tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26182527458271574672024-02-18T18:22:13.323-08:00Iron Horse"Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home." - Matsuo Basho512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-43197604836121614222008-05-10T21:11:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:11:05.884-08:00Along the lakeThat night in Erie was a little weird. I was in a slack ass hotel in a sketchy part of town. It wasn’t the first time I’d leave the bike outside a hotel overnight, but I can honestly say it was the first time I would have had a problem being stranded in a place. No way had I wanted to spend more than the minimum required time in Erie. Granted I didn’t really get to look around much, but might take a bag of jewels to get me back there.<br /><br />No one in Erie could point me to a good breakfast place - so I went to a Starbucks and had some coffee while I checked out my maps. Is that not crazy though? I mean I can point any given person to at least three top notch places to get breakfast in my suburban town. This was a city written in bold on a map – and no one could point me to a bacon and eggs breakfast place. Shit.<br /><br />At least day two would be all new territory for me, up from Erie, PA through Buffalo and into Niagara Falls. I didn’t plan on going over to the Canadian side of the falls – figured I could just stay in America and sneak a glance over there without really missing much. I gulped down my last drop of coffee and cruised out of there at about noon.<br /><br />I headed out on Lake Shore Drive (Rt 5 East) and road it all the way up to Buffalo for dinner. The ride was short so I figured to be able to take my time getting up to the falls.<br /><br />Little vineyards strung along the Lake Erie coastline – I had never really seen anything like it before. Acres of vines strung along wires and posts, all in orderly lines from the road to the deep blue of the water’s edge. Every once in a while a farmhouse or a little yellow roadway would <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNxZvvJq3Id2nTFd0RGPj53UKoCNy2t3leBR2uMuV1Bgvwmq5hMSqYNGT_PPoTcX9OTz03EX2-bghMERztYRtar6vXgEVD_EAFCXjIdJCa2BuZDEpX_-B5RUrKJ9A2vSKS4voQGyJ18dc/s1600-h/Vineyards.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198968590240125986" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 281px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 221px" height="236" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNxZvvJq3Id2nTFd0RGPj53UKoCNy2t3leBR2uMuV1Bgvwmq5hMSqYNGT_PPoTcX9OTz03EX2-bghMERztYRtar6vXgEVD_EAFCXjIdJCa2BuZDEpX_-B5RUrKJ9A2vSKS4voQGyJ18dc/s400/Vineyards.jpg" width="345" border="0" /></a>appear out of the sea of vines. I stopped a few times to get some pictures, but they don’t really do it justice. In the pictures everything seems so contained, but it was vast.<br /><br />Mostly I caught myself just wondering what it would be like to have lived and worked one. I thought about the care it must require doing that and wondered if I would ever know that sort of passion about anything. This was a different life than the one I knew, that’s for sure.512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-34287757779234245152008-03-29T18:22:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:11:06.015-08:00Summer 07 Ride - Part 1<div>The first day didn't quite start as early as I wanted it to, and so, it wasn't until about 11:00am that I was sitting outside of the house with the gear strapped on, ready to go.<br /><br />Having been up the Delaware on the PA side – I opted to take a quicker route out to 6. It turned out to be a mistake – boring as all hell. I ripped up I-287 North then trudged through the rest of NJ on 206 and a variety of painful other roads – never again. The start to my most epic ride was slow going. It took a while and most of my patience was shot, but finally I got to 6.<br /><br />The sky to the south threatened rain all day. Despite the fact that I tried to put it out of my mind, this threat of rain was a good source of stress for me. To the north and far west the sky looked pretty clear. I rode on the edge of this thing for about four hours just hoping that I’d be lucky enough to beat it out. I knew there wasn’t much of a chance that I could avoid rain for nine days straight, but it didn’t have to get me on day one, did it?<br /><br />The first few drops almost looked like bugs on my windshield, I really couldn’t tell. The wipers and lights of the oncoming traffic was a dead give-away though. Within 20 minutes I was roaring through a downpour at about 65mph. At about the time I finally resolved to pull into a gas station and find some cover, it stopped. Maybe 5 minutes total, but I was pretty damn wet. It took me about a half hour more of riding in the sun to dry out. The thought struck me that I’d forgotten my rain gear.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQS8Thnz4b06jLC98naE75zZQpK6awE5eZW_D9lUNH3CWrE1qq2mEbs_YTLDYPfSlui_sAybmCKqkhYqXgbW_EIrDb58Z-VQUS2t-hhQ0j6zA1e6rdsvyPqy4CTj17t-OrFfvVcGFuGS2o/s1600-h/IMG_0508BLOG.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183340829070334642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQS8Thnz4b06jLC98naE75zZQpK6awE5eZW_D9lUNH3CWrE1qq2mEbs_YTLDYPfSlui_sAybmCKqkhYqXgbW_EIrDb58Z-VQUS2t-hhQ0j6zA1e6rdsvyPqy4CTj17t-OrFfvVcGFuGS2o/s200/IMG_0508BLOG.jpg" border="0" /></a>I went through Wellsboro at about 6:30 – and would’ve stopped at 100 West BNB for dinner, but I thought I could hit Erie for sunset. I didn’t know what I was expecting to see there. I didn’t make it though. I rode for about three hours in the darkness – which I don’t mind so much, except for the fact that seeing stuff is part of the thrill. Dark wilderness is inherently creepy and also fairly boring. In fact, the only real excitement comes from keeping your eyes peeled so that you won’t hit any animals that happen to be crossing your path.<br /><br />I finally hit Erie at about 11:30 after a twelve hour day of riding. 470 miles – tired as hell – and in some weird city-ish town where for some reason, every damn hotel was booked solid. Every one, that is, except for some shitty ass place called the ‘Downtown Hotel.’ It wasn’t even downtown.