November 29 Ride

A great day was started with breakfast at Snellgroves and the best part was the company of Bryan Bergau who was in town for Thanksgiving. Contrary to appearances, he said he was happy to be back for a visit.

We were also joined by Bill, Boyd and Robert.

After breakfast, all five of us headed northeast to San Antonio and the hills beyond. We covered some of my favorite roads - Jessamine, Hayman, Powers and, a new favorite, Bayhead Road. After a water break on US41 and Spring Hill Dr., we headed for Action Honda on US19 in Hudson. Okay, I know this is getting to be repetitious, but Boyd found another favorite bike. Is it just me, or does red seem to be a common factor?

Robert told us he'd like to stop at a Harley dealer for plugs for his new pony, so we set off for Gulf Coast Harley-Davidson in New Port Richey. Unfortunately, that meant a 13 mile ride south on US19 - too busy for my tastes and way too busy for Bill.

Anyway, Robert got his plugs and we headed for Land O Lakes and lunch at Hungry Harry's on US41. Boyd recommended this restaurant and we agree that it was well worth the trip. We all passed on the all-you-can-eat rib and chicken special in favor of pulled pork sandwiches. Bill and I were beginning to regret the decision when the waitress brought a plate of the special to the table next to us. It looked fantastic but the first serving was more than we could eat. In fact, the pulled pork was all we could handle.

Leaving Hungry Harry's, we headed north on 41 to pick-up a couple of back roads I had found on Google Maps. Unfortunately someone had dropped a gated community across Pump Station Road and locked the gate. That forced us to backtrack and take Ehren Cutoff Rd. north to SR52 and that turned out to be a pretty good ride. Once on 52, we headed towards San Antonio then on home.

It was a great day, great company, and 185 miles of great roads. Hope you all can make it next week.

Glenn

November 22 Ride

Seven of us met for breakfast this morning, including Bill's bride, Mercy. Afterward, Robert decided he had other more important things to do and headed home. Maybe the very cool morning temperatures had something to do with the decision. Bill "The Crash Dummy" McDaniel was unable to ride due to injuries sustained in the line of duty. Hopefully, he will be back on two wheels next week.
Boyd, J.T., Lloyd and I bundled up against to 40-something temperatures and set out for our ride to nowhere in particular. We covered a lot of ground, including, Hopewell, Keysville, Jameson Rd., Nichols Rd., Agricola Mine Rd., over to Homeland, Lake Hendry Rd., Lake Buffum, up the newly resurfaced Crews Rd. to West Lake Wales and West Scenic Park, Winter Haven, then back to Lakeland for a stop at Fun Bike Center. While J.T. looked unsuccessfully for a new helmet, Boyd & Lloyd drooled over a couple of new bikes.Unhappily, both resisted the temptation.

Leaving Fun Bike, Lloyd headed home while the rest of us stopped for a light lunch and conversation. Shortly thereafter, J.T. also headed home while Boyd and I continued our two-wheeled explorations. We eventually made our way over to run Old Dade City Road then explored a couple of new pieces of blacktop in that area - Sherrouse, Keen and Lakeland Acres Roads. All three proved interesting.

As 3:30 p.m. approached we headed for home and the end of another great ride.

Remember - Not all who wander are lost. Ride with Pride.

Gunny

November Minutes

The November 17th meeting Florida XXVII was called to order at 6:08 P.M. Present were President Glenn Monroe, Past President Bill McDaniel, Director J.T. Sims, Lloyd Lowery, Wes Swafford and Eddie Richter.

The reading of the minutes of the previous meeting was waived due to the absence of the Secretary.

President Monroe gave the Treasurer’s report, listing current cash on hand at $1,266.19.

The “Ride for Ron” was discussed. Although the final statistics have not been received from the event organizer, it is believed that 50 to 60 motorcycles participated in the ride led by this chapter.

Future charity endeavors were discussed. Past President McDaniel stated that he may have a line on a grant for a rider safety program that we may be able to present at future Plant City Bike Nights in conjunction with the Plant City P.D.

