Twisted in Florida

(03-24-18)

After yet another cold spell the warmth finally came back to Southwest Florida. Today turned into a beauty day to get twisted. Our route was an old familiar one, not a long ride but it sure felt good to be on the bike again to clear the cobwebs that were starting to collect in my head.

I call this the Buckingham Route, original huh. There are a few twisties that keep it interesting and it is just a pleasant, relaxing ride. We have done rides like this many times before to varying degrees, hopefully this is one that I haven’t showed you, and if it is just scroll on by or pretend I haven't.


My Rambling thoughts…

I apologize that my blog this year has not been the motorcycle filled adventures of years past. Many factors have impeded on my ride time this year. 

First off, I was sick for almost the first month here. But at least a trip to the clinic got me on the road to recovery.  Getting company for a few weeks also put a kink into ride time. The BF also had an emergency trip to the dentist when his tooth broke and he too ended up on antibiotics. Then the weather, it has been a roller coaster of super sweaty highs and bone chilling lows. 

At least I managed to get in a couple of quick solo rides into town to the store back. They were enough to put a smile on my face and pacify me for a time. A short time, but I relished those rides none the less.

Last weekend (3-16-18) we did a neighbourhood ride where we explored some roads that are less travelled. I really enjoyed doing that. I took lead, which is rare, I just prefer following when we are together.  We putted along side streets that we have never been down before. The BF didn’t seem to mind, but I don’t think he would make it a habit of doing this kind of a ride. Me on the other hand, I loved it and would do rides like that more often. I just like taking my time and exploring when I ride.

Shortly after we left this rest spot at Naples Ave & Meadow Road,  a Sheriff pulled us over. No, it wasn’t anything we did, he was just looking for a couple of kids on dirt bikes who were terrorizing the neighbourhood and asked us if we had seen them. We barley seen any people, let alone anyone else on a bike. 

We have gotten in a few more rides here and there this season, but they were more of the same old routes that we have been down so many times before over the years. So instead of rehashing the same routes I opted not to repeat myself, for your sake and mine. Hence the lack of entries on my blog. I really hope to get at least one really long interesting ride in before heading back north. Just the thought of going home gives me a chill and there will probably still be snow when we get back to Canada this year, uggh! 

Until next time, keep... 

Cruising Through Life & Enjoying The Ride

Beating The Heat Through The Devils Garden

(02-10-18)

I hate to say it, but it has been almost too hot to ride this week! (I did say, ‘almost’) Right about now those of you who are still buried under a mountain of snow are probably cursing me. 

It really has been unseasonably hot for this time of year for Southwest Florida.  According to the “weather experts” it is about 10 degrees warmer than it normally is. I can’t remember February being so hot before. Usually I am still freezing my you know what off, and I am certainly not even thinking about shorts let alone wearing them. I will try to keep my complaining to a minimum though, because after all that is why I am here in the first place.

So, with the humidity bordering on tropical rainforest and temperatures soaring into the high 80s (30s in Celsius) I tried to focus on a route where there would be as little traffic congestion as possible. 

This was the perfect day to go through the Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest and into the farmlands. Choosing this route, the most there is to see are the herds of cattle that are scattered throughout the countryside. But as I said time and again, any road with twisties is considered a very rare occurrence, maybe even a miracle. The closest I could get with this route was a few sweeping curves, but for the most part it was just straight riding over barren flatlands. The bonus was that there was little to no traffic and not one traffic light until we got back into civilization. Ideal for a day that I am convinced I could have cooked an egg on the pavement. 

Our ride totaled 156 miles (251 km) 

I had originally planned to turn on Hill Grade Rd. but apparently it is now a private road because there was a gate across it and it was closed. Or maybe the road had been washed out. That happens around here. Anyway, it was just as well, as we rode by I noticed that it was nothing more than a dirt road.

By this point we were also looking for a place to stop for a rest, ideally near some shade. Although now that we were in the area referred to as the Devils Garden I wasn’t so sure we would find any. I knew if we stopped without a little protection from the sun on a day like today we would feel exactly like we were sizzling in the fire pit of hell. Okay, maybe I am being a little dramatic, but it would be steamy. 

Finally, we caught a glimpse of some shade trees further down. There was a road but no street sign and the pavement abruptly stopped a few feet in. I later learned the road was called Dooley Grade Rd. and if we were adventurous we could have followed it through to connect to 835.

