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.

Incarceration Tour Day 4

Home!
Total mileage for the trip:  1068.7

On the previous two mornings of the trip, we had a lot of lollygagging around since the Rotary Prison didn't open until 10:00AM and our Prison Tour in Jefferson City didn't start until 9:00 AM CT.  This final day of the trip was more typical of a motorcycle vacation as we were on the road by sunrise.
Light rain had moved through the area very early in the morning, but mercifully, there was little rain as we packed up and the morning temperature was quite tolerable, if still a little humid.

Once on the road, I was really glad we stopped the previous night when we did.  Early morning is the best time to ride and this day was no exception.  Temperature was really quite nice and there were almost no other cars on the road.  I think it was nearly an hour before I even had to pass a slow moving Sunday driver.
The clouds in the area painted a subdued sunrise as we motored toward home.

The motorcycle ride through Southern Indiana hill country is very pleasant.  Lots of hills, beautiful green trees and enough straight stretches that we can still make good time.
In a predictable amount of time we were getting fuel at a gas station not too far from home.  Home by 10:00 AM, we had plenty of time to unpack and get settled before getting the dogs back from the kennel.

I prefer week(s)-long trips across country on the motorcycle, but these long weekends definitely do make a few days feel like a real adventure.
As far as trips go, this June quest on the Goldwing has to be one of the hottest and stickiest motorcycle tours ever, especially given the trip length.  June is usually cooler with a bit more rain expected, so I'll count myself as lucky that we only had at most 2 hours of rain.  Areas around us got deluged and much of Southern Illinois smelled like a marsh from all the rain.

As a bit of an aside, shortly before leaving on this trip, I replaced the windshield on my Goldwing with a Klockwerks Flare.  The stock windshield had cracked and I always hated how the top of the windshield could sometimes be right at the sight line.  The 14" Flare at the lowest setting is perfect.  There probably isn't quite as much wind protection when ambient wind was high, a little more during calm winds and it works quite well during heavy rain.  Baptism by storm.  Being firmly of the belief that looking through a motorcycle windshield is very, very wrong, I really like the Flare windshield.

Overall, what a great trip.  We rode through some really nice parts of the Midwest and saw some amazing, if somewhat tragic, historical aspects of the United States.  The tours were both interesting and the time away from the daily issues of life was a nice break.

Incarceration Tour Day 3

Total mileage for the trip so far:  886.0 Miles

June 13 was the scheduled day for the Missouri State Penitentiary Tour - the reason for the motorcycle tour to Missouri.  The tour didn't start until 9:00 AM, but I was up early as usual so I took advantage of the time to do some walking and to see the State Capital.  Jefferson City was almost scary quiet on an early Saturday morning which gave me time to walk around the Capital grounds some.  The only other person I saw was the woman in the guard shack who appeared to be doing laps inside the shack as exercise or something.
The Capital building itself is impressive, but I could not get inside at this early hour.  There are many statues around the building, most commemorating the territorial acquisition.

The Capital sits right on the Missouri River.  Unfortunately, a set of train tracks separates the city from the river so it is not possible to enjoy it.  It did look like it might be more accessible farther down the river.  The sunrise over the river was still very pretty.

After the nice morning walk, it was back to the hotel for more hotel waffles saturated in syrup before heading out for the very short drive to the Missouri State Penitentiary.
The building itself is imposing and looks like several other prisons.  The tour group was already congregating when we got there.

