winter Evacuation route
It was only a couple of weeks until bike week. I did my usual lodging reservation procrastination and called my usual campground only to find out it was unusually booked solid!
THIS was my opportunity. I now had license to do what I had been wanting to do ever since I discovered it reading other rider travels on advrider.com
I am referring to airbnb.com. It is a network of people all over that rent out their guest homes, their primary homes, spare bedrooms,etc. Some of the obvious benefits are that you have access to information from your host about where to eat. Not necessarily where tourist eat but where actual locals (in this case Floridians) eat. Directions to avoid traffic , scenic and/or alternate routes, good coffee shops, historic landmarks, etc. Things only people that live there would know.
Also , getting a budget motel room (the only kind I get) can be "like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." You can pull back your motel room bedspread and it can look like someone ate a box of chocolates in it. Conversely, someone's personal residence is going to be clean.
Different host have different offerings. Some offer breakfast, access to their pool or hot tub. Many allow you to use their kitchen as long as you clean up. Most allow you to use their washer and dryer if needed. Some will even let you bring your pets. The host will usually interact with you as much or as little as you are comfortable with.
You simply create an account and profile and key in where you want to go and the dates . Select the correct filters (price range, etc) and several options pop up with photos and reviews from previous guest. Click on the one's that pique your interest to see what is offered. Unlike a motel, there is a lot of flexibility on check in and check out . There is where you will also see any house rules. The only real house rule we had to adhere to was no smoking. Perfect for us , since we don't smoke.
Once you have selected where you want to stay. You click the "request to book" button. You will have the option of sending the host a note. It's a two way street. You get to decide who's home you would like to stay in by weighing amenities and reading reviews and they get to find out things about you through your profile and optional note to evaluate whether or not they want you in their home.
I was so excited. Kay however, was not. She said, "what if they are ax murders?" My sister in law said the exact same thing! I shook my head and laughed but Kay was genuinely nervous about it. I assured her (with sarcastic eye-rolling action) that there was no mention of mutilation in any of the reviews. I felt certain any satanic activity such as death by ax would have yielded at least one or two 4 or even 3 star reviews and they were all 5's so there you go.
Our plan would include a motel for only the first night. We had to be at Daytona International Speedway on Friday for events I will elaborate on later. I only had one vacation day until late April so I put in for that Friday, March 11th. We had a very ambitious goal to leave by 2pm Thursday after work . I could get off work as early as 1pm. We were going to be already packed and RULUTU or Roll up, load up and throttle up. That actually worked better than I ever could have imagined. Generally speaking, whatever our planned departure, you can add at least an hour and a half to that and determine our actual departure, but not this time. We actually rolled out of the driveway at 2:16. That's close enough that I'll call it success.
In our, never-ending, ever evolving, quest to avoid construction and congestion riddled Atlanta, we normally take hwy 27 to hwy 16 and hit I-75 south of Atlanta. We would still hit a healthy amount of traffic going through Bremen, Carrollton, Newnan, and Griffin. Kay expressed her disdain for this alternate route almost as much as going through the belly of the beast itself (Atlanta). So we decided on an alternate to the alternate; Plan"C" route, a return route we had taken almost a month earlier when I was riding through the tempest from hell on our newly acquired Ruby86.
This route takes us on hwy 9 to Heflin,AL then I-20 East to I-75. This turned out to take about the same amount of time but the real payoff (at least before we hit I-20) was the scenic travel through the Talladega National Forest. We hit a minor amount of construction slow down once we hit I-75 but not terrible.
We stopped in Macon,GA for supper at Polly's Corner Cafe_ It was ok.
Our motel was in Jacksonville,FL at the Hospitality Inn http://www.hospitalityinns.com/. We got there about midnight , I think. This was a decent place. I recommend it. Accommodations were really good for the price and continental breakfast was better than most.
There are a couple of things that I look forward to on our way to Daytona Beach. Things that , when I see them, I feel like I can exhale, like I am finally on vacation. One is Spanish moss, the other is that first massive bridge over the river. You know the one on the southern section of the 295 doughnut in Jacksonville.
It's now Friday! I'm excited! This is the day I was most looking forward to. Why? you ask. Well, I'll tell you all the reasons. This is the day Victory owners gather at Daytona International Speedway. This is the day we would meet Swiss Victory rider Urs Pedraita, better known by the Victory Nation as Grisu Grizzly (first picture below). In 2014 Grizzly wanted to beat Nick Sanders 19 day fastest circumnavigation of the entire planet. Grizzly did it in 16 days on his Victory Cross Country. as of the writing of this journal entry, Grizzly is attempting to break another world record. The standing record for traveling all continents of earth is 120 days and 2 hours. He is, at this very moment, on a solo ride (alone, no service crew following) to shatter the standing record by doing it in 100 days flat making his record, just like his Victory Cross Country, virtually unbreakable!
