The accidential tourist - we zig instead of zag

I work two jobs, one is my regular "9 - 5" job from Monday to Friday and is the majority of my income.  The other one is a part time job that I've maintained for myself since 2008 or so.  I own my own small distribution company which delivers magazines and other products to various locations. 

What that means is that I very rarely have a free weekend.  This was one of those rare free weekends and since it fell on the Easter holiday, a lot of the places and things that I wanted to show Scooter Bob would be closed.  The weatherman also kept trying to convince me of heavy rain showers but they seemed to be off in the distance, I decided to take my chances and head towards the beaches.

I headed towards Tampa and Clearwater but then thought of something that might be interesting, so I veered to the left instead of the right.  Only to find this closed due to the holiday.   I was on a road that would lead to one of the beaches nearby...but traffic was particularly heavy.  It's freaking hot sitting in traffic.

"Hey Rob!  What is Palm Harbor?"  Scooter Bob called from his box.

"Just a small town I've never been to.  It might be fun to check out." I yell back, as we zig, or is it zag, towards this new destination.

"Rob, lets get a drink."  As I pull over into the Two Lions Winery and Palm Harbor Brewery.  The place is empty but it was just opening up and I try a few small samples of their beer.   I have to be honest, while decent I've had much better beers.  Their wine however is wonderful and I can't help but tuck a bottle of Sangria next to Scooter Bob as we head out the door about an hour later.

The bartender, Christie, loved the story of Scooter Bob and told me that one of the owners had just died, and how creating a traveling mascot for him may be in order.  So Kevin Zylstrt know that you were loved and that this little motorcycle brought a little joy to your staff.

I knew that Palm Harbor was not far from Dunedin, another small town that I understood to be famous for it's art, it's various breweries and Honeymoon Island.   Plus it was a place that I have never been to, so I pointed Kimmie's wheels in that direction but first I decided I needed to grab a bite to eat.  While I had not had much to drink, I am not going to risk a ticket or worse.

Scooter Bob insisted we stop and eat here.

A couple of fish taco's later and we were on the way south again.  I'm looking for two craft beer places, I don't know how Bob felt about beer but I enjoy a good libation and heard nothing but good things about the Dunedin Brewery and it's nearby friendly competitor the 7th Sun Brewery.

I was in no hurry to get there however and stopped in the small downtown area to have a look around.  There were more than a few art galleries and other interesting places to pop my head into, but sadly it being Easter Sunday they were all closed.

Over all it was not a bad day, I stopped at Dunedin Brewery and ended up passing on 7th Sun.  Another time, another trip.  For now I was happy and pointed my wheels back towards home....which was an adventure in itself but that is another story for another time.   I'm safe, happy and wishing everyone a wonderful and joyful Easter Holiday (even if you don't celebrate it).

Bob chats with a local

Bob checks out the fishing pier

A Dog that serves as a bike rack

The sink at the brewery

Just a fountain in the center of town.

Not sure if they are breaking in or escaping

 

Meeting up and passing the torch

I have to admit that I'm a little nervous as I sit and wait at my home for the arrival of Scooter Bob.

I've been following David Masse's Life on Two Wheels blog for a while and David has put a lot of miles under his wheels as he traveled and toured.  Bill Leuthold is a legend in some circles as he done several Iron Butt challenges, and has been in at least two Scooter Cannonballs.  Ken Wilson has been keeping a blog for years and is another serious rider with various accomplishments to his name.  The man helped build a school for God's sake.  Jim Mandel I'm afraid I didn't know but I did know that if was riding with this group then he must be very accomplished indeed.

Sadly however I would not be able to ride with them.  I had some prior commitments (See the Great Kitchen Remodel) and would be working later in the day.

Me?  I'm famous for trying to add a blender to the back of my bike and sell smoothies.

Myself, Scooter Bob, Bill and Venessa

Sadly it didn't pan out that way.  David's gear got shipped elsewhere (see his post about that here).  I'm not sure what happened to Ken and Jim but Bill did stop by for a few minutes and we handed off Scooter Bob.

I had thought about where I wanted to take Scooter Bob before, but a lot of other riders have taken him to places I can only dream of.  My world seems very small right now, but let us shake those negative thoughts from my head.

