Another spectacular day for a motorcycle ride. Got rolling about 9:00 AM to a fairly cool morning. It was 56 degrees to start, but the sun was shining brightly. The temps stayed in the upper 60’s for most of the day.
I had 120 miles remaining on the Blue Ridge Parkway and it seemed to go pretty quickly, even with the stops to take some pictures. It was more crowded today versus yesterday. There were more people getting out and enjoying the weather before it gets too cold to do so. After I finished the BR Parkway, I had to take a 20 mile detour to get gas and some lunch. There are no gas facilities on the Parkway and only a couple of lodges that were packed to the gills with people. After lunch, I started up “Skyline Drive” in the Shenandoah National Forest. It was 105 miles and went slower as the speed limit was 35mph. That wouldn’t have been too bad except that there were many that were only going 25-30 and I had to pass several. Unfortunately, I saw a motorcycle accident scene. They were loading the guy on a stretcher as I passed, and he was talking, so hopefully it wasn’t too bad.
I hope that the GoPro camera captured some of the sites that I got to see. As I stated in an earlier post, I hope to put some more pictures on facebook after I get to review them at home on a larger screen. The camera took 2658 pictures alone today and it is hard to review on a 10” screen. If it missed the shots, I still have them in my memory (as long as it lasts!!!!). I would go around a curve and see an unbelievable grove of trees, but there was no place to safely pull over to get a picture.
Couldn’t think of a better way to end my day than with my friends Larry and Gail, their kids Bailey (a high school freshman) and Garrett (in the 6th grade). Gail grilled a wonderful dinner that we enjoyed with her friend Beth who was visiting from Boston.
Daily overview, drove 326 miles today for a total of 2919 for this year’s trip.
Going to sleep in a bit, then figure out what I want to take back on the plane with me and what I want to ship back with the bike. Have a 3:55 flight back to Dallas that will arrive a little after 6:00. Won’t have any “vacation” laundry to do for a couple of weeks when the bike gets back.
Well, I hope that you have enjoyed the posts and the few pics that I put up. Next year, thinking of going back to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, but that could change.
That’s all for this trip!!!!!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
This was nice
Not sure the picture will do this justice, but the sun filtering through, really made this area look nice.
This red tree really caught my eye.
I actually had to turn around as I passed it too fast the first time, plus I needed to find a place to pull off the roadway.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
East Coast Trip Day 10 – Asheville, NC to Roanoke, VA
What a spectacular day, it couldn’t have been much better!!!! It was a bit chilly to start. The day started at 45 degrees. The hotel was only 2 miles from the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it took no time to get going.
The BR Parkway is a fantastic 469 mile road that crests the southern Appalachians and the Great Smokey Mountains. It is a very smooth 2 lane road with a 45 mph limit that I obeyed for the most part. It is a great “motorcycle” road with many twists and turns, curves, both gentle and tight. You have to pay attention the whole time that you are on the parkway since there are many pull-offs and scenic overlooks in which cars are pulling in and out of. However, there were a lot of “leaf peepers” today that were only going 30ish, so when I got around them, I had to make up some time…if you know what I mean.
It seemed that with every turn, there was another unbelievable view. I pulled over many times in the first hour, but soon figured out that it would take me 12 hours to get up here to Roanoke, so I only pulled over when there was something spectacular.
Again, the morning and evening light really brought out the colors of the leaves. I am looking forward to completing the Blue Ridge Parkway tomorrow. I have about 120 miles left of the BR Parkway and will then finish the day with 105 miles on “Skyline Drive” through the Shenandoah National Park.
Daily overview, it started out at 45 degrees, warmed up to 50, then fell to 38 along the upper ridges of the parkway and settled in the mid to upper 50’s for most of the day. Good thing I had the heated long johns, it kept me toasty!!! Drove 285 miles today for a total of 2593 so far on this trip.
Tomorrow is my last day of the trip so to speak. I will have a few hours Monday morning before I have to drop the bike off and fly back home. More curves, twists and turns.
That’s all for today.
