Florida riding suggestions

[lolife]

March 29 - April 2 me & 2 others are riding from Greenville SC to Key West FL.  We want to see as much scenery as we can but we understand we can't see everything.  We've never ridden in Florida & I really haven't visited Florida much at all.  However, Key West is destination ride #1 on my want to ride list.  I have no other reason why other than it will be warm & I can get an umbrella drink.  

Here is the itinerary

Thursday - ride from Greenville SC to Jacksonville FL

Friday - ride from Jacksonville to Florida City

Saturday - ride from Florida City to Key West & spend the day in Key West

Sunday - ride from Key West to Clearwater or Tampa area

Monday - ride home to Anderson SC

The only hotel reservations we're making is Friday night in Florida City & Saturday night in Key West.

I need some suggestions on what route we should take from Jacksonville to Key West?  

Our original plan was to get on the A1A & ride it from West Palm all the way to Miami Beach.  After talking with some others, it sounds like that we'd be in traffic/red light hell.

A member here suggested the A1A from the Vera Beach area down to Jupiter & hitting the barrier islands.  Other people have suggested to avoid Orlando at all costs & said hwys 17 & 27 are nice scenic roads to ride too.  

We don't have to stay along the coast & don't mind heading inward if that gets us on some nice riding.  I know its going to be a long ride through Florida.

Is there anything near Lake Okeechobee that would be worth stopping to see?

First off, I don't give a rat's a$$ about Daytona Beach.  There's nothing for me to see there.  I also hate NASCAR.  

I'd like to see part of St Augustine even if its just passing through.  I would like to see West Palm, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Miami & Miami Beach but I don't want to sit in hours of traffic to do it.  If there's a part of Florida that's better to see or just as nice to see then I'd rather do that than sit in traffic huffing carbon monoxide.  

When we leave Key West, we're going to 41 through the Everglades to the gulf side of Florida & head up toward Tampa or Clearwater.  We don't have a plan on where we're staying Sunday night.  We're going to play that by ear & see how far north in Florida we can get & see some sights along the way.

If you have any suggestions to places on the gulf side of Florida that would be appreciated too.

Thank you for any suggestions & advice  

[beachy]

First off, I don't give a rat's a$$ about Daytona Beach.  There's nothing for me to see there.  I also hate NASCAR.   Cool

figures first waterfalls now this I guess you dont like puppies either . Have a nice trip and do see St.Augustine pretty neat place.

[lolife]

How you been doing Lad?  I haven't see you on here in a while.    

You are absolutely correct...we are still dodging the waterfalls.  

We may try to stay in St Augustine the first night if we can make it before it gets too late.  

We need to stay in touch so we can get together & ride again.  

[playinatwork]

I will take a stab at this one.  I assume you don't want to slab it and don't want too many lights.
Thursday: 25 to 321 to 17 to A1A and ride the ferry across the St John's river.  Singletons beside the south ferry dock is good food.  Stay on A1A to St Augustine and stay at the Conch House.
Friday: A1A to 40w to 11s to 44e to us1s till your tired of red lights and then slab it to 70w and take 27s to 821 to Florida City or head west and follow the river south for a while.  Avoid Orlando is the best advise I can give you.
Saturday: Watch out for blue hairs in motor homes and slow down on Big Pine Key or you will get a ticket.  Lunch at No Name Key for pizza or feed the tarpon at Ronnies.
Sunday: Not much help here other than 41 till your tired of lights and you have to cross the Skyway bridge and eat at Gators at Johns Pass.  There's a nice place to stay called Harborside north of there.  
Monday: 19n to 129 to 441 to ? well your in your neck of the woods then and I better ask you for directions.  
Sorry but I'm not much help.  

[lolife]

Thank you for the route.  I just google mapped it out & I don't mind going through Daytona, I don't want to stop & see anything.  

A coworker of mine suggested to get on the A1A & ride it until you're sick of it & then jump on 95 & head south.    

Do you suggest to skip the Miami area all together?  Would you skip the southern part of A1A b/c of the traffic?  I guess what I'm asking is if you couldn't ride the Atlantic Coast side of Florida the entire length, would you ride the northern part or the southern part?  

On the Gulf side of Florida, is there anything in particular that would stand out over just riding & its all about the same?

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it.

[playinatwork]

I don't like crowds and red lights. A1a south of Ft Pierce is not my thing. I would rather see Yeehaw Junction and cane fields.  How many hours in the saddle are you planning? Jax to Florida City is a long day if you do much stopping and sitting in traffic.
A visit to Cedar Key is always a great diversion.
I've been to the keys many times and I am not much of a fan of Miami but I guess everyone should cruise South Beach at least once.

[lolife]

How does this route look for Sunday?  It will be leaving Key West at daylight & heading north toward SC.

http://g.co/maps/78djx

thanks again

[playinatwork]

That looks good.  You might think about staying in Homasassa and swimming with the Manatees if your into that sort of thing.  Or maybe spending the night in Cedar Key.  

[lolife]

That looks good.  maybe spending the night in Cedar Key.  

Cedar Key is definitely a possibility for staying the night.  I checked Travelocity & they only show 1 hotel with no rooms available.  However I went to Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce website & found this list of hotels  http://www.cedarkey.org/lodging.php

Would you just start calling those on the list or do you have a suggestion about where to stay the night?

I appreciate the help

[lolife]

That looks good.  You might think about staying in Homasassa and swimming with the Manatees if your into that sort of thing.  Or maybe spending the night in Cedar Key.  

We're going to pass on the manatees.  Maybe we could find a big girl in Key West & pretend she's a manatee?   from what I've heard...simply finding a "true" girl may be harder than you'd think.  

Anyway...we are staying Sunday night in Cedar Key.  Got a room at the Island Motel.  Thanks again for the information

[Bounce]

March 29 - April 2 me & 2 others are riding from Greenville SC to Key West FL.

best riding in Fla is in GA, SC, and TN.

[xRHINOx]

I highly recommend Fort Taylor while you are at Key West.  I rode down and camped last year in Sugerloaf Key.  I had a work trip and worked this in to check off the Key West as a destination ride.  There is a sweet beach there where the cruise ships come in.

Some teasers for you.  The ride to Key West is very slow and borning once you hit the Keys.  Enjoy.

[marnerider6]

LoLife,

Your map looks good. I took the same route back from the Keys heading north back to Jacksonville. I wanted to take US19 up through Sarasota, Bradenton, and see the Ringling Circus Museum, but the stop and go traffic on 19 between Naples and Tampa forced me onto I-75 to go around and reconnect with hi-way 19. On 19, Tarpon Springs, The Greek Sponge fishing town is always a good stop.

  And I agree with "playinatwork" Cedar Key is a great little ride off of hi-way 19. Along the route and 9 miles from Cedar Key is the old African-American ghost town of Rosewood. The town was destroyed and subsequently abandoned in 1923 as a result of the Rosewood massacre.

This link might be of interest for your trip. http://www.florida-backroads-travel.com/florida-towns.html

Be sure to post a trip report with PICs.

Have a great trip and ride safe.
Dennis

[lolife]

3 of us are leaving out tomorrow at 4pm & headed to Jacksonville for our first stop.

Thank you to everyone for your information & help.  I'll take pictures & post them up from our ride when we return.

Thanks again.  

[playinatwork]

What part of town you staying in tomorrow night? I will try to make a eats recommendation.

[lolife]

We're staying on New Berlin Rd in Jax.

I appreciate the offer but Jax is 6hrs from Greenville so we'll be eating somewhere along the way & wont arrive in Jax until 10-11pm.  

[beachy]

hey you guys have a good trip be safe