Ride to Key West 2011 via Virginia and the Carolinas

Ride to Key West 2011 via Virginia and the Carolinas

Looking for a nice motorcycle ride / destination we decided to take a trip with Key West at the extreme end. Palm trees and ocean are always nice, right?  With about two weeks to travel we planned to go out through Virginia and visit Amelia's dad and his wife as well as make a stop in Melbourne, FL to visit my dad and his wife. We chose the middle of July for this ride, apparently ignorant of how warm Florida is at that time.  Oh well, at least it wasn't snowing.  I had my 2007 Kawasaki Nomad set up nicely for touring, with a full fairing including a very nice Sony stereo system as well as a Harley Ultra Tour-Pak trunk with full size back rest, Mustang Wide Vintage touring seat, and the hard lowers on the front crash bars. With a little paint from Unique Customs to match the factory two tone paint job the bike was looking ready to go.

Kawasaki Nomad parked at Big Rock, VA on Day 1.

Day 1  Lexington KY - Big Rock VA  177 miles

Our first day was a short ride down the Mountain Parkway to Prestonsburg and then down US 23 to Pikeville and out US 460 into Virginia to Big Rock. Nice weather was on tap all day and the ride was enjoyable.  We got to spend some time with Amelia's dad, Raymond and his wife Mary at her place in Big Rock.  We had dinner, visited for a while and called it a night, resting up for the big day tomorrow.

Day 2  Big Rock VA - Louisville GA  401 miles

We awoke to the fog burning off in the valley.  Mary cooked us a big breakfast and then we loaded up the bike, said our goodbyes and headed out.

 

Fog burning off at Big Rock, VA

This part of the country is just great riding, much nicer than getting on I-75 and riding south for two days. We went on east on US 460 and then got on Virgina Highway 83 and several other great two lanes through the mountains on down to US 19 and on to Abingdon, VA.

This is why we ride.  Virginia State Route 624

 

Virginia Highway 83. Great riding!

Honaker VA on VA 80

This is part of the country we ride every fall with a group from the Breaks Interstate Park and there are always more roads to ride and fantastic scenery. Another clear and beautiful summer day with great roads. At Abingdon we get on to I-81 for a short hop into Tennessee, past Bristol and in to Blountville where we leave the interstate for Tennessee Highway 394 southbound - then on to US 19W south  to where it merges with I-26 taking us into North Carolina.

I-26 Rest Area in TN just north of NC State Line

I-26 winding through East Tennessee Mountains, not bad for a freeway

We carried on south then took US 25 south near Hendersonville, NC and on into South Carolina through Greenville, SC and Greenwood, SC. The weather took a turn for the worse past Greenwood and we were into our rain gear carrying on until we got to Edgefield (Historic Edgefield, home of Ten Governors) when the rain became to heavy for visibility and standing water on the highway.  We pulled off into a church picnic shelter and waited out the storm for about 20 minutes. After we got home, Amelia sent a donation to the church with our thanks for the use of their shelter.

Waiting for the rain to ease at the Berea Baptist Church picnic shelter in Edgefield, SC

The rain did ease up enough to get back onto the road and we continued south on US 25 to Augusta, GA.  We had planned to stop there for the night but we didn't see any nice hotels along the road and the GPS battery had given out for the day so we got on to US 1 and kept going until we reached Louisville GA where we stopped for the night at the very inexpensive Louisville Motor Lodge for lack of anything else in this part of Georgia. The one option for dinner was McDonald's so we did that and went back to the motel to rest up for the next day. Better planning would have had us in a nicer hotel in Augusta.

Day 3  Louisville GA - Melbourne Beach FL  399 miles

Leaving Louisville GA we headed south on US 1 traveling through very rural southeast Georgia through Waycross and the Onion Capital of the World, Vidalia GA where we got breakfast at Shoney's, and then on into Florida and Jacksonville.

Pleasant cruising down US 1 in southeast Georgia

We were well past the curvy mountain roads at this point and enjoying the leisurely pace down US 1 crossing the St. Mary's River entering Florida and on to Jacksonville where we used I-295 to avoid most of that urban area. 

Yay, Florida finally!

Crossing the St. Johns River on I-285 in Jacksonville

We got onto I-95 and rode that south with a stop to don rain gear again to ride through the next bout of rain.  We got off the Interstate south of Cocoa, got out of our rain gear and took the Pineda Causeway out to A1A at Satellite Beach and on south to our hotel in Melbourne Beach, the very nice Crowne Plaza Oceanfront (great deal from Priceline).