In no particular order I was thinking of showing him the following:

• The largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright's work in the south.
• Mermaids
• A big bell tower
• City roads
• Big Lizards
• A city of Ghosts
• A city of Freaks
• A UFO
• The best beach in America
• Bea and my favorite bee's.
• A castle in a swamp

It really just depends on the weather, the time I have and a few other things.  I'm a big fan of a local program that takes "Trips on a tankful" in and around Florida as well as an avid reader of Florida Backroads e-zine.    What I'm hoping is something odd and unusual will catch my eye.  I also had every intention to reaching out to my local scooting community for their suggestions as well.

This is going to be fun.  This, I think, is what I needed.   To get out and explore again.  Hopefully have Scooter Bob around will rekindle my desire to ride again, much like the Equinox to Equinox rally did a few years ago (and where I finished a very respectable 13th).

Bruce Rossmeyer's - a legend in Daytona

Ormand Beach, Florida at moonrise

Things have been a little hectic at Casa de Wilson.  Susan wants to keep things as normal as possible and I can understand why.

I've not gone riding in over a week, week and a half maybe.  The last long trip I took I knew I was low on air, and filled it up before the trip.  Then I rode to work and felt what could only be called a "wobble."  It may have been my imagination but no riding till I had the chance to look at it.  That finally came this weekend.  I was three pounds in pressure under the recommended air pressure.  I rode a bit afterward and guess what...no wobble.  So it may have been my imagination but I still feel a new front tire is in my near future.

It's not that tacky.

Susan saw something about a Hawaiian shirt with Motorcycles on it.   I have a weakness for Hawaiian shirts, it's sort of "my brand" and started as a inside joke when I first moved to Florida.  I was told they were part of the dress code here and the rest they say is history.

So when the opportunity came to visit some of her family who had just moved into the Daytona Beach area, off we went.  Our destination was the famed Bruce Rossmeyer's Harley Davidson Dealership.

Frankly neither of us realized exactly how big this place really was.  It's a two story building with new and used bikes for sale.  Clothing and biker accessories, a tattoo parlor, a hotel, two restaurants and a cafe in the service bay.  I'm not forgetting the ice cream parlor, leather store, bike insurance kiosk, etc. In other words, if you're coming for Daytona Bike Week this is the destination.

The marketer in me has to admire their marketing strategy, and even though we did not pick up a Hawaiian shirt for myself (the cheapest was $60 and I'm a cheap bastard).  Harley does make some lovely bikes and I was impressed by more than a few.  I finally saw the 750 up close and I have to admit it's not that bad looking of a bike.

However I'm not wanting a bike because of the name.  If I did I would have bought the the BMW scooters when they first came out.   No, the next bike I buy will be well thought out and it maybe another Kymco honestly.

Harley is an American icon however, and Rossmeyer's is full of art, classic models and the history of bikes.  I actually wish I had a little more time, I would have loved to spent some more time wondering about and seeing what I could see.

Of course, by the end of that day I would have talked myself into something.  But we got away with a cute little shirt for my niece at a fair price.  I'm happy with that.

Yep, cows.  

Some of the Harley Davidson art work on Display

Only 14,513 miles on the Odometer, while it is a 51 Harley after all.

Rant! (or life is to short to miss out on things)

Sometimes you just don't have a choice.  Sometimes you miss out on events because you learn about them to late, or because of circumstances beyond your control.

Sometimes you know about it...but the same old excuses of  "it will take to long", "it's cold" or "its to far" or "but I have to get up in the morning" prevent you from doing something fun.  From meeting new people or from seeing something interesting.

I've used all those excuses and more, and frankly I'm not happy with myself about it.  I also am embarrassed, thinking of my friends up north who are buried in snow or dealing with sub freezing temperatures.  And here I am whining about 30 degree temps.  I am sorry about that.

What promoted this little rant was I learned about a ride over to St Pete to late.  Now truth be told I had an appointment with my accountant at 10:30 AM and a route that I had to run in the afternoon.  My day would be full....still though, I would have preferred this ride.

I'm not sure when they were planning to finally head to the Taco Bus, but I'm written about that before.  It's a Tampa tradition and used to have the best Mexican food in the city.

In the last two weeks I've not done that much riding, due to all those excuses I've used before.  I'm missing out on these things.  Florida has so much to offer.  I am one hour away from St Petersburg, which was recently named one of the best beaches in America.  I am within 90 minutes from Orlando and all that it offers.

There are so many day trips, so many odd little things to see.  Places that I would love to explore.  At the risk of sounding like a promotional TV commercial...I do live in Paradise and it's easy to forget that when your nose is buried in work.

