Happy 4th of July - Had a Great Long Morning Ride

[Galex]

Hello folks!  Happy 4th of July to you all!  So this morning my wife and I got up and out for a nice long morning ride,,, kickstand up at 6am!  We covered 200 miles and took 6 hours (we detoured for about 40 miles when I got lost thru the park LOL)  WHEW!  This was the loop we did:



and here is the Google Map route link:  https://goo.gl/maps/YScREeeGcMx  - 4 hrs 30 mins to Sarasota, Myakka River

So far this is the best motorcycle loop down the southern west coast of central FL I have designed, planned and executed.  Dawn right before sunrise is the perfect time to ride.  This loop is very scenic, very little traffic, lots of smooth, country roads with plenty of twisties and miles of straight aways for the occasional adrenaline rush hard throttle.  It was mild until about 9am then it got warm out but not super hot.  I even found a ethenol-free gas station half way thru the trip to fill up. 

We stopped at various points to take a break and we had breakfast in St Armands Circle, Sarasota.  The ride thru the park was awesome!  And did I mention NO TRAFFIC!?  I video recorded most of the ride (note my camera on a suction mount in front of windshield on the headlight).  Not great quality video, lots of shake and vibration but I'm still experimenting and learning.  I might get a better cam for the job, like a GoPro or something, we'll see.  Below are some pics we took along the way. 



















This was the Welcome Sign at the cafe where we stopped in for breakfast: (gotta love it!)



And of course... the Star of the Show....  "Lola"  (my Wife named her that )







aww, what the heck... this was my previous bike (check out my story of when i sold it about a month ago).  My old 2007 Honda 919 aka Hornet CB900F... I miss it but nothing like My Valk!

[larue]

Glad you got a ride in today , nice clean looking bike

[_Sheffjs_]

You passed with in 1/8 mile of us in Palmetto and took one of my possible routes to work. You say no traffic.  Don't try that one tomorrow. LOL.   Glad you had a good ride and nice bike.   Thanks for pics and posting.  Hope we can get a group ride soon and get you both to join in.  

[TJ]

 

[John Schmidt]

Two pretty ladies in those pictures.    Since your wife named the bike Lola, just remember that when you go to buy chrome for it. Tell her according to that old song "whatever Lola wants, Lola gets." Good pictures, my wife and I have spent many pleasant hours in St. Armands when we used to go over for a short vaca at the Longboat Key Club. Another neat place to eat near there is about 1/4 mile north of the Key Club entrance, on the right(believe it's the second driveway), called the Dry Dock Grill. Big blue dry dock bldg. for boats, when you go in turn left behind the gas station so you're on the other side of the dry dock. The grill is in the bldg. at the end, great food, you can sit outside or upstairs inside and look out over the bay. Another spot is Moore's Stone Crab restaurant at the east end of Broadway Avenue, don't go in there for the décor.... but the food was great last time we were over there. It's well north of the Longboat near where the road curves just south of 684. Just south of Broadway is a small strip-type shopping area, the Longbeach Café under a different name a while back used to have great b'fasts. Worth checking out.

[Flrider]

Nice to get top now "Lola", my wife called my Valk "The Other" and then I got a second Valk so now she calls them "The Others" 

Glad you got a good ride in today, your ride looks nice and shinny, you will fit wight in with the Florida group 

Also, good selfies 

Not too many selfies posted here but reminds me of a certain member of the Florida group that was so impressed with a nice clean bathroom at a park that we meet at, that he shot a selfie while sitting 

[sixlow]

Nice ride report, thanks for the pics, good looking couple and the bike looks... "kind of fast" ! 

[Galex]

Thank you all for the nice compliments (of both my gals).  Sheffjf, I know the "favorable traffic conditions of today" are the exception and also why we ride so damn early I plan to repeat the run, if and when I do I will let everyone know.  I have a friend who is a relatively new rider and still a bit intimidated (plus he rides a HD but we won't hold that against him LOL).  I think he would like the coast and park portions of the loop.  Sixlow, Flrider, John, thanks for the compliments and yes Lola is wicked fast!  I do my best to keep her clean and polished (helps make her even faster LOL).  Little by little I'm customizing her a bit (I'm sure you all can spot what I've done) but at the same time I really like keeping her as clean and stock and original looking as possible.  She was born beautiful but like all beautiful gals, she needs a little jewelry to bling.  When we ride, we usually go at the crack of dawn Sat or Sun, beat the traffic and the heat.  I know many find it tough to get up so early just to ride but for those who do, they usually say it's well worth it.  Next week I'm taking the family to Brevard, NC for a week... and Lola is coming with Here is a pic of what that loops looks like,,, I can't wait.

[Farside]

Nice to have you on the Valk team.  Great info on your up coming ride in Brevard, NC too. I was just up that way myself staying at the Blueridge Motorcycle Camp ground on 276 on the other side of the Blueridge Pky. We were in Brevard a couple times. All good riding in Western NC.
Enjoy your family trip. 

[Galex]

Thanks, Farside.  I didn't know there was a motorcycle campground up that way. In fact, I've never been camping much less motorcycle camping but i have been interested. 

[Farside]

Thanks, Farside.  I didn't know there was a motorcycle campground up that way. In fact, I've never been camping much less motorcycle camping but i have been interested. 

Morning, Yes it's a great place. They will let you pitch a tent or they do rent out small cabins too. Great location and are on Facebook with updates.