Two posts in one weekend! SAY WHAT???

The weather over the past week has been rainy and generally hot and humid.  The weatherman was calling for an 80% chance of rain, but the catch was it would hit after 2 PM. 

Since it had been a while since I was on my beloved Kimmie I decided to take advantage of the cooler temps and get in a ride before the rain hit.   I also wanted to go further than I have been.  Lately it seems all my rides are either commutes or shorter jaunts of under 50 miles.

I wanted to stretch her legs a bit with a longer ride.  The last time I took her out we traveled roads I knew and didn't know, we did various twists and turns and had some fun.  I was just not happy with the mileage, doing just under 50 miles.

On Saturday I left about 11 AM with every intention of putting on 100 miles minimum.  I knew the rain was coming but I had three hours to conquer my goal.  I could do this. 

So I started with no destination in mind, but a general plan to head south towards Tampa, catching some of the more interesting and twisty roads that I knew of on the way. I sort of had a big circle in mind and stick mostly to the back roads.  I also decided to go down some side roads that I've passed 1001 and one times only to find they either dead ended or took me to a familiar road.  Plus, I always head north and west for some reason...I really have not explored the east and south of Tampa that much.

Cigar City Cider and Mead

However I started to realize that their was a flaw in my plan as my stomach started to growl.  I had eaten a bagel with some hummus about 7 AM and nothing since then.  It was also national mead day.  What many people may or may not know about me is that I enjoy a good craft beer now and again, or a bottle of wine.  Mead is basically fermented honey but it's also much more than that.  

The more I thought about this the more my stomach growled and one of my favorite watering holes I knew would be jumping with my fellow cider and mead heads.  Generally speaking they don't serve food but I knew of a pizza place next door.  Should I stop?

Of course I should!  Although alcohol and bikes don't mix, I did have two droughts of the nectar of the Gods. 

About 90 minutes later I was back on my bike and looking at the sky with a bit of worry, I was still under the 50 mile halfway mark but the sky's were beginning to darken.  I could feel the temperatures drop some and I cursed at my choice to spend some time in one of my favorite places, but I didn't curse at myself to much. 

I went towards downtown Tampa some then turned Kimmie northward towards home.  Twisting the throttle a little bit as the rain started to fall so I could get ahead of it some, and generally that's what happened all the way home.  I got wet, but not as bad as it could have been.

I pulled into my spot about twenty minutes before the skies opened up, checking my mileage I put on 73. 4 miles.  Not bad, but significantly under my goal for the day.   Still though, I had good riding weather.  Good food (2 slices of pizza and a coke for $6).  Some good mead and company which warmed my heart.  I'll chalk it up to a good weekend. 

The return of the rainy season and other meanderings

Their is a 70% chance of rain today.  A slightly less chance of rain tomorrow but the chances of me getting wet are almost guaranteed.  I've an unwritten rule when it comes to riding.  Anything above 45% is a crap shoot and I'll take the car everywhere.  It looks like I'll be driving to work most of the week.

I don't mind riding in the rain, in fact I rather enjoy it as long as I feel "relatively safe."  Riding in wet weather requires a special type of skill, and I'm glad that my motorcycle riders training class was held during a rainy miserable cold weekend.  I learned not to be afraid of the rain.  However if I can avoid it I will. 

Florida however has two seasons basically.  The "dry" season which most people refer to as "fall and winter" and the "wet" season, which generally is the spring and summer.   Our hurricane season generally runs from June 1 to November 30th and it's that weather pattern that delivers the rain.

Well my adopted home of Zephyrhills is inland enough to avoid storm surges and other flooding, I'm still not looking forward to living through my first hurricane, the last hurricane to touchdown in Florida was Wilma back in 2005.  Although there have been a variety of tropical storms that have caused damage in Florida.   The difference between the two is basically organization and wind speed.

It's only a matter of time the experts say.

Does no one wave anymore?

Let me paint you a picture.   It's a sunny day, the lone scooterist is heading down the road enjoying how a horse wants to race him to the far fence post.  Their are only a few fluff ball clouds in the air and all is right with the world.   Across the way comes a few bikers, a small group of 5 or so fellow travelers.

I throw out my hand giving them the peace sign above the road, wishing them safe travels down the road.  It's ignored.

