Key West Rally Feb 2015

[JeffH]

News & Info

Time to start packing for Key West.
Speedo , Swim Fins, Goggles, Snorkel

News: I heard from Stewart that he will joining us for a few days this year. It has been 3 years I think since he rode with us to FLA. We will meet up Thursday 10am in ATL then head south for Lake City FLA. If anybody else in interested let me know. Plan to ride GA212 down to Milledgeville then US441 down to GA187 Thelma Loop out of Homerville.

I'm looking forward to a ride and meeting up with the XSives again. KW and back is almost 2,000 miles so that's not bad for a winter trip on a motorcycle. We will try and post a few pics along the way.

Jeff

[JeffH]

Hi key west XS rallyers. I will join you in Fla city on the 8th, for supper I hope. Ride to key west stay overnight. Join the ride back to fla city stay over & depart Wed morn to Ft Lauderdale. No XS 11 but a suitable 850 triumph. Will try to keep up! I booked everything today & am really looking forward to seeing you all. Jeff thanks for planning this. GaryC

Gary,
GREAT that you will be joining us. We plan to arrive Sunday evening during 'Civil Twilight' to get unpacked before dark @ 6:35pm.

Sunday Dinner: likely we will just walk across the street to the Capri. Its easy & close. Italian food of sorts. It makes for one of those funny travel experiences. http://dinecapri.com Not fancy and not too speedy either. Been there since 1958 so I expect they will be open. WOOPS, upon checking it says closed on Sunday. Maybe we will do this for dinner after returning from Key West. As you know, there are other food establishments over on US1 a block east of the motel. We can figure that out Sunday evening.

Bike: In 2014 I rode my XS11 to three XSive Rallys. Key West, as you know to 1,000 Islands Canada XS North Brockville and XS Southeast. Some 7,000 trouble free miles. Now the bike needs servicing. Don't have time or parts so on Thursday I will be riding my GL1800 Wing to Florida. So I will not be the only one leaving the XS11 at home.

Jeff

[earl G]

ride

got to past this year again.

I know the ride will be great as always, winter in key west.
and now gary c along wow.

enjoy my friends. enjoy

[GaryC]

Hi key west XS rallyers. I will join you in Fla city on the 8th, for supper I hope. Ride to key west stay overnight. Join the ride back to fla city stay over & depart Wed morn to Ft Lauderdale. No XS 11 but a suitable 850 triumph. Will try to keep up! I booked everything today & am really looking forward to seeing you all. Jeff thanks for planning this. GaryC

[JeffH]

Looking forward to riding down with you all. I need to talk with Phil on meeting down in Florida City or perhaps catching up with everyone in west Broward possibly.

-Jonathan

Meet place option is that Sawgrass Recreational Park / 888-4-AIRBOAT place on US27. We should be going by there between say 4:30 and 4:45pm. Maybe a bit earlier. So if you want to 'go west' a bit we will certainly stop at the Sawgrass for a quick stretch break and meet up with you there.

-or- meet us at the Bank of Belle Glade (Marathon station) corner where 80 hits US27 in South Bay. Maybe 3:45pm there.
That will give your bike a good test run for XS Southeast in Sept.

Sawgrass: I didn't see the dozens of green parakeets there last year so I'm curious to see if they are still hanging around or not.

Jeff

[thumperjsa]

Looking forward to riding down with you all. I need to talk with Phil on meeting down in Florida City or perhaps catching up with everyone in west Broward possibly.

-Jonathan

[JeffH]

Florida Rally Plan

Ride opportunity, especially for the Florida XSives that haven't already booked


Here is a recap:

Lake City (Feb 5) Days Inn on US90
Silver Springs (Feb 6) Days Inn
Silver Springs (Feb 7) Days Inn
Florida City (Feb 8) Super 8
Key West (Feb 9) Spanish Gardens
Florida City (Feb 10) Super 8

Friday Feb 6: As Brent mentioned everyone will meet up by noon @ Cracker Barrel in Lake City just off I-75 exit 427 US90.
We will spend the day riding back roads zig-zag W & E Gulf of Mexico to Atlantic Ocean through beautiful countryside down to Silver Springs.

Saturday Feb 7: Ted has a ride planned in & around Ocala National Forest with lunch stop at Backwoods BBQ.
Then more riding before return to Silver Springs for dinner.

Sunday Feb 8: We leave 09:30 headed south on a 350 mile ride down through Groveland,
Avon Park Air Force bombing range, Clewiston to Florida City. Lot's of county roads.

Monday Feb 9: Putt-putt down to Key West doing the usual & unusual stops (gas, Iguana, 7 mile bridge, lunch) Then hang out in Key West.

