The Navigator's Rides

Tour of Plant Hall at the University of Tampa

2011-08-23T21:53:00.001-04:00

A friend of a friend, who I shall now call a friend of mine, was in a position to give me (and Mr. Sarcasm) an all access tour of Plant Hall on the campus of the University of Tampa. Plant Hall is the former Tampa Bay Hotel, built by Henry Bradley Plant, circa 1891. This is something I have wanted to do for quite some time and I jumped at the opportunity to explore this fascinating building and revel in all of the history and architecture that it had to offer. My loyal readers may recall a few shots of the exterior that I included in my post on night shots of the downtown Tampa skyline, represented by these two images:

Those minarets were a prime target of my desire to go on this all access tour, and I was not to be disappointed. But more on that later. Our tour started out in the publicly accessible areas of the old hotel, including the main hallway that runs north/south connecting various areas of the quarter-mile long building:

My eye and my camera lens were on the lookout for interesting details with every step taken:

This hall of windows connected wings on an upper floor; an interesting sight:

This is the ceiling of Fletcher Lounge, located on the north end of Plant Hall:

The domed ceiling is painted to represent the sky and opens into the small cupola at the top:

We moved upstairs and were given access to the ring of "windows" that line the upper level of the ceiling:

Intricate wood carvings are everywhere you look in this building. This is what those dark "window" columns look like up close:

And this is the detail that crowns the ring of "windows":

This is one of several conference rooms located on the main floor:

Stepping out of that conference room, this is the view that greeted my camera. This is the former main entrance area to the hotel:

Our tour moved on to some of the less-often visited areas of the building on our way to one of the minarets. This room has not been restored and is a glimpse of what the old hotel would look like without the care and attention that it receives from its current caretakers:

This is the view out the window of the lower level of the minaret and represents the first level of many in the climb to the top of the minaret:

This is the one of the larger, lower-level rooms at the base of the minaret:

This is a mid-level room within the minaret...and we still had more levels to climb:

Each level is accessed via narrow, steep stairs:

And when I say "narrow" and "steep", I'm not exaggerating. Climbing up into this minaret is not a feat for the heat-adverse, the girth-challenged (more than me, anyway), or the claustrophobic. That opening in the floor can't be much more that about 20-inches wide, and it's about as good as it gets:

This is the final room in the climb and it brings you to the highest level within the minaret. The climb up this ladder takes you through a hatch in the ceiling that leads outside to an observation deck at the top of the minaret:

This is the payoff for all that hot, exhausting climbing; spectacular views of downtown Tampa:

The central minaret that we climbed actually towers above the other minarets on the building:

After getting some relatively cool and fresh air, it was time to head down, and that meant navigating those narrow stairs again:

Our tour included a visit to another building on campus where we were able to shoot more spectacular views of the Tampa skyline. I like these shots with the old hotel juxtaposed against the modernity of downtown Tampa:

This historical marker is located on campus to the west of Plant Hall and on the portion of the grounds that once hosted the Florida State Fair:

This beautiful chapel was the last stop of the day:

The pipe organ is a spectacular piece of artwork:

Shooting these images, the pipe organ evinced images of an angel in my mind; an angel with trumpets, no less:

This was a great photo expedition and I can't wait to go back for another visit and even more photography. Even though we spent a couple of hours on this tour, we have only scratched the surface. Look for more of this subject in the months to come. Special thanks to my new friend for the access assist and to Mr. Sarcasm for tagging along with me on this little adventure. Hopefully he was able to shoot one or two "keepers" with his cameras. :-)

Mountain Ride - June 2011

2011-06-26T10:51:00.001-04:00

On June 10th, Big Ed, Mr. Sarcasm, and I headed out for a week-long adventure to the mountains of southwest North Carolina. Before the week was out we had put 2,423 miles on our bikes; which included 1,192 miles of twisty road riding. Despite weather issues -- including one semi-tornado -- we made the most of the time, the miles, the scenery, the roads, and the camaraderie.

Getting there was half the fun, even though it was miserably hot with temperatures flirting with 100 degrees as we rode across Florida and Georgia:

Arriving in Dillsboro, NC, mid-evening on June 10th, we had to stop for dinner at Big Ed's favorite restaurant:

The real riding commenced early the next morning and continued all week:

Big Ed kept us well fed in the evenings, whipping up everything from grilled pork chops and hamburgers to homemade beef stew and roasted pork...and that's not even to mention the full-course breakfast meals he whipped up each day:

Beautiful scenery was everywhere we turned:

We found an abandoned tunnel at the end of a neglected mountain road:

Of course, abandoned or not, we just had to ride through the darned thing:

All sorts of mountain flowers were in full bloom:

And the mountain streams were gushing from all the rainfall that was going on in the afternoons:

Of course we rode the infamous "Tail of the Dragon" and got our photos shot by the pros in the process:

There was some serious riding happening on that ole "Dragon":

And Mr. Sarcasm was not slacking on the dragon slaying, either:

Mr. Sarcasm helpfully pointed out that if I could just squeeze another quarter-inch of lean out of my ST1300, I'd be on the tire's edge and I'd be leaned over almost as far as he was:

As mentioned in the opening, our cabin got hit by a semi-tornado late on Wednesday afternoon. This is an "after" photo of the stream that appears seven photos above. This photo was taken 15 minutes after the one that appears above:

The storm also knocked out all of the power in the area for almost four days, so we had to pack it up and head home a day earlier than originally planned. Lack of power on Thursday morning did not stop Big Ed from whipping up a great breakfast on the grill:

We left the mountains about mid-afternoon on Thursday and rode as far south as central Georgia where we stayed overnight in the comparative luxury of a fully-electrified motel. Heading out early on Friday morning it wasn't long before the temperatures climbed into the high 90s and finally hit 100 as we crossed into Florida. This last shot was snapped just north of Douglas, GA, and it is pretty much demonstrative of the heat and the need to keep drinking as much water as you could carry:

All in all it was a great trip that produced a lot of enjoyable riding and good memories. It had to be a good trip, because I'm ready to head out and do it all over again!!!

Club Ride - May 14, 2011 - Green Swamp Stomp

2011-05-15T15:56:00.002-04:00

Our weekly ride got off to its usual start with conversation and sarcasm over breakfast. From there, it was off to the east by northeast and a tango through the backroads of the Green Swamp. Our preferred stopping point on Green Pond Road at the one-lane bridge is all but gone thanks to construction of a new bridge. So, we moved things a bit further east and pulled in at one of the access points for the Van Fleet Trail. Mere feet from the parking lot was this view of classic Florida woodlands:

It was pretty obvious that this area sees a lot of foot traffic, as this foot path through the trees was pretty clear:

While I was out taking photos of the woodlands, Preacher, Mr. Sarcasm, and Robert were engaged in scintillating conversation under the picnic shelter:

Our bikes look great lined up on the edge of the parking area. We parked this way because the marked parking spots consisted of sparse grass and deep sugar sand; a surefire recipe for a dropped bike:

After running all over the Green Swamp via Sloan's Ridge, Empire Church Rd, Laws Rd, and many others, we made our way back to the south and had lunch at Fantasy of Flight where this WWII-era C-47 was on display as part of their D-Day event:

Some lucky dog was flying in the Stearman. I still need to do this!!!:

Nice landing:

After lunch we split up and each headed for home via our personal route of choice. I ended the day with a healthy 164 miles on the odometer of the ST1300.

Club Ride - May 7, 2011 - Duette Loop

2011-05-07T22:06:00.002-04:00

We were all pleased to welcome Mr. Sarcasm back to our riding ranks after an extended hiatus from such pursuits that was motivated by yet another pursuit that he had to pursue. It was good to have the man and the machine back for the whole day of riding, so we made the most of it by cranking up about 160 miles of good riding today.

