Old Town, Florida

March 4th - 9th, 2003

Trip Statistics:

Time Traveled - 5 1/2 Days
Miles Traveled - 1675
Accommodations - $120.00
Gas - $55.00
Food (Estimated) - $125.00

March 4th (TUESDAY) - Jim Brown and Talmadge Blackwell started the trip from their home state of North Carolina. They rode all day via scenic routes in order to meet us in Cherokee. Their ride included a stop at a museum in Maggie Valley. After work Robert and Dorothy (Missy) Cutshaw and I met in Knoxville. I have ridden with them before on a day ride, but this is our first long trip together.
    We left town on this beautiful afternoon not knowing that Newfound Gap, just a few miles away, held overcast skies and falling temps. It was pretty cool above 3,000' and snow was still evident along the edge of the road. Badly in need of coffee and/or hot cocoa, we were glad to stop at the McDonald's in Cherokee for a break and to meet up with Jim and Talmadge.
    Our planned route from Knoxville was simple. Route 441 South to Florida, then the most direct way to our campground. Because it was already after 6:00 PM when we left Cherokee we planned to stop when we were tired. It wasn't long before we were tired AND wet. As we rode south the overcast sky turned to clouds and then the rain let loose. Misting at first and gradually becoming worse until it was a downpour for the last 45 minutes or so that we rode. We stopped in Commerce, Georgia and stayed at the Red Roof Inn. I was glad to be warm and dry. Somewhere along the way my speedometer quit working and after stopping for the night I found that I had not properly packed my Palm organizer and the rain had ruined it.

WEDNESDAY - An early start from Commerce should have assured us of an early arrival at our campground near Old Town, Florida. It was important that we get organized and setup while we still had daylight so we wouldn't have to fumble around in the dark searching for needed items. The ride South was enjoyable although our progress was slowed by a little rain again today. Missy was very excited because this was her first trip to Florida. We arrived a little later than I would have liked but still got setup without too much trouble. This is when I discovered Missy had little to no camping experience. There was a little grumbling when I emphasized this was a 'camping trip' and staying in a hotel was not an option.

THURSDAY - Manatee Springs was our first stop after breakfast. The weather was good and I enjoyed the soothing effect this State Park always has on me. I had the privilege of meeting an elderly lady that swims there at the springs every morning and has been doing so "for the last 39 years ... no, wait a minute ... maybe that's been since 1939? That's it, since 1939!" she said. The inlet was high which allowed the Manatees to come right up into the Park out of the river. That was a first for me, seeing them inland that far.
    Cedar Key was next on the schedule. A lot of bikers were there and some of them had ridden over from Daytona, where Bike Week was going full swing. Apparently, it was raining in Daytona and had been for a number of days. I was glad we had a little luck on our side, weather wise. Cedar Key is a quaint little island that still has a lot of native locals living there. It offers several restaurants and bars along with 'mom and pop' style hotels. There are even a few places to camp. The only negative is that it is some distance away from a major town ... oh wait, did I say negative? Sorry. It's worth visiting even if it is a little out of the way.
    Then it was down to Crystal River and out on the beach. Missy's first visit to Florida had to include some time on the sand so Jim, Talmadge and I did a little 'male bonding' while Robert and Missy took a walk. We stopped by the Harley dealer to have my bike checked to see if the speedo was a quick fix. No such luck. I was told that the problem was caused by a bad sensor and water pollution in the wiring harness. Dinner that night was at Port Harbor Hotel and Marina.

FRIDAY - The quote of the day came from Talmadge Blackwell who said: "I was riding along as the last bike when I looked up and Dan was gone!"
    We rode out to the quiet community of Horseshoe Beach. When we got to the end of the road, we just stopped for a while to let the scenery soak in. Afterwards, a little tour of the area was in order. Not much to see but several quaint little houses, all up on stilts, and several fishing boats that were right up beside the road. The water level there is only a few feet below the road surface. As mid day approached, we started back toward camp.
    There are several miles of straight two-lane road out to Horseshoe Beach. As we were heading back, I noticed a  black line of clouds all the way across the western sky. This line was dark. I mean nearly black, which kinda put a scare into me. What if it was about to hail? We had no shelter. Some of us weren't even wearing helmets. I imagined hail stones the size of softballs falling from the sky and killing us all. Then the temperature started to fall. I mean REALLY fall. It felt like 15 degrees in four or five miles. So when Talmadge said he "looked up and Dan was gone", he meant it literally. For a short time I believe I must have been clocking over 100 miles per hour trying to get to shelter before the storm hit.
    That afternoon, some of us napped while others went to the lodge and watched TV. It rained for some time, which was the only REAL inconvenience we experienced. We had heard that Daytona was getting drenched every day of bike week.

SATURDAY - Taking down the campsite went well and we were on the road early. The most direct route was not an issue so we ventured Northwest for a while, then Northeast for a while, then a little due East before finally turning North. Jim and Talmadge left us to return to North Carolina. Robert, Missy and I made it well into Georgia before calling it a night. We arrived back in Tennessee on Sunday. Good times were had by all!

DH/jwm