Day #64 October 13, 2007

Day #64

Saturday October 13, 2007

Luray, VA to Whaleyville, MD

291 miles today (26,590 - 26,881)

12,314 miles total
1 new state today: Delaware AND Wash. DC

34 states total (+ Canada)

I set my alarm for 5AM so I could get up and out of the Yogi Bear Campground ASAP! Of course, I wanted to go by the tent of the guy that let out the “rebel yell” till midnight, ride circles around his tent or something, but I exercised some restraint… I packed up in the dark, and after checking the weather online, pulled out and headed to breakfast. I ate at the same little place I had dinner (trout) at the night before. I really need to start fixing my own meals, as I’d save a bunch of $$$.

One of the guys in the restaurant, a Dr. from Lancaster, PA came over and started talking about his bike trips, etc. He’s a general surgeon, a pilot, a skydiver. He did share some good info on the Dry Tortugas. Another local there shared some info about DC and driving in and around it.

I left breakfast at 8 and headed to Front Royal to ship another load of brochures, maps and souvenirs home. But then I got there and they don’t open till 11AM, so it’s onward to DC for me! I took note of the US route #s for the trip through DC, but I failed to write down the corresponding street names, and I would need them. The traffic into DC on this Saturday morning was not nearly as bad as I was geared up for. I had to detour at least twice in downtown DC and that got me off US 50 and turned around. I went round and round, for nearly an hour as there is NO place to park, until finally the police got involved. In this security conscious place, in this day and age, I guess a guy pulling a trailer on a motorcycle around all the different government buildings for OVER AN HOUR, just might draw some suspicion. One of the many times I pulled up to Constitution Ave., I noticed 3 police cars across the intersection. I hadn’t any more pulled up to the crosswalk line at the red light, when one of them hit his lights AND siren and began to proceed across the intersection, through the cross traffic and pulled up right along beside me. “Wow…what is this?” I wondered.

With a half exasperated and half suspicious tone, he asked “Do you know what you’re doing?” “Trying to find US 50 to get out of DC” I replied. He gave me the directions (3 times as I had ear plugs in) of 5-6 different turns and streets and I was on my way, finally. And although I missed the last turn he gave me and got caught in construction for over 20 minutes, I finally made it out of DC. Oh how I wish I’d called up Dave Dahl (I met in Gettysburg) and had him escort me through on that morning!! That last missed turn put me right in the middle of a neighborhood I certainly did not belong in. So, after 2+ hours to go through and get out of DC, I was on my way. What a mess.

I crossed Annapolis, continued on to Delaware, but not before stopping 4-5 times to check and confirm my route. “What’s wrong with me today?” I wondered. I think I’m a little dehydrated, or sick. I just could not get oriented to where I was supposed to be. Did DC and the cop shake me up? I don’t know. I do know my internal compass is “out of whack” today!! I went way out of the way to ride along the Delaware coastline, and couldn’t even see the Atlantic, not even one time, due to all the development along the shore.

I’m staying in a neat (large) campground in Whaleyville tonight. But there’s a BENEFIT ROCK CONCERT going on in the pavilion! Arrrggghhhhh!!! Last night it was kids, hundreds of them, and tonight a rock concert! They finally packed it away at 8PM. I will be glad to get out of the east...

I’ll do laundry, shower and hit the hay. A cold day, but a beautiful one anyway,
even if I didn’t see the ocean and the cops did momentarily suspect me of bad intent.

Day #63 October 12, 2007

Day #63
Friday October 12, 2007
Gettysburg, PA to Luray, VA
148 miles today (26,442 – 26,590)
12,023 miles total
2 new states today: Maryland & Virginia
33 states total

I slept in this morning until 6:30. Yes, that IS sleeping in for me! I must have been tired.

I got out this morning shortly after 9AM in very sunny weather. Once I hit US 15 south, out in the open, I could really feel the wind. I hit Frederick, MD about 10 and pulled off at 2 different exits trying to find breakfast. I got back on US 15, continuing south into Maryland on MD state route 32.

I finally had breakfast in a little town called Brunswick, Maryland. I crossed quickly from Maryland, through Virginia, into W. Virginia all in a matter of about 2 minutes. I made my way to the Harper’s Ferry Visitor Center. Again, like in Gettysburg, there is just so much to see here than I realized. I took a shuttle bus to the downtown area where I made my way to the John Brown museum, watched 3 short videos, found the armory and toured the wax museum. I stayed nearly 3 hours and didn’t put a dent into all there was to see and do.