The BR Parkway is a fantastic 469 mile road that crests the southern Appalachians and the Great Smokey Mountains. It is a very smooth 2 lane road with a 45 mph limit that I obeyed for the most part. It is a great “motorcycle” road with many twists and turns, curves, both gentle and tight. You have to pay attention the whole time that you are on the parkway since there are many pull-offs and scenic overlooks in which cars are pulling in and out of. However, there were a lot of “leaf peepers” today that were only going 30ish, so when I got around them, I had to make up some time…if you know what I mean.
It seemed that with every turn, there was another unbelievable view. I pulled over many times in the first hour, but soon figured out that it would take me 12 hours to get up here to Roanoke, so I only pulled over when there was something spectacular.
Again, the morning and evening light really brought out the colors of the leaves. I am looking forward to completing the Blue Ridge Parkway tomorrow. I have about 120 miles left of the BR Parkway and will then finish the day with 105 miles on “Skyline Drive” through the Shenandoah National Park.
Daily overview, it started out at 45 degrees, warmed up to 50, then fell to 38 along the upper ridges of the parkway and settled in the mid to upper 50’s for most of the day. Good thing I had the heated long johns, it kept me toasty!!! Drove 285 miles today for a total of 2593 so far on this trip.
Tomorrow is my last day of the trip so to speak. I will have a few hours Monday morning before I have to drop the bike off and fly back home. More curves, twists and turns.
That’s all for today.
Friday, October 14, 2011
East Coast Trip Day 9 – Virginia Beach, VA to Asheville, NC
Headed out of Virginia Beach under partly cloudy skies and 66 degrees this morning. Virginia Beach is a great place to watch Navy aircraft. It is the home of Oceana Naval Air Station. When I checked it last night, multiple aircraft were “chasing” each other over the Atlantic. When I was getting gas this morning, at least 30 aircraft flew overhead towards the base, it was pretty cool, especially since my dad was a Navy pilot.
As I said yesterday, today was a “just get there” day. Took Hwy 58 from the hotel for 135 miles until I hit the interstate and then it was 75-80 mph for 300 more miles all the way here to Asheville. Nothing exciting, but fairly quick.
Today was very windy, a cold front was moving in. It stayed about 70 degrees the entire day. Also drove into a sustained 20 mph headwind gusting to 40 mph winds all day. I was glad to finally get here today.
As much as I enjoyed the brilliant colors further north, it was good to get “back in the south” today. The colors are nice here as well and I expect to see some very nice colors along the Blue Ridge Parkway on Saturday and Sunday. Let me explain some of the things that I like about the south. Highway exit numbers correspond with mile markers. If you are at mile marker 128 and you need to exit at 134, you have 6 miles to travel, real simple and easy to figure out. In New York (especially) and most northern states, the exit numbers are simply sequential. If you just past exit “22” and you need to take exit “24”, it might be 18 miles!!!! Also, I said the same thing last November when I was here. You can’t beat a Southern woman and that southern charm!!!! I stopped in Winston-Salem for lunch and to gas up and it was so nice to “people watch”, plus several people were interested in the story of the chicken. A couple of ladies got their picture taken with the chicken.
Daily overview, it started out at 66 degrees, warmed up to 78, then fell to 70 for most of the day. Drove 435 miles today for a total of 2308.
Tomorrow is a “crusin” day up the Blue Ridge Parkway. A lot of curves, twists and turns.
That’s all for today.
As I said yesterday, today was a “just get there” day. Took Hwy 58 from the hotel for 135 miles until I hit the interstate and then it was 75-80 mph for 300 more miles all the way here to Asheville. Nothing exciting, but fairly quick.
Today was very windy, a cold front was moving in. It stayed about 70 degrees the entire day. Also drove into a sustained 20 mph headwind gusting to 40 mph winds all day. I was glad to finally get here today.
As much as I enjoyed the brilliant colors further north, it was good to get “back in the south” today. The colors are nice here as well and I expect to see some very nice colors along the Blue Ridge Parkway on Saturday and Sunday. Let me explain some of the things that I like about the south. Highway exit numbers correspond with mile markers. If you are at mile marker 128 and you need to exit at 134, you have 6 miles to travel, real simple and easy to figure out. In New York (especially) and most northern states, the exit numbers are simply sequential. If you just past exit “22” and you need to take exit “24”, it might be 18 miles!!!! Also, I said the same thing last November when I was here. You can’t beat a Southern woman and that southern charm!!!! I stopped in Winston-Salem for lunch and to gas up and it was so nice to “people watch”, plus several people were interested in the story of the chicken. A couple of ladies got their picture taken with the chicken.
