Houston, We Have NO Problem - Just A Great Time In Your Town

 After a rainy and cool trip from Orlando to Houston, it was great to see that Texas sunshine and the smiling faces of brother-in-law Stan Smith, with whom I was staying for the week, daughter Joni and her wine making husband Gary, as well as Stan's daughter Shelly, her husband John and son Johnny.
They took us to NASA where we toured space exhibits and had lunch with Astronaut Dr. Tom Jones who took time to pose for pictures.

  The all day visit in included a tour of all the buildings s well as videos and interactive displays.
The next day Stan and I drove to Austin for a two day  visit with Major General Len Smith the Assistant Adjutant General of the Texas Army National Guard, Stan's son,  and his wife Cindy. The LBJ Presidential Library and State Capitol building were scheduled for visits, but first, the one thing every visitor to Texas should experience:
The Salt Lick Barbecue at Driftwood Texas.

Just looking at the picture of the Open Pit Barbecue makes me hungry all over again.



 






 Hundreds of people waited up to two hours to be served.The festive atmosphere, music and beer made the waiting an experience in itself.

 A long awaited adventure was the tour of the LBJ Presidential Library.
The building was filled with several floors of picture, videos, sculptures and page after page of his home spun quotations and salty humor.

 The Texas State Capital was the next visit

 The Legislature was scheduled to begin meeting the meet morning and the entire building was buzzing with excitement as each meeting room and office was being readied for the big day.

Joni had told the editors at the Houston Chronicle that her 80 year old Father had arrived in  town on his National Motorcycle Tour. They decided an old guy cruising around the country on a motorcycle with a sidecar and pulling a camper trailer behind it, would make a good feature and sent out a reporter write the story.
It should be in print and on-line by Sunday February 1st.
It was a fun interview and I even got to give Leah, the reporter, a ride in the sidecar.
Thanks Joni for setting that up. Your contacts in the publishing world never cease to amaze me.


Following the visit and dinner with Joni and Gary it was time to  continue the ride west.
Saturday morning I left Stan and the cold Texas rain behind, or so I thought, and headed off toward Kerrville, Texas.
After camping in a  night that  dropped to 31 degrees I renamed it Koolville.
That was one night I should have opted for a motel.
Fortunately Stan had taken me to a Lowe's Home Center the day before and I purchased  a small electric heater. It ran all night and managed to ward off some of the cold.

The next day I headed off on I-10 for Fort Stockton, on my way to Roswell, New Mexico.
Camping was great at the KOA and by morning I was ready to visit Roswell and it's famed UFO Museum and research Center.
Passed through Pecos, New Mexico on the way and got a great picture.

Pecos, home of the world's FIRST rodeo. How about that.
Glad I spotted that sign in time to get a good picture.

And then a beautiful bronze sculpture.

 



Texas and New Mexico towns are not too close together so before crossing the state line into New Mexico I was running very low on gas.
There didn't seem to be any towns near enough on the Interstate so I took a chance, pulled off I-10 and headed for a small town a few miles away.
I made it, but I was running on fumes before I got there.
But the good thing was that it was Sunday morning and a small church had a service that was about to begin.
I walked in during the first hymn and was made to feel right at home.
They had no organ but had two guitar players, one of whom had a great  voice and led the song service. What a beautiful service at St. Jame Lutheran Church in Harper, Texas.

 

 This was another neat little church I saw along the way.

 Years ago while rewiring a satellite TV system at a house in the North Valley of Helena, Montana, the home owner introduced himself.
Dr. Jessie Marcel was a man I had read about years earlier.
He was 12 years old in 1947 when his Father, a Major in the US Air Force was the first member of the military to view the site where a reported UFO had crashed.
His Father gathered up pieces of the craft and brought them home to show his son at 2am in the morning.
Air Force officers picked up the alleged UFO fragments the next morning and took them away.
Although first reports from the base information office referred to it as a UFO, the air force soon put out a news report that it was a weather balloon.
Dr. Marcell said, "some people have called me a UFO nut, but I know what I saw and it was not of this world."  He never wavered from that belief.

One of the exhibits showed the early news paper stories.

The UFO Museum Research Center.

