Thursday, March 18, 2004
Have now set up three Florida Trails Tours for 2005. One each in January, February and March. Will stay in Inverness three nights and Dunedin three nights, expand tour to five full days of riding, have guest arrive Sunday, depart Saturday. Crown Hotel has been sold, so we stay in only other nice property in Inverness (Central Motel) where I have stayed before and it’s okay for touring people. Best Western Yacht Harbor Inn will be a great place in Dunedin. Have eaten at the restaurant there on other tours where we rode Pinellas Trail, over looks yacht club and Clearwater Bay with blue/green water and big yachts.
From now until BRAG starts, I will have an event to attend or implement every weekend except two weekends! Weather will be warmer now and should be able to get 80 to 100 miles riding every week to prepare for BRAG. This year we start in Taccoa Falls and end at Tybee Island. Major hills first two days, rolling hills next two days, then flat terrain. Have bought rolling LARGE soft bag, as well as, new sandals for BRAG. Large rolling soft bag will help me loading the truck every morning, as well as, getting my gear to a camp site each day. The sandals replace the only other pair of sandals I can recall ever owning. The old pair (fisherman sandals) from K-Mart were always tough to walk any distance. I bought TEVA sandels for $40 on the internet and I can honestly say they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn when new. I will be able to take these and leave my cross training (tennis) shoes at home ... will save some luggage weight!
I am seriously considering trading my Taurus for a mini-van. The Taurus now has 109,000 miles. The mini van will be a big help on tours, as well as, picking up supplies for rides. I have found two vans at O. C. Welch used cars that have only 10,000 miles or less. One is $13,995 with 12,079 miles. I will have to have roof rack re-configured to attach to the existing roof top “bars”, but will give me more flexibility. Have a private tour coming last four days of April and they are bringing re-cumbants and have no way of transporting these types of bikes. Can put the Easy Sport inside a van and can put the other recumbant on the trunk rack. My current financing has allowed me to pay off ALL debts except home mortgage and that dropped $45 a month due to Homestead exemptions taking effect I applied for when buying this town house. I can afford a $300 monthly payment and still save $200 a month, if I figured my monthly bills correctly. With bicycleSAVANNAH, LLC getting $7,000.00 in title sponsors this year, it literally guarantees me to be able to pay myself a salary all this year. Whew! Was a narrow escape until that happened!
Next week I hope to finish all data needed to publish the Historic Savannah Bikefest flyer, web site, etc. Then I will be free to do other things until these events take place. I will be attempting to establish a Coastal Georgia Heritage Tour in April 2005 and a Fall Foliage Natchez Trace Tour in October 2005. With the fee I am charging for the Florida Trails Tour and IF I fill up 80%, I will make a profit of about $7,000.00 for the three tours. I charged a very low fee for this years tours and several of the attendees said I should charge more. Other tours of like benefits all charge over $1,000.00. I will charge $895 for January and $995 for February and March (higher hotel rates in season).
Let me hear from you!
Dad
From now until BRAG starts, I will have an event to attend or implement every weekend except two weekends! Weather will be warmer now and should be able to get 80 to 100 miles riding every week to prepare for BRAG. This year we start in Taccoa Falls and end at Tybee Island. Major hills first two days, rolling hills next two days, then flat terrain. Have bought rolling LARGE soft bag, as well as, new sandals for BRAG. Large rolling soft bag will help me loading the truck every morning, as well as, getting my gear to a camp site each day. The sandals replace the only other pair of sandals I can recall ever owning. The old pair (fisherman sandals) from K-Mart were always tough to walk any distance. I bought TEVA sandels for $40 on the internet and I can honestly say they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn when new. I will be able to take these and leave my cross training (tennis) shoes at home ... will save some luggage weight!
