I'm glad to be home!
Thanks for all the feedback - I'm glad you enjoyed my write-ups. It's easy when you have a topic like this.
I've finally uploaded all my pics here: http://picasaweb.google.com/brandonjhuff
Enjoy!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Day 13 - New York City NY to San Jose CA
Total miles: 0
Route: N/A
Another morning of sleeping in. This might work out well for me when I get back home. The time change, while slight, could wreak havoc with my insomnia. We'll see...
I grab breakfast downstairs and read the Times. I've caught the major headlines each day but I feel very detached from the financial crisis and the multitude of layoffs back home. Things aren't going well for many friends and I hope I'm able to make it the next 18-24 months unscathed. I have to remind myself that this is a cycle but we're seeing some unprecedented actions/reactions. I'd feel better with a couple hours reading online to get a better grasp of the latest happenings.
I catch a late shuttle and walk to Penn Station to catch a train to JFK. I pay $5 to get to Jamaica and another $5 to get to the airport. It was fast and easy. BART could learn a think or three...
It was almost 2pm byt the time I got through security and I see there's a sushi bar/ club in the middle of JFK. Weird. Cool. A beer and a few sashimi later I'm feeling much better and pass the time people watching. All I had to do was wait for my flight so I had a chance to reflect on what I've seen the last two weeks:
- I was reminded, once again, that I have a charmed life
- I was wrong - the rest of the US is beautiful. CA just has most of it a few hours away.
- People are people - assholes in San Francisco are assholes in Memphis are assholes in New York. Manners still exist but the generalizations didn't apply.
- I didn't check work email and it felt good. I do worry about opening my inbox over the weekend but I'll wait until then. But I need to get off the grid and get work out of my head. Mission accomplished.
- Despite spending almost 10 hours a day thinking, nothing is any clearer. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up and women/relationships still baffle me. Ah well, maybe expecting an epiphany was a bad expectation...
- I need to get away more. Short weekend trips would be good. I need to revisit NYC, Boston, and DC.
- This trip should be repeated but it needs a couple more people. And shorter days.
- Good planning goes a long way
- we got lucky with the weather - good planning didn't make that happen
- Make sure you know how to work your rain gear *before* it starts to rain.
- More cold and hot weather gear would have been nice.
- I'd do it again.
Next summer I ride to Alaska. Who's in?
Route: N/A
Another morning of sleeping in. This might work out well for me when I get back home. The time change, while slight, could wreak havoc with my insomnia. We'll see...
I grab breakfast downstairs and read the Times. I've caught the major headlines each day but I feel very detached from the financial crisis and the multitude of layoffs back home. Things aren't going well for many friends and I hope I'm able to make it the next 18-24 months unscathed. I have to remind myself that this is a cycle but we're seeing some unprecedented actions/reactions. I'd feel better with a couple hours reading online to get a better grasp of the latest happenings.
I catch a late shuttle and walk to Penn Station to catch a train to JFK. I pay $5 to get to Jamaica and another $5 to get to the airport. It was fast and easy. BART could learn a think or three...
It was almost 2pm byt the time I got through security and I see there's a sushi bar/ club in the middle of JFK. Weird. Cool. A beer and a few sashimi later I'm feeling much better and pass the time people watching. All I had to do was wait for my flight so I had a chance to reflect on what I've seen the last two weeks:
- I was reminded, once again, that I have a charmed life
- I was wrong - the rest of the US is beautiful. CA just has most of it a few hours away.
- People are people - assholes in San Francisco are assholes in Memphis are assholes in New York. Manners still exist but the generalizations didn't apply.
- I didn't check work email and it felt good. I do worry about opening my inbox over the weekend but I'll wait until then. But I need to get off the grid and get work out of my head. Mission accomplished.
- Despite spending almost 10 hours a day thinking, nothing is any clearer. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up and women/relationships still baffle me. Ah well, maybe expecting an epiphany was a bad expectation...
- I need to get away more. Short weekend trips would be good. I need to revisit NYC, Boston, and DC.
- This trip should be repeated but it needs a couple more people. And shorter days.
- Good planning goes a long way
- we got lucky with the weather - good planning didn't make that happen
- Make sure you know how to work your rain gear *before* it starts to rain.
- More cold and hot weather gear would have been nice.
- I'd do it again.
Next summer I ride to Alaska. Who's in?
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Day 12 - New York City
Total miles: 0
Route: N/A
By the numbers:
1 - srtipper to fall in love with
4 - minutes the shuttle left early
I decided to catch the later shuttle downtown to ship some of my motorcycle gear. Breakfast sounded good so I head down to the cafe downstairs. The shuttle driver was grabbing coffee and my watch said I had 15 minutes. No problem I thought. The waiter understood my rush and everything was quickly at my table.
I finish as fast as I could and rushed out to the shuttle only to see the tail lights as it drove away. I look at my watch and it says 9:26. I tell the guy outside that its early. "Not according to my watch", he says. I tell him its early and to look at my watch - it's atomic. It's met with a blank stare and I ask if its too late for him to stop them before they leave the parking lot.
He catches one of the drivers and I rush a quarter mile away with my motorcycle suit and boots under my arm. The driver opens the door and says, "You're late". I retort, "You left early, just look at my atomic...nevermind". I have a seat and think about what I want to see today.
A few minutes later and I was on Broadway and 42nd. The UPS shop was just steps away and $50 later my gear was boxed up and on its way back to San Jose. I wander out and staart looking for luggage for my flight home. I check my home to see that I had missed a call. I check my messages and learn that the shipping truck is a few hours away. So much for a 24 hour notice. This threw a wrench in my plans for the day. I hope I make it to see the Brooklyn Bridge.
Coffee sounded good so I stopped at a small cafe across from the Late Show. I call Travelocity to reschedule my flight. Ouch - $330 to move it forward and get a non-middle seat. Ah well...
I decide I should get some food before headed back to the hotel. "Street Meat" sounded good. I walk towards Times Square and find a chicken gyro. Delicious!! I hope I don't regret it.
There's another hour or so before I need to be on a bus, so I head down Madison towards the little park I saw yesterday. The weather was much nicer so the walk was nice.
I have a seat next to a gorgeous woman at the park. It was lunch time but hardly anyone was out yet. We start talking and I realize 30 minutes was quickly gone. It's easy talking with a woman who looks like Jessica Biel. Elizabeth was from St Paul and was as smart as she was good looking - studied in France as well. I had an instant infatuation.
I ask if she had to get back to work and she laughed and said, "I don't work until later this evening". Of course, I ask what she did. My heart sank as I learned that my dream girl is a stripper. Now would be the time to queue J Giels Band 'Angel is a Centerfold" as background music.
Simultaneously, I'm crushed and drawn to my muse now less than an arms length away. An interesting feeling, to be sure. We chat for a bit more and the realization hits me - strippers never share their real information. Too many stalkers out there. I wonder if anything she told me was true. Was she really as interested as it seemed? I've been to enough strip clubs to know better than to think that a stripper really likes me. They only like my wallet.
She invites me to come see her tonight and I make a non-commital comment about making it. She assures me I won't be disappointed. A stripper indeed.
I rush back to my hotel to put all the luggage back on my bike. The shipping truck shows up and we load it up. 15 minutes later my bike is back on its way back to San Jose. I won't be using this company again.
This trip has exhausted me. So I take nap for a bit and rest my feet. I wake up with a jolt and get my head on straight before heading back to the bus stop back into town. I really need some luggage if I'm going to get my crap home tomorrow. Off to negotiate with some touristy shop off of Times Square. I see nothing I want - at least nothing I was willing to pay for.
But all that's on my mind is that stripper. Damn her smooth talk, tight pants and sweet smell. Against my better judgement I head towards Rick's Cabaret.
Now, I don't like strip clubs. They reek of desparation and make me feel bad for the strippers (and humanity). At least in my experience (sorry, Mom). So as I walked in I had a bad feeling about it. But why not? I'm on vacation :-)
I grab a beer at the bar and I'm acosted by every stripper in the place. Interestingly, they too assured me I wouldn't be disappointed. Uncanny, huh? :-) I'm trying not to stare at the great looking half-naked women around me and I get a hug from behind me. Sure enough, Elizabeth is right behind me holding on tightly. Apparently this was a signal to the vultures to back off since they scattered immediately.
She wasn't "dressed" like the rest of the girls. Keep in mind, it wasn't something you wear to church but it wasn't the usual uniform. Classy - if that's possible in this joint. I'm smitten. With a stripper. Why am I here? What was I expecting? What am I thinking? Well, she answered those questions a few moments later. And she was right - I wasn't disappointed.
