This is the view we have from our breakfast table this morning of Lake Jackson in Sebring.
More storms due later today so we plan to be at our next destination before 4pm to ensure we are sat inside watching the rain rather than riding in it.
That is of course if we can decide what our destination is today, we’re still thinking……….oh the hardship of tough decisions, do we go north, south, East or west in this 89 degree heat?
Today we departed our Sarasota base and headed inland into Central Florida. This is sad since it means our holiday is starting to draw to a close. However, on with the tour!
After two blissful nights at a most wonderful B&B with our hosts Nina and Vicky we set off to find Soloman’s Castle in a teeny place called Ona. Endless back roads ensue- all devoid of traffic but meandering nicely through Orange groves, cattle meadows and other orchards. We were truly in the middle of nowhere with Deliverance style homes ,occasionally and precariously still standing, at the side of the roads.
Did I mention the flies??? Big black things and swarms of the critters. It’s the first time the bike and Mr Fogg are covered (I kept ducking behind him tee hee). Picture Jim Carey in Me Myself and Irene with a face full of dead black things!
Ah to Solomons Castle then and a 9 mile detour down smaller and smaller roads, to our destination. Only to find- Closed on Mondays. Hmm.
Ah well, not to worry we said, we’ll just follow this nice narrow road East and we are bound to find a main route to our next destination. Nope- no main routes, just more teeny roads, pretty fields, beautiful river crossings and NO cars or people.
An hour later we hit the main roads and sped on to our revised destination of Sebring. Another usual road town full of shopping malls, drive thru food stops and all the usual chain hotels, so we picked something a bit different. Right on the lake. Very nice too.
I loved Sarosota, such a nice feel to the place. And the road trip today was a nice slice of rural Florida.
Other things I learnt today:
If you need lawyers in Sarasota you can ask Dozier and Dozier to help you. This tickled me , sorry .
When big flies hit you on a bike it hurts!
Floridians drive like nutters.
Armadillos die on their backs in the middle of roads.
Tiny children make huge splashes when they jump into tiny swimming pools. And then they keep doing it.
Road End means quite literally road end.
Despite being told there is no such thing as a gravel road in Florida, we found them. They are to be found left and right of Deliverance corner, right next to the Dead End and up the road from Wrong Turn (for those sad like me, these are all movies).
There are at least two Churches to every American. Each church has an invented name. Eternal Utilitarianist Church, Episcopal Evangelical Church, churches of Latter Day Saints, monumental baptist church. The list is endless- and the names get odder the further into the sticks you get.
Bikers have their own hand signal greetings. You can buy a book. The favourite is a downward peace sign.
It’s not street cred to wave at moped drivers- only fellow grisly bikers.
Don’t sneeze into your helmet. It’s a bugga to clean.
And finally……Mr Fogg may need new bike jeans after this trip. Thick denim and Kevlar jeans don’t go well with 82 degrees temperatures.
Eating, more eating, oh and chilling, riding my Harley and, oh more chilling.
Mr Fogg on our day trip to Anna Marie Island on a Sunday when the other half of Florida also visit.
Well we were so taken with Sarasota we decided to stay another evening and spent the day driving up to Long Boat Key, Bradenton Beach and Anna-Maria Island on the Gulf of Mexico, before tackling the 35 degree incline up the Skyline bridge to St. Petersburg at 65 mile and hour with 40 mph winds and back again.
A cool day and we have now hit 1000 miles with just 3 days to go before we return the beast to Orlando.
A very beautiful little town on the shores of the sea. Quiet little streets and lovely eateries. And to celebrate life, love and anything worth celebrating we just had to have a little fizzy bubbly along with clams, snow crab, lobster and mussels.
Here we are in Port Charlotte between Naples and Sarasota on the US 41 at a little biker shack called Gatorz with cool food and even cooler music. So in rolls me and my Pillion Beeatch in full clobber with all the other bikers in shorts and flop flips.
We look so good for British bikers.
So today was riding away from the Keys up Gator Alley on the US41, the Old Dixie Highway. What a road.
It leaves Florida City and travels through lush fields of nurseries and fruit farms selling all manner of fresh grown fruit, before turning slightly to head due West right through the Everglades.
This area is beautiful. To our left were long views of the Everglades grasslands, hues of green and brown and tonnes of wildlife- birds galore including Ibis, herons, big birds of prey and loads of others I’ve no name for.
To our right we followed a tract of water. At times this felt like a canal, broad and edges well defined (not flooded tho!) at other times a small creek. Alongside the banks were trees dripping with Spanish moss. All different variances of green interspersed with air plants clung to the branches displaying tiny flowers in blood orange red.
All told a fab ride in searing heat today. Oh and a few gators along the way.
Now it’s Naples and a stint at the Village Pub. Hmm.
After a nice long run, it was time to swim, shower and then out for grub at The Village in uptown Naples, FL.
It’s been a scorching 32 degrees C today (that’s a scorching 89.6 F, smokin).
Of course we did manage to find a nice pub to sit and chill at.
We survived Gator Alley, a fantastic 90 mile stretch of road that is a dream to ride on. Mrs Fogg could see the Gators basking in the small stream at the side of the road and as you can see from the pics, they ain’t toddlers and you don’t want to hang around.
Having a breather on the US 41 North
Did you eat my cousin?
25 foot long and just watching you
