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Author Topic: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....Mar. 2018  (Read 4455 times)

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JCZ

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JC & Babe's ride to Key West....Mar. 2018
« on: March 08, 2018, 05:07:06 PM »

Babe and I rode down last weekend.  Great weather and a great ride.  And I love the Florida Turnpike for trying to cover miles.....with the service stops.  More states need those!

This first shot is any of the highways around Umatilla here.....on our way over to the Florida Turnpike



Once we got down to Miami Beach of course I had to take Babe over to Star Island....she'd never been.

























« Last Edit: March 08, 2018, 07:29:52 PM by JCZ »
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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2018, 05:08:16 PM »


Then we rolled on over to South Beach and the art deco district.  Not near as impressive during the day, without all the neon lights lit up.....





















The Versace Mansion....




I've only been here a couple of times previously.  These are the steps where Johnny Versace was shot and killed by Edward Cunanan.  The gate had been closed and locked the two previous times I'd been here.  So I assumed they were open for tours....



I stepped across the street to see what it cost to tour and what's included.  I asked the lady dressed in black that had just came down the steps "did you go in?" and she replied "No.....but I don't think you can get in".  I found that odd so I asked "why not?"  She said "they have a dress code....it's casual".  I was in my typical levis with a long sleeve blue Nike shirt on.....I said "I'm as casual as they come lady".   :P







Having been to Miami Beach a couple of times, I know it can be hot and humid one minute and pouring rain the next.  So I try to keep a positive attitude in my less than "casual" attire.....


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JCZ

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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2018, 05:09:36 PM »


Jock......I really did try to zoom in on this shot to capture the boat....







My Babe.....



















The neon lights are starting to come on and the place is starting to get a little lively.....alcohol is flowing....



When I left my bike parked here, I had the whole parking space to myself.  I don't mind sharing but this is crazy......and they didn't even speak English.



As we start to head back across Biscayne Bay and our last glimpse of Star Island, the sky is getting darker and darker....with no break down lane to stop in, I tell Babe "as hot as it is, as soon as I get to the other side....some place we can pull over and stop...we'll get our jackets out of the saddle bag and put our helmets (modular) on in case it rains".  Ohhhhhh.....big mistake even saying that....









We didn't get another 100 yds. and it came down in buckets!  Babe yelled at me "I think it's hail".  I told her "it doesn't hail at 80F.....those are huge azz rain drops".   :o   In five minutes we were soaked, a puddle of water in my crotch.  When I finally had a place I could pull over (it was still coming down very, very hard), I opened the saddle bags to get our leathers and everything in the saddle bag was soaked within seconds.  Threw the camera in there (it didn't work for days but it's working now).  We continued to ride south on Hwy. 1 with it pouring for the next half hour, in stop and go traffic (mostly stopped) bumper, to bumper.  It is what it is and sooner or later we all take our turn.......once again.   The only up side to this experience is that it was warm rain so we weren't getting cold to the bone like I have other times.



We spent the first night at the Best Western Gateway To The Keys in Florida City, Florida.  Just a mile or so from where Hwy 1 steps off the mainland and heads into the Keys.  I mention this as an FYI..... because it was reasonably priced (compared to anything on the Keys) and a very nice Best Western to boot! 
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West Coast GTG   
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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2018, 06:32:32 PM »


I had made reservations for Babe and I with Everglades River of Grass Adventure Tour (rated #1 on Trip Advisor for air boat tours in Miami).  I had mixed feelings but proceeded.  Let me just say.....I would recommend this tour to everybody that's ever been curious about the air boats, gators or those Everglades.....just do it!  And, if you're lucky enough to get on the boat with Hank as your pilot, that'll be a bonus!  More about Hank later.....      :2vrolijk_21:

We meet the lady at the Pilot Travel Center (truck stop) on Krome Ave. and SW 8th St. in Miami.  Two cars and Babe and I on the bike follow here about a mile into the everglades to where the boats are lined up.....we're introduced to our boat pilots and told which boats we are going on (we did a 1 1/2 hr. semi-private tour.....there were five of us plus the pilot on our boat).  Sound protection is passed out, we are warned about bugs in your teeth....especially dragon flys and we're on our way.....














 









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West Coast GTG   
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JCZ

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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2018, 06:33:38 PM »

Hank spent all his life growing up on air boats in the everglades and he knows his way around.  He will share very interesting stories with you and of course......he knows right where to take you to see the local critters....here's a female (much smaller than the males).  Like a lot of women....she's just laying out there sunbathing...





Yep, that's my foot....






Now big daddy is out for a swim...



Here's a gator in the water between our boat and their boat....







These big gators have very large heads to go with it....