There was a great stunt show with riders doing hooligan stuff on Victory Motorcycles. The police bike in the video is also a Victory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcrorCBREb0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoIatzL8YyE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxbt0ieCbCo
Then Grizzly gave a speech . Well, he spoke but, he was not very confident with his English so he appointed a race team member as his mouth piece for most of it, describing their route. He also mentioned having a BBQ at the local Victory Dealer's upon his return. I hope this happens. I would love to ride back down in a 100ish days and join a celebration of his "Victorious" achievement.
Next we got to do something very cool! Victory had made arrangements with the powers that be for Victory riders to take their personal bikes out on the race track! We didn't get to go fast and had to stay on the skirt but what a treat! The grandstands were overwhelming to me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nUArpmURyg
To close out the gathering that day, Victory and the Grizzly have invited owners to ride our bikes for a few miles with him to launch his newest world record ride. It was really just a symbolic sort of send off ride. The actual start would be the next day due to a scheduling concern related to a very crucial ferry ride.
Below is Kay , the Grizzly , and myself. The 2nd pic below is a specially outfitted Victory Cross Country the Grizzly will be riding for the continental world record (guy pictured on the bike is obviously not Grizzly.) That thing looks like it was built by Q for James Bond. The white Victory Cross Country with the red seat is the bike used in the world record circumnavigation in 2014.
There was a great stunt show with riders doing hooligan stuff on Victory Motorcycles. The police bike in the video is also a Victory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcrorCBREb0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoIatzL8YyE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxbt0ieCbCo
Then Grizzly gave a speech . Well, he spoke but, he was not very confident with his English so he appointed a race team member as his mouth piece for most of it, describing their route. He also mentioned having a BBQ at the local Victory Dealer's upon his return. I hope this happens. I would love to ride back down in a 100ish days and join a celebration of his "Victorious" achievement.
Next we got to do something very cool! Victory had made arrangements with the powers that be for Victory riders to take their personal bikes out on the race track! We didn't get to go fast and had to stay on the skirt but what a treat! The grandstands were overwhelming to me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nUArpmURyg
To close out the gathering that day, Victory and the Grizzly have invited owners to ride our bikes for a few miles with him to launch his newest world record ride. It was really just a symbolic sort of send off ride. The actual start would be the next day due to a scheduling concern related to a very crucial ferry ride.
Below is Kay , the Grizzly , and myself. The 2nd pic below is a specially outfitted Victory Cross Country the Grizzly will be riding for the continental world record (guy pictured on the bike is obviously not Grizzly.) That thing looks like it was built by Q for James Bond. The white Victory Cross Country with the red seat is the bike used in the world record circumnavigation in 2014.
This is my friend Michel from Greeley, CO whom I met last year at Sturgis, he also rides a Vision. I was glad to see him again and introduce him to my wife finally. I really enjoy his fellowship. Check out that great beard and stache. It made me regret trimming mine. He did an Ironbutt long distance ride to get here. He even found time to ride to the Keys. Update: He later sent me his Ironbutt log. He left Fort Collins,CO at 1:55pm MST and less than 48 hours later, he had gone 2,155 miles arriving in Pompano Beach, FL qualifying him for a SaddleSore 2000 !
Below is me pictured with the the early release 2017 Victory Octane. I would later get to demo one of these. All I can say is this thing is a beast! Liquid cooled, 1,200 cc, 104 horsepower and weighs in at only 528 lbs! When I threw a leg over the Octane and stood it up, it was so light, it felt like a bicycle! the Victory demo events have consistently been very spirited guided rides. This one was no exception. I was the first bike behind the guide and he got us up to 90 mph! Extremely quick motorcycle that has a 32 degree lean angle so , it's a rocket that corners! After the Octane, I immediately rode the Indian Scout Sixty. Spoiler alert; if you ride the Octane first, you will be disappointed in the Sixty. To be fair, I really should have ridden the the regular Scout but I was riding the Sixty for a friend back home so I could give him a review. The Victory Octane below is also the bike used to do the Guinness World Record burnout of 2.23 miles! That is the Guinness certificate propped against the front wheel.
