Day #57 Saturday October 6, 2007

Day #57
Saturday October 6, 2007

Guilford, CT to Allentown, PA

239 miles today (25,851 - 26,090)

11,523 miles total

0 new states today

31 states total

I made breakfast in my room again, since I had both a microwave and a fridge.
This place even had CAT5/6 dataports! YEAH!

I didn’t leave Guilford until nearly 9:30 AM. I had to get on the interstate, I-95, right out of the gate this AM. Twice I had to hit 4 lane, but only for short stretches. But it was a good morning of riding. The sun was shining, the weather was very pleasant, so it wasn't too bad. I had mapped a route that would take me AWAY from New York City, so I was looking forward to being "out in the country" for a little while.

I traveled through New Haven, the home of Yale University. Once founded as a seminary, now a "progressive" university. I took CT 34 through beautiful, rolling country side. Out of New Haven, I followed a river for many miles. The Yale crew club was practicing/racing and well as a lot of individuals in their long, skinny boats. I rode until intersecting US 6 then turned west back toward NY. My morning coffee (and donut some days!) stop was in Derby, CT where I met a man TOWING his Harley to Cape Cod. He said his wife didn’t like to ride that far, so they trailer it over there and then ride on the Cape all weekend. Lots of bikes are getting trailered these days to various destinations. I have a pin and patch I purchased in Sturgis that says “I RODE MINE” which in some folks minds gives credibility or something like that to the experience. Some of the "hard core" folks look down on those that trailer their bikes to events

and then ride them around there.

The ride through the rural southeastern portion of New York, was as beautiful as the ride through the northern portion. Hills and curves, trees in falls colors, rocks formations of every size and shape, it was all just striking. But the shocker of the day was yet to come. All of my mental pictures of New Jersey are a city “across the river” from NYC. Just kind of a dirty, polluted and dangerous place.

But as I got off US 6 and onto 94 the scenery just improved and the ride became breathtaking. Rural NJ just shocked me! I wasn’t prepared for the narrow, twisty and hilly 2 lane road. It was a blast to ride! And as I could, I would glance out at rows of corn, some cut into mazes for the kids at roadside stands. Families were going through the pumpkin patches picking out the pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns I’m sure. At some places, the road narrowed even more as dozens, literally dozens of cars lined the road to visit the roadside fruit and vegetable stands. It was just a striking picture, and one so far from what I would have expected. If Rhode Island was the most frustrating state I have ridden in, then Jersey would win the prize for “most surprising!”

I hit I-80 late in the afternoon and had to ride it just a little before hitting PA 33.
I might as well have been on the interstate, as it was all 4 lane and moving at what seemed like 80 mph. It was a pretty easy trip into Allentown where I stopped and reviewed my map for the KOA. I had about 10 more miles to go, as this KOA was 7+ miles off the freeway.

When I arrived there, they gave me a spot near the office and bathroom, but it was down a steep bluff and across the little brook that ran through the camp.
It was great! And as I set up camp, little did I know I was drawing an audience.
When I stepped out of the tent portion, nearly set up, two ladies were standing there “amazed” they said that such a big camper could come out of a small trailer.
These two ladies, each driving their own camper/van, were just touring the country together. One was from LA and one from San Diego. We visited quite a while. I also visited with the campers next to me, and the retired Chicago police officer who was across from me. I made dinner, settled in and called it “a good day.” I went to sleep just thinking how great is was to be in such a beautiful place and to be surprised by the landscape of New Jersey! My one regreat today is that I did not make ONE single picture of anything in New Jersey. But I was there...honest!

Day #56 Friday October 5, 2007

Day #56

Friday October 5, 2007

Hamilton Falls, NH to Guilford, CT

252 miles today (25,599 - 25,851) 11,284 miles total

3 new states today: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut

31 states total

Only 17 more states to go! Of course, Florida, Texas and California are 3 of those.
With no “lollygaggin’ around”, those will take a week the way I want to go through them! I have been gone 74 days now from Eugene, OR. This is “Day 56” of my “Four Corners Tour” since I’m not counting the 18 days I spent in West KY working on Nat’s mom’s property. And I’ve done over 11,500 miles if I count the 300+ I accumulated while there. Wow, what a journey. Many people, and rightfully so I’m realizing, have called this “a journey of a lifetime.” I now see it really is.

But today…was NOT a good day. It may have been the most frustrating day of the whole trip. It certainly was up to this point. I slept “ok” and my back is easing up, but again, I’m in a nice hotel and have NO internet service. Made my breakfast and coffee in the microwave and got out early.

