Thursday, June 30, 2011

Day 41 of ALAA-Thurs, June 23rd, 2011-From Lafayette, LA to HOME in Kingwood, TX

Today has been a joy! I've seen four really beautiful things and one that is absolutely spectacular! Number Five: I saw a sign near Orange, TX that read Welcome to Texas. Number Four: Another sign that read Kingwood-The Livable Forest. Number Three: The streetsign that read Riverlawn Dr. Number Two: I drove into our driveway. NUMBER ONE: This one doesn't compare to the others . . . . because it was when my Bride drove down our street into our driveway and our house became our home again!


Next comes the epilogue! I've been working on it in my (weak?) mind for a while and it's growing. I HOPE it's interesting!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Day 41a of ALAA-Thurs, June 23rd, 2011

Yesterday was riding from NOLA toward home. I got out of New Orleans on the interstates and then down South to US 90 Westbound. Ever heard of New Iberia, LA? Or, more specifically, Avery Island? It's where Tabasco brand hot sauce is made. So I hustle "don on de bayu" to check it out. It's a pretty interesting process and, yes, you can seriously smell the peppers. The only problem is that rain started as I was leaving the island.

Oh, Avery Island really is an island even though it's surrounded by nothing but swampland. Look at it on a satellite map and you can see it. Anyway, I spent two hours in a gas station in New Iberia waiting for the torrential downpour to let up some. It finally did but I still got only as far as Lafayette. Today I'm going to our house-it will be our HOME when my bride gets there! Home, after six weeks on the road!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Day 40 of ALAA-Wed, June 22nd, 2011-From New Orleans to Lafayette, LA

The Huey Long Bridge over the Mississippi River in Nawlins


The St Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter in Nawlins

Hum, wasn't this paddle wheeler in the Julia Roberts movie The Pelican Brief?
Yesterday saw me riding from Mobile, AL to New Orleans. As usual, I have a couple of observations about the Southern tips of AL and MS. First, AL really struggles economically-it's a relatively poor state without many sources of income or visible resources. MS, on the other hand, has ship-building and tourism to casinos as major sources of revenue. I don't know the dates when casinos were first allowed in Atlantic City and along the Gulf Coast but the two cities (AC and Biloxi) have approached gambling in different ways. AC is now a city built around the locations of each of the casinos-the signs, the maps, the parking, etc. MS just plopped the casinos along the beaches almost like an afterthought.

New Orleans is, as Will Rogers put it, one of the four unique American cities. It's a shame that too many people associate NO just with Bourbon St. If people will get away from Bourbon St and explore the rest of the French Quarter, the Garden District, etc, they will find a city with so many unique structures, historical references, and just interesting places. I spent a little less than two hours in the FQ with a portion of it having dinner at the Camellia Grill-one of our NO favorites.

Tomorrow is home! My Bride will be there at 2:00 PM tomorrow and our house will turn into our HOME. I told her when we bought this house that it's only a house unless she's there and then it becomes our HOME. I'm tired and lonely and want to get HOME!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Day 39 of ALAA-Tues, June 21st, 2011-From Mobile, AL to New Orleans, LA

I sure don't know why I keep missing people but I didn't see Bubba in Bayou Le Batre, AL! As a confirmed MASHophile, I looked for BJ in Mill Valley, CA; Klinger in Toledo, OH; Hawkeye in Crabapple Cove, ME; or Charles in BASton but didn't see any of them!. It's good to see some economic development in the shipbuilding industry in Pascagoula, MS-I sure didn't see much in Alabama! Headed for NOLA. Haven't been there in about 12 years so it'll be good to see again in one of those 3-4 hour visits!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Day 38 of ALAA-Mon, June 20th, 2011-From Panama City Beach, FL to Mobile, AL

Two questions have repeatedly occurred to me during this trip: First, why am I doing this, and, second, how many states will I total on this trip? Well, the idea for this little TH came to me 4-5 years ago from Sam Chandler in Gresham, OR. Sam had gotten his engineering degree from Portland State and his parents, Mike and Sharon :-( had a reception for him at their home. I asked Sam about jobs, etc and Sam said he had a job lined up to start in three weeks and, of course, I asked him why three weeks? Sam explained that he was planning a trip around America-East from OR to Maine, down the East Coast to FL, West to CA, and you know the drill. Sam's idea has been growing in my pea-brain since then. Sam drove his pickup but I added the wrinkle of a motorcycle to his crazy trip.