Daily overview, it started out at 66 degrees, warmed up to 78, then fell to 70 for most of the day. Drove 435 miles today for a total of 2308.
Tomorrow is a “crusin” day up the Blue Ridge Parkway. A lot of curves, twists and turns.
That’s all for today.
An interesting leaf!
As I was sitting at the rest stop, this leaf fell down and landed on the table in front of me. Just thought that is was simple and nice, also liked the contrast between the leaf and the picnic table.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
East Coast Trip Day 8 – Atlantic City, NJ to Virginia Beach, VA
Purposely got a late start today since I had a reservation on the Cape Mays – Lewes Ferry at 11:00AM and it was only a 45 minute drive from Atlantic City. It only runs 4 times a day and I didn’t want to catch the 7:30 one!!!!
Today was a grab bag of weather. It started out foggy in Atlantic City, so I put on my rain pants to drive down to Cape Mays (to keep the “road spit” off my pants). Once on the ferry, it warmed up and I took the pants off. As I departed the ferry, it started misting a bit, so I pulled over and put on the entire rain suit, pants, jacket and “gators” (cover the boots to keep them dry). After about an hour, the sun came out, so I removed all the rain gear, then about an hour from Virginia Beach, I could see thunderstorms off in the direction that I was travelling, so I stopped and put everything back on. Then as I was crossing the Chesapeake Bay bridge/tunnel, it stopped raining (never got into any heavy stuff). I went ahead and left the rain suit on until I got here to the hotel.
Daily overview, it started out at 64 degrees and got up to 80, before falling back to 70 as I got near Virginai Beach and the thunderstorm. . Drove 230 miles today for a total of 1873.
Just another comparison to last years trip...after day 8 last year, Michael and I had travelled 3429 miles after the same number of days...this year is much more relaxing!!!
Got pictures of the Chicken in front of the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia state lines today. I now have personally driven my motorcycle in all 48 of the contiguous United Stated and have a picture of the Chicken in front of every state line to prove it. It initially started out as a funny thing to do, then became a mission (both good and bad), but I am glad that I have completed it. I also have pictures of the Chicken in Mexico and Canada.
Tomorrow is a “just get there” day, all interstate and 424 miles, so nothing exciting.
That’s all for today.
Today was a grab bag of weather. It started out foggy in Atlantic City, so I put on my rain pants to drive down to Cape Mays (to keep the “road spit” off my pants). Once on the ferry, it warmed up and I took the pants off. As I departed the ferry, it started misting a bit, so I pulled over and put on the entire rain suit, pants, jacket and “gators” (cover the boots to keep them dry). After about an hour, the sun came out, so I removed all the rain gear, then about an hour from Virginia Beach, I could see thunderstorms off in the direction that I was travelling, so I stopped and put everything back on. Then as I was crossing the Chesapeake Bay bridge/tunnel, it stopped raining (never got into any heavy stuff). I went ahead and left the rain suit on until I got here to the hotel.
Daily overview, it started out at 64 degrees and got up to 80, before falling back to 70 as I got near Virginai Beach and the thunderstorm. . Drove 230 miles today for a total of 1873.
Just another comparison to last years trip...after day 8 last year, Michael and I had travelled 3429 miles after the same number of days...this year is much more relaxing!!!
Got pictures of the Chicken in front of the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia state lines today. I now have personally driven my motorcycle in all 48 of the contiguous United Stated and have a picture of the Chicken in front of every state line to prove it. It initially started out as a funny thing to do, then became a mission (both good and bad), but I am glad that I have completed it. I also have pictures of the Chicken in Mexico and Canada.
Tomorrow is a “just get there” day, all interstate and 424 miles, so nothing exciting.
That’s all for today.
The Chicken and his last of 48 states!!!
