The Honda 150 Scooter at its new home in Gulf Breeze FL.
Fred is the new owner of our 2010 Honda SH150i Scooter.
Fred and Janna came to Tallahassee last week and bought my Honda Scooter. They could not put it in their vehicle - so I volunteered to deliver it to for them - for a fee. They were very trusting because they paid me cash and left the scooter behind.
So Saturday - Lulu and I pulled out of Tallahassee at 9 AM - in Lulu's beach buggy van - pulling a trailer with the scooter strapped to the back. It was the first time we had the van on a long trip - it totaled 440 miles.
Just as we were to leave I-10 to stop at our hotel - there was a wreck just in front of us. A guy pulling a U-haul trailer hit something and jack-knifed the trailer. It backed up the traffic for a few miles. We were close to the front. I wanted to jump the median - but Lulu was afraid we would get hung up in the grass - so we waited. Soon we were moving and we got to Destin.
I dropped Lulu off at our beach motel - and went the last 41 miles alone.
Fred has a nice house on a canal in Gulf Breeze - a few miles east of Pensacola. I was able to take Route 98 from Destin to his house. Fred has a nice home and the Honda will not feel lonely with all the neat toys Fred has. Fred and Janna are selling this house and moving to Key West. Fred makes his living by owning some parking lots at Churchill Downs.
Fred lives on a canal just off the Gulf of Mexico.
While I was spending some time at Fred's - Lulu was enjoying the beach. She had a nice afternoon of lounging in the sun - and walking up and down the white fine sugar sand. As I was leaving Gulf Breezes - it had already started to rain. I called Lulu to find out that she was still sunning on the beach. I warned her that a cold front was on the way. I outran the eastern moving front to Destin.
Later - we drove back into the rain to visit downtown Fort Walton Beach. I saw a neat place called the Crab Trap on the way through - and thought Lulu would like to eat there and walk around downtown Fort Walton Beach. Lulu enjoyed her crab legs at the Crab Trap - but the whipping rain prevented us from walking downtown.
Here is a picture of the view from Fred's dock. The Gulf about 200 yard away.
Our little Seat Oats Motel was cozy and clean - but we were very much alone. In the morning we walked the beach about 1 mile each way. But Lulu's real reason for coming along was coming next. Destin has a giant outlet shopping center. It was clouding up pretty good as we pulled into the parking lot.
Lulu and I usually split up on these shopping adventures - but this time we both inspected the houswares shop. Lulu sent me back to the van with her big bag of booty. I then realized I lost my van key. I retraced my steps all the way back to the van and peered in the window to see the orange key fob hanging from the ignition. Great.
Usually I have a spare key hidden on my car - I guess I should not announce that here. But since I recently got this van - I forgot to have a spare key made. I had a choice to break a window or call a locksmith. If you follow this web page - you know what a tightwad I am. I hated to call the locksmith - but it seemed like the cheapest alternative. Besides - the wind was whipping and it was clouding up badly.
The call to the locksmith told me that it would cost $55 - and he could make it in a half hour. While I waited in the wind - Lulu enjoyed uninterrupted shopping. I waited almost an hour. Just as it started to pour - the lock guy arrived. It took him quite a while to jimmy a wire under the vent window to finally pop the button. This old van does not have power locks or windows. Finally - he reached in and popped the lock - no damage - and we were on our way home.
We had supper at the Crab Trap in Fort Walton Beach. This wrecked plane is part of the atmosphere.
Our motel had these neat little wifi antennas serving the rooms.
We decided to take the scenic route to Panama City. Lulu loves the cool mall right across from the city pier. There is a Hausbrau House there - a replica of a place we love to visit in Munich right down to the beer garden outside and the blonde waitresses in their German costumes. The food and drink is great - and in no time we were on the interstate on the way home.
The van holds 36 gallons which leads you to believe that it is a gas hog. We did not start the trip with a full tank - so after 350 miles I decided to fill up because it was reading E for empty. To my surprise - at E - the tank still has 8 gallons in it. It only took 28 gallons - we got 14.5 MPG - not bad for pulling a trailer with a scooter on it. the van has a V6 engine with fuel injection.
Lulu and I spent the night at the Sea Oats Motel in Destin. We had the place to ourselves.
We were held up about an hour by this wreck. It was just 3 miles from our exit on I-10.
We were home by 7 PM - the rain had already beaten us to Tallahassee.
Even with the rain - the traffic tie up - and the locksmith thing dampening our adventure - we got the scooter delivered - spent some time on the beach - had a couple nice meals - and Lulu enjoyed shopping at the outlets. We gave our van a nice 450 mile shakedown run.
This morning I rushed off to Walmart and had a few spare keys made.
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