Okay, how many states? Anybody can count these by looking at a map of the US and seeing how many states touch our borders and coasts. Anyway, I'll bore you with them so here we go: TX, NM, AZ, CA, OR, WA, ID, MT, ND, MN, WI-1, MI-1, WI-2, MI-2, OH, PA, NY-1, VT, NH-1, ME, NH-2, MA, RI, CT, NY-2, NJ, DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, FL, AL, and soon the remaining MS, LA, and back to TX! That's a pretty long list that totals 31 states not counting four states twice! The 1's and 2's following WI, MI, NH and NY are there because I either went in and out of them or because NH and NY touch both the Canadian border and the Atlantic coast. So I went through different parts of NH and NY twice! The other twices (!) are WI, MI, and TX (book of duh, Chapter 1!)


This trip leaves me two states on my Bucket List: West Virginia and Alaska. It's likely that my Bride and I will take a cruise to Alaska at some point but West Virginia?

Day 38a of ALAA-Mon, June 20th, 2011

A Short Ferry in FL
What happened Alabama? The minute I crossed the bridge into AL the world changed! Any signs of tourism along the beaches vanished, the roads got smaller and narrower with no shoulders, and the scenery started looking trashier! It's easy to tell how AL doesn't emphasize tourism like FL. The beaches here are still pretty although not as magnificent as the Emerald Coast. The sand from Panama City to Destin is very, very white and this makes the oceam water this beautiful blue-green, turquoise, or even emerald colored. Clearly the prettiest beaches I've seen since the Cereal State. It's very hot here though-it was 100 when I pulled into this Motel 6 and it was 102 where I stopped for lunch. A week and half ago I was complaining about the cold-now I'm complaining about the heat-never happy!


I'm three days away from home and this has been a magnificent, but lonely, trip. I've seen things (and states!) that many Americans only dream of seeing....but I've seen them alone, without anyone to share them with. This has been another one of those days when I've only spoken with 3-4 people and they were fast food and motel check-in clerks. Tomorrow night will probably the New Orleans area, then the Lake Charles area, and then the magical word....HOME to my Bride, my home, my poodles, and the normal day-to-day life that I've missed so!

Day 37 of ALAA-Sun, June 19th, 2011-From Starke to Panama City Beach, FL

Florida-It's Been a LONG Way Coming!
Now I have some questions about the deep South that I hope somebody can answer! What's up with hot-boiled peanuts, sweetgrass baskets and hats, and the Suwanee River? I mean I love ROASTED peanuts as much as anybody but boiling them? Alongside the roads down here, there are literally hundreds of little stands selling sweetgrass baskets and (what look to me like plain 'ol run-of-the-mill straw!) hats and baskets. Humpf-whazzup with THAT? And I crossed the Suwanee River and there were signs for miles both before and after about how famous the Suwanee is. My question is por que?

I also have news for John Grisham! In The Firm and to a lesser extent The Partner, he describes the miles and miles of run-down, tired, mom-and-pop motels along Panama City Beach. Maybe it was like that when he wrote those novels but today 90% of those are gone and have been replaced with high rise condos. Well, I managed to find one of the few joints where I could afford to stay but most of them have gone away. PCB is going more upscale but it's not in the league with Destin. I'm at a BK for brunch and this is a really nice (read expensive!) area. Pensacola is about 50-60 miles away and I'll stop again there to catch my breath! Headed for HOME!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Day 37a of ALAA-Sun, June 19th, 2011

The Inevitable Kudzu

Humpf, I Looked but Didn't See Bubba here!
You Be the Judge-Does Moss Grow in The Trees in the South?
The other day I mentioned the majestic grandeur of trees in the South: The beautiful (Spanish?) moss that hangs from the branches. It really gives an air of beauty and elegance to the South. Well, I forgot to mention the biological scourge of the South: KUDZU! It grows everywhere down here and takes over trees, telephone and light poles, fences, power lines, and even abandoned houses! How could I forget Kudzu? Still West across Florida toward the Gulf.

Day 36 of ALAA-Sat, June 18th, 2011-From Savannah, GA to Starke, FL

Florida does the coastal highways better than about any state except the cereal state. I rode Hiway A1A from the FL state line to San Augustine and it follows the beach! There was another ferry ride on A1A and I'm hoping it will be the last one. Now, San Augustine is a city worth visiting again. SA claims to be America's oldest city founded in the 1560's. I spent one night in St Ignace, MI which claims to be the third oldest city founded in the 1590's. So what is our second oldest city? Somehow I have Santa Fe, NM in my old and tired mind. Is that right? Yo no se!


