First (Unofficial) Florida FJ Rally

[Steve_in_Florida]

After an extremely foggy, mild temperature early morning ride up the slab of highway known as Interstate 4, I met Nancy and her boyfriend Jeff for a cook-it-yourself pancake breakfast at DeLeon Springs State Park.

The park was hosting an event highlighting periods of Florida's history, and a number of groups and individuals were on hand to answer questions and provide demonstrations. There was even a demonstration of old single-cylinder small engines (farm implements, tractors, washing machine engines, etc.) and a group from a local Volkswagen club with their hippie-style vans. (near and dear to my heart, as I also have a 1970 VW Camper)

Once breakfast settled and we were tired of all the history, we decided to set off on a ride. Gearing up in the parking lot, we realized that we had all the trappings of an FJ rally; three different model FJ's (1TX, 3CV, 3XW), enthusiastic FJ freaks, and some time to ride.

It was noon, and the fog was gone. Smack dab in the middle of winter, and we're sweating! (Yay, Florida!)

Time to ride!

North on a road. Straight. Twists. West on another. Turns. Straight. Bridge. South. Pass Harleys. Straight. Fast. Straight. Curve. South. Straight. West. Curves. Stop, run into someone Nancy knows. Chat. Observe large group of sportbike riders come, then abruptly go back the way they came. East. Curves. West. Straight. Gas stop. South. Curves. East. Straight. South. Curves. East. South. Rest stop/Rally termination.

(Actual details may differ, but you get the point.)

Great times were had by all who attended. The embroidered T-shirts are REALLY NICE! Next year, we will be offering an array of hats, scarves, jacket patches, and color coordinated "do-rags" to match your bike's paint scheme. We'll be sure to order enough in pink and red/white, as they seem to be very popular!

Cheers and Kooky-Lou!

Steve