I spent several interesting hours at the UFO Museum.
It is well done with tasteful, thoughtful exhibits and presents a clear picturfe of both Government and Private UFO Research.
The $3.00 admission seemed very reasonable and I said so to the the lady at the desk. She said it is to make the facility available to all.
Great concept. 

The next stop on my ride for today ride was the Carlsbad Caverns, a great place to visit but a hard place to do pictures since it is kept dark with lights on special features.
It was a great tour and one that I will cover in more depth on a future entry.

At this writing I am sitting in a Days Inn Motel waiting for the Arizona winter rain storms to end so that I might continue the journey to San Jose, California, home of some Grand and Great kids.
There are flood warnings out for creeks and washes throughout the Tucson area and I will stay inside where it is both warm and dry.

Watch for me.
I'll be in the Right Lane America.

Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist

The Long Ride - Orlando to Houston

The rain in Sunny Florida had been steady for several days, but Monday morning on the day of my departure for Houston and points west dawned warm and sunny.
Whited clouds floated overhead and this was, as my son-in-law Ilidio always said, "another beautiful day in Paradise."
 Traveling North on I 4 was great and I was settling in for a beautiful ride to my first overnight in Tallahassee.
 Until I made the turn on to the 295 bypass at Jacksonville about 100 miles into the trip.
As I made the turn rain began falling and I pulled under a bridge to don the rain gear.
It began to POUR!
40 miles later I rode out of the heavy rain and the ride was good again.
The Mini Mate tent camper was soon set up in the Tallahassee KOA camp and I was ready for a light dinner and a warm sleeping bag.
The Tuesday ride was to carry me down Interstate 10 to Destin, Florida and the Henderson Beach State Park. Florida State Parks are great stop overs with clean showers and grounds. This was the short ride on my four day trip to Houston.
As I pulled into Panama City and rode down Highway 98 toward the park I felt the first sprinkles of rain and I pulled into the parking lot of an Ace Hardware Store in Miramar to get the rain gear on.
Moments later, rain gear on and ready to ride I hit the starter switch.
Nothing but clicks.
What's happening?
Nothing!
The starter clutch on some of the Yamaha V Star 1100's was known to go out and this one had been making some noise.
The Ace Hardware guy offered to jump it with his car battery and we did try that.
Nothing.
Borrowing a phone book from the hardware people I looked for a motor cycle repair shop and found the nearest one was in Fort Walton Beach, some 20 miles away.
It was now 1:30 pm and they said they would be open until 6.
Triple A found me a bike hauler who they said would be there in 30 minutes and he was.
I had asked about a starter clutch and they said it would take 5 days to get one shipped in. The crew from Coastal PowerSports climbed up on the truck and checked for other things that could be causing the problem.
"It's the solenoid," they shouted down, "We'll have you on your way in 30 minutes."
They quickly installed a new solenoid, found a screw to replace the one I lost when I removed he battery cover and announced, "You're ready to ride."

As they worked I visited with the two brothers who owned Coastal PowerSports of Fort Walton, Beach, Florida.
When we went in to pay the bill, the owners said NO CHARGE!
They said, "just keep riding and enjoy the ride."
The entire crew helped in getting me back on the road, and then refused payment for the parts and labor.

These are great people.
If you are an LD Rider doing an Iron Butt ride along the Gulf Coast of Florida, you'll find some great people at Coastal Power Sports in Fort Walton Beach.
A great team of people who really know their stuff.
Thanks again folks.
I'll see you on the return trip in March.

