Up this morning to clear skies and talk of the tornado devastation from yesterday. Stepping out of the air conditioned hotel at 9am to 93 degree searing heat with a 30% chance of rain at 1.57pm (how exact is that), we decide to chance it and head back to Ona and Solomon’s Castle (will it be open today) along 37 miles of beautiful roads, scenery and love bugs. Now Love bugs hit twice as hard as normal bugs at 60mph and leave more of an impact on everything, so you currently cannot see the Harley below the dead critters
On then to Solomon’s Castle which is a quirky little place where a 79 year old guy has spent most of his life building thing out of cans, tin, wood and junk
Including the castle made of aluminium sheets, a three sides wooden door on a hexagonal room with stained class window. Very funky and the tour has enough puns to keep everyone groaning.
So with the threat of more thunder and rain we headed to our last stop at Lake Wales a short 57 mile trip on country roads and US roads (whilst always looking for gravel, idiot drivers and smokey).
Tomorrow is the last full day in the US, with a 44 mile drive back to the airport and the return of the big encrusted bike.
So what have I learnt on this journey, well car drivers are idiots the world over, but 95% of the Americans are vigilant towards bikers. The only problem is the 5% that aren’t, have followed us the entire trip.
When Mrs Fogg lifts her visor to sneeze, I get a wet neck!
When your pillion climbs onto the back and asks if you are ready to hold steady, what she actually means is she will try her hardest to topple you and the bike over in the process.
US traffic lights are designed for street racers, they go from red to green without Amber and you have to floor it as fast as you can.
The average American looks mockingly at you when you have helmet, boots, armour plating and gloves in 93 degree heat
Every American is proud to talk about their illnesses, no matter what it is.
You can’t sit in a hotel bar with a map open, without at least 5 people telling you the best place to visit as a precursor to talking about their illness.
