I spent two days in Palm Coast and rode an hour down the continuous beach and will spend another couple days in Daytona. Maybe even stay a few more. Weather is great. Although you would not know that from the weatherman. Apparently it is cold. Feels like May on the west coast minus the rain.

The great thing about slowing things down is that I get to spend more time meeting the locals. Locals is a loose term. Very few people are actually from the area. I do not know the actual statistics but the average age is up there. The winter home for many older folks or as I have heard frequently, their permanent home now. I spoke with a really funny older black gentleman who made me laugh for an hour. He told me a story about when he moved here from New York. He just could not bring himself to move into a gated community with the name Plantation. He cracked me up.

The fact that so many people here are all transplanted makes the area very friendly. Everyone wants to hear my story and encourage safe travels. Points of interest and places to see are suggested. Travelling in the area at this time of year is also very inexpensive. Great clean motel rooms are thirty-five dollars a night! Wireless internet was inconsistent my last stay but that is just a minor inconvenience. I am constantly amazed and grateful for my stumbling upon the people, places and things I encounter.

Nice short ride down to Daytona Beach yesterday. I was scolded heavily yesterday for posting a video of me riding. The sunshine and surf must have gotten the better of my judgement. Thank you all for your concern. I pulled into a little motel in Daytona right on A1A. An absolute steal. Thirty-five dollars again and the cleanest most comfortable little family owned place I have stayed in yet.

After unpacking and checking in I rode the four miles down the Daytona strip. Far more touristy and the biker influence is very visible. Bars and restaurants still have ‘Biker Week’ signs in the windows, although the festival has long since past. Bike only parking stalls are right in front of most doorways and motorcycle shops and accessory stores are plentiful. I rode to the Triumph shop and was very happily greeted by the service shop. With a little shuffling they worked me into an appointment for 9 this morning. I missed the 6000 mile service call more than 3000 miles ago….