I rode “around” Boston, MA without incident. US 1 goes right down through the heart of it. I rode US 1 for 30 minutes or more this morning until it crossed I-95. From then on it would be all freeway until Providence, RI. I got off the freeway on the west side of Boston for coffee and gas. One thing I noticed, at every construction zone there were uniformed/armed police officers directing traffic. The stoplights were working, so the only thing I can figure is the drivers just don’t pay attention enough to the construction zone, thus the police add an additional bit of seriousness to the situation. I-95 around Boston was busy, but not like it would be later in the day. At the coffee stop, one man made my picture and we talked several minutes about our country, its beauty, the people and how good it was to be here. He drove trucks in the past and had seen a lot of it, and got to fly over a lot of it in the Air Force when he was younger.

I don’t want to say I’ve “gotten lost” anywhere on this trip, and I’ve been in some very remote country. But Rhode Island is the state I have been the most “turned around” in, or as Daniel Boone would say “a bit bewildered on occasion.” Isn’t it the SMALLEST state??? The signs indicating road direction and information are BY FAR the WORST I have encountered. At many MAJOR intersections, there are just not any signs indicating which direction to go to stay on US 1 or 1A. Today alone, I have had to stop and ask directions from a policeman, a UPS driver, and the owner of a small “service station.” At the service station they were checking under the hood and pumping gas. Amazing! I rode a lot and covered little ground today, and didn’t enjoy the little I did.

And today, in Rhode Island, I had 4-5 people pull out in front of me like I was invisible (no fog present), I pulled out in front of one driver, and one lady nearly ran me out of my lane at 65mph! I don’t remember where (on a bridge somewhere) I crossed into Connecticut, but I was hoping the traffic situation would change. I got back onto I-95, tired of chasing US 1, and now discover I am only 2 hours from New York City. The traffic is thick as syrup, but it’s running at 65+ and I can barely keep up. New York City, the traffic, the rush, the big cities are all working against me to enjoy the ride today.

I rode till 4PM. The clerk referred me to a “nice” restaurant down on the waterfront. I went and it’s old, run down, expensive and just as I pulled in, the whole place was just enveloped by a thick, damp, foggy mist. It’s weird. Dinner was ok, but the place was too loud for me.

I wasn’t expecting a bad day today. In fact, on the contrary, I was looking forward to a good one, back on the road again along the shoreline. It just didn’t work out that way. Somehow, I need to regroup, refocus and recommit myself the goal and press on. Tomorrow is a new day!

Day #55 Thursday October 4, 2007

Day #55

Thursday October 4, 2007

Bar Harbor, ME to Hamilton Falls, NH

250 miles today (25,349 - 25,599)

11,032 miles total
0 new states today
28 states total, 2 “Corners” visited

I left Bar Harbor (Ba Haba) in the fog this morning, just shortly after 8AM. I put on my yellow rain gear just to make myself more visible. The temp was probably above 50 degrees, but it was humid. I didn’t wear long underwear or a long sleeve shirt as I’d done the previous 2 mornings. The weather man is calling for a clear and nice day, possibly breaking records in regards to warm temps.

I rode in and out of the fog until about 10 AM. At times it was very, very thick and heavy. Only rarely would the sun peak through. I stayed on US 1 just all day long. Enjoyed the riding, and would eventually shed my leathers at lunchtime in Brunswick, ME. I could see some of the coast (shore) as I rode, but it wasn’t like the highway was built right near the ocean.

Scarborough, south of Portland, was a neat little town with US 1 turning into a regular city street, lined on both sides for a mile or more with motels, hotels, restaurants and tourist shops. There was a mix of old and new buildings. But the place was a ghost town. There were only a few cars at a few of the motels, and hardly any traffic at all. I could imagine it being packed in the summer time. The buildings, none taller than 2 stories, were just crammed in nearly on top of one another. By now, I was close to the ocean, the sun was shining, and the wind was blowing in from the Atlantic. Wow, the Atlantic Ocean…amazing that I am here.

I took a side trip down state route 9 to Kennebunkport. Lots of big, older, stately homes that you would expect to find in an old wealthy east coast community. I think the welcome sign said it was founded in 1693. I’ll check on that when I post the picture.

I crossed the NH state line around 4PM sometime and checked in a motel in Hampton Falls, NH. Of course, I could not get net connected, so there was no posting of the days events that day. I rode to the grocery and bought some supplies. On the way back, I came upon a wreck where a car had pulled out of a shopping center onto a 5 lane highway (middle turning with no divider) and had hit a motorcycle! The bike was “stuck” upright, wedged somehow on the cars bumper. I saw no rider and no ambulance. But the fire and police depts. had everything under control. That was the FIRST bike incident I have seen on my whole trip!

