Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Back to the Reality of Life Inside the Beltway
Biketoberfest in Daytona was wonderful.
We rode every day -- several times up and down Main Street to see and be seen, but also around Florida. We rode up to St. Augustine and over to the Gulf Coast, and all around the area, visiting Harley dealerships and seeing the sights. We also visited the Daytona International Speedway, but not surprisingly, they wouldn't let us ride on the track! We rode through several swamp areas, but we didn't see any gators.
We hung out at some of the famous biker bars, like Boot Hill Saloon, and generally had a good time with fellow motorcycle riders.
The vendors didn't have it so good, however, because of the love-hate relationship between them and the City of Daytona. Daytona loves to collect the fees, but they hate to see the bikers come to town. The vendors in years past were open all week, but this year, they were prohibited from opening until Thursday. Despite pleas to the city that Hurricane Wilma may cause many to leave early, the City refused to allow them to sell anything until the official opening.
Vendors outside Daytona, such as those up Route 1 in Ormond Beach, didn't have those restrictions and fared better. It may be that Daytona Bike Week ends up moving up and down the road outside of town, given the unfriendly reception provided by the City.
The weather was great -- lots of sunshine -- until Friday night, when the rain moved in. Saturday was so-so. We left on Sunday under cloudy skies. The hurricane hit just after we left. We got rained on the whole way home.
All in all, a great bike week.
Today has been tough. It's always tough for me on the first day back in the office after being out for more than a day or two, but today has been particularly difficult. I love my job, and I was pretty busy today, but I'd rather be riding.
We rode every day -- several times up and down Main Street to see and be seen, but also around Florida. We rode up to St. Augustine and over to the Gulf Coast, and all around the area, visiting Harley dealerships and seeing the sights. We also visited the Daytona International Speedway, but not surprisingly, they wouldn't let us ride on the track! We rode through several swamp areas, but we didn't see any gators.
We hung out at some of the famous biker bars, like Boot Hill Saloon, and generally had a good time with fellow motorcycle riders.
The vendors didn't have it so good, however, because of the love-hate relationship between them and the City of Daytona. Daytona loves to collect the fees, but they hate to see the bikers come to town. The vendors in years past were open all week, but this year, they were prohibited from opening until Thursday. Despite pleas to the city that Hurricane Wilma may cause many to leave early, the City refused to allow them to sell anything until the official opening.
Vendors outside Daytona, such as those up Route 1 in Ormond Beach, didn't have those restrictions and fared better. It may be that Daytona Bike Week ends up moving up and down the road outside of town, given the unfriendly reception provided by the City.
The weather was great -- lots of sunshine -- until Friday night, when the rain moved in. Saturday was so-so. We left on Sunday under cloudy skies. The hurricane hit just after we left. We got rained on the whole way home.
All in all, a great bike week.
Today has been tough. It's always tough for me on the first day back in the office after being out for more than a day or two, but today has been particularly difficult. I love my job, and I was pretty busy today, but I'd rather be riding.