Anyway, San Augustine is home to Flagler College-I've watched their SIFE Team over the years and I remember the first time I heard their presentation. Their SIFE team then had a $350K budget! Yes, I mean 350 thousand dollars! They explained that they offer tours of their campus to tourists and operate a gift shop as well. It's understandable because their Administration building was Henry Flagler's home and he was the guy responsible for the Overseas Highway down the Keys to Key West. Yes, it is a mansion of Newport, RI-epic proportions!


I'm near Gainesville headed for 98 across FL's Panhandle toward Alabama, Miss, Louisiana, and HOME to Texas. This has been a long trip and I'm already planning a summary once I get home. It should be fun!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Day 36a of ALAA-WAOF-Sat, June 18th, 2011

This is Where I Got Out of the Rain and Made the Decision to Head HOME!
Hum, what does the WAOF above mean? The 2-3 of you reading this probably think it standa for Way Off or my mental condition for attempting a T&@d hunt like this in the first place (and you very well could be right!). Actually, the WAOF stands for Without All of Florida. Basically, a rainstorm passed over, I took refuge under the bank drive through, took a short nap on the concrete (!) an decided to go home.


So this trip is going to be a lap around America Without All Of Florida-I've decided that I've seen enough of Florida and I'm going to be headed West toward Texas if and when this rain ever stops. I'm parked under the drive-through window cover of the TD bank in San Augustine Beach, FL waiting for the weather to clear. The part of this trip that I will miss the most will be riding the Overseas Highway to Key West. My Bride and I spent our 25th anniversary in KW and drove the OH from Miami to KW and back.

But my desire to ride my bike down there and back isn't as great as my homesickness. I miss my Bride, miss talking with her, miss massaging her feet, miss sharing our lives and meals together, and on and on and on! I've been gone five weeks today and that's a long time to do anything alone. It would have been wonderful to have her with me to be able to share so many of these experiences but I understand her reluctance to come with me. Being without her this long wears on you. We talk on the phone several times a day but those short conversations aren't enough-I need her. Besides that, South Florida isn't that far from Planet Houston so maybe the Keys and the Overseas Highway will still be here!


The thunderstorm has mostly passed but the roads are still wet and steam is rising up from the wet pavement so I think I'll wait a little longer before hitting the road . . . . toward Home!

Day 35 of ALAA-Fri, June 17th, 2011-From Charleston, SC to Savannah, VA


Chippewa Square in Savannah, GA and, no, I didn't see Forrest Gump here!

The City Market in Savannah
It took me a while to figger out (!) why Savannah is a more enjoyable city to visit than Charleston. Both are coastal, river, and water-shipping interesting historical cities so I'm not dissing Charleston. The biggest difference is that Charleston will have a gas station or a modern bank in the same block as a Civil War era home while Savannah is more historically accurate. In my humble opinion, the difference is some kind of architectural control commission in Savannah that controls the construction and building maintenance in the historical districts.

Savannah has 22 squares spaced throughout the city that are full of these massive oak trees with the distinctly Southern Spanish Moss hanging from them-think Forrest Gump sitting on a park bench waiting for his bus because that scene was filmed in Chippewa Square. The scene with the feather and the church steeple was filmed in the same place. The riverfront area is also perfectly preserved and there is even a row of buildings on Factors Row where the cotton brokers bought the cotton shipped through Savannah and arranged shipping to Europe. Anyway, Savannah is certainly worth another visit with my Bride at some point in the future!
Here are Several of the Beautiful Homes Surrounding the Squares in Savannah


Friday, June 17, 2011

Day 35a of ALAA-Fri, June 17th, 2011

Well, I looked for Rhett Butler in Charleston and I've looked all over Savannah for him! Oh, but I also looked for Klinger in Toledo, BJ in Mill Valley, Hawkeye in Crabapple Cove, and Charles in Boston-humpf, maybe I didn't see any of them because they didn't really exist or, in Rhett's case, he would have died 130 years ago! Savannah is a much more beautiful city to tour than Charleston. They both have the inevitable parking problems and the oppressive heat and humidity but I like Savannah better. The numerous squares are magnificent with the Spanish Moss having from the trees and all the greenery.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Day 34 of ALAA-Thurs, June 16th, 2011-From Moorhead City, NC to Charleston, SC

Campsite at the KOA in Charleston, SC
This has been a relatively nice, relaxing day. I slept late at the no-tell motel in Moorhead City, NC and had a leisurely ride down into Charleston. This KOA has a nice lake on the property, and doesn't have the US attacking Maryland next door like the KOA in Virginia Beach. I spent a couple of hours late this afternoon and early evening exploring Charleston. I expected more-Charleston has a nice historical district (with Ft Sumpter out in the bay) but it doesn't compare to other cities with historically accurate architecture. It seems that the city leaders could do more to promote it if they designated just a portion of the old town as having historical significance. Oh well, there I am trying to do a better job of marketing Charleston, SC to the world!


