April 28, 2012 - Ft. Meade

I was pleasantly surprised when I rolled into the parking lot in Plant City this morning to see so many bikes lined up.  Bill, Eddie, J.T., Kent, Bryan, Robert and, another shock, Greg Horn, were all waiting when I arrived.

During breakfast, Greg regaled us with his accounts of life in the Philippines, where he and his wife had been residing for the past six months.  Suffice it to say, it is extremely primitive by U.S. standards.

After breakfast Kent, Robert and Greg left for other duties while the remainder prepared for the day's ride.  Expecting temperatures to be in the low nineties by noon, we decided on a short summer ride.  Turning south, we headed towards Ft, Meade.

Click here for turn-by-turn directions.

Along the way, we passed through Hopewell, Keysville, my favorite section of old Florida along Jameson Road.

After a short break, we headed for Ft. Lonesome, Bethlehem, then Brewster.  From there we headed across Agricola Mine Road then on to Ft. Meade for a pit stop.

After a trip throughout the orange groves on Lake Hendrie Road, we all turned towards home.

After about 125 miles, I arrived home shortly after noon.  I was another nice morning ride through central Florida.  See you next time.  Until then...

Ride with Pride,

Glenn "Gunny" Monroe

April 21, 2012 - Welcome Back Bryan!

There was a small group gathered for breakfast in Plant City this morning when an old friend and former member, Bryan Bergau, walked into the restaurant and joined our table. We haven't seen much of Bryan since he retired from PCPD and took up truck driving. We were all catching up when Bill asked Bryan if he had given any consideration to riding again. We were surprised, nay, shocked, when Bryan reached into his pocket to retrieve a set of motorcycle keys.  Knowing his frugal nature, we assumed it would be a used bike of some kind. We had misjudged him.  The new machine turned out to be a 2012 Suzuki V-Strom 1000 Adventure.

J.T., Bill & Brian look over the new V-Strom

Shortly thereafter, Bryan, J.T. and I set off on a break-in cruise.  As the weather was threatening, we decided to keep fairly close to home as we accustomed Bryan to riding his V-Strom through the curves.  With that in mind, we headed to the ridge area of eastern Polk County.

Click on the map for full directions.

Although we have been in the area many times recently, this route provides the best area close to home to get a good variety of curves, including a few of the decreasing radius variety.

Noontime found us near The Fantasy of Flight so we headed to the Compass Rose Restaurant for lunch.  Here, Bryan saw the Wing Walk Air for the first time.  Bill, you may have found someone to join you on this.

Click the link above to see pictures and videos of this contraption.

After lunch, we checked the weather radar.  Seeing that heavy thunderstorms were moving onshore from the Gulf of Mexico, we decided to call it a day and head for home.

It was another great day two-wheeling around central Florida, especially since Bryan was back with us.  See you all next time.

Glenn "Gunny" Monroe

RIDE WITH PRIDE

March 24, 2012 - Return to Old Lake Alfred

As usual, the group met in Plant City at 8:00 a.m. this Saturday morning.  Unusually, there were only four of us present - Bill, J.T., Robert and I.  Boyd was off to the Great Kitten Rescue in Jacksonville.  Eddie was cooking a pig for a family function.  I don't really know where the rest of the group was.  Perhaps the forecast of afternoon showers and the heavy morning fog kept them from riding.  At any rate, the four of us enjoyed a good breakfast with conversation centered around our two pending trips to the mountains in June and October.

Leaving the restaurant, we discussed possible destinations for the day.  The only clear preference came from Bill who wanted to try to get some video of Old Lake Alfred Road.  With that in mind, we headed towards Lake Alfred and Polk City areas in eastern Polk County.

Our route took us over to Lakeland, around Lake Parker, to the edge of Polk City.  From there we headed towards our destination via Mt. Olive, Old Berkley and Gapway.  Deciding to start from the south end of Old Lake Alfred, I led the group east across Lake Mattie Rd. to Adams Barn Rd. and from there to Cass Rd. which runs into the southern end of our destination.

Now, I had been down Cass Rd. several times before but never with this group of riders.  It is only a mile and a half long, but it may be the best mile and a half of motorcycle road in central Florida as it twists along the north shore of Lake Griffin.  If you check it out on our route map, be sure to view it in satellite or Earth mode to get a better perspective.

Reaching Old Lake Alfred Rd., we stopped to allow Bill to attach his video camera to his new spring loaded universal Ram mount.  We then set off to ride up and down this great piece of Florida highway.  Upon arriving back at Cass Rd., Bill decided to video that as well.  So, off we went for a round trip of those curves.

