for this.
Once through Atlanta, we got off the interstate for a while.  It was a nice break and allowed us to get an extremely good and quick lunch at Wes-Man's on US411.  Wes-Man's is a small restaurant and I questioned why they have bags of water with pennies in them in front.  The waitress said it was to keep flies away.  I asked if it worked?  Her answer, "No..."

After lunch we continued north on US411 for about an hour before making our way back to I-75.  US411 was much more fun than the interstate, even if only for a short time.

Going through Knoxville was almost worse than Atlanta, but we made it through unscathed before stopping for the night in Caryville.  If we hadn't made reservations, we may have continued on since the rain forecast was calling for the rain we would have ridden through if we had gone home by the coastal route to come west.  I'm glad we didn't take the coastal route, and I hope we get out before it gets too wet.  If not, tomorrow should be short enough.

We had to evict a couple stinkbugs from our hotel room, but it is that time of year.  Dinner that night was about a mile walk down the road at a BBQ joint inside a nearby state park.  The walk there included entertainment of the police giving a sobriety check to a man who looked doomed to failure.

The BBQ restaurant was fairly quiet when we got there, but filled very quickly with pensioners.  They all seemed to know each other as well.  We were on the extreme lower end of the age scale.  The food and service were excellent.

The Keys Day 8

Islamorada, Florida to Valdosta, Georgia:  511.9 Miles

We were glad to be back in the cottage early the previous evening as there was torrential rain for several hours into the night.  We then woke on the first day of spring to a final muggy Florida Keys morning.
We walked out to the dock to watch the sunrise, but the clouds to the east prevented seeing the sun.  More dramatic was the lightning flashing to the southeast as the day started to get brighter.

We headed out after checking out of the Pines and Palms.  Traffic was light as we said goodbye to The Keys, going north on US1.

We wanted to take the same basic route home as we took south, but a weather system off the coast was bringing the threat of heavy rain and wind into the Atlantic states.  While weather is a part of motorcycle travel, a more inland route seemed prudent.

Once back on the mainland of Florida, the nonsensical Garmin GPS put us on some local roads before steering us through construction traffic (in fairness to Garmin, they don't know about that).  Once through the construction on FL997 we got onto US27.
The first couple hours on US27 were wonderful.  High speeds, absolutely no traffic.  Florida is not known for great roads, and this was monotonously flat and straight, but it was pretty in its own way.
Initially, we traveled through swampy backwater glade-type topography.  Then there were miles and miles of sugar cane fields.

After the sugar cane, came miles of citrus trees.

Temperature and humidity dropped throughout the afternoon, making the ride become much more comfortable.
Around Sebring, we should have stopped listening to the GPS and headed over to I-75, but we continued on US27 through many miles of traffic lights.  There were places where it wasn't too bad, and the road was wide, with many lanes.  But the traffic lights, starting somewhere north of Sebring and continuing for some 50 miles got very annoying.
Eventually we made it to the Florida Turnpike and rode interstates for the rest of the day.

I was actually kind of glad that Garmin took a somewhat moronic route through Florida as I wanted to see the interior of the state.  I was also glad not to have to deal with Florida interstate traffic for the entire day.  Taking a route that didn't require the relatively high toll rates was a bonus.
I also decided that Florida is a very, very long state, when starting from The Keys.

Eventually we crossed the state line and decided to stop shortly thereafter in Valdosta, Georgia.  We made reservations from a gas stop and got a great room for the night.
Dinner that night was at a Japanese restaurant and it was surprisingly good - I wouldn't have picked Southern Georgia for sushi, but I'll take it.

The Keys Day 7

No miles on the ... Goldwing

It was another spectacular sunrise after some overnight rain.  The sunrise was even more serene as there are less people here than when we got here on the weekend.

Today was bike day - not motorcycle day - bike day.  We rented beach bomber bicycles to do a little exploring.