Ok...whatever.   I'm okay with that, who knows what is going through the mind of another rider?  Or what they have to deal with.   Ah, a sports bike!  I throw out my hand again and say "Peace to thee my bother of the two wheels."

hmmm.....that is not the peace sign he is giving me back, but at least its a wave.   

 

All jokes aside though I'm not sure when or how the wave fell out of favor.  I generally try to wave at every rider I see, as long as it is safe to do so.  For what ever reason I've only been getting the wave back about 50% of the time.  

I get it to a great extent.  I'm on a scooter and not a "real bike" even though Kimmie is more than capable of either keeping up with, or blowing away most cycles on the road.  I also understand that now that the weather is fair we are getting more garage queens out on the road.  Bikes that never see the light of day unless they travel from pub to pub on the weekend.  Maybe I'm not worthy of the wave in their opinion?

I can also understand a new rider might be a little reluctant to take their hands off the handlebars even for a moment, and the wave is not exactly covered in class work when you get your license.

Still though...how hard is it to throw out your arm in greeting?    We should be more friendly to each other.

To the Northern Hinterlands!

Sue and I are talking about taking the car north this weekend.  Up into the counties on the Nature coast that we are not familiar with.   Taking a picnic basket, our swim trucks and spending a night in a hotel somewhere.  Well I've no issue pointing our wheels in that direction, I would rather go with some sort of destination in mind...but the best finds are always the unexpected pleasures one finds on the side roads.

The problem that I'm having is that there does not seem to be much in the way of anything between Brooksville and Tallahassee.  

I suppose we may find a little out of the way restaurant, or some town holding a local festival.  More on that later, but it's a good change of pace.  Considering all her medical issues and so forth, I'll take what ever good days I can.

I wonder how many wineries there are bestrewn here and there?  My wine fridge is getting a little empty.

Festivities of the Orange Kind

Not everything works out as planned.

I was originally planning on riding Saturday, hopefully with a group heading somewhere but by Friday afternoon I sort of gave up on that idea.  I was feeling guilty.  Guilty because there was work that needed to be done, I had yard work to do that I kept putting off because of the summer heat and humidity.  Now that the heat and humidity are gone, there is no excuses.  Today, for example, was a pleasant 84 F (28.9 C)...still warm but without the humidity it is a pleasure to work in.

My mom and dad asked me to clean the gutters of their winter home...I still needed to do that.  

Truth be told, well I enjoy riding and exploring other parts of the local world, I really didn't feel like crossing the Howard Franklin bridge into St Petersburg to meet a group of strangers to ride back into Tampa and spend all day exploring the parks of my adopted city.  Or I could meet the other group and ride out to Lake Wales on various back roads and spend all day in the saddle.

Both options appealed to me but frankly I was not looking forward to either like I originally thought I would.  .  

So when the lovely Sue mentioned the Hunsadar Farms Pumpkin Festival was having their final weekend to me this Saturday, it just seemed right.  Plus they had an air cannon you could shoot a pumpkin out of.  An AIR CANNON!  Okay, the geek was me was excited.  Maybe they let me fire it...just once PLEASE!  PRETTY PLEASE!

So Sue and I jumped into our "Great Pumpkin" and hit the road.  Hunsadar Farms is about 75 minutes south of us in Brandenton, Florida.  The Pumpkin Festival was a combination of things, merchants, musicians, a petting zoo, food stalls, entertainment and Americana.

It's not that far from the Rosa Fiorelli vineyards, which just happen to be my favorite local wine maker, so you know we had to stop there too!  Trust me, follow the link and order a bottle or three, it's worth it.  

Scarecrows provided a distraction

We walked hand in hand taking in the crowd, the event was geared to the little ones to some extent as petting zoo's and jumping frog competitions were part of the day's events.  Two girls, maybe 5 and 6, tried their hands at frog wrangling to the amusement of the crowd, the and horror of their mother.

We got to see the air cannon fire a pumpkin into a strand of trees some 300 plus yards away.  There were some monster trucks, a hay ride, corn maze.  All the normal stuff that you would expect, but a zip line?  No, that we didn't expect.

There were a few shows and demonstrations as well.  Dirt bikes going off of jumps (missed that show) and a Monster truck flattening some old car (missed that too), but we did see the "Wall of Death" where, in addition to motorcycles, they used an old go-kart and a pedal bicycle.

Overall it was a good day, and sometimes you need to do something different to get out of the rut.  I think I was in a rut, so getting out helped.

Well the bank is safe, I think

Sheriff didn't look that tough however.

