Motorcycle Ride Around Lake Okeechobee

There are rides and then there are rides!  The ride around Lake Okeechobee is something all motorcyclist should experience.   Not widely talked about, but one of the best roads through a diverse natural setting. This ride takes you around the 4th largest lake within the United States.  Reachable on a day trip from either Miami or Orlando.  It is a fun ride that takes you through farmland and parts of the Everglades.  



The ride around this lake will take you through sugar cane fields, the Everglades and old growth cypress forest.  This ride envelops the senses, if that wasn't enough, once we reached the top of the  lake we took an Airboat ride seeing live Alligators in there natural habitat.

Leaving Weston near Miami Florida it is a quick 40 mile ride on US Highway 27 north towards Lake Okeechobee.   We stopped in Pahokee at the southern end of the lake, for lunch at Poppa Jimmy's Catfish.   It was a quick lunch and off to the North end of Lake Okeechobee where we took an Airboat ride in the Everglades near the lake. 

On the way back to Miami we had the pleasure of meeting an Alligator on the side of the road. Needless to say we didn't stop for conversation.  Please if you are in Florida make this ride around the lake. Sure the ride to Key West is cool and the thing to do; but while you're down south make sure you get that Lake Okeechobee notch in your belt. 

The Hemingway House in Key West

In life, not many things make me go WOW!!! But the Hemingway House in Key West has been one of them.   Yesterday after riding our motorcycles from Miami to Key West, we made our way first thing to the Hemingway House.   It did not disappoint.

Hemingway, a figure larger than life, was a lover of life.  A traveler, a writer who led a tumultuous life during a turbulent time.   Being bipolar, everyone in his life was one roller coaster ride.

The $20,000 pool cost him more than he paid for the whole house, which cost $8,000.  On sort of a revenge spending spree, his second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer, had his boxing rink replaced with a pool in the backyard.  This was all done while he was with his mistress Martha Gellhorn covering the war in Spain.   Needless to say, she was not happy when he returned.   Throwing a penny into the pool telling Pauline here is my last red cent so you can spend it.  Pauline jumped in the pool and pressed the penny into the still unset concrete. It is on view there today.

Key West is one of those places that will stir the soul.  It seems everything is simple and larger than life all at the same time: great seafood, great architecture, great beaches, and great people.  You can keep Hawaii, I'll take the Florida Keys anytime.

Chasing Tennessee Counties: Following the Cumberland River East

Well it's time to ride some more Tennessee County seats.  I love to ride my motorcycle, throw in great scenery, it simply becomes extraordinary.  One of the most underestimate places in the country, middle eastern Tennessee, where the Cumberland River flows out of the Plateau.  The hills and river create a outstanding backdrop for some of the best riding on the planet.

The world feels new again as we head out of Clarksville after a early morning spring rain.  .  We make our way east and get to Gallatin on Highway 25 a great motorcycle road.  We have lunch in the Sumner County square at across from the Courthouse.  It was a nice surprise to find a genuine Cajun restaurant called Crescent City Po Boys.  This place is worth a trip all by itself.  After some gumbo and a Oyster Po Boy it was time to ride.

We make our way to Hartsville then turn towards Lafayette riding north on Highway 10.  This road is simply a religious experience. We take big fast sweeping turns through rounded hills as we make our way to our destination.   Once in Lafayette we take Highway 52 to our evening destination of Red Boiling Springs.

Our first stop is the Springs is Cyclemos Motorcycle Museum and Restoration Center.   This place was awesome, it was great to look at the old Harleys.  The real treat was watching a restoration in progress.  The shop is part of the museum.  It was fun talking to the restorers and getting to ask questions about the old bikes.  While we were there they were working on a 32 flat head with a suicide shift, an old Chicago police bike.

After touring the museum we go right next door to our Bed and Breakfast The Armour's Hotel a hotel from days long past.  When Red Boiling Spring was a vacation mecca for Nashville due to the soothing waters of the natural springs. Red Boiling Red Springs had everything; over 22 hotels, a gambling hall, even a house of ill repute called nickel hill.   The hotel had incredible rooms and common areas.  We ate both dinner and breakfest at the hotel and it was in very good restaurant quality food served family style,  The great part about a bed and breakfast are the people that you meet.  From the maintenance man working on the Hotel to the city planner from Indianapolis.

After checking in we take a short ride to Celina TN to pick up another county for the HOG chapters presidents challenge.  On the way back we come across Doyle's Iris Patch.  Imagine a 2 acer of flowers.  Doyle's retirement project is something else.

Well back to the Hotel for the night.  Then after breakfast we ride to three more county seats; Gainsboro, Carthage, and Lebanon.  Between Gainsboro, and Carthage we ride on Highway 85 which is Tennessee's version of tail of the dragon.  After Lebanon we take Highway 109 back to Gatlin and rejoin Highway 25 for the trip home.  It turned out to be a fantastic trip notching 6 more counties in our quest to ride all of Tennessee.  With middle eastern Tennessee exposed we just hope the secret doesn't get out there to much.