Ride Details
Key West, Florida - November 20th - 30th,
2008
Join us our 5th trip to
Key West! This ride which will take us South via the Smoky Mountains to the Gulf
Coast of Florida and on to Key West. We will visit, Cedar Key, Crystal River,
Manatee Springs and Shark Valley (just to name a few) as we head South. Return
via the cane fields of Central Florida and the East Coast. See the vast Lake
Okeechobee, Orange Groves and get your feet wet in the Atlantic Ocean.
Why go Thanksgiving week which is family time for a lot of
people? Well, for that very reason Key West is not very crowded, hotels are
reasonably priced and traffic is not nearly as bad.
What do you need to bring? Well, be prepared to ride in
weather that is 30 degrees and up to 95 degrees. I know, that means a lot of
packing and a lot of space. I suggest you consider heated vests. Most touring
bikes will maintain enough battery charge to handle a vest for the rider and
passenger. They will keep you toasty down to 30 degrees and in some cases, even
colder. Plus, they take up very little space when you consider the equivalent of
non heating clothing. Two heated vests can fit in a shoe box. You should also
bring warm gloves.
Live up North and you want to go with us? I can
help you find a secure place to park your rig if you want to trailer down
to Knoxville or Nashville. All I need is a couple of weeks notice to do so.
Here is a list of the accommodations to date. Please check
this page often and make reservations as we do so as to assure we all stay in
the same hotel.
Don't want
to stay at my hotel? No big deal, simply be at my hotel at
the morning departure time.
November 20th - Thursday (221 miles) Depart
Knoxville from McDonalds on I-40 Exit 407. Contact me for departure time. Ride
to Madison, Georgia.
Reservation: Red Roof Inn #661 on I-20 at Rt. 441
(Exit# 114) 2080 Eatonton Rd., Madison, Georgia 30650 - (706)342-3433
November 21st - Friday (285 miles) Madison Georgia to
Crawfordsville, Fl. (Wakulla Springs).
Reservation: Best Western Wakulla Inn & Suites, 3292
Coastal Highway 98, Crawfordville, Florida 32327 - (850)926-3737
November 22nd - Saturday (281 miles) Crawfordsville, FL.
to Tampa, FL.
Reservation: Red Roof Inn #144 I-275 at at Busch Blvd. Exit #50) 2307 East Busch
Blvd. Tampa, Florida 33612 - (813)932-0073
November 23rd - Sunday (280 miles) Tampa FL. to Cutler
Ridge, Florida.
Reservation: LaQuinta Inn, Miami Cutler Ridge, 10821 Caribbean Boulevard, Cutler
Ridge, FL. 33189 - (305)278-0001
November 24th - Monday (137 miles) Cutler Ridge to Key
West, Florida.
Reservation: Fairfield Inn and Suites Key West, 2400 North Roosevelt Boulevard,
Key West, FL. 33040 - (305)296-5700
**Note** Check-In on the 24th and
checkout on the 27th.
November 27th - Thursday (290 miles) Key West Florida to
Ft. Pierce, Florida
Reservation: LaQuinta Inn & Suites, Fort Pierce, 2655 Crossroads Parkway, Ft.
Pierce, Fl. 34945 - (772)828-4199