Time passed quickly and I'm headed out to get cheap luggage and make sure I catch the shuttle on-time. But, before I can get to the door, Elizabeth grabs me, hugs me tightly, and kisses me on the cheek. I was hoping to quietly escape and put all this behind me but she made sure I won't soon forget the stripper I met in Madison Square Park. The background music at this point should be "Private Dancer" by Tina Turner.
I now have 30 minutes to settle on some crappy luggage and get a very quick bite to eat. Pizza sounded good and I hadn't had a real "pie" since being in NYC. And boy do they know how to do a meat-lovers pizza. Yum!
I find some crappy tourist joint with $30 luggage and I talked him down to $22. Knowing the shuttle might show up early (again), I hustle to the rendezvous point.
I hadn't been at the bus stop long enough to put my headphones back on when it pulled up. Its packed and I end up next to a Brazillian woman and an old couple from Bathe UK. Nice folks.
I'm glad to be back in the hotel - I'm beat and my feet hurt. I'm going to bed.
Route: N/A
By the numbers:
1 - srtipper to fall in love with
4 - minutes the shuttle left early
I decided to catch the later shuttle downtown to ship some of my motorcycle gear. Breakfast sounded good so I head down to the cafe downstairs. The shuttle driver was grabbing coffee and my watch said I had 15 minutes. No problem I thought. The waiter understood my rush and everything was quickly at my table.
I finish as fast as I could and rushed out to the shuttle only to see the tail lights as it drove away. I look at my watch and it says 9:26. I tell the guy outside that its early. "Not according to my watch", he says. I tell him its early and to look at my watch - it's atomic. It's met with a blank stare and I ask if its too late for him to stop them before they leave the parking lot.
He catches one of the drivers and I rush a quarter mile away with my motorcycle suit and boots under my arm. The driver opens the door and says, "You're late". I retort, "You left early, just look at my atomic...nevermind". I have a seat and think about what I want to see today.
A few minutes later and I was on Broadway and 42nd. The UPS shop was just steps away and $50 later my gear was boxed up and on its way back to San Jose. I wander out and staart looking for luggage for my flight home. I check my home to see that I had missed a call. I check my messages and learn that the shipping truck is a few hours away. So much for a 24 hour notice. This threw a wrench in my plans for the day. I hope I make it to see the Brooklyn Bridge.
Coffee sounded good so I stopped at a small cafe across from the Late Show. I call Travelocity to reschedule my flight. Ouch - $330 to move it forward and get a non-middle seat. Ah well...
I decide I should get some food before headed back to the hotel. "Street Meat" sounded good. I walk towards Times Square and find a chicken gyro. Delicious!! I hope I don't regret it.
There's another hour or so before I need to be on a bus, so I head down Madison towards the little park I saw yesterday. The weather was much nicer so the walk was nice.
I have a seat next to a gorgeous woman at the park. It was lunch time but hardly anyone was out yet. We start talking and I realize 30 minutes was quickly gone. It's easy talking with a woman who looks like Jessica Biel. Elizabeth was from St Paul and was as smart as she was good looking - studied in France as well. I had an instant infatuation.
I ask if she had to get back to work and she laughed and said, "I don't work until later this evening". Of course, I ask what she did. My heart sank as I learned that my dream girl is a stripper. Now would be the time to queue J Giels Band 'Angel is a Centerfold" as background music.
Simultaneously, I'm crushed and drawn to my muse now less than an arms length away. An interesting feeling, to be sure. We chat for a bit more and the realization hits me - strippers never share their real information. Too many stalkers out there. I wonder if anything she told me was true. Was she really as interested as it seemed? I've been to enough strip clubs to know better than to think that a stripper really likes me. They only like my wallet.
She invites me to come see her tonight and I make a non-commital comment about making it. She assures me I won't be disappointed. A stripper indeed.
I rush back to my hotel to put all the luggage back on my bike. The shipping truck shows up and we load it up. 15 minutes later my bike is back on its way back to San Jose. I won't be using this company again.
This trip has exhausted me. So I take nap for a bit and rest my feet. I wake up with a jolt and get my head on straight before heading back to the bus stop back into town. I really need some luggage if I'm going to get my crap home tomorrow. Off to negotiate with some touristy shop off of Times Square. I see nothing I want - at least nothing I was willing to pay for.
But all that's on my mind is that stripper. Damn her smooth talk, tight pants and sweet smell. Against my better judgement I head towards Rick's Cabaret.
Now, I don't like strip clubs. They reek of desparation and make me feel bad for the strippers (and humanity). At least in my experience (sorry, Mom). So as I walked in I had a bad feeling about it. But why not? I'm on vacation :-)
I grab a beer at the bar and I'm acosted by every stripper in the place. Interestingly, they too assured me I wouldn't be disappointed. Uncanny, huh? :-) I'm trying not to stare at the great looking half-naked women around me and I get a hug from behind me. Sure enough, Elizabeth is right behind me holding on tightly. Apparently this was a signal to the vultures to back off since they scattered immediately.
She wasn't "dressed" like the rest of the girls. Keep in mind, it wasn't something you wear to church but it wasn't the usual uniform. Classy - if that's possible in this joint. I'm smitten. With a stripper. Why am I here? What was I expecting? What am I thinking? Well, she answered those questions a few moments later. And she was right - I wasn't disappointed.
Time passed quickly and I'm headed out to get cheap luggage and make sure I catch the shuttle on-time. But, before I can get to the door, Elizabeth grabs me, hugs me tightly, and kisses me on the cheek. I was hoping to quietly escape and put all this behind me but she made sure I won't soon forget the stripper I met in Madison Square Park. The background music at this point should be "Private Dancer" by Tina Turner.
I now have 30 minutes to settle on some crappy luggage and get a very quick bite to eat. Pizza sounded good and I hadn't had a real "pie" since being in NYC. And boy do they know how to do a meat-lovers pizza. Yum!
I find some crappy tourist joint with $30 luggage and I talked him down to $22. Knowing the shuttle might show up early (again), I hustle to the rendezvous point.
I hadn't been at the bus stop long enough to put my headphones back on when it pulled up. Its packed and I end up next to a Brazillian woman and an old couple from Bathe UK. Nice folks.
I'm glad to be back in the hotel - I'm beat and my feet hurt. I'm going to bed.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Day 11 - New York City
Total miles: 0
Route: N/A
By the numbers:
0 - smiles from any of the 3512 gorgeous women I saw
1 - guy with 1 eye
2 - NYPD cops that look like supermodels
3512 - gorgeous women
No riding today - too much trouble to get back on the bike. Besides, my ass hurts and, after briefly seeing the city last night, I can tell parking the bike will be too much trouble. Not to mention worrying about the luggage. I'm waiting for a call from the trucking company to narrow down the pick up time...
I barely make it down stairs for the 8am shuttle from the the hotel. This time it only took 20 minutes to get in.
I wonder if I'm wearing enough warm clothes since the jackets and scarves are on all the new yorkers. I start walking and think I'm gonna freeze. I again wander into Times Square and duck into the Starbucks. Ahh - warm coffee.
I pop back out on the street and head where ever the crowds go. I end up peering into the Good Morning America set where Sara Evans is getting ready to play. Its just me and three other people watching and Ms Evans looks out and locks eyes with me. She gives me a barely perceptible smile as I stare back wondering who she's looking at. I looka around and it had to have been me, right? At least that's my story. I'm sticking to it.
I wander on to the Fox news set and wonder what story they're spinning at the moment. But I couldn't focus - every third woman is gorgeous. Stunning. Beaufitful. I think back on my comment to Hillary the night before. I should live here at least once. What's the old saying? Live in Northern CA but leave before you get too soft. Live in New York City but leave before you get too hard. Or something like that...
I keep on walking down fifth before realizing I wasn't really going anyware. So, 15 blocks back to seventh so I can grab a tour bus. I choose the southern route and hop on. We head down broadway and before I know it were in Greenwich, then SoHo, then Tribeca. I hop off at tribeca - I freezing and hungry again.
I keep walking south and end up at Wall St. The place is a mad house with all recent market crash and talk of the bailout. I head to Bravo Cafe for some food. I'm shoulder to shoulder with brokers and all I can hear is, "that bullshit bailout".
I finish lunch and keep going south. I find the bronze ball from the WTC in Battery Park and I can smell the water. I walk through the park and see the amazing view - the statue of liberty is right in front of me as is Staten and Govenors Islands. Luckily, the weather was gorgeous.
I head back through Tribeca nd quickly realize I'm practically homeless compared to the folks in this neighborhood. The rich must live here. From Tibeca, I go east to the WTC site. As I approach it, the size hits you. The site is massive. I see a number of memorials - some official, some not. They're all so personal and sad. You can't help but be moved by the site.
