This last epilogue segment, and probably the last post on this blog for a long while, provides a lot of my opinions about the best and worst roads, scenery, gas prices, states, people, temperatures, climate conditions, surprises, tolls, bridges, ferries, new states, the most livable places, and simple questions about things encountered along the way. This is basically what I liked about the trip and what I didn't.
ONE DISCLAIMER: My opinions of all of these are based on the sections of the states that I rode through. For example, I might say that the roads were good in a certain state . . . . . . what that means is that the roads I traveled on were good. The roads in the rest of the state might be horrible but my judgments are based on the places I traveled. So that's my disclaimer but I'd still love to hear your opinions on these topics!
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| My Bride on Maui for Our 40th Wedding Anniversary! (We left for Maui about 2 weeks after I got back from the A Lap Around America motorcycle trip) |
ONE DISCLAIMER: My opinions of all of these are based on the sections of the states that I rode through. For example, I might say that the roads were good in a certain state . . . . . . what that means is that the roads I traveled on were good. The roads in the rest of the state might be horrible but my judgments are based on the places I traveled. So that's my disclaimer but I'd still love to hear your opinions on these topics!
Best Scenery-The best scenery I've ever seen in my life ANYTIME, ANYWHERE is my Bride in the picture above. We stopped at a small bay on the Road to Hana on Maui and I took this picture of her. Other than her, CA is, by far, in a league of its own when it comes to scenery on the trip with the Pacific Coast Highway going from San Diego to the Oregon border. While I didn't get to visit magnificent Lake Tahoe on this trip, it also ranks WAY up there on scenic beauty-Colorado is beautiful but this gigantic, jaw-dropping lake up high in the mountains separates CA from CO as well as CA bordering the Pacific Ocean. The Oregon coast is also beautiful but I don't think there are any parts of the PCH in OR that can match Big Sur. The Big Sur section of the Pacific Coast Highway gives CA the best scenery award. Other states notable for pretty scenery are OR, WA, MT, VT, NH, ME, VA, NC, and FL. Texas? Naw, I just can't bring myself to do it!
Worst Scenery-The scenery that appealed to me the least was in NM and Eastern MT. Other states that had less than appealing scenery like West TX, AZ and ND had other redeeming qualities making them not in the disparaged league with NM and Eastern MT. A lot of states in the upper Midwest from MN to the Northeast in ME were okay because they were generally wooded with somewhat hilly and curvey roads. Each state had its own beauty, although some of them were quite austere.
Best and Worst Directions to Travel-As I basically rode West from TX to CA, North from CA to WA, East from WA to ME, South from ME to FL, and then West again from FL back to TX, I thought of the favorite directions I rode. Not that the direction was really important, but the scenery, roads, people, and overall ambiance of the trip WAS different in each direction!
My favorite direction was North from San Diego, CA to Cape Flattery, WA because the scenery was the best of the entire trip, the roads were either good or very good, and the pace was more relaxing than the other directions. It seems that I went faster across the deserts and the great plains. The one factor that makes riding North for this segment of the trip so enjoyable was the fact that the Pacific Ocean was almost always immediately to my left. The riding West was probably the least enjoyable segment of the trip because this segment involved mostly the desert states of TX, NM, AZ, and Eastern CA. It was early in the trip at that point and I was excited by the adventure of it all. It wasn't until right in San Diego that I really saw palm trees, landscaping, and some natural beauty. The Westward riding was also through FL, AL, MS, LA, and East TX-while interesting and sometimes beautiful (The FL Panhandle!), a lot of this segment was backwater economically undeveloped.
The second most enjoyable segment has to be Southbound from ME to FL. Most of the new states to me were along this segment and riding along the water is almost always better than just following the Mexican or Canadian border! Again the water was off to my left but it was the Atlantic, rather than the Pacific, along the Southbound segment.
Now . . . . . . that leaves the Eastward journey from WA to ME. In addition to being, by far, the longest segment of the trip, a lot of it was across America's Great Plains. That means that the land was very flat, with few trees, and somewhat featureless. Eastern MT and ND were almost boring. The major redeeming place of this segment was across the Cascades and the Rockies in WA, ID, and Western MT. It became more bearable in MN, WI, and MI because of the addition of TREES! Once I got into New York and the New England states (Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine), the scenery became much more beautiful while the residents that I encountered became much less friendly.
