Chapter Seven: Everglades and the Gulf

Today's Miles:  307.1   Don's Total Miles:  1,166.0     Sherry's Total Miles:  1,386.3

After another good night of SLEEP....ahhhhhh.....I woke up and did a fast HOT shower.  As I dressed I heard some movement outside the room so I pulled back the curtain.  There was Sherry in her PJ's and with a room towel wiping the HEAVY dew off the bikes.  She is a lot more efficient than I am.  I would just let the sun do its job and dry the dew away naturally and if any remained on the seat I would just have a damp rear.

According to the Weather Bug radar there was a itty bitty clump of rain to the southeast and that was it.  That made pretty confident that at least the first bit of the ride would be free of clouds spitting at us.  We are still amazed that IN FLORIDA and IN THE SUMMER we have been on the road for three days and basically have not had any rain to speak of.

We got the bikes loaded up and made a quick stop at the registration office to drop off our keys.  Back on the bikes I took off and swung through the little maze of parking lots and got ready to pull out onto U.S. 1.  I looked in my mirror and.....no Sherry.  So I stopped and waited.....still no Sherry.  I did quick U-turn and started back and here she came.  She had forgotten to take a picture of her mileage last night so that is what she was doing.

We whipped up U.S. 1 to the first good intersection, turned left, and proceeded to right past State Road 997 which we were supposed to turn onto.  We went up a bit to find a good spot to swing around and we did it in the parking lot of Robert Is Here.  I didn't even notice the sign but was just pulling in to turn around.  Sherry thought that I had seen the sign and was going to take a picture for my brother, Robert.  I wasn't.....but I did and immediately posted it for him.  More significance to this later.

The early morning ride was nice.  We took 997 about 20 miles through Homestead, FL to U.S. 41 where we pulled into a Pilot Truck and Travel Center to gas up.  After topping the tanks we parked so that I could run in to get a morning pick-me-up in the form of Starbucks Coffee Double-Shot, a water, a coffee for Sherry, and a package of mini donuts.  We had parked next to another back.  It was owned by a fellow rider who lives in Homestead named Miguel.

We talked with him for a bit sharing our adventures and listening to his and giving him the address of the blog.  When we told him where we spent the night he asked "did you go to Robert Is Here?" 

We laughed because we only saw it because we missed our turn.  He said that it had been there forever and was a great place to stop and eat.  On the picture that I posted on Facebook with the Robert Is Here sign I got a comment from a J&P Cycles friend, The Wandering Sparrow, saying that "I love that place".  We had no idea that we were at such a landmark.

Miguel rode off and I gave Sherry one of my mini donuts.  She was polite and took it but she really didn't want it.  So she did the most natural thing.....she started feeding the birds.  Well, Sherry may not have wanted that donut but the birds sure did.  She would hold out her hand and they would come and eat it right from her fingers.  Of course only a couple birds could do that at a time so the remaining birds, seeing that I was busy trying to take a picture of Sherry feeding their friends, proceeded to attack the package of remaining donuts on my seat.

After feeding the wildlife more than feeding myself we headed out and hit U.S. 41 which would be our home for virtually the rest of the day.  For the next 80 or 90 miles we would be heading across the Florida Everglades.  This was going to be the first time for either of us to ride across the "Glades" and frankly we didn't know what to expect.  Let me tell you.....it was gorgeous.  There were miles and miles of seemingly untouched land.  A lot of it was wetlands.  We did see a couple of gators floating there watching humans watching them.  I'm sure that the beautiful blue skies with the bright sun helped but it was absolutely stunning.  It stayed wonderful for the whole time.

Now it wouldn't be a good motorcycle riding segment if I didn't have some kind of FUBAR to mention.  While at the Pilot I had taken my log book out of the saddlebag and as I was putting it in I had to go back in it to grab a paper to write the blog address to give to Miguel.  Fast forward about a half hour and we are riding along enjoying the Everglade sights and Sherry comes flying up next to me, honking her horn, and flagging me to pull over.  I did not shut my saddlebag and it was floppiing open leaving ample opportunity for some pretty important stuff......like deodorant, spare socks, and oh yeah the camera....to flop out.

The funny part about leaving the west end of the Everglades was that you go through miles and miles and miles of land that is as it has been for hundreds or thousands of years and then it is like going through a curtain......from primitive to million dollar neighborhoods in Naples, FL.  Don't get me wrong, those homes are also beautiful but in a 21st Century way.

One last note about U.S. 41 through the Everglades.  Florida taxpayers could have saved enough money to fund another theme park if the state hadn't spent so much money on "NARROW BRIDGE" signs.  Seriously, there was a "NARROW BRIDGE" every 100 or 200 feet and there was a sign for each and every one of them.  Nothing they can do now.  They are already bought and paid for.....although it probably played havoc with the National Debt.

We passed the Ft. Myers airport and we were a bit concerned.  There was a sign that said "Caution Low Flying Planes".  We ducked our heads and we safely made it through the "danger area".  After working our way north a bit we stopped at a Race Trac gas and convenience store for.....well, gas and convenience.  We topped off our tanks and had a nutritious meal of deli items from the Race Trac cooler.  Nothing too remarkable there except the obligatory drunks yelling at each other.

We continued north through all the Gulf of Mexico coastal cities and towns.  When we got to Sarasota and saw the turn for Longboat Key I asked Sherry if she wanted to go over there or keep heading to our room.  A few years ago she had gone to Longboat Key with her twin sister for a bit of a break from the daily working life.  It was great and they had a fantastic time.  She kind of wanted to see it and relive that good time.  However, it was getting later in the afternoon and the thought of getting into our rooms had a magnetic effect.....she chose moving on.

Just south of Tampa we pulled off to give our map a little check.  In Tampa we would be leaving our connection with U.S. 41 and we wanted to make sure we did it correctly......not that we have a history of wrong turns or anything!  We talked with a fellow biker who gave us his opinion and discussed bikes and traveling a bit.

In Downtown Tampa we left U.S. 41 to State Road 60 that would take us across the Causeway over to Clearwater, FL.  The Causeway more or less splits through Tampa Bay.  With water on both sides and a nice breeze it was very comfortable riding across the Bay.  On one side of the Causeway there is a VERY narrow strip of sandy shore.  That shore....FOR MILES....was packed.  I'm not talking about "a lot of people" but it was PACKED.  The only Social Distancing going on was the fact that they were 300 miles from Cuba.  Beyond that..........they were packed in there so close that no virus would have been able to squeeze in with them.  So I guess that they were safe.

We turned up Alt 19 a little bit north and came to our stop for the night, the Comfort Inn and Suites.  It had a small carport and the registration desk told us that we should park our bikes under that roof.  Very nice of him.  We did walk across the street so that Sherry could stick her toe in the Gulf but it was hardly what you would a beach so a toe in the water was all that happened.

We ordered a great pizza from a place called Jet's to have it delivered.  It was to take 45 minutes to an hour.  That gave us time to hit our rooms and shower up.  I also got in a call to Lisa who, by the way, is enjoying a little bit of "No Don House".  The pizza came so Sherry popped into the room.

We ate and settled back a little chit-chatting a bit.  In all this traveling we really hadn't had much time for talking.  You will be happy to know that we solved ALL the world's problems.  I am sure that you will notice the difference over the next couple of days.  With that Sherry shuffled off to her room and, well, here I am.  I will close this up for now.  I'll be back with you tomorrow.