I decide I need a break and grab a coffee and do a little people watching. I don't think I'll ever get sick of it in NYC.
Headed back towards SoHo for dinner plans I start noticing all the cool bars. So, I have to check them out. I'm on vacation so why not indulge a little? Four cool bars later I've made friends with most of the bartenders - one in particular. She had the same name as an ex and looked almost exactly like her. This uncanny realization leeps me from getting sober.
I finally check my watch and figure I better start walking. I have 20 blocks to go if I want to make it to dinner in SoHo on time. I stop mid-stride down Houston - "The Beer Store"? I thought this was Whole Foods? I quickly walk into beer mecca. This made BevMo look like a frat boys fridge. I start chatting with Maggie the manager to get the scoop. It was supposed to be a wine bar but they couldn't get the permit and The Beer Store was opened. It was such a hit that they plan on opening it up across the country.
I find a seat on the corner to wait for Natali and take in the scenery. This section reminds me of the Haight and the Mission districts in SF. I see Natali and we head into a cute little French restaurant. Nice. We catch up and laugh about high school. She's handling her semi-fame (Correspondant for CBS/CNET) about as well as a shy girl from CA could. She offered to bring me to a taping of Fox's Red Eye on Friday evening. I wonder if I'll be here...maybe I'll stay.
I catch the F Train uptown and try to find cheap luggage that will work for getting home. I guess its good I'll have (at least) one more day here to wander around. Looks like I'll need to get familiar with the subway...
The shuttle couldn't come soon enough - I'm beat.
Route: N/A
By the numbers:
0 - smiles from any of the 3512 gorgeous women I saw
1 - guy with 1 eye
2 - NYPD cops that look like supermodels
3512 - gorgeous women
No riding today - too much trouble to get back on the bike. Besides, my ass hurts and, after briefly seeing the city last night, I can tell parking the bike will be too much trouble. Not to mention worrying about the luggage. I'm waiting for a call from the trucking company to narrow down the pick up time...
I barely make it down stairs for the 8am shuttle from the the hotel. This time it only took 20 minutes to get in.
I wonder if I'm wearing enough warm clothes since the jackets and scarves are on all the new yorkers. I start walking and think I'm gonna freeze. I again wander into Times Square and duck into the Starbucks. Ahh - warm coffee.
I pop back out on the street and head where ever the crowds go. I end up peering into the Good Morning America set where Sara Evans is getting ready to play. Its just me and three other people watching and Ms Evans looks out and locks eyes with me. She gives me a barely perceptible smile as I stare back wondering who she's looking at. I looka around and it had to have been me, right? At least that's my story. I'm sticking to it.
I wander on to the Fox news set and wonder what story they're spinning at the moment. But I couldn't focus - every third woman is gorgeous. Stunning. Beaufitful. I think back on my comment to Hillary the night before. I should live here at least once. What's the old saying? Live in Northern CA but leave before you get too soft. Live in New York City but leave before you get too hard. Or something like that...
I keep on walking down fifth before realizing I wasn't really going anyware. So, 15 blocks back to seventh so I can grab a tour bus. I choose the southern route and hop on. We head down broadway and before I know it were in Greenwich, then SoHo, then Tribeca. I hop off at tribeca - I freezing and hungry again.
I keep walking south and end up at Wall St. The place is a mad house with all recent market crash and talk of the bailout. I head to Bravo Cafe for some food. I'm shoulder to shoulder with brokers and all I can hear is, "that bullshit bailout".
I finish lunch and keep going south. I find the bronze ball from the WTC in Battery Park and I can smell the water. I walk through the park and see the amazing view - the statue of liberty is right in front of me as is Staten and Govenors Islands. Luckily, the weather was gorgeous.
I head back through Tribeca nd quickly realize I'm practically homeless compared to the folks in this neighborhood. The rich must live here. From Tibeca, I go east to the WTC site. As I approach it, the size hits you. The site is massive. I see a number of memorials - some official, some not. They're all so personal and sad. You can't help but be moved by the site.
I decide I need a break and grab a coffee and do a little people watching. I don't think I'll ever get sick of it in NYC.
Headed back towards SoHo for dinner plans I start noticing all the cool bars. So, I have to check them out. I'm on vacation so why not indulge a little? Four cool bars later I've made friends with most of the bartenders - one in particular. She had the same name as an ex and looked almost exactly like her. This uncanny realization leeps me from getting sober.
I finally check my watch and figure I better start walking. I have 20 blocks to go if I want to make it to dinner in SoHo on time. I stop mid-stride down Houston - "The Beer Store"? I thought this was Whole Foods? I quickly walk into beer mecca. This made BevMo look like a frat boys fridge. I start chatting with Maggie the manager to get the scoop. It was supposed to be a wine bar but they couldn't get the permit and The Beer Store was opened. It was such a hit that they plan on opening it up across the country.
I find a seat on the corner to wait for Natali and take in the scenery. This section reminds me of the Haight and the Mission districts in SF. I see Natali and we head into a cute little French restaurant. Nice. We catch up and laugh about high school. She's handling her semi-fame (Correspondant for CBS/CNET) about as well as a shy girl from CA could. She offered to bring me to a taping of Fox's Red Eye on Friday evening. I wonder if I'll be here...maybe I'll stay.
I catch the F Train uptown and try to find cheap luggage that will work for getting home. I guess its good I'll have (at least) one more day here to wander around. Looks like I'll need to get familiar with the subway...
The shuttle couldn't come soon enough - I'm beat.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Day 10 - Boston MA to New York NY
Total miles:278
Route: all over the place - too much to list
By the numbers:
0 - motorcyclists on the road in MA and RI
1 - WTF are you talking about
moment
48 - temperature for most of the day
I slept in again this morning but got ready quickly. I hit the road and chatted with the bell hop about how best to get to Harvard Square. It was only a few miles away so I figured I didn't need to put all my cold weather gear on. I hit the road with the bell hops directions clear in my head. Three turns later I'm on the freeway headed south out of Boston. Damn it!
I figure I'd just suck it up and keep riding a bit but 10 miles later I'm freezing and staving. I start looking for a place to eat. I pull off and end up at another McDonald's. Oh well - at least I know what I want.
The two black ladies behind the counter are a riot! "Hey sugar - how you doing? Yes, I'm flirting with you." I order my usual with a few extra hashbowns (how I love them so) and try to warm up.
I'm almost done eating and I'm enjoying the live act from Lois and Kim when I notice a guy outside checking out my bike. Not the first time. He's probably never seen anything like it.
I get all my gear on and head out. To my right I hear a thick Boston accent, "Hey! Nice fucking bike!". I laugh at the comment and he gets out of his truck and we start chatting. I comment that its been a long ride and motion towards my license plate. "Holy shit I you rode all the way!?!? You got balls man!". I laugh and say, "Nope - just a sore ass."
I hit the road to Hyannis and appreciate every ray of sunshine that shines through. I'm glad I brought all my gear but I curse that heated vest for not working.
Hyannis was only an hour or so away and it was fairly uneventful. I expected to be in an area like Sausalito - Senatorshave vacation houses in Cape Cod right? It looked like a beach town with nicer beat up homes. Nothing like I expected - no tourist value, just a small town to get away to.
I punch in the GPS coordinates for my hotel in Union City NJ (North Bergen really) and realize I have 232 miles to go. I better ha ass if I want to beat traffic. I got a hold of a motorcycling buddy who lives in Manhattan and we were meeting at 6:30 near the Port Authority. Ok - time to show 95 south to a little 101 south driving.
First up on 95 S is Providence RI - I think I should check it out when I'm out here next. New Haven and Bridgeport CT fly by as I pass most everything in sight. I keep a close eye on my rearview for any Troopers.
I make it to the outskirts of NYC and 30 story buildings start popping up like weeds. I must be getting close. Sure enough ~15 miles out I can see the famous skyline...and I hit traffic. It's stop and go for 5 miles before opening up as I pass the usual turn off (George Washington Bridge). A few minutes later I'm at my crappy hotel in New Jersey.
I quickly check in and hit the shower hoping to not be late for drinks. At the front desk, I ask again where the bus stop is, what bus I should take, and how much it costs. Check, check, and check. I wait at the bus stop only a few moments before a suitable bus arrives.
Then I the bus waits in traffic getting to the Lincoln Tunnel. We wait. And wait. And wait some more 45 mintues to make it through the tunnel and into Port Authority. Fortunately, I snapped a few choice pics of the skyline as we slowly passed by.