<br /><br />I checked in, dropped the gear, and walked 8 blocks downtown to a local pub for some dinner and a few beers. Seeing as how it was damn near 12am, you can imagine the food I was able to get. Otherwise, the pub was ok and the bartender was a sweetheart, but the bottom line remains – Don’t go to Erie.</div>512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-84167992034606116802008-02-09T12:05:00.000-08:002008-02-09T12:09:21.381-08:00August 07That Wellsboro ride and the NC trip just sort of gave me a bigger craving to be out on the bike riding through places I’d never seen before. It stayed with me from the time I got back from NC to late July. Working on the bike and taking rides here and there weren’t doing all that much to satisfy it either. I guess it's still with me now - which is why I'm looking back.<br /><br />It was time for another trip – a longer trip, but I really had nothing planned. I had heard Acadia National Park in Maine was awesome, but I also wanted to finish off that Route 6 to Erie ride I’d ended in Wellsboro early this summer. I stared at my maps for a few nights and finally worked out my master plan. I’d go out to Erie, up to Niagra Falls, over to Acadia, and then back down the East Coast to home. It was perfect.<br /><br />Instead of strapping my duffel bag to the backrest in a ridiculous ordeal every morning, I decided to get one of those luggage bags that goes over the backrest. I spent a good amount of time just looking then finally bought a Tourmaster bag for about $120.00. I could not have been happier with it. I fit a shitload of stuff into that thing everyday and for the most part I could leave anything I needed in a really accessible spot. It came with a raincover that was key – I rode through a downpour and my camera, laptop, and all my other stuff was bone dry all day. I got it from a Cycle Gear place near me – but I think Tourmaster has a website.<br /><br />I set my departure date for Friday, August 3rd and got things ready. I needed to be back by the 11th and to be honest, those were my plans as I left. Go to Erie, Niagra Falls, over to Acadia, and stop in Salem, MA on the way home – leave on the 3rd be back on the 11th before noon.512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-68154732425400093122007-10-11T22:09:00.000-07:002007-10-11T22:19:30.510-07:00Stink Eye.Last Sunday a few of us got together at a friends house and for a few brief moments sat around the table with some of the girls and the pregnant wives. We started to recount the old days, the times we spent together before we all had real jobs and had to sit around tables on Sunday nights.<br /><br />A few of the stories – I won’t go into that - managed to drop some jaws, and at one point one of the girls said ‘I better not have a boy’. We all rolled laughter, and smiled at surviving those days.<br /><br />For an instant I looked around at the fancy breads and cheese dips and wondered what would be ahead for us all. Times had certainly changed.<br /><br />The next day was unreal for October. Up in the 80’s, and Wood and I donned t-shirts and took a ride out to some quiet Mercer county roads on the border of PA. It was a good ride – a little traffic holding us back here and there – but seeing I had parked the bike for about a month, it was good to get two fists in the wind again. I hit my 6,000th mile that day.<br /><br />When we got hungry we stopped at a place for sandwiches, I wish I could remember the name. The flank steak sandwich was so good, maybe one of the best I’ve ever eaten. I remember thinking it was worth every cent of the nine bucks they charged. Then I thought about what a long way we had come from eating day old pizza slices from the box in the backseat of the car, or potato sandwiches in the garage we all called home. Nostalgia is bittersweet I guess.<br /><br />Having finished we strode out the door and fired up the bikes. Just as we rolled out of the parking spot and up the shady little back road, I caught this strong-standing grey haired woman throw a look my way that said, ‘Go to hell buster.’<br /><br />At the next stop Wood turned to me with a smile and said, “Hey, you see that lady giving us the stink eye back there?”<br /><br />“Yeah… Haa! Awesome!”<br /><br />You’re still alive and kicking if you’re getting the stink eye… but you know what – you’re still kicking if you’re dishing it out too. So thanks lady… and you’re welcome too. Hopefully you oblige next time we roll in for that flank steak.512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-87073668970026373602007-09-24T22:13:00.000-07:002007-09-24T22:28:16.880-07:00Clear a PathAfter the NC trip I spent about a week just prepping the bike for the next trip and kicking around with the guys here. We had a few softball games I wanted to play in – so that gave me the excuse to enjoy some downtime between trips. I changed the oil – the primary oil – the choke cable – and took care of a few other minor things. I never really worked on the Honda much at all – and I found that I could probably have spent the entire day working on the bike. It was fun – it seemed to help me clear my mind. I was solely focused on that one task at hand, and I have to say that felt good.<br /><br />I don't know - as weird as this sounds it was something like going surfing. I can't describe it - you just find yourself there doing something and everything else washes away... and it feels like all you just cleared a path between you and what you're doing I guess. Back when I was surfing all the time I used to take those moments for granted. Now I know to find them where I can, and to return to where I can find them.512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-83793260452443651942007-07-30T18:39:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:11:07.120-08:00Va Beach to NCI cleared out of the hotel at about 11 and cruised around Va Beach looking for some breakfast. Nothing caught my eye. I'm starting to see that being from Jersey has left me spoiled as far as food goes. I don't want McD's or any other fast food chain garbage. I want a diner and a short order cook that makes a sandwich homestyle. Most of the time I won't settle for less.