Other scarecrows provided useful info.

A really old fashioned Merry-Go-Round

More photo's can be found on my Facebook page.  

#pumpkinfest  #blogger  #blog  #pumpkinfestival  #hudsadar  #hudsadarfarms

18 months and exploring Plant City

I received an email the other night from the dealership I bought Kimmie off of, according to the email I owned her for 18 months now.  I actually had to go back and do the math, using all my fingers and part of my toes during the process.

In some ways it feels longer than that.  In other ways, shorter.  I started this blog on August 22,2011.  I recently upgraded from a little Yamaha Zuma 125 to a Suzuki Burgman 400.  I made my first post about Kimmie way back on February 2, 2013.

In just under four years I've managed to go down twice, hurting myself pretty badly on the second one.  Travel countless miles, see lots of things that I would have never of seen otherwise, met new and interesting people.  I even got to take a brief cruise to the Bahama's and ride in a foreign country.  All of this opportunity may have been open to me in a car...but you actually need to go.

On the bike...I didn't want to stop for the longest time.  Then it took me a long time to get back on the beast, to put away demons and just fall in love all over again with the idea of riding.

So with that in mind I decided to take a Saturday morning and ride up to Plant City.  This little burg is sort of a Tardis...it's bigger on the inside.  It has a reputation of being a bit backward and agricultural, despite being in the same county as Tampa.  Frankly, it is.  The area surrounding the town is largely flat and the roads straight.  Farmland stretches for miles.

It's been called the Strawberry Capital of the World, a distinction shared by many cities, for a reason and is home to the Florida Strawberry Festival.  The town even has a dedicated fairground just for that event.  The strawberry's are wonderful and the festival is a lot of fun, although it involves mostly country musical acts and traditional country crafts like quilting displays.

The downtown area is like any small city in America, the population is over 34 thousand after all.  What interests me about a place is the odd, the unusual...what gives the place its soul?

To be honest other than strawberries, I'm not sure what gives this town it's soul.  It has a few beautiful homes in the historic district, a train depot and museum and....what?  .

Certainly not Dinosaur World!  I suppose if I was 5 or 6 years old this would be a neat place to be with life size statues of long dead fantastic creatures.    It sits just off the I-4 highway and you can't miss it's big mascot sitting at the gates.


There is also a small winery in town which doubles as a craft brewery.  I've not had the beer but I've tried the wine before.  Frankly I was not impressed but was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, and I've always been a hard cider fan as well.  I stopped at their tasting room, only to find it closed.  Considering I was riding on the bike, it was probably for the best.  Perhaps when I'm up this way next.

I just might pass that Franchise opportunity to a friend of mine that sells Chocolates.

All told, it was a good day out, a nice satisfying 75 miles (120.7 KM) where I was not rushing to work or had a particular destination in mind.  I'll take it.

There's a ghost in the glass!

Jax again...cold beer, bad food and a surprise in the middle of nowhere

The problem with business travel is that, for someone like me that likes to explore and eat and drink from the local establishments, your not always able to do that.

When I was in Jax, as the locals call it, last time I was working from 4 PM to midnight or so.  I was able to get out to the beaches, the museums, listen to live jazz music while sipping wine because I didn't have to show up to work till later.  This time I was mostly working days with small groups of two or three people teaching them the in's and out's of our difficult but important job.  This shift was really not conducive to getting out and exploring the city.  Which was a shame because I like what I've seen of Jacksonville.  I like the ocean and the history in nearby St Augustine.  I like that Jacksonville seems to be a city just on the edge of defining itself.

I like that I found a pretty cool place called King street that had some funky little restaurants and shops on it.  One place, called the Silver Cow, impressed me so much that I know I would be mentioning it to all my beer loving friends.  Beer and wine tasting has always been a passion of mine.

What is it about small hole in the wall places that attract me so? The Silver Cow had nice semi-modern art on the wall, tin type on the ceilings and an old wood bar and about 25 to 30 craft beers on tap.  Including such oddities as Barleywine.  Sadly their menu selection left a lot to be desired and by the time I reached them the kitchen appeared to have been closed.  I missed the live jam session they had the previous night with local musicians that apparently spilled into the street causing an impromptu dance party on the sidewalks.  Yea, my kind of dive.