I get off in Hells Kitchen which is not the slum it used to be. I quickly lose my orientation and head towards 7th Ave instead of 9th. Hmm - this could take some getting used to. I quickly make it past the mass of people and meet Hillary. She recommends the Irish Rogue as we pass up another crowded bar. We grab a drink and quickly catch up while realizing we needed some dinner. She suggests a sushi joint and I quickly agree.
We head to Haru and we have to go through times square. Wow - impressive but it looks bigger on TV. It reminds me of the Shibuya in Tokyo. I grab a few pics before we hit Haru.
We order and the sushi us great. Some of the best I've ever had. Even in the Tsukiji fish market. Impressive. We continue to catch up and I ask where I should go. She recommends Hogs 'N Heifers ro blocks away. I pay the $200 bill and we hug goodbye. I'm off to the famous bar. I grab a cab and I'm there.
I wander to the door and I'm greeted as expected - a blonde in a bra and tight jeans says, "what the fuck are you looking at?!?" Welcome to New York. As I get my I'd checked, the two bartenders start dancing on the bar. A nice sight, for sure.
I pull up a seat and have a black and tan. Erin and I start chatting and she drops the Dick's Last Resort act. Turns out she lived in the Oakland Hills for a year and we make small talk between her insults to the recent patrons. I have another beer and enjoy the free shows.
I turn around for a moment and survey the hundreds of bars of unique bar "art". I turn back and see a third black and tan... I may not be from NYC but I can tell when I'm being worked by scantilly clad women. I might as well have been at a strip club.
I push the beer to the side and head out the door. I head some commotion but I dont look back. I start walking up 9th Ave intending to hail a cab since it was 30 blocks to the Port Authority. I snap a few pics every couple blocks and take in the sights, sounds, and smells of New York.
I look up after one pic and I'm at the Port Authority. Cool - way less than a cab. Once out of the tunnel I walk the 6 blocks back to the hotel and call it a night. I'll be back in the morning NYC...
Route: all over the place - too much to list
By the numbers:
0 - motorcyclists on the road in MA and RI
1 - WTF are you talking about
moment
48 - temperature for most of the day
I slept in again this morning but got ready quickly. I hit the road and chatted with the bell hop about how best to get to Harvard Square. It was only a few miles away so I figured I didn't need to put all my cold weather gear on. I hit the road with the bell hops directions clear in my head. Three turns later I'm on the freeway headed south out of Boston. Damn it!
I figure I'd just suck it up and keep riding a bit but 10 miles later I'm freezing and staving. I start looking for a place to eat. I pull off and end up at another McDonald's. Oh well - at least I know what I want.
The two black ladies behind the counter are a riot! "Hey sugar - how you doing? Yes, I'm flirting with you." I order my usual with a few extra hashbowns (how I love them so) and try to warm up.
I'm almost done eating and I'm enjoying the live act from Lois and Kim when I notice a guy outside checking out my bike. Not the first time. He's probably never seen anything like it.
I get all my gear on and head out. To my right I hear a thick Boston accent, "Hey! Nice fucking bike!". I laugh at the comment and he gets out of his truck and we start chatting. I comment that its been a long ride and motion towards my license plate. "Holy shit I you rode all the way!?!? You got balls man!". I laugh and say, "Nope - just a sore ass."
I hit the road to Hyannis and appreciate every ray of sunshine that shines through. I'm glad I brought all my gear but I curse that heated vest for not working.
Hyannis was only an hour or so away and it was fairly uneventful. I expected to be in an area like Sausalito - Senatorshave vacation houses in Cape Cod right? It looked like a beach town with nicer beat up homes. Nothing like I expected - no tourist value, just a small town to get away to.
I punch in the GPS coordinates for my hotel in Union City NJ (North Bergen really) and realize I have 232 miles to go. I better ha ass if I want to beat traffic. I got a hold of a motorcycling buddy who lives in Manhattan and we were meeting at 6:30 near the Port Authority. Ok - time to show 95 south to a little 101 south driving.
First up on 95 S is Providence RI - I think I should check it out when I'm out here next. New Haven and Bridgeport CT fly by as I pass most everything in sight. I keep a close eye on my rearview for any Troopers.
I make it to the outskirts of NYC and 30 story buildings start popping up like weeds. I must be getting close. Sure enough ~15 miles out I can see the famous skyline...and I hit traffic. It's stop and go for 5 miles before opening up as I pass the usual turn off (George Washington Bridge). A few minutes later I'm at my crappy hotel in New Jersey.
I quickly check in and hit the shower hoping to not be late for drinks. At the front desk, I ask again where the bus stop is, what bus I should take, and how much it costs. Check, check, and check. I wait at the bus stop only a few moments before a suitable bus arrives.
Then I the bus waits in traffic getting to the Lincoln Tunnel. We wait. And wait. And wait some more 45 mintues to make it through the tunnel and into Port Authority. Fortunately, I snapped a few choice pics of the skyline as we slowly passed by.
I get off in Hells Kitchen which is not the slum it used to be. I quickly lose my orientation and head towards 7th Ave instead of 9th. Hmm - this could take some getting used to. I quickly make it past the mass of people and meet Hillary. She recommends the Irish Rogue as we pass up another crowded bar. We grab a drink and quickly catch up while realizing we needed some dinner. She suggests a sushi joint and I quickly agree.
We head to Haru and we have to go through times square. Wow - impressive but it looks bigger on TV. It reminds me of the Shibuya in Tokyo. I grab a few pics before we hit Haru.
We order and the sushi us great. Some of the best I've ever had. Even in the Tsukiji fish market. Impressive. We continue to catch up and I ask where I should go. She recommends Hogs 'N Heifers ro blocks away. I pay the $200 bill and we hug goodbye. I'm off to the famous bar. I grab a cab and I'm there.
I wander to the door and I'm greeted as expected - a blonde in a bra and tight jeans says, "what the fuck are you looking at?!?" Welcome to New York. As I get my I'd checked, the two bartenders start dancing on the bar. A nice sight, for sure.
I pull up a seat and have a black and tan. Erin and I start chatting and she drops the Dick's Last Resort act. Turns out she lived in the Oakland Hills for a year and we make small talk between her insults to the recent patrons. I have another beer and enjoy the free shows.
I turn around for a moment and survey the hundreds of bars of unique bar "art". I turn back and see a third black and tan... I may not be from NYC but I can tell when I'm being worked by scantilly clad women. I might as well have been at a strip club.
I push the beer to the side and head out the door. I head some commotion but I dont look back. I start walking up 9th Ave intending to hail a cab since it was 30 blocks to the Port Authority. I snap a few pics every couple blocks and take in the sights, sounds, and smells of New York.
I look up after one pic and I'm at the Port Authority. Cool - way less than a cab. Once out of the tunnel I walk the 6 blocks back to the hotel and call it a night. I'll be back in the morning NYC...
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Day 9 - Haverford PA to Boston MA
Total miles: 379
Route: too complicated to list
By the numbers:
FF1 - the license plate of the Boston Fire Chief.
31 - the cost of parking my motorcycle overnight in Boston
45 - wait in minutes to get into any bar or restaurant near Fenway
I slept in a bit this morning and I'm glad I did. It looked cold out but it was nice in Haverford. Tim, his Aunt and Uncle see me off and I hit the road with only coffee in my stomach.
I pass by Villanova and realize its colder than I thought. Thank God for heated vests. I'll just turn the knob up a little more. Hmmm - thay doesn't seem to do anything. Oh well, only one more day after this...
A buddy I used to work with at PayPal went to MIT and he made a number of recommendations for my route but, when I added them up, it was over 650 miles! I made a few adjustments and brought the total to ~375.
Northern PA is very pretty as I approached NY. But while it was sunny out, I noticed water on the road and fog in the distance. At least it wasn't rain. But I rode into the fog and the temp dropped like a rock. It became very clear that the lack of a heated vest would be a major problem despite the low mileage for the day.
I got a shiver and immediately looked for a place to grab some food and gas. Unfortunately, all I found in the aptly named twon Wind Gap was a McDonalds. But it sounded like an oasis of warmth at the moment.
After warming up I hit the road again with the New York stateline as my goal. As I ride, I convince myself that The Beach Boys are actually warming me up with their sunny lyrics. They were not. The road the GPS put me on way pretty but not fast. At least I got some good pics. Fortunately, my stubborness is an asset in this sort of situation and I made it to NY anyway.
With the sun gone, things went from bad to worse. Turns out that fog was actually rain and I was riding straight into it. Damn that heated vest!
I finally make it to CT and realize I still have a long way to go. Time for another stop at an East Coast joint - Dunkin Donuts. The coffee is good.
Alone I-95 the views are picture purfect. The more North I rode, the more the colors had changed. Add to that some lakes and rivers and my pics are unbelievable.As I approach Boston, I stop one last time to warm up and hit the road again.
