On July 4th 2026, I go on a short ride from home in Douglasville, Georgia to Villa Rilla for a family 4th of July get togehter.
Scarlett 4th of July Ride
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Tag Archives: Motorcycle Touring
Scarlett Homecoming – Griffin, GA to Douglasville, GA
Scarlett Homecoming Conclusion – Day 2 Part 2 – May 10th, 2026
In this video, I bring Scarlett, my 2006 Honda VTX 1300C, home. The video resumes my ride northward starting near Griffin, Georiga on Georgia Highway 92 and roll through Fayetteville, Fairburn. Then through Campbellton, Georgia on Georgia Higway 154, cross the Chattahoochee River into Douglas County and Georgia Highway 166 to home.
The weather on day 2 was perfect motorcycling weather and a dramatic contrast to the weather I encountered on Day 1. I was truly grateful for the weather on Day 2.
Total Miles for Scarlett Homecoming from DeLand, Florida to Douglasville, Georgia = 486 Miles
Scarlett Homecoming Day 2 Part 2 Map
Scarlett Homecoming – Perry, GA to Griffin, GA
Scarlett Homecoming Day 2 Part 1 – May 10th, 2026
Day 2 starts off with a pleasant sunny, partly cloudy day and the temperature was mild (70’s & 80’s). This was a much welcomed contrast to Day 1 and all that rain.
This video covers my a portion of my Day 2 ride from Perry, Georiga to Griffin, Georgia.
Day 2 Part 1 Map
A few photos during while taking a break
Scarlett Homecoming – Palatka to Green Cove Springs, Florida
Scarlett Homecoming Day 1 Part 2 – May 9th, 2026
Scarlett Homecoming Motorcycle Trip from DeLand, Florida to Douglasville, Georgia continues with my ride from Palatka, Florida to Grandin, Florida and finally the rural area near Green Cove Springs, Florida. Late in this video I encountered my first rain, which would be often throughout the remainder of the day.
Day1 Part 2 Map
Scarlett Homecoming – DeLand to Palatka, Florida
Introducing Scarlett – 2006 Honda VTX 1300C
I purchased Scarlett on April 28th, 2026, and flew to Orlando, Florida from Atlanta, Georgia on May 8th, 2026, and took an Uber to DeLand, Florida to my hotel for the night. The next morning, May 9th, I grabbed breakfast at C’s Country Diner and then picked up Scarlett at RC Honda in DeLand.
The start of the trip home was short lived as I noticed that the speedometer was not working. So, I headed back to RC Honda and had their service department check it out. They determined that the speed sensor was not working and needed to be replaced. They did not have any in stock (20-year-old motorcycle) but they did order the part and have it shipped to my home in Douglasville, Georgia to have a local mechanic install it (or myself).
I decided to use a GPS speedometer on my phone (along with Google Maps for navigation) and I would deal with the speed sensor in Georgia. However, once down the road on the second start, the speedometer started working. As of June 10th, it is still working. I have the replacement speed sensor in my storage cabinet and ready when it fails again.
Initial Photos of Scarlett
Day 1 Route to Perry, Georgia
I was anticipating significant rain north of Palatka and into Georgia. Because of this, I planned on splitting the 482-mile trip from DeLand to Douglasville into two days to accommodate the expected slower travel due to heavy rain (and oh boy I got soaked on Day 1, but more on that in future posts).
The route back to Douglasville, Georgia very closely followed the route I rode on Bruce, my 2025 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special, just a few weeks earlier during my Florida Loop 2026 Motorcycle Tour. The only major difference is the portion from DeLand to Palatka. During Florida Loop 2026 I rode from Daytona Beach to Palatka.
Most of the route from Palatka, FL to Douglasville, GA is nearly identical to the route during Florida Loop 2026 apart from less secondary roads this time (pretty much stayed on US and State highways).
Total miles traveled on Day 1 from DeLand to Perry = 325 Miles
Florida Loop 2026 Completion – Barnesville, GA to Douglasville, GA
Florida Loop 2026 – End Of The Journey – Day 8 Part 8 – April 11, 2026
In this last video of Florida Loop 2026, I ride from Barnesville, Georgia to just outside of Fairburn, Georgia. By the time I arrived in Fairburn, the sun had set and it was now dark. I am still using an old GoPro Hero 5 Black, which does not record well in low light, so I ended the recording here.
Florida Loop 2026 – Roberta, GA to Barnesville, GA
Florida Loop 2026 Day 8 Part 7 – April 11, 2026
In this video I ride from Roberta, Georgia to Barnesville, Georgia on some of Georgia’s less traveled 2 lane highways.
Florida Loop 2026 – Perry, GA to Roberta, GA
Florida Loop 2026 Day 8 Part 6 – April 11, 2026
In this video, I ride from Roberta, Georgia to Perry, Georgia.
Florida Loop 2026 – Jacksonville, GA to Perry, GA
Florida Loop 2026 Day 8 Part 5 – April 11, 2026
In this video I ride from Jacksonville, Georgia to Perry, Georgia riding through some of the Southern Georgia scenery.
Music selection for this video is in honor of Rush kicking off their Fifty Something Tour in Los Angeles, California. I am looking forward to seeing them in Atlanta on November 25th, 2026.
Florida Loop 2026 – Homerville, GA to Jacksonville, GA
Florida Loop 2026 Day 8 Part 4 – April 11, 2026
This video covers a portion of my Day 8 ride from Homerville, Georgia to Jacksonville, Georgia on US Highway 441.
Wanderlust Lyfe 