This is Joe Dryden. He is the Victory Stunt Team rider that holds the Guinness World Record Burnout of 2.23 miles on a Victory Octane!
This Octane has also seen it's fair share of burnouts and I was told the stunt rider lost the tail light assembly during a wheelie session.
This is Jacqui ( I couldn't have spelled her name correctly in 100 years had I not looked it up). Like the spelling of her name, she is very unique. She is the emcee of Victory events. All smiles and energy.
We met this guy at the owners meeting. This is his service dog that rides on the gas tank of his Victory Cross Country. He had a special full coverage tank bib made just for his dog to grip and to protect his tank. The owner told me that his dog has ridden on 400 mile day rides before! That dog can out ride some bikers I know!
Our good friend and Victory journalist from Minnesota, Mike Dapper. He was very busy as usual at these events.
Following The Grizzly on his send off ride. My friend Michel ended up right beside him!
Grizzly broke away from the ride so I pulled up to Michel and invited him to eat with us. He accepted and we set sail for one of our favorite restaurants, The Hidden Treasure Rum Bar and Grill on the Ponce Inlet. http://hiddentreasurerestaurants.com/
As we rode along , I noticed there were Victory riders behind us that were still following us. They thought they were still on the Grizzly ride. At a stop light, Michel got off his bike ran back and informed them otherwise.
We arrived at the oceanside restaurant and were seated right next to the water. It was a beautiful day, good live entertainment. One of those days and views where you didn't really care how long it took for your meal to arrive.
As we rode along , I noticed there were Victory riders behind us that were still following us. They thought they were still on the Grizzly ride. At a stop light, Michel got off his bike ran back and informed them otherwise.
We arrived at the oceanside restaurant and were seated right next to the water. It was a beautiful day, good live entertainment. One of those days and views where you didn't really care how long it took for your meal to arrive.
The Big wheel custom craze has been around for a while now. Parked at Hidden Treasures was the largest front wheel I had ever seen on a bike. I had to find out what size that wheel was so we hung around hoping to meet the owner. Michel struck up a conversation with him. It was a 30" wheel!
After we left Hidden Treasures, I asked Michel if he had ever done "The Loop" in Tomoka State Park. He had not, so we were excited to show him. Like Hidden Treasure Grille, we have to ride the Loop every time we visit Daytona Beach. It takes you by low marsh land and through tropical green tunnels.
Once we completed the loop, It was time for us to go our separate ways for the day. We had to find our host home so we planned to meet Michel again tomorrow at the Speedway to check out vendors and get some t-shirts.
Now to introduce ourselves and you to our "host with the most". Chris and Jamie reside in Lake Helen,FL. They are aspiring Bed and Breakfast owners and thought airbnb would be a good way to get their feet wet. This was a beautiful, quiet neighborhood. Jamie was actually out of town. Chris was a gracious host. We had a private upstairs bedroom with TV, ceiling fan and it was kept comfortable with our own personal thermostat control. We had our own private bathroom and that whole 2nd story balcony you see below, we had it all to ourselves to relax and enjoy the complimentary coffee and fresh fruit. We had access to a fire pit, firewood was provided.
It was a warm and inviting place with fine furnishings. We loved so many things about staying here. Chris really made us feel welcome. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Wilson, their chocolate lab. He was a big love. We fussed over Wilson so much. Chris told us if we leave our bedroom door cracked in the mornings, Wilson will come upstairs and check on us and there was a good chance he would get in bed with us. Chris wasn't kidding. The next morning, Kay was in the bathroom and I had just gotten up when he goosed me in the backside! Scared the crap out of me . I didn't hear him come in and he didn't wait on me to get dressed. On a side note: if people are allergic or fearful of the host pets, they will keep them away from you. Wilson was a bonus.
Once we completed the loop, It was time for us to go our separate ways for the day. We had to find our host home so we planned to meet Michel again tomorrow at the Speedway to check out vendors and get some t-shirts.
Now to introduce ourselves and you to our "host with the most". Chris and Jamie reside in Lake Helen,FL. They are aspiring Bed and Breakfast owners and thought airbnb would be a good way to get their feet wet. This was a beautiful, quiet neighborhood. Jamie was actually out of town. Chris was a gracious host. We had a private upstairs bedroom with TV, ceiling fan and it was kept comfortable with our own personal thermostat control. We had our own private bathroom and that whole 2nd story balcony you see below, we had it all to ourselves to relax and enjoy the complimentary coffee and fresh fruit. We had access to a fire pit, firewood was provided.