I ride into Boston and and wonder if there's a Sox game tonight. No traffic so I must be OK. I ride past my second well known college of the day - MIT.
Boston is gorgeous. I was told to take an earlier exit to ride through the area and I'm glad I did. The buildings and trees are stunning - unlike anything I've seen before. Its proabably most similar to older, nicer parts of SF like Nob Hill or Russian Hill. And equally expensive from what I'm told.
I arrive at my hotel and gasp when I learn that parking will cost $31 for the night. Yikes.
I head out after a shower to run an errand for a friend (drop off some pics at a local bar for some regulars). As soon as I get in the cab I realize there is a game and this will not be a short (or cheap) cab ride. We wander through traffic as best we could and we end up next to a black goverment sedan with the a custom fire fighter license plate that reads "FF 1". The ruddy Irish man next to us was the fire captain for all of Boston. We exchanged feigned smiles as the light turned green and we zoomed off to sit in more traffic.
I could see Fenway in the distance and our cab came to a stop gridlocked 30 before the game. I pay the total and hop our a few blocks before and wandered into complete chaos. The streets were swarmed with Red Sox fans. I contempated going to the game but the only tickets left were from scalpers and they wanted $150 each.
I hit the bar as intended and drop off "the package" and quickly get out of the Fenway area. The wait at any restaurant was 45 minutes or more. I wandered around and happened to stumble onto Cross Roads Irish bar -- one of the places my buddy had recommended. The bar was practically deserted and I saddled up to the bar and tried a local brew.
The place quickly filled up and two guys sat next to me and chatted about phones. I couldn't help but chime in with a few key points and they laughed. Jeff and Jeremy were from Minesota and Jeff was getting married next weekend. His fiancee is from Boston and Jeremy will be his best man. We chatted about my trip, their jobs, and the game on the big screen directly in front of us as I tried not to stare at the barkeep - she was cute.
One nacho plate and a few beers later I'm off to Cheers for another beer. I meet two Russian women on vacation. You couldn't help but notice one of them - a red, skin tight dress way above the knee, knee high zebra striped boots, and hair as red as katsup. What a look. Fortunately, Boston seems to have lot of good looking women so this didn't phase me.
Exhausted and full of beer, I wander back to the hotel to get some sleep. I want to get up a bit early and checkout Harvard Square...
Route: too complicated to list
By the numbers:
FF1 - the license plate of the Boston Fire Chief.
31 - the cost of parking my motorcycle overnight in Boston
45 - wait in minutes to get into any bar or restaurant near Fenway
I slept in a bit this morning and I'm glad I did. It looked cold out but it was nice in Haverford. Tim, his Aunt and Uncle see me off and I hit the road with only coffee in my stomach.
I pass by Villanova and realize its colder than I thought. Thank God for heated vests. I'll just turn the knob up a little more. Hmmm - thay doesn't seem to do anything. Oh well, only one more day after this...
A buddy I used to work with at PayPal went to MIT and he made a number of recommendations for my route but, when I added them up, it was over 650 miles! I made a few adjustments and brought the total to ~375.
Northern PA is very pretty as I approached NY. But while it was sunny out, I noticed water on the road and fog in the distance. At least it wasn't rain. But I rode into the fog and the temp dropped like a rock. It became very clear that the lack of a heated vest would be a major problem despite the low mileage for the day.
I got a shiver and immediately looked for a place to grab some food and gas. Unfortunately, all I found in the aptly named twon Wind Gap was a McDonalds. But it sounded like an oasis of warmth at the moment.
After warming up I hit the road again with the New York stateline as my goal. As I ride, I convince myself that The Beach Boys are actually warming me up with their sunny lyrics. They were not. The road the GPS put me on way pretty but not fast. At least I got some good pics. Fortunately, my stubborness is an asset in this sort of situation and I made it to NY anyway.
With the sun gone, things went from bad to worse. Turns out that fog was actually rain and I was riding straight into it. Damn that heated vest!
I finally make it to CT and realize I still have a long way to go. Time for another stop at an East Coast joint - Dunkin Donuts. The coffee is good.
Alone I-95 the views are picture purfect. The more North I rode, the more the colors had changed. Add to that some lakes and rivers and my pics are unbelievable.As I approach Boston, I stop one last time to warm up and hit the road again.
I ride into Boston and and wonder if there's a Sox game tonight. No traffic so I must be OK. I ride past my second well known college of the day - MIT.
Boston is gorgeous. I was told to take an earlier exit to ride through the area and I'm glad I did. The buildings and trees are stunning - unlike anything I've seen before. Its proabably most similar to older, nicer parts of SF like Nob Hill or Russian Hill. And equally expensive from what I'm told.
I arrive at my hotel and gasp when I learn that parking will cost $31 for the night. Yikes.
I head out after a shower to run an errand for a friend (drop off some pics at a local bar for some regulars). As soon as I get in the cab I realize there is a game and this will not be a short (or cheap) cab ride. We wander through traffic as best we could and we end up next to a black goverment sedan with the a custom fire fighter license plate that reads "FF 1". The ruddy Irish man next to us was the fire captain for all of Boston. We exchanged feigned smiles as the light turned green and we zoomed off to sit in more traffic.
I could see Fenway in the distance and our cab came to a stop gridlocked 30 before the game. I pay the total and hop our a few blocks before and wandered into complete chaos. The streets were swarmed with Red Sox fans. I contempated going to the game but the only tickets left were from scalpers and they wanted $150 each.
I hit the bar as intended and drop off "the package" and quickly get out of the Fenway area. The wait at any restaurant was 45 minutes or more. I wandered around and happened to stumble onto Cross Roads Irish bar -- one of the places my buddy had recommended. The bar was practically deserted and I saddled up to the bar and tried a local brew.
The place quickly filled up and two guys sat next to me and chatted about phones. I couldn't help but chime in with a few key points and they laughed. Jeff and Jeremy were from Minesota and Jeff was getting married next weekend. His fiancee is from Boston and Jeremy will be his best man. We chatted about my trip, their jobs, and the game on the big screen directly in front of us as I tried not to stare at the barkeep - she was cute.
One nacho plate and a few beers later I'm off to Cheers for another beer. I meet two Russian women on vacation. You couldn't help but notice one of them - a red, skin tight dress way above the knee, knee high zebra striped boots, and hair as red as katsup. What a look. Fortunately, Boston seems to have lot of good looking women so this didn't phase me.
Exhausted and full of beer, I wander back to the hotel to get some sleep. I want to get up a bit early and checkout Harvard Square...
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Day 8 - Durham NC to Haverford PA
**No pics until I get home and upload them all**
Total miles: 403
Route: 95 to 295 to 495 to...does every Interstate end with 95?!??
By the numbers:
1 - overly delicious cheese steak
2 - sore asses
859 - good looking women whizzing by us in traffic
We left early again and it was cold - 46 degrees cold. On goes the heated vest, balaclava, and the winter gloves. They all worked OK but I'm not looking forward to the ride tomorrow. Free coffee was downstairs so we downed some as we got ready to face the cold. We decided to skip breakfast for a hundred miles or so and just hit the road.
NC is pretty too - we're in a very lush part of the country. Some of the trees are just starting to change colors but it seems I'm a few weeks early. Next time I'll have to start a bit later in the fall...
The highway is different than anything I saw in the rest of the country. You can't see any of the businesses from the freeway and the signs are right at the off-ramp so you better act quickly if you decides you need to get off. The upside is that the freeway is uncluttered and pretty.
The cafe in Virginia we stumble upon was new compared with the old places in the area. Rumorz Cafe is a bar, a nightclub, and a cafe. The waitress offered up the daily specials but I stopped her short when she offered a breakfast buffet. I felt cheated visiting Vegas without engorging myself with a buffet but I wanted to make sure I made up for that mistake. I asked where the buffet was and she corrected me and said they just make me whatever I want. A broad smile crept across my face and I ordered one of everything. She laughed and went in the back. Yet minutes later I had a few plates of great breakfast food.
We hit the road again and start rolling through the states - Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, Delaware, and finally Pennsylvania. Our asses weren't pleased with us by the end but we made it to Tim's aunts house with time to spare. The area is gorgeous - like each house could be it's own Kinkaid painting. It has a small town feel with kids playing outside, police officers that wave as you ride by, and friendly folks at the supermarket. A real change of pace from CA where you don't know your neighbors...
His Aunt had ordered us some Cheese Steaks and I was in heaven after the first bite. Nothing in CA tastes like this. Nothing. I'll be back from more (with Tasty Kakes) as dessert.
