Five days, Atlanta to Miami: the second Motivation Rally

Corvettes lined up at the Orlando stop on the 2026 Motivation Rally. Photo: Kes The Photographer

I did the first Motivation Rally last year. I met a lot of good people on it and came away with friendships that stuck, so there was never much question about doing the second one. This year ran five days, from Thursday 27 August to Monday 31 August, Atlanta down to Miami.

The car

I did not take my own vehicle this year. I flew into Atlanta and rented a Corvette there. I do not know Corvettes well enough to swear to the trim, but I believe it was a Stingray. There were a lot more Corvettes on the rally this year than last, so it did not stand out either way.

Atlanta

We met up as a crew in Atlanta and stayed at the InterContinental Buckhead. The first night was a gathering at the Atlanta Comedy Theater in Norcross, with dinner before the show. It was a good way to start: everyone in one room before five days of driving.

There were a lot of Porsches on this one as well, which I was glad to see. The first nice car I bought was a Porsche, so they hold a special place for me. In Atlanta we linked up with the Black Porsche Club of Atlanta, and some of their members came out and joined the rally.

A long row of Porsches on a rooftop parking deck, a silver 911 nearest the camera. — The Porsches, parked up later in the week. Photo: Kes The Photographer

Atlanta to Tampa

We rolled out the next morning for Tampa. The drive was smooth. No accidents, no tickets, and everyone had a good time. We stayed at the Tampa Marriott Water Street and went out to grab food together that night.

Orlando, then Miami

Saturday was Tampa to Orlando and then the run down to Miami. Orlando was one of my favorite parts of the week. We got a good photo shoot in and had a good lunch, and I met more new people and made some real connections.

Four Lamborghinis parked in a row, a matte yellow one closest, then turquoise, red and white. — Some of the cars at the Orlando stop. Photo: Kes The Photographer

There was one incident on the drive down to Miami. Everyone was all right, and nobody was injured. We stayed at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach for the last two nights.

The Keys

Once we were in Miami we decided to take a day trip down to the Keys on the Sunday. The weather started out well and we got a lot of rain through the second half of the day. By the time we got back it had cleared up again.

That night a lot of the crew went out to LIV, which is at the Fontainebleau. I did not go out much on this trip. I spent that Sunday by the pool and on the beach instead, and that suited me.

You do not have to do the whole thing

One thing I like about how this rally runs is that people come and go along the way. New members joined at different stops, and others left at whichever point suited them. The pack grew and shrank as we went, and overall it grew. Nobody had to commit to all five days to be part of it, and I think that is why it works.