It usually gets to be about this time of year when I start dreaming about being some place warmer where the days are not 50-60° and gloomy (yes I know if you live anywhere farther north than the deep south 50 is not cold, but it is to us). One of our favorite spots to go this time of year is the Florida Keys. We have made more than a dozen trips down there over the years but a few years ago we did something different and road our motorcycles from Auburn Alabama to Key West Florida.
You may be saying big deal, who cares, but if you have never ridden a bike, or haven’t ridden more than about 50 miles at a time on a bike, it was a pretty big deal to us. It is about 850 miles from here to there, and by car, usually takes us two days if we stop in Orlando. That means long driving time in short light, and cold. It was a great trip, and goal achieved, but one of the best and most memorable trips we have taken down to the keys (other than this one). We didn’t make it all the way to Orlando the first night, and we only made it to Islamorada the second night, so it was a whole lot of very sore riding by the time we made it to Key West, but a memory I wouldn’t trade for anything.
So there are a few shots done with a point-n-shoot a few years ago, one while I was riding next to Deb while she was on her Honda Shadow VLX 600. I was riding a Honda Nighthawk 750 at the time and loved to take pics of Deb while she was riding (of course). We took many trips on these two motorcycles but this one trip to the Florida Keys was one of our favorite, and in one of our favorite spots in the country.
8 responses to “Long Ride to Florida and Key West by Motorcycle”
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[…] Ride to the Florida Keys and Key West by Motorcycle One of our favorite spots to go this time of year is the Florida Keys. We have made more than a dozen trips down there over the years but a few years ago we did something different and road our… […]
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I really enjoyed your article as we are preparing to make the same trip only a little further. We, too, are growing more unhappy with Winters each year. My wife (Carolyn) and I are both 67 years old and think a trip to the Keys is just whqt we need this year. She is not a long distance rider, but did fly to San Luis Obispo and road Highway 1 with me this last July. She road for about 5 days and then caught a plane back from Sacremento and I rode home. As you can see I ride alot, about 50,000 miles this year and I am retired as you can guess.
Our plan is to not chance the weather and trailer the bike to Northern Florida and find a place to leave the trailer and truck. After reading your article, I think I will take your plan and run with it.
After returning to get the truck and trailer, we will drop by North Carolina and Tennessee and do the Dragon Tail (which Carolyn has not done).
Any additional comments are advice you might have will greatly be appreicated.
Tnx and Merry Xmas
Carolyn and Larry Bailey