The initial reason for this blog was to explore what I was feeling and experiencing when I rode.  It sort of grew into a travelogue.  Frankly it's getting harder and harder for me to justify.  Maybe my work/life balance is out of whack.  Maybe I am more than a little frustrated over health issues that directly affect my life.

Maybe, just maybe I'm being a little whiny bitch right now.  All I know is that the only person that can change things is me...and I need to do that.

“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.

The Bahama's - A little jaunt with memories that last a lifetime.

“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” ― G.K. Chesterton

I was trying to pay attention to the road, trying to keep my eye on my girlfriends daughter who, while having riding bikes and small motorbikes, had never ridden a scooter this far, this fast before.  I was riding behind her in front of the tail-gunner and trying to keep an eye on the rear view mirror of my little Yamaha for the jeep that my Susan and her mother had rented to follow along.  I didn't have much to worry about.  Steph handled the scooter very well, she scared me twice (once where she took a turn to quick and stuck out her foot) and another where she was looking at the lovely countryside and not paying attention to the road and nearly missed a turn.

My little island steed

My ride was a little cramped Yamaha 100 to 125 cc, it was more than a little hot but the traffic keeps moving in the Bahama's thanks to only a few stop lights but what seems like 101 traffic circles on the island.  It kept the air moving.  I had learned about the trip through the Shiftless Scooter Club and the Palm Beach Scooter Club.  As I sit here safely back in the states I find myself wishing that I could have spent more time there.  The people of the Bahama's are amazingly friendly and helpful, not asking for a dime when we required assistance (more on that in a bit).  The roads were in very good shape and there were enough twists to keep it interesting, but not particularly challenging.

I went to ride somewhere new, to visit another country and see things that I may new see again.  To explore history, to meet the people.  For the community and joy of riding with other scooter lovers.  I went to dip my feet in the bluest water, to buy things for family and friends...just to get away from the daily stress of life.  To drink.

The guy that lead the trip I've ridden with once before in a group setting.  He's and excellent leader, finding a pace that fits all the riders and keeps the group together in a tight formation for the most part.   I admit I probably drove the tail-gunner (a guy named Jack) a little crazy as I often fell back a little bit to take in the Bahama's scenery and to give Steph more than ample room to steer.  Again it struck me that I was more of a solo rider than anything.

The group stopped at a stony beach with some of the bluest water on the planet and more than one person dismounted to dip their feet in the water or look for shells and coral.  My lovely Susan and her mother had volunteered their services to transport these treasures in their rented jeep beforehand.  Sadly 5 or 10 minutes later we were again on the road.

We passed lovely old cemeteries, beaches, churches - one of which looked as if the hand of God itself and twisted the metal (I will link the ride video here once posted).  I can understand why a lot of bikers get interested in photography...you want to remember these things.  Riding alone I'm able to stop and explore and read the signs, talk to the locals.  Groups just keep on moving.

When traveling in a foreign land I am always struck how the people live, what is important to them.  Well many of the homes we passed would be considered "shacks" by US standards, I was impressed that for the most parts the yards were clean and neat, I saw a few gardens about.  The people were friendly, beeping thanks as I waved a few by.  When Sue got lost in a roundabout and drove some 15 miles out of the way, a very nice woman insisted on showing her the way back...not taking a dime for her troubles.  "Your a guest in our country" is all she said.  One could just sense the pride the Bahamian people had in their country.

We had lunch in a little local restaurant where a story was told that the owner of the scooter place received $1 for everyone that ate there on his recommendation.   The food was good but frankly to Americanized.  I would not have minded a little bit of the native food, a little taste of the islands.  Instead I settled for a Sands beer.

I knew I would have to head back to this island.  The Bahama's had impressed me in many ways, and I know I would return next year...only this time I would spend more than a day.  I would spend time on the beach, time shopping, time getting to know the islands and the islanders.  I would spend time riding.

Thank you people of the Bahama's.  You made the trip wonderful.

As we headed back home to Tampa I showed off a local free attraction called "Spook Hill"  to Sue's mother and daughter.  They were not that impressed.

The blogger and his "daughter" listening to last minute instructions.

Various riders enjoying lunch.

More pictures can be found on my Facebook page.

Balance and counter balance

In a little under two weeks I will be on a cruise to the Bahama's.  My third cruise overall.  I'm going for one reason and one reason only...to scoot.  Due to the relative low price of the trip my "mother-in-law" and Susan's lovely daughter will be traveling along.