From there, we set off for a trip across Lake Lowery Rd. in the agricultural highlands of eastern Polk County.  Lots of twists and turns here, also, but be careful of the occasional sand patches dragged onto the roadway by farm equipment.

We then doubled back along Old Polk City Rd., then back to CR-557A for one more trip down Old Lake Alfred and Cass Rds. before heading for lunch in the Compass Rose Restaurant at Fantasy of Flight.  I had hoped to include a piece of Bill's video here, but when we checked out what was recored, we discovered that the new mount did not provide a stable enough platform for the video camera.  The footage looked like it had been shot under water.  Bill promises he'll get some better video of the area in the future.

From there, it was every man for himself as we all headed off for afternoon committments. 

The GPS tells me that I only covered 109 miles today, but it was a great ride with good friends as we pitted ourselves and our machines against some of the best roads in the area.  See you next time.  Meanwhile,

RIDE WITH PRIDE

Glenn "Gunny" Monroe

March 10, 2012 - A Polk County Tour

Our breakfast table was graced this morning by the presence of Eddie's bride, Marlena, who endured the table chatter from Eddie, Bill, Boyd, Robert, J.T. and me.  Afterwards, Marlena and Robert headed elsewhere as the rest prepared to ride.

With no destination in mind (other than Bill's plea to avoid CR-39), we headed off into the mist.  Our travels eventually took us east into Polk County in search of a few twists and turns.

Northern Polk County

Along the way, we travelled some of the area's more interesting roads, including W. Socrum Loop, Tom Costine, Olk Polk City, Old Berkley and Gapway.

Turning north on FL-559, we headed for our first stop at Love's Polk City Truck Stop.  There, we met a couple from Sarnia, Ontario.  He was very taken with my Burgman 650.  He told us about his experience riding one up home.  It seems that his riding buddies made him feel his Burgman was less than adequate.  As a result, he sold his Burgman, bought a Suzuki M109, quickly became dissatisfied with the bigger machine and returned to riding another Burgman.  Not an unusual story.

Leaving Love's, we headed over to Fantasy of Flight to see if they had anything new on the flight line.  Unfortunately, they did not.

The group headed east to pick up Old Lake Alfred Rd., a one-lane gem twisting through the lakes and orange groves of the ridge country.  From there, we headed over to Lake Lowery Rd., another ridge area beauty.

After arriving at US-27, we turned towards Winter Haven for a another break.  This time, at Honda of Winter Haven.  After purchasing a few small items and dusting the seats of several new machines, we turned west, heading for Lakeland.

About 1:00 p.m., we arrived at Lakeland Lindner Regional Airport for lunch at Earhart's Runway Grill.  As usual, the food was very good and it is hard to beat the panoramic view of the flight line.
After lunch, the group broke up with each heading to their own private destinations.
It was another great day of riding good roads with good weather and great friends.  I clocked 120 miles on the Burgman and stored away many good memories.
See you next time.
Meanwhile, RIDE WITH PRIDE.
Glenn "Gunny" Monroe

February 18, 2012 - Inverness

Heavy fog greeted us as we met for breakfast in Plant City this morning.  However, the weather-guesser promised that it would burn off by the time we were done with breakfast.  Wrong, again.

The plan for today was to ride up to Inverness to check on the progress of turning Eddie's old GL1800 into a new California Sidecar Trike.  With that in mind, Eddie, Bill, J.T. Boyd and I turned north into the fog.

After passing through Zephyrhills, we made a quick stop at San Antonio's San Ann Market.  Leaving San Antonio, we rode north on some of the best roads in the area - Jessamine, Clay Hill/Church, Weatherly, CR-439 (Istachatta/Ling), and finally into Invesness on US-41.  By the time we reached Spring Lake and Cortez, the sun had finally come out.

At Trikes by Design, we found Eddie's new trike almost completed.  He should be riding it home sometime next week.  Believe me, he is very excited.

Looks good and they did a great job of matching the paint.

While we were there, we took the opportunity to look through their accessories store.  Good selection and excellent prices.

Leaving Trikes by Design, we headed back to Floral City for a little lunch at The Shamrock Inn.  Did I say a "little" lunch? The portions were huge.  A regular burger is 8 oz., while then Shamrock Burger (Boyd & J.T.'s choice) is a full 12 oz. of beef.  Bill and I enjoyed excellent salads while Eddie kept looking at everyone else's lunch and mumbling, "Looks like I made the worse choice."  Oh, by the way, they do serve a large selection of beer.  Eddie made the mistake of asking a redheaded, Irish waitress if they had beer.  Long story short, they do.