Decision time. Now where do I go from here? I still have to ride through Delaware to check that state off my list. And I WANT to ride through DC just to say I did. And I’ve had several folks tell me not to miss the Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah Nat’l Park. That ride is away from DC and Delaware. Since I was this close, I thought I’d head that way. At 3:30 PM I was not even at he entrance to the park yet, or the 105 mile drive. I picked up a Virginia Parks guide and found an RV park near the drive. I wanted a place BEFORE dark, so I called and booked it. I guess I was tired, as the name of the park should have tipped me off to what kind of place it would be. It had “Yogi Bear” in the name. I remember years ago camping in Oregon where a Fleetwood Mac concert was playing across the river. It was so loud! But here, at the “Yogi Bear Camp & Resort” the noise is even LOUDER!! Between all the kids running around, the country western music played at full volume and the occasional “rebel yell” let out for no reason, I seriously doubt I’ll sleep tonight.

I think I’ll head back into DC tomorrow. That decision is made.

Day #62 October 11, 2007

Day #62

Thursday October 11, 2007

Staying in Gettysburg, PA

99 miles today (26,343 – 26,442)

11,875 miles total

33 states total

It was pretty cool when I woke up this morning at 5:30AM. After I got the water going for the coffee, I had to dig out my little ceramic heater to knock the chill out of the air. It’s barely 6” square and 6” tall, but it will sure do the job in the trailer of heating the space and drying the moisture out of the air. I’m considering hanging my one and only blanket from one of the roof struts, just to see if it will work better heating only my sleeping space. The temp tonight is to drop down in the mid 40’s.

Today I rode back east on US 30 to York, PA to visit the Harley Davidson factory.
I got some rain for about the last 15 minutes before getting there. It was enough to get me chilled. I arrived about 11AM, and had a 50 minute wait for the next tour. They issue tickets (free) and run the tours through with 15-20 visitors every 40 minutes or so. Very interesting! I’ve never worked in a factory setting, and the machines themselves were as much as interest to me as the products they produced. Half assembled Harleys swinging 12'-15' overhead on a conveyor is pretty neat looking! And the huge stamping equipment punching out and shaping fenders and gas tanks was impressive. I took special note of the lasers that cut through steel like butter. They were housed each in their own 10' x 10' room. Cool! I also went by the local dealer and toured a museum there.

I headed back to Gettysburg after 3PM. I had lunch in a Perkins about 4PM. I visited a local leather shop just outside of Gettysburg and bought Karla a pink license plate frame for her bike that said something like “Girls ride too! Get over it!” I gassed the bike up and headed back to camp for the night.

I had to start the heater even before dark and it was really getting cool.

Day #61 October 10, 2007

Day #61
Wednesday October 10, 2007
Staying in Gettysburg, PA
0 miles today
11,776 miles total
31 states total

Traveling by tour bus today to Washington D.C. I’m was sitting at the pickup bench in the KOA at 5:40 AM. I’m excited about the history, the sites, the whole trip today.

I sat on the bus next to a guy named Ron from Minnesota. He is retired, and his wife nearly so. He was good company. The traffic into DC was awful. I just cannot imagine having to drive in this every work day. I just don’t see how people can do this. It must be worth it to some...

First stop: Arlington Nat’l Cemetary where we saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Such precision, such ceremony, and so solemn an occasion. It was very impressive. The cemetery itself is just so large. The story of Robert E. Lee’s home there at Arlington just adds to the whole place.

Second stop: Iwo Jima (and Marine Corp) Memorial
I really appreciated the bronze sculptures and the sand blasting in the stone.
And the Marines have been there in every conflict we’ve been in as a nation it appears.

Third stop: Vietnam Vets Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the Korean Conflict Memorial. Having been in the awards/engraving business for years, I’ve blasted black marble, drilled and handled lots of white marble, and have sold and delivered to customers lots of bronze plaques/castings. All of these elements were present in these memorials. The white patina of the Korean monument was really striking. Kind of spooky looking almost. The size and scope of the Lincoln Memorial was much larger than any pictures I had seen. Six huge blocks of marble form the Lincoln statue portion. The many references to God, the Almighty, divine Providence and various Scriptures assures me (or reassures me) of the Godly foundation our great country has. The Vietnam Memorial was much different in its construction than I had envisioned. It’s amazing to see the extent, or the number, of the names on the wall. Each one represents a loss to our society, our culture, our country; and then a very personal loss to each family.

We finished up at the Smithsonian with a little more than 90 minutes to go on our own way. The American History museum and the Arts & Industry museums were both closed. I wondered in the natural history museum for a while, but just couldn’t even really get started.

Our tour finished up driving around and viewing many of the DC landmarks. We had dinner at a restaurant in Gettysburg before everyone was dropped off at their hotels or campgrounds.

Day #60 October 9, 2007

Day #60
Tuesday October 9, 2007
Gettysburg, PA to Gettysburg, PA
30 miles today (26,313 - 26,343)
11,776 miles total
31 states total

I slept better last night for some reason. Maybe I’m here and settled in. But I did have some “neighbors” come in about 3:30AM and make camp. They were a little loud for 3:30 in the morning!

This morning I’ve just read, prayed and reflected in the stillness and quietness of the morning. I’ve had 2 cups of coffee before the sun ever came up. It’s great. I just love the outdoors in the early morning. Just me and God. There’s something good about that.

