Follow That Dream

 

Headed out on an unplanned ride today, had a few hours to kill.  The direction I picked today was NW, so off I went, planning to pick up US 19 in Inverness and ride north until I was tired, I found myself instead working the back country route system of Sumter and Marion and Citrus counties today. 

I've mapped the ride starting and ending in Wildwood at I-75 and SR44, an easy start point to locate on the map, being an hour north of Tampa up the I-75 corridor.

The ride took me right by the Don Garlits Museum Of Drag Racing.  Big Daddy Don Garlits Museum 

Very nice grounds, unfortunately did not have time to go in.  They were setting up for a car show and the whole place looked great, it's on my list to come back to and do the museum.

Working my way north and west, came into Dunellon, an old Florida 1890 Phosphate mine boom town.  Great old houses from the day and wonderful shops.  

Next west, Inglis and at the end of the road at the Gulf, is Yankeetown.  Their claim to fame started well before Elvis came and filmed Follow That Dream there.  The town was made famous for its being a favorite retreat of celebrities and presidents in the 1920's.       Follow That Dream - IMDB Page

The short, few miles, ride out to the gulf is rewarded with the crossing of the Bird Creek Bridge and it's outstanding view of the gulf.  Further on, old picnic areas present a glimpse into old Florida, and then the road terminates at a county boat ramp on one side and picnic pavilions on another driveway.    The view of the gulf is just GREAT.  You are just north of the Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant also, which still looks Three Mile Island Alarming rising out of the marsh....

This loop is about an hour's ride north from Tampa, or NW from the Orlando area.  The loop as shown is about 111 miles.

Have fun.  Follow That Dream!

Moving On Up

Changed wheels today.  Bittersweet ordeal, that.

They say you should keep the old bike, because of the fondness and affinity that truly does develop between rider and machine.  Alas, the grim practical realities of financing, room in the garage, and how many bikes can a guy have really, make it a trade-off world.  I am gonna miss that bike, just like my Suzuki GT750 and those great Honda Trail 90's back in the day.....

So today we rode the 2003 Yamaha VStar 1100 Silverado for our last ride.  Didn't realize the other sunny day last week that the swing out west to Sloan's Ridge was to be last on that bike.  That bike was outstanding, and for 10 years loomed large in my world.  These pages are full of only some of the adventures.  Places seen, people met, wonderful moments out in some obscure spot just in the breeze and in the zone.

While we are sad to see the Silverado go, it's with full awareness that we had originally purchased it to just see.  Just to see if we'd be riders again after 25 years without a motorcycle.  Just to see if we could handle the realities of traffic in a cell phone, texting, Tokyo drift world.  Just to see if the bugs still were as good as youthful remembrance made them out to be.  The answer came back, yes, we are ready to stay bikers, to embrace the risks and revel in the rewards.  Yes, it's time to step up and level up our game.

So, the Silverado, for ten years, did the good work, keeping the dream alive, and never showing any jealosy knowing that the Royal Star Venture was the one we longed for.  10 years of waiting, 10 years of checking, 10 years of looking at other bikes and wondering.  Followed by 4 short days of shopping and there you are.

Today we brought the new bike home.  One short ride, cold and rain preventing more than the puny 16 miles to home.  The bike looks, rides, and feels great.  Yes, it was sad leaving the other bike, but that was tempered by the Christmas-morning glee in unwrapping this new toy.  Looking forward to new travels, and also going by the same old favorite places, and getting those pictures again for the very first time on the new Venture.

First things first, once home, were putting on the bell my sister Cheryl  bestowed upon my first bike, and also getting the chrome license plate holder from my friend Steve, on as well.  One does admit to harboring certain superstitions, and there's no harm in honoring relationships and goodwill.