After lunch we headed back towards Plant City, this time taking in all of Istachatta Road.  By then, it was starting to look like rain so we pretty much beat feet back to Plant City via US-301, Old Laklenad Hwy. and CR-39.

All-in-all, it was a great ride with good friends, covering about 150 miles of highway on a pleasant Florida day.

Until next time,

RIDE WITH PRIDE

Glenn "Gunny" Monroe

February 4, 2012 - Off to Eustis

Attendance was a little light at breakfast today.  J.T., Kent, Boyd and I were the only ones gathered in front of The Whistle Stop to enjoy the aroma of Jerry's baking bread.  After breakfast at Snellgrove's, Kent headed off for other duties while J.T., Boyd and I prepared for the day's ride.

Our first destination today was Shoot Straight, Lakeland, where we perused their offerings with great care.  If you ever make it over there, be sure to check out their Custom and Collectible cabinet. After wiping the drool off the display cases, we were back on the road.

The next destination was Champions Powersports in Eustis.  Not only is it a fun place to visit, but it is also an excellent ride.

While at Champions, J.T. went to check on new tires for the Wing, Boyd checked out the new Ninja, and I checked out a new helmet.  I love the quick connect chinstraps on my Nolan helmets, but they are very noisy.  I guess I didn't notice the wind noise too much behind thew larger windscreen of the Wing with music playing in my ears, but now it has become very distracting.  I soon concluded that the helmet for me was a Shoei Qwest Overt TC-3.

Sadly, the only one of this new model they had in stock was awaiting pickup by another customer.  Mine should be here sometime next week.  Thankfully, it was on sale.  J.T and Boyd had less success as the tires were too dear and the salesman made the mistake of thinking that Boyd was not a serious customer.

By now it was nearing 1:00 P.M. and was time for lunch.  We headed for Billy's Cafe in Tavares where the food is excellent and the prices moderate.

After lunch, we headed for home via CR-561 and Green Pond Road.

It was about 165 miles of decent roads and glorious Florida weather,  Come join us next time.  Meanwhile,

RIDE WITH PRIDE

"Gunny"

January 28, 2012 - Motorcycle Envy

Seven friends and motorcycle enthusiasts met for breakfast this morning in Plant City, Florida.  During the course of the breakfast conversation, we learned that Wes had watched his beloved Harley being towed away only yesterday.  Sadly, his back is too bad to manage the monster anymore.  On the bright side, he is investigating trikes.  He hopes that will keep him active in motorcycling.

Leaving the restaurant, Bill led us to a secret location to view a private collection of motorcycles.

Sorry, but I could not fit them all into the picture frame, but believe me, it was awe inspiring.  Each one of us found motorcycles that we have previously owned or wished we had owned.

J.T. onced owned one of these early Wings.

One of these CB350's almost ended my riding days when broadsided on the Seven Mile Rd. in Detroit.

Honda FT500 Ascot, a one cylinder flat track racer only available in the U.S in 1982-83

After saying our thanks for the opportunity to view these beautiful vintage cycles, we continued our ride.

Our next stop was the Florida Fun Bike Center in Lakeland.  This stop was a request from Boyd who wanted to get a look at the new Ninja.

He even likes the color!

We departed the Fun Bike Center after wiping the drool off the machine.  Boyd headed off to lunch with Miss Vicki.  Billy left for lunch and a movie with Eddie.  J.T. and I made for Sky Powersports to look over their offering of Victory motorcycles, then off to lunch in Plant City and some chapter paperwork at J.T.'s home.

Due to the many off-bike distractions, we only managed 100 miles today, but those distractions more than compensated for the lack of miles.

See you next week.  Until then RIDE WITH PRIDE.

Glenn "Gunny" Monroe

January 15, 2012 - Minneola

It was a cold Central Florida morning when Boyd Harrell and I met outside the Whistle Stop Cafe in Plant City.  As 8:00 a.m., the appointed meeting time, approached, we began to believe that we were the only ones willing to face riding in the cold.  Just about then Carl Lane came walking around the corner.  After a few minutes catching up with Carl, we started across Collins St. heading for Snellgrove's Restaurant.  Midway across the street, we heard the sound of a pair of motorcycles which heralded the arrived of Bill McDaniel on the ST and Robert McDaniel, accompanied by Jade, on his Harley.  Once seated for breakfast, Eddie Richter came dragging in looking like he had just gotten out of bed, which, as it happens, was accurate.

Once we had all had our fill of food, coffee and improbable stories, we headed off to our cycles to prepare for the day's adventure.  Eddie and Carl were unable to join us for the ride, but the rest of us bundled up against the cold and turned our knees into the breeze with no particular destination in mind.