<br /><br />So I rolled out onto General Booth Blvd and 615. I had probably gone about 10 miles when I saw a gas station / diner type deal that had a huge 'home cooked food' banner on the side. By the time I got through the door - they'd stopped serving breakfast, but their cheeseburger was great. I didn't eat again until about 10pm and I never got hungry.<br /><br />I gassed up and hit the road toward the Knott's Island ferry. My bro texted me a schedule - 2pm was the next boat and I got their at 2:02 just as they were about to raise the gate... but again I cruised right on and parked in a little cranny on the side. A few other bikers were on there - some coast guard fellas - awesome guys. We shared a few stories / laughs on the way over. It took about 45 minutes to cross the 5 mile sound. Nice, but never again.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093180310226933922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6MgzXWD7LRV2Yd7E88DRXfMIoVpr9o7L0qHUxZquPkWNWjlnxFSfD0lhqfrwt02zwCS7burCMwG1iZxjhj4TEGQw45Ycr3xoUNR4Gyg-K5I3qVDafNGrvqKU2VQbi4Uc-U-sOKz5rwEf/s400/IMG_0342.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />I got off the ferry and immediately consulted the directions - which told me to hang a sharp left onto 158. Got it. After that things quickly came to a crossroad... 158 South or 158 West... Hmm. I didn't really have a map - I had a list of directions and the directions told me to take 158 west for 25 miles - then 158 south... Looking at a map I can't tell you what I was thinking - just that I knew there was only one way to go, unless I wanted to get caught and take another hour long ferry ride. I figured I needed to shoot west a bit more to avoid that. So I did.<br /><br />About 40 minutes later I decided to stop at the first gas station and get a map. Another half hour after that I was in a supermarket listening to a lady tell me that they didn't sell maps. She did point me to a gas station that didn't sell maps though.<br /><br />"Where you need to go honey?" the lady behind the counter asked smiling. She must have been 60 years old but her eyes sparkled like she was 21.<br /><br />"Wilmington, my brother and sister live down there."<br /><br />"Oh, well here's what you do," she proceeded to write down these directions:<br /><br />"About five / six hours. Watch the speed limit, they'll be police. You should be ok to about 10 above the limit though."<br /><br />I thanked her profusely, went out the door and started to throw some extra sunblock on my shoulders, arms, and nose. A few mintues later her smiling face popped back in the doorway.<br /><br />"I'da done that for ya baby!" she yelled.<br /><br />Awesome. I got back on 158 and headed toward route 11 to Greenville. Not too bad a ride - even though I wasn't totally at ease looking for signs and whatnot. Just don't get caught out there with no gas. There aren't too many places to stop. Finally I found one, bought a map and realized my collassal blunder. I probably went about 60 miles out of the way, but finally I hit route 11 took it down to Kinston, then hit 258 to 17.<br /><br />Man was 17 from Jacksonville down a nice ride. Almost as soon as I hit it, some a cold wind rolled in some huge black clouds to cover the sun. The road was smooth and empty - a mantra for this trip - and a lightshow like I had never seen before sparked up ahead. It was unreal. Lightning jumping from cloud to cloud and then to the ground. I know it was in the direction I was headed, but I didn't care. There wasn't any thunder and as far as I could tell, the whole thing was over the ocean.<br /><br />Just about over the ocean that is. The last ten minutes of the ride were through a rainstorm - but I made it. Cleaned up the bike the next day and enjoyed a solid week of southern life.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyzQh3Bd1jByYIaSyZsc8kKxqNViWGvuOfUMGYGSQ0bUa6Y1wGHOac9ttV7SgK42duDivL1YGn-b6yz7gAEIvlV0q8JueX1_4rt1J0pv9NH8TOFTjUrfD0Fi2hJFJqrx-HicbhFT-T1-8/s1600-h/IMG_0351.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIy-hq9AAD6G5a3G143xD6AVEvNpFS-3JJoWiWtcJKIRu1iv0_AWRuOigvBa9nHONELv6Iiyx7NPmepGIb1Z-_teFNJQdHy07IqlQMLtxv6TguDGTkp5EZ1N_VpB1oirAlrePiWT_6hFjK/s1600-h/IMG_0368.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh379JeZWZiN8rWiuYWHZbo1bBDzG7KNfn0RLPhXgwO4wQekgc-vmCuTZ62ncLQ7VLvZggQ6n60sL9FylnLWgWeMj0toj7W1Q_TepVbgHcXaLcfqWv8HjTGFFIumkH_qrNG1URbk8RagEcq/s1600-h/IMG_0424.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093181237939869906" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh379JeZWZiN8rWiuYWHZbo1bBDzG7KNfn0RLPhXgwO4wQekgc-vmCuTZ62ncLQ7VLvZggQ6n60sL9FylnLWgWeMj0toj7W1Q_TepVbgHcXaLcfqWv8HjTGFFIumkH_qrNG1URbk8RagEcq/s200/IMG_0424.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldBHFuxAgMHNj31-eZkQJA1JkupJALTZTROcP9AFT2rctwo2t8SyzVNHsDtUMtz_aJ9aZ9nbyIVEeJfhgLrHdnD98MsiDbp1JBgMqi2wTVRcmbwrvrfgCrYc7WzzUPHYDP9KloPq7GDLm/s1600-h/IMG_0384.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093181401148627170" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldBHFuxAgMHNj31-eZkQJA1JkupJALTZTROcP9AFT2rctwo2t8SyzVNHsDtUMtz_aJ9aZ9nbyIVEeJfhgLrHdnD98MsiDbp1JBgMqi2wTVRcmbwrvrfgCrYc7WzzUPHYDP9KloPq7GDLm/s200/IMG_0384.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDP81QgbD3IZXxsFKoahRVG0m6t5WhlfydxLpgJDPu6rdBlrfqUuOv1OYf_pYUAGu8rMPnW1i_L3b2Yg-C1V4eJQ4R5saApfHaFea7g2IxCVGZgr4SGqJ20MndoA07UbSnJKdmGuswha5b/s1600-h/IMG_0426.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093181594422155506" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDP81QgbD3IZXxsFKoahRVG0m6t5WhlfydxLpgJDPu6rdBlrfqUuOv1OYf_pYUAGu8rMPnW1i_L3b2Yg-C1V4eJQ4R5saApfHaFea7g2IxCVGZgr4SGqJ20MndoA07UbSnJKdmGuswha5b/s200/IMG_0426.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6-FmTSTjlMo0HT0d4tYRnE3_za8NO7Z_hMi2KysKHLzwRe60uvqTEw9Rhe6JrDsMZ35CMrtcBQns4wTY87RhKQj7PPFwXfTktaaWz-sYb3e-r_cDEY8jhAWfqXgGR2X2tI7jUurcWBH3/s1600-h/IMG_0412.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093183132020447490" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6-FmTSTjlMo0HT0d4tYRnE3_za8NO7Z_hMi2KysKHLzwRe60uvqTEw9Rhe6JrDsMZ35CMrtcBQns4wTY87RhKQj7PPFwXfTktaaWz-sYb3e-r_cDEY8jhAWfqXgGR2X2tI7jUurcWBH3/s200/IMG_0412.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzW1lDGQ63ylWrhXZAekOCvFgGCv1jUg00mrdXZwM0ZghS44CuTUl-f6aRR5yxeLzPjXF_cfrJVXdyQgdXiw_9uTk7sPcT8CYiH19E19RAiE_Sm8vvZ7glSJhHLB_VCPTigpPrACHx12d/s1600-h/IMG_0359.