I am very much in need of this week's vacation.  Work has been hectic with lots of mandatory overtime, on top of the usual hectic work I do on the side.  Lately however I've been thinking of passing that work onto others, I'm at that point where I would like to concentrate on other things.  Plus I recently applied for a new position in my company where I would work days and no weekends even though it would extend my commute by only 15 miles.  The problem is that part of it is on the highway and since it's daylight, I would be dealing with rush hour traffic.  But lets get the job first before even thinking about that mess!

Stephanie, my long time girlfriend's daughter, wants to go riding with me while we are in the Bahama's on her own scooter.  This is her first time on a scooter.  I'm not really worried about her to much, because she knows how to drive 4 wheeler's and has been riding bicycles for years.  It's getting over that initial fear of doing something new.  She wants to learn to ride, and guess whose shoulders it falls on to teach her "just the basics."  If she enjoys it and does not kill herself I can see a bike in her future.  She's a tomboy and the adventuresome sort.  A dual sport would be perfect for her.  I think her mother would agree with me however, she will go to a certified Motorcycle training course before getting her bike.  Plus the scooters on the islands are "relatively small" meaning they are in the 100 to 125 cc range.  Enough power to get you where you need to go but not enough to be overpowering.

I am trying to think back to when I first got on my little Yamaha Zuma 125.  I had not taken the MSF class yet and must have rode for 100 miles in parking lots before taking it out into traffic.  I simply got used to the bike below me.  How it turned, braked, felt under me.  The first time I turned into traffic I hit a loose patch of gravel and down I went.  I cursed, picked up the bike and got it off the street asap.  I wasn't hurt but my pride certainly was.  It also taught me important lessons.  One of which become my mantra..."Cocky will get you killed."  I don't like the idea of throwing her on a bike like this.

Because of her inexperience we will take it slow, sticking to the beach areas and away from the twisties.  I would love to get into the interior of the islands to see the "real Bahama's", try some island food and maybe find some Cashew Wine again!  I want to get out of the tourist areas.  We will go as far as she feels comfortable going.

Personally I'm looking forward to this trip, I need a vacation.  I need to meet some people in the scooting community, I need to make some friends.  I need balance.

Not a bad Saturday at all.

I was unsure of my plans for this last Saturday.  I wanted to stay home and do yard work, weeding and planting the garden outside to make Martha Tenney proud of me.  Friends of ours were planning a cook-out later that night and I was keeping a close eye on the weather.  All this week the weatherman was calling for a 30 - 40% chance of rain, which unfortunately for me, had been closer to 100% every time I rode out.

pretty much my week

Over the last week I had been caught out in the rain twice, raced a thunderstorm home and decided that commuting in the rain was just not a good idea twice.  So for two days in the last week I took the car, and both times stayed dry in less than idea conditions.  

I had also promised Kimmy that I would take her on a nice 100+ mile ride to stretch her legs a couple of weeks ago, and so far I had not kept that promise.  Barney's of St Petersburg was having a Vespa Open House from 9 to 5 and I liked the idea of running down there to take a look at the stock, perhaps dream a little and consider some farkles.  Yes, I know...cheap ass me considering farkles.  I had been considering a LED licence plate for some time and Sue was still going to need proper riding gear.  One thing I did want to get however was a reflective flag stickers of the countries I was riding in.  The US of course, after September I could add the Bahamas' to that as well.  Canada and Mexico were still dreams for now, but they would happen one day.  It might help with safety at night too.  I expected to order those online.

Actually the main reason I wanted to go was for companionship and the idea of browsing and talking to others about scooters gave me the warm fuzzies.  I don't get the chance very often to mingle with other scooterists and the free pizza sounded good too (it wasn't).   A secondary reason was that I have been wanting to get shots of the bike by the water for some time (still don't).  After all, living in Florida means that I am surround by the sea so the idea of getting a few picks of Kimmie by the water just seemed appropriate.   Due to circumstances I had not participated much in the Equinox to Equinox rally as of late, I was not planning to go out of my way, but if something was in my path...why not take a photo of it?  That was the third reason I wanted to go out and ride.  I might even find another interesting milk shake stand to try.

Loving the paint job

Susan decided to ride down with me, so we packed what we needed and took off about 10:30 AM, the heat of the day already starting to climb.  It was a about 50 miles one way and I had planned to avoid the highways.  I also planned on avoiding the dreaded Howard Franklin Bridge.  I don't fear highways or bridges but with Susan on back I didn't want to risk a problem.  Guess what we ended up doing anyway.  The back way was jammed with traffic and the sun just kept getting hotter so we decided just to keep moving.