The next night it was recommended that I try a place nearby called Kickbacks Gastropub.  I'm always up for an adventure and was told that they had a very good beer selection and  a nice menu.  I should have guessed by the hipsters hanging outside this wasn't the place for me.  I've been friends with musicians and artists for most of my life.  You develop an eye for "posers", they are generally the ones that develop a certain look but either don't have the talent or the desire to put in the hard work needed to actually develop a talent.  This place seemed to attract them like a moth to a flame.

I ordered the french dip and...do you know how hard it is to screw up a french dip?  Somehow this place did that.  At least the beer, in this case a nice 22 oz (65 cl German Hefeweizen) beer was cold.  Yet the beer list left a lot to be desired.  I was expecting some unusual brews, not the same stuff I find in any restaurant anywhere.

At least the night was warm and I managed to find a nice little tree filled park with a bird island in the center of it.  I meandered past some good street art and gardens, past old southern homes built in the 1950's that the locals still took pride in and some interesting people.

A long time ago on  Back Road Motorcycling Riding, I read about the Yearling Restaurant located in Cross Keys, Florida.  It seems that this odd little place was influenced by Pulitzer Prize winning writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, who made her fortune from the novel; The Yearling, and whose home was nearby.  The menu features local game such as venison, quail, gator, turtle and duck.  I've had all these dishes before and have been wanting to stop every since reading the original blog post.  Sadly the lunch menu only offered venison so I simply had to settle for the best blackened shrimp that I've ever had.  

Although I have to admit that the outside is a bit....daunting.  Getting there can be an adventure because frankly it's in the middle of nowhere and just to the left of bumf*ck.  However it was on my way home so stopping was never in question.

When I walked in I heard the rich baritone of an elderly blues singer that reminded me that art and a woman's love are worth selling your soul to the devil for.

Old books and antiques covered the walls and created a warm welcoming atmosphere.  Pencil art and aged yellowing photographs covered the wall.  I considered ordering a glass of wine from across the way and spending some time there and at the nearby homestead of Ms Rawlings, but time was fleeting as I had to return the company's rental car.

So I add another spot to the list, another place that I have to return to some day.  That list keeps getting longer and longer but the days keep dwindling down.  It's all part of growing up I suppose.

Book Store or Library?  No, the Yearling

Inside the Yearling

I can't help but wonder who plays here normally.

It's not hell, it's just Jacksonville, Florida

Sometimes it's nice to get away.  To do something different and unique and break out of your comfort zone a bit.  I found myself in Jacksonville, Florida to help train some others and take a little mini-vacation from the other job that I do.  I have to admit that I've also been playing around with the idea of applying for an open management position here in Jacksonville and wanted to look about some.

In the end I decided not to apply for it.  Yea, I want to move up in the company (and frankly feel that I've been passed over one to many times), but Jacksonville isn't for me.  I've got to much going on right now to consider moving.  Still though...it's a nice idea and the Jacksonville/St Augustine area offers a lot for a guy like me.  The lovely Sue ended up visiting me over the weekend and we visited the beaches, looked about and had two days of relaxation.

A monster hunts on the beaches

Unlike my last trip to Jacksonville, I was actually able to get away and do some exploring.  I even considered renting a scooter for a few hours as I meandered the back streets of St Augustine.  I opted out of that option, but did consider it.  Despite the title of this blog, it was a good trip and if travel has taught me anything - personal, pleasure or business - it's to be open to the possibilities.

Their might be a proverbial diamond in the rough, a three star restaurant in what you think might be a hick back-ass town in the middle of nowhere Florida.  Or how the guy that used to sell you pot in college and haven't seen in years just might own a farm now just about an hour north of Jacksonville, and have the (2nd) coolest woman ever as his wife. So I got to spend about two hours with them and, at the end, he offered to sell me some pot (which I did turn down).

A little winery in St Augustine which offered some very sweet (almost to sweet) wines but also offered jazz on the roof top over looking the St Johns River.  Watching the World Cup in a bar full of strangers and the joy and disappointment that the beautiful game grants us.   Strangers enter and friends emerge, united by the colors of their chosen side.

A visit to one of the local museums lead to an odd moment.  I walked into one of the old clapboard homes that were on display, only dating only back 100 years, and realizing that I was alone.  Realizing that I could slip behind the velvet ropes and actually touch some history...do I dare to do so?