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093183479912798482" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzW1lDGQ63ylWrhXZAekOCvFgGCv1jUg00mrdXZwM0ZghS44CuTUl-f6aRR5yxeLzPjXF_cfrJVXdyQgdXiw_9uTk7sPcT8CYiH19E19RAiE_Sm8vvZ7glSJhHLB_VCPTigpPrACHx12d/s200/IMG_0359.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">Awesome!</div>512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-55024788418083635442007-07-25T15:25:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:11:07.799-08:00Jersey to VA Beach<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTK17wttSXR9ogtmVVEuwZdhMde9xpxwo7LjG55FT7dKNlT5GNLszRR8SjhleS2-PqoETQcnY_zTT2g7WfLUq-w_mo6wQzjWfhe5PHl4JAM7nJmnfhNU-JVerkclXfWy0rV0ztyNxOVU7M/s1600-h/IMG_0296.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090844496557971538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTK17wttSXR9ogtmVVEuwZdhMde9xpxwo7LjG55FT7dKNlT5GNLszRR8SjhleS2-PqoETQcnY_zTT2g7WfLUq-w_mo6wQzjWfhe5PHl4JAM7nJmnfhNU-JVerkclXfWy0rV0ztyNxOVU7M/s200/IMG_0296.jpg" border="0" /></a>I set my alarm for 6am and rolled out of bed at about 6:05. I had to check all the preride stuff <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOKfUrX8XTST3LzJBfNGxRGPmt_lly-U-QMbilJkeBcvrcciquGatCtJUik_wfTTBVozfeKhlratQLhaSyOXcKqejYFryJk5lSxGtVxFWYztdnfntONlrp8QZBoFrwzjOblyv-FSwrQw3/s1600-h/IMG_0296.jpg"></a>like oil, lights, brakes, tires, then pack my stuff, strap everything to the bike, and get going. I was hoping to get it all done and be on the road by 11, but the reality was more like 12:30. Still, at that time shore traffic wasn't going to be a problem.<br /><br /><div>On the GSP I felt kinda sluggish. The air was hot, and the ride was boring. A straight shot down to the Cape May ferry at about 70 - 75mph. Not exactly my idea of enjoying the ride, but on the GSP going any slower is kind of dangerous. I had a 5:15 reservation on boat to Lewes Point - just in case I did hit some traffic and missed the 4:30. If I made it on time - maybe they'd sneak me on the first boat out of NJ. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZvsZilXsj6wKIovVifejV3VDiDUNa4SBw6at0hgpeGGee9mzn5MOyH6QZ3YB4RnPOpzhdquue26VIWuY2IOt9fiBVLDzooHn9zh2lT6KCunKgKcBwd1IenAMi6hSowunLs8ULd_sSP5Q/s1600-h/IMG_0317.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090845974026721410" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="220" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZvsZilXsj6wKIovVifejV3VDiDUNa4SBw6at0hgpeGGee9mzn5MOyH6QZ3YB4RnPOpzhdquue26VIWuY2IOt9fiBVLDzooHn9zh2lT6KCunKgKcBwd1IenAMi6hSowunLs8ULd_sSP5Q/s320/IMG_0317.jpg" width="302" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div>I made it to the ferry at about 3:45 - parked the bike, grabbed a bite to eat, and hung out in the parking lot for the next 30 min. The awesome people at the ferry authority did sneak me ontothe 4:30, and it was a good thing too. I didn't get off of that ferry until after 6 - at that point I was still about 200 miles from VA Beach. With just a few hours of daylight to spare, I didn't know if I'd make it.</div><br /><div>Once I got onto US 13 south through MD and VA - I was in no hurry and no hurry to stop either. This had to be one of the most enjoyable roads I had ever been on. Freshly paved and empty - maybe one or two other drivers in either direction. Not too much in the way of exciting turns, but the cool breeze and the smooth ride made it bliss. Darkness fell at around 8pm and I was still well outside of VA beach, but not tired at all. I figured I'd just keep rollin.</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YX_DpajdTj9RndVFezCbkAM7fTZOT0I9J9EQdjNhlkb_5glHwXf-KHnYi3YJsKjpZTQmRAnuJg5R4SLQtdO46ylq6hImAXjn3B-79NEl6s_E4wF8FOQnQ60oy_II_dx8TjhImASE-OVh/s1600-h/IMG_0319.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090846592502012050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="215" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YX_DpajdTj9RndVFezCbkAM7fTZOT0I9J9EQdjNhlkb_5glHwXf-KHnYi3YJsKjpZTQmRAnuJg5R4SLQtdO46ylq6hImAXjn3B-79NEl6s_E4wF8FOQnQ60oy_II_dx8TjhImASE-OVh/s320/IMG_0319.jpg" width="296" border="0" /></a> <div></div><div>I crossed the Cheasapeake Bridge / Tunnel at 10:30. I was the only person in sight. That was actually pretty cool - too bad they don't let you stop to take pictures there. I'll need a camera mount for that. The only real downside to riding in at night was missing all of the sites. Since my route home would take me back through the same area - I wasn't really too worried about it. </div><br /><div></div><div>Finally I landed in VA Beach at about 11:00 - I cruised the strip and found a hotel with some rooms available fairly quickly. The Oceanfront it was called. The lobby was a lot nicer than the room, but it did have an ocean view. That was cool to wake up to.<br /></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090842392023996434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIpuRbvIw5NcZdkk1_ge1qh1p_3ubbFTzHCtR_3R61362Jvw1snuduedDDrjVQKxz0Et7sVVG9doy1wDJjvh_o3f-SAgA_lVu5FkF9esRAigZ9yRHSqViLfD65aP47-lN8G2lNSMlvuLY/s400/IMG_0328.jpg" border="0" /></div>512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-88562099527340301072007-07-24T12:15:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:11:08.138-08:00New Derby Cover<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hLHin0WdY4WxU_-gmnwJGGgVoj5ztPR-Yl9XQqpKgwwaol8Y4bIPDHXwBriaH9WjWUNPLWm5TYC_32kjil0KzpxpQjkuuZDZsvvTH8ws7o46IflgEDnzP5KAoBdjx9_DHX5G5vnFd-TD/s1600-h/IMG_0294.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090794498843678690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hLHin0WdY4WxU_-gmnwJGGgVoj5ztPR-Yl9XQqpKgwwaol8Y4bIPDHXwBriaH9WjWUNPLWm5TYC_32kjil0KzpxpQjkuuZDZsvvTH8ws7o46IflgEDnzP5KAoBdjx9_DHX5G5vnFd-TD/s200/IMG_0294.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Bought a Larin jack the other day so I could put my new derby cover on. The jack was about 50 bucks down at a Cycle Gear store by me. I was a little skeptical at first, so I did some research on it. The verdict was that you pretty much get what you pay for. Just about everyone said to go with a J&S Jack - which was about $350 or so. For the amount of wrenchin I'll be doing - I figured 50 was worth the risk. I used it last Friday morning - and it worked like a charm. Got the cover off and on 1-2-3 and no more scratches.