To account for the shipping gaffe, I've decided to skip upstate New York and go straight to Boston. A buddy that went to school there concurred. I'm looking forward to it! So, I'm off to bed to grab some much needed sleep. As it turns out, sitting on your ass for 10 hours a day is hard work...
Total miles: 403
Route: 95 to 295 to 495 to...does every Interstate end with 95?!??
By the numbers:
1 - overly delicious cheese steak
2 - sore asses
859 - good looking women whizzing by us in traffic
We left early again and it was cold - 46 degrees cold. On goes the heated vest, balaclava, and the winter gloves. They all worked OK but I'm not looking forward to the ride tomorrow. Free coffee was downstairs so we downed some as we got ready to face the cold. We decided to skip breakfast for a hundred miles or so and just hit the road.
NC is pretty too - we're in a very lush part of the country. Some of the trees are just starting to change colors but it seems I'm a few weeks early. Next time I'll have to start a bit later in the fall...
The highway is different than anything I saw in the rest of the country. You can't see any of the businesses from the freeway and the signs are right at the off-ramp so you better act quickly if you decides you need to get off. The upside is that the freeway is uncluttered and pretty.
The cafe in Virginia we stumble upon was new compared with the old places in the area. Rumorz Cafe is a bar, a nightclub, and a cafe. The waitress offered up the daily specials but I stopped her short when she offered a breakfast buffet. I felt cheated visiting Vegas without engorging myself with a buffet but I wanted to make sure I made up for that mistake. I asked where the buffet was and she corrected me and said they just make me whatever I want. A broad smile crept across my face and I ordered one of everything. She laughed and went in the back. Yet minutes later I had a few plates of great breakfast food.
We hit the road again and start rolling through the states - Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, Delaware, and finally Pennsylvania. Our asses weren't pleased with us by the end but we made it to Tim's aunts house with time to spare. The area is gorgeous - like each house could be it's own Kinkaid painting. It has a small town feel with kids playing outside, police officers that wave as you ride by, and friendly folks at the supermarket. A real change of pace from CA where you don't know your neighbors...
His Aunt had ordered us some Cheese Steaks and I was in heaven after the first bite. Nothing in CA tastes like this. Nothing. I'll be back from more (with Tasty Kakes) as dessert.
To account for the shipping gaffe, I've decided to skip upstate New York and go straight to Boston. A buddy that went to school there concurred. I'm looking forward to it! So, I'm off to bed to grab some much needed sleep. As it turns out, sitting on your ass for 10 hours a day is hard work...
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Day 7 - Knoxville TN to Durham NC
Total Miles: 458
Route: 129S,28S, 74E, 19S, 40E
By the numbers:
1 - lying shipping company
1 - instance of me hitting on a woman with a prosthetic leg
2 - perfect, tan legs on a gorgeous coed at UT Knoxville
2 - CA beers on tap
We woke up before the sun was up again. As we wandered, bleary eyed, downstairs to the Starbucks we wondered how cold it would be when we hit the road. By the time we got upstairs the sun was up and we suspected we knew the answer as the mist hang in the fall air of Knoxville. We both got out our cold weather gear and got our bikes ready for the fabled "Tail of the Dragon". More here: http://www.tailofthedragon.com/
Sure enough, it was cold as we hit every light on our way to 129S. Fortunately, my spirits were lifted as we passed UT Knoxville and the most perfect pair of tan legs walked past us in the cross-walk. I think I might need to spend some more time in Knoxville. So far, the majority of the women in Knoxville have been very good looking...
We approach the dragon and it's cold. I assume I'll warm up with a little adrenaline and the lower speeds and take a few pics before it gets too twisty.
The Dragon was impecibly maintained so it was easy to see the road blemishes caused by crashed bikers. I guess the "Tree of Shame" claims far more bikers than I suspected. We take a moderate pace aware of the danger and we realize we have the road to ourselves. Nice. Moments later we see a few bikers pass the other direction and they tap the top of their helmet which means there's a cop up ahead. Our already moderate pace dropped even lower.
The similarities with the Dragon and our local roads were apparent. Why go 2000 miles away when I can ride the same roads in the Santa Cruz mountains? Or beat them with HWY 36 in Northen CA?
We noticed two other bikes approached us at the end of the road so we let them pass.
We crossed the NC state line and the Dragon is over. 318 turns went by so quickly.
As we pull into the main parking lot we see the two guys that passed us walking by. Anthony and Randy were nice guys from Atlanta and we chatted over coffee discussing the intricacies of our bikes and the local roads. They encouraged us to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway and that there were many great roads in the area with far less traffic and photographers. No doubt.
We head off down 28S and think that this is a great idea. The scenery is gorgeous.
But 45 minutes later we find ourselves in a maze of connected roads with little progress towards our hotel room in Durham. I reprogram the GPS and we follow the circuituitous route finally making our way back to 40E. We stop for food - breakfast for lunch again!
The remaining 200 miles to Durham seemed very long. My ass protested every 10 minutes anf I couldn't find a decent position. Ah well...only 6 more days left.
We finally made it to the Marriott and check my messages. It was the shipping company and they said they would be in NYC in the middle of next week - not 10/10 as I had requested. I call them back and find out that they can't pick up on a specific day. Naturally, I'm not pleased because this throws a wrench into my precious schedule. Turns out, the guy who took the order (and my money) was fired for making promises the company couldn't deliver. The offer to refund my money didn't mean much. We'll talk on Monday and figure it out. So, now I have to stay on schedule if I want my bike picked up. I have options, I just font like them too much. All part of the trip, right?
We ask the doorman for recommendations for beer and some semblance of nightlife (we hadn't seem much to this point) and he grabs the shuttle keys and says, "Let's go!"
We end up maybe 7 blocks away at Brightleaf Square but wandered around deciding what our stomachs wanted for dinner. We settle on The Federal which is crawling with Duke students (as was every other place we walked by). We pull up a seat to the bar and look at the beers on tap - two were CA brews. Good ones too (Stone smoked porter and the Lagunitas IPA). We had ridden 3200 miles at this point and I'm having a CA beer since I've never seen it on tap. We even scored a Young's Double Chocolate Stout before calling it a night.
We headed to the sound of the music to Devine's Sports Bar and saw a live band outside. Then we noticed that there was music next door too. We grudgingly paid the $5 cover and headed in. Like The Federal, Devine's was filled with Duke students and Tim and I watched them come and go. I head in for our last whiskey and I'm next to a cute blonde next to me whom I noticed had a bit of a limp and couldn't bend her right knee. I've seen this before in dozens of knee surgeries so I decide I'll make some small talk and start with her knee. Bad idea. I ask her about her knee and she looks at me and says, "My knee is fine other than it not being there." I have a puzzled look on my face. She quickly continues, "I have a prosthetic leg." and smiles. I instantly blush and start apologizing. She was very gracious and said it happens all the time and it's not a big deal. I head back out to tell Tim and, yet again, he laughs at how smooth I am with the ladies. No wonder I'm single. Maybe I need that "Wife Hunting" book after all...
All of today's pics can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pacifisticuffs/sets/72157607712280044/
Route: 129S,28S, 74E, 19S, 40E
By the numbers:
1 - lying shipping company
1 - instance of me hitting on a woman with a prosthetic leg
2 - perfect, tan legs on a gorgeous coed at UT Knoxville
2 - CA beers on tap
We woke up before the sun was up again. As we wandered, bleary eyed, downstairs to the Starbucks we wondered how cold it would be when we hit the road. By the time we got upstairs the sun was up and we suspected we knew the answer as the mist hang in the fall air of Knoxville. We both got out our cold weather gear and got our bikes ready for the fabled "Tail of the Dragon". More here: http://www.tailofthedragon.com/
Sure enough, it was cold as we hit every light on our way to 129S. Fortunately, my spirits were lifted as we passed UT Knoxville and the most perfect pair of tan legs walked past us in the cross-walk. I think I might need to spend some more time in Knoxville. So far, the majority of the women in Knoxville have been very good looking...
We approach the dragon and it's cold. I assume I'll warm up with a little adrenaline and the lower speeds and take a few pics before it gets too twisty.
The Dragon was impecibly maintained so it was easy to see the road blemishes caused by crashed bikers. I guess the "Tree of Shame" claims far more bikers than I suspected. We take a moderate pace aware of the danger and we realize we have the road to ourselves. Nice. Moments later we see a few bikers pass the other direction and they tap the top of their helmet which means there's a cop up ahead. Our already moderate pace dropped even lower.
The similarities with the Dragon and our local roads were apparent. Why go 2000 miles away when I can ride the same roads in the Santa Cruz mountains? Or beat them with HWY 36 in Northen CA?
We noticed two other bikes approached us at the end of the road so we let them pass.
