Significance of the Ride

June 2001

Volume 2, Number 2

Roads to Nowhere

B2 off a Waltzin'

Butt Wait...There's More

Ratchet & Safety

Biker Betty gets home

SS2K 10 Year Old

Grandpa's Photos

Shoei's RF900

National Events

Editorial    Mailbag

SpaceCoast Calendar

Funnies      Shorts

=============

Link to Us

Advertising Rates

Our Favorite Links

Back Issues

Things are Heating Up Out There

by Larry Fitch

The temperature is starting to climb here in Florida. 90 plus degree days and humidity off the scale can make for very unpleasant days. When the situation gets like this, we often look for the cooler roads to travel in an attempt to satisfy our riding jones.

There are a couple of places that we seem to gravitate back to time after time. They are not the curviest of roads (after all this is Florida!) and they are not the most exciting. But they do offer some great views of what Florida is all about.

Alex Nelson; back in the saddle after his tumble

Read his story

One such destination is a 75 mile loop that starts in our hometown of Melbourne, and heads straight south down highway A1A, that mystical road immortalized in songs, books and movies. Leaving Melbourne behind means also leaving behind the lines of condos and commercial establishments that dot our own stretch of this road. 

The dunes become more present and more majestic homes dot the shoreline, leaving ample room between to enjoy views of blue water and warm sand. The speed limit kicks up to 55 MPH, but there is no need to hurry. A slow ride down A1A allows us a chance to take in the sights that we miss during our 9 to 5, Monday through Friday lives.

The first landmark along the way is the Sebastian Inlet (right). This opening to the sea allows boaters of all pursuits the chance to leave the landlocked river behind and venture out onto the big pond. The fishing is excellent here, and the surfing is good year round. 

If time permits (and it usually does), we will stop here and walk the piers that stretch out into the Atlantic, watching the fisherman stack up their catches as the waves crash around them.

Alex, Larry, Ray (and Steve behind the camera) take a well earned break :-)

Back on the bikes and it's south to Vero Beach, the next town along the way. This older beach community also has its share of condos, but they are not directly on the beach, with the result being more great views of the ocean and the beaches. Vero is usually a good rest stop, a place to recycle some coffee and fill up for the next section of A1A. 

After making our way through the inevitable traffic that seems to go along with any beachside destination, A1A once again rolls along an empty coastline, with large gates and driveways disappearing over the dunes being the only breaks in the nothingness. 

Along the way, the UDT/SEAL Museum (left) is a great place to stop for a bit. There is a lot of history here and the tour is well worth the price of admission. (not to mention the air conditioning) Just make sure you don't stop by on Sunday, as they are closed.

After satisfying our museum needs, A1A continues south to Fort Pierce and we're forced to cross back over to the mainland. This is the location of the Fort Pierce inlet, and unlike Sebastian, no bridge has been built to span it's waters. But that's okay because it is lunch time now, and that means only one thing on a nice summer ride: Barbeque! After leaving A1A behind, we turn our bikes north on US1 and begin to make our way home. 

But not before a visit to Norris's Famous Place For Ribs (right). Here, a great BBQ lunch can be had for under 10 dollars. The service is great and the food will help fill you up. And again, the air conditioning feels great!

With stomachs full, we start our journey back to Melbourne. A few miles up the road, another great place to explore comes into view. The Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. This working Institute offers tours of the grounds, the ships, and their air conditioned facilities (are you getting the idea here?). After spending some time pretending to be the next Jaques Cousteau, we again head north on US1, arriving after a bit of time in the town of Sebastian. A quick turnoff and we are riding along the Indian River, which is part of the Intercoastal Waterway system. 

This part of the road is dotted with small restaurants and bars, the most famous being Captain Hiram's Restaurant (right). This place brings a little bit of the Florida Keys to central Florida. The food is always good and the drinks are always cold. So what the heck, one more stop won't kill us.

As we leave Captain Hiram's, we head north along the river, joining back up with US1. The river is still close along side and the boats and the views make this last bit of the ride as great as the first. Finally, we arrive back in Melbourne, laughing at the fact that our IBA selves could take all day to ride 75 miles. Considering what we saw along the way however, any less time would have been a crime.