With the machine back in action I rode over to the state park and set up camp for the night.
Sleep came easily, heart and mind full of thanks for the good people I have met along the way.
Wednesday was to be my long days ride on this leg of the trip.
I was on the road early heading for my overnight camp at LaFayette, LA.
365 miles flew by with only spotty rain showers.
I was glad for warm riding gear to ward off the cold north wind.
This was a cold ride through the pan handle of North Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and into Louisiana.
The KOA camp was great and even provided a car port to park bike and camper under.
By 6 pm the cold north wind brought in a front with heavy rain.
This is the coldest night I have spent in the camper.
This is one night I should have opted for a motel.
The morning was black with heavy cloud cover and ground fog.
I set out in light rain by 7:30 am.
Within minutes of getting out on I-10, I was riding in a downpour.
This was the heaviest rain I have ridden in and the cold made it even worse.
10 miles down the Interstate I saw an exit and pulled off, hoping to find an awning to drive under.
Better yet, I found a Wendys Restaurant.
As I pulled in I saw a woman coming out the door.
She looked over and commented about riding in the cold and rain.
When she saw the 80 year old Iron Butt Rider sign she said, "you mean to tell me you rode that thing all the way from Montana?"
"Come inside, I'm going to buy your breakfast!"
Turns out Shela was the manager and she did indeed buy a biscuit and gravy breakfast for a half frozen biker.
As I said earlier, I have sure meet some nice people on this long ride across the USA, through over 25 states so far with many more to come.
Thanks Shela, I'll see you on the return trip, and this time I'll buy.

Light rain was still falling as I resumed the ride, but it didn't seem as bad now since I was warm and well fed.
I made good time through Lake Charles and the last few miles to the Texas border.

As I passed the Welcome To Texas sign the rain ended and for the first time in days a beam of sunlight found it's way through the clouds.
Thanks Texas, you have come through for me again.
A few more miles and a warming sun was bringing a new outlook on life and I rode past Beaumont and into Houston warmer then I had been in several days.
The Sam Houston Toll road carried me to Richmond where I was to stay for several days with my brother-in-law Stan Smith.
Despite rain, wind, fog and  cold, this was a good ride.
Once again I met friendly, helpful people and made new friends.
Over 7,000 miles and I have yet to meet a rude or unfriendly driver.
Thanks to all who made this an unforgettable trip.
You're the greatest.

It's good to see Stan again and I'm looking forward to seeing daughter Joni and her husband Gary.

May your ride be long and your love song never end.

Watch for me, I'll be in the Right Lane America.

Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist

St. Augustine - Oldest Continuously Occupied City In The USA

Our visit to St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied city in the USA, began on a perfect Florida sun shine filled morning.
Temperatures on this third day of the new year were in the 70's and heading in to the 80's.
The drive up Highway A1A through Palm Coast was beautiful with tree lined roads and beautiful houses, condos and retirement communities.
Before we reached St. Augustine we visited a National Monument.
Fort Matanzas was built by the Spanish in the mid 1700's. The Ranger tour guide explained that the French army had tried to capture the fort, but a hurricane destroyed their ships survivors struggled to the shore where they were captured. The Spanish soldiers had then executed over 250 of the prisoners.

The fort was originally built to protect the 1500 residents of St. Augustine.

To reach the Fort which is built on an island, Park Rangers use a tour boat to carry visitors across the bay.
Many cannons are on display in the same positions they were placed in when the Spanish fought off French and than English attempts to capture the fort and the city.

Rangers told visitors to cover their ears as volunteers, dressed in Spanish army uniforms fired one of the cannons.
The cannons were capable of hitting ships up to a mile away.
The visit to the Fort Matanzas National Monument is free and offers visitors a look back in history to the year 1565 when Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles established St. Augustine as the oldest permanent European city in the continental United States.

A peasant beginning for a day filled blue skies, sunshine and history.

Following the short boat ride back to the visitors center we were on our way to the city itself and another National Monument, Castillo San Marcos.
What a place.
 It was built like a castle, including a moat, and was used by the 1500 St. Augustine residents as a shelter from invading forces.

 One of the original cannons at Fort Matanzas.

The fort was also used as a prison for enemy soldiers who were captured in battles with French or English soldiers.
The bars in the windows provide a frame for my picture.

Rangers gave history talks and explained how in 1763 the Peace of Paris talks gave ownership of Florida and the fort to the English in exchange for La Habana.

In 1783, following the USA Independence, the English had to return Florida to the Spanish.
38 years later in 1821 Spain ceded Florida to the United States.
In 1924 Fort Matanzas was named a National Monument. Care of the facility was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service in 1933.

What a great day traveling through some beautiful scenery and visiting these remarkable US historical sites.

