My first stop was Daytona Bike Week, where I arrived on the final weekend. Big mistake. The crowds were so thick it was nearly impossible to get around. Lesson learned: go earlier in the week if you actually want to enjoy it. That said, I still had a great time at the Speedway, especially visiting the booths for Cardo Systems and Honda. I even gave Honda a little grief about dropping built-in navigation on the new Gold Wing in favor of only Apple CarPlay… but they didn’t seem too concerned.
I also noticed my fuel mileage had dropped from 42 MPG to about 36 MPG on the way down. Honda was a bit surprised, though they reassured me it was still within spec.
Up at Ormond Beach, the permanent J&P Cycles store next to the Harley dealer was buzzing. Honestly, the scene there rivaled the Speedway—live bands, tons of bikes, and a great atmosphere all day long.
One tradition I never skip in Daytona is dinner at JB's Fish Camp. Watching the sun go down over the water with a good meal in front of you… it just never gets old, and this time was no exception.
From Daytona, I rode south to Coral Gables to visit my college roommate—and friend of 62 years. Between the two of us, we’ve got enough stories to fill a book. While I was there, we took a trip down to Coral Castle, an incredible structure built entirely out of coral rock by one man who never revealed how he did it. Mysterious and fascinating.
Next stop was West Palm Beach, where I met up with Melissa and Sharon K. (from Lake Frederick), who were in town for a Mahjong tournament. Sharon’s daughter joined us and took us to a horse show at the Wellington Equestrian Center. The facility—and the horses—were absolutely top-notch. It was impressive to hear how she transports horses from Leesburg to Florida every winter.
The weather couldn’t have been better—no rain and temperatures in the low 80s the whole time. After wrapping things up with a relaxing sunset cruise along the Intracoastal, I pointed the Gold Wing north and made my way back to Virginia, already thinking about the next ride..
