Days 5 and 6

Day 5 was my first “off” day in that I stayed in the same hotel room for two nights in a row. I did laundry, boxed up stuff to mail home, did some shopping and still managed to add two parks and two states to the list. You would think I could get a blog post in, but it wasn’t to be. I fell asleep before I was able to turn on the computer and this morning I wanted to get a very early start because I had what I perceived to be a difficult day in front of me.

I was on the bike at 5:30. I forget that the further north we go the earlier it gets light outside. When I wake up at home at 5:30 it is completely dark, but today it was fully daylight. After getting out of the Washington, DC area I passed through Baltimore, then Philadelphia with few problems. My thoughts were to get to the New York City area in the middle of the day when the traffic was not so bad. That time apparently does not exist. Additionally, I had the opportunity to participate in what must be the single biggest traffic engineering debacle ever created by man. About five miles before the George Washington Bridge traffic slowed to a virtual crawl. After thirty minutes of starting and stopping I reached the root of the problem. As opposed to a fifty car pile up or the collapse of the bridge itself, the whole mess was caused by the State of New York wishing to extract eight dollars or more from each and every driver for the privilege of sitting through this mess to begin with. The traffic went from four lanes to 15 or so lanes to go through the booths. The interesting part was after getting through the booths. The traffic then went back down into four lanes and the process was a complete free for all. Imagine riding a motorcycle into this frenzy and trying to compete with a hundred or so eighteen wheelers. While I did not have size in my favor during this process I did have stealth. To add insult to injury, right after getting through this ordeal and while negotiating a series of turns, exits and entrances, my GPS unit experienced the electronic equivalent of a “brain fart”. It thought it was in Harlem then in Manhattan then in La La Land. Finally it exited from its fugue just in time to get me back on the right path.

The rest of the day was uneventful and the weather, once again, was spectacular. It was actually cool enough that I added a layer for warmth.

Of course, when I went to the parks on day five I left my camera in my room but you can see that I now have a traveling companion.

Day 4

Today I awoke to temperatures in the low 60s and sunny skies. My first destination was Shenandoah National Park and the Skyline Drive. The Skyline Drive is the main road through Shenandoah National Park and traverses the park in a North-South Direction. It is essentially an extension of the Blue Ridge Parkway but since it is located within a national park, it has a lower speed limit and an entrance fee. I rode 18 miles on the Skyline Drive before I saw my first car. As I progressed, I did see a few more cars and motorcycles, but I would guess I saw less than 80 vehicles in 102 miles. The temperatures remained in the low 70s for most of the day and the riding was what a motorcyclist lives for.

One of the things I like about traveling alone is the flexibility to change plans at the last minute. As I was sitting at Starbucks in Front Royal, Virginia I was looking at the map and I noticed that Harpers Ferry, West Virginia was only about 30 miles away so I decided to ride up for another park and another state in my quest. Mission accomplished, but the rest of the day I was singing in my head the words “John Brown’s body lies a smoldering in the grave” to the Battle Hymn of the Republic”. Was that actually a song or am I starting to hallucinate already?

As you can see I purchased a new camera. It actually has more features than the old one. Trouble is, at my age it may take me the rest of the trip to learn all of them. I did buy a protective case and an extended warranty. Of course, these purchases assure I will never have the first minute’s problem with the camera.

I can’t tell all of you who are reading and posting how much I look forward to your comments. I would like for you to let me know who you are. One individual made this comment in yesterday’s post but didn’t identify themselves. That is something I would do.

In the tradition of my friend Mark Ryburn I have decided to acquire a mascot to accompany me. I need someone to talk to while I am on the bike and I don’t want anyone that will complain about my hours, the way I ride or otherwise be a general pain in the neck. I have decided the perfect companion would be Tigger. He always has a smile on his face. As opposed to Scooby Do who is a timid sort, Tigger has no fear. Of course this may be attributed to the fact that Tigger is one slice short of a full loaf, but that is probably appropriate since that same comment was made about me when some of my friends learned about his trip.

