Key West to Home

Spent two nights in Key West and did the touristy stuff. It is a small town with a unique flavor, but hte cost of living there is astronomical. $400K buys you a one bedroom, one bath shack. Most of the locals are involved with the marine/fishing industry or tourism (lodging, restaurants, bars, etc.) Some tech, but not a whole lot else.

Left Key West about noon and headed north. Had an idea that I'd make Savannah, GA, but that wasn't realistic, so I laid up just to the north of Daytona. J&P Cycles has a big store there and that meant that I just HAD to do a little shopping the next morning.

Left Daytona and experienced my worst day of weather on the entire trip - about 40 miles - some of it in heavy downpours that I had to pull over and stop for. Still, once I got back into Virginia there wasn't going to be any more rain and I wasn't looking to do anything except get home. Ran the last 3.5 hours or so in the dark, using trucks as "deer shields". Just stayed with a truck and let him lead so that if a deer did come out it wouldn't be my problem. Pulled in to home at 12:15 or so. Tired, but otherwise glad that I made the trip. Now I have to figure out wha thte next adventure of bucket list quality will be next...

Here's the map links for day one and day two.

Key West, FL - Finally

Traffic out to the Keys was BAD. I made the mistake of coming out on a Saturday afternoon, so you had day boaters trying to get their trailed boats to gas stations, day trippers just trying to get out/in to the Keys or mainland and it is all on a 2 lane road.

Still, it couldn't have been a nicer day as far as I was concerned. Had a couple of isolated showers to deal with just getting past Miami, but they were so small in size that I didn't bother putting any rain gear on. Hell, the wet actually helped cool me down on the other side when I got back into sunshine.

Got into town around 7:30, got showered and then went to get a bite to eat. After that (the celebratory meal will be tomorrow), I just had to stop in a rum bar and three Hurricanes later, weaved my way back to the hotel (note that I was walking - NOT on the Goldwing!) and called it a night.

Spending Sunday doing the touristy stuff in town, the celebratory meal, more drinking (I'm certain of this!) and then consider my options for the trip home on Monday.

Here's the map link.

Virginia to Georgia

Today and tomorrow are all about mileage. Once I get to Key West, I'm sure that I'll order a 55 gallon drum of Margaritas, but today was all on 95 and most of tomorrow will be too. If I can find a place to pull over safely, I'll take a few pictures of the causeways out to the island.

One state and 50 miles to go.

Here's the map link.

Newburgh, NY to Woodbridge, VA

Rode home after visiting the resting place of my ex-wife. Traffic and heat were the two main obstacles today and I can't say which was worse. At one point I was at a standstill in 101 degree weather. Toss-up, I guess, as both were horrible today!

Here's the map link.

Madawaska to Newburgh, NY

Another day of runnng hard. Left Madawaska and went up to the northernmost point where Route 1 crosses and got a picture of the Mile 0 marker and that cost me an hour and some.

Here's the map link.

The Four Corners Park in Madawaska is cool and is the only checkpoint to have been built because of the Tour program. It looks great and is very much the time to take a few minutes to look around. Flagstones there are marked by those that have finished the Tour and those that have contributed or supported rider(s).

In the morning I will be paying my respects at my first wife's grave. Sadly, she was a victim of cancer and at the time of her death I was involved in a play that, as they say, had to go on. So, I'm taking the time to go see her. She was one cool lady...

Tomorrow afternoon I should be back at home for one night. Going to do laundry, catch up on a bit of sleep and let my cat figure out who I am. Will change the oil in the bike before heading out the next day for Key West.

NY to Maine

Here's the map link.

Ran the bike as fast as she could take me today (without getting the attention of the constabulary, that is.) Made it to Madawaska, ME just as it got dark, so I'll have to precess the paperwork and take the picture in the morning. It was quite cooler here than anywhere else, as was to be expected - 62 degrees. We'll see how it is in the morning, but I'm expecting to have to pull the heavier gear out for the first time on the trip.

Peoria, IL to Binghamton, NY in 2 Days

From Peoria to Binghamton was broken up a bit by my staying with a friend in Indianapolis for a much needed laundry and sleep break. He was also kind enough to help me knock off the major crud that had collected on the Goldwing. No real pictures to speak of on either of these days as the scenery was a lot of corn, windmills, corn, trees, highway and, oh yeah, corn.

Day 11 map link and Day 12 map link.