Another room contained an old train.  An iron and steel ghost of the influence of Henry Flagler.  Who for all practical purposes built up the east coast of Florida and developed the Keys.  Florida owes a lot to the rails and the state was not really developed until the 1920's and Flagler's various hotels and rail efforts.  Disney of course was another developing force in the state but that is another topic for another blog.

One of the trains that built modern Florida

An old church in Jacksonville beach

Behind the ropes.

An old clapboard style Florida home

Old School Kitchen

Spring...

Thanks to Scootin Old Skool

Spring, the story goes, is when a young man's fancy turns to love.  It is a quote as old as time itself...and for someone who is a stone cold geek...very true.  I mean...seriously do you know how many old Pagan Fertility symbols appear this time of year?  But I regress.

It is also a time of hope, rebirth, and resurrection.  Kimmie is repaired and, at the risk of sounding quite mad, she has been calling me from her spot on the driveway.  Whispering in my ear like the petulant woman she is.  "Not yet, I'm still not healed.  The doctors still need to release me." I mumble to her.  "Soon.  Very soon."

I have to admit, I've debated riding again.  I've thought long and hard and questioned everything.  I'm still not 100 percent positive that I wish to ride again.  Then I think about the joy it's brought me.  Things like the Equinox to Equinox rally where I challenged myself to finish well (and I did).  To the idea of just wandering off the map. I recently read the story of Agloe, NY on the web and now I'm curious. It seems that this town did not exist in real life but only on the paper maps of old as a way to catch counterfeiters.  Then growing up like a weed on the dusty back roads, a general store for the non existent town was built.  Then it disappeared again.  Lost in the mists of time.    I read the story and wondered..."Do the remains of that old General Store still exsist?  Empty and full of ghosts of townspeople that never really were?"  

"What stories where there in Florida?"  

There is much that I want to see here.  I've been to the mermaids in Weeki Wachee and to the last refuge of Puns at Solomon's castle.  I've watched the Manatee's.  Where are the interesting stories?  The odd, the unusual?  The Weird?  The old Florida?

Where do the local's eat?  Where is that little winery tucked away in the distance.  That cold wonderful milkshake?  That is way I enjoy riding.  That is what I'm interested in...what I want to see!  Find me that hidden gem, that diamond in the rough!

Sure, jumping in the car and going there is all well and good...but not as visceral.  I get it now, and I dare not even try to explain it.

Once the doctors release me, I shall climb upon Kimmy once again.  I will point her wheel in a direction and we will go.  I've been wanting to go on a "long ride" for some time.  Which I'm defining as any 1 day ride of at least 200 miles.

I'm ready....I'm willing.  I just fear that I may not be capable of such a feat.  Not yet, anyway.  Still, it's a challenge, and I don't back down easily from challenges.  I may have taken up riding for a variety of reasons, and maybe the lovely Susan is right and it was a mid-life crisis.   But the truth is this.  I don't think I could stop now...and if I did.  I would miss it.

Spring is a time of renewal after all.

“Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry.” Or....to much of a good thing(s)

This coming weekend was going to be busy.  There was a lot going on that demand my attention.  First was the AIM Expo in Orlando.  Like I mentioned in my last post; I really had no desire to go in the beginning but as the event approached the seeds of excitement grew.  The idea of looking at new farkles and trying out

Copyright TB Rowdies

new bikes appealed to me.  The event certainly peaked my interest and I had was certainly tempted to go.  I will also admit the interest in the expo would drive up my blog numbers and I want some neat swag.

My Tampa Bay Rowdies were also playing on Saturday night.  They are currently in second place in the standings and are pushing hard to defend their championship from last year.  There is frankly no room for error in the last three games and the reborn New York Cosmo's would have to collapse.  The odds are stacked against the Rowdies but soccer is a funny old sport.  I've not been able to attend as many games this year as I would have liked but with only two home games left I am running out of time!

Saturday is also the Rattlesnake Festival in nearby San Antonio, FL.  Just another of those goofy little festivals celebrated all over the United States to boost the local economy for a day or two.  I enjoy going to these little things simply because where else can I see Gopher Tortoise race?

This Saturday is also Sweethearts day and Sue and I had not been on any romantic adventures in some time.   The Bahama's cruise was more about my wanting to ride in a another country.  What romantic thing could I do that involved us riding on the bike?  Could we create our own Roman Holiday?  Two weeks ago we traveled to Tarpon Springs by bike and it had been a wonderful trip.  The last weekend we visited Strong Tower Vineyards and overall had a disappointing trip.  We drove up in the car and was disappointed in the wine and their fall festival overall.  The event was to small, there was nothing to do other than sample a rather poorly made wine.

