May be a little off topic... Are there any Suncoast chapter folks (or others) out there that know a good road for a Sunday cruise (I'm living in Bradenton, FL). My wife and I like to take a short drvie on Sunday and just enjoy the day. Why'll going down to Anna Maria island and making the trip along the beach to Sarasota is fun, typically I'm lucky if I exceed 30mph and it is only worse this time of year. Does anyone in the area know of any roads nearby that can be cruised safely with minimal snow bird presense and that might actually have a few turns on it? Most roads down here are in good shape but were created by an evil civil engineer with a very long ruler. Any help would be appreciated!
[So that you don't immediately take offense, you should know that I'm the Chief Smartass© here. Satch would like to be, but he gets paid for this gig and I don't. So he can get fired while I get all the really juicy punch lines. That said, try to imagine that we're sitting in Siebkens bar in Elkhart Lake, two miles from Road America, and you asked this question. I turn to you and say:] You're in Florida. It's flat. There's no reason to build anything but a straight road. The Romans, the Mayans, and the Druids all knew that. The twistiest roads you'll find in your neck of the woods (if you had any woods) would be fake ones like Sebring and Moroso race tracks. If you want fun twisty roads, you gotta pay by being somewhere it gets cold - like right here. Road America may be fake in the sense that it was built as a dedicated race track, but it copies lots of similar roads right here in the Kettle Moraine. I can go out and drive them any time; even today, when it's 19º. Of course, next month, I'll need to drive my Jeep because there'll be two-foot drifts on most of 'em ... Seriously, welcome to the club. Some of my best club pals are in Suncoast and they'll probably drag you up into Georgia to find some twisty stuff. In the process, you'll find that most of us are Smartasses© that are a lot more fun than the Porsche or Ferrari club gold-chain-wearers. [That avatar photo to your left is me and my daughter in Road America's Turn Six during the two months of lousy sledding that passes for 'summer' here.]
Smartasses, I love smartasses, they are my favorite people. Thanks for the welcome, I'm enjoying the club and the car so far. I'm definately not a gold chain guy, I'll spend that money on gas and tires. I spent the vast majority of my life way north of the Mason Dixon and I'm not going back, even for twisty roads! My blood has thinned out so much I'm looking for a jacket when it dips below 60. My four wheel drive has not been in four wheel drive for 5 years now, maybe I should go mudding. Thanks for pointing out my pain, there is not a curve or hill in sight. But hey, I'm 20 minutes from the beach. Price of paradise, at least in my mind. There is one long 90 degree turn between my house and work so for about 5 seconds a day I have a grin on my face. Unless there is an orange hauler or snow bird going 25 mph in front of me. I was just hoping that somewhere in this area they had to build around a lake, river, sink hole, protected mosquito breeding ground, something! I love the avatar photo, now that is something I think I could get my daughter into as well. She'd love it.
Curvy Roads From one Sarasota Bradenton resident to another. You will see more curves on the beach than the roads. bluewagon
To raise the smartass level a notch or two: What is this Moroso you speak of? You mean Palm Beach International Raceway? http://www.racepbir.com/ Only 10 minutes from my house and I haven't been to it since they renamed it
Yer welcome. I understand they actually make 2WD Jeeps. Never seen one, mind you, but the brochures and parts books say it exists. I'm less than 10 minutes from the beach. It's Lake Michigan, but still ... She was 11 then. Nearly 14 now. She may get to drive that car yet. As for The Race Track Formerly Known As Moroso, it was Moroso the last time I drove it.
Welcome to the asylum! . . . I see that you've already met a few of the inmates. . . Having lived in Alaska for way too many years, I hear you about the "never going back" part. Now I live in San Diego, where we bitch if we need a sweater. And the roads around here are BITCHIN'!
Hey, very familiar with the Bradenton area...my in-laws live there and we visit quite frequently. Anna Maria Island is nice!! I get there in March for some golf/spring training b-ball, and my wife and kids visit in Summer (while I'm working...drat ). Enjoy!
If you thought there was only one, I sure hope you pay more attention when you drive! OP: Welcome, plus two more words: Road trips!
Oh come on now, even I know better than that!! It's just...welll, let's just say that some are a bit more "celebrated" as such than others...