Tomorrow is my day to leave the new state (for me) of South Carolina and judge the historical interest of Savannah, GA. Maybe I've become something of a tourist snob for judging the historical and architectural interest of touristy cities but Mackinac Island, MI is in a league of it's own with Newport, RI a close second.

By the way, a lady at a tourist info stop this morning actually had a good idea for me: avoid the coastal road around Myrtle Beach because of the traffic. This tourist stop lady when I was up in Maine gave me a one word answer to my question about the Maine Thruway and then looked at me like I had two heads when I told her I didn't know where Weston, ME was! You'd think people that work in tourists info centers would be prepared to help folks . . . but not in Maine!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Day 33 of ALAA-Wed, June 15th, 2011-From Virginia Beach, VA to Moorhead City, NC

Welcome to North Carolina!





Looking back up the Wright Brothers' field to Kill Devil Hill



Facing Wilbur's Take Off Point is Where I Got Goosebumps!
Just about all of today has been spent on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The most enjoyable part of today was the Wright Bros National Memorial in Kitty Hawk, NC. It's an amazingly simple memorial made up of about five buildings, Kill Devil Hill, and the field where Orville and Wilbur took off and landed in Dec of 1903. There are markers for each of those first four flights along with a huge monument at the top of KDH. I got goosebumps when I stood at the 4th Flight Marker 852 feet away and facing the the First Flight Boulder. I felt the strong wind come off the Atlantic over my back. That's the same wind that made the Wright brothers select this site for their first attempts at powered flight and to choose the direction for their flights. They needed THAT very same wind from THAT very same direction to provide the lift for the Wright Flyer! Yes, I'm not ashamed to admit that I had goosebumps!

The 4th Flight Marker is at the top of this map of the memorial. The goosebumps came when I looked back toward Kill Devil Hill.
I'm on my second ferry of the day: the first one was from Cape Hatteras to the North end of Ocracoke Island. That one was about 20 minutes long while this one, from the South end of Ocracoke to Cedar Island, lasts two hours and 15 minutes. Most of this is the Cape Hatteras Natl Seashore. Croatan National Forest is just South of Cedar Island and I'm going to be looking for a campsite there tonight.
Cape Hatteras Ferry (This was one of only 2 free ferries I rode on ALAA)

This is the Ocracoke to Cedar Island Ferry where I ran into 4-5 biker guys from Tennessee. They wanted me to ride all the way down to Wilmington with them that night but I just didn't have the energy to ride that far . . . . . . and especially in the dark! I wanted to see the scenery.

Sunset on the Ferry from Okracoke Island to Cedar Island, NC

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Day 32 of ALAA-Tues, June 14th, 2011-Atlantic City, NY to Virginia Beach, VA

Atlantic City, NJ
A couple of weeks ago I cruised the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and today I cruised the eastern Shore of Virginia. Actually today has been a four-state day: checked out Atlantic City this morning-a city that was going WAY downhill but casino gambling has helped it move into the 21st century. From NJ, I took the Cape May-Lewes (pronounced Lewis) ferry and got to the new state (for me at least) of Delaware. Small state so quickly got to Maryland and had a surprise: Ocean City, MD is about as built up along the beach as Miami! It's a large tourist destination city I guess because of its proximity to Washington, DC and Baltimore.


MD led to Virginia and that cruise South on the Eastern Shore. The people of VA are very proud of the CBBT. Whatzat you say? Well, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, as I've been told several times today, is one of the 7 Modern Engineering Marvels in the world. It was impressive-one tall bridge, two mile-long tunnels spaced in the 23 mile complex.

I'm in a KOA in Virginia Beach, VA. This KOA, unfortunately is right next to the Oceana Naval Air Station and I think they are preparing for war against Maryland or somebody! The fighter jets are so low landing and taking off you can see the glow of their engines! The noise? Forget it-I can't hear you! I hope they stop soon but one camper told me it went on until 1:00 AM this morning. Forget sleep then. I'm about 10 miles from North Carolina and looking forward to Kill Devil Hill in Kittyhawk, NC tomorrow. Actually I think it's called the Wright Brothers Memorial or something like that. So tonight, I'll lay in the tent thinking about how well our tax dollars are being spent on fighter jets!