I guess the summary of this is that the coasts were better than the borders!
Friendliest and Least Friendly People-We have another runaway winner with two states tied as the friendliest: ND and VA were the friendliest with TX, MT, NC, and GA completing the top six. Maybe VA was one of the friendliest because I'd been in the North and NE for weeks and VA was the first of the Southern states. Based on my travels and observations, the least friendly states were MN, ME, CN, and NY. Other than two state park rangers falling down laughing as I fought off small helicopter-sized mosquitos at a state park in MN, it was in a league of its own in terms of unfriendliness. I was a little surprised that people in NJ were friendlier than I remembered or expected. Maybe because I was on the NJ Thruway and not the NJ Turnpike! The people that I encountered in ME weren't just unfriendly-they were just downright COLD! The rest of the states fall between these two extremes.
Best Roads-There is no comparison here as again two states stand head and shoulders above the others. Surprisingly, VA and NH had, by far, the best roads. The roads in VA were nearly perfect while NH’s roads were perfect except up in the White Mountains. There were some short sections of rough roads up there but that’s to be expected in the mountains near Mt. Washington. Other states with good roads were CA, OR, WA, NJ, NC, and ME. If you agree or disagree with my assessments, please reread my disclaimer statement above! The Garden State Turnpike from Perth Amboy to Atlantic City, NJ was magnificent but the New Jersey Turnpike from Philly to NYC, from other trips, is like a roller coaster ride because of the condition of the roadway!
Worst Roads-Now, this is a really competitive category! The roads were horrible in MT, NY, CN, AL, and LA. The roads were really, really bad in New York City but the roads I traveled in the rest of NY state were acceptable. The horrible roads in NYC are just another one of the many reasons why I should have avoided NYC altogether. My plans coming into NYC were to head East on the North side of Long Island and go out near the Easternmost point in NY and then head South to NJ but the traffic and roads in NYC helped me change my minds very quickly! I couldn't stand the thought of more of that horrible traffic and roads in NYC! Riding through NYC was like riding a bucking horse because I was bounced all over the place!
Highest and Lowest Gas Prices-The highest gas prices I saw were in CA, OR, WA, and NY. The lowest gas prices I saw were in GA and TX. I put my gas prices observations following my best and worst roads observations because there should be a relationship between the two: High gas prices = high state road taxes should = better roads-right? Well, NYC sure proves that theory wrong, doesn’t it?
Hottest and Coldest Places-In order to think of temperatures, you have to remember that I left Kingwood, TX on May 14th and returned on June 23rd. I was in West TX, NM, and AZ early in the trip and before the temperatures reached the 100’s. So the hottest temperatures I saw were in AZ, FL, AL, MS, LA and TX were 100's in the last week. The coldest temperatures I saw were in the Cascades and Rocky Mountains of WA, ID and MT. While I saw snow in 3-4 states, the deepest snow I saw was in North Cascades National Park in WA. The road was in a ditch of snow piled 6-8 feet high on the side of the roads. The coldest temperature I saw was 38 degrees Fahrenheit.
Most and Least Livable States-Of the 32 states on the trip, I would rank VA as the most livable state. The roads were good, the state was clean, the people were friendly, the road signs were clear, and the scenery was pretty good. Other states that I would rank high on the livability scale would be, of course, TX, CA, OR, WA, DE, MD, NC, and GA. Now, the "Griff Livability Factor Scale" doesn't consider the cost of living. If the GLFS did consider costs, CA, OR, WA and probably DE and MD would have to be dropped from the list.
The states that I found the least livable were NM, AZ, MN, MI, OH, PA, NY, and CN. The reasons for both classifications are based on the factors listed above related to VA-the roads, the cleanliness factor, friendliness of the people, road signs, and scenery. The absolute least enjoyable drive was through four of the five boroughs of New York City-I wouldn't dare ride the bike through Manhattan! Driving a car in Manhattan, which I've done several times in the past, isn't exactly a cruise down the beach! The roads were horrible-HORRIBLE! The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island are not exactly the cleanest places in the USA, the drivers were maniacs and signs were written in Russian or someother language I don't speak!