Following the visit to Fort Matanzas we took a walking tour of the "Old Town" part of St. Augustine and visited the St. Photios Greek Orthodox History Center.
The history of New Smyrna and the colonists from Greece who were brought to Florida as indentured servants to run the plantations established by English landowners provided still another insight into the history of the state.

Thanks to Diana's diligent research we had a good time and discovered a fascinating bit of Florida history.

 The cannon ad I.








Ilidio, Jared and Diana

I'll be leaving Florida for Houston, Texas in a week.

Watch for me, I'll be in the Right Lane America.

Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist

Merry Christmas To All And To All A Good Ride

Merry Christmas To All And To All A Good Ride

What a year this 2014 has been, and It has been, for the most part, a great ride.

Losing Lois to Alzheimer's Disease was certainly the low point for me, but I believe, the high point for her. She is indeed, in a better place.
This insidious illness seemed to go on forever.
It was so good to have so many there that last week, singing gospel and folk songs, reading poetry and most important, holding her hand.
Thanks to Linda and Janice for the hours they spent with her each week and Joni for the weeks and weeks she spent living down stairs while working on her book project and spending hours each day playing, singing and reading with her.
Thanks to Janis and Diana for the great job in organizing things before the family reunion, Roger for the many visits at the Donut Hole and Allen for his every Saturday calls.
The Memorial Service Gospel sing was fantastic and thrilled me and members of the congregation who came to honor Lois with their presence.
Ilidio, Gary, Mike and Pam, thanks for the support you gave us all.
Pastor Miller was right when he said, "Del, you are so fortunate to have such a great family, they have really taken care of you through this trying time."

And ever since.
The two weeks at Diana and Ilidio's in April was a great time to sit in the sun and unwind.
The 3,400 mile ride through North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming and South Dakota was a great tune up for THE RIDE!

The Iron Butt Association Saddle Sore 1000 miles in 24 hours ride was a fantastic endurance test.
Thanks to Bill Ryder who did a great set up getting the old sidecar on the Yamaha V Star 1100cc Classic.
Thanks to Barry Reddick for meeting me at 3:30 AM on a rainy Saturday morning to be my start witness on the great ride and to Roger for the pictures and support.
What does it mean?
There are 8 million five hundred thousand motorcycles registered in the USA.
Fewer than one half of one percent of these riders have ridden 1,000 miles in less than 24 hours in a sanctioned ride.
Hey, we Iron Butt Riders are not large in numbers, but we are known as:
"The Toughest Motorcycle Riders In The World"
To do the ride as part of my extended 80th Birthday party made it even more fun.

Maybe it was important for me to complete this ride to let kids, grand kids and great grand kids know that there is life after Alzheimer's.
We didn't want to have a life without Lois, but we will do as she wanted us to do, we  will live each minute, each hour, each day to it's fullest.

So this has been a year of change, a year filled with sadness and joy and love.

And now, comes another year. A year filled with some sadness I suppose, but mostly filled with Joy and Love.

I will be sharing Christmas and New Years with Diana, Ilidio, Jenny and Jared.

On January 13th, while waiting for the North to warm up so I can return home to Montana, I will begin a 6,000 mile ride which will take me to Panama City, Pensacola, Houston, San Jose and back to Lake Mary.
It should be a fun filled and exciting ride.
Spring looks like a good time to make the trek North.
 If all goes as planned, the Yamaha will have carried me over 15,000 miles of every kind of road we find in this great country.
What a ride to remember!
Most of all, I will be remembering all of the wonderful Christmas Eve programs and the Christmas morning family radio broadcasts on Time For Listening.
This is indeed, a great family.
Lois and I were the most blessed parents of all.
I am so thankful and so proud.

Thank you family for all that you do and all you have done

Merry Christmas with Love

Dad, Grandpa, Great Grandpa

The Florida IntraCoastal Waterway - And Points West

The idea was good, a swing down the fabled Intracoastal Waterway highway A1A, then a jog over to the West coast and a run up the highway through Sarasota, St. Petersburg and back to Lake Mary and Orlando.
Should be a great three or four day ride with lots of great places to see.
Started good too.
Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge.

