Rocket and Me: Valentine Oyster Tour

This past weekend found me riding with my friends Ken, Jim and Gary again. This was the fourth Oyster Tour ride, third to Apalachicola area. I rode Vanessa on a long test ride.

It started with me leaving home at 8:00 Saturday morning. From there I rode around 130 miles to Perry, where I met up with Jim for the ride to Eastpoint, where we met with Ken and Gary at Lynn;s Quality Oysters, the unofficial Oyster Restaurant for the tours.

After oysters and shrimp, all excellent, we rode over to Port St. Joe, where we got settled into the Tiki Palms Inn, a small house converted to an Inn. I drove by it and couldn't believe my GPS, but someone saw the sign and parking lot, so we moved in.

Jim, Ken and I then rode up to Mexico Beach, just so I could see it, and back to the inn. Then a fine dinner at Provisions in the heart of a nice little town.

Saturday morning had us embarking on a long ride to Cedar Key. Shortly after the start, Gary had us stopping by an old lighthouse that had been converted to a house. Then Jim had us divert twenty miles to the St. Joseph's Peninsula State Park.

We continued around through Apalachicola and Carrabelle, then to a stop at a Shell station in Medart. Then the long ride to Perry, where we turned south to a turn off on Beach Road to Steinhatchee. We rode through that fishing town to a gas station just south, where I noticed my exhaust gasket was leaking. Rather than risk burning out the rear brake line, I opted to repair it there. That took thirty minutes but quiet returned.

Then to the turn off at Chiefland, where Gary said he was too tired to continue. Ken stayed behind with him while Jim and I continued to Cedar Key. The two arrived a few minutes after us and we went to Tony's for a nice seafood dinner.

Sunday, we all headed home separately.

It was an adventure by four very different riders. I believed that I have now learned how to lead these three. Go slower and stop more. I can do it.

Vanessa performed admirably, running well the entire way. After heading out on my own after leaving Ken and Jim near Cedar Key, I could see what she could do. It ran 65 to 70 mph on the country roads where possible, then 73 to 79 on I-10 the last 25 miles into Jacksonville. But then she was hard to start and spit some gasoline while putting her away for the night. I think I can fix that, so she might become my go to scooter.