Day 32a of ALAA-Tues, June 14th, 2011

A quick stop at a Honda MC dealer in Somers Point, NJ for an oil change. I was headed South from Atlantic City and drove right in front of a Honda dealer that had a sign out "Immediate Oil Changes" so I had to stop and keep the ol' gal in good shape!


Still hoping to make the 1:00 PM ferry from Cape May. Got the bike serviced and I'm waiting for the ferry from here in Cape May to Lewes, Delaware. The pace of NJ is much more pleasant to me than that of New York City and the NJ suburbs. It's an 80 minute and $32 ride to DL. Then it's down to MD and across the big bridge to VA.

Day 31 of ALAA-Mon, June 13th, 2011-Pocasset, MA to Atlantic City, NJ

This wasn't a good or bad day but more of a long, interesting day. First, it's over 350 miles from boondocking in Pocasset, MA to Atlantic City, NJ but then I had a very early start yesterday morning! Two things made this a longer than 350 mile day: First was an enjoyable couple of hours spent in Newport and second was riding a motorcycle through New York City but let's start at the beginning. Five states in one day is tough even if they are small states. CN is NY North because of the way people drive (fast AND rude!). CN is an economic powerhouse more than a state to see and enjoy although some of the villages along the sound are interesting. NY for the second time on this trip was harrowing: Four boroughs, three big bridges with $12 in tolls, and two words for the highway infrastructure: CRUM and BLING! NYC could probably spend $40B on it's roads. Started NYC up in the Bronx, crossed into Queens, then Brooklyn and finally the big bridge to Staten Island.


Only got lost once in Queens-I'm blaming it on the signs not matching the maps! Saw great views of the Manhattan skyline but I still miss seeing the WTC Towers at the South end of Manhattan :-( My plans WERE to drive out to the end of Long Island but the traffic congestion, really bad roads, and incredibly rude drivers made me really just want to get out of NY. NYC is not made for motorcycles!
I've driven the length of the NJ Turnpike before and it's horrible but the Garden State Thruway is really nice: NO Trucks, smooth pavement, and low tolls. Rode past a number of historical cities. Can't remember the names now but where the Hindenberg went down, where the Lindbergs lived when Hauptman either did or didn't kidnap and murder their son, and some others.
Today I'm going to ride through Atlantic City and head South to the Cape May-Lewes ferry to Delaware. Let's hope the good weather continues! At least I'm headed South toward HOME!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Day 31a of ALAA-Mon, June 13th, 2011

Well, I've seen it all now! I naively used to think that the most magnificent ocean-front homes in America were on the 17 Mile Drive in Carmel, CA. Ocean Drive in Newport, RI tops that . . . and then some! I guess the homes here were built by many of the monied families of the 1800's and early 1900's and are enormous beyond belief! Very impressive! The oceanfront homes don't look like homes-they look like medium sized hotels! Most of the homes are 3-4 stories tall and it looks like a block long! Also, Newport is more of a New England village than the dozens of villages I went through in Maine. It's a well done, well planned tourist destination city. I told my Bride a little while ago that this is a place we should visit and explore. Yes, visiting Newport is nice even if parking is a hassle!
Downtown Newport, RI


Ocean Walk in Newport, RI. Yes, these ARE homes!


I Told You These Mansions Looked Like Hotels, Didn't I?


Day 30 of ALAA-Sun, June 12th, 2011-From Portland, ME to Pocasset, MA

The New Hampshire State Capitol in the relatively small town of Concord  
It was cold and overcast on Sunday but the rain stopped in the afternoon. I went through New Hampshire AGAIN, sped through Boston (actually UNDER downtown!), and went out, as Radar put it in one of the MASH episodes, out to the Cape of Cod. Provincetown, or P-Town, as they put it, is kind of a wannabe Carmel. It wants to be as exclusive (and expensive!) as Carmel but can't quite pull it off. The cheapest lodging on the Cape was $75-100 for roach motels and $35 for campgrounds so it was boondocking again. In Pocasset, there is a medium sized industrial facility that has a huge "For Sale or Lease" sign in front of it and looks vacant. Grass and weeds were growing up on the parking lots and loading dock so I naturally thought VACANT! I said LOOKS vacant because cars starting arriving at the front of the building around 5:00 AM! I wet my pants and sucked my thumb! Well, not really but I hustled my bootie out of there ASAP!