This is actually Chicken #2, I lost the first one in Colorado in 2006.
The things I go through to get the Chicken pictures
There were several times that I had to park in areas like this as cars and 18 wheelers are going by. These northeastern states don't think that anyone wants to get a picture of their state signs!!! In Kentucky, I parked in the only lane on a bridge to get the picture. Good thing that I am done...I took some chances!!!
Going through 1 of the 2 tunnels on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel
This thing is 20 miles long with 2 tunnels of a mile each. It was pretty cool and expensive, $12 to cross, but it saves miles of going around.
Saved the GoPro camera
I rigged up this small cable to attach to the camera in case the connectors came loose while I was driving. Today, a connector broke. It was almost 11 minutes before I noticed, but when I pulled over, the camera was hanging there as planned. Thanks to Rod, I decided to hook up something for my camera.
The moon and Jupiter (just right of the moon)
After the storm cleareds out, I had this view ovew the Atlantic. Sorry it's a little blurry, but I had to hand hold the camera as still as I could.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
East Coast Trip Day 7 – Ridgefield, CT to Atlantic City, NJ
Woke up at 5:15 to the sounds of pitter pat feet running in the kitchen above me. Chloe is 3 years old and an early riser!!! Doug and Tara hooked up an alarm that changes color when she can wake up mom and dad. That time is 5:15. She actually wakes up earlier, but can’t leave her room until the clock turns green. I went back to sleep till 7:00.
Doug was cooking breakfast when I got up, so that was nice as well. Chloe did her homework for preschool and then headed off to school.
I left at 9:40 as I wanted to miss the traffic heading into New York City. We checked the radar and it looked like I was going to get real wet as I neared NYC. I don’t know how, but it only sprinkled on and off for a couple of hours as I headed down to Atlantic City. I lucked out today.
There is some weather moving in tonight, but supposed to change again to on again/off again showers tomorrow. Hopefully it will be more “off again”.
Daily overview, it was a little more seasonal here today, started out at 58 degrees and only got up to 62. Drove 216 miles for a total of 1643.
BTW, have gotten pictures of the Chicken in front of these state signs, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey. Only have Maryland, Virginia and Delaware which I will get tomorrow.
Also found out why the Trump Plaza was so inexpensive tonight…they want $19.95 for internet access…”f” that, sitting in Starbucks for free.
That’s all for today.
Doug was cooking breakfast when I got up, so that was nice as well. Chloe did her homework for preschool and then headed off to school.
I left at 9:40 as I wanted to miss the traffic heading into New York City. We checked the radar and it looked like I was going to get real wet as I neared NYC. I don’t know how, but it only sprinkled on and off for a couple of hours as I headed down to Atlantic City. I lucked out today.
There is some weather moving in tonight, but supposed to change again to on again/off again showers tomorrow. Hopefully it will be more “off again”.
Daily overview, it was a little more seasonal here today, started out at 58 degrees and only got up to 62. Drove 216 miles for a total of 1643.
BTW, have gotten pictures of the Chicken in front of these state signs, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey. Only have Maryland, Virginia and Delaware which I will get tomorrow.
Also found out why the Trump Plaza was so inexpensive tonight…they want $19.95 for internet access…”f” that, sitting in Starbucks for free.
That’s all for today.
East Coast Trip Day 6 – Boston, MA to Ridgefield, CT
This day started out a little later than I had hoped. I was going to leave at 7:00 AM so that I could get to Doug and Tara’s house just after noon. We were then going to head into New York City for a little while. When I went out to turn off the alarm on my motorcycle…nothing…it wouldn’t turn off. Unfortunately, it keeps me from starting the bike. I figured that the key fob needed a new battery, so I checked with the front desk to see where the closest place was to buy a battery. There was a CVS about a mile and a half away. Quick decision, catch a cab and make a $5 battery turn into a $20 battery (with cab fare) or start walking…I started walking. By the time I got back and got the bike loaded, it was after 8:30. I didn’t make it to Ridgefield until almost 2:00.