Tomorrow, continuing south on the “shore” as they call it here…

Day #54 Wednesday October 3, 2007

Day #54

Wednesday October 3, 2007

Bar Harbor, ME to Bar Harbor, ME

46 miles today (25,303 - 25,349)

10,782 miles total
0 new states today
28 states total, 2 “Corners” visited

It took a while for my pain meds to kick in last night, but I did sleep better than I had in a week. I called Nat before turning in and it was good to get “sound medical advice” from the family nurse. I think she’s ready for me to come home, and I’m ready to go…but there are miles and MORE MILES to ride before I get there.

The weather this AM is foggy. I can see the sun burning through the haze in a few spots, but I think it will be an hour or two before it’s all gone. I had breakfast at a nice place, the Log Cabin Inn, about 3 miles west of the motel. 2 bus loads of Baptists from outside of Knoxville (?), TN had pulled in just before I arrived. All seniors, just on a fall getaway to the northeast to see the leaves changing. Breakfast got my day off to a good start. I’ll read a little while the fog burns off, then I’ll hit the park for an enjoyable day of riding and site seeing.

After breakfast I came back to the room to finish getting ready, leather up and head out for the day. I took an Aleve just to keep the muscles medicated. I rode to the visitor’s center of Acadia Nat’l Park and then had to climb 52 steps to get to it. Ouch…my back hurts! I can hardly get on and off the bike, or lift my right leg to the floorboard. I don’t need to be climbing stairs, especially 52 steps! I browsed a few minutes then watched a 15 minute film on the park. On the way out, a guy asked me about riding and through the course of the conversation I found out he was a 1969 graduate of the Univ. of Oregon, now living in San Diego. His interest was in last weeks loss to Cal. Uh...has football season started? When did that happen?

The ride started out a little sunny. That would soon change as I got about 10 miles into the ride. The fog just got thicker and thicker. Although the road paralleled the ocean a lot of the way, I couldn’t even see the water. It wasn’t more than 75 yards or so away, but just not visible. I enjoyed riding the bike without the trailer. However, the views were just about like those I’d seen in Oregon many, many times. The fog just had everything socked in. I walked down to one beach, and couldn’t see people walking less than 50 yards away. I stopped at a place called Jordan’s Pond, had coffee and a snack. The fog lifted just a little, enough so I could see the pond from the deck of the restaurant. After riding to the top of Cadillac Mtn. (highest point in the park), I was reminded of Mt. Washington just last Saturday. The weather at the top of Cadillac Mtn. was again foggy and windy. One of the photos above shows the bike in the parking lot at the top of the “mountain.” I headed back to Bar Harbor, scrapping the idea of riding some of the public roads on the rest of the island. Instead, I parked downtown, and actually strolled through the town in what you might call “shopping” though I didn’t actually buy anything. I did buy an ice cream cone, but does that count? Am I now a “shopper?”

I was really looking for JEWELRY to send home to Nat, but didn't find anything I thought she'd like. Don't tell her!

I came back to my room about 2, then headed to the lobby of the motel to try and get an internet connection. Success! Finally, I got service and worked online and on some expense ledgers for about 3 hours. I came back about 5PM, covered up the bike, decided against dinner tonight, and settled in for the night. Will get up and out of here early tomorrow I hope. I don’t know if I’ll get out of Maine, but I’ll get close.

Day #53 Tuesday October 2, 2007

Day #53

Tuesday October 2, 2007

Calais, ME to Bar Harbor, ME

208 miles today (25,095 – 25,303)

10,736 miles total
0 new states today
28 states total, 2 “Corners” visited

I was up and going by 6AM. I had to stretch quite a bit to get my back loose enough to walk around. I was on the road, after a “continental breakfast” (i.e. not a REAL breakfast) by 7:35 AM and it was cool! The Weather Channel showed Calais at 39 degrees this morning. I did NOT put on my long underwear underneath my jeans as I had the 2 previous mornings. The sun was fuzzy behind some very thin foggy looking clouds. I have finally neared the Atlantic Ocean close enough that some of the inlets and bays are now visible from US 1.
NOW I feel like I’m on the eastern seaboard.

