Off I Go
Well, it is time for another scooter ride. We all need a change and this is easiest and safest for me. It is not without its dangers of exposure and I have apprehensions about. I run all the scenarios through my head. When you get hot and need to cool off where do you stop? The same if it starts to rain?
I will be presented with both of these on this trip. Nothing is cast in stone other than I am leaving for on Tuesday with Walt in the rear view mirror. We will meet Bill in Williston and dine alfresco at the Pyper Kub Cafe. Then it is off for the adventure with the first several nights in the country near Newberry. Wish me luck and a good mask.
This was produced by a great friend of my Steve. It explains why we ride.
June 2, Tuesday
Walt showed up right on time at 7:30 and we hit the road. I have done this so many times I ride with my eyes closed just to make it a challenge. Traffic was moderate and we did not even have to slow down on the exit off of I-275 where it almost always stopped traffic.
We arrived at the Williston International Airport and Pyper Kub right behind Bill. We sat out side and catch up on our lives. There was one other customer for the restaurant sitting outside. The owner took our order for breakfast. The eggs were like most eggs. I had no meat or toast but the boys had the full plate. We used the bathroom and headed down the road.
First stop is Branson and the Levy County Courthouse. Branson is an almost nothing town with one stop light and the courthouse is the same. It is very old, built in 1937, but sadly we are not going in.
From there we moved to the local cemetery to introduce Walt to Bo Diddley. Walt was first to notice that today was the anniversary of Bo's death. They have put a marker on the grave that was dug recently next to BO but we have no idea if there is a connection.
Walt left us here to head home and Bill and I headed for Cross City and the Dixie County.Courthouse.
Dixie County is very poor and their courthouse reflects it. Built in the 60"s and renovated in the 90's it looks more like a warehouse than a court. I have actually seen this courthouse in session. Years ago a friend was participating in a trail and we stopped in to seem him perform. Everybody but the judge, the witness, the court reporter and the lawyer talking were dosing off. There was no one else in the courthouse. The trial went on so long, it was a law suit of course, that it only came to an end when the judge retired. Honest.
We now needed oysters to make this an oyster tour and we head to the gulf town of Steinhatchee. We walk into Roys where there was no social distancing or masks. The salad bar was open but you could only use if it you used one gloved hand. There were tables of five and six people and one of about twelve. We retreated to a table outside were there was an umbrella and a comfortable breeze. A fine oyster stew, beer, and some discussion and we were back on the road to Newberry.
We checked into Larry's dream home and Camp David and had a couple of interesting fruity beers that Bill had bought along the way. For dinner we got takeout from the local BBQ joint and it was pretty good and a very large serving. Sat on the porch until the sun went down and called it a day.
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| Airport exit and no backed up traffic |
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| Even these guys blew off the social distancing. |
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| Not me |
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| Dead Bo and the new marker on the grave next door. |
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| Two fine Italian machines and plastic Japanese thing. |
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| Levy County court house |
Architectural Style: Classic
Street Address: 355 South Court Street
City: BronsonCounty: Levy
State Circuit: Eighth Circuit
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| The Dixie County |
Year Built: 1965
Architectural Style:
Street Address: 214 NE Highway 351
City: Cross City
County: Dixie
State Circuit: Third Circuit
Architectural Style:
Street Address: 214 NE Highway 351
City: Cross City
County: Dixie
State Circuit: Third Circuit
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| Roy's salad bar |
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| This will make it better |
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| Bill had the water few, but I had the same one in the window |
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| That makes it official...it is a oyster tour |
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| The cars of the car club. Nice looking machines. |
June 3, Wednesday
Bill and I are both early risers so we were on the road by 7:30 headed for Ocala and the Marion county courthouse. A nice ride down the four lane US27 through horse country.
The Marion County Courthouse is just another big modern structure and the county is one of the largest in land area in the state. The most notable thing of the whole ride was almost every billboard was advertising "Ron (or Mary or Moe) got (won) me $500,000 (1.2 million, 50,000)" Makes suing sound like they are winning the lottery. Did not mention the Larry or Moe got about 40% with expenses. or more, and you medical bills had to come out of the rest. Larry, or housing benefactor, is one of the few lawyers who voted against letting lawyers advertise.
From there we road long straight sparsely inhabited roads to Palataka. This is another town of rednecks and right wingers and it is hard to come up with a full head of teeth in the whole town. (Yes, I just had to say it once.)
The Putman County Courthouse was old and interesting from the outside. I really wanted to go in but the virus kept us out. However, this is probably one of the places we could have roamed freely as they virus is socialist conspiracy here. We may have to start trying to get into some of these old ones.
The most interesting thing in town was some mural painters. This mural is in honor of all those that served in the military. There are twenty five names to be painted on the wall who dead in combat. One painter was interested in the Vespas, an actually knew what they were. He is a motorcycle guy and told of his friend in town Road the World Don. He rides old Indian motorcycles and take them on his round the world adventures. We will have to look him up if the virus ever goes away.