</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZbBXFRwPT_QBvrmadHNKctr8GMR8sQgL8MU_KafwxVnbkH9amdyKHKc_awuZ9KIk8M3p7NLKNsWq-zpEBOwE73v3UKFLXS3G2-64Bf2RNCsa6nGeKKfZRiY6v-SgaFxpLT2dRNwcWYJh/s1600-h/IMG_0295.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090795546815698946" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZbBXFRwPT_QBvrmadHNKctr8GMR8sQgL8MU_KafwxVnbkH9amdyKHKc_awuZ9KIk8M3p7NLKNsWq-zpEBOwE73v3UKFLXS3G2-64Bf2RNCsa6nGeKKfZRiY6v-SgaFxpLT2dRNwcWYJh/s200/IMG_0295.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>On a side note - I did screw something up. I went to Sears and bought a craftsman micro-torque wrench with a 3/8 drive. I needed it for the derby cover job and just about any other routine maintinence job I'll do. Well it's a nice wrench - but right after I bought it I remembered that Home Depot had a Husky for like 7 dollars more. The craftsman is guaranteed for a year - the Husky for life. Dumb. I might just try to bring the wrench back.<br /><br /></p>512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-92089009849931645672007-07-17T23:10:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:11:08.294-08:00Some time to think...<div>Riding has given me a lot of time to think lately. But thinking hasn't really done much for me, it seems like more questions crop up and I don't seem to have too many answers.<br /><br />My mind begins to wander... did I ever forsee this? Gear strapped to a 1450cc Harley in mid July - just cruising the East Coast. Nah - no way. I never saw this coming. Shoot, I didn't see this coming four months ago. You just never know.<br /><br />I still don't understand what happened - what made you let go. That'll bother me for a long time to come - I hate to have questions that are left unanswered. But I know I just can't worry about that anymore.<br /><br />There are times when I push it all out of my mind and just enjoy the moment - enjoy roaring down an empty two lane highway with the cool air rushing through my jacket. It feels like the breath of freedom. I have no one to answer to - nowhere to be - there is nothing I must do, nothing in the way of this moment. </div><div><br /> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5088425922540435970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-Cs4qqzSyYO7NRpekXDrr5P1mBf3s0AIrSFTjfZyOoOJBgHRC0to_MGIIPZ3KlRs6DIGTx0V_Ie0ES2lGaNPRfWQTyAkgSOuNdyRFvPjG-gtPMYqPMHCIQqf_xSK6rc-NXRgZhwGs9SX/s400/IMG_0345.jpg" border="0" /><br />I guess I'm still trying to find comfort in that freedom.512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-6765327961296532172007-07-15T19:21:00.000-07:002007-07-24T08:49:22.666-07:00North Carolina and back...That's right - I'm presently in the Southland. The sign "Welcome to the South" as I entered Virginia left no doubt about that. The ride,by way of the coastline, was amazing. 20hrs travel over two days, a 606 mile epic ride to North Carolina.512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-46826544668368198502007-07-14T07:15:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:11:08.632-08:00100 West Bed and BreakfastThe guy at the Penn and Wells front desk gave me the number for a bed and breakfast that he thought might have a room. I called, they did. The guy on the phone didn't sound too welcoming, but I was stuck - so without booking the room I drove over to check the place out. Here's how that went... I took one look and got the heck out of there. <div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>I turned up 660 a little ways and saw another sign - 100 West Bed and Breakfast. The place looked great, real nice. I thought maybe I'd break the bank here, but again it was late and any amount was better than the other place.<br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087057807952935378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAY0HvLxvAMP4ojJW-RKa5AkxgXybYWSyNJtezrnPbB1zmTgO1nBqibNBKNEOhheantwEn-PZLiP6kPnK_KAA6Dvq8zfDQ7sP4TLgdtaSTdJs627X5JZewYpxcL5y6lZb0w16Vjp7BTByt/s400/100+West+BnB.bmp" border="0" /><br />As soon as I pulled around back the owner Brenda came out and greeted me with a smile. What a great lady. She had a room, and I could keep the bike in her garage overnight! A hundred dollars. Whoa. I was blown away. Awesome. My room - the Chadderon - had it's own private entrance with balcony and parking spot. Cool. Breakfast, served from 7 - 9 was included in the price. I could hardly believe my luck.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKriykK1WfXb8IiqnRUgNmoIfDirKvP7KqC3CQpd5mUvIFaxzVD2r31ncb9O4lqyhBLbk9d1VrqRwZErR9mbK46WkPZPKH0id-dNv6NLo1-yD6QnqOslECZVvk3-M2NOaEdJ5pPYXpFgZA/s1600-h/My+Room.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087061076423047666" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 187px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 136px" height="131" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKriykK1WfXb8IiqnRUgNmoIfDirKvP7KqC3CQpd5mUvIFaxzVD2r31ncb9O4lqyhBLbk9d1VrqRwZErR9mbK46WkPZPKH0id-dNv6NLo1-yD6QnqOslECZVvk3-M2NOaEdJ5pPYXpFgZA/s200/My+Room.bmp" width="180" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTkxxz6RfTe4xwZzD1zq1roIgxhriByRTDSc6jy-u_dm93wsUoAeA8QRcYd2TdC1hS8LZ7DOphW6HSv-0awdffURHey6j4X0OQGKe5gRhZy5zljrXx762AniVwg4LnWXjrRHASlk44lZz/s1600-h/Harleys.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087060526667233762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 181px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 127px" height="132" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTkxxz6RfTe4xwZzD1zq1roIgxhriByRTDSc6jy-u_dm93wsUoAeA8QRcYd2TdC1hS8LZ7DOphW6HSv-0awdffURHey6j4X0OQGKe5gRhZy5zljrXx762AniVwg4LnWXjrRHASlk44lZz/s200/Harleys.bmp" width="179" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>At first I wasn't sure if I'd stay for breakfast. Being at a BnB, I figured to be the only single there and I didn't want to deal with that yet. Then I came to my senses - no way I was missing blue berry pancakes, bacon, sausage, coffee, cereal, and fresh fruit. Let me tell you - that Brenda can cook up a storm. Deeelicious.