The 2007 ride was a no-go for me. My right leg was in a cast and my "wheels" were attached to a chair! Not much fun. I did attend the start and wished the riders a safe ride. This time, James and I would participate.
An early morning arrival and temps in the high 50's! A bit cool for us Florida folks but the forecast was for temperatures in the mid-eighties and no chance of rain!! Ker's Winghouse was again the launch point.
When we arrived, a few bikes were there... most of the manufacturers were proudly represented. We saw Gold Wings and ST's; BMW GS and RT models, the Vstrom crowd was in force; and there was a nice mix of FJR's, Kawasaki's, and Harley Davidson.
Lots of new faces were present but many of the veterans were back again....we don't seem to learn! :-)David Gillispee was there for his first go round with Al's scenic routes. Here is his getting briefed by Joe! Plotting the route in the GPS is a worthwhile exercise. Of course, many of the roads are on in Al's database!!!
Richard Buber came on "Old Wing" this year. Many of the bikes that he usually brings to the back roads challenge were just not ready for a 300 mile round trip from the east coast on such short notice.However, keeping with tradition, it was still Richard who walked away with the "oldest" bike award.
I wonder if he was screening the entries? Hmmmm... is that why he volunteered for the sign in duties?
We were off at 8:30am and found our way along the roads of Central Florida. Lunch was at the Lake Harris Hideaway. As usual, the food was excellent.
The camera was left in the saddlebag but I've already seen postings. I bet I can "borrow" a pic or two!
The second leg started off well. We followed Joe and Larry. When James discovered that they had missed a turn, we found ourselves in front and James was again navigating!
A few miles down the road and the "happening" occurred once again. For the third consecutive time (in other words...every ride so far), James had to report that the route list had blown out of his hands!! Oops. Thankfully Joe had another copy.
We led for some time and were doing fine. Then "we" missed a turn. Hmmm...no one behind us. What happened? Then the phone rang. And it rang again. Two locations needed assistance. One was a phone call; the other needed in person help. How convenient... the store I needed to visit was in Daytona, a short 25 miles away.
We changed out route to a direct shot to the Volusia Mall. I dealt with the issues and then we headed to the Best Western in Ormand Beach for the evening festivities. Dinner found us at the "European Cafe"; a German cuisine. James is not one for meat in any form but he ate some of the chicken. I convinced him to try the Schnitzel. Mine was cooked and wrapped in a potato pancake. I got away with the experiment until he found some "chewy" potato.
Back to poolside for a short nap and awards. I was asked to speak to the ride and how much enjoyment we had over the previous years. James won the "Youngest" participant for the second time!
At the completion of the ceremony, we were supposed to head back to Riverview. James had not worn his overpants and was cold.... result? A night at the Best Western!
We saw Barb off to Texas and we mounted the VTX for the short 150 mile ride home. The weather was nice and warm. Arriving at 12:30pm, I headed for the shower....an unplanned stop the evening before.... you get the idea.
It was then that I realized...no pics other than the start. Geez! Next time!!!