After renting our bikes, we headed south on US1 to to Robbie's.  The bike ride down wasn't too bad except the Indian Channel Bridge had only a narrow bike shoulder which required a little more concentration than most other areas.
Robbie's was still opening up when we got there, but we watched two men cleaning squid and feeding the remnants to some moderate sized tarpon on the shallows.

I had read about Robbie's and feeding the tarpon before coming down.  But first on the agenda was an excellent breakfast/lunch.We saw other people feeding the tarpon while we were eating and I thought it looked a little hokey.  I was wrong - it was fun hand feeding them.  Some of the fish were extremely large; a few were well over 100 pounds.

There was a sign on the dock warning visitors not to put their hands in the water and I could see why the admonition was given.

We looked around Robbie's a little more before heading back north.  We took our time and did some exploring as we pedaled back to the cottage.

After a few minutes in the cottage, I went out on the bike to the north of Islamorada.  I do a lot of biking at home and while the single speed beach bomber was easy to pedal, it felt very different from my Trek at home.  It was a fun way to see a bit of the island at island speed.

Most of the rest of the day was spent goofing around the cottage before pedaling out for an early dinner.  Our time in The Keys is coming to a close.

The Keys Day 6

Fishing Day!  No miles on the bike.

It was forecast to be a clear morning so we got up early to watch the sunrise.  Despite torrential rain sometime overnight, the forecasts were correct, with clouds seen in the distance making the sunrise more dramatic.  We watched the world wake up from the dock.  It was a very pretty sunrise.

After the sunrise, we got ready for a day of fishing.  I had booked a charter several weeks ago.  As I watched the forecast before coming down to The Keys, I wasn't sure if the fishing trip would actually happen since the weather the week before and forecasts were not  positive.  But we hit the weather lottery with beautiful blue skies and very calm seas.

We got to the marina and met our captain Keith.  We talked for a few minutes while he got the boat ready and we headed out to buy bait.  After purchasing bait, it was about a 45 minute boat ride to get to the spot we were to fish at.  We boated through the Everglades National Park, nearly all the way to the Florida mainland.  On the way there, we saw a couple pods of dolphins and at least one large sea turtle.

Keith anchored the boat in "the bomb hole" which was an area that was over 20 feet deep surrounded by 12 foot water.  On putting our shrimp bait in the water, we immediately had hits and fish on.  Most of what we were catching were mangrove snapper and schoolmaster snapper.  They weren't huge, but fought pretty good and the constant action was a lot of fun.

Keith had put a line out the back of the boat with a larger bait on it and at some point it starting taking line.  I took the pole and with great difficulty reeled in a large sawfish.  It was only at the boat for a few seconds before its rostrum, which was wrapped around the line cut the dinosaur fish free.

It was still exciting to catch a fish that big.  We continued fishing and caught more snapper and had several line breaks from other fish, many fighting for a considerable time suggesting good size fish.
While we were fishing, we saw many sea turtles, rays, birds, etc.  There was never a dull moment.

For a second time, the larger rod starting losing line and I took the pole again.  This time the fight was on.  After 15 or so minutes, Keith gave me a fighting belt which helped immensely, but it was still a lot of work - fun work.  After fighting with the fish for nearly an hour, we finally got it by the boat a few times.  It may have been the same sawfish, but there was no other line/leader visible.
This fight tired out myself and the fish, but we were able to see it well and get a few pictures.

Sawfish are critically endangered and it isn't legal to bring them in the boat, even if it would have been possible.  This specimen was between 16-18 feet (the boat was a 24 foot).  Her rostrum slightly damaged the exterior of the boat while observing and freeing her.  She fought the good fight, and we eventually broke the leader, sending her back to where sawfish go.  I found reference to a 16 foot sawfish that was weighed at 700 pounds.  It is unlikely I'll ever catch another fish that large.

We took a cooling ride on the boat before going back to fish for a short time.  We caught several more snapper, and had some much larger fish on pinfish bait - likely grouper since at one point a grouper followed the bait back to the boat.

