A Holiday in Florida

[lakeview]

We are leaving Friday to drive to Tavares near Orlando for a family thing that will occupy a couple days, then we will drive to Key West, just to do it and return here by Super Bowl Sunday. I hope to stop off in Defiance on return to see about buying a set of exhaust pipes as import duty will not be levied. I also will try to get to the Dania Beach Vintage show the last weekend in January.

Question: Any members know of any local motorcycle museums or attractions between Orlando and the Keys that most travellers from away would miss?

 

[lakeview]

Here we are in Key West via 1-90, 1-71, -1-75. Florida takes a long time to drive through. Cost of accomodation here ranges from a cheap set of side pipes per night up to a complete 750 conversion kit and beyond! Plus I am paying with my wounded loonie. My wife tells me that next time it's Arizona. Pictures may follow. We did tour the Ponce Leon light house on the way, saw the exhibit of the rafts used by freedom seekers from Cuba, really affected me. Brave people escaping tyranny, "boats" little more than tarp wrapped inflated tubes or styroform blocks, 2 had motors of some sort on them, one had an extra motor to power the bailing pump. Incredible.

 

[lakeview]

Here are some pictures. Daytona, stairs in the lighthouse, generic dock shot,
mile 0 in Key West.

 

[Michaelo]

Great photography lakeview, you have talent....keep them coming

 

[lakeview]

Thanks, but just using a point and shoot with no asperations other than a glorified record keeping. My wife, on the other hand will fiddle with the editing on her device but it comes out good in the end.
Will download some more and see what I can share. There was a line up to get a shot of the most southerly point in the continental USA (Cuba was closer than the nearest Walmart there!) so I waited outside the line and grabbed a shot with the best looking non-relatives (of the female persuasion).

 

[lakeview]

I see a boyfriend got included.
The road goes by this and right here turns left where there is the most southernly house right next door. People lining the street for half a block to get in front of the landmark. Beyond it is Navy property and you can just see the antennae and domes pointed at Cuba - and beyond.

 

[nj1639]

Robert is Here
Nationally known fruit stand in Homested. I'd suggest finding and taking the time to stop on by since you're not that far away. Try some star fruit. Once there you can always say you've been.

 

[lakeview]

I have heard good things about starfruit.
In Marathon, at the harbour saw a rather dignified bird, actually cropped the shot for effect, then some pics of the Flagler railroad remnants at Bahia Honda state park and the beach there. I am sure once one crosses the first bridge all prices go up 25%, even saw gas at $2.74.9 a gallon in Key West.
Looks like the Key's official car is a rental Mustang convertible, there is always one going by.
In Key West there is a plague of scooters, all over the place most of the riders in a ball hat, shorts and flip flops. Once in a while one hears a 2 stroke scooter, but I did not catch a whiff of castor oil. What is not a scooter is a rental bicycle, and there is No Parking! Our hotel had 4 spaces which means a drive around the hotel in ever increasing circles to find a spot not reserved for residents. Actually, our experience was not bad, we parked within 3 short blocks and left it there. Which meant that my phone based pedometer read over 20,000 steps on Thursday.

 

[nj1639]

I lost a silver ring inlaid with red coral at Bahia back in '75. Might just get back there with a metal detector someday......lol.

 

[gggGary]

John Pennecamp State Park for reef snorkling is great. We were just there in about 1978.......... Yeah one trip to FLorida then go out west for much better todo's especially if you are bothered by urban congestion.

 

[MaxPete]

Looks great Lakeview - stay safe and don't get a sub burn!

Pete

 

[lakeview]

After Marathon, we stopped in St. Augustine and took a trolley tour, really interesting for the latent historian in me; (although Quebec City's walls are older and more complete), really interesting to see the walls made of shell and oyster shell debris. The sharp pieces would lacerate an intruder and the lack of antibiotics would mean the treatment of the resultant infection would be amputation or death. Wow - stark choices!
Had a opportunity to meet Dan at Pandemonium on the way home, he made me feel welcome, showed me a couple of the projects he was working on and sold me a set of side pipes. Great guy.
A half day trip through rural Ohio was eye opening. It appeared that enterpreneurship was in full bloom, large farms with multiple out buildings, graineries and so on, the coastal elites would be lost around there. Not a Starbucks for miles!

 

[lakeview]

Saw manatees at Blue Spring State Park. Impressively clear water. Good to see they are making a come back.

 

[Michaelo]

That's cool, where was this Lakeview?

 

[lakeview]

The state park is right near Orange City Florida, which is about half way between Dayton and Orlando. There is this pond in the woods about 600 feet round which is the "boil" for the spring. It comes out at 72 degrees which is optimum for these creatures, it says. The spring is the source for the St. John river; the vast quantities of water it produced is amazing.

 

[SpeedUp]

seems like you enjoyed the trip to Lakeview. great looking pics, by the way

 

[MaxPete]

Indeed - looks like a great jaunt!