We finally got there, to Barney's, and was disappointed.  There were not that many people there as I had hoped.  Although they did have a nice collection of Honda's, Aprilia's, Can-Am's, Vespa's and Yamaha's.

We gone done to the event to try gear on for Susan and to hopefully test drive a few bikes.  I am not interested in buying anything at this time, but the dealership did offer a Aprilia Mana 850, which I read about but had not seen first hand.  Sue's daughter also wants to start riding, and I wanted to learn about the dual sports.  Sue's daughter is definitely a "Tom Boy" and a dual sport maybe the perfect bike for her.   I was surprised that no sales people tackled us as we looked at the Can-Am's.  I hate to admit that these things are growing on me.  I would have not minded taking one out for a test drive either.  In the hour or so we hung around, not a single person approached us.

Sue looking good on a Can-Am

It was not a total waste of time though.   There were three classic scooters there.  A solid pink one that I know belongs to one of the organizers of the Tampa Two Stroke Scooter Club, a woman I was hoping to meet actually. A lovely older blue Vespa whose year and model I could not identify but the Odometer read over 97,000 miles.  And a Stella that was....beyond words.   

It was covered with Barbies and even had a little pull along trunk that carried...well, I guess if I was strapped to an old Stella going down the road I would need a change of panties too.

We then headed back, eating lunch at a chain restaurant that served good milk shakes.  Enjoyed our cook-out with friends and swam in the community pool to cool off.   Not a bad way to spend a Saturday at all.  Oh yea, and the was just shy of 150 miles total.  Yea, not a bad way to spend a Saturday at all.

Some additional photo's can be found on my Facebook page.

Someone stole my cherry.

Rally Season

Although I lived in North Carolina for years, the seasons here in Florida are different.   We still have four seasons of course.  Summer, "Snowbird Season" or Winter, "Love Bug Season" when we are surround by the mutant bugs from hell, and finally the Hurricane season.  Summer which by definition may be several 90 degree days in a row can occur at any time and can last three to nine months.

So a lot of "summertime" activities generally happen in the months traditionally occupied by "winter."  There is a logic to it of course, it's nicer to be outside when the temperatures are cooler and frankly; your taking advantage of the snowbirds as well.  Many of whom are looking for something to do.

Thus our state fair is in the middle of February for example.  With the lower temperatures come various biker and scooter rally's as well.  In a effort to get the word out I'm going to spend a few minutes talking about three upcoming rally's that I know of.  Why you should go to at least one of them, and finally introduce to a neat little smartphone app I found that might save your life.

 Sun, Sand and Scooters is the second annual rally held in St. Petersburg and is being held from November 9th through the 12th.  St. Pete is a very friendly city for scooters and motorcycles and is world famous for it's beaches.  What is really nice about this rally is that one of the sponsors is the Magnuson Hotel and Marina.  So you can literally stay at one of the nicer resorts, go riding, go swimming, go riding, sleep in comfort.  I may be mistaken but I think registration ends soon.
Sadly I did not get to attend this rally last year because I heard about it to late.  I do hope to get the time of of work for this year.

The second annual Snowbird Classic is November 16th through the 18th.  Last year I understand some 90 scooterists showed up for the event and this year promises to be even bigger.  Sadly, do to my job (I work for a GPS company so I am pretty much "on call"), I was not able to attend last year's rally.  However I am providing a special door prize for this rally (more on that below).  So I plan on taking at least two of those three days off and attending this rally come hell or high water.   Orlando is also home to various Florida institutions that are to numerous to name here.   So when not on your ride you can certainly take advantage of some magic.

Recently I learned about the Cocoa Beach Scooter Rally, which will be held from February 22nd through the 24th.  This appears to be less of a riding event and more of a social event, due to the fact that it attracts many British and other Europeans to the event.  However that means that you will have the chance to chat with people that clearly have a more defined "scooter" culture than we have in the states.  There is also a Tiki theme meaning that you will finally be able to wear that coconut bra that is taking up room in the back of your dresser drawer.  Also being this close to the Kennedy Space center it's a shame not to visit.

As some of you may know, in addition to my work in GPS, I am also self employed.  Recently my company became associated with Angelic Imports which is the exclusive importer for the wonderful Goufrais Chocolates from Germany.   I am giving the readers (all 10 or 15 of you) the chance to have this product at a discount, but only if you order through me.  If you desire to go through the website please be sure to mention Trade Specials LLC  although I can not offer you the discount then.   This would make a great door prize at rally's and with Christmas coming up....well need I say more?