After breakfast at our usual haunt, we headed south for a jaunt through the countryside of Keysville and then over to SR 39, where we sprinted further south to Fort Lonesome. Turning westward at Fort Lonesome, we soon happened upon a gigantic "walking crane" working near the roadway. These are fascinating machines because of their size and means of motivation. Look closely in this shot and you'll notice a door on the side of the crane that will serve to give you some perspective as to its size:

Mr. Sarcasm took full advantage of the photo op that this crane represented:

Eddie kept a watch on the bikes and the passing traffic while the rest of us shot photos and enjoyed the sight of the giant crane tearing into the earth:

Speaking of the bikes, they made a nice sight parked along the roadside way out there in the middle of "Fort Lonesome":

They say that imitation is the fondest form of flattery. Mr. Sarcasm, I accept your compliment, but you still have a ways to go to catch up with me and my well-decorated Givi lid:

Continuing south by southwest, we made a stop at this scenic water hole a bit north of Duette:

I spotted this fallen branch that was festooned with evidence of the handiwork of woodpeckers:

While I explored the woodlands around the water hole, the other fellas chilled on the bridge:

Back on the main highway, I spotted this abandoned house and couldn't resist stopping for a few shots:

Old buildings offer up so many interesting angles and textures. I'll process some of these into black-and-white for added dramatic effect:

I really like this shot through the spider web into the rooms of the abandoned house; definitely a candidate for some processing work:

Sometimes it's the simple things that say the most:

Oh...my...God!!! It's the most beautiful motorcycle in the world!!! Again!!! Wow, ain't she a beauty!!!:

Damned love bugs!!! Yes, it's that time of year again here in sunny FLA:

Okay, that's does it for today's photos. We put in a lot of miles and a lot of hours playing around the countryside. We went shopping, had lunch, and even added some interesting hardware (a completely different story) to our collections. What a great day! Now we'll all have to spend a few hours cleaning the love bugs off our bikes, but it's a small price to pay in exchange for the kind of day we had on the road

Club Ride - April 23, 2011 - Bowling Green Loop

2011-04-24T15:04:00.002-04:00

After our customary meet and greet over breakfast, four riders headed south by southeast for the day's ride. Not far afield from the morning repast, however, Preacher bid adieu and turned for home. That left three hearty souls to continue the journey.

We rode down into mine country -- phosphate mining, that is -- making our way over to Agricola Mine Road; one of the best stretches of riding in this area.

After negotiating the twists and turns of Agricola Mine Road, we beat feet over to Ft. Meade, where I decided to stop at that town's history center and take in the sights. We have ridden past this museum many times and not taken the time to check it out, so today I decided to change that.

One of the more striking exhibits is a train that they have on display and open for you to walk through. That was where I headed first and started collecting photos. I started at the nose of the train and worked my way back:

No one seemed to mind, so I climb around on the engine to get some detail shots like this one of the upper cab windows:

Of course I had to get some shots of the engineer's work area inside the cab. Sadly they have the cab sealed tight, so all of my photos were shot through the glass of the windows:

There are plenty of interesting angles to work on one of these large machines:

Not to mention interesting details like this wheel that is mounted on the nose of the engine below the main headlight:

You can rent the train for parties and other functions, and they have one car setup for dining, complete with a small kitchen in the rear:

The next car back is setup as an art gallery and working space for local artists:

Among the art was this portrait of General Meade, the namesake of the town of Ft. Meade:

Other art hanging in the train car depicts scenes of Florida life, both past...

... and present. That's one of the large "walking cranes" that rip open the earth to get to the phosphate:

That black bucket in the painting above can serve to give you some scale as to the size of the "walking cranes", as this shot of one at the history center is the real version of what is depicted above. There are no photo tricks here, the bucket is really taller than the building next to it:

Back behind the train, this old tractor was sitting all alone:

Check out those wheels! This thing must have been able to go through anything, including mud and sugar sand:

They also had this beaten and bruised old engine that no doubt saw service at the local phosphate mines:

Vandals have broken out all of the glass on the Plymouth engine, so it was easy to climb up and get some shots of the decaying interior:

It was getting hot outside, so I ambled over and went inside the old house that serves as their museum. This house was one of the first school houses in Ft. Meade and they had photos of the building when it was a school. However, none of the nice ladies manning the museum could tell me when it was retrofitted into the very nice home that it became before it was turned into a museum. I did learn that the school/house was moved several blocks from its original location to where it sits today:

Room after room of the museum is crammed with historical artifacts, photos, and memorabilia. Upstairs I spotted this rather interesting display of old cameras and desk tools:

These old cameras are a far cry from the digital point-and-shoot Canon S90 that I used to capture all of these images:

Across the room from the old cameras, I spotted these fossilized shark teeth. These things are abundant in the region and are frequently turned up by the phosphate mining process, so it isn't really surprising to find such a collection of them in this otherwise incongruous location:

Back on the road and just a short piece south of Ft. Meade, I spotted Sand Mountain Road and decided to go down it in search of the road's namesake. We found what is left of Sand Mountain just a quarter-mile off the highway:

From the same location I looked to the northwest and saw this other kind of Florida "mountain", a phosphate mining stack, out on the horizon:

We headed south to Bowling Green via US 17, and then turned west via the back roads to re-enter mining country. We turned north and made our way back toward Bradley Junction in Polk County. Just south of Bradley Junction, I stopped to take a shot of this abandoned smoke stack and some ruined buildings at its base. Sights like this are common out in mine country:

We headed back to the west and home from Bradley Junction, making sure to take in the twists and turns of Keysville, along the way. I parked the bike with 115 miles on the odometer and a smile on my face. It was a good day for riding and the three of us that made the journey certainly made the most of it.

Club Ride - April 9, 2011 - Green Swamp Loop

2011-04-10T13:32:00.001-04:00

The usual crew plus one met for breakfast as per our custom. Following breakfast the riding contingent of the club was down to three, which quickly turned to two when Mr. Sarcasm had to turn off and head toward other pursuits. That left just me and "Preacher" to enjoy the day of riding that was to come. And enjoy it we did! By the time my wheels stopped turning for the day I had logged 196 miles of very enjoyable riding in and around the Green Swamp.

After riding for a few hours, "Preacher" and I made our way south from the Groveland area down to Fantasy of Flight where we had lunch and took in the sights. I was able to snap a few photos from the parking lot side of the fence, such as this beautiful Stearman that can be hired for scenic flights:

This is one beautiful plane and I couldn't help myself when it came to clicking off shots:

I would love to take a flight in one of these great planes...and I just might make it happen soon!:

They also had a New Standard that was doing ride duty. While we were there this plane stayed busy hauling up to three passengers at a time in the large front cockpit area:

This is a nice plane, as well, but the Stearman has fully captured my imagination:

The Lockheed Constellation still stands guard at the entrance to Fantasy of Flight:

"Preacher" and I had lunch in the Compass Rose Diner, which is located in the rotund portion of the building on the right of this photo. The food was pretty good and reasonably priced, especially considering that Fantasy of Flight is a full-blown Florida "attraction":

And just in case Fantasy of Flight owner Kermit Weeks or his staff just happen to stumble across this post, here's a shout out and a request for Mr. Weeks to update his own blog for those of us who enjoy reading it.

After lunch at Fantasy of Flight, "Preacher" and I rode north again on SR 33 and did another pass through the swamp on Green Pond Road before heading home and calling it a day.

Below is a little video I put together from yesterday's ride:

Green Swamp Ride

Sun 'n Fun 2011 - My Photo Expedition

2011-04-03T14:31:00.001-04:00

I made a pilgrimage over to Lakeland, FL, to attend the annual Sun 'n Fun, one of the largest aviation events in the world. Below are a few of the many (over 1,600!!!) photos that I took yesterday:

This T-28 Trojan participated in a simulated bombing run. That why you see all the dark smoke.

A Chance Vought F4U Corsair; just my most favorite plane in the world. When I win the lotto, I am so getting one!!!

This is the WWII-era B-25 bomber dubbed "Panchito" Long time readers of this blog may recall that I took a flight in "Panchito" a few years ago.

A nice formation of T-28 does a fly-by for the crowd.

There was some parachute action mixed in with all the warbirds.

A gorgeous P-51D Mustang parked on the warbird ramp. This plane would be my other winning lotto purchase!!!

The business office of the USAF's F-22 Raptor fighter jet.

Old meets new as the P-51D "Crazy Horse" shares the taxiway with the F-22 Raptor.

"Crazy Horse" demonstrates the awesomeness that is the P-51D Mustang. "Crazy Horse" is unique among Mustangs because it is a two-seater. Despite the fact that the second seat was vacant, I was unable to get a ride!!!

Up close and personal with a T-28. I take one for a spin in a heartbeat.

The F-22 Raptor gets airborne in front of a spellbound crowd.

The F-22 Raptor shoots skyward in full afterburner.

The F-22 pilot gave me a nice shot of the underside of the plane.