This guy looks like he's lost a few teeth....







Even the tail looks like it could do some serious damage....





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Never trade the thrills of living for the security of existence.  Remember...it's the journey, not the destination!

West Coast GTG   
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JCZ

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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2018, 06:35:36 PM »

We're doing 40 mph through the swamp grass and Babe's hat blows off.  Hank sees this happen and spins the boat around and goes back and went right to her hat and retrieved it.  I told you.....this guy knows his business out there in those everglades.  Thanks a bunch Hank, for retrieving her hat.  :bananarock:



The water looks very shallow in places but it's actually about waste deep or deeper....



These boats don't have reverse....so yes, we do go forward....




And here it is that Hank points out the little baby gator (maybe 10" long)....



and a bird that is native to the everglades.  Hank feeds him warms that is their primary diet out here....







and the two little baby gators that were near the front of our boat.....



It was about here that Babe asked Hank "would this boat go through that?" (pointing at the tall grass).  Hank says "oh sure....we can go that way if you'd like" and off we go.  I have to admit, I was surprised at how easily we just plowed right through it.











I don't know how it happened but that air boat matches the colors of that beautiful motorcycle sitting up on top of that hill....





and check out the art work on those rudders....









OK, I told you that Hank is a fascinating guy....kind a naturist on one hand and country boy at home in the everglades on the other hand.  He educates you to the everglades, it's animals and life/eco system in an interesting and fascinating kind of way.  One of the stories that he shared......he was out there in the everglades hunting the little white tail deer.  He has a keen eye for those swamps (that quickly became obvious to us as he pointed things out in the distance....it's his playground) and he noticed some movement off in the distance.  As he moved closer, he saw a python wrapped around a white tailed deer and the python had it's mouth over the snout of the little deer, suffocating it while he was constricting the deer.    He told us how the snake tried to slither away while still being wrapped around the deer maintaining it's constriction.  They killed the snake....the deer was already dead at that point.  I borrowed these two pics from Hank's facebook page (note the little boy holding the deer's head up out of the water)....






 
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Never trade the thrills of living for the security of existence.  Remember...it's the journey, not the destination!

West Coast GTG   
Reno, NV (04), Reno, NV (05),  Cripple Creek, CO (06)  Hood River, OR (09), Lake Tahoe, CA (11) Carmel, CA (14), Ouray CO (15) Fortuna, Ca. (16)

johnsachs

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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2018, 07:03:01 PM »

Nice pictures.  8)
Many years of riding in those areas with CVOSTU, when I was living in So. Florida.
John
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JCZ

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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2018, 08:10:30 PM »

Nice pictures.  8)
Many years of riding in those areas with CVOSTU, when I was living in So. Florida.
John

John, looking forward to catching up with you, Harry and Stuart again this weekend.  Supposed to be rain Sun. afternoon.

By the way......something going on on the main street in Deland on Sat.  They'll have the main street blocked off....motorcycles only, etc.
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Never trade the thrills of living for the security of existence.  Remember...it's the journey, not the destination!

West Coast GTG   
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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....Mar. 2018
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2018, 08:39:18 PM »

wow.  Great album of photos
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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....Mar. 2018
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2018, 09:21:03 AM »

One of the best posts EVER!!
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JCZ

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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....Mar. 2018
« Reply #10 on: March 10, 2018, 08:23:35 PM »

Thanks a bunch guys!   :bananarock:
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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....Mar. 2018
« Reply #11 on: March 10, 2018, 11:02:55 PM »

Thanks for sharing JC. I've been on one of those wind buggies. It a helluva lot of fun. We saw gators but not that up close. Loved the snake pics too.

 :2vrolijk_21: :2vrolijk_21:
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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....Mar. 2018
« Reply #12 on: March 11, 2018, 06:57:40 AM »

Thanks JC realy nice pics, have to go to Florida and Daytona one day sitting here in snowing Sweden brrrr
« Last Edit: March 11, 2018, 07:00:27 AM by ultra98 »
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JCZ

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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....Mar. 2018
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2018, 10:01:32 AM »

Thanks JC realy nice pics, have to go to Florida and Daytona one day sitting here in snowing Sweden brrrr

Thank you.  Posting these pics for you guys.  I'll be back in the cold soon enough.  :nervous:
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Never trade the thrills of living for the security of existence.  Remember...it's the journey, not the destination!

West Coast GTG   
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Re: JC & Babe's ride to Key West....Mar. 2018
« Reply #14 on: March 11, 2018, 09:26:28 PM »

Even though I live here (Florida) always looking for pic's a tourist takes that possibly show something I have missed. Are you going to post pictures of the Keys? Or did you stop in Everglades area?
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