From Palataka we headed to the home of my mailbox, Green Cove Springs. This is Bill's area and he lead us down the back road, some dirt, to Walnut Street in Green Cove. My mailbox address if 411 Walnut Street but good luck finding that address. The Old Courthouse is at the end of Walnut St. It was built in the 1800's and no longer in use. In fact it looked almost abandoned but there is small museum located in the building. The new courthouse is just a modern building. Nicely done, but not interesting enough for us to ride over to look at.
Bill lead us on a great ride on back roads back to Newberry. Lunch was from the takeout window again from the Woodfire BBQ in Newberry. The place was packed with a crowd standing in a tight ball at the door waiting to get. Not a mask in sight. We took our food from the window and headed back to Larry's Plantation. A great meal on the back deck and a easy afternoon tell lies and planning our next adventures.
The most interesting thing in town was some mural painters. This mural is in honor of all those that served in the military. There are twenty five names to be painted on the wall who dead in combat. One painter was interested in the Vespas, an actually knew what they were. He is a motorcycle guy and told of his friend in town Road the World Don. He rides old Indian motorcycles and take them on his round the world adventures. We will have to look him up if the virus ever goes away.
From Palataka we headed to the home of my mailbox, Green Cove Springs. This is Bill's area and he lead us down the back road, some dirt, to Walnut Street in Green Cove. My mailbox address if 411 Walnut Street but good luck finding that address. The Old Courthouse is at the end of Walnut St. It was built in the 1800's and no longer in use. In fact it looked almost abandoned but there is small museum located in the building. The new courthouse is just a modern building. Nicely done, but not interesting enough for us to ride over to look at.
Bill lead us on a great ride on back roads back to Newberry. Lunch was from the takeout window again from the Woodfire BBQ in Newberry. The place was packed with a crowd standing in a tight ball at the door waiting to get. Not a mask in sight. We took our food from the window and headed back to Larry's Plantation. A great meal on the back deck and a easy afternoon tell lies and planning our next adventures.
The Marion County Judicial Center was built in 1991. It is the fourth courthouse to serve the county. A time capsule containing remnants of past courthouses is located on the courthouse grounds.
Year Built: 1991
Architectural Style: Contemporary
Street Address: 110 NW First Avenue
City: Ocala
County: Marion
State Circuit: Fifth Circuit
Year Built: 1991
Architectural Style: Contemporary
Street Address: 110 NW First Avenue
City: Ocala
County: Marion
State Circuit: Fifth Circuit
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| The artist in Palatka |
The 1909 Putnam County Courthouse is located in Palatka. It is a three story building made of yellow brick with green tile trim. The most unique feature of the courthouse is the huge, 150 year old Maltby live oak tree located on the courthouse grounds.
Year Built: 1909
Architectural Style: Classical Revival
Street Address: 410 St. Johns Avenue
City: Palatka
County: Putnam
State Circuit: Seventh Circuit
The historic Clay County Courthouse was built in 1889 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The courthouse combines Italianate and Second Renaissance design elements, featuring a round arched entrance. The courthouse is one of only four Florida courthouses built before 1900 and now houses the Clay County Historical Museum.
Year Built: 1889
Architectural Style: Italianate, Second Renaissance
Street Address: 915 Walnut Street
City: Green Cove Springs
County: Clay
State Circuit: Fourth
Architectural Style: Italianate, Second Renaissance
Street Address: 915 Walnut Street
City: Green Cove Springs
County: Clay
State Circuit: Fourth
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| Sunset on the deck |
June 4, Thursday
The weather guesser promised rain all day. Bill had to get home and back to work. My plan was to ride up to Georgia to visit my niece on Friday. Today I would just ride around the local area and have a quite day to myself.
Bill final said the heck with the weather guesser, suited up and headed home. Ironically, he did not get a drop of rain. I went off to Publix to get some food since it was going to rain all day. I over bought in case the forecast came true of rain for the next several days. I sat around all day reading, watching Netflex's and waiting for the rain that never came. In the afternoon I took a short ride around and stopped at the Shell station to top. I find it annoying that the gas pump blasts out commercials at you why you are fueling. This pump, however, had been written one with "mute" next to one of the buttons. It worked.
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| Bill suiting up for the ride home |
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| Off he goes |
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| Every pump should have one of these |
June 5, Friday
The weather guesser over the last 18 hours from zero chance of rain to 90% chance of rain. This morning weather studies said riding to Georgia would be the best ride. However, the real live weather disputed that. It was raining to the north and only cloudy to the south. I finally suited up like Bill, and headed home. And, like Bill, there was not a drop of rain and I was home for lunch. Despite the weather it was a great outing as usual with Bill.