Climb, baby, climb! Check out that afterburner flame and the vapor trail on the leading edge of the wing.

I love this head-on angle of the F-22 Raptor. If you're more foe than friend, you probably don't enjoy this view so much.

This is one of five L-39 Albatross jet trainers that make up the demonstration team "Heavy Metal"

This is a de Havilland "Super" Chipmunk. I have also flown in one of these aircraft thanks to another "incentive" ride a few years ago.

"Fat Albert Airlines" takes to the sky ahead of the Blue Angels demonstration.

The Blue Angels taxi into position for takeoff.

Major Brent Stevens, Blue Angel #3, waves to the crowd as he taxis to takeoff.

Yeah, they're pretty awesome! And no, there's no photo trickery here; that's the real angle of flight relative to the ground.

Beautiful jet, the F-18 Hornet.

Lots of action throughout the demo flight.

Okay. That's enough photos for this site. I have posted a selection of these and other shots from yesterday and you can see them by clicking here.

The Sun 'n Fun is a great event and I highly recommend you take it in at least once.

Club Ride - March 19, 2011 - Ozello Trail

2011-03-19T22:03:00.004-04:00

This morning the usual cast of characters met for breakfast and then embarked upon a ride to Ozello, FL, where we were anxious to savor the twisty treat that is the Ozello Trail. This ride was a special request from Lloyd, as it may well be his last ride; he is selling his Gold Wing and getting out of the motorcycling game in favor of other pursuits. Fittingly, we had fabulous weather, good roads and scenery, and a great experience on the Ozello Trail. If this is indeed Lloyd's last ride, he picked a good one upon which to call it quits.

At our first "comfort stop" the cell phones came out very quickly, as is usually the case:

Eddie looked upon all the cell phone usage with his usual blend of disdain and derision:

Lloyd just chuckled to himself as he took in the scene:

Our travels took us through Pineola, FL. We much prefer our visits to Pineola, NC, however:

I spotted these flowers when we stopped for lunch at the Peck's Old Port Cove restaurant at the end of the Ozello Trail:

Click here to see a video of some of the fellas riding through the countryside.

And you can click here to see another little video clip.

This last clip is of the ride over the little bridge at the end of the Ozello Trail.

Back at the house, I parked my bike with 218.6 miles of riding racked up for the day. It was a good time with good friends, and I hope Lloyd enjoyed it to the fullest. Who knows, maybe it was such a good ride he'll decide to keep the Gold Wing!!!

KISS in Concert in Hollywood, FL

2011-03-19T21:49:00.003-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day to me!!! I traveled down to Hollywood, FL, to catch a concert appearance by "The Hottest Band in the World...KISS!!!" The trip was good, the concert was great. And the whole experience was made even better because Mr. Sarcasm tagged along for his first-ever dose of live KISS.

Did I mention that the concert was great? No matter how many times I see KISS, I always come away impressed with their energy and what appears to be a sincere desire to give the fans their money's worth. I have seen many other bands in concert, but none of them come close to the experience that is KISS.

I could ramble on for pages about how great they are in concert, but it comes down to this simple truth: you have to see it for yourself to fully appreciate the overwhelming spectacle that is a KISS concert. Do yourself a favor and go see them in concert.

I also highly recommend you get familiar with their music first so that you can appreciate the jewels of their 35-year catalog when you hear them. Some of my personal favorites include: Detroit Rock City; Shout it Out Loud; Beth; Rock and Roll All Nite; Cold Gin; Firehouse; Hard Luck Woman; Forever; Strutter; 100,000 Years; Rock Bottom; 2,000 Man; Love Gun...okay, I'll stop there because I have a lot more "favorites" by KISS. Buy one of their greatest hits compilations and give it a good listen.

Here are a few shots that I took during the concert:

Okay, I'm sure you get the point by now: This is one AWESOME show!!! I am already looking forward to the next time I get to see KISS in concert!!!

Click here to see a short video clip from the concert!

2011 Strawberry Festival - Special Effects Photos

2011-03-13T11:58:00.001-04:00

I went to the annual Florida Strawberry Festival the other night and took a bunch of photos. Here are a handful of shots that I subsequently processed on my iPad to produce different effects.

For this one I used "Color Splash" to take out all of the color and then I added back color to just the areas I wanted to highlight:

I rode the giant Ferris Wheel and shot photos of the midway from the top. I then processed those photos using "Tilt Shift Generator" to produce these nifty views:

I'll post more of my Strawberry Festival photos in another update this week.

"Let's air 'em out a bit" - Polk County Loop of March 5, 2011

2011-03-13T11:46:00.001-04:00

This club outing was a bit different as we were left leaderless by the absence of El Presidente Gunny, who had other pressing business to attend. So, rudderless and adrift, we did the only reasonable thing one can do in the face of such adversity: we elected Eddie to take all responsibility for leading the ride this fateful day! And so it was that it was decreed that we would pay a quick visit to Fun Bike Center in Lakeland, FL, before making a loop of Polk County via Highways 92, 27, and 60, to "air 'em out a bit".

As stated, our first stop was Fun Bike Center where Eddie proceeded to cajole and berate the parts counter staff until they stripped an internal visor out of a brand new helmet to make it available for him right then and there rather than them daring to make him wait for one to be shipped in for that same purpose:

Our business finished, we mounted up and headed east to complete our goal of looping a portion of Imperial Polk County. Here's Bob K. and Preacher all mounted up and waiting for Eddie to finish putting on all his riding gear:

Somewhere in the wilds of SR 60, we stopped for a little break and Eddie proceeded to explain motorcycle physics and mechanics to us. Note the high tech use of his boot toe as a pointing device:

Rolling along the highway, I got a few shots of the guys in action. Here's Eddie saying "hello" to the camera:

And here's one more shot of Eddie rolling along, enjoying the ride:

And here's Preacher rolling along with Bob K. in close proximity:

And, finally, Bob K. on his "Motorcycle of the Week":

It was an enjoyable and quick 100-mile ride that saw all of us home before noon. Not a bad way to spend the morning!

Mermaids on the Horizon - February 19, 2011

2011-03-13T11:32:00.001-04:00

Our weekly club outing took us north and west toward to lovely community of Weeki Wachee, site of the eponymous river whose crystal clear waters emanate from deep within the subterranean passageways of the Florida aquifer before flowing down to the Gulf of Mexico. Naturally, we took the most indirect route possible to get to Weeki Wachee, but that's okay since it's all about the ride.

South of Weeki Wachee, we stopped in Aripeka, FL, for photos of the Hammock Creek environs. I decided to play with the great Hipstamatic iPhone app to get some photos with a vintage flavor. This view across Hammock Creek lent itself nicely to my experiments:

Walking back to the group, I captured this image of irony in action:

Here's another shot of the very scenic Hammock Creek:

Rolling on into Weechi Wachee Gardens, it was time for lunch. We stopped at a restaurant called "The Upper Deck" for that purpose. The best thing about this restaurant is that it is located right on the banks of the Weeki Wachee River and offers great views from its copious upper level deck:

"Preacher" looked like an old west gunfighter walking up this long, narrow hallway located beneath the restaurant:

Gunny & Bob K. were too busy taking in the river sights to notice Preacher's impression of "The Man With No Name":

Those river sights included this view of the public park located on the opposite bank...:

...and several passing wave runners:

Finally making our way topside for lunch, Gunny was all smiles and grins...:

...while Bob K. just couldn't take his eyes off the river:

After lunch we made for home via more scenic back roads:

I was wearing my new high visibility touring jacket; boy did that thing glow! Just look at the reflected sheen all over the cockpit of my gorgeous ST1300:

We ended a great day of riding with 150 miles rolled up on the odometer and plenty of good memories in our logbooks.

Club Ride - January 8, 2011 - Webster via the Most Indirect Route Possible!!!

2011-01-09T13:02:00.002-05:00

Another Saturday, another club ride. After the usual breakfast we headed out for a ride to Webster, FL, home of the famous and much ballyhooed flea market. Little did we know that El Presidente Gunny had anything but a direct route in mind for us. In fact, our route to Webster ended up being a circuitous tour of central Florida towns and back roads that served up a diverse and enjoyable slice of off-the-beaten-path scenery and curvaceous roadways. Good job, Gunny!