Below is a satellite photo of the industrial facility I THOUGHT was empty. The lighter color U shaped driveway and parking lot at the top of the pic is where cars started arriving and scared the willies out of me. You can see a very small storage building near the large trucking parking and backing lot on the upper right of the pic. On this pic, my tent was pitched between the small storage building and the trees. There was a perfect view of my tent from that front parking lot! It was about 5:30 AM (Near dawn!) by the time that I broke camp and got everything loaded on the bike. When I rode away there were two people standing at a door watching me ride out of their parking lot. This door faces the back truck parking lot of the facility and you can see the walkway from the truck parking lot to the back entrance to the building. I thought, okay, I'm going to get 2-3 miles down the road and stopped by the Pocasset, MA police. But, fortunately, these two people apparently DIDN'T call the police because I just kept going on my merry way toward RI!


This is an Aerial Photo of the Industrial Facility where I Bookdocked in Pocasset, MA (I camped next to the small storage building in the upper right corner of the picture. You can see how the tent was visible from the front parking lot)
Breakfast is in Wareham which, of course, is next to Buzzard's Bay, MA. I'm headed West toward Newport, RI, into Conn., and then I'll stop and plan my strategy for NYC. I KNOW I'm not going into Manhattan but I would like to see Long Island and finish the boroughs with Staten Island before reaching NJ. I've never been out on Long Island so I'd like to ride out to its East end. It will depend on the weather and traffic so we'll see.
It's cloudy today but no rain is forecast above Long Island Sound so maybe I'll get lucky with the weather. I've been lucky in love (two more months to 40 years!) because she's put up with me all this time! I'll fill you in later on Newport!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Day 29 of ALAA-Sat, June 11th, 2011-From Canaan to Portland, ME

Saturday was both a good day and a bad day at the same time. I had a nice ride from Canaan, ME through Bangor down to the coast and Acadi NP. Acadia is a pretty place and one unique to Southerners. It's an island that is very rocky coming up out of the Atlantic and then heavily forested from the rocky areas to the peaks on the island. Anyway, I spent a few hours riding around the park and Bar Harbor. South down Hiway 1 takes you through postcard look New England villages but the larger towns are still surrounded by mills that are now shut down and rusting-more economic decline replaced by tourism as the primary industry. Rained started in the afternoon and stayed with me all the way down to Portland, where I am now.


I had a pleasant surprise this morning-Ron Dixon (with his wife Harley and girlfriend Betty) called. They spent a lot more time in Wyoming, because they got snowed in, and SD so they are now in MN headed up to see the Mall of America. I suggested to Ron that they wear their walking shoes! It was good to catch up with them. From the MOA, they are headed down to Milwaukee for the Harley Davidson experience and then a ferry across Lake Michigan. I would have enjoyed riding that ferry across Lake Michigan with them but I went way up North of that lake. I rode for a while along the very Northern tip of Lake Michigan. Ron and Betty are good folks.


Today I'm heading South toward home on 1 through Boston, Rhode Island, and Conn toward NY. I probably won't make it that far but we'll see how far I get. Oh, I don't exactly know the word for the folks in Maine but words like stanoffish and unfriendly come to mind. I'm anxious to to reach the warmer weather and friendler people of the South.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Day 28 of ALAA-Fri, June 10th, 2011-From Grafton, NY to Canaan, ME

Well, today I'm a little worried. My Bride has bronchitis at home and isn't feeling the best. I wish I was there with her-at least that would make me feel better to be there and take care of her. I'm headed that direction tomorrow.


I'm going to Acadia National Park and then heading South toward home! Home.....what a wonderful word-I look forward to it and seeing my Bride! When I left the schoolyard this morning I headed East through Southern Vermont then angled NE through New Hampshire toward Maine. Maine is a new state for me so I think I have four new states left: RI, DE, NC, and SC. From all the Moose Crossing signs I've seen on this route, maybe I should have followed the Canadian border through upstate NY, VT, NH, and ME! Vermont DOES look like a postcard though, especially Bennington. The White Mountains in NH were beautiful and nearly perfect bike riding conditions. Maine has been mainly downhill toward the Atlantic-I guess I'll find out about that tomorrow at Acadia National Park.

Campsite at a KOA in Canaan, ME


Day 28a of ALAA-Fri, June 10th, 2011

Boondocking Behind the Elementary School in Grafton, NY
Okay, now I can admit it! Last night was boondocking behind the elementary school in Grafton, NY. A guy in Troy told me about Grafton Lakes SP but when I got there I found out there's no camping. So I rode into sleepy little Grafton, found the school, set up camp, and was gone by 6:15 AM. What would I have done if the Grafton, NY police had found me? I dunno, probably played dumb although that sounds pretty logical right now! Of course, I might have ended up in the Grafton, NY Police Station or before a magistrate but I guess it's better to be lucky than good! I'm having two cake donuts in Hoosick, NY headed into Bennington, VT.
The Front of the National Baseball Hall of Fame


George Brett-A True Hall of Famer!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Day 27 of ALAA-Thurs, June 9th, 2011-From Rochester to Grafton, NY

Well, my plan this morning was to get on I-90, the NY Thruway, and barrel East. That didn't work because being buffeted by cars and trucks going 70-80 mph flat out ain't much fun! I exited and rode the rest of the way to Cooperstown on Hiway 20, a much calmer and slower road that goes through the villages along the way.