 From Lake Mary, Highway 46 to Mims, Highway 1 to Titusville, Meritt Island and then south on a cut off to A1A.
Good ride, lots of sunshine and a bit of North wind on my back.
A1A is a good ride, despite there being a lot of traffic.
Miles and miles of Surf Shops and other tourist related places to visit.
Views of the ocean are few and far between because of the motels, condos and beach front town house construction.
Still a fun and interesting ride.
The KOA Camp at Fort Pierce was the first overnight stop.
Setting up the Mini Mate tent camper took only a few minutes.
This is a new KOA and showed construction still underway.
Didn't care much for the Uni-Sex rest rooms.
The occupied sign was up most of the time. Or so it seemed.
A very noisy highway made sleeping difficult and the many streets crossing the railroad running through Fort Pierce forced engineers to blast their air horns continuously.
That'll wake you up if you do get to sleep.
The beautiful ride the next day made the whole trip worthwhile.
From Fort Pierce, a high traffic tourist town into the real Florida.
I was now riding through miles of orchards, bright orange in color.
Now I was viewing millions of oranges ripening on the trees.
There were also tree farms advertising Palms, Oaks and other trees for sale and several Sod farms with different kinds of grass growing in huge fields.
The road was long and straight with only a few turns and a few small hills.
The scenery was great.
A real picture of rural Florida without the motels, hotels and tourist places that we see throughout the Florida we know best.
This was a great ride.
Sebring was the goal for this days ride and to reach the city where Grandson Pastor Brian Klebig had his first church, I had to head North on Highway 27.
This four laner was heavy with  commercial vehicles, trucks and RV's.
Although Brian and Dawn had moved on, I still wanted to see the church he had been Pastor at.

While shooting the picture the churches current Pastor Luke Willitz came out to see what the old guy on the motorcycle was up to. Nice young man. He had attended Bethany Lutheran college and Seminary in Mankato, Minnesota and knew several more of my Grand children.  Turns out New Life Lutheran Church had been founded many years earlier by his father, so he was back home and living in the same house he had lived in as a boy.

Highland Hammock State Park, just down the road from the church was my stop for the  night. 

I arrived at the park just as the Ranger was leaving with a Tram load of visitors.

They kindly held up the tour while I parked the bike and purchased the required $5.00 ticket..

Great tour through the back country of the park. 

Retired Ranger Bill talked about the history of the park and the people who dedicated time and money to preserve this part of Florida history.

Despite the warnings of Black bears in the area, the calm and quiet were a welcome relief from the previous nights city noises.
Camp set up time is getting shorter as I gain experience in this new life style.
Dinner was easy.
Bottle of Ensure, WASA crackers and cheese, and a protein bar all washed down with hot coffee. The new electric water heater made it easy for me to master the art of boiling water for coffee.
This was the coldest camping night yet.
Temps dropping in to the mid 40's and a north wind picking up during the night.
The 40 degree below zero sleeping bag held back the cold and the Mini Mate did the same for the wind.
Morning came quickly and my new water boiling talents produced a quick cup of coffee.
The best way to face a cool Florida morning.
That just doesn't sound right does it?
Cool Florida morning?
WiFi brought contact with the outside world and weather reports pointed to winds off the Gulf of Mexico becoming stronger.
The ride up the west coast, along the gulf didn't seem nearly as appealing as it did when I was laying out the ride.
A 200 mile ride up Highway 27 would put me back in Lake Mary by dark, thereby avoiding some of the winds.
Good choice!
I had only ridden a few miles when another biker pulled alongside at a stop sign and shouted, " I'm Iron Butt too! I did the Iron Butt thousand mile ride in New England."
He had seen the "80 year old Iron Butt Rider" sign on the back of my bike.
He turned at the next intersection and I was in the wrong lane to turn so I didn't get to talk to him.
Would have been a fun visit.
I don't meet too many who have earned the title:
Iron Butt Rider - The World's Toughest Motorcycle Riders

It was a smooth ride up 27 to Leesburg, over to Mt. Dora and on 46 back to Lake Mary.
All in all, a nearly 500 mile ride through parts of the state I had not previously visited.

Upon arrival at Diana and Ilidio's I heard the good news that Diana had received company tickets for a performance of the Trans Siberia Orchestra Christmas Program at the Amali Arena in Tampa.                              

