The Florida Mile 2026: Five Riders, Two GPS Obsessions, and Endless Rain
Roads and Places Featured in This Ride
Our long-distance Florida motorcycle adventure continued south after Tail of the Dragon through Georgia to Orlando and Daytona, with heavy rain, stops, family visits and a memorable ride home.
After a weekend of Skyline Drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Tail of the Dragon, and Cherohala Skyway, you would think we had enough riding for one trip. Apparently not.
While the rest of the group headed back toward New Jersey and New York, five of us, Alberto, William, Gloria, Donnie, and me, still had a few miles to go. Florida was next. We had already survived 318 curves, a mountain gravel detour that had no business being on a touring-bike route, and a few other surprises. How hard could the rest of the trip be?
Florida had an answer. Mostly rain.
Monday, September 7: Southbound, Then Soaked
We woke up early, packed up, and made our way south through Georgia, passing Atlanta on the way to Orlando. For a while, the ride was going pretty well. Then we crossed into Florida and the rain started. Not the polite kind of rain, either.
We got wet before we could get our gear on, pulled into a Dunkin’ Donuts, and stayed there about an hour. After finally getting into the rain suits, we rode from roughly 4 PM to 8 PM in pouring rain to reach the Airbnb. Four hours of testing every waterproof claim ever printed on motorcycle gear.
When we finally arrived, everyone was tired and ready to get off the bikes. Alberto, though, had something to smile about: he got to see his kids right away. That made a long, wet day worth it.
Family Time, Separate Plans, and William Versus the Lovebugs
The next day was about more than motorcycles. Alberto, William, Gloria, and I rode to Tampa to visit my daughter. We had lunch together, caught up, and then made our way back. It was one of the reasons I wanted to keep riding south in the first place.
Donnie had his own plans, including spending time with his wife, who drove up from West Palm Beach to join him. Unfortunately, he got rained out and returned to the Airbnb. At this point, rain wasn't a weather event. It was a member of our group.
William and Gloria headed to Port St. Lucie to visit friends and stay overnight. Florida decided to welcome them with a lovebug invasion. One look at William’s windshield and helmet and you would think he had ridden straight through a bug convention. The bike looked like it needed an appointment with a pressure washer.
That evening, my son came over and the two of us went to dinner. Alberto spent time with his kids, too. After all the miles we’d ridden together, it was good to have some time for the people we had come to see.
Two GPS Systems, Two Completely Different Priorities
Somewhere along the way, Alberto developed a serious relationship with Buc-ee’s. I swear his GPS was permanently programmed to locate the nearest one. It didn’t matter where we were going; somehow that beaver kept showing up on our route. Gas up, stretch, take another picture, grab a brisket sandwich. Repeat.
And okay, the brisket sandwiches were good. We had them quite a few times. But I had one simple request: I wanted Arby’s. Apparently, that was too much to ask.
On the way to Daytona, Alberto found, you guessed it, another Buc-ee’s. This time I noticed an Arby’s nearby. I quietly slipped away, ate my lunch as fast as I could, and met everyone back at Buc-ee’s like nothing happened. Mission accomplished. We didn’t make it to Arby’s together that day, but I finally got my sandwich.
To be fair, I couldn’t give Alberto too much grief. My GPS had its own problem. Before we even made it to Daytona, we stopped at a Harley-Davidson dealership. Apparently Alberto’s navigation was programmed for brisket, and mine was programmed for chrome. Neither of us was in any position to judge.
Daytona: Buc-ee’s, Ice Cream, and Alberto Goes Full Squid
We finally made it to Daytona, and for a moment we thought Alberto was about to strip. Not quite. He decided to ride without his helmet, wearing shorts and a tank top. After all those miles geared up, apparently Daytona brought out his beach-vacation side. We laughed, although riding without protective gear wasn’t exactly the safest decision of the trip.
We enjoyed Daytona, then stopped for ice cream to cool off. On the ride back to Orlando, the weather decided we had gone almost an entire paragraph without rain. So, naturally, it rained again.
Medieval Times? We Had Modelos by the Pool
We had talked about going to Medieval Times, but plans changed. After the miles, heat, and rain, Alberto, William, and I ended up hanging around the Airbnb pool with some Modelos instead. No route planning. No rain suits. No trying to figure out why the GPS had found another beaver. Just a chance to relax and laugh about everything that had happened.