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am so glad I stayed, because the morning really made my trip. John (Brenda's husband) was just as nice as his wife. I chatted it up with him while I had my cup of coffee and he took care of some odds and ends around the house. Another couple from Reading, PA that rode in on a beautiful looking Road King came down for breakfast and joined the conversation. Great people. As we sat for breakfast Brenda entertained with a short history of the house (pretty cool) and it's conversion to a BnB. All I can say is breakfast with the people who stayed there that night was one of the best times I've had this summer. I won't forget it. Thanks Brenda and John for running more than just a great BnB - a great experience too.</div><div></div><div>You can check them out at <a href="http://100westbnb.com/index.html">http://100westbnb.com/index.html</a> - And if you pass through Wellboro give them a try - you wont' regret it.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div>512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-60014151151779668632007-07-12T21:12:00.001-07:002008-12-09T00:11:09.143-08:00Made it! Wellsboro, PA - Now what?As it turns out, I did make it to Wellsboro. The slow going picked as I hit 380 just beyond the Poconos. After your typical freeway ride from 380 to 81 - I picked up Route 6 in Clarks Summit and it was all thrills from there. The traffic on US 6, or the lack of it, lets you move along at a nice speed and the road does enough winding to keep a rider entertained. If that isn't convincing enough, the views of life on Route 6...<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086531631509502354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtiLaCHLrBRQrtCM1S80ek62x6-qpFrmxDN4iQ9h41JgtEkT8AGZNEyo78my7s_W9gG2-Z6CMvi9_EVXS9qSJt0yVvCn9wL6c3p-Msp76xseQF_4EvKoedTQH_c0TAiKnsln7_wY2-AiY/s400/Life+on+Route+6.bmp" border="0" /></div><br /><p>and nature on Route 6...</p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086532116840806818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1Un5HPaqjQOffcZGfZyzjlgHTJdrI-VSmUOPZQY8et6z18v-3gWPjNpIaYVeMVrSb14f2lL1XgOPCkkp-VhvWTPyDydpvJOIuVGP7k4o3YXFs8xsQHFEpTvp0lQ1lNNPATtZ3f_XR7QG/s400/Cool+River.bmp" border="0" /></p><br /><br /><p>are enough to keep your head on a swivel. Yeah - Route 6 through PA, it's pretty cool. Right now I'm reminding myself that I've only had half the experience. A great thing considering that other half is a road trip waiting to happen.</p><br /><p>So I rolled into Wellsboro at about 7PM and cruised right past the Canyon Motel. Ah - looks cool, but I'm not staying at the first place I see! I ride past two other hotels and then spot a sign: Pennsylvania Grand Canyon - 10 miles. Whoa - what luck. The daylight was fading away - which I figured would creat some pretty cool pictures at the canyon. Ten miles? I'd be there in no time. Right.</p><br /><p>I missed the first turn and had to back track a little. Then I missed the next turn and roared right onto a gravel road. I kid you not, I read this post: </p><br /><p><a href="http://silverwinger.blogspot.com/2007/04/gravel-roads.html">http://silverwinger.blogspot.com/2007/04/gravel-roads.html</a></p><br /><p>a few days before I left. I was almost thrilled to put the advice to the test. It worked. I knew exactly what to do when I felt the front wheel being jerked here and there. My thanks again.</p><br /><p>Ok - so 7:45, I finally make it to the PA Grand Canyon. Here's the best look I got.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086536566426925506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIaHNCm13t7lxb0y4CKDA1tbk_Q3d4rkhlEbzZfnAivjglME6W_6RrNvlAVUNLfweQ2jK4iPA8I6pr5Pw4GB5wOlg2IiXA-PN5ewbt8mY2m8p067uEJ763puhBe5OUDJ7hBskZ7ezqem_/s400/PA+Grand+Canyon.bmp" border="0" /></p><br /><p>I mean I joked a little about it, but it was nice. I was kind of in a rush to get in and out of there because there weren't many street lights in the area. Considering that I got lost in the daylight - I wasn't going to take my chances. The Canyon probably had more to offer, but I didn't stick around to wander down the trails that they had set up along it's eastern ridge. </p><p>Nah, I was hungry. So I made my way back to Wellsboro, stopping to notice that the self proclaimed 'most popular hotel in Wellsboro,' the Sherwood had a NO VACANCY sign. Whatever. I motored on down to the Canyon Motel. No Vacancy. Bah - well there's the four story Penn & Wells Lodge right in the center of town. So I parked my bike and headed inside. Ten minutes later I was headed back outside. I had gone to every hotel in sight, and not a single open room. Hmmm.</p>512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-50400288905755894222007-07-10T09:58:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:11:09.329-08:00Get Going<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeE5nQXW63lv_0ZvTMsDLWvCfAh9RK9GoLY2sCLYgf2MDy8mJGua9lPQrulU_-r4Gkgu60hz_fP1c3qv-WYq6PkDtcnnVVy8j4lp6_2sAZpV6n1NNbPR0fnR-eY-RhF5TxQtDcbp_Pxkm/s1600-h/River+Road.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5085615930995105074" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 263px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 188px" height="169" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeE5nQXW63lv_0ZvTMsDLWvCfAh9RK9GoLY2sCLYgf2MDy8mJGua9lPQrulU_-r4Gkgu60hz_fP1c3qv-WYq6PkDtcnnVVy8j4lp6_2sAZpV6n1NNbPR0fnR-eY-RhF5TxQtDcbp_Pxkm/s320/River+Road.bmp" width="248" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>As I crossed the Delaware into PA I looked down to see a few jetskiers ripping around in the river. I kind of wished I could join them and cool off a bit. Without a jetski I wouldn't be getting in the water - but I would be cooling off. The right onto River Road brought with it a rush of cool air. Winding up along to water the whole way was a good idea - there was shade and a nice breeze coming off of the river. People were swimming and tubing in the river all the way up to the water gap. I looked down at one point to see a guy just cruising down in a tube with a frosty drink in his hand. Now that's the life. The scenery... beautiful of course. I stopped to take this picture when I had the chance. The road winds around a lot of curves and there isn't much of a shoulder - so I had to pick my spot carefully. </div><div></div><div>611 North continued up along the river for the most part until just after Easton. Then it veers west towrd 6. I'll say this - next time I take this trip, I'll avoid Easton like the plague. There are detours and traffic everywhere in Easton - and they put the detour signs on the ground. People are walking in front of the little arrows and everyone is stopped just waiting until they can see where the heck to go. Unreal - never seen anything like it as far as traffic goes and I have lived in Jersey my whole life.