Eventually the fun must end so we headed back toward Islamorada.  The day had warmed, but was still comfortable and the sea was very calm.

We told a few lies and had a celebratory drink at the marina before heading back to the cottage.

Having been gone from home now for several days with only what we could pack on the motorcycle, it was time to do laundry.  This was a bit of a letdown after such a fun day fishing, but it needed to be done.

Dinner that night was a walk down the highway to Lazy Days which was excellent food, inside away from the humid heat, but with a view of the water.

The Keys Day 5

Islamorada, Florida to Key West, Florida (and back):  177.8 Miles

The plan for the day was to leave for Key West after it was light but early enough to miss at least some of the day's heat and humidity.  We left a little before sunrise, but it was already hot and humid, just not as hot and humid as it was going to get.

The ride southwest was nice.  There wasn't too much traffic, and there were a ton of motorcycles on the road.  I'm not sure if that is normal, or due to the Key West Poker Run which occurred the day before.

When we got to Big Pine Key, we detoured up to see the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge.  The visitor's center is in a strip mall and didn't look open at the early hour so we headed in the direction of the actual refuge area.  As we got to the parking area for the Blue Hole, we saw a key deer in the distance.  Given that these diminutive deer are endangered, we thought that was lucky.  As we were packing our coats into the bike for the short walk to Blue Hole, another key deer walked right up to us.  While there may not be many in the world, I was starting to think that the Key Deer Refuge was doing its job and the result are lots of deer that are not very afraid of humans.

After snapping a few pictures of the little miss, we walked to Blue Hole.  As we got there, we could see an Alligator in the distance - too far and too low in the water to get a good picture.  Blue hole is a small fresh water lake that is the result of quarrying rock for local roads in the 1930's.  It is likely the only fresh water habitat in The Keys.
A local resident walked up shortly after we got there with his young daughter.  We chatted with him a bit while his daughter look in the water.  After a few minutes, her "binky" fell out of her mouth and into the lake.  Two things happened then ... Lilly started screaming for her binky.  And the alligator saw something fell into the water and came over to investigate.

I don't believe binkies are part of the natural diet of alligators, but he tried to eat it.  I was glad that after he tried to chew it for a few minutes, he spit it out to lie forever at the bottom of blue hole.  I'm assuming alligators have resilient digestive systems, but a plastic binky is very foreign.  What looked like a large leatherback turtle also showed a passing interest.  Lilly ... was not very happy.

We walked around a bit more before heading back to our bike.  Across the road was this small button buck key deer.  He may have been slightly more skittish, but I was still able to walk very close to him.

We drove down to another nature walk site and walked it, but it was not quite as interesting.  After turning around at the expansive refuge area, we headed back toward US1.  Another key deer, this one a larger antlered buck, crossed the road in front of us.  He was still tiny compared to even small deer back home, but his rack was not too bad for his body size.

Back at US1, we continued toward Key West.  Traffic near Key West got worse as we made our way to the Southern Most Point in the US.  We did the obligatory pictures there, both in person and on the bike.  Looking at the map, the marker really isn't at the southern most point in the US, but it is at least closer than the four corners is to where four states meet.

We rode around Key West a bit more before making our way to Duval Street to get something to eat.  It was still relatively early and we wanted lunch, not breakfast.  We stopped in to Sloppy Joes, but they didn't really have what we were looking for and were, frankly, not overly friendly.

To use a bit of time, we headed to the Hemingway House for a tour.  Several Key West Roosters were running around as we walked that way.  From what I've read, these are both loved and hated by the locals.

The Hemingway House is $13 to tour.  There really isn't much in the house outside of some odd furniture, decorations and placards giving information.  The guided tour gives some additional information, and we lurked in the background for a couple of the tours underway.  The house itself is well restored and an interesting posed snapshot of a part of Hemingway's life.

Hemingway's writing studio is actually in a separate building and there was at one time a walkway between the two.  I liked seeing this and thinking of him actually working here, even if it may be a bit staged.

