by Gaz
FL Coast Day 4: Naples Beach
6:00 pm in Bikes & Cars, Travel by Gaz
With more than 600 miles and almost 20 hours of hard riding over the last 3 days, we wanted to make a gentle start to today before embarking upon the final 250 mile leg back to Orlando. After a late breakfast we packed up and went directly to the lovely beach pictured above, where Tave and Megan spent a happy 3 hours or so snorkeling while collecting a bucket load of shells and getting sunburnt on their backs ;-)
Around 2:30 the sun disappeared behind the clouds as we got back on the bikes and set off towards I-75 for a fast route home, but once again, within 15 minutes of starting the engines, the heavens opened for a real downpour. Considering how bright the weather had been so far, we decided to stop for food and try again, but even though the rain had stopped at the restaurant, we had only travelled 4 or 5 miles before we had caught up with it again. This time, the rain was hard enough to make for poor visibility, and it would have been foolhardy to continue, so we turned around and booked another night at the Best Western. Watching the forecast on television, we could expect a similar day tomorrow with sun and clear skies until noon, before more storms set in. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and preparing ourselves for a sprint in the morning to get back to Orlando before the rain was to start…
Oh I don’t know… none of us were in any fit state for the 250 mile ride back to Orlando if we hadn’t been rained off and relaxed in the hotel for another day first! :-*
An excellent day, Naples’ beach was lovely plenty of white sand and clear water excellent for snorkling ;-) Shame about the rain later in the day. x
Hi Ian,
I’m not yet sure whether leaving my laptop behind was a stroke of genius (keeping it dry on the back of a bike pummeling through driving rain at 60mph might be a challenge), or lunacy (having half a dozen posts to write up when I got back was tough going!).
I’m hoping that part of the reason Tom Tom discontinued their Rider Sat Nav is because their warranty replacement costs became troublesome when half of their buyers had their own pride and joy smashed into a million itty bitty pieces right before their eyes. As luck would have it, it bounced of my knee, then Megans knee, then our luggage before hitting the road… going through my wheel or even bouncing off my paintwork would have been a whole lot worse — though not as bad as being struck by lightning and then eaten by alligators :-)
Since I’ve become used to the Tom Tom software, and bought maps I’m not sure what my alternatives are at the moment if I’m not covered under warranty. Maybe I can claim on my bike insurance…
Cheers,
Gary
No! You hadn’t posted the last installment with the Sat Nav’s leap to its death when I commented. I bet gutted doesn’t really sum it up. Hungry alligators all around waiting for lightning cooked (or uncooked, they’re probably not fussy) meat would be a bit offputting. Regards, Ian
Hi Ian,
Yes the views are breathtaking, and the trip to Key West was worth it for those alone. Unfortunately, there’s nowhere to stop safely and take photographs from the bridges between the Keys, though if I’d been more organised I could have trusted Megan to take some shots from the pillion seat without dropping my camera. Then again, losing my Sat Nav was bad enough without risking any more of my gadgets!
Being a lightning conductor is bad enough, but when surrounded by hungry alligators it sure could get a whole lot worse in short order! LOL
Cheers, Gary
Hi Gary, Sounds like your trip started well until the rain set in. Somehow I could imagine you when you commented about the Jack Daniels on the first night. The views must have been spectacular. Shame you missed out on the airboat ride, but being a lightning conductor isn’t a good occupation. regards, Ian