I traveled down US 1 as far as Harrington where an accident on 1A diverted the traffic through town. It was only then that I realized I had missed Eastport by an hour. I had overshot the turn off and just blew right by it. I wanted to go there to see “The Largest Whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere.” But it wasn’t worth the extra hour to go back. I quit early yesterday, about 3:30, to give my back a rest. I wanted to get to Bar Harbor early today, again for the same reason. I got into Ellsworth just after 11AM. It is about 15 or so miles out of Bar Harbor. It was still a little early to eat lunch, so I headed to the island where Bar Harbor sits. The traffic was very heavy. As I got closer to Bar Harbor, I began to see lots of motels and inns, some cottages, and a few B&B’s along the way. I went right into Bar Harbor, right downtown and immediately said “this is NOT for me!” This is someplace I would take Natalie, but it would hold NO interest for me! It is a typical tourist destination with block after block of shop after shop. A shopper’s paradise…and that just isn’t me! My goal for being here was to see Acadia Nat’l Park and take a bike ride through it.

I stopped at 4 different motels and found either a) no vacancy or b) no internet service. I definitely wanted internet so I could catch up on the blogging. As I found out, this is the last week before Columbus Day and the weekend that some folks will have an extra day or two off from work. Some places are booked all the way through NEXT week! In addition, one cruise ship was docked here, and the QE2 was in the harbor shuttling people to the shops. So, lots and lots of tourists here. I was getting hungry, and cranky. I was getting where I couldn’t think. I needed lunch. My “continental breakfast” had long been consumed trying to keep me warm. I had driven down into Bar Harbor, the 15 miles back out to Ellsworth looking for rooms, and now was headed back towards Bar Harbor. It was nearing 2 PM by now and I made my way back within 2 miles of Bar Harbor where I found a very nice place called the Bar Harbor Motel (not Hotel, as there is one of those too). I can park the bike and trailer right in front of my door, there are only 4 units per building so I don’t feel crammed in, and it has everything I need. I got one of the last few rooms. Even the laundry is on site.

I unpacked, went and had lunch, did laundry, took some of my prescription pain pills (first time on the whole trip) for my back and am going to turn in early so I can rest up for the ride tomorrow. It is nice to ride the bike without the trailer. It is just more enjoyable and a whole lot more responsive to my leaning and turning. Tomorrow I’ll ride the loop within Acadia and just try to have an enjoyable riding day.

Day #52 Monday October 1, 2007

Day #52

Monday October 1, 2007

Madawaska, ME to Calais, ME

201 miles today (24,894 – 25,095)

10,528 miles total
0 new states today, but Corner #2 visited!
28 states total

I slept good until about 2AM. My back is still aggravating me, and I woke up cold. Brrrr….what’s going on? There was NO HEAT at 2AM. I just bundled up more and slept till daybreak. After getting out of bed to the cold air, I thought a warm shower would help. But, NO HOT WATER! That’s right, no heat and no hot water. I called the office and found out the boiler went out during the night and the same circuit feeds the boiler AND the heat in every room. So the whole place was without heat or hot water. Oh well, part of the “adventure” I guess! This is where all the reading by John Maxwell comes into play!

I debated about waiting, but decided to dress and leave as I wanted to get to the post office. I got my Madawaska stamp in my journal and then had a guy make my picture outside the post office. While doing that, he informed me of a new 4 Corners park that was being built. A lady coming to check her mail informed me of the “I’ve been to Madawaska, one of the 4 corners of the USA” bumper stickers available at the Chamber of Commerce. So I went to the Chamber and was met by a very helpful and friendly lady who knew exactly why I was there. They have a separate register to be signed by 4 Corners riders. She filled out a certificate for me proving I had been there, and reiterated about the new park.

I went to the new park. Wow. The whole thing is geared to motorcyclists making the 4 Corners run. It was designed and built so you ride around behind, then in front of the main stone marker and have your picture made. It has a fountain and stone pavers with purchased inscriptions in the stone. The grand opening/dedication will be next year. Hmmm…is there ANOTHER TRIP in my future??? Anyone else up for a ride next summer from Eugene, OR to Madawask, ME? We could take the short route if you insist! I met the lady that actually donated the property for the park. She must have made hundreds of pictures for riders through the summer. She filled me in on the whole history of the house that once stood there, that she lived in, and eventually donated for the park.

So by now, I was cold, hadn’t had my morning shower, and desperately needed breakfast. The clerk at the motel recommended “John’s Restaurant” in Van Buren, about 30 miles east. I headed east on US 1, found it, and parked right on the street by the front door just as the lady was turning the sign to CLOSED. What?! It was only 10AM and they were closing? The posted hours were 7-10AM on Mondays and 7-1pm the other days. This was a small town… She motioned for me to come on in. The inside was long and narrow; a row of booths on one side and a counter with stools on the other. As soon as I came in, before even sitting down, a couple commented on my trailer and what a cool morning it was to ride. This lady worked for a firm owned by Nike, so she knew where Beaverton, OR was. Her husband later told me they had owned a motel in Fort Henry, about 20 miles west of Madawaska, for nearly 30 years and were back visiting.