It was a warm and inviting place with fine furnishings. We loved so many things about staying here. Chris really made us feel welcome. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Wilson, their chocolate lab. He was a big love. We fussed over Wilson so much. Chris told us if we leave our bedroom door cracked in the mornings, Wilson will come upstairs and check on us and there was a good chance he would get in bed with us. Chris wasn't kidding. The next morning, Kay was in the bathroom and I had just gotten up when he goosed me in the backside! Scared the crap out of me . I didn't hear him come in and he didn't wait on me to get dressed. On a side note: if people are allergic or fearful of the host pets, they will keep them away from you. Wilson was a bonus.
We put away our belongings upstairs and on the advice of our host , headed back out for some fresh seafood. We ate at JC's Lobster Pot _ This place was well reviewed but it was not my favorite eatery on this trip. It was a cool old dive atmosphere, which I love but, it was overpriced.
This brings me to another great feature of Ruby86; standard GPS. From finding our host home (and returning after each different outing) to everywhere Chris recommended for us, the GPS was invaluable and took us directly there. He always gave directions but he might as well have been speaking Russian to me. He lived there and we didn't (though Kay wants to move to the beach when we retire). Not that he wasn't good at giving directions, he was, but it was just too much for my little mind to retain. Without GPS we would have spent much of the trip chasing our tails and doubling back and heaven forbid, asking for directions.
We had a great nights sleep. It's Saturday March 12th. I got up and went for a short run of about 2 miles. I love this neighborhood. As I ran, I saw a lot of interesting things. A lot of canopy growth on my run. My whole run was virtually in the shade.
This brings me to another great feature of Ruby86; standard GPS. From finding our host home (and returning after each different outing) to everywhere Chris recommended for us, the GPS was invaluable and took us directly there. He always gave directions but he might as well have been speaking Russian to me. He lived there and we didn't (though Kay wants to move to the beach when we retire). Not that he wasn't good at giving directions, he was, but it was just too much for my little mind to retain. Without GPS we would have spent much of the trip chasing our tails and doubling back and heaven forbid, asking for directions.
We had a great nights sleep. It's Saturday March 12th. I got up and went for a short run of about 2 miles. I love this neighborhood. As I ran, I saw a lot of interesting things. A lot of canopy growth on my run. My whole run was virtually in the shade.
I'm not good at identifying classic cars but the grill and style of the front vaguely reminds me of a Hudson. Anyone know what it is?
After my run, we went for coffee. Chris's daughter ( I apologize , I cannot remember her name) and son-in-law, Clay have a coffee shop called Trilogy Coffee Roasting Co. http://trilogycoffee.com/
I asked him why the name Trilogy? He lit up when talking about the meaning behind the name. I lifted the info in green from their homepage but it is verbatim, what he told me with great enthusiasm.
" In delivering great coffee we are telling three amazing stories. It begins with a description of the beautiful growing regions, farms, people & cultures that produce the best coffee in the world. The second story is about the craft of roasting and brewing coffee to the highest standards possible. Lastly, the story reaches its climactic ending when you, the customer, take in the sight, smell, and taste of our coffee. The coffee you enjoy is the final chapter of this story from seed to cup, a story that is not possible without you."
They are very passionate and it translates well into their shop and coffee offerings.
We enjoyed some great coffee in a neat little artsy place. In other areas of the repurposed old house , there was folk art for sale and even a smoothie bar.
After my run, we went for coffee. Chris's daughter ( I apologize , I cannot remember her name) and son-in-law, Clay have a coffee shop called Trilogy Coffee Roasting Co. http://trilogycoffee.com/
I asked him why the name Trilogy? He lit up when talking about the meaning behind the name. I lifted the info in green from their homepage but it is verbatim, what he told me with great enthusiasm.
" In delivering great coffee we are telling three amazing stories. It begins with a description of the beautiful growing regions, farms, people & cultures that produce the best coffee in the world. The second story is about the craft of roasting and brewing coffee to the highest standards possible. Lastly, the story reaches its climactic ending when you, the customer, take in the sight, smell, and taste of our coffee. The coffee you enjoy is the final chapter of this story from seed to cup, a story that is not possible without you."
They are very passionate and it translates well into their shop and coffee offerings.
We enjoyed some great coffee in a neat little artsy place. In other areas of the repurposed old house , there was folk art for sale and even a smoothie bar.
Very creative to be able to look at a pipe wrench and see a grasshopper.
I was also very impressed with this stool.
We left for the Speedway to meet Michel and check out all the customs, vendors and get some free swag. We always sign up for everything that offers a free t-shirt. There were some really amazing custom bikes there. I love to see other peoples ideas and creativity.
We left for the Speedway to meet Michel and check out all the customs, vendors and get some free swag. We always sign up for everything that offers a free t-shirt. There were some really amazing custom bikes there. I love to see other peoples ideas and creativity.
The 2 bikes pictured above are 2nd generation Excelsior-Hendersons. Two brothers tried to revive the old brand. They bought the rights to the name and began production in Minnesota. But there were problems with the bikes and their business model. The first Super X came off the line in 1999 and they closed the doors in 2000. They only produced an estimated 1,950 motorcycles. I have come close to buying one of these on more than one occasion. There is still a faithful following out there. There are upgrades available to make them reliable.
I love the trailing link springer suspension and how it goes through a hole in the front fender (the bike on the right has a factory correct fender) and little details like the cutouts in the gas tank for the cylinders, the curved swingarm frame section, the asymmetrical instrument cluster . I got to ride one of these in South Dakota while they were still in business. I loved it. This is the only model they made except for a Deadwood Special which was essentially the same , just custom paint and limited numbers.
The Polaris Slingshot was well represented this year. These things are a blast!
I love the trailing link springer suspension and how it goes through a hole in the front fender (the bike on the right has a factory correct fender) and little details like the cutouts in the gas tank for the cylinders, the curved swingarm frame section, the asymmetrical instrument cluster . I got to ride one of these in South Dakota while they were still in business. I loved it. This is the only model they made except for a Deadwood Special which was essentially the same , just custom paint and limited numbers.
The Polaris Slingshot was well represented this year. These things are a blast!
It was time to get supper. We all 3 left the speedway and tried another recommendation for supper. Thank you Chris and thank you GPS for delivering us seamlessly to the place. The Dolphin View Restaurant in New Smyrna . http://www.dolphinviewseafood.com/
This was a good place. We sat right on the water and , yes, we saw dolphins. Kay and I would shout and point. We don't see many dolphins in north Alabama (ok, none). Other patrons were getting tickled at us because we were like kids. You'd have thought we spotted Nessy. When one would break the water. Michel might be talking (he had his back to the water) and we would rudely yell, "THERE'S ONE!" And point. I wondered initially why everyone didn't stop and look, instead they would just smile at us. Ok, I get it, they have seen a lot of dolphins. They got a bigger kick out of watching us.
This was a good place. We sat right on the water and , yes, we saw dolphins. Kay and I would shout and point. We don't see many dolphins in north Alabama (ok, none). Other patrons were getting tickled at us because we were like kids. You'd have thought we spotted Nessy. When one would break the water. Michel might be talking (he had his back to the water) and we would rudely yell, "THERE'S ONE!" And point. I wondered initially why everyone didn't stop and look, instead they would just smile at us. Ok, I get it, they have seen a lot of dolphins. They got a bigger kick out of watching us.
We had a good meal and said our goodbyes to Michel. We were all leaving in the morning. Kay and I were going home. Michel was swinging wide, going through Norton,Kansas to visit a family friend that was 101 years old! He was born January 4th 1915, Wow!
We said our goodbyes to Chris and hit the road. We really couldn't have had a better experience with our first airbnb. I took advantage of the complimentary fruit for breakfast and Kay ate her diet bar so, we could ride until lunch.
Before leaving , Kay had suggested a return route that took out a sizable chunk of
I-75. Also, we thought we could avoid some wet weather going this way. We decided it was worth a try. We stayed on I-95 up to Savannah where we turned West on I-16. This was working out great. Traffic wasn't bad at all this way. We rode by a shiny bus and I got Kay to take our pic. This is one of my favorite pics of the whole trip.
We said our goodbyes to Chris and hit the road. We really couldn't have had a better experience with our first airbnb. I took advantage of the complimentary fruit for breakfast and Kay ate her diet bar so, we could ride until lunch.
Before leaving , Kay had suggested a return route that took out a sizable chunk of
I-75. Also, we thought we could avoid some wet weather going this way. We decided it was worth a try. We stayed on I-95 up to Savannah where we turned West on I-16. This was working out great. Traffic wasn't bad at all this way. We rode by a shiny bus and I got Kay to take our pic. This is one of my favorite pics of the whole trip.
I had never seen a motorcycle towed this way. Good if you don't have or want to use a trailer I guess but, I would hate my back wheel running all the time.