I am seriously considering trading my Taurus for a mini-van. The Taurus now has 109,000 miles. The mini van will be a big help on tours, as well as, picking up supplies for rides. I have found two vans at O. C. Welch used cars that have only 10,000 miles or less. One is $13,995 with 12,079 miles. I will have to have roof rack re-configured to attach to the existing roof top “bars”, but will give me more flexibility. Have a private tour coming last four days of April and they are bringing re-cumbants and have no way of transporting these types of bikes. Can put the Easy Sport inside a van and can put the other recumbant on the trunk rack. My current financing has allowed me to pay off ALL debts except home mortgage and that dropped $45 a month due to Homestead exemptions taking effect I applied for when buying this town house. I can afford a $300 monthly payment and still save $200 a month, if I figured my monthly bills correctly. With bicycleSAVANNAH, LLC getting $7,000.00 in title sponsors this year, it literally guarantees me to be able to pay myself a salary all this year. Whew! Was a narrow escape until that happened!
Next week I hope to finish all data needed to publish the Historic Savannah Bikefest flyer, web site, etc. Then I will be free to do other things until these events take place. I will be attempting to establish a Coastal Georgia Heritage Tour in April 2005 and a Fall Foliage Natchez Trace Tour in October 2005. With the fee I am charging for the Florida Trails Tour and IF I fill up 80%, I will make a profit of about $7,000.00 for the three tours. I charged a very low fee for this years tours and several of the attendees said I should charge more. Other tours of like benefits all charge over $1,000.00. I will charge $895 for January and $995 for February and March (higher hotel rates in season).
Let me hear from you!
Dad
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
The February Florida Trails Tour went very good. The attendees ate more, drank more, rode harder and had a better time than the January Group. Based on two tours, will change tour to six days, stay three nights in Inverness (Crown Hotel is closing, has been bought and will be turned into assisted living home, so will move to Central Motel) and then move to Clearwater and stay two nights. This will allow us to ride North end of Pinellas Trail and East-West Trails out of Clearwater. This change will allow more variety to the riding. Will increase price for extra day, as well as, increase price because it’s too low now.
Schedule for next two months looks like I will be attending four events and do the one event April 3 (Savannah Cardiology Earth Day Ride). Ginger hopefully will ride the Bandana Ride in Riedsville and the Another Bloomin’ Bike Ride in Metter. I will go alone to Dublin’s St Pat’s Ride March 21, as well as, Florida Safari April 17-22.
My finances have changed drastically with two title sponsors, as well as, doing some re-financing. I meet with Ted Austad and VP of Oglethorpe Speedway to get contract signed of intent to buy my events. If they come through at end of year and I sell my townhouse, I will be able to do tours only and survive. When that time comes, will sell Taurus and buy second hand mini van with maybe 30,000 miles. The van will be my tour car. Will have trailer made (like one owned by Charleston bicycle club) that will hold ten bikes and is so light it can be towed by a Volkswagon bug. When I do tour for ten people, will rent another van. That will provide very good transport to trails. Can also maybe increase maximum attendees to twelve with two bike racks on back of van.
Regarding my health, I have lost a few more pounds and my blood sugar is still coming down. I will ride more every week now that the weather is beginning to warm up.
Schedule for next two months looks like I will be attending four events and do the one event April 3 (Savannah Cardiology Earth Day Ride). Ginger hopefully will ride the Bandana Ride in Riedsville and the Another Bloomin’ Bike Ride in Metter. I will go alone to Dublin’s St Pat’s Ride March 21, as well as, Florida Safari April 17-22.
My finances have changed drastically with two title sponsors, as well as, doing some re-financing. I meet with Ted Austad and VP of Oglethorpe Speedway to get contract signed of intent to buy my events. If they come through at end of year and I sell my townhouse, I will be able to do tours only and survive. When that time comes, will sell Taurus and buy second hand mini van with maybe 30,000 miles. The van will be my tour car. Will have trailer made (like one owned by Charleston bicycle club) that will hold ten bikes and is so light it can be towed by a Volkswagon bug. When I do tour for ten people, will rent another van. That will provide very good transport to trails. Can also maybe increase maximum attendees to twelve with two bike racks on back of van.
Regarding my health, I have lost a few more pounds and my blood sugar is still coming down. I will ride more every week now that the weather is beginning to warm up.
