Fort Myers ‘Beach Cruise’ (motorcycle tour)

Monday Feb 23, 2015



We finally went on our annual ‘Beach Cruise’. We like to start this motorcycle tour from Bonita Beach Road and then follow it through to Fort Myers beach. Although from past experience we know better than to do this route during March break. (A couple of years ago we made that mistake, having to waddle along on our bikes sweating profusely waiting for the traffic to move an inch at a time) But it’s a Monday today and still February, surely it would not be too bad to head out there…

Wrong!  It turned into the reminiscent stop and start, getting a cramp in your hand from working your clutch too much, busy. Maybe it had something to with the fact that this month has not been ideal sun bathing or biking weather for that matter. (As you may have noticed by the lack of entries I have)

While the rest of the country has been under mountains of snow and has traded places with the Arctic, we too have had our share of cold resulting in frosty mornings and generally crap weather. In fact it has been such a chilly February this year that today was the first really warm day in weeks. Whatever the reason, obviously, we were not the only ones who wanted to take advantage of it. 

The ride was pleasant enough until we turned onto Estero Blvd. and found ourselves at a complete stand still as the two-lane road merged to a single lane. Then there was that one hair rising moment when Mr. Wisconsin SUV who had waited until the last possible moment to merge into the bumper to bumper traffic, decided that he could fit between two motorcycles! After my ‘honey’ yelled a few choice words as we abruptly stopped to let him get in front of us instead of letting him wear us like a hood ornament and a tail fin. We then continued to crawl along at a snails pace through Bay’s and Big Hickory Island. Finally we were moving again as the traffic thinned out over Lover’s Key on our way to Fort Myers Beach. At least this gave the sweat that had started to pool in the creases of my motorcycle jacket a chance to dry up. (Mr. Wisconsin SUV finally turned off at the Lover’s Key park entrance – I suppose he was in a hurry to get the canoes that were strapped to his roof in the water before it evaporated)

Fort Myers beach was just as congested as we finally pulled into the parking lot that borders along the beach. Cars were circling around the full parking spaces like vultures waiting for their chance to dive bomb into the next opening. Heh, heh, the best thing about site seeing on a motorbike, when you stop you can always find a parking space! Not to mention that Fort Myers has a ‘Motorcycle Only’ space in the parking lot. J  We then headed over to the pier to take in the scenery (as in do a little “people watching” – what else do you do at a beach <grin>).

It sure felt like March break by the sea of beach umbrellas that littered the shoreline as far as the eye could see. However on closer inspection, instead of hordes of tiny bikini clad and shirtless young people sporting sunburns, the majority was a mass of shrivelled bronzed retirees shuffling along the walkways and laying on the beach like dead fish that have been washed ashore. 








I am not one for just lying on a beach for hours letting the sun bake me like a casserole. Instead, I prefer going for a nice walk along the shore letting the foamy water tickle my toes, however there were just too many people crowding the beach for me to even venture out onto the sand.

So we sauntered along the pier and watched a few pelicans trying to steal a free meal from the fishermen who were lazily dangling their hooks from above. 







At last our 4-hour tour (most of which was spent sitting in traffic) had come to an end. We arrived home at 3 pm which was perfect timing for our afternoon cocktail. J 

Believe it or not, I was a sweaty mess. (Even I sweat when temperatures reach 29C /84F ) So as I changed from my sticky bike clothes I happened to glance in the bathroom mirror and to my horror I realized I had gotten totally sizzled! – I am now resigned to look like a red-faced raccoon…  

hmmm, eerie resemblance don’t you think? LOL