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leaveword
New member
Place to pitch my tent?
Hi everyone,
I'm new on this forum and as you can see, planning a trip to the Keys in March. My campsite bookings are patchy so I'd love to find a place on Key West where I can pitch my tent. Any ideas?
Also, and I will try to find the appropriate thread to put this request in, but I need to park my R1100S near the Orlando airport on March 27th. I will either arrange for it to be shipped back north to Virginia, or I'll come back down to collect it when the AutoTrain prices drop. Please let me know how I might find a safe and friendly parking spot.
Thanks a bunch.
Hi everyone,
I'm new on this forum and as you can see, planning a trip to the Keys in March. My campsite bookings are patchy so I'd love to find a place on Key West where I can pitch my tent. Any ideas?
Also, and I will try to find the appropriate thread to put this request in, but I need to park my R1100S near the Orlando airport on March 27th. I will either arrange for it to be shipped back north to Virginia, or I'll come back down to collect it when the AutoTrain prices drop. Please let me know how I might find a safe and friendly parking spot.
Thanks a bunch.
leaveword
New member
Trip Report
My trip to the keys was great. Lots of good advice/tips on this thread.
I might be the only one to suggest, however, that riders take as many toll roads as they can on Florida interstates to get to where they really want to spend time. I think it's worth the money considering the road rage and wack driving I witnessed! The way you do this is stop at a Publix, Navarros or Sedanos and buy a Mini Sunpass for five bucks. You then need to spend half an hour registering this card online or by phone and loading it with cash using a credit card. After that, stuff it in your pocket and roll through the checkpoints. They will take a picture of your license plate and deduct the toll from the card. DO NOT STICK THIS CARD ON YOUR WINDSHIELD UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! It does not work, for one thing, since the card's antenna requires glass, and it ruins the UV protection of your windshield.
Primitive camping at Bahia Honda is amazing, bugs notwithstanding (Bayside is less buggy than the more scenic Atlantic side). The coral is hard so bring a hammer to stake out your tent. But one of the post above was correct, ideally you need to reserve these tent sites 11 months in advance to get the one you really want! And the ones you really want are....Bayside site 80 and Sandspur sites 67, 68, 69 or 70.
In Key West I camped at Boyd's which I thoroughly enjoyed and would return in a hearbeat. Everything about this place works for motorcyle touring, from the hot showers and primo tiki bar at the lovely (not cheesy) pool to the great porters (really well-informed about Key West) to the mellow, interesting clientelle, a mix of upscale RV folks and college-age tent campers. A cool thing about Boyd's is the tent sites have moorings, so if your rent a boat you can keep it there twenty feet from your tent for the duration of your stay. Pretty amazing. Yes, it's expensive, but every other place in Key West is astro, and after surveying the scene, I think Boyd's has best value for money. Downside is, taxis to/from the center of town five miles away are 20 bucks, so no hard drinking if you're riding home from that hard drinking town at night....The taxi prices are a scam and the local chamber of commerce is trying to do something about it, but don't hold your breath.
If you camp in the Keys, remember that it is an active Naval site and jets are flying day and night overhead from Key Largo to Key West, making a lot of noise. They will wake you up before dawn in Key West, where they land and take off, unless you're sleeping like the dead. Not sure how much insulation you'd have from this in a low end hotel room....
My trip to the keys was great. Lots of good advice/tips on this thread.
I might be the only one to suggest, however, that riders take as many toll roads as they can on Florida interstates to get to where they really want to spend time. I think it's worth the money considering the road rage and wack driving I witnessed! The way you do this is stop at a Publix, Navarros or Sedanos and buy a Mini Sunpass for five bucks. You then need to spend half an hour registering this card online or by phone and loading it with cash using a credit card. After that, stuff it in your pocket and roll through the checkpoints. They will take a picture of your license plate and deduct the toll from the card. DO NOT STICK THIS CARD ON YOUR WINDSHIELD UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! It does not work, for one thing, since the card's antenna requires glass, and it ruins the UV protection of your windshield.
Primitive camping at Bahia Honda is amazing, bugs notwithstanding (Bayside is less buggy than the more scenic Atlantic side). The coral is hard so bring a hammer to stake out your tent. But one of the post above was correct, ideally you need to reserve these tent sites 11 months in advance to get the one you really want! And the ones you really want are....Bayside site 80 and Sandspur sites 67, 68, 69 or 70.
In Key West I camped at Boyd's which I thoroughly enjoyed and would return in a hearbeat. Everything about this place works for motorcyle touring, from the hot showers and primo tiki bar at the lovely (not cheesy) pool to the great porters (really well-informed about Key West) to the mellow, interesting clientelle, a mix of upscale RV folks and college-age tent campers. A cool thing about Boyd's is the tent sites have moorings, so if your rent a boat you can keep it there twenty feet from your tent for the duration of your stay. Pretty amazing. Yes, it's expensive, but every other place in Key West is astro, and after surveying the scene, I think Boyd's has best value for money. Downside is, taxis to/from the center of town five miles away are 20 bucks, so no hard drinking if you're riding home from that hard drinking town at night....The taxi prices are a scam and the local chamber of commerce is trying to do something about it, but don't hold your breath.
If you camp in the Keys, remember that it is an active Naval site and jets are flying day and night overhead from Key Largo to Key West, making a lot of noise. They will wake you up before dawn in Key West, where they land and take off, unless you're sleeping like the dead. Not sure how much insulation you'd have from this in a low end hotel room....
Visian
look out!!!
dude, you are hardcore.
i grew up down there, and have camped there several times.
ian
spartanbeemer
It's Happy Hour somewhere
I really like going in October. I go to Biketoberfest in Daytona and then ride on down to the Keys for a day or two and then ride back home to upstate S.C.. I wish I could go this fall too but I went this spring and my work schedule will not allow me to go again this fall. Have a great trip. P.S. - I like the camping in Bahai Honda State Park also. Great place.
jnerges
Hear that ticking sound?
Hi All,
Great to read about the Keys. I have a week off in October and I have always wanted to see Key West. We are in Columbia SC so a week should do it. Any advice or experience on the weather, traffic, crowds? Is this a good time to go?
Thanks,
John
Well I did it, my wife said: "you are being a @#$%*@#, why don't you take some time off, here is your helmet, ride safe"
Left SC in 6 DEC and headed South, stop in North FLA, West Palm Beach (good to have family in places) and then made it down. Being military, there is a camp site and an Navy Base, threw up the tent and stared at the Gulf of Mexico for two days. The weather was pretty cold, people were absolutely pissed that it was a high of 60, I just dialed up the Gerbing jacket and rode on. Leaving on 9 DEC, there was a 35 to 40 knot left to right wind. I walked crooked for 8 hours afterward. It was a 500 mile day on the return, made it back to Northern FLA on day one, home to SC on day two. But it did get cold and the deer on the side of 95 grazing in the dark were giving me the eye, as one of them were ready to sacrifice their lives in order to shove me under an 18 wheeler but with luck and a little, very little skill, I prevailed. I know I got a break, riding at night is almost never worth it. Got home safe, had a great time. I recommend it for anybody.
Three up: The seafood, The Freaks, The water
Three Downs: Miami at any time of the day or night, The FLA Tollway without an Eazy Pass and the Original Pancake House in Boca Raton(That's another story)
Next big Trip: Hailfax Nova Scotia this summer, just got word the Bro in Law obtained a Buell Ulyssessesses or however you spell that thing.