Just how indirect was the route to Webster, you ask? According to Google Maps, it is about 50 miles from Plant City to Webster; so, a round-trip of 100 miles. Well, by the time I parked my bike for the day, I had clocked nearly 200 miles. Gunny managed to double the driving distance! To see how he did it and to better understand the diversity of our travels, check out Gunny's trip map below. The right half of the blue lines is the route up to Webster, and the left side line is the route home:

As you can see on the map, we traversed Green Pond Road, which is one of our local favorites. Of course we made the requisite stop at the one-lane wooden bridge where I got my first photo opportunity of the day. Robert got busy almost immediately mugging for the camera:

Kent and the "Red Velvet" joined us for this ride and it was great to have him along:

Somebody left a perfectly good crane parked alongside the bridge:

Of course, I had to explore the crane a little bit and get some detail shots:

Oh, yeah, I could so drive this thing thing! Just your standard multi-lever, cross-flux confabrulation lever arrangement of controls:

I liked the various perspective shots that could be framed using this boom:

Hey! Is that lime-green-suited fellow on the right peeing on the bushes? And why is that lime-green-suited fellow on the left watching him do it???:

Eddie posed for a shot along side the crane's boom. Is that a lime-green-colored suit he's wearing? Hmmmmm:

Back on the road and after quite a bit of riding, our travels took us through the tiny town of Center Hill, FL, which is located just a few miles northeast of Webster. The remarkable thing about Center Hill is that it has a completely dead and abandoned downtown area. I couldn't resist the temptation to stop and get some photos of this scene of urban decay. I passed this way back in 2002 and things were just the same then, so this place has been devoid of activity for nearly a decade that I am aware of. And, yes, I did a bit of post-processing to these photos to fit the eerie sense that such desolation evokes:

I like that my motorcycle's reflection was caught in the window; strikes me as a juxtaposition of old and modern, as well as abandonment and decay of a fixed point versus the freedom of mobility:

Most of the abandoned storefronts are locked like this; just to keep out the curious or the dispossessed, I suppose:

Here's the reverse angle on the abandoned row of storefronts:

Across the street sits this abandoned gas station:

I liked some of the details of the abandoned gas station, like this vehicle lift:

This old kerosene pump was a particularly nice find:

These old gas station restrooms provide interesting lines and a bit of commentary:

Finally, this staircase on the back of the storefronts was also interesting to me:

Finished with my photo exploration of Center Hill's desolate downtown, I made my way to Webster, where the other fellas were enjoying a hearty buffet lunch at Hayseeds Cafe. Not being much of one for heavy, buffet lunches, I did a little bit of exploration around the restaurant, the exterior facade of which appears below:

You may recall, dear readers, from a previous blog post, that we have been here in the past. And while I took photos of the exterior back then, I never bothered to look around and missed out on the very interesting construction features of this building. Walking around the right-hand corner of the building, I discovered that it is not a building at all. Well, not in the traditional sense of the word, anyway. You see, the restaurant is actually nothing more than a collection of shipping containers mated together and trimmed with a folksy facade and interior:

This discovery served to explain the architectural oddity of the interior, which is marked by an archway every ten feet. That's where they cut openings between the shipping containers. Here's a closer look at the uncovered side for you skeptics:

After lunch, Robert and Kent beat feet for home (via a direct route), while Gunny, Eddie, and I headed west for a little bit more riding in the San Antonio area. By the time I got home and parked my bike I had logged over 190 miles of good riding with good friends. All in all, a great day.

Club Ride - 10/09/2010 - Solomon's Castle

2010-10-13T09:06:00.002-04:00

Our regular weekly get-together and ride commenced in the usual way with breakfast at Snellgrove's that was fairly well attended. However, the riding part was a different thing altogether as only four started out and only three finished it up. We headed south by east, north, and west (yes, Glenn was leading!) and somewhere along the way JT abandoned ship with an abrupt about face and headed home to meet up with other riders for some other ride to some other place for some other purpose for some other reason. How's that for overuse of "some other"?

Anyway, the three remaining souls -- me, Glenn, and Bob K. -- made our way down to Ona, FL, for a visit to Solomon's Castle and lunch on the Boat in the Moat. Always a quirky and entertaining experience, this visit to Solomon's castle was as enjoyable as all the others.

Here's a panorama of the castle grounds to give you some perspective:

And in this one you get a feel for the Boat in the Moat, which is also a restaurant:

This is the interior of the Boat in the Moat:

There are some captivating details to the decor if you take the time to look around...or up:

In addition to a tasty lunch, we all tried a different dessert. Here's Bob K. showing off his lime pie thingy dessert:

Somehow Glenn being bathed in this evil red glow was just fitting...and he's got that whole "imperial look" thing going on, too:

There were a few libations as well, but that one's not Glenn's...too big for him, anyway:

Bob K. was busy pondering the decor, global warming, and world peace:

Speaking of Bob K., he showed up for this week's ride on a baby-Burgman, you know, the 400cc variety:

After lunch we headed for home and all the chores and details of life that awaited us upon our arrival. By the end of the riding day I had clocked 174.3 miles on the ST1300 and I enjoyed each and every one of them. Until next time...

Return to Okeechobee - September 4, 2010

2010-09-06T09:19:00.002-04:00

Our weekly club outing was a bit of a stretch from the usual in that we decided to tackle a run to Okeechobee and back instead of staying within the usual Central Florida riding area. Five riders headed south after the usual breakfast meet-up, including: me (of course, how else could I have gotten the photos!), Gunny, Lloyd (too cool to have a nickname), Bob K., and Beaker. Here's a shot of Glenn (in the lead) and Lloyd as we make our way out of Plant City heading south on SR 39:

Here's Bob K. piloting his GL1800 and looking like he's having fun doing so:

Lloyd is just chillin' and being cool as he ambles down the highway...to Hell!?!:

Beaker was enjoying the ride despite his inability to out-ride the loud muffler sound that seemed to haunt him all day long:

Gunny tried his best to prevent me from getting a shot of him, but I prevailed after numerous attempts. That awful background is what you get for resisting me!!!:

Rolling down Highway 98...the desolate part:

Once in Okeechobee, we stopped to take in the sights of the big lake. This pier is located at the southern extreme of the city of Okeechobee and on the northern shore of the lake itself, right where 441, 78, and 98 converge:

While some of us walked out on the pier, others found the shade more to their liking:

The big lake! More like looking across the ocean than your typical lake:

Shot this photo of a bird from the pier:

And just a few feet away I shot this great example of why sane people don't go wading about in lake vegetation. That's an eight-foot gator lying there just waiting for something soft and squishy to come by for lunch:

Leaving the pier area, I stood by with camera at the ready in case anyone dropped a bike in the soft beach sand, but no one obliged me...dammit!!!:

With our business concluded, we headed back into the town of Okeechobee for lunch at a barbecue and steak joint called "Cowboys", which is located in the same building as the now defunct "R.J. Gators":

Some of the fellas anxiously awaiting the arrival of their lunches:

Gunny was pleased with himself for some reason or another:

A much friendlier sign than the one I saw the last time I was in Okeechobee:

It was a great day of riding and everyone seemed to have a good time. It was nice to stretch the proverbial legs a bit for a change and to see some relatively new scenery, as well. At the end of the day I had logged 278.6 miles of riding fun. Sadly, this ride marked the end of the trail for my faithful riding gloves. After 16,000 miles of ST1300 riding in all kinds of weather, my Honda-branded Joe Rocket riding gloves are done.:

More riding adventures to come...with a new pair of gloves!!!

The photos posted above are only a handful of what I shot for the day. If you want to see the rest, click here.

Lunch!!!

2010-08-28T12:54:00.000-04:00

The Kahuna Burger.

Waiting for lunch at Kahuna's

2010-08-28T12:42:00.000-04:00

Everybody ordered the Kahuna Burger.

Skyway Tiger. Raaaawwwwwwrrrr!!!

2010-08-28T12:40:00.000-04:00

Are you scared???

Lloyd waiting for the elevator at Barney's

2010-08-28T12:38:00.000-04:00

And it was gonna be a long wait since he couldn't find the buttons.

Roar!!! Blackthorn Memorial at north end of Skyway

2010-08-28T11:25:00.000-04:00

First appearance of my riding Tiger, too.

Shark!!!

2010-08-28T11:04:00.000-04:00

This guy was fishing from the sea wall when he caught a SHARK!!!

Smile for your closeup Sharkey!

2010-08-28T11:02:00.000-04:00

Give him a decade and he'll be ferocious!!!