OK, that was the plug.

Roughly two or three weeks ago I caved in and bought myself a smart phone.   I have been a fan of CRADAR since I first heard about it and frankly, it was one of the reasons I upgraded to a smartphone.  Riding at night and having deer running around, it just made sense to me to have something contact someone in case of an accident or injury.
Recently I found another application for a smart phone that I wanted to bring to your attention   This is also a free application and has a similar function to CRADAR.    Guardian Angel is an application designed to save your life.  If you have earphones, and who doesn't, you attach them to the phone and then to the bike; or wear them.  In case of a crash the earphones will most likely become unattached  the phone calls your contacts and uses the phone's GPS function to give your location.

Safe riding and I hope to see you at a rally!

Highways, bridges and soccer.....a punishing night on the Burgie

I've been wanting to ride the Burgie down into St Petersburg for some time.  After all I would be able to get some glorious shots of my ride against the ocean, the yacht club and other interesting things.  This past Saturday night the local soccer team, called the Rowdies were playing, and I could not think of a better reason to ride down.

As it so happened though life through me a couple of twisties before I could even start to plan to go to the game. My camera went boom, meaning that any picture I took with it was a fuzzy mess. My wallet was either lost or stolen, and since my bank is up north it would take several days to get my bank cards straightened out.  My license reissued, etc.  I questioned if I should even bother going down but as a nearly perfect Saturday dawned I had my answer.  I would ride the sixty miles down to the game, enjoy it and spend some time exploring the city.  So I jumped on the Burgie and went.

Traffic was not this bad on Saturday.

Frankly there are lots of ways to get into St. Pete but generally speaking the easiest and quickest is to cross one of the three bridges that connect Tampa to St. Pete.  The Howard Frankland being the one I choose.  This is also a major highway (I-275) and a very long bridge which is open to the water on both sides (remember this, it's important for later).  At various times I've seen dolphins leaping from the water, sea birds hunting from fish and several species of fish break the waterline for whatever reason.  All while traveling at a nice clip of 70 miles per hour.  The ride down into St Pete was uneventful, I don't care for driving on highways but felt pretty secure and sure of myself on the way in.

Photo courtesy of Jay Anthony

Once into St Pete I drove past the famed Dali museum, the Pier with its upside down pyramid (which has since closed and is being rebuilt.  For pictures of the old pier please use this link), around the lovely yacht club with the boats flying their multicolored flags. The real fun started when you get to the game.  I'm a member of Ralph's Mob, where your expected to stand, sing, clap and generally yell yourself hoarse for the entire 90 minutes of a soccer game.   It was a pretty good game, with the Rowdies dominating it for the most part - but their is an old saying in soccer.  "Football is a lot like life sometimes despite the effort, it's disappointing in the end."  The Rowdies lost 2 - 1 in a game that they should have won.  The reasons for that loss is for another blog.  So I considered my options and decided that after the game instead of enjoying a soft drink or two at the after-game party, I would head home; after all I lived 60+ minutes away.

Courtesy of Jay Anthony (find the author as well)

St Pete's offers a lot of motorcycle/scooter parking which is nice, I found a spot 2 blocks from the stadium earlier that eveing and started home.  I pulled out and the wind off the water hit me like a ton of bricks.  It got worse as I entered the highway...hitting me from both the side and the front of bike.  My speed dropped as I turned the throttle up, but if I turned it to much I didn't feel safe from the side winds that seemed to want to drive me into the next lane over.   I moved over to the right as far as I could, feeling the bike be pushed, fishtailing a bit, the wind relentlessly pushing me over to the left.  The bridge went on and on, I leaned forward and into the wind never feeling that I would lose control but feeling I was on the edge.  Again and again I was buffeted.  It seemed to take forever to cross that three mile span.

I got off the bridge safely and I'll be honest, feeling a bit lucky but decided to cut through town to avoid the rest of the highway as the wind was still playing havoc on the bike.   What I didn't think about was the part of town I would be riding through.  I was riding through an area of town so rough that even the cockroaches were packing guns.  I never feared for my safety, I actually thought I was safer on the city streets then on the highway at the time and besides...I was on a scooter.

The last 15+ miles of ride was into a strong headwind but this I could manage.  So eventually I made it home, safe and sound and with some knowledge under my belt about how to drive in unpredictable gusts of winds.  I would have to work on that.