Once inside, our tour guide Ray gave some stories on the history and mayhemic background of the prison.  Gretchen, the other tour guide, was nice enough to allow our motorcycle coats to be put up in the Guard Control Room for the bulk of the tour.
The Missouri State Penitentiary was built in 1836.  It was added to multiple times after opening, typically using inmate labor.  Interestingly, inmate labor was also used to build prestigious houses in the area.
The prison grew over the decades to, at one time, become one of the largest prisons in the US, if not the largest.  It seemed to ebb and flow from being progressive to regressive in treatment of inmates, but like many prisons of the times, inmates were often seen as a lesser form of human.
One of the most notable inmates was "Pretty Boy" Floyd.  It was also notable for female inmates and being the site of Missouri executions.  Since for a time, the US government did not have its own facilities suitable for executions, the Missouri State Penitentiary was used for federal executions.  It is noted as the only site where a woman was executed by lethal gas - any personal feelings on the death penalty aside, I'm not sure there is any reason to treat males and females differently with respect to punishment for  similar crimes.  Women's Lib?  Take your medicine...
James Earl Ray was housed in the Missouri State Penitentiary.  After numerous escape attempts, he finally made it out about a year before assassinating MLK.  If there were "numerous" escape attempts, one wonders why he wasn't watched closer ... conspiracy theorists, have your say!

Like other prisons I've previously visited, the structure is an imposing stone building which I'm sure is designed to serve as a mental imposition to the imprisoned.  It was in use from being built in 1836 through 2004 (seriously? - yes, only about 10 years ago - yikes!).  It was the site of a major prisoner riot in 1954 and was labeled as the "bloodiest 47 acres in America" by Time Magazine in 1967 - an achievement noted on the tourism web site for the prison.

Rather than give a stone by stone account of the prison, below are some pictures from the tour:

One of the cell blocks.

A prison cell.  Can you imagine spending years in this?

Another prison building off of "the yard."  All these stone and metal buildings are so metaphorically cold, even on the hot and humid day that we were there.

The Honor Building.  This is the oldest prison structure and served various purposes over its life.  In the last incarnation, it was used to house inmates who had proven themselves to not be troublemakers.  This building is different from previous tours I've been on in that the cell blocks are on the outside wall, not free standing.

Inmates were even allowed to decorate their cells to some degree.  There were many murals painted, some of which remain.  Apparently, some decorations that no longer exist were very ornate.

This is "The Hole" which is also known as the Dungeon.  Much mistreatment of inmates went on down here.  It was dark, dank and hard to imagine staying a few days down in it, let alone years.

Death Row.  It was actually not as unpleasant as some of the other cells, but the reality is, it was probably the worst - mentally if nothing else.

The death chamber.  They said they needed a two seat chamber since they had four double executions, but I still think it is odd in a scary sort of way.

Overall the tour was well done.  I thought it was longer than it had to be since we didn't see that much.  Much of the time was spent with Ray telling stories of the prison which did help bring the tour alive and bring some perspective to the event.  There were some times when the talking did get to be a bit verbose.  And some of the "ghost" stories were somewhere in the silly realm.  It actually felt a bit rushed at the end, where we all drove to the Death House - which is where the tour ended.

Overall the tour was enjoyable.  Having toured three prisons (and a jail the previous day), these prison structures are probably in the best shape of the ones that I've seen.  There were 33 people on the tour which was a bit too many.  I guess I would have liked it to be shorter, with not quite as much talking and a few less people.  As it was though, hanging back when the group walked on allowed some really great pictures without a lot of other people in them.

The three prisons I have toured; Mansfield, Ohio; Rawlins, Wyoming; Jefferson City, Missouri do paint an interesting historic picture of incarceration.  My plan is to only see these things as a free, motorcycle-riding tourist.

Once the tour was over we hit the road.  The plan was to ride down 2-lane roads except for right around St. Louis.  We hit some really heavy rain before St. Louis, but muscled through it.  There wasn't any thunder and traffic was light.  The rain only lasted about a half an hour until we were back into the heat.

We continued on through Illinois for the afternoon.  I didn't hit "the wall" during the ride, but I did find myself wondering where the Indiana border was.  

Eventually we did find the border.  We were chasing rain through much of the second half of Illinois and into Indiana.  Rain could be seen in the distance, and in some places the road was not dry yet.  We stopped a little way into Indiana in the town of Washington.  We didn't make reservations, but found a very nice reasonably priced independent hotel with a pizza and wing place next door.

Now that we are out of prison, it is time to head home.