Our Route took us north by northeast to some of favorite roads.  After covering Hancock, Old Dade City, Lakeland Acres and Sherrouse, we headed for a much needed comfort stop at Rockridge and US-98 (I did say it was cold, right?).  We were soon on our way again, heading for Green Pond Rd. and Laws Rd.  Reaching the intersection of Laws Rd. & CR-561, Bill, Robert & Jade left us to return to other duties and warm fingers in Plant City.  However, Boyd and I continued north on 561.  Reaching US-27 around noon, we decided to stop at McDonald's for comfort and coffee.  While there, Boyd mentioned that he had promised to meet Miss Vicki for lunch at 1:00 p.m. in Lakeland.

Finishing our coffee, we turned back towards Lakeland where, at 12:56 p.m., I left Boyd at I-4 and US-98 - plenty of time to get to his 1:00 appointment.  Meanwhile, I headed to Sky Powersports because it was the closest, fastest location for a comfort stop (did I mention it was cold?).  While there, I took time to drool over a white 2012 Victory Cross Country Tour.  

If I can ever scrape together enough cash ...

Meanwhile,

RIDE WITH PRIDE

Glenn "Gunny" Monroe

January 7, 2012 - Lake Alfred

The day started as usual with breakfast at Snellgrove's with Bill, Boyd, J.T., Eddie, Robert and I.  Scott also joined us as breakfast was being served.  However, the day's ride took on a different tone as Ace, Mr. Sarcasm, Preacher, Big Ed and I headed for Lake Alfred, by back roads, of course.

The goal for the ride was to get Big Ed to Trike Traders in Lake Alfred where he could investigate converting his Wing.

 While the rest of us prepare for the stop,

Billy interviewed Eddie.

After some time spent inside learning all about trike conversions, Eddie decided to take this Hannigan trike for a test ride.

After receiving instructions, and with Billy chasing with his video recorder, Eddie set out for the test ride.

Upon his return, Eddie was all smiles and excited with nothing but praise for the experience.  He was not, however, ready to make a purchase until after Marlena had had a ride and he had investigated other sources.

Leaving Lake Alfred, Boyd set out for home.  It seems he promised Miss Vicki that he would be home by noon as it was their anniversary.  Happy Anniversary to both of you!

Heading back towards Plant City, we decided to stop at Mojo's in Lakeland for lunch.  Bill, making a wise decision, decided to pass.  Although Eddie's food and mine was good (J.T. found his too spicy), the service was terrible, taking far too long to accomplish even the simplest task.  Next time we'll choose more wisely, also.

After lunch, we all headed for home via separate routes to satisfy the day's other requirements.  Although a short ride, it was productive.  We have many times in the past enjoyed sharing each others cycle searches and purchases.  If and when Eddie buys a trike, I hope to be there to share the ride home with his new treasure.

Meanwhile,
RIDE WITH PRIDE

Glenn "Gunny" Monroe

December 31, 2011 - Ft. Meade & Frostproof

Happy New Year to all members, friends and readers.

Yesterday marked the end of 2011 and, of course, was celebrated with a two-wheeled ride around central Florida.

The day started with breakfast at Snellgroves attended by Bill, Boyd, Eddie, J.T., Jerry and I.  Afterwards, Big Ed and Mr. Sarcasm headed off for other activities while Ace, Preacher, Jerry and I started on the day's ride.  

With no particular destination in mind, we headed towards Agricola Mine Road via assorted back roads.

Click here for full details.

After a couple of passes on the flat curves of Agricola Mine Road, Bill & Jerry headed back to Plant City while Preacher and continued on to Ft. Meade, Lake Buffum, then across US-27 to Crooked Lake.

Crooked Lake, north end

We continued south through Babson Park and Frostproof then headed back to Ft. Meade via Avon Park Cut-off Road for lunch.  Finding our first choice, The Broadway Cafe, closed for the holiday, we accepted a local's recommendation and headed for John's Drive-In.

The food, while not fancy, was quite good and reasonably priced and the staff was friendly.  The place is a memorial to Ft. Meade High School athletics with pictures and memorabilia everywhere.

Leaving Ft. Meade, Preacher and I headed for our respective homes.

It was a short but enjoyable 145 mile ride today with good weather and good company.  See you all next week.

Glenn "Gunny" Monroe

Ride With Pride

December 3, 2011 - Fantasy of Flight

Seven friends gathered in Plant City, FL for breakfast this day.  After the morning meal and conversation, Eddie, Marlena and Wes left to pursue other activities for the day while Billy, J.T., Boyd and I headed off on today's ride.