The planned ride to Lake Okeechobee on November 22nd was discussed. Noting the proximity to the holidays and Fun Bike Center’s scheduling conflict, it was decided to postpone this ride to after the holidays. A ride to Fantasy of Flight was suggested as a possible alternative.

Past President McDaniel suggested an evening Christmas Light ride sometime in December. Eddie Richter agreed to put the ride together with a probable date of December 12.

Eddie Richter suggested we put together another parking lot practice event. After some discussion it was decided that one would be scheduled during the first quarter of 2009 and that the Chapter investigate the purchase of miniature traffic cones in order to minimize the potential of damage to the motorcycles that full sized cones can cause. Bill McDaniel stated that he may have a source for reasonably priced miniature cones. He will investigate and report back on the issue.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 P.M.

November 15 Ride to Montverde

Despite the threatening skies, five bikes left Plant City for a backroads ride to Montverde, Florida on the shores of Lake Apopka. The route there and back covered some amazing roads, including Rock Ridge, Green Pond, Lake Erie, Bay Lake, Sloans Ridge, Villa City, O'Brien Rd., CR-455, Old CR-50 & CR-561. We all had a great time. Check the link to The Navigator's Rides for more info. and pictures.

Remember, not everyone who wanders is lost, so Ride with Pride.
Gunny

Ride for Ron

Six members, one associate and a couple of riders joined in this year's Ride for Ron on November 8th. After meeting at Brandon Harley, approximately 60 bikes headed for Plant City via Lithia, Pinecrest and Jameson Road. Although light was beginning to fade as we made our way on Jameson Rd., is was still a great ride, especially for those seeing back-country Florida for the first time. Upon arrival at the train depot in Plant City, we were treated to live music and conversation.

Gunny

November 1st Ride

Six bikes and 7 people headed for Parrish via the back roads, then on to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. After a brief stop, we were off to Barney's in St. Pete, then to Ybor City for lunch. See The Navigator's Blog for more info. and pictures.

October 10 Ride

Yesterday, I rode with J.T. and Boyd north on 301 to I-10 where I had to turn for home while they continued north enroute to join Bill and Robert in North Carolina for the annual Fall Leaf Tour. Check Bill's blog for ride updates.

Today, I met Lloyd Lowery for breakfast. Afterwards, we set out in the morning fog heading for Sugarloaf Mountain. We had a nice ride across Rock Ridge and Green Pond Road. The pavement was a little damp from the fog which forced us to slow down enough to better enjoy the scenery. That allowed us to see at least 60 wild turkeys combing the pastures for their morning meal. The fog had cleared enough by the time we arrived at the top of Sugarloaf to afford us a great view of Lake Apopka and the surrounding countryside. We then turned back to US-27 and the Lakeridge Winery. After a little wine testing, we headed to Lakeland to try the wings at Mojo's, the new restaurant at Fun Bike Center. Lloyd and I both enjoyed our meals and conversation. Finally, we rode along Lake Parker before heading for home. All-in-all, it was a great day and a great ride.

Remember, next weekend we will be riding on Sunday instead of Saturday.

Homosassa Ride - 9/28/09

We had a great ride yesterday. See The Navigator's Rides link in the right sidebar for details.

Glenn

Low Country Boil Chapter Social

On September 20 the Chapter and guests met at Eddie Richter's home for our Low Country Boil.

The day started early with Eddie, Bill, Trent and I meeting at Eddie's for an excellent breakfast prepared by our master chef, followed by event preparations. If you were not there, you missed an excellent breakfast.

Guests began arriving for the main event at 4:00 p.m. We all enjoyed a few beverages and good conversation while Eddie and Larue Richter slaved over the the dinner pot. About 5:30, Gregg and Mark pulled the food out of the pot and poured it out onto the table, ready for consumption - crayfish, shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn all cooked together. Check here for the pictures provided by Boyd!