As I write this I have a few things in my mind.  A few ideas forming.  The first was taking her down to a glass blowing workshop where she would learn to make her own pumpkin, to complete her love of Halloween.  I even went as far as ordering tickets...only to realize that the workshop I ordered the tickets for was in Corning, New York.  A red faced call to them got the issue resolved, much to their amusement.  So much for the world wide web!

Glass blowing example via the web.

At this moment I am not sure what I will do.  I know I seek adventure, but a little bit of romance is never a bad thing.  Getting out of the house to do something...anything is never a bad thing.  Even just having her wrap her arms about me and saying "Lets go." is a good thing.  A picnic on the beach, watching the sun set into the Gulf while reading poetry.  Trying new food at Veg Fest.  I want whatever life has to offer me.

Working six days a week like I do, staying at home is good too.  In the words of the immortal Jack Kerouac, who died some 44 years ago this week:  “Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry.”  Speaking of Jack, another venture starts to form in my head.

Ah endless possibilities.

Rollin' Robert's Smoothie (and Milk shake) Stand Search

Maybe it's been all the talk about blenders and smoothies lately.  Maybe it's because of the unending heat.  Maybe it was an article in the local paper about milk shakes.

I was thirsty.

Ice Cream runs in my family.  From my father's desire to have a small bowl every night before bed to the unspeakable horrors I've committed for a Klondike bar.  The idea of a "Milk shake run" held promise.

Although I really enjoy a shake from the Steak and Shake chain, I would rather support the small independent places.  I was married to a woman that loved to cook, Susan is a trained chef.  So the idea of trying new flavors or odd tastes does not scare me, in fact I seek them out.  Revolution Ice Cream - with it's "Chicken and Waffles" milk shake -  were going on the list for that very reason.  Another place that was listed as "best drinkable desert" by the Food Network was definitely on the list.  A place like Burger 21 and Evo's, although chains, are place's  I have never eaten at but were locally known for their shakes.  So they were "maybe's" for the list.  There were other places that intrigued me.  That little red barn place with the fresh picked farm fruit down the road from me offered promise of delicious smoothies for example.

I could already see a problem with this plan.  I am fat now.  I would break my poor Kimmy's back if I tried to do this all in one day.  Lucky for me there was even a low fat healthy option!  Nor did I want to grow so big that I knock poor Susan of the back seat.
Another problem is I didn't want this to become like my ill fated plan to follow Florida's wine trail.  I have simply not ridden to these places.  I'm not sure why not.

The Equinox to Equinox rally got me out and riding over hill and dale, but that to fell by the wayside of work, bad weather, home commitments and just a general lack of time.  So I am hoping something as simple as this will get me out of the house and on the road again.  A attempt to sample better milk shakes just may be the driving force I need to get out, and of course there is no time frame to any of it.  I can take my time and explore.  Of course if I happen to come across any rally items I'll be glad to take their photo.  It will give Susan and I an excuse to go out and ride, not that we should need one and with the promise of drier weather ahead we should have no reason not to go riding. 

A little bit of History at Munch's with your ice cream

For example, a ride to a home show (bathroom renovation time oh joy!) lead to an offer to buy lunch for Sue.  As we rode down the road my eye caught site of Munch's, one of the places listed in the article that inspired this little piece.  So, tires squealing, I did a quick turn and pulled in.  I'm glad we did, while my bucket of shrimp and fries was passable what I was really here for was the history.  On the walls were various photographs of elementary school classrooms.  Some of them dated back into the early 1950's.  Hair and dress styles changed in each photo, but it was not until the late 1960's before a black face was shown in the class photo's.  A sad comment on Florida's history in an unexpected place.  The milkshake however was cool and smooth and creamy.  While I'm not sure it was worth the $3 they wanted it, I was sure it was worth the stop.  

**NOTE**

This post is not "officially finished" but I see that it's all ready showing up on some blogs that link to mine.  This was due to an "oops" on my part.  So I post it now in its 95% completed status.  

Riding and commuting

In August it will be one year since I bought the Burgie.  Since then I've managed to change out the back tire, change the oil (twice), have a semi-serious mechanical failure - which was not my fault - and put the bike  down, which was my fault. Somehow I've also managed to ride 10,000 miles.