Amelia after the rain getting ready to de-gear.

Crossing the Pineda Causeway, leaving I-95 behind

The very nice Crowne Plaza Oceanfront at Melbourne Beach

 After 400 miles through some warm weather and rain we were quite happy to get the bike unloaded and parked and check into a very comfortable room and get into our swimsuits. We went back downstairs to the beach bar and relaxed on the expansive deck with some very welcome frozen margaritas along with a guy and his guitar doing some passable Jimmy Buffet covers.

Relief for Amelia!

Me chillin'

My dad Jim and his wife Sonja drove out and picked us up at the hotel.  We went to Petrillo's In Melbourne Beach and were treated to a very good Italian dinner.  It was good to get to see them and we stayed two nights at the Crowne Plaza so we could have a little beach and visiting time.  The second night Dad and Sonja took us down to Coconut Grove, a German Restaurant that has been on the Intercoastal Waterway

Relaxing at the beach bar at the Crowne Plaza

Dad, me and Amelia at Petrillo's in Melbourne Beach

Dad, Sonja, Amelia and me at Coconut Grove's dock

Coconut Grove seen from the end of their dock

We has a very nice visit in Melbourne Beach enjoying the sun, sand and family time. Another good nights sleep and we were ready to head out to Key West.

Day 5  Melbourne Beach FL - Key West FL  344 miles

I had heard stories of horrible traffic around Miami and logjams of tourists blocking US 1 between Miami and Key West.  We gritted our teeth, got into our riding gear and headed south on A1A down to Fort Pierce where we went inland to I-95 south to Palm Beach and then onto the Florida Turnpike and other toll roads which are the fastest way to get around the Palm Beach - Ft. Lauderdale - Miami  metro area and out to Key Largo and the Overseas Highway. There was a little bit of road work going on as we passed through the Everglades but on the whole traffic was not bad and we managed to dodge a few spotty rainstorms as we went. By the time we reached Key Largo the rain was behind us and the sun was out giving us a glorious clear and sunny ride through the Keys.

Refueling at Key Largo, rain cover on the trunk bag

On the Overseas Highway in the Keys

Nice scenery for the ride through the islands

The ride down through the Keys was going great, we reached Marathon and then onto the seven mile bridge. About a mile out onto the bridge cruising along at 55 mph the back end of the bike started to get very squirrely.  We slowed down to 45 mph and limped on across to Bahia Honda Key where we stopped and looked at a very low rear tire. We were lucky to be able to ride it on instead of being stranded on the bridge.

Going onto the Seven Mile Bridge, not a good place for tire trouble

Stopped at a small bike garage, checking the back tire. The garage owner wouldn't take any money for his trouble, he just wanted our trip to go well.

We got to a gas station and put in some air and then we found a bike shop where in true biker fashion the owner dropped everything he was doing to try to give us a hand. We found a leak in the tire but there were no tires that size available here so we aired it up and road on to a gas station where we bought some fix a flat, used that and aired it up again and proceeded on to Key West with a couple more stops for air. I did find out that a very hot muffler will burn a bare forearm very quickly.  Ouch. We stopped at the Yamaha dealer in Key West and they did not really want to be troubled by some people passing through with tire trouble. We went on to our Duval Street Hotel, The Pegasus Hotel and the parking lot was right across the street from Key West Honda.  It was later in the evening but they were still open.  The mechanic was out 'til the morning but we did find a Dunlop Elite 3 Radial made for a Gold Wing which would fit the Nomad just fine.  Our plans were to spend two nights in Key West and the bike was unloaded and safely parked so I was told to come back in the morning and we'd get the bike straightened out.

Arriving on Key West

Our Duval Street Hotel, The Pegasus

North side of Key West

Duval Street view from our hotel

An Avon Cobra tire that went a few miles further than wisdom would suggest

Sloppy Joe's Sloppy-Ritas are possibly the best Margaritas on Earth.

The famous Sloppy Joe's Bar - Key West

Day 6  Key West

The Pegasus Hotel is a small, older, independent family run property. Compared to the other Duval Street hotels the rates were very reasonable and we found the hotel to be in very good repair with modern rooms, comfortable beds and a rooftop pool. We would happily stay there again. Most of Key West's hotels are on the west side of the island far away from Duval Street and all of the stuff you want to see and do. If you plan on visiting the bars of Duval Street, staying on Duval Street and not driving / riding is the best way to do it.  I went over to Key West Honda first thing in the morning.  The mechanic arrived and we went to the bike to find the back tire totally flat. I fired up the bike and limped it across the street until the back tire decided that just because the wheel was turning was no reason for it to do so.  We muscled it into the crowded small shop, where they mostly sell and service scooters and outboard boat motors, and got the bike hooked up to a hoist which picked the rear end up off the ground.