  The company has a Suite at the arena which it makes available to employees.






The Suite comes complete with meals and lots of snacks. How cool is that?

 

The performance was fantastic and capped off a great week.

I'll plan that Florida west coast ride for later.
For now, it was enough to have a nearly 500 mile, 3 day adventure.

Watch for me.
I'll be in the Right Lane America.

Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist

The Orion Launch - Close up (well, Almost close up)

I've traveled from Montana to Key West, Florida and back to Lake Mary, just an hours ride from Titusville, the best place to be when NASA does a rocket launch.
I made my plans.
Leave at Noon the day before the launch, camp in my Mini Mate tent camper that night, set the alarm for 4:00 AM and be in position to view the launch at 5.

Only problem was I programmed the GPS to take me to a KOA in Titusville and the camp was actually 4 miles North in Mims, Florida.
No problem, I discovered my mistake and drove there.
The KOA was A OK.
Clean and comfortable camp site.
 I didn't bother heating water for coffee and settled for a bottle of Ensure and a protein bar.
A few minutes later I found out the local McDonalds opened at 5:30 AM on launch days and since it was only 4:45 AM I went with out coffee. Tough way to begin this momentous day.
As I made the left turn on to Garden Street and drove over the bridge to the area I had been told was the best place to view the launch from traffic was picking up.
Passing over the long, high bridge I saw hundreds of cars, trucks and RV's lined up along the highway.
A narrow space between an RV and a power pole proved to be an easy in parking site and minutes later I was parked and visiting with people from several states who were all there for the same reason.
The sidecar on my rig is always a draw and the tent camper being pulled behind attracted even more attention than usual.
The large RV I parked next to had a large outside TV and kept us alerted to the latest hold.
Photographers with long lenses on their cameras and sturdy tri pods for mounts allowed others to look at the launch site miles away across the bay.
It was then I discovered why there was an open space to park by the power pole.
Hundreds of birds used the power lines above my rig for their roosting place.
For the most part they missed my rig but the heavy set guy who was looking over the sidecar took one on the shoulder of his nice shirt.
As you all know by now, the launch was scrubbed after numerous delays, especially disappointing to a couple from New Orleans who were there on their third attempt to see NASA do a launch.
Alas, all three attempts ended in NASA scrubbing the launch and they missed again.
I was determined to see it and made plans to stay another night at the KOA and return the next morning.
Traffic was heavy but I was soon back on Highway 1 headed for New Smyrna with it's beaches and colorful scenery.
Took I-95 back to Mims.
Should have stayed on Highway 1.
Heavy construction, uneven lanes and lots of traffic.
But Hey! A ride is a ride and the rig is running great.
As I told many students in Motorcycle Safety Classes, the important thing is not getting on your bike and getting from Point A to Point B.
THE RIDE IS THE THING!
So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
And always remember, the slower you go, the longer the ride.
Well, in principle at any rate.
It was a good ride and I even had time take a long nap after doing the two minute Mini Mate set up.
No kidding, it sets up that fast.
Same routine as the day before.
Set the alarm for 4 AM and go to bed early,
Same breakfast too.
There weren't as many vehicles this morning.
But still some interesting folks from many states who wanted to see a launch as badly as I did.
We all staked out our preferred viewing areas and then commenced the visiting.
The launch window was set to open at 7:05 AM and this time there were no delays.
Someone shouted, "Countdown," and we all ran to our staked out viewing area.

THERE IT WAS!
Sure enough, a streak of light rose above the trees and in less time then it took to count backwards from Ten, the light disappeared into the low hanging clouds.
It was an underwhelming sight.
Seconds passed and we heard a low rumbling sound and realized that although the rocket was gone from sight, the noise of the powerful rockets was just now beginning to be heard.
Many of us turned to the exterior TV on the side of the RV and watched as NASA, with it's many cameras, showed us the launch on TV, as we listened to the continuing rumble of the engines live.
It was rather strange, but grand at the same time.
As hundreds of vehicles headed back to Titusville for breakfast and the highway, I turned East toward the coast.
A mile down the road and I saw the first sign for the Merritt Island Wildlfe Refuge.

