Kawasaki Versys Forum banner

San Francisco - Florida Keys, and back.

3K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  twowheeladdict 
#1 ·
I am leaving this Sunday Dec 2nd for a nice long ride. The plan is to make it round trip from my house in San Francisco to the tip of the Keys in Florida, Ill be on my 09 Versys.
I am hoping to take the 40 across drop into Lubbock Tx, to see family, then further east, pick up the 20, and eventually the 16 into Savannah Georgia. After I arrive on the east coast I plan on dropping into Florida and spending a week or so riding and touring. My main agenda would be Manatee, Swamps, Scuba? Ive never been to Florida so im pretty flexible on my plans.
As far as the trip home? I have not planned that out.
In either direction, I think the 10 is the best bail out route if weather goes bad.

I am hoping to find couch/floor space, or tent space for this trip. It would be great to meet some new folks and save some money. I mainly need a place to get a few hours sleep. I really do not need much. Also any sight seeing advice would be nice. Like I said I dont need much, a remote swamp, a manatee swimming through some brackish water way, a nice beach to swim...

Cheers, Gregory
 
See less See more
#7 ·
Thanks for the link. Ive been staying with family, friends and ADVrider.com folks, Id love to stop in on a kawasakiversys member and chat for the evening. Ill check the map out as I go along. Im in Wichita Falls now and I got held up visiting relatives for the last 3 days. Im off to the East tomorrow. Ill try to post pictures and more later. I have a facebook thread and an ASDV rider thread going now as well.
here is the ADV thread.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=844048


 
#8 ·
I'm a little over 300 south of Wichita falls and your most likely even farther east by now if i would have checked back on your progress sooner i would have invited you down. Your just missing a cold front that's gonna be 28 degrees the next 3 nights. Hopefully the cold weather will stay behind you! Enjoy your trip and keep us posted.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Manatees in Florida

Tincrow - Commendable effort; I wish you a safe and dry journey.

As a "legal" Floridian, I've come to appreciate manatees and hope you have much success in this part of your quest. Check out this Web sites for guidance: www.savethemanatee.org/places.htm.

Among the best sites I've experienced is Manatee Springs State Park, 11650 N.W. 115th St., Chiefland, FL 32626; (352) 493-6072. Campsites are $20 a night. www.floridastateparks.org/manateesprings/

While there are some locations on Florida's east coast to see manatee, most are on the west coast and several are at state parks. Since you're headed for the Keys, check out Bahia (pronounced BAY-uh) Honda State Park at Mile Marker 38. It has the only natural sand beach in the Keys and many tent sites ($36 a night and well worth it) are nestled in the oak hammock at the shore. Swimming there is akin to swimming inside an aquarium filled with tropical fish. Watch diving pelicans and terns as you snorkel among the birds' food source. Cabins are $160 a night. No manatees, of which I'm aware, but there were plenty of bull sharks in the bay when I last visited.
www.floridastateparks.org/bahiahonda/default.cfm.

I look forward to your ride reports.
 

Attachments

#10 ·
US 98 on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Make sure you take US 98 from the area west of Ocala and find the Spring Creek Restaraunt southof Crawfordsville, Fl on the water. I was dragged there against my will and now am trying to come up with a reason to get back there. It's a hole in the wall off the beaten path and inexpensive for as good as the food is. But US hwy 98, aka Coastal Highway, is a beautiful drive through there, and can get you back to I10 easily. And 98 is one of the few roads in florida that has turns, as it follows the coastline.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Riding on the interstate sounds very boring to me. I stuck two lane when i went out west and back this summer as much as I could. Little jaunts on the intestate to get to the next two lane as needed.

The west coast of FL has many manatee areas.

Here are some places I stopped on a trip down there in '10. These places are accessible from US19. If you travelling down the east coast, you could travel north up the west coast. If you would rather me create a separate thread and post a link here, let me know.



























 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top