The big Nomad hoisted up at Key West Honda, this place was a life-saver!

They told me they'd have it ready early in the afternoon which worked out well since our hotel was right there a block away and being on Duval Street at the west end of the island everything cool was in easy walking distance.

It was a very warm day with temperatures in the 90°s but with a nice ocean breeze making it bearable.  The roof top pool at The Pegasus was a nice break but would have benefited from having a couple hundred pounds of ice thrown in. No matter, we were on Duval Street and the day and night was before us.

I went over to get the bike and pay for the new back tire.  While they had the bike on the lift they saw that a cotter-pin was missing on the rear brake linkage and they fixed that too. I paid a very reasonable bill and took the bike back across the street to the hotel parking lot and we started our day exploring old Key West. Being next door to Willie T.'s, we went there for lunch. What a nice place with excellent food and great drinks. As long as we were in Key West, we made the most of it and had conch fritters at every opportunity.

The southern end of US 1

Key West Lighthouse

Ernest Hemingway House

As far south as you can go in the Continental US

Amelia at her street

Key West Butterfly Conservatory - what a cool place! (great A/C too)

One of the eleven bazillion butterflies at the conservatory

Fort Zachary Taylor at west end of Key West

Green Parrot Bar

Captain Tony's Saloon

Hog's Breath Saloon

The Commodore Waterfront Restaurant at the marina

Some frozen fruity drinks at The Commodore

We did manage to get around to most of the famous bars of Duval Street, and we were still able to walk!  From our hotel we walked out to see Fort Zachary Taylor, a very well kept fort built in 1845 to help defend the southern sea coast.  On the way back in the 98° weather Amelia was feeling a bit dehydrated - fortunately the Green Parrot Bar was open and our lives were saved.  We went down to the southern tip of the island to the famous marker barrel and then back up Duval Street to the Key West Butterfly Conservatory.  This was an amazing place to visit.  Amelia is a big butterfly fan or I would not have even considered going - but the place is large, well air conditioned and with all the butterflys flying around you a bit otherworldly. Still pictures don't do it justice - here's my brief Youtube video clip.

Captain Tony's Saloon had its ceiling lined with brassieres and it seems like the average bra size at Captain Tony's is a Double-Whoa!

Captain Tony's Saloon

At Willie T.'s, patrons staple dollar bills with messages to the walls.  Amelia declined to leave a memento at Captain Tony's but she did get a dollar bill reading Go Big Blue up on the wall at Willie T.'s. The atmosphere at Willie T.'s is probably the most Key West, being open air with a few little roosters running around with the palm trees.

Amelia decorating at Willie T.'s

We made our way up to Mallory Square for the famous Key West Sunset, which is a festival of its own.

Sunset at Mallory Square, Key West

We walked over to the Marina to find a place for dinner.  The A&B Lobster House was a bit more than we cared to dress for but we found the Commodore Waterfront Bar and Grill nearby and it hit the spot with very good food and drink.  Yes, conch fritters and fruity frozen drinks. Very nice. Duval Street is basically a big party every night so staying right on Duval Street was a good choice, with so much to see and do right outside our door.  I would recommend to anybody visiting Key West that you stay on or near Duval Street and avoid the many hotels on the far east end of the island. The extra bucks will be very well spent with no taxis or hassles trying to get to where everything is happening. Key West was lots of fun and it is certainly in our "Want to go back" bucket.

Day 7  Key West FL - Sarasota FL  365 miles

We got out of our comfortable bed and got the bike loaded up and rode down for a last photo at the Southernmost Point marker at Key West.

The furthest south we have ever ridden.

Well rested and ready to roll with a new back tire, we got on US 1 and pointed the bike back up north toward Miami.  A pair of F/A 18 Super Hornet jet fighters from Key West buzzed us as we rode north past Stock Island, pretty cool if a bit loud. Great weather was on tap today as well as light traffic on US 1 though the Keys.  We made a breakfast stop at Craig's Restaurant on Islamorada.  It was a good choice as we almost always do well with our restaurant choices and as we were on our way out of the Keys we ordered conch one more time - but no frozen drinks since we still had a lot of riding to do.As usual our late breakfast after getting started brings us in after breakfast crowds have gone and before the lunch rush hits.

