Island time as delayed my blog entries.
Well, it's been a while, I suppose. The two places I've been for a while are not the most conducive for keeping a rigid schedule. Luckliy, I am not on a rigid schedule these days. I really enjoyed walking around the French Quarter. The food and music and oppressive heat and the old-world feel is just a really cool combination. I'd definitely like to go back (in the winter, though) and spend a little more time. I think I mentioned it before, but the hostel I stayed in was really nice and definitely reasonably priced. I spent two nights in New Orleans and even got a late start the day I left. I guess it is the curse of the French Quarter. I didn't really have a plan, except to drive as far as I could toward Key West. I moving slowly, however, and made it just past Tallahassee.
From Tallahassee I got an early start to assualt the 620 miles standing between me and Key West. I drove by a number of thunderheads, but luckily they all held off from raining on me. The thunderheads contributed to a gorgeous sunset the entire way down through the Keys. I made it to Key West just before my friend and host, Jake, had to go to work (he was working night shift). He dropped me off on Duval Street so I could walk around and took a cab ride back to his house.
On Saturday we took his boat out. A friend in D.C. had put me in touch with her friend that now lives in Key West and she joined us on the boat. We cruised around the harbor in Key West and buzzed around a bunch of reefs and keys and atolls. We've spent the rest of the time eating, sleeping, and partying on Duval Street. Apparently it is also bike weekend in Key West, and it is estimated that 7,000 bikes from all over Florida come down for the weekend. I think I'm the only one who rode 13,000 miles to get here, though. I had no idea the bike weekend was going on, though. On Friday and Saturday nights Duval Street was closed down for motorcycle parking. There was some great people watching. It's so easy to lose focus down here, and I'll be going on to my fourth night here. I'm committed to leaving tomorrow morning, though.
The last big news item is that today is my last day of active duty in the Coast Guard. At midnight tonight I will officially be in the Coast Guard Reserve. I also got my last paycheck today. I guess it's the end of an era. 9 years, 2 months, and 15 days is the rough count of how long I was associated with the active duty Coast Guard.
Tomorrow I embark on my run up the eastern seaboard and begin to wrap up my trip. I'm pretty ready for that to happen. Other than Hawaii, there are only two states left that I have not ridden through on previous trips; Georgia and Vermont. My plan is to do them all on this trip, though I so I will be making some repeat visits.
Anyway, enjoy the blog. Talk to you soon.
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