Another coincidence popped up today. I was buying some postcard stamps at the Post Office in Waterloo, NY and the lady who works there has a daughter that went to Oklahoma Christian and now lives in Yukon, OK! Strange how those things just keep happening-first it was the Redelsbergers in Bodega Bay, CA and now this.


I spent most of the afternoon at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Definitely worth the stop! The downtown area of Cooperstown is virtually all baseball-themed junque joints selling all manner of  baseball trinkets and trash. I guess they understand target maketing, huh?


I'm camping right on the border of NY, MA, and VT. A guy at a Burger King in Troy, NY, near Albany, told me about a wonderful campground at Grafton Lakes State Park. Well, I rode out to the state park and not only does it NOT have any camping but the entire state park is closed from dusk to dawn! Maybe that guy at he BK WAS smokin' funny smelling' cigarettes! Soooooo, it was boondocking again. There are no campgrounds near here BUT I did find an elementary school in Grafton with woods behind it so home for the night it was!


I should make it easily to Maine tomorrow. Tomorrow I will leave NY for VT but I'll be back in NY in a few days headed South down the Atlantic coast through the dreaded New York City. New Hampshire is similar because it also borders Canada and the Atlantic. Sometime I'll have to count the number of state border crossings on this trip. If I remember right, it's 31-32 states with 34-35 state border crossings.

Day 27a of ALAA-Thurs, May 9th, 2011

Well, I've got a change in plans for you: Rather than follow the roads along the Canadian border through upstate NY, VT, and NH to Maine, I'm following the NY Thruway to Albany, cut across Southern VT, North through central NH, and into Maine.


Why? Well, there are two reasons. The first is Cooperstown, NY where the National Baseball Hall of Fame is located. I've been to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA so the Baseball HOF will be a new one! The second reason is moose! Two or three bikers I've talked with have warned me about the number of moose in upstate NY, VT, NH and ME. Since I don't especially like the odds on elk and me on my bike, I'll take the elk at 3-to-1 odds over me! Come to think of it, the possibility of hitting a moose scare the willies out of me! It's just flat-out not worth taking the chance so I'm wimping out and taking the Southern route across New England!

Day 26 of ALAA, Wed, June 8th, 2011-From Erie, PA to Rochester, NY


Most of us are accustomed to seeing Horshoe Falls but this is American Falls from the U. S. side


The Old Guy at Horseshoe Falls on the American side at Niagara Falls. I don't think I ever mentioned this bright-colored construction vest in the blog. It was worn anytime I wasn't wearing my brightly-colored jacket.

Horshoe Falls From the U. S. Side of Niagara Falls

Hard to Believe but I Took This Picture of the Maid of the mist and the Rainbow with my iPhone. (I guess it goes to show that even a blind bird finds a worm from time to time!)
Here are some pics of Niagara Falls. I'd been to the falls on the Canada side in the past but this was my first trip to the U. S. side. Even as a patriotic American, I have to admit that the views are better on the Canada side of the falls! From the Canada side, you look right into Horseshoe Falls and directly at American Falls. Of all the pictures I took at the falls, my favorite is the one with the rainbow caused by the mist with the Maid of the Mist in the background. No, I did NOT pay the $65 to ride the Maid of the Mist down almost under Horseshoe Falls!


The parking lot at the falls was very full so I took advantage of being on a motorcycle and parked in a questionable space. Well, as you can imagine, I got caught! A New York Highway Patrol officer drove up to my questionable parking space as I was preparing to leave and I thought I was going to get a ticket for parking there near the entrance. Well, I started talkin' wif a sooooouuuuttthhherrn draaaaawl and told him about A Lap Around America so he let me go without getting a parking ticket!


Okay, an update on the bike: technically, the Honda didn't fail. A small clip on the top of the battery broke in two pieces and the electrical connection was broken. I bought a roadside service agreement before I left home and used it to get the bike taken to a Honda dealer in Rochester. They found the problem and installed a new battery in 30 minutes. Hip-Hip-Hooray! So I've been through Rochester, had my first Iced Frappichino there (it was way too hot for a latte!), rode 20-25 miles East of Rochester, and then back to Rochester!