We crossed the NC state line and the Dragon is over. 318 turns went by so quickly.
As we pull into the main parking lot we see the two guys that passed us walking by. Anthony and Randy were nice guys from Atlanta and we chatted over coffee discussing the intricacies of our bikes and the local roads. They encouraged us to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway and that there were many great roads in the area with far less traffic and photographers. No doubt.
We head off down 28S and think that this is a great idea. The scenery is gorgeous.
But 45 minutes later we find ourselves in a maze of connected roads with little progress towards our hotel room in Durham. I reprogram the GPS and we follow the circuituitous route finally making our way back to 40E. We stop for food - breakfast for lunch again!
The remaining 200 miles to Durham seemed very long. My ass protested every 10 minutes anf I couldn't find a decent position. Ah well...only 6 more days left.
We finally made it to the Marriott and check my messages. It was the shipping company and they said they would be in NYC in the middle of next week - not 10/10 as I had requested. I call them back and find out that they can't pick up on a specific day. Naturally, I'm not pleased because this throws a wrench into my precious schedule. Turns out, the guy who took the order (and my money) was fired for making promises the company couldn't deliver. The offer to refund my money didn't mean much. We'll talk on Monday and figure it out. So, now I have to stay on schedule if I want my bike picked up. I have options, I just font like them too much. All part of the trip, right?
We ask the doorman for recommendations for beer and some semblance of nightlife (we hadn't seem much to this point) and he grabs the shuttle keys and says, "Let's go!"
We end up maybe 7 blocks away at Brightleaf Square but wandered around deciding what our stomachs wanted for dinner. We settle on The Federal which is crawling with Duke students (as was every other place we walked by). We pull up a seat to the bar and look at the beers on tap - two were CA brews. Good ones too (Stone smoked porter and the Lagunitas IPA). We had ridden 3200 miles at this point and I'm having a CA beer since I've never seen it on tap. We even scored a Young's Double Chocolate Stout before calling it a night.
We headed to the sound of the music to Devine's Sports Bar and saw a live band outside. Then we noticed that there was music next door too. We grudgingly paid the $5 cover and headed in. Like The Federal, Devine's was filled with Duke students and Tim and I watched them come and go. I head in for our last whiskey and I'm next to a cute blonde next to me whom I noticed had a bit of a limp and couldn't bend her right knee. I've seen this before in dozens of knee surgeries so I decide I'll make some small talk and start with her knee. Bad idea. I ask her about her knee and she looks at me and says, "My knee is fine other than it not being there." I have a puzzled look on my face. She quickly continues, "I have a prosthetic leg." and smiles. I instantly blush and start apologizing. She was very gracious and said it happens all the time and it's not a big deal. I head back out to tell Tim and, yet again, he laughs at how smooth I am with the ladies. No wonder I'm single. Maybe I need that "Wife Hunting" book after all...
All of today's pics can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pacifisticuffs/sets/72157607712280044/
Day 6 - Memphis TN to Knoxville TN
Total miles: 394
Route: 40E again
By the numbers:
1 - trailer with pissing pigs
1 - token asian woman at the brewery
9 - people in the Gaelic band at Patrick Sullivan's
142 - highway patrol officers
We got another early start which affords us some slack time at each stop and lunch. And I needed it - my ass seems to get sore earlier each day and my neck is pretty sore from fighting the wind 10 hours a day. I'm sure I'll get used to it...
One thing is for sure - we're certainly not travelling through a blue state. We saw plenty of "Nobama", "McCain/Palin", and "GW Bush" bumper stickers. From what I could tell from the billboards, Jesus loves us all regardless of political affiliation.
A few pics as we approached and passed Nashville:
We stopped for lunch at the Cracker Barrel an apparent southern staple. I had breakfast for lunch yet again and was floored by their "hashbrown caserole". Never before had potatoes, onions, and cheese been combined so deliciously. I *must* have more...
People seem mesmerized by our bikes with the phrase, "I ain't never seen something like THAT!" Not only are we in Marlboro country, but Harley country as well.
As we approached Knoxville there was a trailer with 6 pigs in it. It was right in front of us when the pig in the back starting pissing. This wasn't a piddly piss - this was a fire hose of pig urine. We immediately pull into the next lane as the pig continues his business on the cars now next to us. Needless to say, the stench was impressive. The worst part was that the truck and trailer was doing 85 so we couldn't really pass him. We were relieved when the trucked pulled off with a State Trooper behind him. I hope he got a ticket...
The Smokey Mountains are very pretty. I can't wait to see their pinnacle - Deals Gap/Tail of the Dragon tomorrow. I'm almost giddy :-)
I finally had enough with growing my facial hair out. After the first week it looked OK but it itched and drove me crazy under my chin strap. So, now it's almost all gone...just a small patch is left.
We ended up on Gay St at the Downtown Grill and Brewery. The place instantly had a CA feel - stylishly dressed people, couples playing pool, in the back, and a waitress that flirted just enough to make us think she liked us. Mackenzie was nice (and a bit nervous around us CA types) and recommended we head to "Old Town" Knoxville to check out the strip. We head down there and walked into Patrick Sullivans (there's been an Irish bar in every town so far).
We grab a beer and notice there's live Gaelic music up stairs. Check it out:
Due to the lack of people in Old Town, we headed back to the Downtown Brewery and played foose ball to pass the time being ignored by the local women. Turns out, I need to tuck in my t-shirt to be found attractive in these parts.
More downtown:
Day 6 pics are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pacifisticuffs/sets/72157607685834083/
Route: 40E again
By the numbers:
1 - trailer with pissing pigs
1 - token asian woman at the brewery
9 - people in the Gaelic band at Patrick Sullivan's
142 - highway patrol officers
We got another early start which affords us some slack time at each stop and lunch. And I needed it - my ass seems to get sore earlier each day and my neck is pretty sore from fighting the wind 10 hours a day. I'm sure I'll get used to it...
One thing is for sure - we're certainly not travelling through a blue state. We saw plenty of "Nobama", "McCain/Palin", and "GW Bush" bumper stickers. From what I could tell from the billboards, Jesus loves us all regardless of political affiliation.
A few pics as we approached and passed Nashville:
We stopped for lunch at the Cracker Barrel an apparent southern staple. I had breakfast for lunch yet again and was floored by their "hashbrown caserole". Never before had potatoes, onions, and cheese been combined so deliciously. I *must* have more...
People seem mesmerized by our bikes with the phrase, "I ain't never seen something like THAT!" Not only are we in Marlboro country, but Harley country as well.
As we approached Knoxville there was a trailer with 6 pigs in it. It was right in front of us when the pig in the back starting pissing. This wasn't a piddly piss - this was a fire hose of pig urine. We immediately pull into the next lane as the pig continues his business on the cars now next to us. Needless to say, the stench was impressive. The worst part was that the truck and trailer was doing 85 so we couldn't really pass him. We were relieved when the trucked pulled off with a State Trooper behind him. I hope he got a ticket...
The Smokey Mountains are very pretty. I can't wait to see their pinnacle - Deals Gap/Tail of the Dragon tomorrow. I'm almost giddy :-)
I finally had enough with growing my facial hair out. After the first week it looked OK but it itched and drove me crazy under my chin strap. So, now it's almost all gone...just a small patch is left.
We ended up on Gay St at the Downtown Grill and Brewery. The place instantly had a CA feel - stylishly dressed people, couples playing pool, in the back, and a waitress that flirted just enough to make us think she liked us. Mackenzie was nice (and a bit nervous around us CA types) and recommended we head to "Old Town" Knoxville to check out the strip. We head down there and walked into Patrick Sullivans (there's been an Irish bar in every town so far).
We grab a beer and notice there's live Gaelic music up stairs. Check it out:
Due to the lack of people in Old Town, we headed back to the Downtown Brewery and played foose ball to pass the time being ignored by the local women. Turns out, I need to tuck in my t-shirt to be found attractive in these parts.
More downtown:
Day 6 pics are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pacifisticuffs/sets/72157607685834083/
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Day 5 - Oklahoma City OK to Memphis TN
Total miles: 462
Route: 40E
By the numbers:
1 - very short red dress on a hooker at our hotel in OKC
1 - very cute hotel clerk in Memphis
2 - instances of legal drinking in public
6284 - semis passed
Our morning started with a hooker in a red dress walking past us in the hotel. I think her dress was originally intended to be a long shirt. Yet she wore it as a dress with nothing else. She was very good looking -- like she had just come from a club in LA. The other working girls we had seen in OKC and ABQ made it very clear that prostitution is alive and well in middle america.