God’s goodness is all around me, not just in the beauty of His creation either.
I’ve had TWO offers to take me to pick up my bike when finished. Early this AM, a lady was walking her dog and just spoke about my trailer as she passed. I told her where the bike was, etc., and later in the morning she came by with her husband and got my phone number. They were going to the battlefields and would call me before coming back to see if I needed the ride. The other offer was from a lady in the laundry room. As I was doing laundry and talking, she found out about my trip and said “I’ve got to send my husband to see you! That is his dream!” He came to visit with me just a little bit later. After 1PM the bike shop called and the 2nd couple took me to pick the bike up. I spent the rest of the afternoon running errands. I went to the bank, got a haircut in a real barbershop and went to the grocery store. I also popped into an award/gift/souvenir store. This is probably the first time I’d been in an award business since selling mine over a year ago.

Once I got back to camp after 5PM, the sky really began to darken. I thought the storm was going to go around us. It ultimately did not. But I was able to get everything inside and get the bike covered up in time. A light rain fell during the night and the wind gusted from time to time.

Day #59 Monday October 8, 2007

Day #59

Monday October 8, 2007

Gettysburg, PA to Gettysburg, PA

63 miles today (26,250 - 26,313)

11,746 miles total

31 states total

The air is pretty humid this AM. Pretty sticky. A noisy air conditioner on a nearby RV kept me awake a lot of the night. Even with ear plugs, it was just too loud. But hey, if I had it, I’d use it too in this humid climate!

I got out about 9:30 to get to the bike shop. I took the back, scenic, country road route which even turned into gravel for about 2 miles. The countryside is beautiful here. There are huge open fields between patches and rows of thick woods. You can see for many miles and just count off the many hilltops and ridges as you look to the horizon. It’s very easy to imagine, as I’m riding, that soldiers from either side could be hiding in the tree line just waiting to ambush the other. It’s almost creepy.

The bike shop, Rider’s Edge in Gettysburg, PA can get me in tomorrow Tuesday.
I’ll have to somehow arrange a ride back to camp after dropping it off. It’s probably 6-7 miles, maybe a little more. After confirming with the bike shop, I came back to camp and paid up for 4 more nights, through Thursday night. Then I headed off to town to catch some of the sights of the battlefield. I went to the Visitor’s Center and toured around the inside at the museum a while. I studied the artifacts that had been collected for many years after the battle. After that, I made my way to the Gettysburg Nat’l Cemetery across the street. I know there is great loss here, but the strongest emotion I sense is the tremendous sense of purpose or cause displayed by those that fought here. I’m sure many were pressured, either by peers, family or just a sense of duty. Others might have had some ulterior motive, who knows. But I’m sure many felt so strongly in their cause that they were willing to take up arms against their enemy. Yet, I do NOT sense anything profound or positive toward the terrorists of this age who so willingly attacked us, their perceived enemies.

I had lunch at a place called Friendly’s and came back to camp to clean out the saddle bags before delivering the bike at 5PM. I had to pay the only transportation company in Gettysburg $15 to take me the 6-8 miles back to camp.
Beats walking in the heat!

I made dinner of canned Ravioli and meatballs…yummm… (My wife is SUCH a GOOD COOK! I miss home cookin’!) Had ice cream from the KOA store for dessert, checked email and turned in about 9PM.

Day #58 Sunday October 7, 2007

Day #58

Sunday October 7, 2007

Allentown, PA to Gettysburg, PA

160 miles today (26,090 - 26,250)

11,683 miles total

0 new states today

31 states total

Had a very good nights rest at the Allentown KOA. Very nice folks there that own that one!

This morning, another lady came over and visited with me as I was packing up. She reminded me so much of Nat's mother. She was small in her stature, but very independent and self assured. She has put 183,000 miles on her Chevy camping van since the early 90’s. She took her first trip then to Alaska with a caravan of other campers. Most of the time she said, she camps alone with just her cat for company.

The ride yesterday was SO enjoyable! New Jersey just blew me away…I wasn’t prepared for the way it looked compared to what I was expecting. It was good to camp again after spending nearly a week in a motel at various locations as I came down the east coast from Madawaska.

As I traveled from Allentown to Gettysburg, the traffic was pretty heavy. I passed the H-D factory in York, PA. I’ll want to make that a place to visit for sure! I arrived plenty early, before 3PM, and had enough time to make camp at a leisurely pace. The trailer is on a raised gravel pad, nice and level, and I am happy about where I am located. Some of the “fun” of the trip was coming back. I went to the grocery and got back before dark. I had time to eat dinner and then I went to an introductory movie on the history of the Gettysburg battlefield.

I plan on having the bike serviced while here, I hope, so I have to make camp and STAY PUT for a few days. Tomorrow I'll find the bike shop and make plans based on how long I have to stay here.

All in all, another good day. It is WARM and HUMID here though. Once again,
as in many parts of the northeast, I am hearing about how UNusual this weather is.