This is a beautiful refuge for animals and birds and with many signs reminding motorists to give them a brake..
Lush vegetation on all sides.

I tried the road leading in to the John F. Kennedy Space Center, but made a U turn when I came to the gate with the armed guards.

After spending a few hours trying some of the side roads in the Refuge I turned West and made the hour long drive back to Lake Mary.
The Orion Adventure was over, but I was already planning the next ride.
Next week I will head back to Merritt Island for exploring of the wildlife refuge and then head south on Highway A1A which follows the coast all the way to Miami.
I'll jump off and head inland at Fort Pierce.
Lois talked many times about visiting Sebring, Florida where Grandson Brian was Pastor of a church.
The Alzheimer decline had already begun so the trip was never made but I'll do it now and even though Brian and Dawn have moved on, I'll stop in and get a picture.
Then on to Sarasota on the states West coast for a circus museum visit and maybe a side trip to the famous Bak Tower North of  Sebring.
Could be a great four or five day ride.
Watch for me, I'll be in the Right Lane America
Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist

We Made it! KEY WEST - Southernmost Point In The USA!

6,400 miles after leaving Helena, Montana on a SaddleSore 1000 - 1 Iron Butt Ride I am now at the Southernmost point in the USA.
Diana and Ilidio are driving in the Ford Fusion and I am following with the Yamaha V Star 1100 Classic, sidehack and tent trailer in tow.
It's a great morning for a ride to Miami.
The Florida Turnpike is wide open and my new SunPass is paying the tolls as I whiz by under the scanners.
The Tollway Service Plazas make gas stops quick and easy as we try and make Miami before the afternoon rush hour traffic.
Didn't quite make it. We are in the middle of the heavy traffic as I try and stay close to The Fusion.
The 75 MPH hour run down the Tollway was a great ride, and even heavy traffic isn't all bad.
By 4pm we arrive at the home of Angela and Americo where we will spend the night before an early departure for Key West.
What great friends Diana and Ilidio have. They have been preparing a great meal for the hungry travelers.
Lots of laughter and joking with this bunch when they get together.
I retire early. It was a long ride from Lake Mary to Miami.
Saturday morning we are on the road by 10am and heading to a small Cuban style bakery and lunch counter for some Cuban style breakfast treats, then back on the road.
Florida #1 is  great highway across long bridges with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Atlantic on the other.
What a fantastic ride!
The water looks bluer on the ocean side and greener in the Gulf. Beautiful.
It's a long slow ride at 35 to 45 MPH most of the way.
Those names we have heard about through the years are passing. Key Largo seems so big as we slowly move through. Palm trees waving in the wind and the waves rolling on to the beaches. They just go on and on.
As we cross the highest, longest bridge I see Diana leaning out with the Go Pro and Flip Cam. She got some great videos.
It's late afternoon when we arrive in Key West and we head for the Harry Truman Little White House for the last tour of the day.

Eric the Docent is full of stories about Truman and his many visits to the 6,000 square foot house.
The U.S. Williamsburg was stationed just off shore and provided radio communication with Washington DC.
Other Presidents also visited the vacation White House Truman had used and which the navy remodeled with rooms for visiting foreign dignitaries and Truman Administration Cabinet officials.
Eisenhower came one time but didn't care for the small golf course so never came for a second visit.
John F. Kennedy was there after the Bay of Pigs disaster and other Presidents who needed a break from Washington followed.
It was a fun and interesting look back in American History.
Following the tour we headed for THE SIGN!

The sign. The southernmost point in the USA.
This is what the ride is all about.
There was a long line of people waiting to have their picture taken by the sign so I opted to just take a picture of it.
As I got ready to snap the picture a pretty girl stepped into view.
Makes a much better picture than it would have been with an 80 year old man standing there.
And besides, Diana had the Flip Cam out for a video of yours truly, slowly riding his rig past the crowd. She even put it up on You Tube for all the world to see.
Del Rides past THE SIGN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA9goF3MgYs&feature=youtu.be

