I live in southern Missouri and we're thinking about riding down to Florida,staying on the gulf side and ending up in the Keys.....anyone did this trip/got any suggestions?

 

Do a search on this forum and the Florida forum.....you'll find tons of threads on places to stay and the best way to get there...............................

 

Where are you staying on the Gulf Side? Do you have a reason for going to the Gulf? How much time are you going to spend in the Keys? What time of the year do you plan to make the trip? Two wheels all the way?

 

At this time,everything is up in the air,we just started talking about it.I do have a couple of old classmates in Florida we might stop to visit or stay at on the way.We were thinking maybe 2 weeks for the trip.It's hard cause we have 2 dogs.Last year mighta been easier,we had bought an older motorhome and was going to trailer(gawd I hate that word!) the bike.That way we could take the dogs w/us.As for the time....personally ,i'd like to go late winter-early spring.

 

Late winter is not be as warm as you may think. Early spring would be a better choice. The Keys is a great ride.....all depends on what you are looking for. Duvall St. in Key West has all the "merriment" you can handle. We spent our time riding the back roads in Marathon and the like. It all depends on what you want to see and how much time you have. The West Coast of FL has some great places to see as well. Tarpon Springs is a personal favorite as well as Naples. The Alligator Alley is a neat piece of road to get from W to E

 

If my goal was to get to KW I wouldn’t bother with either coast, at least until I got near Ft. Myers.

Late winter-early spring could put you in the middle of love bug season so be careful about timing. Late winter can be cold. I have been very uncomfortable in Daytona during bike week even during the day.

Where do your old classmates live? Where do you think you will enter Florida at?

When Chaz mentioned Alligator Alley I’m bet he meant Tamiami Trail.

 

Actually both are nice rides. But Alligator Alley would get him from Naples over to Ft Lauderdale. I was not as clear as I could have been.

 

The Sunshine Skyway is worth doing if you pass Tampa.

I prefer the Tamiami trail to Alligator alley as its more picturesque and has weird funky bars and indians running air boats & ATV's. It also puts you in the 'redlands' at the back of homestead which has some nice ranches & stuff

 

Only been to the Keys once and planing on going back tons of history about the Gibraltar of the Americas and lots of good cold beer. Here is a nice Duval Street Web cam outside of Sloppy Joe's. I like Captain Tony's my self. http://www.liveduvalstreet.com/