After everyone had eaten their fill, the conversation, conviviality, and beverage consumption continued well into the evening.

I had a great time, as did everyone else. I want to extend my thanks to Eddie and Doc for their hard work on our behalf. Be sure you all thank them in person when the opportunity presents itself.

Bill will be putting some info. on his blog, too.  Check the link for the Navigator's Rides to the right.

Glenn

September Ride to Nowhere

Before yesterday's ride I was frequently asked. "Where are we going this week?" I had a hard time answering because it was not a destination ride. Rather, it was just a big double loop ride on some of my favorite roads to the north and south of Plant City. The idea was to not get too far from home, allowing people the opportunity to ride as far or as short as they chose. It all started with breakfast for 10 at Snellgroves. Then we were off through Mt. Enon, Galloway, Kathleen, Socrum, Branchborough, Vitis, Zephyrhills, Crystal Springs, Moriczville, Lake Thonotosassa, Turkey Creek, Pinecrest, Welcome, Keysville, Hopewell, Winston, and Lakeland. I think the plan worked well with people dropping out at various points along the route. Only 3 of us made it all the way to Lakeland. I plan on doing similar rides on the first Saturday of each month.

Gunny

Lake Placid, FL

Seven bikes left Plant City this morning for the 180 mile round trip to Lake Placid via back roads, including Agricola Mine Rd., to Fort Meade, then down 17 and across the Florida Cracker Trail (66), then down 27 to our destination. The trip down was fairly uneventful until one of our new members decided to test the firmness of the shoulders on Lake Josephine Drive. Everything came out okay, but you just can't trust those Harley's on tight corners.

The town of Lake Placid turned out to be a real treat for some of us as we explored some of the 40 murals painted on the buildings. Others thought the biggest treat was to sit in the shade while we explored. To each, their own, I guess. Anyway, you can see some of the pictures we took by clicking on PHOTOS. For more, click on the link to the Navigator's Rides on the right side of this page.

After the exploration was finished, Ace suggested we ride to the Wild Turkey Tavern in Avon Park for lunch. As it turned out, it was a great idea. The food was excellent, the atmosphere interesting and the beer cold. After we all ordered, Eddie brought our attention to the steaks that a couple at another table were eating and we decided that we would have to make a return trip some Tuesday evening for their steak special.

We headed home with full stomachs and rainy skies. Luckily, the rain was nearly finished when we left Avon Park and we didn't get too wet.

Boyd and I stopped at Fun Bike Center on our way home to watch a demo ride by the Buell team. The skill of those three guys on their cycles was amazing.

See you all next week,

Gunny

August 9th Beach Ride

It was ten for breakfast this morning, including Tommy’s brother-in-law, Chip Glass, and Kyle’s friend, Samantha Jones. After breakfast, the two cagers left to do whatever it is that cagers do on a Saturday morning and the rest of us mounted our bikes and set off for Anna Maria Island. Along the way, Robert and Ace dropped out for business reasons, leaving six to test the elements.

We did a pretty good job of avoiding the rain as we made our way south and east. Somewhere on the Tamiami Trail, a gust of wind lifted my map pocket, sucked the map out, and blew it back past the bikes behind me. No problem, I knew how to get to Anna Maria without it, but its loss would prove significant later. Everything went well until we turned onto Manatee from 41 and were greeted with a view of a solid wall of water a couple of blocks in front of us. Being somewhat sensible, we immediately began looking for shelter and were lucky enough to find the covered drive thru lanes of a closed bank that was large enough to accommodate us all. Boyd took these pictures as we wait for the rain to stop.

Once the rain let up, we continued on to Anna Maria Island where Chip led us to one of favorite restaurants, The BeachHouse, at 200 Gulf Drive North. We were treated to a great view of the Gulf of Mexico, good company and fine food.