05/04/12

I started with a little under 6,600 miles but rounded up to that nice round figure.  Today I hit 10,000 miles.   Not to bad for a commuter I think and only owning my bike for about nine months.  One of my goals in the coming year is to put more miles on the bike that are "just for fun" which means riding here and there just for the hell of it.

It also means, at least to me anyway, making some improvements to the bike.  I've talked before about how I want to install a new windshield or get a more comfortable seat, however that takes a little more money than what I have right now...so I decided to invest in Malossi 21 g Variator roller weights.  On the Burgman the standard roller weight is 18 - 19 grams.  In theory this should lower the rpm's on my bike during my daily 70 mile round-trip commute and increase gas milage.  Currently, depending on conditions I'm in the high 50's to low 60's.  I hope that these new rollers will lower my fuel consumption by 10 miles per gallon, putting me into the high 60's and low 70's.  Since I will be at 20K soon, where it's recommend I replace my CVT belt, I've decided to order one of those as well but other needs like a new dishwasher, tires for the jeep and saving for a vacation are priority.  The lowest price I've found for a CVT belt is $129 dollars.  The highest - $200 dollars.  That is not including installation and labor costs.  The fact that I'm even considering doing this work myself shows my my confidence level is increasing with every mile I ride.  Six months ago I would never of thought about tearing the bike apart in this manner but thanks to the helpful folks at the BurgmanUSA forums and Mitch's Scooter blog I feel confident.  It helps that my neighbor is a retired mechanic as well.

I know longer have a fear of twisty's, in fact I seek them out now.  Where I rarely ever passed anyone on my previous Zuma 125, I do so with joy now.   I still feel a little weird at night when a car is speeding behind me, but I know longer feel a compulsion to pull over and let him pass.  Nor do I hug the right lane anymore, I feel confident in all lanes.  I do remind myself that the second leading cause of accidents however is "confidence."

At work, my heavy motorcycle jacket no longer gets odd looks when I come in and the fact that I ride in nearly every day has forced the three Harley Owners and a Shadow owner to join me, least they be teased that the "Scooter Guy" is more of a biker than they are.    Today I plan on taking the bike to Keel and Curley Winery for there Blueberry festival.  Sadly I will not have any pictures since my camera died, but I do promise to return with a nice Chardonnay or perhaps a sweet blackberry wine.

Date night.

Last night we had some friends over for dinner.  At the last minute had to run out and get some items.  I thought it might be nice if I did something for the girlfriend and so I packed a few things under the Burgie's seat.

Florida's wine trail

When one of the publications I deliver for extra cash had the headline "Traveling Florida's Wine Trail" my ears picked up.  I happen to like wine and while I would not consider myself an expert by any means I do understand  how the environment affects the taste of a wine, how the variety of grapes used in the wine can affect the taste and other "snobby" things along those lines.

I like the idea of jumping on the Burgman and following the scenic back roads to some of the better Florida wine producers.  I also like a little history and discovered that my adopted state was making wines for a full 300 years before California became a state.  The problem of course is that Florida, with it's hot sticky summers and dry winters is not really conducive to wine making.  Disease and molds were common issues and it was not until the 1920's that breeding programs were developed to create disease-resistant grape varieties suited to our sandy soils and often miserable climate.  Florida wine makers ended up using more fruit and the native Muscadine grape.

An idea started to form in the back of my head about traveling to some of the nearby wineries.  After all one of my goals this year was to get out more on the bike and explore my adopted state.  Taking the back roads to a destination that was close, but not to far.  Using Mapquest I quickly found that there were five different wineries within an hour ride of me.  Picking up a bottle or two of a good local product would not only help the economy, but might introduce me to a good wine or three.

So I think I've a goal this coming summer.  To visit the following places, most of which are within 75 miles and would take about an hour of riding time.  I love Rosa Fiorellia Winery - Susan, my lovely girlfriend and I went for a wine tasting dinner there some time ago and as such I'm not including them on my list.  However it's certainly possible to do and I feel confident that I could to this on my bike pretty easily.
So in no particular order I hope to visit the following places soon:

Strong Tower Vineyards - Spring Hill, FL. 
Lakeridge Winery - Clermont, FL.  
Keel and Curley Winery - Plant City, FL.  
Florida Orange Groves Winery - St Petersburg, FL. 
While I'm not a fan of fruit based wines the last two mentioned are fruit based wine producers.  I've tried a Blueberry from Keel and Curley before and didn't find it to bad.  I tried a kumquat wine and a few others from Florida orange Groves before...and was not impressed.   But I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and try something different.