As I pulled to the curb following my slow ride past THE SIGN, a young couple came running over. The young man was shouting, "Mister, Mister, I must shake your hand, I must shake your hand!"
Turns out they live in Tampa, originally from Puerto Rico.
I remembered them passing me about half way down the Turnpike.
He on a black Sportster and she on a pink Honda.
He said, "I am so proud that I meet a man who is 80 years old and is still riding a motorcycle. I love riding the bike too!"
They had seen the 80 year old Iron Butt rider sign on the back of the Yamaha and had waved and given a thumbs up for me before racing away down the highway.
How nice of them to come running over to say hello.
People have been so great through the entire 6,400 miles I have ridden since leaving Helena on that  cold rainy morning 6 weeks ago.
But it's getting late so we had to saddle up and head for Bahia Honda State Camp Grounds where we would spend the night.
As the sun dropped out of sight we rode two hours through the night before arriving at the camping spot. Another great ride.
Setting up the Mini Mate tent trailer was quick and easy.
Five minutes at the most.
I was relaxing with a glass of wine as Diana and Ilidio put in the rods and tried to raise their tent.
This  camping thing may turn out to be a lot of fun after all.

Ilidio built a fire but it was mainly for effect as he brought out the gas stove to  cook  chicken on. It was great.
Diana had planned everything down to the last detail and even had a large package of potato chips sitting on the picnic table.
Sitting there until I heard paper rattling and turned to look behind me and at the same time heard Diana shout, "RACOON!"
Sure enough that sneaky little thief had jumped up on the bench, grabbed the potato chip bag and escaped into the underbrush before we could begin a chase.
To rub salt in the wound the cheeky little devil crawled into a large bush and crunched each chip as loudly as he could. Later he emerged from the bush and tried to get in the trunk of their car looking for more goodies.
The morning ride to Miami turned into another adventure as Diana decided she would ride in the sidecar and share the great view.

With Go Pro and Flip Cam she was ready to preserve the the ride over the bridges between the Keys. The longest bridge seemed to go on forever as we stayed at the 45 MPH speed limit and took time to enjoy the fantastic views.,
There were many fishing boats, sailing boats and even people being pulled on their surf boards by large sails which billowed out in the wind.
It was a beautiful ride.
We stopped at a place called the Buzzards Roost in Key Largo for a fantastic Sunday Brunch, topped off with, you guessed it, KEY LIME PIE!

Met some interesting riders along the way and seemed to find people who wanted to visit at every gas stop. One of them, Jimmy Vail from Dallas gave me his card and said if I'm going through Texas he has two RV's on his property and I'm welcome to use them and also he would make his large workshop available if I needed to work on the bike.
Nice folks. He was riding with two friends, and had just been to Key West the night before also.
The ride was pleasant and uneventful, just another really great ride.
The evening was spent with Angela and Americo.
I asked him about his PHD and he explained that it was in Geo Physics, or something like that. He had spent 7 years going to school in Russia. He is working with a group that is trying to develop a new method of detecting oil and mineral deposits deep underground by using something that would not cause environmental problems. Very interesting.
I gave Angela the promised sidecar ride and we then began our Monday ride up the Florida Turnpike to Lake Mary.
Great ride on the tollway with easy gas stops and interesting people to visit with.
The clouds were getting pretty dark and the weather was closing in as we neared Orlando.
As we began the ride through the city we ran in to a real downpour.If this link works you may see the ride and the commentary that goes with it. Soggy Iron Butt Ride indeed!

Wet Ride Video

The most exciting part of the ride was at the top of a large overpass when I tapped the front wheel brake and went into a slide out.
Slid sideways past Diana and Ilidio, into the next lane, all the time worrying that I was going to scratch Diana's new Ford Fusion.
I missed her and went sliding right past them.
Ilidio quickly zipped past, pulled in front of me and away we went.
One more small adventure on what was truly an amazing four days.
A hot shower, warm dry clothes and I was ready for action.
THANKS to Diana and Ilidio for a great four day adventure and another one off the bucket list.
Key West and the Southernmost point in the USA.
after the holidays I will  be heading for Houston, Roswell NM, Phoenix, San Diego and San Jose.
The Yamaha has logged 6,400 miles and it looks like another 6,400 miles will carry me back to Helena.
It's a grand adventure.
Look for me, I'll be in the Right Lane America. 
Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist