| Key West Trip Page 2 |
| Tuesday 10/7. Key West. Rode to the Atocha museum to see relics from the shipwreck that Bill Fisher found in 1985. Very interesting and enjoyable. Then we had a burger and watered down Pepsi at �Billy�s� that cost about $12. Finished up just in time to take the glass-bottomed boat tour out to the reef that surrounds Key West. As the boat was leaving the dock, the answer lady pointed out Fort Zachary Taylor. She pointed out a spot off of a point there where the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean met. The perfect spot to scatter the rest of Jen�s ashes. We rode back to the room where I collected them, then we rode to the Park. I walked out on the rocks to the end of the point and scattered them. Now she really is �From Sea to Shining Sea�...in all of the oceans that touch the U.S. Went back to the room. Steve found the motel laundry room and, after getting some soap at the front desk, did our clothes, while I got a head start on draft beer at the Beach Bar. After a few, we walked down Duval and ate at �Mango�s�. Uptown eatery with great food. Try the Yellowtail with mango sauce. Tomorrow we leave for a putt up the East Coast to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. Steve�s the best road bud anyone could ask for. Every time he got a call on his cell from Bellsouth support people he�d say �Guess where I�m at?� Back at the motel, we took our last beer out to the end of the pier and met Alex and April, newlyweds from Michigan. Shot the breeze with them a while about the Mustangs they�re both wrenching on. Almost a full moon tonight, just like the night after I�d put some of Jen�s ashes off the Big Sur in California 2 years ago. Once again, the silver light twice shone on the water, this time the Atlantic Ocean, last time the Pacific. I miss you, sweetie, always and forever. |
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| Wed.10/8. Key West to Satellite Beach, just 20 miles south of the Space Center. Left Key West at 9:30 and the ride north through the keys was quite enjoyable again. Stopped at Amoray�s to drop off a key I�d accidentally kept when we left. Steve and Lillian were still registered but we couldn�t find them to bid adieu again. The lady who owns the place took the key and told us that our partying at Hobo�s several nights ago was still the buzz. Coonasses and crazy Englishmen and women make for a good time, that�s for sure. We took Hwy. 1 to the Florida Turnpike. I do not recommend the Turnpike if you�re on scoots! Traffic was hellacious and the many toll booths were really hazardous. The oil and water drippings from a zillion cages made stopping to pay tolls treacherous. Like putting your feet down in greasy, snotty pavement. Almost dropped Silverbelle once. Zero traction. And the impatient horde behind us probably would�ve kept on coming, thinking me and the bike were just a minor speed bump. My high beam had burned out and we stopped at �Mid Florida Cycles� in Palm Bay to get a new H4. Changed it in the parking lot. Stayed at the Ramada in Satellite Beach and paid the extra $10 for an ocean view room. Awesome! Sat on the balcony and reminisced at the full moon on the water, which was foamed up to the max on this windy night. Thurs.10/9. Satellite Beach to Titusville. Only rode about 70 miles today. We were at the Kennedy Space Center from 9:30 a.m. till 6:30 p.m. Very informative and enjoyable. We opted for the $53 �all inclusive� tour. Bus went right by the launch pads. The Saturn/Apollo Center had the real thing on display. Can�t imagine the size till you�re standing right under it! Walked through the Shuttle Explorer, checked out the moon rock, Astronaut hall of fame, etc. |
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| Fri.10/10. Titusville to Niceville. Long ride today. Up I95 to Hwy. 40W to Ocala. Then up I75 N to I10. Stopped in Madison(about 70 miles W of Tallahasse) for lunch. Steve was suffering from grand daughter withdrawal symptoms and wanted to stay on I10 another 6 hours or so to get to Biloxi, stop at a casino and get home the next day. Shit, I�d had all the superslab I could take for one day, so we split up. I wanted 2-lanes again, so I took 59 S to 98 W and rode along the coast again. I sort of planned on stopping at PCB, but several hours of rain slowed me a bit and darkness was fast approaching. Not too crazy about riding at night, especially if it�s raining. I pulled into the Day�s Inn at Niceville. After unpacking and drying out a bit, I putted to Larry�s BBQ and grabbed a smoked turkey sandwich. Stopped at the Winn Dixie on the way back to the room for a few White Russians to go. Sipped on those back at the (noisy) room while I watched the weather forecast. I�d tried to get a room at the low-rise at Mexico Beach, but they were all booked up. Sat.10/11. Niceville to home. Rain all night at the motel, and the weatherman said rain all of today, too. He was right. It was raining hard while I, having donned my rain-suit and helmet, uncovered, then loaded up the bike. Got a few weird looks from the citizens in the lobby as I made a few trips to the bike wearing all that shit. Over 400 miles of steady, sometimes real hard, rain. Used the emergency flashers on Silverbelle the whole way. Things got hairy across the Mobile Bay section of I10. Much rain and wind. Pulled into a station in Biloxi to gas up and there, at the next pump, was a German couple on a DRY Harley. Had to chat with them to see how they�d managed that. Turned out they were riding in from the North and had had dry weather till now. Looked like the rain was easing up, so I got rid of the rainsuit. They wished me a �stay dry� as I putted off. Didn�t work, the showers returned off and on to New Orleans. I was motivated by the thought of raw and fried oysters at Bozo�s there, our favorite oyster place of all. Pulled into their parking lot, finally, and there were a few cars there. Good, I thought, they�re open. This was around 3p.m. Dragged my soggy ass inside only to find they�d stopped serving lunch a few minutes ago and wouldn�t start serving again till 5. Slogged back out to the parking lot, pulled a wet mint out of my pocket, lit a cigarette, and had �lunch� in the parking lot. When you�re leaving a restaurant on the road and they have that little basket of mints at the register, ALWAYS grab a few. Never know when that after-dinner mint may be dinner. Rain had slowed to a slight drizzle. Got back in the crazy traffic on I10 and was home in an hour or so. Ahhh, once again the sight of my own driveway is very sweet. This was a super trip. Since I�d taken 3 weeks off for the trip, I had some free time before work the following Monday. Spent a day servicing and washing the bike. Then, Nita scored the Friday off and wanted to take a road trip together, so we packed light and headed up North into Mississippi and spent 2 nights in Brookhaven and exploring Mississippi back roads. No rain for this 600+ miles, except for a little sprinkle. Just enough to dirty Silverbelle again. |
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| Key West Trip Page 1 |
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| Jen's spot at Key West |
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