Missing Parts Ride Detoured

With nasty weather lurking around every corner, I opted not to meet up at the planned GTD before heading over to the Missing Parts Ride at Emerald Coast Harley-Davidson. I headed straight there from Niceville dodging the sprinkles and soaking up the sun.

The turnout for the charity was fantastic! It looked like half the panhandle had shown up, and I spotted at least four Sandies in the crowd. George and Sam had their Spyders parked by the service bay, the Sand Dollar M/C windscreen banner proudly on display. We caught up for a bit by the giant chair out front, marveling at the sea of chrome, plastic, fiberglass, and leather, all for a great cause. After a few minutes, Tim walks up and says hi.

Just before the pre-ride briefing

As the Florida sun cranked the thermostat from "toasty" to "surface of Mercury," George and Sam announced they were making a strategic retreat to check out a bike lift. Can't blame them; some days you choose the ride, and some days the ride to a climate-controlled safety chooses you. Tim and I reviewed the planned route for this ride. Let's see... down 98, across to 87, up to Milton, loop around Blackwater, and back down 87 and 98. I’m sure it would have made for an impressive, miles long procession of bikes. The kind that looks great on the evening news. We'd already paid our entry fee to support the cause, so our wallets had done their good deed for the day. But our souls? Our souls craved a few curves.

Tim looks over to me and says, “lunch at Two Cousins?”

“Yup”

And we headed back over to the Winn-Dixie parking lot where we were both parked. After a brief parking lot puzzle involving a rogue Spyder blocking Tim's escape, we were finally free and pointed north. We were just getting to other side of Mossy Head when the sky decided to give us a complimentary three-minute rinse. It was just enough to get us slightly damp before popping out the other side into the sunshine. By the time we pulled into Two Cousins Café, it was hard to tell sweat from shower. Hopefully we didn’t smell too badly…

My first visit to a club favorite

We had a great lunch. It was my first time there. It was my first time there, and the patty melt with a side of okra was calling my name. Tim went for a classic cheeseburger. We talked about life and the finer points of things that can quickly make you miserable if you aren’t careful. We both came to the profound, earth-shattering conclusion that for us, motorcycles are not optional. They are a required prescription for maintaining sanity. It’s the best kind of throttle therapy.

Geared up and feeling philosophical, we stepped back out into the sweltering heat. It wasn't long before we rode into our first real shower. Funny how 75-degree rain feels downright chilly when you’ve been simmering in 90-degree humidity. That "refreshing" blast lasted about five minutes. Then we rode through another, and another, each one a little less intense but a little warmer than the last. It was like riding through a car wash on the fritz.

By the time I squished my way back into Niceville, I was thoroughly soaked. I’m pretty sure I could have poured a half-cup of water out of each boot.

All told we clocked in 129 miles. I had fun and would do it again. Will definitely do Two Cousins Café again; I can see why that place is a Sandie favorite.

Ride safe and stay dry!