There's No Place Like Home

September 17, 2007
We arrived home at 3:30pm after 400 miles leaving Brunswick, GA at 8:30am.
I'll write more once I get my fingers to uncurl.

Today was a day!
20 miles down the road (I95), the clouds looked a bit too ominous so we pulled over and donned out rain gear (what a pain .. need to rest for 20 minutes after putting everything on). We rode for another 40 miles before the sky's opened up .. in Jacksonville. I followed Terry and hoped he had a clue as to where he was going. The windshield on the Harley has no wiper, nor does our faceplates. To see, we have to peer around the windshield, once it's sufficiently covered with water. To prevent water from whipping under the faceplate, I have to cover the underside of it with my arm or hand, which means steering with one hand. Not so bad if it weren't for not being able to see through the windshield.

It rained through most of Jacksonville, down through St. Augustine. We didn't get the full brunt of the rain, which was off to our east, which could have made it a bit too dangerous to ride. The ride without the rain was relatively uneventful, which brought us to Melbourne, a good 240 miles from the start of the day.

Pulling over for gas (our third thus far) at the same station Terry filled his tank with diesel two years previous (tip .. don't do this). The rain gear was entirely too hot so we took it off, the sun shining brightly. 60 miles to Port St. Lucie so off we went. 40 miles south, Vero Beach to be precise, a rain cloud entirely too large, opened up upon us, but we rode, rainsuitless nonetheless. This was cause for great laughter as we got a good soaking, which was welcome given the heat of the day (Florida .. what a place). My jean legs were soaked but they'd dry with enough wind. We averted the other clouds, up until the exit for Fort Pierce. I decided to pull off I95 and take the Turnpike (the exit where the two roads nearly touch). We waved goodbye, yelling what a great ride this was, and off Terry went on I95, me thinking he had another good soaking coming.

As soon as I entered the turnpike I realized I was the one headed for the soaking. It turned out that the rain cloud didn't cover I95. Rather it was 1 mile south on the turnpike. Giving up .. laughing .. I stopped to don my rain suit once again. The downpour lasted 10 minutes .. long enough for me to return to I95 in Stuart. Back on I95, lots of clouds but no rain, I continued southward, pulling over 20 miles down the road to take the rainsuit top off (too hot). Not a drop more .. the remaining 60 miles home, arriving at 3;30. It's now 10pm and the Harley engine noise is just beginning to fade from my consciousness.

Terry was exactly correct about this being a perfect ride; 4,850 miles in 2 weeks, 2 day, lots of cold, hot, rain (no snow thank God), sites a plenty. It just doesn't get much better than this.