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Central Florida Touring |
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August 2001 Volume 2, Number 4 =============
"The road rises and falls gently, and is littered with nice curves and blessed with new asphalt. Four lanes wide and a posted 55-MPH all come together to make this a great start to any ride" "I ventured into the showroom and my eyes immediately fell on a beautiful blue Aprilia Futura. This was the first one I had seen with the final US spec bags, and brother, it was awesome!"
Gearing up, we left the unhurried pace of Winter Park and ventured back into Orlando traffic, which was by now reaching the congested point.
"The weather could not make up it's mind to rain or not, so the result were hazy skies and wet, slap you in the face with a hot towel type of conditions."
"We passed cobblestone streets with Ivy covered houses, and meandered along lakefront streets that seemed quite removed from the hustle and bustle of the downtown we had just left"
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Day Trippin' Orlando Style
The weather forecast had not been promising all week. Widely scattered showers and a chance for torrential downpours meant that any riding over the weekend would be moist, to say the least. Sometimes, You Just Gotta Ride Still, when I headed out early Saturday morning from our offices here in Melbourne, Florida, the sky was blue and the temperature was very mild, a side effect of all the rain we were having. My goal today was to ride north along the coastline, and then turn west and make my way to Orlando, entering well north of the city. I would slowly meander my down through the back roads, and check out some local color along the way. I had originally planned this to be a solo trip, a sort of decompression following a couple of hectic work weeks. At the last minute however, I got a call from Steve, who informed me that his weekend work trip had been cancelled and he was therefore able to join me if I was up for it. Always glad to have his company, I agreed to meet him for breakfast at one of our favorite greasy spoons. After a quick breakfast and an adequate intake of coffee, We were off to Orlando. We began our trek by heading north on US1, passing through Cocoa and other small towns. This part of US1 hugs the shoreline along the Indian river, which is also known as the Intercoastal Waterway. The road rises and falls gently, and is littered with nice curves and blessed with new asphalt. Four lanes wide and a posted 55-MPH all come together to make this a great start to any ride. An early Saturday morning meant that traffic was light and Steve and I made our way north in a short period of time, arriving north of Titusville in record time. Upon entering the town of Mims, a wide place in the road and not much more, we turned west onto Rt. 46 and made our way through the swamps and lowlands that dot this part of the state. Low clouds and dark skies indicated that rain would soon be our companion, but we pressed on anyway, arriving at our first destination of the day. Steve, That Bike is You Our first stop on this dreary day was at Seminole Power Sports, located on 17/92 in Longwood. This large motorcycle dealer carries Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Aprilia, as well as a great selection of watercraft. In fact, this is where I adopted the Concours I currently ride. While we were stripping off the helmets and gloves, I noticed that Steve was starting to salivate. I turned to look in the direction he was staring, and instantly saw what was making him drool. A new Yamaha FZ1 was parked on the tarmac. Steve has had a serious woody for this bike for quite some time, and to date, he has only been able to sit on one.
While I was waiting, I ventured into the showroom and my eyes immediately fell on a beautiful blue Aprilia Futura. This was the first one I had seen with the final US spec bags, and brother, it was awesome! I have been doing a bit of shopping around myself for a new bike (more on that later) and had discounted the Aprilia. But now, seeing this bike, I began to have second thoughts. Luckily, Steve arrived back in one piece and was able to get me out of their before I committed to anything. If you would like to get Steve's thoughts on the FZ1, send him an email and he will be glad to tell you. Next Stop, Winter Park After leaving the bike shop, Steve and I navigated our way through traffic that was starting to become a bit heavier. Still, with just he and I , it was easy enough to exploit the open holes in traffic, and before long we had arrived at our next planned stop; Park Avenue in Winter Park. According to the chamber of commerce, "Winter Park is a city of about 25,000 residents located just north of Orlando in Orange County, Florida. One of Florida's finest cities, it is famous for its stately trees, abundant parks, brick-lined streets, spectacular homes, museums, vibrant lakes and fine shops along Park Avenue.
