Club Update and Ride Reports
July 7th, 2008
Members,
I hope this email finds you staying as cool as possible this time of year.  I find it amusing that those who live up north park their motorcycles for three months (January, February, March) a year due to weather. And here in South Florida, I pretty much park my bike for three months (June, July, August) a year. I find the heat a little oppressive but more than anything, I hate getting caught out in our daily thunderstorms.  The lightning and hail just scare me. Add to that the slick road conditions and other drivers being distracted: this is just a recipe for disaster.
But let me catch you up on a few items, mainly our past two rides and some upcoming events.
On June 15th we celebrated Father’s Day with a club breakfast ride. 20+ members joined me as Doug Johnson with his daughter Tiffany led the club to Clewiston Inn for breakfast. Our route took us west on I-75 to Snake Road. We made a short stop at the gas station right off the interstate. I did not see it, but some members witnessed a drunk driver plow into a concrete planter.
As luck would have it, this drunk pulled out ahead of our group and we were stuck behind a weaving and erratic automobile. Doug judged it unsafe to try and pass with the club and took the safest route to stay behind and watch. I was at the back of the group and could see the car swerve into the opposite direction lane of traffic. Luckily there was no oncoming traffic. At one point I pulled over and called 911 to alert the Seminole Police of the approaching hazard. Trying to tell a 911 operator in Ft. Lauderdale where you are located in the middle of the Everglades and the Seminole Indian reservation is impossible. After pulling into the small town, we saw the car pull into a driveway. Morten had already pulled into the police station and I doubled back to inform him of the autos location. Doug continued on to Clewiston Inn (more on this later).
Morten and I led the police to the residence, briefed them on what we had seen and offered Morten’s video of evidence before playing catch-up with the club.
As you are heading on Snake Road, there is a right turn which leads you to Clewiston on mostly straight roads that are separated by some great curves. We saw plenty of wildlife here (turtles crossing the road, rabbits alongside the road, snakes, etc). This road is very easy to miss, but with my GPS, it posed no problem.
Morten and his friend from Denmark, my wife and I arrived at the Clewiston Inn around 9:15am. Morten’s wife and daughter were there to meet us for breakfast. To our surprise the rest of the club was not there! Remember that little road earlier that I said was easy to miss? Seems that Doug had his GPS set up for his trip to California the following week and was not able to view the roads in this area. They ended up arriving about 15 minutes after us and seeing a little bit more of the countryside.
Breakfast was great. I forgot to mention earlier: Rusty Johnson, General Manager of Rick Case Honda Powerhouse had given me a couple cases of Honda Spray Cleaner. Each Dad was given a can of this great cleaner. Next time you are in the dealership, please tell Rusty thanks for supporting our club.
We ended up returning home a little past noon. The weather had been beautiful all day with cool temperatures in the early morning followed by low to mid 80’s for the ride home. Just before getting home my wife and I encountered some liquid sunshine. My new bottle of Honda Spray Cleaner was going to get some use after the bike cooled off.
On Saturday, June 28th there was a short notice ride to Harriett’s Diner in Key Largo. About 15 members joined us. We took the Florida Turnpike Extension to US 1 in Florida City. A short stop at the usual Shell Gas Station and we were heading to the Overseas Highway. Because of construction on the northern part of Key Largo, we stayed on US 1 the whole way down. This road is also under construction, but we were greeted with mostly smooth asphalt and little traffic. After arriving at Harriet’s, we only had to wait a few minutes before the group was seated. Almost as soon as we sat down, Nick & Carmen Cross joined us. They departed after we did so as to witness a building implosion near Coconut Grove.
Breakfast again was great. I challenge anybody to eat more then one of Harriet’s biscuits. They are huge and I don’t believe they appear on any approved diet plan.
Returning home we decided to take the less traveled road and took Krome Avenue up to US 27. Along the way John Schmidt mentioned over the CB that we should stop and sample some of the local produce/fruit beverages. As luck would have it, he mentioned it after we passed all them. So next time we journey this way, we will make it a point to stop along this road. We also discussed stopping at (I don’t remember the name, but John knows it as I am sure those who live south know it also) for some special fudge or milkshakes. I thought they were seasonal, so John, your task is to research this and get back to me so we can ride to eat again!
That covers our last two rides.
This Friday, July 11th from 6:00-9:00 p.m., Family Friendly Friday Night Bike Night at Rick Case Honda Powerhouse. Come join us for some great food cooked by my wife Jo-Ann and her helpers. I would say I was cooking, but I do much better socializing and staying out of the kitchen. The food is free, but tips are accepted and they all go to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Ride for Kids! The last Bike Night over $75.00 was donated to this charity.
Checks for Club Patches have been arriving in the mail regularly. If you still want a patch with the initial order and special pricing of only $25.00 a patch, please email me immediately.
Club registration and dues. The final required paperwork to complete the club registration is in Tallahassee as I type this. This will give us a “Not-For-Profit” status and allow us to open up our pay-pal online account. We are working on the ability for you to register and pay your dues online. The yearly dues is only $25.00 per family. The board is discussing an initiation charge of $25.00, this would get you either a Club Shirt or Patch, your choice. If you have already purchased a shirt or patch, then this would be waived. I would like to have a general club meeting during August to discuss where the club is going. Location for meeting is the question right now. I was thinking of a Monday night, August 11th at Wings Plus in Weston. They have a nice room and you would be able to order off the menu. Their wings are great! More to come.
The 2008 Ride for Kids is coming together nicely. Goodyear/Dunlop Tire (a major sponsor of Ride for Kids) has donated two sets of tickets for Goodyear Airship rides for us to raffle off as a fundraiser. I have a meeting next Sunday regarding this and should have final details and how you can purchase tickets or even better: sell tickets on your own and raise money to add to your donations for next year’s ride. Our club was No. 1 last year and several other clubs are gunning for that coveted spot this year. Because of being the No. 1 club last year, we are placed at the front of the ride (right behind the STARS).
The Copperhead Lodge, North Georgia motorcycle trip October 19-26th is going full speed. There is a little over 3 months to go before we head up to some of the best riding east of the Rocky Mountains. Many members have already booked their rooms, http://www.copperheadlodge.com This website will give you a description of where we are staying. If you need a more exact itinerary of our riding plans, email me and I will send it to you. For those going, don’t wait until the last minute to get your bike ready. Talk to the Service Department at Rick Case Honda to see if your bike needs anything before this trip. If you need new tires, get them in early October so you can rough them up before hitting the mountains. A note of caution: This trip is not for novice riders! We will be tackling some twisty roads that will test even the most seasoned rider. We will be pushing the limits of motorcycle and motorcyclist. All those going should practice their corning techniques.
I am not listing any upcoming rides because of the weather conditions and the fact that I have to work most Saturdays/Sundays this month. Watch your emails for those short notice rides. If you want to organize a ride, email the particulars and I will forward it to the membership.
In closing, here are two sites you might want to visit:
Ride Safe,
Greg Mathes
Gold Coast Rider’s Club
Help us raise money and find a cure for Pediatric Brain Tumors!
Sponsor us at http://www.firstgiving.com/gregorymathes
What’s it all about? Look here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=9espLjVqqO0
Designed/Hosted by