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: VTX 1300C
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 – Homerville to Perry, Georgia
Scarlett Homecoming Day 1 Part 4 – May 9th, 2026
This video covers Day 1 Part 4 of 4 of my Scarlett Homecoming motorcycle tour from DeLand, Florida to Douglasville, Georgia.
After riding most of the day in rain, I finally start to ride out of the rain bands as I approach Perry, Georgia. Soaked and now a little cold with the air temperture at 65 degrees Farienhiet (Temp was 91 degrees farenheit when the ride started in DeLand, Florida). I put on some warmer long sleve riding gear and swaped out my gloves for my cooler weather Harley-Davidson gloves.
I rolled into my hotel in Perry, Georgia right at sunset, perfect timing! After getting checked into the hotel and gear stowed in my hotel room, I peeled off my riding gear and dumped out about a cup of water out of each boot!
My Daytona Road Star GTX boots are waterproof, however I was wearing motorcyle jeans (Iron Workers) which were soaked, I think the water entered the top of the boot and collected inside the boot, being trapped inside the boot due to the waterproofing. I had rain gear (pants and jacket) packed but I delayed putting them on incorrectly thinking I was only going to encounter scattered showers and thunderstorms.
By the time I realized it was going to be a most of the day rain event, I was already very wet and thus, no point in putting on the rain gear at that point. I packed gear that I didn’t use for the joy of lugging it through airports, taking up my limitied luggage space on the bike, and extra weight….good job! LOL.
Continue readingScarlett Homecoming – Green Cove Springs to Lawtey, Florida
Scarlett Homecoming Day 1 Part 3 – May 9th, 2026
This video is part 3 of 4 of Day 1 of 2 of the maiden voyage of Scarlett, my 2006 Honda VTX 1300C from DeLand, Florida to Douglasville, Georgia. This video is shorter (for my videos anyways) running for 15minutes and 39 seconds and covers the ride from the rural area west of Green Cove Springs, Florida to Lawtey, Florida via 2 lane highways and county roads.
Map of Day 1 Part 3
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
Pacific Coast Highway – South from Ragged Pont – May 6th, 2017
May 6th, 2017
In this video, I ride Jolene, my former 2004 Honda VTX 1300C, south on California highway 1, Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) from Ragged Point.
Continue readingSan Diego Hwy S-1 | Sunrise Highway with DeAndra | April 22, 2017
April 22, 2017
DeAndra and I ride east on the Sunrise Highway in San Diego County California, San Diego County Highway S-1.
We start east of Mount Laguna, California from CA Highway 79 and follow San Diego S-1 (Sunrise Highway) across Interstate 8 as we make our home in Chula Vista, California.
This was the conclusion of a full day of riding to include picking strawberries in Carlsbad, lunch and pie in Julian, and then back to Chula Vista.
Continue readingRide Up Palomar Mountain with DeAndra March 11, 2017
March 11, 2017
San Diego County Road S6 – South Grade Road
DeAndra and I ride Jolene, my former 2004 Honda VTX 1300C, up Palomar Mountain in San Diego County California.
Gemini Description of South Grade Road (S6)
Ascending the western slopes of Palomar Mountain, South Grade Road (S6) is a legendary stretch of asphalt renowned for its relentless complexity and breathtaking vistas. Often referred to as “the tight side,” this historic route gains approximately 3,000 feet in elevation over just seven miles, characterized by a dizzying sequence of 21 hairpin switchbacks. As drivers and cyclists navigate these technical curves, the landscape transitions rapidly from chaparral-covered foothills to dense forests of cedar and fir. The engineering of the road—originally improved in the 1930s to transport the massive 200-inch mirror for the Palomar Observatory—offers sweeping panoramic views of the Pauma Valley below, eventually terminating at the mountaintop plateau where the iconic silver dome sits against the sky.
| Feature | Detail |
| Elevation Gain | ~3,000 feet |
| Length | ~7 miles |
| Number of Hairpins | 21 |
| Peak Destination | Palomar Observatory (6,126 ft) |
California Hwy 94 Ride With DeAndra on Jolene
February 12, 2017
DeAndra and I ride on Jolene, 2004 Honda VTX 1300C, from Campo California towards Chula Vista California on CA Highway 94.
Wanderlust Lyfe 