After lunch, we continued on south to St. Armands Key, then turned east to start our homeward leg. Now here is where the loss of my map and the inability to seach Honda's GPS while moving, became critical. I knew I wanted to get to Fruitville Road, but missed it because I did not realize that 780 was Fruitville Road. After a couple of wrong turns, I finally found somewhere to stop to program the GPS. As it turns out, we were only a few blocks off course and were soon on our way home.

All-in-all, it was a good ride. There was a lot of rain in the area but remarkably little of it fell on us, although those of us who ride with their knees in the breeze had wet legs from time to time.

Rider's Note: The last time we stopped for gas in Myakka City, they only had regular gasoline. Since none of the bikes riding today needed premium, I though it would be okay to stop there today. However, they now have NO gasoline. All the pumps are closed down. I also talked to the owner of the Duette Market at 62 and 39. He is also considering closing his pumps. In short, be sure you are well fueled if traveling in those areas.

Gunny

August 2nd Lake Buffum Ride

Seven bikes, including 2 guests, left Plant City this morning for our Saturday ride. However, the two guests soon disappeared after making an unannounced fuel stop. Remember - when participating in group rides, be sure the ride leader knows if you are leaving the group for any reason.

The remaining five bikes, J.T., Boyd, Eddie, Lloyd & I, continued on through the back roads through Old Florida, over to Agricola Mine Road, then on to Ft. Meade for a water break. It was then onto the Lake Buffum area for a few more twisties.
We then worked out way past Lake Wales, Winter Haven, K'ville to Lakeland for a stop at Fun Bike Center so Eddie could get a turn signal lens replaced.
Thanks to this week's photographer, J.T., for these images.

August Ride Schedule

August 2—Ft. Meade & Lake Buffum
August 9—Gulf Coast Beaches
August 16—Lake Placid
August 23—Cedar Key
August 30—Lake Panasoffkee

As we are pretty well set on breakfast at Snellgroves every Saturday morning, we are moving the ride start from the Depot to J. Arden Mays Blvd., next to the Whistle Stop Cafe. That's where we end up anyway. See you there.

Gunny

July 26 Ride To Pecks Old Port Cove

Ten of us met for breakfast at Snellgrove's this morning. Afterwards, Bill McDaniel, J.T. Sims, Mark Pfister, Kyle Russell, Lloyd Lowery, his wife, Julie, & I headed for Crystal River via, Zephyrhills, San Antonio, Brooksville and Lecanto. We stopped at US-19 and W. Ozello Trail so Bill could set up his video camera, then headed down the twisties to Pecks. A lot of slow traffic kept speeds to a minimum, but it was still a nice ride, especially for Mark, Kyle & Lloyd who were riding it for the first time.
Lunch, as is usual for Pecks, was excellent. We headed towards home about 12:30 p.m. This time Ozello Trail was a little less crowded, giving us a better chance to enjoy the pleasures of this particular stretch or highway. Arriving at Citrus Way and US-98, we decided to straighten out our route and head for the barn as skys were threatening rain. Although we did experience a few brief showers along the way, the resultant cooler temperatures were welcomed by all.
All-in-all, it was a good ride. Hopefully, Bill will have more pictures and/or video posted on The Navigator's Rides.
I hope to see you all on next week's ride.

Gunny

July 19 Ride

Eight of us met for breakfast at Snellgrove's this morning. Afterwards, six of us headed south en route to Pine Level, the former county seat of both Manatee and DeSoto counties. Everything went well until a bee flew into Preacher's helmet, precipitating the first stop of the day. After everyone grabbed a water, we were off again. The plan was to head south on 665 then south on Pine Level Road. Arriving at Pine Level Road we encountered the second problem of the day. Pine Level road turned out to be hard packed dirt covered by pea gravel. Now Gold Wings are great bike in almost every respect but they do not like the dirt. Besides, there was no way Preacher was going to take a chance on dinging his Wing. Keep in mind that there are few roads down there and most are not paved. So, we took a LONG detour. We did finally make it to Old Pine Level only to find that the buildings shown on the web site were no longer there. The only thing left that we could see was an old historical marker. Interesting, but not what we were looking for. Ace chased down a local pulling into his driveway who pointed out the remains of the old hanging tree which had been blown down by Hurricane Charley and the location where the courthouse had stood. He was also informed that the first floor of the Pine Level Methodist Church was the original schoolhouse. Oh well, the joy is in the journey, not the destination. Leaving the location, Robert informed me that he was getting low on fuel. A quick search of the Nav system showed the closest gas station close to our route home was the BP at Myakka City, so off we went. Upon arrival, we found all but one pump was out of order and the working pump only had regular and Robert needed premium. So it was off to the next station, 25 miles away. Did I mention that there aren't many services down there? Anyway, everything worked out and we all made it back home. Did I mention that it was the journey, not the destination?
For more see Ace's blog.