After seeing the house and most of the tour, I think it is more like a $5 tour, not $13.  But it was enjoyable all the same and the six toed cats were almost worth it alone.

With some time killed at The Hemingway House, we walked back to Duval Street and ate an awesome lunch at Caroline's.  This was exactly what we were looking for - great burger, conch fritters and shrimp.  The service was excellent as well.

Having seen what we wanted to in Key West, we headed back northeast.  Traffic was a bit heavier, especially with the Sunday-Go-Home crowd, but it moved along well enough.  I'm not sure of the history of the naming of this key, but given that we're from Ohio and on a Honda motorcycle, this seems almost prophetic?

It was into the 90's and humidity to match by the time we got back to our cottage.  We rested and rehydrated a bit, walked around the water some and made plans for the next few days.

We walked down to a bayside restaurant to eat and watch the sunset.  The food was much more expensive than we would normally choose, but the view was good and it was an excuse to try something we normally wouldn't.

While perhaps not the best meal ever, and not commensurate with the price, the food was good, and it was pleasant sitting on the patio watching the sunset.  Lots of people sat on the beach without eating and that may have been a more prudent option.

After dinner, we stopped by a gas station to grab some sodas before walking back to the cottage.  It was quite dark, almost worrisomely so.  Thankfully, the only thing that showed any aggression to us on the walk back was this attack crab - like a very vicious escapee from the restaurant.

There certainly has been a lot of interaction with a variety of wildlife today.

The Keys Day 4

Cocoa Beach, Florida to Islamorada, Florida:  302.7 miles

The hotel in Cocoa Beach did not have a breakfast - it really didn't even have a lobby.  But they offered a voucher good at a nearby diner for a complimentary full breakfast.  We had a quick but tasty breakfast before heading south out of Cocoa Beach.  It was still very early so traffic was minimal and the busy tourist area ended just south of Cocoa Beach.
We took a quick jaunt to a Melbourne Walmart to try to replace our broken camera after checking on online if they had the one we wanted in stock.  The blue-vest clad man took a cursory look and said he didn't have it.  I asked him to double check since I've found the online inventory to be pretty reliable at home.  He said - no - and we thanked him and left.  I guess we get a little spoiled living near what I've concluded over the years is one of the nicest Walmarts in the the world.

The Melbourne Walmart was right near I-95 and we jumped on the interstate to head south.  It was already humid, with the heat building, but at least there was no rain in the area.  As we headed south, the rural areas in Central Florida were actually quite pretty.  In a few areas, we encountered heavy fog which was not something I expected in Florida.

As we continued south, the traffic built steadily with the more southern location and the day getting later.  Traffic never got too bad, but the small percentage of borderline road ragers were not too cool.
The GPS was quite insistent that we go to the turnpike, but I couldn't see that on a Saturday morning with a tolerable level of other vehicles on I-95.  We may try the turnpike when head back north though.
We did end up on the turnpike for a few miles in extreme southern mainland Florida.  As we exited on US1, I was surprised to not see a toll booth.  I had to look up online to see we'll be billed based on our license plate.  Too bad my plate isn't dirtier...

Once on US1, it finally felt like we were headed to The Keys.  We started to see marshes more typical of the everglades.

Traffic on US1 was a bit slow, but not too bad.  I'm not sure I would want to do the drive on Spring Break, but in September, the only real issue was the oppressive heat and humidity.

After a final gas stop, we made it to the Pines and Palms where we are staying for the next few days.  South Florida was just a swampy backwater until after WWII, so much of the construction shows the heritage of the 50's and 60's.  I prefer the historical link of the majority of the buildings to the new structures devoid of history and personality.  Our cottage was small, quaint and, frankly - cute.  There is a bedroom, a kitchen (with vintage stove).

There is also a perfect seating/eating area with a TV.  All I can say is that it is exactly what we wanted and compared to similarly priced hotels, it is a much better and more unique way to stay in The Keys.