And because every great road trip apparently needs a surprise passenger, Minnie Mouse even found her way onto my Harley. At least she didn’t ask me to stop at Buc-ee’s.
A Quick Camera Errand That Somehow Became More Harley Dealerships
At another point during our Florida stay, Alberto and I went out looking for an SD card and another Insta360 selfie stick. A quick errand. In and out. Simple.
Somehow we ended up at a couple more Harley-Davidson dealerships. Apparently the camera stores were very close to the dealerships. Or reasonably close. Or close enough if you were the one planning the route. And yes, we got caught in the rain again.
By now, our travel arrangement was obvious: Alberto found the Buc-ee’s, I found the Harleys, and the rain found all of us.
Universal Orlando: A Night Out at CityWalk
We also made it over to Universal CityWalk and ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. It was nice to sit down together somewhere that didn’t involve a gas pump or a rain forecast. We spent time around Universal and enjoyed a night ride in Orlando. For once, the destination wasn’t another Buc-ee’s. At least not that I knew of.
Motorcycle Ride Home from Florida Through South Carolina Rain
Eventually it was time to pack up the Airbnb and head north. The ride started out pretty well, and we all had the same idea: why not ride roughly a thousand miles straight through and go for an Iron Butt-style day?
Then we hit South Carolina. Rain. Through what felt like the entire state. It followed us into North Carolina. At this point I was pretty sure the clouds had been following our group since Georgia.
Around 1 AM, roughly 10 miles from the Virginia state line, we stopped at an empty gas station. Nobody was there. We lay down in the grass, absolutely exhausted, but no one wanted to be the first to tap out. Everybody still wanted to push on.
That’s when Gloria, our savior, looked at us and said we looked like we needed some rest. She was right. Chasing a mileage goal after that much wet, nighttime riding wasn’t worth it. We finally agreed to find a hotel.
The Hotel That Came With Extra Guests
We checked in and started doing what exhausted riders do. I was trying to dry my clothes. Alberto headed for the shower. Then Donnie called me.
“We need to get out. Now.”
Roaches. Everywhere.
You’ve got to be kidding me. After all those miles, after finally admitting we needed a hotel, we’d found one with a complimentary wildlife experience. Forget the Iron Butt. We were now competing for the fastest hotel checkout in motorcycle history.
We got out and found another hotel. Then we spent about an hour with a hair dryer, working on wet boots and riding gear. By the time we finally went to bed, it was around 3 AM. Alarm set for 7 AM. Four hours of sleep and one last leg home. Not exactly luxury touring.
One Last Ride North, and Finally an Arby’s Together
The next morning we got back on the road for the final leg toward New Jersey and New York. Somewhere around Maryland or Washington, DC, we finally made that long-awaited group stop at Arby’s. Alberto even reminded me afterward that I had forgotten to give the occasion its rightful place in the story.
So yes, we did get to Arby’s together after all. It just took a ride from North Carolina to Florida and most of the way home to make it happen.
The Miles Were Great. The People Made the Trip.
Looking back, we had one hell of an adventure. We rode legendary mountain roads, crossed state after state, got soaked more times than I want to count, ate enough Buc-ee’s brisket sandwiches for a lifetime, survived a bug invasion, and somehow escaped a roach-infested hotel.
Not everything went according to plan. Actually, I’m not sure much of anything went according to plan. But we laughed, looked out for one another, spent time with family, and made memories we’ll probably be talking about for years.
And at the end of the trip, William said something that really stuck with me:
“Just remember, it's not the place, the food, or the roads. It's the people who are with you who make everything perfect.”— William
I couldn’t have said it better myself. That’s what this trip was really about. And that’s what Next Mile Moto is all about.
Good roads. Good people. Great memories.
Miles & Memories
See more photos from the Florida trip →
What did you think of this story?
Your feedback helps us make The Open Road even better.
Loading community reactions…
Rider Comments
Were you there? Share a favorite moment or a memory from the ride.
Leave a Comment
Comments are reviewed before they appear. Please keep it respectful.
Loading rider comments…