Virginia to Key West, Oceans and Mountains ride: Rider wanted

[NickF829]

I'm considering my next roadtrip this winter, maybe February/March timeframe. Details aren't in stone yet, but I plan on taking a roadtrip down the coast from Virginia all the way to Key West, Fl. I'll be taking the numerous beachfront roadways along the way, avoiding as many interstates as possible, eventually picking up Rt 1 in Florida until I reach the Keys. I'm considering camping on one of the Key's for an undetermined amount of time, probably only a few days, then heading back up the Gulf Coast and through Al. into TN to see Nashville and the Smokies, into the Blue Ridge and home to Northern Virginia. This is moreso a trip to the Keys, then a trip to see everything leading to and from the Keys, only because I've already done the rest of the trip, besides the Florida portion, at least once before. So alot of it will be repetitive, but still fun.

The nights not spent camping will be spent sleeping in the front, fully reclining seat of a 94 Hatchback Civic. It's not as bad as it sounds, if its cold, I leave it running w/ the heat blazing and all the windows cracked to vent the bad stuff out. If it's hot, sleep outside in a tent or with the windows down and bug nets up.

If you get bored, there IS a DVD player and TV tuner built in, so as long as it is dually agreed upon as to which movie or TV show to watch, you can entertain yourself with that. You must know, manditory roadtrip movies include Roadtrip, EuroTrip, Wedding Crashers, Old School, Dodge Ball, Dumb and Dumber, Super Troopers, Van Wilder, Waiting, Gone in 60 Seconds and the likes.. although my entire collection will travel with us, about 100 DVDs, your free to bring your own as well as long as they're in a bulk CD holder. I just don't want DVD cases scattered around the car, at least the CD holders are compact and hold tons.

Requirements are: you must like music(rock, alt, punk, oldies, blues, classical, jazz, country, bluegrass, JUST NOT RAP, im open to everything else), you must be able to tolerate comedians on the stereo when music gets old, you must be able to tolerate talk radio to keep up to date when comedy gets old, and you must not be a bump on a log. You MUST be able to figure out a in dash navigation system, and you MUST be able to navigate your way through a good paper map. People who can't read a map need not apply. Finding nice backroads is a 2 person job, and sometimes the 1 is a little preoccupied driving to do all the work.

There is only room for 1 rider, seeing as the back will be full of gear, the rear will have a cargo platform that will hold a cooler, and the roof will probably have my road bike(room for 2 if your a biker) and any cargo that wouldnt fit inside w/ the rear seats folded down. You must be able to get away for at most, 9 days straight(EARRRLY Saturday through following LATE Sunday). You must have a good time, and you must be willing to split agreeable costs (gas, grocery, hotel or park fee's).

I've wanted to do this one for awhile, but this winter may be my best bet. If it turns into a March/April trip, it could be nice spring weather throughout the south, but the Keys are 70-80s even in the dead of winter, hence why I plan on camping there.

This will be an inexpensive trip, my car gets upwards of 50+mpg with a tailwind, so gas costs will be minimal, an oil change may be neccesary on the way, but other then that, most eating will be grilled or boiled on my campstove, and/or from the cooler. So cost shouldn't be to bad. Although I love me some good home cooked local foods from around the country. So I'd say be prepared to eat out maybe 4-5 times the entire trip. Possibly 1 night in a bar if a hotel room is found for a FAIR price(key west)... bar nights with locals 1000 miles from home usually tend to send you home with a good story to tell. My biggest thing though, NO DRUGS. I know some people I've taken trips with don't think a roadtrip is a roadtrip without the occasional dube, but not on this one, hippy. haha

My background: 250,000 miles in about 6 years on the road, I drive for work across the north half of Va. I usually do multiple 750-1000 mile trips a year. Backroads are my specialty. Highways bore me and leave nothing to see except overpriced, antiquated billboards and Egotistical State Troopers. This will be a SPEED LIMIT trip, meaning if the sign says 55mph, I'm doing 55. So you can not be in a rush. The whole point is to see the countryside, not to see how fast you can miss it. I'm 21, male, I like anything new, exciting, active or just fun. I am always told I'm a fun guy to be around, so you don't have to worry about a boring car trip. You must be able to take the occasional crude humor, and not get offended with my sense of humor, everything is always in good tastes and just for fun. If you don't think you could mesh with me for whatever reason, or are highly sensitive to humor and fun, I don't think it'd be a good idea to be stuck in a small vehicle together for 3,000+ miles. It is 1200 miles 1 way on the interstates so I figure its not to far off to guess 4000 mile total. I realize you could easily spend twice the time covering this territory, but as mentioned, I am doing this mostly for the Key West camping experience, not really the rest, although the rest of the sites I'm still very much looking forward to seeing. It will be an experience you'll remember forever and will tell stories of for years and years to follow.

Taking applications today :)