After unpacking and resting a bit, we walked up the road to eat at the Islamorada Fish Company.  It was about a mile walk which wasn't too much fun in the high heat and humidity, but was still welcome after being on the bike through Miami traffic.
The food was quite good and the setting is almost cliche Keys.

The water at the restaurant had a few tarpon swimming around it.  Chalk one wish for the keys completed; I have seen a tarpon.

After getting some snacks and supplies at a convenience store, we hoofed back to the room.  We walked out to see the waterfront area at the pines and palms.  It was quiet and serene.  Somewhere out there, lies England, or Spain or something.

The shallows had millions of small fish, included quite a few baby swordfish (or barracuda or whatever this minnow with an attitude is).  I'm sure many won't make it to any significant size, but they were neat to see even as babies.

Still full from the big lunch, dinner that night was a small key lime pie.  Vacation is good!

The Keys Day 3

Orangeburg, SC to Cocoa Beach, Fl:  441.4 Miles

After two hotels waffles, we left at about sunrise again.  We went through Orangeburg to avoid getting on the interstate as long as we could.  Taking a Low Country state road on a gorgeous morning was a perfect way to start the day.

Unfortunately, our "road" camera died.  It actually still took pictures, but the screen no longer worked.  This was the camera that we bought in Fairbanks, Alaska on our motorcycle trip there.  The camera we had taken on that trip died en route, and we purchased the Nikon Coolpix at a Fred Meyer.  It is sad to see it break, but that camera has been on countless adventures of all sorts.
As we got nearer to Savannah, we got back onto the interstate as the best option to continue south.  Once through Savannah, we got off the interstate again.  This was a smart decision for two reasons.  First, the drive through Georgia was nice.  Second, it started to rain and we stopped at the McIntosh County Academy to put on our rain gear.  There was a cop in the parking lot, but luckily he didn't seem to think too ill of us stopping there - our intent appeared clear.

Shortly before crossing the border, we got back on the interstate.  It spit rain on and off for the next few hours.  For a while around Jacksonville, it was raining very hard.  The dumb Garmin GPS took us on a very inefficient route through Jacksonville, but it was easy enough to follow at least.

We headed east near Titusville and stopped to eat at Dixie Crossroads.  Both the food and service were great.  There were countless geckos running around the parking lot, making it feel like we were finally in Florida.  After eating, we continued toward the coast, finally seeing the causeways that mark the eastern coast of Florida.

Traffic was mildly painful in a few spots, but nowhere near as bad as I presume it is during the height of tourist season.  We found our hotel easily and after resting a short time, we got back on the bike to look for a replacement camera.  After painfully driving through the worsening traffic to both Walmart and Target, we could not find what we wanted.  We may stop at one more Walmart on our way south toward the keys as our small waterproof Lumix Vario is a decent camera, but not as good on the road.

After the hot and sweaty ride, we got back to the hotel, then headed to the ocean that we had driven so far to see.  A small deserted park across from the hotel made easy access.  The beach was sparsely populated.

We walked down the beach a ways before checking our phones to find a place for dinner.  Rain was again spitting and threatening to get worse.  After stopping a few places, we ate at the restaurant at the International Palms Hotel.  We were not terribly hungry after the big lunch, so it was a good place to get a quick bite.
After dinner, the rain had largely moved off shore.  We walked the beach back toward the city park and our hotel before calling it a day.  Seeing the beach at night was neat, and the hot humid air felt ... tropical.

The Keys Day 2

Richmond, Ky to Orangeburg, SC:  444.6 miles

After some excellent hotel waffles, saturated with syrup - of course, we were on the road just about at sunrise.  We avoided the interstate, staying on US 25 for most of the morning.
Temperatures in the AM were cool to cold, changing as we went up and down the hills.  There was occasional fog, with dense fog in some areas.  A few times it was wet enough to almost be equivalent to a light rain.