We were not that adventurous …

Dooley Grade Rd. might actually have been a fully paved road at one time. 

But now it looked more like a trail than a road, but there was shade!

After our break we continued on to find that the 833 did work its way around to the 835 and then we were back on track. It really didn’t matter that we were taken further out of our way, after all that is what riding a motorcycle is all about. As we neared Clewiston we did run into traffic again and a few lights, but before we knew it we were moving at a good speed along 27 and 80 and the heat of the day was just a warm breeze with our knees in the wind. 

At the end of the day, it was just a perfect ride to beat the heat. 

Map Directions

Cruising Through Life & Enjoying The Ride...

Solo Ride In The Sunshine State

Honestly, I am happy
even though I don't look it

This year the BF left on a “All Boys” vacation to Nicaragua. Yes, I was a tad bit jealous, especially seeing he was also going to explore it on a motorcycle. I wouldn’t have been so forgiving to let him take off for a week if I were stuck back home in Ontario Canada under a mountain of snow. But seeing I am here in Florida and best of all with my motorcycle, I was actually going to enjoy having some ‘alone’ time.

Today’s ride was my three-hour sabbatical of sorts, and it certainly emptied the cobwebs out of my head.  It was like achieving a ‘Zen’ moment, only I felt at one with my bike, body and mind. 

“I can see clearly now…”  (song lyrics that just popped in my head, it happens)

One thing that became apparent after eight years of riding, today was the first “longish” ride I have actually taken alone. Sure, I have puttered around but never strayed too far and never for very long. The more adventurous rides have always been with my BF. This little birdie has finally begun to “spread her wings”. Not to say I don’t like riding with my BF, we just have different riding styles. For instance, I like to stop and snap a picture when something interesting catches my eye, he on the other hand never seems to notice and zooms by. Motorcycling and pictures just naturally go together (obviously from a bloggers point of view) and I was thinking when I started out today that I would end up with dozens of pictures of interesting things along the way. Funny thing happened though, I never did. (Hence the lack of pictures.) I only stopped once, okay that is wrong, twice. The first stop was to top off the tank, so that really doesn’t count. 

Now on with The Ride…
Motorcycle Route: Treeline Ave. – Three Oaks Parkway – Immokalee Rd. 


The actual route time will vary depending on where you are coming from

I took Treeline Ave. which is a two-lane road and has a moderate amount of traffic in spots. It is also one of the few roads around here that has some decent sweeping curves, which are hard to find in Southwest Florida. This is also a very popular route for motorcyclists because of that, and judging by the number of bikes I seen today, quite a few had the same idea as me.

When I got to Alico Rd. I made a right so that I could connect at the start of Three Oaks Parkway. It is just a short ride past the on ramp of 1-75 and you can only turn left onto it. However, it looks like one day this road might eventually go to the right. Three Oaks has even less traffic and is a pleasant ride through gated communities with manicured lawns and park like settings. Somewhere along the line the road morphs into Imperial Parkway. (If I had to pinpoint it I would say once you cross Coconut Rd.) Then it does another metamorphous and becomes Livingston Rd. I think this road just can’t make up its mind on what to call itself. Anyway, the entire way is nice, but there are a few traffic lights that might bog down the ride. I hit a few, but it wasn’t as irritating as riding on 41 through Fort Myers.

When I got to Immokalee Rd. I turned left.  The shops and housing developments soon give way to Orange groves. Once it opens up be prepared for it to get a bit windy. I pulled off for a small break, mainly to chug down some water and to finally take a picture. I noticed that I had stopped at the ‘Corkscrew Island Neighborhood’ sign, a place that is basically in the middle of nowhere and landlocked as far as I could tell. So what I really wanted to know is why is this area called an Island? …ahem, moving on... this road will take you by the Immokalee Casino, if you are so inclined to make a stop. I then made a left on Main Street in Immokalee and headed towards home. 

By the way, besides the liberating feeling of independence I had on this ride it also made me realize just how much I need (not want) I really need, to get another motorcycle when I get back to Canada, purely for therapeutic purposes of course. Hmm, wonder if OHIP covers that.  

(I know, soon you all will be telling me to shut up and just get another bike already)

Cruising Through Life & Enjoying The Ride