The destination for the ride was lunch at The Fantasy of Flight's Compass Rose Diner.  Since that is only a 25 mile ride from Plant City, I was forced to become creative in order to arrive at lunch time.  So, I

stretched that 25 miles into 118 miles, which included Old Dade City Rd., Lakeland Acres, Green Pond, Laws, Lake Erie, Empire Church, and Laws (Bill & J.T really like Laws Rd.).

It was after noon when we reached The Fantasy of Flight.  One of the first things we saw was the new adult playscape.

The lines visible on the right side of the picture are zip lines to another tower.  Those of our group who are younger and more nimble are planning a return trip in the near future to give it a try.

Also available at Fantasy of Flight are bi-plane ride ($69.95) or you can fly one yourself for around $230.00.

Once inside the Compass Rose, we settled down for a great lunch.  The food, though not fancy, is excellent and fairly priced, plus, there are great views through the many windows.

No, Bill is not ticked.  He is just concentrating on people on the playscape.

Meanwhile, J.T. and his impressive 'stach await lunch delivery.

After our hamburgers, chicken wraps and pulled pork, we each headed for other activities by our own routes.  I personally logged 163 miles on the Burgman.

Although I will not be able to make next week's ride, you can join the others at the regular time and place.
Meanwhile,

Ride with Pride
Glenn "Gunny" Monroe

November 26, 2011 - Just a Short Morning Ride

With Ace off to North Carolina, there were only four of us fore breakfast this morning and only two riders.  After breakfast at Snellgrove's, Preacher whet home to finish a roof repair and Big Ed went home to finish some honey-do's.  That left just Mr. Sarcasm and I to ride this day.  Since Boyd needed to be home around noon, we headed off for a local ride.

The route took us over some of our favorite local roads (Coronet, Old Mulberry, Henry George, Keysville & Jameson).  Stopping on the bridge over the Alafia, we noted that the water was exceptionally clear with a slight brown tint.

The peaceful, pastoral nature of this spot makes it a favorite for many of us.

We were soon on the road again, headed for Brewster via Bethlehem Rd. & Old Hwy 37.  After a beverage break, we headed over to Agricola Mine Rd. for a few good curves, then on to Ft. Meade for gasoline.  After a quick detour to ride Lake Hendry Rd., we headed for home.

Although short, it was an interesting and enjoyable ride, as it always is with Mr. Sarcasm on my six.

Hope to see you next time.
Ride with Pride
Gunny

November 19, 2011 - Gulfport

J.T., Boyd and I met for breakfast as usual at Snellgroves in Plant City.  Bill and Eddie were unable to join us as they were off to Lakeland to participate in a charity shotgun tournament.  After breakfast, Boyd left us to take his wife to the beach for the weekend.  J.T. and I mounted up and headed towards Gulfport.

The first stop was the Jameson Rd. bridge over the South Prong of the Alifia River.  Next we rode to the rest area at the south end of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.  As usual, the views of Tampa Bay and the bridge were awsome.

J.T., Sunshine Skyway and the bikes

After crossing the bridge, our attention was captured by the many paraboarders at the3 north end of the bridge.

We continued on to Gulfport with intention of have lunch at O'Maddy's Bar and Grill  Unfortunately, the place was packed due to some special event.  So, J.T. and I decided to try someplace new.  On the next block we found the Neptune Grill.

The place was almost empty while, a block away, O'Maddy's was packed to the limit.  It should have been a clue.  Don't get me wrong, the food was okay, but suffered by comparison to O;Maddy's.

After lunch, we walked across the street to the Gulfport Casino with its view of the beach.

It was then time to head home.  Deciding not to travel through Tampa, we turned back south and took the back roads home.  It was a ride of about 160 miles on a warm, cloudy mid-Florida day.  Come out and join us next Saturday.

Ride With Pride,
Gunny

November 12, 2011 - Florida Coast-to-Coast

On November 12, 2011 Bill, Eddie, Paul, about 150 of our closest friends, and I met at the Hampton Inn in Seffner, FL for the beginning of the Florida Coast-to-Coast charity ride.  After registration at the hotel and breakfast at Bob Evans, we set off on the circuitous, six hour ride to Daytona Beach.  The route from Seffner took us to Temple Terrace, Zephyrhills, St. Leo, St. Joe, Spring Lake, Nobelton, Webster, Center Hill, Okahumpka, Howie-In-The-Hills, Astatula, West Deland, De Leon Springs and, finally, to Daytona Beach.

Bill, Eddie & Paul stayed the night in Daytona Beach to enjoy the after-ride activities, but I had to turn and head for home - a straight haul west of I-4.

It was a long, interesting ride.  Watch the Navigator's Rides for photos and additional information.

Ride With Pride,
Gunny