They sitting there admiring my ST and wishing they had one, too.

2010-08-28T10:31:00.000-04:00

I think this Trooper wanted a few words with Lloyd

2010-08-28T10:29:00.000-04:00

Hopefully they were kind words of admiration about his motorcycling skills!

We are at the Skyway...again!!!

2010-08-28T10:18:00.000-04:00

And darned if it ain't hot already to boot.

Forgot to mention that Okeechobee is a friendly town..,

2010-08-16T09:32:00.000-04:00

No Riding - Family Business - August 14, 2010

2010-08-15T10:20:00.000-04:00

There was no riding with the fellas for me and my brother, "Beaker", this weekend as we had to travel down to Okeechobee to take care of some family business. We did make the time to stop in for breakfast with the club at the usual spot before pointing the car southward.

Arriving in Okeechobee, we spotted this tank on display in a park in the downtown area:

I think "Beaker" wanted to take it home, but they had the thing pretty well buttoned up with strong welds in all the strategic access points...dammit!:

Of course a few welds didn't stop him from giving it the college try:

Despite being denied access to the interior of the tank, "Beaker" still felt like he had conquered the thing. I was disappointed that the cops didn't stop and yell at him...but that's just me.:

There we several other weapons on display in the park and "Beaker" did his best to make them go bang:

The park is a really nice tribute to Veterans of all wars and has many stone memorials to Okeechobee veterans in particular:

After our short stop at the park, we continued on our way and spent the better part of the day taking care of our family business. No motorcycling, but it was good to get this opportunity to spend time with other family and provide a needed service.

Club Ride - 08/07/2010

2010-08-15T10:03:00.000-04:00

Our fearless leader was out of the country (yes, the whole USA) for a spell and he named me to be acting-dictator-in-charge. My first official edict in my acting-dictator capacity was to assign Big Ed to lead our weekly ride and he validated my extraordinary dictator skills by doing a great job of touring us through the Ridge area of Polk County.

Here we are breezing through the scenic countryside:

V-Strom cockpit shot. That's Mr. Sarcasm just ahead and Big Ed up there in the lead:

We stopped for a short break somewhere along the Ridge so that we could drink some cold water, check emails, voice-mails, and the like:

Big Ed apparently mistook Preacher for some kind of giant Florida bug and gave him a good dose of insecticide...or was it sunscreen?:

No, this wasn't a "professional" encounter...just a unique photo opportunity...so stop laughing; it didn't happen...yet!:

It was a good day of riding through some great scenery with like-minded friends. By the time my wheels stopped rolling I had 154 miles on the odometer for the day. Thanks to Big Ed for coming up with such an enjoyable ride on short notice.

Tried a bit of Night Photography the Other Day

2010-08-01T10:42:00.001-04:00

Made a trip over to Tampa the other night and took a few night shots of the downtown skyline. It was an enjoyable and instructive outing from which I learned several things to apply to future such attempts. All that said, here's a few samples of what I was able to capture:

This was shot just before the sun slipped below the horizon:

This is what things started looking like once the sun was completely down:

This shot resulted from letting the shutter stay open a bit longer to pull in as much ambient light as possible:

I like the reflections in the river in this shot:

And by panning slightly to the right I was able to add the glow of street lights in the trees on the other side of the river:

This one was shot from the opposite side of the downtown area:

Fantasy of Flight

2010-04-18T20:17:00.001-04:00

I recently paid another visit to Fantasy of Flight located over in Polk City, FL. If you are an aviation buff this place is a "must see" and even if you aren't all that crazy about aircraft you'll probably appreciate the history and the quality of the overall experience. Fantasy of Flight is a privately owned collection of aircraft that all belong to Kermit Weeks. You can get more of the story behind Fantasy of Flight on their official website by clicking here, and Mr. Weeks's blog offers addition insight here. And for the official Wikipedia take on Kermit Weeks, click here.

Okay, up to speed yet? Good. Let's move on to the photos from my visit.

Here's the official sign located outside the entrance to the main building:

And just before entering the building you are greeted by this message from Kermit Weeks:

Just across the field from the main entrance was this sight that would make any aviation history buff's heart skip a beat:

Once inside the museum you begin your experience by walking through a few set pieces depicting significant milestones in aviation history. Among the first is a World War I diorama featuring combat soldiers and a swooping fighter plane of the period:

World War II is next on your travels through history and that war is represented by this B-17, which is parked in the recreation of an airbase of the time. One side of the B-17 is "battle ready" while the other side represents a B-17 recently returned from battle and undergoing repairs. You get to walk through this aircraft at your leisure to examine the crew spaces and components:

Here's a shot of the control panel in the B-17. I am always fascinated with these old panels, the technology they represent, and the skills the pilots had to possess to deal with these complex machines:

Coming out of the historical displays you enter the civil aircraft hanger where you are greeted by an almost overwhelming array of aircraft of all shapes and sizes:

Further along you enter the warbird hanger where an equally dizzying array of fighter planes and other military aircraft await your perusal:

This is one of two P-51 Mustangs on display. This one is marked up to represent the Tuskegee Airmen's squadron. Click here for more on their story:

Out on the tarmac sat this sexy Supermarine Spitfire. This is only about the second time I have ever seen one of these planes up close and personal like this:

Each day they fly one of the planes in the collection. During one of my previous visits it was that Tuskegee Airmen Mustang. This time it was this German artillery observation plane:

When they landed the plane you were able to get a very close look at it. I noticed that planes don't appear to need as much tread for cornering as motorcycles:

Part of the experience was a tour that takes you behind the scenes to the working areas of the Fantasy of Flight operation. The first stop was the restoration shop where they are actively working on several planes to bring them back to flying condition:

You can see in this shot that these planes don't start out in the most pristine of conditions, but the restoration shop works pure magic to return these hulks to the skies where they belong...with Kermit Weeks (no, that's not him in the photo) at the controls, of course:

Sitting over in one corner of the restoration shop was this hulk. That's a complete, albeit slightly disassembled, P-38 Lightning that Weeks will have his restoration shop return to flying condition:

The next stop on the tour was the engine warehouse. Everything you see in this photo -- and a whole lot more you can't see -- is an aircraft engine of some sort or description. This was a fascinating stop on the tour, especially once you heard what the guide had to say about this diverse collection of engines:

The next stop was for a glimpse inside one of many storage bays, each one, like this one, crammed full of aircraft awaiting restoration:

The final stop on the tour was the maintenance hanger, which was chock full of more incredible vintage planes; all of them in flying condition and ready to go at Kermit Weeks's whim:

Leaving the maintenance hanger I shot this view across the field toward the main display building:

Okay, that's enough to give you an idea of what a visit to Fantasy of Flight holds in store. But let me caution you that I have only scratched the surface here; you really must pay this place a visit for yourself. You will not regret the time you spend and I assure you that the price of admission is well worth it for the opportunity to see this much aviation history in one place.

Stayed in a Beautiful Hotel and Got Me Some Edumacation!

2010-04-18T18:09:00.001-04:00

I recently attended a job-related conference a few cities over from my home base. Luckily for me the conference organizers had the foresight to book their event into the Gaylord Palms Hotel. This is one large, beautiful, and luxurious hotel. I highly recommend booking a stay at this great hotel if you find yourself in the area...or perhaps just need an excuse to come to Central Florida. You know, if the whole Disney, Sea World, Universal, Busch Gardens, beaches, sunshine, etc., didn't do it for you; now you can use the Gaylord Palms as your motivation. On to the photos:

This was the view outside my room from my private balcony:

This is a steakhouse restaurant inside the hotel:

This fountain was located outside the Italian restaurant, which you can kind of see in the background to the left:

Every detail of the hotel is tricked out to the max. This is the ceiling of the entry rotunda in the conference center:

This is the entry way to the St. Augustine area, complete with a mockup of the old Spanish fort:

Evening strolls were a treat to the senses with scenes like this waterfall around every turn:

And then there was the pool full of live turtles and alligators!:

This guy comes by three times each week to feed the alligators. Looks like he might have missed a meal given the way these gators are ready to climb up on the bank with him:

The hotel has two pools; one for adults and this one for kids and families. Notice the attached water park on the right side of the frame:

As you can see from this small sampling of images (believe me, there is much more to see) the Gaylord Palms is a really nice hotel. Any reason to stay at the Gaylord Palms will certainly give rise to a memorable experience.