The states that I found the least livable were NM, AZ, MN, MI, OH, PA, NY, and CN. The reasons for both classifications are based on the factors listed above related to VA-the roads, the cleanliness factor, friendliness of the people, road signs, and scenery. The absolute least enjoyable drive was through four of the five boroughs of New York City-I wouldn't dare ride the bike through Manhattan! Driving a car in Manhattan, which I've done several times in the past, isn't exactly a cruise down the beach! The roads were horrible-HORRIBLE! The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island are not exactly the cleanest places in the USA, the drivers were maniacs and signs were written in Russian or someother language I don't speak!
The Number of Times I was Flipped Off: 2, both times in New York City. What I was doing wrong? Hum, driving 10 miles per hour below the speed limit in the right lane . . . . . NYC!
Tolls-I paid tolls to drive on roads and over bridges in TX, CA, MI, NY, MA, RI, CN, NJ, and VA. The most beautiful bridge has to be the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco to Marin County, CA. The Chesapeak Bay Bridge Tunnel in VA is a magnificent piece of engineering. Other magnificent bridges would be Mackinac Bridge from the Upper Peninsula of MI to the Lower Peninsula and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge from Brooklyn to Staten Island, NY.
Ferries-The bike and I rode ferries in TX, WA, MI, NJ, DE, VA, NC, and FL. The two longest ferry rides were the Cape May, NJ to Lewes, DE and the Ocracoke Island to Cedar Island, NC ferries. Both of them were 2 to 3 hours long. The prettiest ferry ride was across Puget Sound from Port Townsend to Coupeville on Whidbey Island, WA.
Ferries-The bike and I rode ferries in TX, WA, MI, NJ, DE, VA, NC, and FL. The two longest ferry rides were the Cape May, NJ to Lewes, DE and the Ocracoke Island to Cedar Island, NC ferries. Both of them were 2 to 3 hours long. The prettiest ferry ride was across Puget Sound from Port Townsend to Coupeville on Whidbey Island, WA.
New States for Me-The six new states I saw on this trip were ND, ME, RI, DE, NC, and SC. Of these new states, I'm now up to 48 states with my Bride and I thinking about a cruise to AK but WV? I'm sure WV has its attractions but I can't imagine, in my wildest dreams, ever imaging us going to WV for any reason other than being the last of the 50 states to visit!
Questions I Had or STILL Have-First, do people in CA really eat crickets and cricket larvae? I saw them in a store along the border between Yuma and San Diego. Second, I was riding through the Upper Peninsula of MI and see signs along the roads that advertise "Pasties." I stopped at a place to learn that a Pastie is kinda like stew put into toasted dough and is pronounced "Past-ie" not "Paste-ie." Thank goodness for that!
Do people in the Deep South really eat boiled peanuts? I saw them in several convenience stores down South and I still don't get it. Also in the Deep South, I saw dozens of roadside stands selling Sweetgrass Hats and Baskets-HUH?
Now, what's up with the Suwanee River? I saw signs for 25-30 miles announcing it like I was crossing the Mississippi or the Columbia. I'd heard of the Suwanee but what's the big deal with it?
Do people in the Deep South really eat boiled peanuts? I saw them in several convenience stores down South and I still don't get it. Also in the Deep South, I saw dozens of roadside stands selling Sweetgrass Hats and Baskets-HUH?
Now, what's up with the Suwanee River? I saw signs for 25-30 miles announcing it like I was crossing the Mississippi or the Columbia. I'd heard of the Suwanee but what's the big deal with it?