US25 started out as 2-lanes, and snaked along the interstate.  Sometimes we could see the interstate from the bike and we also crossed it a few times.  Staying on the two lanes reminded me of when we first started motorcycle touring and did everything possible to avoid the interstates.  Near Corbin, Ky, US25 splits intwo 25E and 25W.  We took 25E which is a four lane road, but still very scenic and with very little traffic compared to I-75 or I-40.  The road reminded me a lot of Western Kentucky Parkway which we rode en route to the Southwest in 2009.  Thumbs up to Kentucky for some nice roads.  With it being four lanes, the little traffic encountered was not an issue in the slightest.  With easy riding, cool temperatures and a nice road, it was a wonderful morning.
We crossed into Tennessee through the Cumberland Gap Tunnel.  I had read about a restaurant near the tunnel but didn't see it and it was too early for lunch anyway so we continued on.

I wish we would have stopped at the Veteran's Overlook to see the Cherokee Reservoir created by damming the Holston River.  If we return by this route, we may have to stop.  In case we don't, I stole a picture from one of the motorcycle forums I occasionally lurk in.

Somewhere around I-81, US25 turns back to a 2-lane road.  I had driven this section a few times in my truck when going to South Carolina when I-40 was closed due to rock slides.  It was much more fun on the bike.  Thankfully, there wasn't much traffic and I was able to enjoy the curves up and down the mountains, sometimes at peg scraping speed.
The scenery was beautiful.

We stopped for lunch north of Asheville, NC and ate at a place called Stoney Knob Cafe.  The restaurant wasn't quite sure what it was, but the food was good, if a bit upscale for a quick lunch.  While good, it was a bit expensive and the order was screwed up.  Life goes on...
Once we hit I-26 we stayed on the interstate into South Carolina.  The interstate was a bit of a let down after such a nice morning.  But with the days heat building, it just made more sense to take the straight route to Orangeburg.

After lounging a bit in the hotel room, dinner was at Fatz Cafe.  We'd never heard of this place before, but it appears to be a regional restaurant.  Ribs and chicken were great and the service was welcomely better than lunch.

The Keys Day 1

Home to Richmond, Ky:  141.6 Miles

It has been too long since we've had a good road trip.  We had the Incarceration Tour in June, but that was short and somewhat stressful due to some health issues in the larger family.  

I wanted to go somewhere with an ocean.  There are two within riding distance to choose from, but the Atlantic is a bit closer.  I had been to Bike Week in 2006, but wanted to go back to Florida to see The Keys.  While September may not be the best choice for this trip on a motorcycle, as it is still the height of hurricane season, there is probably no perfect time.  Spring risks violent weather en route.  Summer has too many people and kids vacationing.  Winter is too difficult for some of the travel on two wheels.  Early fall it is.  The forecast is for lots of rain in The Keys, however.

The last few days were spent working and getting ready for the trip.  The lawn mower ninety-degree drive unit for the mower deck burned up while doing the pre-trip mowing, but I was able to finish with the brush hog mower and the ATV; the Snapper will be waiting to be repaired.

Wednesday came with an early day at work.  Things were quiet and only a little frustrating, before turning on the out-of-office notification early in the afternoon and heading home.

I dropped the dogs off in beagle jail before finishing packing, finishing getting the bike ready and finishing getting the house ready.

We were out of the house at around 5:00.  We'd be going through Cincinnati during rush hour, and online traffic alerts suggested going around was a better option even though there was bridge construction over the Ohio.

We got through it without much difficulty.

It isn't quite as much of a milestone as crossing the Mississippi, yet on a nearly cloudless day with almost perfect temperatures, the Ohio River looks gorgeous.

We continued south to Richmond, Ky.  We ate at The Cookout which appeared to be a local kind of fast food, but the burger was phenomenal and shake excellent.
After dinner we turned in for the night.  Getting a few hours away starts the adventure early and will make tomorrow's travels easier and more enjoyable.