We had just missed a train into the city, so we thought about driving. Doug said that it would take 1 ½ - 2 hours where he would park in the employee parking lot at LaGuardia Airport (he is an American Airlines pilot) and then catch a cab into the city. After mulling it over for a bit, we decided to sit on his porch, drink beer and watch the leaves fall.
When his wife Tara and daughter Chloe got home, we went on a walk around the neighborhood and through a forested area near where they live. It is a beautiful area (see the pictures for today).
Then we all chilled out on the porch and grilled steaks, not a better way to end the day!!!!
Daily overview, started out at 55 degrees and warmed up into the mid 70’s. Drove 230 miles for a total of 1427.
That’s all for today.
We had just missed a train into the city, so we thought about driving. Doug said that it would take 1 ½ - 2 hours where he would park in the employee parking lot at LaGuardia Airport (he is an American Airlines pilot) and then catch a cab into the city. After mulling it over for a bit, we decided to sit on his porch, drink beer and watch the leaves fall.
When his wife Tara and daughter Chloe got home, we went on a walk around the neighborhood and through a forested area near where they live. It is a beautiful area (see the pictures for today).
Then we all chilled out on the porch and grilled steaks, not a better way to end the day!!!!
Daily overview, started out at 55 degrees and warmed up into the mid 70’s. Drove 230 miles for a total of 1427.
That’s all for today.
Some of you guys saw this on FB yesterday, this is for everyone else
Rainbow lake about a quarter of a mile from Doug's house
Monday, October 10, 2011
East Coast Trip Day 5 – Portland, ME to Boston, MA
Today was a nice relaxing day. Only drove 133 miles (for a total of 1197). Just for comparison, last year after day 5, Michael and I had travelled 2167 miles!!!!
It was another warm day today. I didn’t wear any “cold weather” gear today except for a long sleeve t-shirt and my leather vest. The high here in Boston was 85.
Slept in a bit this morning, changed my headlight (low beam had burned out and I always bring a spare) then hit the road at 10:00AM. Headed into downtown Portland, Maine and headed towards the coastline.
I spent most of the day taking Hwy 1 or 1A down here towards Boston. It’s a slow drive, but absolutely gorgeous if you enjoy seaside towns. It was funny to see so many “summer” businesses that were closed, that could have made a mint if they had been open today. There were also a lot of rental houses if anyone wants to move up here during the weather.
Stopped to see a nice lighthouse “Cape Neddick Lighthouse” that was on a small island. There was a gondola that connected the mainland to the island, but it was closed to the public. Headed down to Long Sands beach near York, ME and spent a couple of hours enjoying the beach and the ocean.
Still seeing quite a bit of color here. I was not expecting it so much near the coastline yet.
I didn’t go into downtown Boston this evening. When I was checking into the hotel, the news was on and there were hundreds of “Occupy Boston” protesters marching and blocking the streets. It is an offshoot of the “Occupy Wallstreet” group. I could see 3 news helicopters hovering over downtown, so I decided to stay put tonight.
I may not post tomorrow. I am heading down to stay with my hockey bud and his family in Connecticut tomorrow and we are going to head into New York City. If I don’t post, I will make up for it on Wednesday!!!
Looks like I will have one more great day of weather tomorrow, before it turns a bit more seasonal (and maybe rainy on Wednesday).
That’s all for today.
It was another warm day today. I didn’t wear any “cold weather” gear today except for a long sleeve t-shirt and my leather vest. The high here in Boston was 85.
Slept in a bit this morning, changed my headlight (low beam had burned out and I always bring a spare) then hit the road at 10:00AM. Headed into downtown Portland, Maine and headed towards the coastline.
I spent most of the day taking Hwy 1 or 1A down here towards Boston. It’s a slow drive, but absolutely gorgeous if you enjoy seaside towns. It was funny to see so many “summer” businesses that were closed, that could have made a mint if they had been open today. There were also a lot of rental houses if anyone wants to move up here during the weather.
Stopped to see a nice lighthouse “Cape Neddick Lighthouse” that was on a small island. There was a gondola that connected the mainland to the island, but it was closed to the public. Headed down to Long Sands beach near York, ME and spent a couple of hours enjoying the beach and the ocean.
Still seeing quite a bit of color here. I was not expecting it so much near the coastline yet.