Chartered in 1887, the City was originally developed as a winter resort for wealthy Northerners seeking refuge from the harsh winters and a tranquil place to rest and relax. The City was originally named Lakeview in 1858 and re-named Osceola in 1870. Eleven years later, the name Winter Park was chosen by its founders. Loring Chase and Oliver Chapman, who during an informal discussion, decided they wanted the name to be something about a park in winter - thus the name Winter Park." Steve and I took some time to wander the streets and gawk in the windows of the fancier stores. In addition to the stores, there are a number of sidewalk cafes and restaurants serving everything from plain to fancy fare. If you ever make to Orlando, make sure to set aside some time to check this place out Now Arriving, Church Street Station Gearing
up, we left the unhurried pace of Winter Park and ventured back into
Orlando traffic, which was by now reaching the congested point. Again,
being able to exploit the holes in traffic made our trip a bit easier, and
before long we arrived at our next point of interest, Church Street
Station in downtown Orlando. This entertainment and shopping complex was
constructed around Orlando’s original train station. The restored
station along with old-fashioned bars like Rosie O’Grady’s Good Time
Emporium swelled in popularity until eventually a whole complex of
restored buildings was created. The Church Street Exchange Shopping Emporium Like the major theme parks, the designers paid a lot of attention to detail and historical accuracy. The Train Depot is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places and contains numerous historical artifacts. The most impressive artifact is 'Old Duke', a steam locomotive that was in the movie 'Wings of Eagles' with John Wayne. Church Street Station offers live entertainment, fine dining and the Church Street Exchange Shopping Emporium - a three story complex that has over 50 shops, restaurants and midway games. The only drag for us was the fact that Church Street is more of a nighttime spot, so a lot of the places were closed when we arrived for lunch. But, not to worry. Right around the corner we found a great little Mexican place called the Wall Street Cantina. The service was pleasant and the food was great. So, after a good meal and several large glasses of iced tea to help fend off the heat, we left the air conditioned comfort of the cantina and headed back into the heat and humidity of the afternoon. The weather could not make up it's mind to rain or not, so the result were hazy skies and wet, slap you in the face with a hot towel type of conditions. We wandered down to Lake Eola, looking to beat the heat before we started off on our final push for the day
Lake Eola, a downtown Orlando landmark The lakefront was jammed with people all looking for ways to beat the heat. Too bad none of them could take advantage of the lake waters. for all it's expansiveness and all it's charm, there is no swimming allowed in these waters. However, if you are looking for a nice place to bring the family and enjoy a picnic in the park, or a concert after dark, then Lake Eola is the place to be. Last Stop, The Mouse House Once again we donned helmets and gloves and made our way south, avoiding the main roads of Orlando in favor of roads that took us through some of the older of the city's neighborhoods. We passed cobblestone streets with Ivy covered houses, and meandered along lakefront streets that seemed quite removed from the hustle and bustle of the downtown we had just left. It was quite idyllic, and we found ourselves slowing more and more to enjoy the views, until finally we reached the end of this oasis. Back into the reality of big city driving, we continued south, arriving finally at the vacation Mecca that draws people here from around the globe; Disney World. For Steve and I however, the allure of the theme parks and resorts was diminished by the fact that there are some really great roads to ride in this area. One thing you can say for the folks at Disney, they really know how to keep their roadways in good repair. What you may not stop to think about is the fact that in order to connect this sprawling complex together, you need a decent set of roads. Disney excels here, having created a set of interconnecting roads that contain all the elements essential to good motorcycling; First, they are very clean. Second. they have just enough turns and twists to keep them interesting. Finally, they are next to deserted, except for the occasional transportation bus. If you ever get a chance, check out the Reedy Creek area. The roads will keep you coming back and best of all, admission is free! Home Again Steve and I decided the time had come to start for the barn. and even though we would get soaked during the ride home, the day's ride was well worth the price of the weather. Besides, I pay a lot of money for the rain gear I own, and I enjoy getting to exercise that gear from time to time.
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By
Larry Fitch
The
view along Park Avenue