Pleasant Surprises and Enjoyable Experiences-There were many, many things I found interesting and enjoyable on the trip but none of them compare with Mackinac Island, MI. I'd heard of it from the movie Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour but I'd never really thought about going there to visit. The KOA in St. Ignace, MI had a sign that advertised ferry rides out to the island so I took the ferry to the island and spent about half a day there. I found it quaint like Carmel, CA, beautiful like San Diego, surrounded by blue Lake Huron, and really fascinating because motorized vehicles aren't allowed on the island! The fact that you don't hear cars, trucks, motorcycles, lawnmowers, etc. really made it uniquely different. People get around on the island either by horse-drawn carriage, foot or bicycle. I rented a bike and rode the entire eight miles around the island. Virtually every place I went on the island looked like a postcard! The 400 or so full-time Mackinac Islanders use their snowmobiles to reach the mainland in the winter when Lake Huron freezes over. The homes on the island have to meet tight architectural standards and what's really unique is that they don't have garages! It's really a beautiful, unique place. My Bride and I have to return there!
Other really enjoyable experiences were
- gaining a greater appreciation for the USA and our economic strength by driving through destitute cities along the entire US-Mexico border from TX, through NM and AZ to CA,
- finally reaching the beautiful, blue Pacific Ocean after a week crossing deserts in TX, NM, AZ, and Eastern CA. Finally reaching the Pacific Ocean in Imperial Beach, CA was a gift!
- riding through the quintessential beach town, the Village of La Jolla, CA,
- Meeting Ron and Betty Dixon and riding with them from South of the LA area to Tillamook, OR,
- seeing where the outdoor scenes from the TV series M*A*S*H were filmed at Malibu Creek State Park near Malibu, CA,
- coincidentally meeting two former students from Cascade at a state park in CA,
- riding that magnificent, almost unbelievably beautiful, section of the CA coast called Big Sur,
- riding my bike through the Drive Thru (Ride Thru?) Tree in Leggett, CA,
- Refreshing all those positive memories of family trips along the Oregon Coast,
- visiting with former students and friends along the way,
- spending about half a day at an absolutely beautiful place out in Lake Huron called Mackinac Island, MI,
- finally seeing all five of the "H-O-M-E-S" Great Lakes. I had not thought of this but four of the five Great Lakes were new to me. I had been to Chicago and Milwaukee several times and seen Lake Michigan but not Huron, Ontario, Erie or Superior. I'd seen between the other lakes-the Detroit River that flows from Lake Huron to Lake Erie in Detroit and the Niagara River that connects Lake Erie with Lake Ontario at, of course, Niagara Falls, NY.
- sadly seeing the formerly great cities that are now rust-belt buckles of Flint and Detroit, MI, Toledo and Cleveland, OH and Buffalo, NY,
- seeing Niagara Falls from the US side (but I have to admit that the view is better from the Canadian side!),
- spending 3-4 hours at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. I've been to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA so maybe the Football HOF in Canton, OH next,
- enjoyed seeing all of the very friendly and very long border we share with our greatest ally, our Canadian friends and neighbors,
- talking with hundreds of locals at gas stations, restaurants, campgrounds and on ferries literally all over the country,
- seeing the mansions along Ocean Walk in Newport, RI,
- Seeing the state capitals of NY in Albany, NH in Concord, and ME in Augusta,
- exploring the Outer Banks of NC,
- seeing the historical cities of Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA, and my favorite after Mackinac Island . . . . . .
- the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kitty Hawk, NC. As a person who's always been fascinated with flight, going to the place where the first powered flight took place was really special! About five years ago, I was privileged to take five students to the Pentagon in Arlington, VA to make a presentation to the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy. While in DC, we visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and I got to see the original Wright's Flyer among numerous other aircraft on display. Now seeing where it happened was really special! I heard the Park Ranger talk about the Wright Brothers, Kill Devil Hill, and what happened there 108 years ago but what really got me wasn't until I stopped walking at the end of the "runway" where Orville and Wilbur first flew. I was standing at a point about 900 feet from their take off point, where the fourth flight ended, looking back toward Kill Devil Hill, and the wind was very strong at my back. It was then that I realized that the wind I was feeling was whys the Wright Brothers chose Kill Devil Hill and it was the same wind that they flew into to get the lift of the Wright Flyer. I had goosebumps!
Now, would I do it again? No, I would not leave my Bride at home for six weeks-the time away from her was the only negative of the entire experience. Now, if I could persuade her to go with me . . . . . . . .