I didn’t go into downtown Boston this evening. When I was checking into the hotel, the news was on and there were hundreds of “Occupy Boston” protesters marching and blocking the streets. It is an offshoot of the “Occupy Wallstreet” group. I could see 3 news helicopters hovering over downtown, so I decided to stay put tonight.
I may not post tomorrow. I am heading down to stay with my hockey bud and his family in Connecticut tomorrow and we are going to head into New York City. If I don’t post, I will make up for it on Wednesday!!!
Looks like I will have one more great day of weather tomorrow, before it turns a bit more seasonal (and maybe rainy on Wednesday).
That’s all for today.
This things I go through to get the chicken and the state line signs.
I was sitting in line waiting for a draw bridge to lower when I noticed the sign for Maine
. I pulled over, ran across 3 lanes of traffic (it wasn't moving fast) to get this picture. The only way to get the chicken in it was to bungee cord it around it's neck and push it up as high as I could.
. I pulled over, ran across 3 lanes of traffic (it wasn't moving fast) to get this picture. The only way to get the chicken in it was to bungee cord it around it's neck and push it up as high as I could.
She was wondering if it was on.
I forgot to turn off the camera at this stop. I have about 270 pictures of this view of the parking lot, but this one is the best.
Unusual shadow, I thought it was cool
With my GoPro camera taking a picture every 10 seconds, there are a lot of photos that look the same. However, the timing on this one was great.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
East Coast Trip Day 4 – Lake Placid, NY to Portland, ME
OK, I thought that yesterday was a beautiful day, but today surpassed it by a mile. They set record highs all over the northeast today. It was 15-20 degrees warmer than the normal highs. The high here in Portland, Maine was 85!!!!
Not only were the temperatures great, the colors of the trees were amazing. The morning and evening sun really acentuate the colors. The midday sun seems to wash out the color a bit, but it is still beautiful. For you facebook friends, I will post more pictures once I get back.
I grossly underestimated today’s travel time. Only went 342 miles today (for a trip total of 1064), but with the stops at the covered bridges, traffic everywhere due to EVERY northeasterner wanting to get out and enjoy this weather, the holiday weekend (forgot about that) and various festivals in almost every town, it took 13 ½ hours. Started at 8:30AM this morning and rolled into my hotel at 10:00PM tonight. I stopped for lunch and dinner and the locals would see the Harley Owners Patch showing that I was from Texas and they all wanted to know did I drive all the way up here.
Also, Stowe, VT was crazy. It is maybe 5 miles from the north part of the town to the south end…it took me an hour and a half to get through town. Oh well, could have been worse, like colder and wetter, but with today’s weather, the time went by pretty quickly.
BTW, a guy rolled up here on his BMW bike and he left California the middle of September and will be on the road for another 6 weeks…obviously retired!!!
That’s all for today.
Not only were the temperatures great, the colors of the trees were amazing. The morning and evening sun really acentuate the colors. The midday sun seems to wash out the color a bit, but it is still beautiful. For you facebook friends, I will post more pictures once I get back.
I grossly underestimated today’s travel time. Only went 342 miles today (for a trip total of 1064), but with the stops at the covered bridges, traffic everywhere due to EVERY northeasterner wanting to get out and enjoy this weather, the holiday weekend (forgot about that) and various festivals in almost every town, it took 13 ½ hours. Started at 8:30AM this morning and rolled into my hotel at 10:00PM tonight. I stopped for lunch and dinner and the locals would see the Harley Owners Patch showing that I was from Texas and they all wanted to know did I drive all the way up here.
Also, Stowe, VT was crazy. It is maybe 5 miles from the north part of the town to the south end…it took me an hour and a half to get through town. Oh well, could have been worse, like colder and wetter, but with today’s weather, the time went by pretty quickly.
BTW, a guy rolled up here on his BMW bike and he left California the middle of September and will be on the road for another 6 weeks…obviously retired!!!
That’s all for today.
Late day color, the evening colors are great.
A friend of mine can tell you that one of my favorite things is late afternoons in the fall. I love the long shadows and the evening chill in the air. Getting lots of both up here!!!
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