Toes in the Water and Beyond!

We made it home safe and sound. A week together and almost 2100 miles on the motorcycle and we survived!

Luckily we were blessed with good weather for most of our trip and once the repairs were made to the bike at the Bowling Green Harley Davidson dealership, it operated flawlessly the rest of the week. If any of you guys want the details on the warranty issues, I'm not the one to explain but I believe it had something to do with a flawed "o" ring and the oil pump. After almost six hours of repairs we were finally on our way and made it as far as Athens, Alabama the first night. We had no traffic through Nashville but riding in the dusk and dark to our first stop made me a little nervous. It didn't help that several deer vs. motorcycle stories were fresh in my mind! The next morning was brisk but we warmed up quickly and stopped to take off our heavy riding gear at this rest stop. Alabama was a new state for me and this is pretty much what I will remember of it. Lots of trees! By late afternoon we made it to Destin. We had heard about the white sand beaches but had no idea the sand would remind us of a midwestern snowfall!

With so many condos and beautiful beaches, it is easy to see why so many of our neighbors enjoy vacationing here in the spring. But there certainly were no crowds or traffic to contend with at this time of year and we probably would not have had any problem finding a room at any of the hotels. I don't know if it was just because it was election week or because it is typically much cooler at this time of year.

Have you ever heard of a "toe in the water ride"? Evidently there are some motorcycle riding crazy people who ride all the way to the coast, dip their toes in the water, get back on their bikes and ride all the way back home without any other stops. We couldn't be called crazy could we? After all, we did stop several places!

After a night in Destin with a sunset visit to the beach, dinner at Pampano Joe's and a pleasant stay at a Holiday Inn Express near the beach, we ventured on down the coast line on Highway 30A. We drove through the pretty town of Seaside and other beach communities. We were amazed at how dead everything was and how few tourists seemed to be around. This looked like a wonderful place to spend some time on the Gulf and there were lots of cottages and condos for sale. I suppose the economy has affected this area but we did see some building still going on. (Thanks Lucy for the travel tips! I see why you enjoy rv'ing here!)

We stopped for lunch in the quaint town of Apalachicola.

This was probably one of our favorite stops along the way and one we would return to in the future. We saw the Boss Oyster and chose to eat here.

Here's the food photo of the week! One of their specialty po-boy's!

Guess who enjoyed this mound of seafood! Can you tell his mouth is full? Guess he deserved it with all the driving that was ahead of him!

We took a few minutes to browse through some of the cute shops nearby. The Sponge Company was quite an interesting place. This old diver guarded the entrance and a cute three-legged rescued kitty greeted customers inside.
Tripod is the kitty's name!
Thanks for tuning in for this portion of the trip. I'll post more in the very near future. Right now it is time to continue with the mounds of laundry that came home with us and change from my pj's to something suitable for the much needed trip to the grocery. D is headed out to wash the bike and trailer. Fall weather has returned and life will have to return to normal, whatever that is ! See you later!