We got close to I-16 and I was starting to develop a craving for lunch. I never care where we eat for the most part. However, this time, I wanted ribs and not just any ribs but Sonny's babyback ribs! To me , they are just consistently the best, Never dry. I love their signature sweet BBQ sauce too. So, at a gas stop, I searched for a Sonny's on the GPS (i'm really loving the GPS especially when it can tell me how far away I am from Sonny's babyback ribs. There wasn't a Sonny's for 100 miles, Dublin,GA. That translates to about 90 minutes. I could wait that long so with Kay in agreement we aimed Ruby86 for Dublin. Sonny's of Dublin did not disappoint!
We left Sonny's very satisfied, I was actually a little over satisfied. When we got back out on the highway, we ran into a few scattered popcorn showers, nothing severe and nothing the Vision couldn't protect us from. Power windshield up, air deflectors out, carry on. I think Victory secretly installed rain force fields on all the Visions. Of course my wife doesn't necessarily agree. She doesn't get the full benefit of the bubble that the rider gets. The Vision puts it's passengers a little higher than most bikes. It's a bittersweet trade off. She gets her own view of things much more interesting than the back of my helmet in favorable conditions but she doesn't get the whole bubble, which stinks in inclement weather. We've ridden in our fair share of bad weather but it's still a very small percentage compared to our good weather riding.
We were now on I-75 near Atlanta and came up on a traffic slow down (surprise). I was so afraid that we would get stuck in traffic that I exited I-75 and ran hwy 41 North. People were running 70 mph red light to red light on this road! I thought to myself, this isn't that bad. Eventually, I got tired of the lights (I'm a bipolar traveler) so I tried to get back on I-75. We turned right on Truett Cathy Highway towards I-75 and down that road, there was a Truetts Grille (a fancy Chik-fil-a). I had never seen a Truett's Grille. We didn't have time to stop but when I got home and googled it, I really regretted not stopping. Here are some pics I scavenged from the website. http://www.cfarestaurant.com/truettsgrill-mcdonough/home
We were now on I-75 near Atlanta and came up on a traffic slow down (surprise). I was so afraid that we would get stuck in traffic that I exited I-75 and ran hwy 41 North. People were running 70 mph red light to red light on this road! I thought to myself, this isn't that bad. Eventually, I got tired of the lights (I'm a bipolar traveler) so I tried to get back on I-75. We turned right on Truett Cathy Highway towards I-75 and down that road, there was a Truetts Grille (a fancy Chik-fil-a). I had never seen a Truett's Grille. We didn't have time to stop but when I got home and googled it, I really regretted not stopping. Here are some pics I scavenged from the website. http://www.cfarestaurant.com/truettsgrill-mcdonough/home
We arrived at the overpass and I looked north to a stagnant line of traffic. Unbelievable. So, pretty discouraged, we turned around and back tracked to hwy 41 AGAIN. You know, sometimes I think we spend more energy trying to get around Atlanta than if we'd have just dug in and went through it. This was one of those times.
We finally decided to run Hwy41/19 north until it ran into I-75. We would then hit the 285 bypass to I-20 west. From that point , we were back tracking the way we came. That worked out pretty good and pretty uneventful the rest of the way home. We had a great trip.
1,454 miles
41.2 MPG ave
Lodging $238.79
Food $193.81
Gas $100.29
--------------------
Total $532.89
I thank God again for his protection and showing us a good time. A couple more pics of the last leg of our ride home on I-20.
We finally decided to run Hwy41/19 north until it ran into I-75. We would then hit the 285 bypass to I-20 west. From that point , we were back tracking the way we came. That worked out pretty good and pretty uneventful the rest of the way home. We had a great trip.
1,454 miles
41.2 MPG ave
Lodging $238.79
Food $193.81
Gas $100.29
--------------------
Total $532.89
I thank God again for his protection and showing us a good time. A couple more pics of the last leg of our ride home on I-20.
One last pic that I haven't used yet. It would be a shame not to share it. It's from one of our favorite rides we do every time we go to Daytona Beach. This is Riverside Dr./ Beach St. We love to motor along on this road at about 35mph. That translates into a soothing Freedom 106 V-Twin rumble. I call that my Calgon rumble because it takes me away. Floating along the inland waterway on the Vision, we look at all the waterfront homes and ooh and ahhh over them. We will see one with a realty sign in the yard and dream the biggest dream about living here someday. I'll reach back and grab her leg, she'll squeeze me and we breathe in really deep and smile.