Gunny

Four Corners Photographs

Click here for Four Corners Photo Album. Check back often for updates.

The Ride Remembered

Here are a few pics of our trip from my camera (Please note that clicking on the picture will show you an enlarged copy).

The road from Taos to Sante Fe
starts out with majestic views of wooded mountains, but quickly changes to desert scrub with almost no transition area.







I wish we had spent more time in Madrid, NM. The people were very friendly and definitely unique. The atmosphere was very laid back. Bryan, to his credit, wanted to hang around until the Madrid Roadhouse opened for lunch, but, as usual, I was in too big of a hurry. Note Pete's Russian made Ural motorcycle and sidecar. Pete rides this thing summer and winter since the sidecar wheel can also be a drive wheel. That's Pete sitting next to Bryan below. Pete also participates in local naked horseback rides. I was afraid to ask how that works. Boyd is being regaled with local legends by the boardinghouse owner.



The view from Sandia Crest is pretty impressive, but the real treat is the ride up. But since I don't have pictures of the ride, I'll show you a view of Albuquerque, NM from the crest and the radio tower array at the top. You'd think you would get a great cell phone signal up there. You can if you stand in exactly the right spot while holding your left arm and right leg in the air. The Hummingbirds liked the area, too.





Since the Petrified Forest/Painted
Desert was our first National Park on the trip, we spent a lot more time taking pictures than was really warranted. The Painted Desert views were great, but one was pretty much the same as another. The desert colors do change from one area of the park to another, but we were tired of the view before we got to the color changes. The most interesting thing in the Painted Desert is the Painted Desert Inn. It is no longer used for guests but is still an interesting structure.
At the south end of the park is the Petrified Forest. "Forest" is a misnomer since the trees are no longer standing and most have broken into pieces over time.

Keep watching this article. I will add more as time permits.

Home Again

Boyd and I made the final 408 mile leg of our journey yesterday, arriving back in Lakeland just after 4:00 P.M. The trip, mostly on US-280 and I-75, was fairly uneventful until we reached the Ocala area when we started to get some rain. Thankfully, it didn't get very heavy until we exited I-75 at Lake Panasoffkee and then it didn't last too long. I heard from Bryan last night. He was in Cincinnati for a Reds game. I don't know when he intends to be home.

All in all, it was a great trip covering approximately 6,600 miles. We learned that the desert Southwest is very hot this time of year (I don't care if it is dry heat!), and after a while more rocks are just more rocks. There were many amazing sights to see, but we were all very happy to see greenery again. Boyd is working on putting together a collection of photos and videos taken on the trip. I will share some of those here when they are available.

Ride with Pride
Gunny

Charleston, MO to Opelika, AL

This morning we parted company with Bryan who headed to Louisville to visit a friend. Boyd & I headed towards home. The idea was to take secondary roads, which led to our only real problem of the day. The route I selected was to have taken us across the Mississippi River via a ferry. However, as we approached the ferry site, we realized that the river flooding had closed the ferry. That force us to backtrack about 25 miles before we could find another place to cross the river on I-155. Once that had been accomplished, we made fairly good time down to Jackson, TN, Birminham, AL and finally stopped for the night in Opelika near Auburn University. We hope to be home for dinner tomorrow.

Gunny