</div><div></div><div>I stopped to eat just as I neared the Watergap. The place was nothing special - I can't remember the name. I was glad I stopped though. Two couples on Harley's came in just as I was about to leave. One guy was riding a custom painted Springer that had some nice ghost flames on it - pretty much what I hope to do. He gave me the name of the place that did it - Top Notch in Quakertown. I'm sure I'll be stopping by there at the summer's end.</div><div></div><div>I headed out for the second part of my trip at about 3:30PM - having only gotten about 110 miles or so in the first 3 hours. But I wasn't too concerned - this ride was going to take me wherever it took me...</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div>512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-65952569767714409982007-07-08T22:17:00.001-07:002007-07-10T10:11:09.144-07:00The Plan...The plan is always to keep it simple. I don't want some trip marked out with checkpoints and timelines. Of course I do want to know something about my route - I don't want to be sitting in city traffic or on a road that's under construction if I can avoid that stuff. I try my best to consult some travel 'experts.'<br /><br />So with some help from <a href="http://www.visitpa.com/">http://www.visitpa.com/</a> and AAA Triptik I mapped out my route. Both turned out some great info that was really helpful. I opted to cross Jersey on route 518 and go on into New Hope, PA. From there I would bang a right onto River Road, and follow the Delware all the way up to the Water Gap. After that, I'd continue on 611, 380, and 81 until I hit PA Route 6. Triptik told me it was voted the most scenic highway in the US.<br /><br />Route 6 spans the entire length of Pennsylvania, from Milford on the PA/NJ border to Erie on the border of, you guessed it, Lake Erie. One day I'll travel the entire route, but since I had some Monday plans - I had to be back by Sunday night. Hmph. What to do?<br /><br />The answer to that was easy - get on the bike and get going before noon. Go as long as I could and stop when the sun was just about going down. I had about nine hours of daylight before me - and every minute of it was set aside for my journey.512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-27647728693599674882007-07-08T16:03:00.000-07:002007-07-08T22:16:26.539-07:00Wish You Were Here...Two days, 564 miles, (and about a million dead bugs) all in all one great road trip!<br /><br />After deciding that Erie was way to optimistic for even me - I settled on a town named Wellsboro and a route that would take me close to 600 miles round trip. Sure there's a more direct route from here to Wellsboro, but that really isn't the point now is it?<br /><br />It was my first solo road trip and I was a little nervous going it alone, but PA did not disappoint. All the great people I met along the way made it something I'll never forget - and they also ensured that it's something I'll do again very soon. I'll fill in the details sometime tomorrow - but right now some much needed sleep.512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-46917573294986088362007-07-07T07:57:00.000-07:002007-07-07T08:02:08.934-07:00Wanting More...Road trip 2 will be underway within the hour. I was out on the bike cruising down to one of the local shops yesterday, and the ride left me feeling like it should be something more. Huh. I really never had that feeling after cruising around for a few hours. It was strange. So when I got home I saw one of those visit PA commercials (again). I figured that would take too much planning - and it didn't. So I'm packed and off to see what exactly PA holds.512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-80419419037520982552007-07-04T17:41:00.001-07:002008-12-09T00:11:09.467-08:00Road Trip 1 - Baltimore MarylandThat’s right – Baltimore! Yeah, I know it’s only about 200 miles away, but it made a great two day road trip anyway. We got some good riding in, a little baseball, and plenty of beers…<br /><br />The trip was without a doubt an impulse. Within the space of an hour I thought it up and put the word out to a few of the fellas that ride - just one taker. The rest of the night found me getting stuff ready – even sewing (yeah on a machine) quick release buckles on some straps to secure my bags to the bike. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, so it took a while, but I got the hang of it and now the straps are tough as nails.<br /><br />Having only ridden on the NJ turnpike once a few years back, I avoid it like the plague. I have been hit with more shit on that road then I care to think about – and thankfully I was always in a car. A couple of cracked windows, some knicked up paint, and a flat tire were the worst I ever got, but on the bike I stay away as often as possible. No choice in the matter on this morning though. The game started at 1:35 and we were giving ourselves about four hours to get there. 95 South is the most direct route.<br /><br />The NJ Turnpike actually turned out to be a pretty nice ride. For the traffic it endures, the road is pretty well kept, and though there wasn’t much to see, the ride was smooth. I threw the quick release windshield onto the Deuce, which was nice. After going at around 75 mph for three hours I wasn’t tired in the slightest bit. Without a doubt the windshield helps – even the crappy plexiglass one on my bike.<br /><br />Climbing the Delaware Bridge on a bike is just amazing. The thing is monstrous. I’ve crossed it more than a few times in my car, but never seemed to notice the sheer size. It felt like we were climbing forever, and then once you get to the peak – spectacular. The river is one huge body of water stretched out on both sides – it looked just awesome – the way you were supposed to see it, carved right out into the middle of the earth and still going strong.