Club Ride - April 3, 2010 - Leesburg, Baby!!!

2010-04-04T12:38:00.009-04:00

Okay, so Leesburg isn't really exciting enough to warrant three exclamation points. In fact, it probably doesn't merit even one exclamation point, but at least it go you to read this far, didn't it?

The day started out as per our usual with a hearty breakfast and loads of sarcasm for all. After breakfast, five of us headed out for a scenic and twisting ride up to Leesburg where we would visit Champions motorcycle shop. Gunny really did a good job of taking us around our elbow to find our fanny as it took us about three hours to ride to Leesburg, which is a trip that normally requires a bit less than an hour. That's okay, though, because we rode through some nice countryside and took in our fair share of curvy roads along the way.

Our first stop was at the one-lane bridge on Green Pond Road where we encountered some people fishing in the swollen creek.

"Sir, I think you need a bigger bike," said Gunny to the passing motorcyclist:

Creek!!!:

No matter how nicely I asked, Mr. Sarcasm just wouldn't fall in the creek for the sake of me getting a good photo...and Lloyd wouldn't push him in, either...dammit!:

Some Lake County curve action:

One gorgeous bike parked in front of Champions:

Champions is a huge dealership with multiple brands and plenty of new bikes for sale:

Leaving Champion, we rode down to Tavares for lunch at Mary's Kountry Kitchen restaurant where Gunny ordered this breakfast monstrosity for his mid-day meal:

Here's a detail shot of the innards of that monstrosity:

Mr. Sarcasm does not appear overly happy with his Consolation Chowder. Maybe next time he should try the tomato bisque soup:

Bellies full and ready to ride some more, we hit the road and headed southward for home. Of course we took the most circuitous route possible, including a reverse-course pass of Green Pond Road for giggles:

Nearing home base, here's a shot of Lloyd putting his Wing through some back-roads curves we always enjoy:

It was another full day of riding with me getting home at about 4 pm with some 200 miles on the odometer. The weather is changing rapidly in our part of the world and today we saw a high of 86 degrees. It won't be long before it'll be time to put away the ST (shhhhhh, don't tell her) in favor of the V-Strom, which is a lot cooler ride in the warm months.

Note from the author/photographer/editor/publisher: My apologies if this post ends up looking crappy on your screen. I had to write it in Blogger's very limited editing window and the spacing was giving me fits. Why would I do that you ask? Well, because Firefox's editor -- ScribeFire -- is on the fritz...AGAIN!!! Dammit!!!

2009 Fall Leaf Ride - Day 11 - The Run for Home

2009-10-19T15:35:00.001-04:00

Friday, October 16th, was the final day of this year's Fall Leaf Ride. The weather -- having already wreaked havoc with the original plan and driving us south several days early -- showed no signs of improving; it was time to go home. Despite surrendering to the gods of weather, they were to extract even more penance from these wet and weary bones by providing me with several small rain showers to punctuate the journey to my homelands.

Following breakfast with Preacher and Mr. Sarcasm, the three of us parted ways. They would continue due south out of Georgia before turning inland into central Florida for their ride home. I, on the other hand, elected to turn inland into central Georgia and head over to I-75 for my final ride. This added several hours to the overall trip, but I had my reasons and they were good enough to outweigh the extra miles and time.

My travels took me westward across Georgia on I-16 before getting off on Hwy 358 about 30 miles east of Macon. I made my way cross-country via GA 96 through Perry before getting onto I-75 following a couple hours of delay to tend to my reasons for coming this way in the first place.

Heading south on I-75 I was in very familiar territory and enjoyed the ride, despite continuing sporadic rain showers. At 3:01 p.m., I crossed into Florida with 308 miles on the day's odometer.

At 3:30, with 352 miles on the odometer, I stopped in Lake City, FL for fuel for the bike and a much needed break for myself. There had been a pretty spectacular traffic crash just prior to my arrival so I took in the show that the police, involved parties, and wrecker drivers were putting on. Leaving the scene, one wrecker driver attempted to wedge his behemoth of a towing platform between the rear tire of my bike and the gas pumps at the Shell station where I was parked. I raised my hands and signaled that he had mere inches of clearance. The wrecker driver shouted out the window in an arrogant and condescending manner that he had "miles of room to make this turn". His arrogance was promptly rewarded as his front left wheel rim struck the raised sidewalk and proceeded to gouge concrete and chrome with equal aplomb. Being the humble person that I am I chose not to say a word...I just gave him one of those derisive looks that scream "dumbass!". By the look on his face it was apparent that he heard me loud and clear.

Back on the road the traffic was becoming increasingly dense and aggressive with every mile I traveled farther south. Watching license plates of the jackasses whizzing by me only served to confirm my earlier observation that drivers from South Carolina are the worst for aggressive stupidity, followed neck-and-neck for second by Florida drivers.

My journey concluded at precisely 7 p.m., as I rolled into my garage with 537 miles of riding for the day. This final milestone marked the end of an interesting and largely enjoyable riding experience. Despite the rain and the cold, this was still an adventure for the books that will be long and fondly recalled by all who participated.

My final stats for the 2009 Fall Leaf Ride are as follows:

- Days on the road = 11
- States traveled through = 7 (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia)
- Total miles traveled = 2,751.2
- Total photos taken = 1,652 (not counting those deleted in-camera)

Gas stop in Lake City, FL; only a few hours from home

2009-10-19T15:11:00.000-04:00

2009 Fall Leaf Ride - Day 10 - Hanging around Savannah

2009-10-15T21:07:00.000-04:00

We only rode about 25 miles today, but it was a very full day despite the lack of miles traveled. That's because we spent the day visiting the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum and nosing around the historic section of Savannah. The museum is simply fantastic if you have any interest in WW II or aviation history; it is well-worth the $10 admission fee. We spent three-and-a-half hours taking in the exhibits and displays.

Historic Savannah was interesting, but we didn't have the time or the apparent energy level to give it the attention it deserves. We covered a few square blocks including River Street before calling it a day.

Pictures follow...

F-4 Phantom on static display

2009-10-15T20:59:00.000-04:00

Entry rotunda - the ceiling is a cargo parachute

2009-10-15T20:58:00.000-04:00

B-17 undergoing restoration in the main exhibit halll

2009-10-15T20:57:00.000-04:00

Work area of the museum with old fire engine undergoing restoration

2009-10-15T20:56:00.000-04:00

B-47 on static display with chapel in the background

2009-10-15T20:55:00.000-04:00

Chapel on the museum grounds - Bells play martial songs on the hour

2009-10-15T20:53:00.000-04:00

Chapel Interior - The stained glass windows are works of art

2009-10-15T20:52:00.000-04:00

A riverboat docked along River Street

2009-10-15T20:51:00.000-04:00

A closer look at the riverboat

2009-10-15T20:48:00.000-04:00

Paula Deen's restaurant...no, we didn't eat there

2009-10-15T20:47:00.000-04:00

Some of the historic residences in Savannah

2009-10-15T20:46:00.000-04:00

Escape from West Virginia...We Lost Lloyd...and Bob!!!

2009-10-14T21:17:00.000-04:00

Okay, it's not that were not tough or intrepid or any of that other manly stuff, you see. It's just that motorcycles, mountains, and rain/snow don't mix well. That's right...snow! The forecast for West Virginia for the upcoming weekend included a chance of snow on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Add to that the fact that today and tomorrow are predicted as complete rain-outs and you begin to understand why we deemed it prudent to flee to the south. Throw in the already cold temps and the added bonus that they were only going to continue to fall and you have arrived at a complete understanding of our decision making.

So it was that we rolled out at 8:22 a.m. with six of us headed south in the general direction of home. Just to be different, Lloyd opted to head west for the great state of Missouri where he plans to visit family. And that is how we came to lose Lloyd. We all wished him well on his continuing journey and gave him a hearty wave adieu; most of us even used all of our fingers to wave him off!

A grand total of 17 miles south of Beckley the rain started and it didn't stop for the next ten hours. Dammit! And it was cold to boot! Double dammit! There is something about the combination of rain, cold, and motorcycling that mixes together and produces a special brand of misery that only the most hearty two-wheelers have experienced and can appreciate. You just have to set your mind to the task at hand, the goal for the day, and get 'er done! And that's exactly what we did...well, most of us.