Craig's Restaurant, Islamorada FL

Getting back out on US 1, we had a relaxing ride up the rest of the Overseas Highway on up to  Miami where we fueled up and headed west on US 41, the Tamiami Trail highway through the Everglades. Going across south Florida on this straight two lane blacktop was very cool, a canal paralleled the road and you could usually see an alligator cruising along in the water. It was good to have a new back tire and a full gas tank.

Gator swimming alongside the Tamiami Trail in the Everglades

We reached Naples which seemed to be the land of golf courses and condos, mostly empty in the middle of summer. We followed the Tamiami Trail north from there for a bit but since the only scenery now was strip malls and condos we hopped on I-75 and headed north.  We were stuck in a traffic jam for about an hour on I-75 and finally got past that. Being stuck on a traffic jam on a big motorcycle on a very hot day is not usually pleasant and this was no exception.  I would have ridden down an empty entrance ramp (it was blocked to not allow traffic on to the backed up Interstate) to avoid the mess but a deputy sheriff parked there said that would not be allowed and we were stuck on the Interstate. During this stretch the motorcycle odometer turned over to 50,000 miles. 

Turning over 50,000 miles on I-75 in Florida. Amelia took this picture from behind me.  She's good!

 We carried on north to Sarasota where we found a Comfort Inn and the manager there gave us coupons for Pincher's Crab Shack down the street, which ended up being a good choice for hungry and hot riders at the end of the day.

Day 8  Sarasota FL - Albany GA  360 miles.

We started the day off by getting back on I-75 for a short ride up to Tampa where we took I-275 west and crossed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the famous 4 mile long bridge rising up to almost 200 feet above Tampa Bay. It was not windy which was a blessing.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge, St. Petersburg FL

We followed I-275 around across the Sunshine Skyway, through St. Pete and across Old Tampa Bay on the causeway to the Veteran's Expressway which took us north out of town to the Suncoast Parkway and finally out to US 19/US 98 which merged with US 27 at Chiefland, FL.  From there, following US 27 north was an easy route all the way back to Lexington. We crossed the Suwanee River and made a lunch stop at Pouncey's Restaurant in Perry FL, a nice little family place with good southern style cooking.

Suwanee River Florida

 We continued north on US 27 to Monticello, FL which is a beautiful little town with lots of old houses and buildings in very nice shape. 

Courthouse at Monticello, FL

Carrying on northward we crossed in to rural Georgia and traveled through Thomasville and eventually on to Albany, GA.  We found a nice Sleep Inn, checked in and jumped into the pool - which feels great after riding several hundred miles in very hot weather. We took time to do some laundry.  Doing a bit of laundry along the way helps keep the luggage load a bit lighter, the bag on top of the trunk is full of rain gear and other riding stuff, leaving us each a medium small bag that was made to fit the saddle bags and we split the space in the trunk for shoes and bathroom items, etc.

Day 9  Albany GA - Chattanooga TN  319 miles

We got back out on to US 27 North and cruised through the countryside though Fort Benning and Columbus and up though Pine Mountain, Rome and then through the Chickamauga Battlefield Park then to Lookout Mountain. We rode the bike up Lookout Mountain to Point Park and toured the historic sites from the Civil War along with a great view of the Tennessee River and Chattanooga below.  The artillery batteries on Lookout Mountain commanded the river.

Riding up Lookout Mountain

The New York Memorial at Lookout Mountain

Amelia with a gun overlooking the Tennessee River and Chattanooga

Me on the bike at Point Park's entrance

After a nice day's ride up US 27 to Chattanooga, we found a very nice room downtown at the Sheraton Reed House (thanks Priceline!) and had a nice dinner at Porter's Steakhouse. 

Day 10  Chattanooga TN - Lexington KY  260 Miles

The last leg of the trip is a stretch of US 27 we have been on many times. It is a much more pleasant ride than using I-75 which is always busy with lots of large trucks and people driving too fast while busily talking on their phones and texting. The slower pace of the two lane highways is why I like to ride. 

The whole ride was about 2700 miles and the pace was not stressful.  We had enough time to stop and see sights and not wear out out posteriors.  The next time I am getting ready for a trip and I think that my tires will "probably be OK" I will think again and get new tires before the trip, although we were very lucky with the flat tire (thanks to the fine folks at Key West Honda!) on this trip it could have been far worse. Riding to Key West was great, and I highly recommend it.