<br /><br />As cool as that was, nothing could match winding off of 95 at exit 53 and coming around the ramp into the city of Baltimore. The inner harbor, to the right, was filled with little boats here and there. The sun shined down on us as we roared past Camden Yards and the Ohio Warehouse - damn that’s a long building. The red brick looks amazing.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083913659362041122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 394px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 293px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="281" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOest_KWVcJ0auzXRceAGpEGatos0tm5apxl2ZMItgjQPFKjzvZoH2xD9Z5nGOS1UaglUTGFiPRkDq6ZfUWgZpiHWrqL8ILKB37t0DGHn0lqGNvIJG0vaCvGbkb2iyup3WtutSju2LOeY/s320/IMG_0187.jpg" width="376" border="0" />And in case you didn’t know – Camden Yards really is all it’s cracked up to be. And even on a Sunday night, Baltimore was a great time.<br /><br />We hit up the inner harbor for a few drinks and then the ESPN zone before exploring a few local places. Fell's Point was full of bikes and bars everywhere - A little quiet on a Sunday night, but I'm sure I'll give it another try soon. All in all great trip.<br /><br />Oh yeah, tolls were a bitch…. I’d say we waited about 10 to fifteen min on lines for tolls. Not to mention having to scrounge around for the cash to pay the toll. This reminds me, I have to go sign the bike up onto my ezpass account.<br /><br />What now? Lookin for a new adventure!512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-319659834535176532007-06-29T20:48:00.000-07:002007-06-29T21:30:09.065-07:00The best laid plans...John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."<br /><br />I rolled out of bed with a plan: Get the Deuce all shined up, throw the backrest and bags on, and make all the final arrangements for the roadtrip to NC. <br /><br />As far as the shining, I picked up some Blue Magic polish (about $3 at the auto parts store). Awesome stuff. I started to shine up everything in sight. Front wheel, pipes, heads, fins, rear wheel. I got up to moved the bike just to make that last part of the wheel a little easier to get to. Genius. As I inched up about two feet, I peaked back at the wheel to watch the dull side come around. The kickstand scraping the concrete didn't phase me in the slightest. Not until I leaned the Deuce over to rest on it.<br /><br />I just about started to shift myself off when I realized something was amiss. The bike kept on leaning. The kickstand had scraped just enough so that it folded back under the bike's weight. At that point, there wasn't really much to do - I was dropping the deuce. I let it down as gently as possible, swung my right leg over and heaved it back upright. <br /><br />I got lucky: three small scratches on the derby cover which will cost about 30 bucks. Fact is - this is not the first time this kickstand thing has happened to me... but it is the first time I had to let a bike down. Learnt the tough way, yet again.<br /><br />So I move on. Now I just about have the job finished, the bike is totally set up and ready to go. Then word comes in from my brother that he messed up his eye pretty badly. In short, he can't ride for at least 10 days. Trip postponed. Life happens.<br /><br />So now I'm searchin for a new trip to hold me over...512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2618252745827157467.post-48944707237282990212007-06-28T19:42:00.000-07:002007-06-28T22:55:51.225-07:00Begin at the beginning.Just bought my first Harley in April. A pretty <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">monumental</span> day - and one that pretty much got folded in there with the rest of em. It's been like that lately, days blurring past without anything settling in.<br /><br />S0 I thought a road trip would be in order. I mean, why else do you ride? Road trips - of course. Besides, my bro bought his own first Harley and gave me the perfect excuse to get going.<br /><br />600 miles to North Carolina and 600 miles back. I mapped it all out with the Triple A road trip thing. I think it's called Trip <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Tik</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Fuckin</span> awesome - it got me so <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">pysched</span> up for this trip. It lets you pick out all your roads and change stuff around - then it creates a booklet of directions for you and you can save it as a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">pdf</span> file and print it when you're ready. Check it out if you're planning a road trip of your own: <a href="http://www.aaa.com/">http://www.aaa.com/</a>.<br /><br />My plan is to get out early and take the 'scenic' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">GSP</span> down to the Cape May ferry. It'll give me a good break and a chance to stretch my legs after the first 130 or so miles. After that I'll stay as close as possible to the coastline - soaking in the views and cruising over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge / Tunnel on into VA beach. Be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">stoppin</span> there for the night and heading out to NC on day two of the trip.<br /><br />But first I have a little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">gettin</span> ready to do. Got to check everything on the bike, get it all squeaky clean, throw the backrest on and the windshield of course. I already picked up some classic <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">fatboy</span> saddlebags and a jacket from <a href="http://www.foxcreekleather.com/">http://www.foxcreekleather.com/</a>. They just got here today and I'm thrilled with both. I can't wait to throw 'em on the bike tomorrow and cruise around.<br /><br />And after that - Road trip 1. Any tips from experience are definitely welcomed here. I've never done anything but day trip rides so this right here is pretty much trial by fire for me.512http://www.blogger.com/profile/17852750735283651681noreply@blogger.com0