A couple of observations about this part of our great USA: Buffalo is another one of those rust-belt cities that are surrounded by the evidence of dead or dying industries. I rode near Ford's former River Rouge plant in Detroit. If my memory serves me (?), it was once the largest, most comprehensive manufacturing facility in the world-iron ore came in one end of this massive factory and finished Fords went out the other end. Today? Closed and rusting! The exception to this is Erie, PA. I rode through a lot of Erie from BRC's house and Erie impressed me with its cleanliness and the cute factor-many of the homes were built in the post-war 40's and 50's and are very well cared for. It was surprising to see miles and miles of vineyards and wineries between Erie and Buffalo along the South shore of Lake Erie. It's not Napa or Sonoma counties but I guess it works.


Another surprising thing is how many American cars and motorcycles I've seen between Wisconsin and here-these folks support their local Detroit car companies and Harley-Davidson! Seeing a vehicle built in Asia or Europe is definitely not common in this part of the U. S. Niagara Falls from the American side is impressive and powerful but without the clear views from the Canadian side.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Day 26a of ALAA-Wed, June 8th, 2011

Things WERE going so well! I spent the morning cruising NY 5 along the South shore of Lake Erie, spent a couple of hours on the American side of Niagara Falls, enjoyed the back roads from NF into Rochester, had an Iced Frappachino at a Starbuck's in Rochester and then the Honda goes dead. I stopped on the side of the road to check the map and then she wouldn't start! A wrecker is on the way to take the bike and I to a Honda MC dealer in Rochester. Years I've owned Hondas and THIS has never happened before. I mean, a HONDA? I'll keep you updated.....

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Day 25 of ALAA,Tues, June 7th, 2011-From Flint, MI to Erie, PA

Today has a lot of pretty boring middles with a good lunchtime and a great evening. From Flint, MI down to the Detroit area was run of the mill, getting a new front tire on the bike and a new helmet for me in Warren, MI was a pretty good. There was more middling through Detroit, Toledo, and Cleveland to a great end in Erie, PA. Some of the Cascadians out there remember Charles Strange-aka Chuck, Chuckles, or Back Row Charlie. Well, he lives in Erie and we hooked up for dinner, some good conversation , and a bed to sleep in for me. BRC moved back here after he graduated from Cascade and bought a perfect home in a wonderful neighborhood of Erie, PA. The streets look like where every kid should grow up!


Today was Lake Erie, the coast of Ohio and halfway across the NW corner of PA. Tomorrow is the rest of the NW corner of PA and into Western New York. It was almost sad to go through cities like Flint, Detroit, Toledo, and Cleveland because they were some of the most powerful industrial cities in the US in the 50's and 60's but now they are declining rust-belt ghost towns waiting for the day when heavy union manufacturing returns . . . . . but I'm afraid those days are gone forever.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Day 24 of ALAA, Mon, June 6th, 2011-From St. Ignace to Flint, MI

 The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island
 The Ferry From St. Ignace to Mackinac Island (Yes, the water of Lake Huron is very blue!)

 Main Main Street on Mackinac

 The The Post Office on Mackinac


  Fort Mackinac by a Cab Stand

 
This entire island looks like a postcard!

 
Mackinac Main Street

This hasn't been a good day because of the memories. Yesterday was my Dad's birthday and today is Ryan's. He would have loved this trip and Mackinac Island today. Mackinac Island is magnificent! Camping just South of Flint, MI tonight. The pic above is the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island-famous in the Somewhere in Time movie. Contrary to Richard Collier (played by Christopher-Superman-Reeves) driving his car to the Grand Hotel, the island does not allow motorized vehicles! The pics above are the trip to and the scenes around Mackinac. You'll see that there are no motorized vehicles so everyone either takes bicycles or horse-drawn carriages.


The place proably stays so beautiful because the whole island is a state park. I understand that it has about 400 year-round residents but the population swells to around 1500 when all the college students come to work there during the summer to provide services for the summer tourists. I talked to a local and he told me that the snow in the winter pretty much keeps them on the island almost all the time. He said Lake Huron freezes over in the winter so they use snowmobiles on the lake to to go to St. Ignace on the mainland for supplies. Mackinac Island is a place where my Bride and I are going to have to come visit again!


You can imagine what I thought when I saw the sign below! Actually, pasties are a type of stew put into a dough shell . . . . . . and pronounced past-ies, not paste-ies. Thank goodness for that- I would hate to think of Bessie selling paste-ies!

Pronounced PAST-IES but I was sure fooled!