Day 3

Last night was spent at the home of friends Jane and Bob Borne. As always they were gracious hosts. I have probably mooched more free nights of lodging from them than any one else. Their problem is they have had homes in such great places like Vail, Colorado and Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Thanks again Jane and Bob.

Today was another great day of riding. After some interstate mileage I got back on the Blue Ridge Parkway for over 100 miles. I have observed that the Parkway in Virginia is significantly lower in altitude and the curves much more gradual. For a motorcyclist it is almost like therapy. In addition I added another park and another state to my list.

Another scientific study was conducted today. On a weekday in the summer there are 4.875 motorcycles to every car using the Blue Ridge. This study was conducted over a period of time which exactly coincided with the amount of time it took me to get bored with the study. I know you are asking yourself what .875 of a motorcycle looks like going down the road. All I can say is it is a sight to behold.

I did manage to purchase a new camera, but now I need to learn how to use it. That will be my project for later this evening. More pictures tomorrow, I promise.

As I was riding down I-77 I saw a couple pass me and each of them had a foot stuck out the window. This looked very uncomfortable to me. If by some cruel twist of fate I found myself in that position I think they would have to use the “jaws of life” to extract me.

I have decided that Wrangler, while knowledgeable in many areas, is not the best consultant for what I do and do not need on this trip. I am embarrassed to say that the stack of stuff I have on the back of the bike is higher than me. As soon as I take a shortened day or rest day I am going to pack a bunch of it in a box and send it home.

Day 2

Today I rode from Valdosta, Georgia to Maggie Valley, North Carolina. I am spending the night with Jane and Bob Borne. They have been long time clients and friends. Bob built our first house in Florida. The weather was definitely cooler today and the rain consisted of a few very light showers. Total mileage was 430 including some very enjoyable riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I visited three more National Park Sites including Ocmulgee National Monument, Smokey Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Unfortunately, the brand new camera that I purchased quit working so I was not able to take any photos.

As I was riding up I-75 from Valdosta, I did a very scientific study of how many signs per mile were visible. Scientific in that when I ran out of fingers and toes I actually had to rely on my memory which may render a "slightly" higher probability of error. There was one stretch that I counted at least 75 different signs in a single mile. Even more interesting was one particular double sign I observed. The top part was advertising sensual massage by a very seductive looking Asian lady and the bottom had only the words “Do Good Things” with a reference to bible scripture. I’m still trying to figure out the cosmic significance of both of these messages posted on the same billboard.

Several individuals have commented on the technology I am carrying with me. What red blooded, all American techno geek would not carry all of the latest gadgets to enhance his experience? Some people say that all of this “stuff” takes away from the true enjoyment. To those people I say read the owners manual because you obviously can’t figure how to use these wonderful marvels of our modern world. My list includes:

Two GPS units (you need a backup here)
One iPod
Two Sony Mini Disc Players (don’t really need a backup here, but I had two so why not)
One Dell laptop
One BlackBerry
One Cannon digital camera (non functioning)
One digital tire gauge
An assortment of chargers
One DC to AC converter in case I need to charge anything from the motorcycle
One very short multiple outlet plug so I can charge all of this stuff at once

I plan on visiting that most venerable of American institutions, Wal Mart, to buy another camera so I can visually share with you my journey.

The Adventure Begins

Today was the first official day of my ride. I visited Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park. I don’t know for sure, but I think it may have been just me and the Florida Panthers in Everglades today. Obviously it is a park more visited in the winter. It is impossible to get out of Florida this time of year without running into rain and I encountered my share today. It was actually quite refreshing after riding in the sun with temperatures hovering near 100.

I pulled my first "bone head move" of the trip. I was going to be smart and bring my Sun Pass so I could ride the turnpike and not have to stop at every toll booth. When I went through the first booth I realized I had my automatic gate opener for work. I now have to contact the State of Florida, confess to my stupidity and beg for forgiveness.

