Thunder Alley at Daytona International Speedway was the place to be during Biketoberfest. The size of the crowd outside Turn 4 appeared a little light, it may have had something to do with the track being repaved and no access to the infield.
This nice custom chopper is from G. Smith Motorsports.
Another nice bike from G. Smith Motorsports.
Nice chrome job by Chromemasters.
I have many more pictures of Biketoberfest 2010 including photos of bikes and bikers, beer girls and even a wet-t shirt contest at Dirty Harry’s.
The Flagler Memorial Island is an artificial spoil island and one of the Venetian Islands located in Biscayne Bay.
The island is uninhabited, the only way to get there is by boat but it’s a favorite spot for families in nearby Miami Beach to spend the day having a picnic. There is also a clearing in the center of the island where visitors play volleyball and light bonfires.
What makes the island so distinctly recognizable is the 110-foot high obelisk with allegorical sculptures at its base. It was built as a monument to Miami pioneer Henry M. Flagler and can be clearly seen from the Venetian causeway that passes over the Bay.
I went commercial kingfishing two weeks ago with a couple of buddies of mine, two brothers from Jupiter, FL who had been fishing schoolie kingfish off Jupiter Inlet. They still practice the art of catching kingfish by hook and line and use live bait, similar to most sport fishermen, by drifting in 80-90 feet of water. These guys really love fishing, earlier in the week they released a sailfish and also caught a 45 lb wahoo. Kingfish are popular sport fish caught off many Florida Inlets.
Usually they drift, catch a few fish, gut and ice the fish when the fishing slows, then they motor back to the edge of the school and do it over again. On the drift pictured above, the fishing was so hot, we were literally walking on fish as triple hookups were common. The kingfish were skyrocketing everywhere and you could barely get a bait in the water before getting your thumb smoked.
The fishing lasted about five hours, to get legal 75 fish limit, plus about half as many bonitas. The bait, Spanish sardines and cigar minnows, took about half as long to catch, as they like to have about 400 hook caught baits before they start fishing. The total weight of the kingfish was about 840 lbs, we only had two bigger fish of about 20 lbs, but the small fish is what they want anyway.
Their boat is a really old offshore racing hull design with twin 225s. It ain’t pretty or fancy, but it’s really fast. Every trip I fish with these guys is a trip of a lifetime and a lot more fun than fishing with a few people I know who are afraid to get a little blood in their boat.
The pier has become a Flagler Beach landmark since 1925 with its large “Flagler Beach” sign that’s become a staple of Florida travel guides throughout the years.
The Flagler Beach Municipal Pier also offers pretty good fishing, with good catches of croakers, black drum, sheepshead, flounder, bluefish, a few large kingfish and the occasional tarpon. Originally the pier was about 1,000 feet long, but after being knocked down a few times, it’s currently over 800.
Flagler Beach a unique among Northeast Florida Beaches in that it’s frequented by endangered Right Whales. The Right Whale is frequently sighted during winter months, I’ve seen them just north of the pier once and they’re quite a site.
The Flagler Pier Restaurant offers a great view of the Atlantic and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and of course Florida seafood.
The first beach on Florida’s east coast is Amelia Island making it popular with visitors from Georgia and the Carolinas. Amelia Island Plantation, located on the south end of the island, is well known as a world class golf resort.
You’re allowed to drive on parts of Amelia Island, the sand is soft and a 4-wheel drive vehicle is recommended and even necessary on most beaches. One place you can drive is the south end of the Island at Amelia Island State Park.
The beaches are clean and the water is warm during the summer months, kayaking, fishing and surfing make this a great place to visit.
Shrimp Boats entering through inlet in St. Augustine.
I’ve always loved shrimp boats almost as much as I love the taste of wild native shrimp. When I see shrimp boats in the Gulf scooping up oil from BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster, my heart sinks as the environmental and economic disaster unfolds and wonder how the oil spill will affect Florida beaches and coastal waters.
Shrimping off northeast Florida beaches starts off Ortega River Inlet near Jacksonville Beach.
More Photos »