When the lady that turned the sign and motioned me in anyway, heard Beaverton, OR her ears perked up, as she lived in Beaverton/Portland for years.
Wow, two Oregon connections in one small town restaurant thousands of miles from home. I was the last one out after my breakfast, but she visited with me for several minutes. We talked “small business shop talk” and I found out she has the restaurant on the market for sale. Hey Natalie, want to move to Maine and run a restaurant?! We compared Oregon and Maine and talked of their similarities and differences.

But that wasn’t the only connection. When at the COG Railway near Mt. Washington last Saturday, I met a couple on bikes. They were from Mass. somewhere and were out riding for the weekend. When the man found out I was going to Madawaska, he got excited. His dad lived in Van Buren (the restaurant town where I just finished eating) and he wanted me to call him and just say “Hi!” He gave me his dad’s card with his picture and contact info on it. After breakfast, while standing on the sidewalk, getting ready to ride, I called the man. Turns out, he had just gotten home as he had been IN the restaurant at the same time. He was having coffee with the husband of the lady that let me in! We passed one another and didn’t even know it! Wow!

I rode till 3:30 before pulling off in Calais, still 3-4 hours from Bar Harbor. My back is aching and has ached all day. I think I’m going to have to take a complete day off from riding to get squared away. I’m even thinking of a massage to loosen me up. As I was moving stuff to my room, 2 bikers pulled in who just came from Acadia Nat’l Park and Bar Harbor. They’re headed to Fort Henry, so we traded road tips and conditions. I sat in the hot tub here for quite a while, then had dinner at the restaurant here. Still no functional, steady internet, so no posting.
This is the 3rd or 4th day without it.

Tomorrow it’s on to the park and probably 2 days in the same location. I’ll spend a day just visiting the park.

Day #51 Sunday September 30, 2007

Day #51

Sunday September 30, 2007

Farmington, ME to Madawaska, ME

302 miles today (24,592 – 24,894)

10,327 miles total
0 new states today, BUT ANOTHER CORNER!
28 states total

I left Farmington at 6:45 AM after knocking the ICE off of the bike cover and trailer cover. Yes, ICE! Not just frost, but thicker heavier ice. I went to breakfast at the same truck stop, about ½ mile down the road, that I had dinner at last night. On my way in, 3 couples (“Mainers” they called themselves) asked about my license plate on the trailer (Day #50). After a little visiting they invited me to join them for breakfast. I don’t remember all the details, but they were there in Farmington for an annual reunion. Arnold and his wife live in Ashland. Dick and his wife, and then John and Beth all lived up in northern Maine. Another lady, Deanne, showed up to join them. We had a good time just talking about my trip. I hope to hear from them in the days ahead. Again, kind strangers. How do I find them??

I left Farmington very bundled up. I wore my long underwear underneath my jeans and chaps this day! I stayed east bound on US 2 until Newport where I stopped for gas and coffee at the junction of I-95. I finally saw my first moose. Some hunter had bagged it and it was hanging off a small utility trailer. It wasn’t quite as big as I had expected. From here I jumped on I-95 and headed north until Sherman Mills, where I gassed up again and moved to US 11. Now this was Maine for sure; hills and curves, hills and curves. A couple of the hills were like roller coaster rides, causing my stomach to jump up into my throat a couple of times. And then of course, there were the trees. The leaves are in all stages of changing. I think the best pictures were left untaken. Many places I just couldn’t pull off as the trees were on a curve or as I topped a hill. But I made several pictures. My little Sony camera just does NOT do the views justice. They are MUCH more striking than my camera can record.

I reached Madawaska, Maine at 3:20 PM with 24, 885 on the odometer. This is nearly 10,400 miles after Corner #1 in Blaine, WA. Guess I took the scenic route! I should've known though, on a nice day on the bike it can take me 2 hours to go to the corner market for milk and bread! Those of you that ride, YOU understand! Key West should not be nearly as long.

The air temp was about 50 degrees, the sky was clear, and I was cold. I’d been riding since about 8:30 with no stops except for gas, and my only coffee break was early in Newport.

Madawaska is a little tiny town. The border crossing to Edmundston and a paper mill are the big things. I really needed to do laundry, but the only Laundromat in town was a dive! It was NASTY! The washers, some of them, were full of dirty, nasty water, the change machine wouldn’t operate, the place was dark and secluded. I passed on doing laundry here.

I had dinner at the motel restaurant, covered up the bike before dark and settled in for the night. Feels good to be inside where I can get warm. (See tomorrow's notes for special comment on the HEAT!)