Somewhere south of the Virginia state line the misery kicked into high gear when the cold, the rain, the wind, and the traffic on I-77 was joined by dense fog and undulating terrain to make a misery stew of near-epic proportions. And that's when it happened; that's the moment we lost Bob!

You have to understand that Bob is a very bright man, an intellectual to say the least. A smart guy for those of you who may be too vocabularily-challenged to catch my drift. And, being a smart man, Bob decided that Misery Stew was not exactly his favorite dish; in fact, he decided he wasn't going to have so much as one more spoonful of this near-epic Misery Stew that that biatch Mother Nature was serving up. Yep, that's when we lost Bob. Being the smart man that he is, Bob pulled off the cold, wet, miserable interstate highway and found himself a nice, warm, dry motel room in Hillsville, VA, where he announced his intention to wait out the storm system until such time as he could travel in relative comfort and style. Damn, Bob, you are truly a wise and all knowing man! If only more of us could be so smart!

As for the rest of us less well intellecually-endowed members of the group, we persevered and persisted in our southward travels. The timeline so far being that we made it to the Virginia state line at 9:20 and not much longer after that we hit dense fog in Fancy Gap with 107 miles on the odometer. A long delay at the VA/NC state line followed our arrival there at 10:40 a.m. Mr. Sarcasm looked at his watch and noted that with all the delays we were averaging 30 MPH. The sad part is that he was exactly correct in his math. Dammit!

Eddie and Paul split off from the group at this point to pursue their alternative plan of riding south via US 301 out of Orangeburg, SC, rather than joining the rest of us for a jaunt over to Savannah, GA, for a visit to the 8th Air Force Museum. That left me, Boyd, and JT as the last three riders intent on pursuing the original plan...whatever that was.

Forward progress continued once we finally got moving from the NC Welcome Center. Moving south took us farther and farther from the mountains and our progress seemed to increase exponentially with each mile we moved away from those heaving mounds of earth and rock.

We arrived in Statesville, NC, at 12:30 where we spent an hour getting gas, lunch, and just drying out and warming up a bit.

Our next milestone was crossing the SC state line at 2:20 with exactly 220 miles on the odometer; quite the coincidence, huh?

Somewhere around 4:30 - 5:00 pm, we stopped in Orangeburg, SC, for gas at the shell station on US 601. It was there that I took the only photos of the day and you can see a few of them below.

At 6:13 pm, we crossed into Georgia on I-95; the rain still pouring down on us.

And, finally, at 6:30 pm, we were in Pooler, GA, site of the museum, where we checked into a cheap motel for the night. We were all cold, tired, wet, and ready for some time off the bike. But, you know, despite the bad weather, this was still a great day! We had more adventure and excitement in 10 minutes of riding today than all those sad souls who commented about our plight at the rest stops, the gas stations, and the burger joints will have in the next 10 years of their non-motorcycling lives. Poor bastards!

Gas stop in Orangeburg, SC; this is what our whole day looked like

2009-10-14T20:38:00.001-04:00

Mr. Sarcasm getting ready to hit the rainy road once again

2009-10-14T20:38:00.000-04:00

JT and his rain soaked rain gear

2009-10-14T20:37:00.000-04:00

My V-Strom loaded down with wet rain gear!

2009-10-14T20:36:00.000-04:00

2009 Fall Leaf Ride - Day 8 - We Found the Scenery!

2009-10-13T23:56:00.000-04:00

Today we rode east into the Greenbrier Valley Region of West Virginia and found that it is a very scenic portion of the state. It could have been better without the rain, but you have to ride the hand you are dealt and that's just what we did.

We rode I-64 east to 219 before turning north for what turned out to be the best ride of the trip. Along the way there were stops at the Droop Mountain Battle Field (Civil War), the scenic and historic town of Hillsboro, and a side trip into the back-country to the west of 219.

The rainy, cold, generally bad weather kept a damper on things throughout the day, but we did make the best of it and got in a grand total of 209 miles of riding before the day was over.

Speaking of the weather, it only gets worse from here so our visit to West Virginia is drawing to a close. Tomorrow we will pack up and head south because there won't be any good riding opportunities in this area for the rest of the week. In fact, the forecast is for rain on Wednesday and Thursday, then more rain and some snow on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Obviously rain is bad enough when you're motorcycling in the mountains, but snow (and the potential for ice on the roads) is a non-starter. So, we're done with West Virginia, our game being called on account of weather. There is the chance we'll stop at some other interesting locales along the route to home. We'll see what develops as we work our way back to the Sunshine State.

A few photos from today follow...

The view at Grandview National Park

2009-10-13T23:42:00.000-04:00

L to R: Eddie, Lloyd, Paul, & Bob at Grandview

2009-10-13T23:41:00.000-04:00

Riding the back-country, well off the beaten path

2009-10-13T23:40:00.000-04:00

Spotted this old cabin while riding in the back-country

2009-10-13T23:39:00.001-04:00

2009 Fall Leaf Ride - Day 7 - Coal Heritage Trail

2009-10-13T23:39:00.000-04:00

Today we rode the Coal Heritage Trail in the area southwest of Beckley. As the name implies, this scenic byway takes you into the heart of coal country. This was an interesting and enlightening day of travel. A sampling of photos from the day are posted below. This was a full day of riding with 186 miles logged by the time I returned to the hotel at the end of the day.

One of the two waterfalls in Twin Falls State Park

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Our lunch stop in Pineville, WV...very interesting to say the least

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This cat demanded food and attention...

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...tried to take my camera away from me...

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...then he tried to takeover JT''s bike!

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Coming into Welch, WV, Eddie dropped his bike - no damage done

2009-10-13T23:26:00.000-04:00

One of several "characters" we have met on this trip

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Neat old truck loaded with pumpkins

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Spotted this tank in downtown Princeton, WV.

2009-10-13T23:22:00.000-04:00

2009 Fall Leaf Ride - Day 6 - Almost Heaven, West Virginia

2009-10-11T21:55:00.000-04:00

We did a full day of riding, hiking, and sightseeing and only managed to log a paltry 108 miles of traveling; most of that done in the last three hours of the day.

Our first stop was the New River Gorge Bridge. What should have been an hour-long excursion ended up occupying roughly five hours of our day, but it was worth every minute of the time spent.

The New River Gorge is an awesome sight in and of itself, but the bridge over this chasm adds an interesting and photogenic aspect to an already awe inspiring vista. The bridge and gorge are a national park so we stopped at the visitor's center for information and photos. The first two photos that appear below were taken from the overlooks at the visitor's center.

Leaving the visitor's center, we made our way down into the gorge. The ride down is just as impressive as the views of the gorge and the bridge. The road to the bottom of the gorge is a narrow, twisty, and steep challenge for any vehicle, including motorcycles. But, the views that one gets at the bottom of the gorge make all the white-knuckles and sweaty palms worth the trouble of making the ride.

We spent quite a bit of time down in the gorge taking photos and just generally soaking up the impressive sights of the gorge, the river, and the bridge. When it came time to make our way up the other side an interesting development unfolded.

An older gentleman walked up to Paul and asked if he could get a ride to the top of the gorge. Paul jokingly said, "Sure, hop on." Then to his surprise the guy did exactly that...climbed aboard Paul's Harley for a ride to the top. This guy's name was Kyle and he had to be every bit of seventy years old. Come to find out, Kyle had hiked down into the gorge that morning as he is prone to do as hiking several miles a day is his hobby. And, it turned out, Kyle proved to be quite the tour guide. We spent the next two or three hours hauling Kyle up the gorge and then to various sights around the gorge where he assured us we could get better views of the bridge. And he was right! We had a good time with Kyle and meeting him proved to be an interesting, colorful, and fortuitous development for us.

Eddie bought Kyle's lunch as a little token of our appreciation for all his expertise as a guide. After lunch Paul gave Kyle a ride to his home where we thanked him for his guide services and wished him adieu before continuing on our journey.

Heading northward we rode through some good countryside that brought us into the heart of Hawks Nest State Park where we stopped long enough to take in the impressive sights of an overlook located just off the highway.

Continuing on we turned southward and made our way down to Babcock State Park where we got some photos of the famous grist mill located along the river that runs through the park.

That was our last stop of the day as by that time it was moving on into late afternoon and we all wanted to be out of the forests and off the road by dark. We made the curvy run south on SR 41 back into Beckley for the close of a good first day's riding in West Virginia. A sampling of the day's photos appear below...