Tuesday Feb 10: Hang out in Key West then ride back to Florida City. Have picnic lunch stop along the beach.
Likely ride out to Everglades & Flamingo for some big bird & alligator viewing and sunset ride. (big bird makes nice snack for alligator)

Wednesday Feb 11: Ride to Everglade City and Chokoloskee for maybe picnic lunch. Then organized part of the ride is over.
From there I'm going to cousins in Punta Gorda. The rest are making the own plans from there.

That's it, in the nutshell. Join us if you can. PM if you want contact info.

Jeff

[MaximPhil]

We are all set, motel reservations done.

Plan to meet up with Jeff Thursday in Lake City.

Mostly packed, maintenance complete on the bike. We will load the bike on the trailer this weekend as we are expecting a warmer Saturday, maybe -2C.

On the road Feb 1 and looking for some relief from the cold.

Ted and Heather

Hi Ted,
Have fun and safe travels.
Phil

[ELDR]

We are all set, motel reservations done.

Plan to meet up with Jeff Thursday in Lake City.

Mostly packed, maintenance complete on the bike. We will load the bike on the trailer this weekend as we are expecting a warmer Saturday, maybe -2C.

On the road Feb 1 and looking for some relief from the cold.

Ted and Heather

[JeffH]

Lake City meet

I decided to ride to Lake City on Thursday.
I will leave Atlanta about 10am after the morning gridlock traffic clears out a little bit, then US441 or something on 'fav' back roads going south.

So I'll be sipping coffee in my room waiting for y'all to show up on Fri am. Its just down the block from Cracker Barrel.
If weather is good and everybody shows up early we can meet at say 11am. Ted found this place south of Interlachen on FL315 at corner of FL310. http://www.backwoodssmokehouse.com/ I've never tried that place. Maybe ride there for lunch. Either Fri or Sat.

Jeff

[Brent]

Meet Brent, Ride, stay 2/6 & 2/7-2015

It is shaping up as meet up in Lake City Friday say 10am on Feb 6.
Motel Friday 6th and Saturday 7th in Ocala / Silver Springs. Brent is picking the motel and will post.
Ride in central FL Friday and Saturday.

Sunday AM ride south to Florida city down through Groveland and FL33. Get into Florida City Super 8 (N Krome Ave) by dark Sun 8th.

So yes, if you can find availability down the Keys for say Mon 9th & maybe Tues 10th that would be good. I haven't looked recently. When I last looked a lot was already booked down there, or way expensive.

Jeff

OK I am booked.

Meet at 12:00 noon at
Cracker Barrel
240 Southwest Commerce Drive
Lake City, FL 32025-1500
I-75 & US 90, exit 427
386-755-5638

Ride back roads to stay in Silver Springs , FL Friday 2/6/15 & Sat 2/7/15
Days Inn Silver Springs FL
5751 East Silver Springs Boulevard, Silver Springs Fl
352-236-2575

I booked through priceline.com
- cost $52/night plus tax. $112.10 total for 2 nights
(may cancel before noon 2/3/15

Don Hather is planning to room with me. He will meet at me at Lake City at noon on 2/6/15. Who else should I be looking for? Let me know.

[JeffH]

FLA Ride Part 2

I had mentioned this year was a two part ride. So here is Part II for the Florida Keys.

- Sunday Feb 8th group is staying Super 8 in Florida City (N Krome)
- Monday Feb 9th is Spanish Gardens in Key West (yippee)
- Tuesday Feb 10th is back at Super 8 in Florida City

So Sunday Feb 8th we ride 330 miles from Silver Springs / Ocala via Groveland - Clewiston to Florida City. Then Monday we ride to Key West and stay overnight there. do the usual sunset viewing, dinner and night entertainment on Duval. Then Tuesday probably do the usual picnic lunch stop on some island beach (key). Then back to FLA City and probably out to Everglades and Flamingo for sunset ride Tues PM. (hate to be rolling along out there after dark and hit an alligator or clobber some burmese python)

Then for Wednesday we may head towards Sarasota. So that's the plan for 8-9-10. Some of us have our reservations already for Fla City & Key West part.

The more the merrier, so join us if you can.

Jeff

[JeffH]

Yes some options for at least Mon night Feb 9.
We can get with Ted & Heather tomorrow and see which options they like.
(+ just sent you and Phil a PM).

Jeff

[thumperjsa]

Also found some options through AirBnB. Sleep 6 on a boat for $100 PP a night.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4915338?checkin=02%2F08%2F2015&checkout=02%2F10%2F2015&guests=6

[JeffH]

It is shaping up as meet up in Lake City Friday say 10am on Feb 6.
Motel Friday 6th and Saturday 7th in Ocala / Silver Springs. Brent is picking the motel and will post.
Ride in central FL Friday and Saturday.

Sunday AM ride south to Florida city down through Groveland and FL33. Get into Florida City Super 8 (N Krome Ave) by dark Sun 8th.

So yes, if you can find availability down the Keys for say Mon 9th & maybe Tues 10th that would be good. I haven't looked recently. When I last looked a lot was already booked down there, or way expensive.

Jeff