Now for the required safety talk.   Don't drink and drive.  (edited since Mapquest was not working correctly.)

Random roads and thoughts

I have been wanting to do a "joy ride" for a while now.  I've not had much opportunity to ride over the last two weeks or so other than to work which in its own right is a nice ride; but I've had the itch to ride different roads.  Every day I ride the same route, more or less, and I have been wanting...no needing to explore some quiet backwater places.

So today I did a little under 100 miles (93.8 to be exact) on a nice sunny day with not enough twists and turns to satisfy me, but enough to keep me interest.   Somehow I managed to get completely lost as well...since every road leads somewhere and I was  thoroughly enjoying my ride I didn't worry about it.  I don't have much chance to simply do a purely recreational ride anyhow.

I work second shift, my job can be 24/7 and on top of that I have another job that I work two days a week and takes anywhere from three to eight hours to complete.  In other words, I work a lot.    Since my girlfriend is unable to work, we spend our mornings together.  Riding 2-up with her is just not possible right now.  She feels that I need a more experience before she climbs on the back of the bike with me.  I know she is right.

All this limits the time I get for recreational riding and frankly since the untimely death of Gary B - I've no one to ride with.  That may change in the future but for now I'm a solo rider.  Riding with a friend is safer and in my opinion a hell of a lot more fun.  Not that solo riding isn't fun.  I've found a little 3 mile long stretch of road near where I work that has 15...yes, 15...wonderful twists, turns and bends.  Everything from sharp abrupt corners to a few sweeping rights and lefts.  If I get to work early enough I can be found riding that road.

One of the joys about about getting lost, I had originally planned on a 50 mile ride following a predetermined route, is finding the unexpected.  Even though I live in West Central Florida I just happen to live in Kumquat country.  A nearby town even has a kumquat festival.  I found the packing plant and a Kumquat specialty shop.  Sadly none of my pictures really came out well.

From Florida Estates Winery

I drove up the road some, finally finding a route I recognized and a little winery right down the road some.  Now having been known to indulge now and again in the fruit of the vine I stopped.  Sadly I was riding so could not sample to many but what I did try was sadly lacking.  If your interested in Florida wines I highly recommend Fiorelli Winery.  Somehow however I ended up with a bottle.

But I digress.

I've only had the Burgi for a few months and am enjoying the ride a hell of a lot more than I would have ever of guessed.  When I first considered getting a bike it was for commuting purposes only, now here I am taking 100 mile joy rides.

Givi airflow AF266 for the Burgie!

There are a few things I wish I had though - the fact that I have a AeroStitch catalog has nothing to do with it (eye roll).  The plastic on the bike needs repaired and although scars might tell a story...they shouldn't be on a bike.  My stock windshield was really designed for a person much shorter than me.  I'm 6' foot tall and 200 pounds.  Not really heavy but big enough, and the wind comes right over the windshield and catches me in the upper chest and head.  I would love to have to have a Givi Airflow windshield and a top case to go with it.  Okay, I really don't need the top case but hey, it looks cool and a little bit of extra storage never hurts.  Particularly since I hope to take those longer and longer rides.  A backrest would be nice too.

My birthday is in April.   Checks can be sent to..........

Orlando's Snowbird Classic and other rides and rally's

As the French might say "Le Sigh!"


I had heard about the Snowbird Classic Scooter rally earlier and had planned on going this weekend.  However I ended up having to work late Friday night (I normally work till 12:30 - 1 AM at my job but got stuck working till 2...then had to commute an hour home).

The original plan was to drive down to Tampa first and meet up with my new buddy Gary and another rider or two, then go over to the Rally which is just north of Orlando.    I had the camera ready, a full tank of gas and my heart set on going.  

Two problems though.   Riding on only 3 to 4 hours of sleep is stupid and I would have to turn around to be back at work by 4 PM today.

Next year for sure.

The next rally I know of for sure is in nearby St Pete's and is the weekend of Nov. 11 - 13.  Again it's something I really want to go to but with my schedule being what it is....I can't really commit to something.  

I may just ride out to the local Wine and Food Festival on Nov 12 at Rosa Fiorelli Winery if I can't go to the rally.  Some great people and wonderful wines.

Anyone need to fill a position on daylight shift?