I rode 508 miles today and only 18 of them were in Georgia. Florida is one long state. Since I have ridden most of the route many times before, all I did was “crunch miles” after my stops in Everglades and Biscayne. I know one thing for sure. My back side has a long way to go if I am ever to become an “Iron Butt” rider. I’m told it is like anything else. The longer you do it, the more accustom you become.

Tomorrow promises to be more interesting as I ride through the mountains of northern Georgia and North Carolina. Smokey Mountain National Park is on the route and I hope to stay with friends in North Carolina tomorrow night.

Prolog

Since June 14th was to be the official start of my trip, I decided to call my ride today the prolog. I rode 230 miles from Sarasota, Florida to Homestead, Florida. Part of my trip was through the Big Cypress Swamp. I’ve seen dogs, cats, deer, hogs, antelope, elk and many other types of animals along the side of the road after being hit by a car or truck, but today is the first time I saw an alligator. And I didn’t just see one, but three. Thankfully, none of them were there to get in my way on the motorcycle.

I have read that when you are packing for a long trip and are trying to pack light you should place everything you think you need on a table or bed, then come back later an get rid of half of it. I could not decide what to get rid of so I asked Wrangler, and he indicated he thought I needed everything as well. So, as you can see I have it all on the bike.

Tomorrow will be my first national park visit. I will be in Everglades National Park and Biscayne Bay National Park. They are each about 15 miles from Homestead but in opposite directions. I hope to at least get out of Florida tomorrow, but it is a long state.

Update

Even though it has been a while since I have posted here, things have been moving along nicely in my planning. I have ordered so many things on line that I now have my credit card number, expiration date and three digit verification code memorized. Among my purchases are a new mesh riding suit for hot weather riding, new riding boots, a new camera with tripod, new storage bags, and evaporative cooling vest, new riding gloves, special sleeping gear even though I am planning on staying in motels, a small, high efficiency cooler and numerous small gizmos and gadgets. I have been loading audio books on my iPod and mini disc player and I have been to AAA three times for maps. I have an appointment to take the bike into the dealership next week for new tires and maintenance to make sure everything is in good working order. I even printed up “business cards” with a copy of the route, my blog site and my email address.

My major challenge now is to pack everything to fit on the bike. This is not as easy as just throwing it in the trunk of a car or back of an SUV. I have to think about keeping things dry as well as packing efficiently.

I am planning on starting the trip after work on Friday, June 13th and riding to Homestead, Florida that evening, visiting the two national parks within 30 miles of there the next day and heading north. After Florida, the first National Park I encounter is Smokey Mountains. I have several friends and clients in that area I would like to visit before heading to Shenandoah National Park and then Washington, DC. After DC it’s on to Acadia National Park in Maine and then down to Northern Ohio and Cuyahoga National Park. My next stop will be Brookville Indiana, the small town I grew up in. They will be celebrating their Bicentennial this year and I planned my trip to be there during the high point of the Celebration. In Brookville I will be visiting with family and friends and enjoying my favorite fried chicken anywhere.

I am very much looking forward to the journey, but I also know the challenges I face. Riding the desert in the summer, rain, wind, boredom, potential mechanical problems, finding places to stay in the evenings, and road closings and construction are just a few. With each challenge comes an opportunity to learn and an experience to remember. In typical accountant fashion I have designed a spreadsheet to estimate the dates I will be at all of my stops. I have designed it so that if I change my daily average mileage, the dates will be revised. My conservative estimate is that I will average 350 miles per day. This should be easy to do if there are no obstacles to keep me from riding every day. This will not happen. I am certain there will be days I can’t ride for one reason or another. I also think on many days I will be able to ride 500 to 600 miles. Hopefully these will average out.

Join me on my journey and feel free to post your comments and thoughts here. One of my partners gave me a quote that I plan on being my theme. “If you aren’t living on the edge you are taking up too much space.”