In March, a local friend suggested riding to Palatka.
“What’s in Palataka,” I asked.
He responded that he wasn’t sure…but it looked like there was a mess of good backcountry roads perfect for motorcycles…at least that’s what the map showed.
So me and the other Usual Suspects loaded up our gear, booked hotel reservations and rode off into the (relatively) cool Florida morning weather.
We met in Ruskin on a clear, sunny morning and were on the road shortly after. We stopped in Leesburg for lunch and arrived to Palatka by early afternoon.
We ordered pizzas, picked up some cold beer and relaxed by the pool as we discussed the next couple days.
We wanted to see St. Augustine, so that was the next day’s ride.
The ride up was nice—barely an hour away—but we could tell it was starting to warm up.
NOTE: I’d worn all of the gear I’d planned to take on an upcoming ride in India and Nepal—just to test it it—and it proved to be way too hot. The test was successful and I’m glad I found out beforehand. I’ll pack lighter mesh gear.
So 4 grown men got into a sightseeing “hop on/hop off” trolley and saw the sights in “America’s oldest continuously populated town.” That’s their description, not mine.
We hopped off to see the old fort then enjoyed some whisky tasting and burgers for lunch.
By the time we arrived back at the hotel we were all wiped out and ready for the pool again.
The next day was an easy ride back home via a slightly different route. Paul kept us off busy highways and on some very nice 2-lane roads. We cruised through some neat little towns, including Howie in the Hills.
We arrived back in the Tampa area by 3pm and all agreed it was a nice ride.
And the planning for our next ride—possibly to North Georgia—continues…
