My HOT 800 mile weekend

[sixlow]

Actually started with my commute to work on Wednesday to Jax, Liz met me there Friday after we both finished work and we departed about 4p.m. headed down 90 to about Sanders and hopped on I 10 and shortly ran into some showers, pulled into rest area to suit up with wet clothes beneath rain gear, the rain stopped shortly after getting going again to the Lee exit , headed south to 27 and into Perry to the Holiday Inn Express for a free stay using points. Saturday headed west on 98 some of which i do every week to about Saint Marks but from there on is new territory for me. Nice ride seeing coastal views and the houses all up ten feet on posts lets you know the seriousness of living so close to the Gulf. We stopped in Mexico Beach at Toucans for smoked tuna dip and i had a fried oyster po boy, yum. Continued on in the heat, hydrating as much as possible, the cup holder was very handy. Arrived to Seaside Beach area around 3 p.m., It was hard for Liz to believe we lost an hour and it was really 4 p.m. after crossing the time zone. Met my cousin and family and went right to the beach and jumped in. The water was so warm i was wanting to get chilled but it felt like an old bath. Had a nice dinner at Great Southern in the square in Seaside, the peach mojitos made the visit.
Leaving about 9a.m. Sunday knowing the day was going to be long and hot but we had to get back for work. it was about 350 mile run and some construction in Tally on I 10 made the heat real unbearable. Liz was wanting to rent a car to get back to Jax but i convinced her another tankful and we would be there. Her hip was bothering her too and i had some good pain pills that did the trick to get her back on the bike. We made it back to St, Aug by 5 p.m. very tired and hot.
This was my longest run ever for this rookie, Only my tail bone did bother me but even in my truck it gets to hurting. My hip did hurt the next day but only for a lil bit.
The Phat Gurl did great, I love her. Got lots of good comments and when you get so far away from home it sure is comforting to know we posses some of the most reliable bikes ever made.
Anyway hope i didn't  bore ya's, just wanted to get my story out. 

[Tropic traveler]

Great ride along US98 aint it!
We have ridden from Ocala to PCB & to Destin on the Valks. Other than the VERY boring woods part of the ride north to Perry & the part west of Perry it was great.  


Bridge riding!


at the condo in Destin.

[flsix]

Mike, glad you and Liz had a safe ride. The heat and humidity is a real challenge this time of year. You remember the tough rides with more clarity when compared with the uneventful ones.

[Thunderbolt]

Glad you and Liz had a nice ride.  When we had the Panama City Beach yearly rally's we always liked the ride on 98.  I especially like riding right next to the water and 30 ft. away are 75 ft. tall pine trees.  Something you don't see in places like Cedar Key or Horseshoe.  Here's a link about Carrabelle beach where the troops trained for the D-Day invasion.
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=16847

[Flrider]

Thanks for sharing Mike 

If you and Liz keep this up, you cannot call yourself a rookie anymore 

Wait......  did someone say rookie initiation 



Really, I am glad you guys made it safe.
This heat is nothing to fool around with and we need to keep hydrating constantly.
Rides like yours help gain experience for the future rides and to know our limits.

Great job reporting and tell Liz we are proud of her 

[James III]

  Liz and Mike, great touring report! Glad you all made the best of the Florida weather and enjoyed your getaway. It's a nice ride up there!

James

[Farside]

I looked at your message before you were taking the trip again and was going to leave you a message to see how your trip is going. I thought you may still be in Seagrove but a quick trip I see. Going thru those small towns on 98 is a good ride. Mex Beach is a sleeper beach and nice if you don't like crowds.  good to see you guys made it back ok. Let me know when you are headed further west to Pensacola area.  we have some nice areas to ride.

[Bert AKA,Valkaholic]

I'm Glad To Hear That You & Liz Had A Great Ride This Weekend. I Can't Wait To Get Back On One Of The Valkyries And Take Me A Nice Ride Through The Forest, No Matter How Hot It Is.

[sixlow]

Thanks all for your good wishes,
 Eddie you are so right about the boring ride, one from Chiefland to Perry on 19 (I struggle every week with this ride) and 2nd from Perry to St.Marks on 98. I also do that often but it isn't as bad as the prior.
 Jeff, This will be a very memorable ride because of the beauty and the heat.
 Terry we really liked the tall pines as well, took us back to parts of N.Y. we remember so well. I was also surprised at all the BEAR signs along the coast, something you see more inland but this is Florida, not much inland as a bear is concerned i guess. Thanks for the D-Day link too, very interesting.
 Jack, Liz says Thanks and we hope to have surpassed the Freshman hazing stage by now.. onto Sophomore stuff. That kind of heat is deceiving because you don't feel sweaty while riding but that constant hot air is sucking the moisture right out of you quickly. Our helmet vents didn't feel open because the air coming in was hotter than our heads.
 James, Thanks I am getting the hang of reporting by reading your trip reports and following the Alaska report, great job you did there. We really did enjoy this ride, even with the heat. Someday when i grow up i hope to follow you to Maine and back. lol,   Iron Butt.
 Farside, Thanks for the heads up on back beach road, we used that and by the time we got there we where close enough to be looking for a short cut to keep moving and get there quickly. I think that Toucan's restaurant in Mexico Beach may be a good gathering point someday for the Panhandlers and the rest of us to meet.
 Bert, can't wait till you can ride along with us, i know it will be soon. I think i may need that Intervention of my unwillingness to accept that i have a problem, The front fork seal problem, it is still leaking and i refuse to do anything until It is too late probably. I need help huh ??

Thanks to all again, see ya soon.

[Bert AKA,Valkaholic]

When It Gets A Little Cooler And I Get This Leg To Healing, We Probably Need To Get A Fork Seal Replacing Party Planned For Yours And Iris's Valkyries.