'09 FLR - Day 6 - NRG Bridge from upper overlook

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'09 FLR - Day 6 - NRG Bridge from lower overlook

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'09 FLR - Day 6 - View from the bottom of the gorge

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'09 FLR - Day 6 - The road down into the gorge is narrow, steep, and twisty

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'09 FLR - Day 6 - Paul found us a guide at the bottom of the gorge

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'09 FLR - Day 6 - Bike parade heading out of the gorge

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'09 FLR - Day 6 - Some of the fellas at Hawks Nest SP overlook

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'09 FLR - Day 6 - Grist Mill at Babcock State Park

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'09 FLR - Day 6 - Eddie can relax anywhere!

2009-10-11T21:24:00.000-04:00

2009 Fall Leaf Ride - Day 5 - Onward to West Virginia

2009-10-11T21:23:00.000-04:00

Mr. Sarcasm and I rolled out bright and early...in the rain...and the cold...to make the trek over to Virginia and then northward to West Virginia. Our chosen route to get to I-77 in Virginia was the Blue Ridge Parkway. Despite the rain and the cold, we really enjoyed the ride and even managed to stop for photos along the way. We crossed into Virginia on the BRP at 11:43 a.m. At 12:01 p.m., a maniacal forest rat (that's a deer for you non-motorcyclists) ran out in front of me but thought better of it and turned around just before reaching the center-line.

By the time we got to I-77 the rain was coming down hard enough to put a damper on any photo opportunities and made us concentrate that much harder on the riding and our forward progress.

Long story short, after a bit of back-and-forth travel and phone tag, we hooked up with all of the fellas except JT (who went on to WV on his own) about 14 miles north of the NC/VA state line in the town of Hillsville, VA.

At 3:23 p.m. we crossed into West Virginia on I-77 (there having been delays for lunch, hooking up with the fellas, and gas) and at precisely 4:00 p.m. we exited I-77 onto the road leading to our hotel. By 4:30 p.m. we were all settled into our respective hotel rooms ready for some much needed rest and relaxation.

A sampling of the day's photos appear below...

'09 FLR - Day 5 - Just had to take a shot of the Linn Cove Viaduct

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'09 FLR - Day 5 - Nice vista from Grandfather Mtn

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'09 FLR - Day 5 - Mr. Sarcasm rides along the BRP

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'09 FLR - Day 5 - My V-Strom on the BRP

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'09 FLR - Day 5 - All but one of us met up in Virginia

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'09 FLR - Day 5 - We ended the day with a nice meal

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2009 Fall Leaf Ride - Day 4 - Nothing to See Here!

2009-10-11T20:38:00.000-04:00

Truly, there was nothing to see on the fourth day because I spent the entire day at my mom's house helping her out with a few chores and tasks. It was supposed to rain, so I figured it would be a good day to do the work that needed doing. However, the weather gods had other ideas and it turned out to be another gorgeous day in the High Country. Oh, well, the work needed doing.

Mr. Sarcasm arrived at my mom's house late in the day for an overnight stay before he and I headed out to make the run up to West Virginia. He spent the day enjoying the weather and the scenery before parking his V-Strom for a well-deserved rest.

2009 Fall Leaf Ride - Day 3 - Roan Mountain

2009-10-08T22:42:00.000-04:00

Another gloriously beautiful day in the mountains was mine for the taking and I took full advantage. Rolling out at mid-morning, I made my way down to Linville for breakfast at the Tartan Restaurant. After that it was over to Tennessee for a quick ride through Tiger Valley where I snapped a few shots of the trees reflecting into the lake. You fellas that rode on last year's Fall Leaf Ride know the spot I am talking about...and it was even better this time out than what you remember!

Leaving Tiger Valley, I backtracked to Roan Mountain and made the run for the top. Once at the top of the Roan, I took advantage of the semi-off-road capabilities of the V-Strom and climbed up beyond the usual parking lot at the old Cloudlands Hotel site. Another mile or so up the mountain I parked the V-Strom at the top of the gravel road and set off on foot for the half-mile hike up to the summit at Roan High Bluffs where I took in a spectacular 180-degree panorama of the landscape below the mountain. The view was definitely worth the hike.

With a few dozen good shots in the cameras, I hiked back down to the bike and made my way down the backside of Roan Mountain (the North Carolina side) and had a blast running the many miles of curves from Carver's Gap to Bakersville, NC.

At the bottom in Bakersville, I continued south on NC 226 into Spruce Pine for a quick stop at the Walmart to grab a pair of shoes to wear when I'm off the bike. In my haste to get packed and rolling I somehow forgot to pack my tennis shoes. Oh, well, Walmart is everywhere and they're a great place to pickup a cheap pair of shoes.

Leaving Spruce Pine I continued south to Little Switzerland (yes, again) and jumped on the Blue Ridge Parkway for the run back to the Linville area.

Exiting the Parkway on Roseboro Road, I quickly made my way back up the mountain to my mom's house where the bike was cleaned and prepped for the next ride.

My total riding distance for the day was 140 miles and they were all great! Mom and I went down the mountain for dinner at a nice Italian joint she knew about and it turned out that they served really good food. An enjoyable cap to the day. On the way back up the mountain I got her to stop along the roadside so I could play around with some low-light photography, the results of which shown in the last two photos below. Speaking of photos, keep scrolling down for shots from today's travels...

'09 FLR - Day 3 - Started day with Breakfast at Tartan Restaurant

2009-10-08T22:24:00.000-04:00

'09 FLR - Day 3 - Lake Reflections - Tiger Valley, TN

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'09 FLR - Day 3 - Observation Deck - Roan High Bluffs

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'09 FLR - Day 3 - View from Roan High Bluffs

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'09 FLR - Day 3 - Coming down from the top of Roan Mtn

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'09 FLR - Day 3 - BRP - Some two-wheeled brethren

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'09 FLR - Day 3 - Fun with Traffic 1

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'09 FLR - Day 3 - Fun with Traffic 2

2009-10-08T22:16:00.000-04:00

2009 Fall Leaf Ride - Day 2 - To the Top of the World

2009-10-07T20:58:00.000-04:00

The day dawned dark and gloomy, but the weatherman promised quick improvement and he turned out to be right on target. By 10 a.m. the sky had cleared and the roads were drying off nicely. I checked out, loaded the bike and pointed her toward adventure; and that adventure came quickly as I was only about a mile from the southern section of NC 80 that runs up the mountain from Marion and connects to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Once at the Parkway, I turned south for the 16 miles to Mount Mitchell where I took in the new observation tower before heading back down to the park's restaurant for lunch. The new tower is nice, but I really prefer the old one; it was higher and more challenging to climb to the top I guess. Anyway, you should know two things about my visit to Mt. Mitchell: 1) it was freaking cold -- like 32 degrees cold or darn close to it; and, 2) the winds were howling like 50 MPH the whole time I was at the summit...wow!!!

Leaving Mt. Mitchell, I meandered northward on the BRP toward Grandfather Mountain, stopping along the way for pictures, hiking, and whatever else struck my fancy.

It was late afternoon by the time I got to the Grandfather Mountain area, but I took time to shoot a few pics and pay a visit to the Rough Ridge parking area for more photos. After that, it was time to head on over the mountains to my mother's home to start my visit with her.

I rolled into Mom's driveway at a little after 5 p.m., with 110 miles on the odometer for the day. And what a beautiful day it was, too! The weather ended up being perfect, the scenery incredible, and I even got to see a touch or two of fall color on the trees.

Photos for the day appear below as individual posts. This is not a style change for my posts...it is a technical problem with my Netbook that forces me to do things in this convoluted fashion; please grin and bear it just like I am having to do and enjoy the pics despite the discombobulation!!!

'09 FLR - Day 2 -My bike at NC 80//Blue Ridge Parkway

2009-10-07T20:44:00.000-04:00

'09 FLR - Day 2 - A Touch of Color

2009-10-07T20:42:00.000-04:00

'09 FLR- Day 2 - New Observation Tower on Mt. Mitchell

2009-10-07T20:41:00.000-04:00

'09 FLR - Day 2 - Mt. Mitchell Observation Tower & Grave

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'09 FLR - Day 2 - Tunnel!!! And, yes, I blew my horn...

2009-10-07T20:38:00.000-04:00

'09 FLR- Day 2 - Took this one just for Boyd...

2009-10-07T20:36:00.000-04:00