It seems the bible belt isn't so chaste after all...not that I really thought that. I found this at our first stop in OK and I use it to protect my iPod from the sun during the day. But maybe I too can find a good wife with this service :-)
Eastern OK is very pretty - rolling hills, green, and a few lakes scattered on either side of the road.
We ran into a MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) instructor from NM on his way to Little Rock. Nice guy.
But I was really taken with AR. The Ozarks are gorgeous and Little Rock seemed like a nice place. We made a wrong turn at lunch and ended up in a neighbor hood we shouldn't have been it. Yet, a little girl waved at us as we rode by. We just hoped it was ok to wave back...
There was a 50 mile section of 40E approaching Memphis that was FULL of semi trucks. Full doesn't begin to descibe it. They took up both lanes sometimes 15 deep. The cars darted around them and we just treated it like another commute day on 101.
Approaching Memphis
We made it to Memphis before sun down and went to grab a beer by the mighty Mississippi.
We wandered to Beale St after a couple beers and realized it was bike night. Cool.
We ate dinner at BB Kings because Tim said it had a fried PB&J sandwich. Turns out they don't offer that anymore but their pulled pork is fantastic. We looked everywhere for Elvis's favorite snack with no luck. We ended up at a gift store for Tim as I made chit chat with the best looking woman we had seen. Too bad MA is so far from CA.
With no fried PB&J we settled on a skillet fried apple pie with ice cream. Yum.
We can't believe the road signs. First, let's start with restaurants. Would you eat at the "Rib Crib" or the "Pig-Out Palace"?!? Or how about the "Posessing land in the name of Chist" sign. Or the signs about not beating you kid. They never cease to amaze...
Day 5 pics here: http://flickr.com/photos/pacifisticuffs/sets/72157607656487417/
Route: 40E
By the numbers:
1 - very short red dress on a hooker at our hotel in OKC
1 - very cute hotel clerk in Memphis
2 - instances of legal drinking in public
6284 - semis passed
Our morning started with a hooker in a red dress walking past us in the hotel. I think her dress was originally intended to be a long shirt. Yet she wore it as a dress with nothing else. She was very good looking -- like she had just come from a club in LA. The other working girls we had seen in OKC and ABQ made it very clear that prostitution is alive and well in middle america.
It seems the bible belt isn't so chaste after all...not that I really thought that. I found this at our first stop in OK and I use it to protect my iPod from the sun during the day. But maybe I too can find a good wife with this service :-)
Eastern OK is very pretty - rolling hills, green, and a few lakes scattered on either side of the road.
We ran into a MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) instructor from NM on his way to Little Rock. Nice guy.
But I was really taken with AR. The Ozarks are gorgeous and Little Rock seemed like a nice place. We made a wrong turn at lunch and ended up in a neighbor hood we shouldn't have been it. Yet, a little girl waved at us as we rode by. We just hoped it was ok to wave back...
There was a 50 mile section of 40E approaching Memphis that was FULL of semi trucks. Full doesn't begin to descibe it. They took up both lanes sometimes 15 deep. The cars darted around them and we just treated it like another commute day on 101.
Approaching Memphis
We made it to Memphis before sun down and went to grab a beer by the mighty Mississippi.
We wandered to Beale St after a couple beers and realized it was bike night. Cool.
We ate dinner at BB Kings because Tim said it had a fried PB&J sandwich. Turns out they don't offer that anymore but their pulled pork is fantastic. We looked everywhere for Elvis's favorite snack with no luck. We ended up at a gift store for Tim as I made chit chat with the best looking woman we had seen. Too bad MA is so far from CA.
With no fried PB&J we settled on a skillet fried apple pie with ice cream. Yum.
We can't believe the road signs. First, let's start with restaurants. Would you eat at the "Rib Crib" or the "Pig-Out Palace"?!? Or how about the "Posessing land in the name of Chist" sign. Or the signs about not beating you kid. They never cease to amaze...
Day 5 pics here: http://flickr.com/photos/pacifisticuffs/sets/72157607656487417/
Monday, September 29, 2008
Day 4 - Albuquerque NM to Oklahoma City OK
Total miles:544
Route:40E
By the numbers:
1 - missed state sign
2.99 - price per gallon of gas in OKC
59 - price for a set of bull horns at a truck stop in Adrian TX
We got off to an early start since we had a long way to ride. Peggy made us some coffee and that served as breakfast for a 150 miles. The coffee was hot but not hot enough for morning in the high desert. We made it to Santa Rosa NM at 9:30-ish and found a little diner on route 66. The green chile cheese omlette seemed like the best omlette I've ever had.
We get back on the road and had to get used to the sights. All we saw was straight road for a hundred miles at a time. Every couple hours the road would turn ever so slightly in one direction. I snapped a few pics of NM and TX. And it was generally flat with a few slight hills.
Everything IS bigger in Texas - the flys, the cows, and especially the people. I can see why after all the fat-inducing food. I've had I need some fiber... Brisket has fiber in it, right?
I want to make a recommendation to the OK DOT - please put a sign in TX that warns me about the small welcome sign coming up. We completely flew past it and the next road was 8 miles up. Ooops.
OK was prettier than I had expected. The rolling hills, scattered rocks, and green grass were a pleasant change of scenery from TX. The landscape is so expansive that I thought a set of far away hills (50 miles) was water because it was so dark in contrast with the light colored hils.
A few sunset shots.
We finally make it into OKC and head downtown. We pull into the Sheraton and learn that a room is $185 a night. Too much for OKC we surmise and Tim pulls out his laptop. CJ the dor man comes out and chats with us since we're the only guys in the driveway. He asks us why we havet checked-in and we explain our money situation. We chat for a bit while the laptop tries to connect to the Internet and CJ recommends the Bricktown Hotel. Turns out it's $89 a night with free breakfast, 24 hour shuttle,and it feet from 40 for a fast take off in the morning. Perfect!
We park our bikes out front, clean up a bit and head to Bricktown for dinner and beers at The Bricktown Brewery. For the record, CA makes better beer.
We wandered the Bricktown canal area and I'm sure it's a fun place on a weekend. I wish I had my camera to snap a few pics of the canal, the bad cover band, and all the old brick architecture. The real gas maps on the street were a nice touch.
Sleep can't come soon enough since we have another 450 miles to Memphis tomorrow...
So far, we're holding up OK. We're both tired and my mid-back is stiff and sore from staying in the same position all day. Tim said, "Your the most fidgety person I've ever met!!". True - it keeps me moving on the bike and makes the time pass but it's also a distraction from riding so I need to focus a bit more...
All of the day 4 uploaded pics can be found here: http://flickr.com/photos/pacifisticuffs/sets/72157607624953579/
Route:40E
By the numbers:
1 - missed state sign
2.99 - price per gallon of gas in OKC
59 - price for a set of bull horns at a truck stop in Adrian TX
We got off to an early start since we had a long way to ride. Peggy made us some coffee and that served as breakfast for a 150 miles. The coffee was hot but not hot enough for morning in the high desert. We made it to Santa Rosa NM at 9:30-ish and found a little diner on route 66. The green chile cheese omlette seemed like the best omlette I've ever had.
We get back on the road and had to get used to the sights. All we saw was straight road for a hundred miles at a time. Every couple hours the road would turn ever so slightly in one direction. I snapped a few pics of NM and TX. And it was generally flat with a few slight hills.
Everything IS bigger in Texas - the flys, the cows, and especially the people. I can see why after all the fat-inducing food. I've had I need some fiber... Brisket has fiber in it, right?
I want to make a recommendation to the OK DOT - please put a sign in TX that warns me about the small welcome sign coming up. We completely flew past it and the next road was 8 miles up. Ooops.
OK was prettier than I had expected. The rolling hills, scattered rocks, and green grass were a pleasant change of scenery from TX. The landscape is so expansive that I thought a set of far away hills (50 miles) was water because it was so dark in contrast with the light colored hils.
A few sunset shots.
We finally make it into OKC and head downtown. We pull into the Sheraton and learn that a room is $185 a night. Too much for OKC we surmise and Tim pulls out his laptop. CJ the dor man comes out and chats with us since we're the only guys in the driveway. He asks us why we havet checked-in and we explain our money situation. We chat for a bit while the laptop tries to connect to the Internet and CJ recommends the Bricktown Hotel. Turns out it's $89 a night with free breakfast, 24 hour shuttle,and it feet from 40 for a fast take off in the morning. Perfect!
We park our bikes out front, clean up a bit and head to Bricktown for dinner and beers at The Bricktown Brewery. For the record, CA makes better beer.
We wandered the Bricktown canal area and I'm sure it's a fun place on a weekend. I wish I had my camera to snap a few pics of the canal, the bad cover band, and all the old brick architecture. The real gas maps on the street were a nice touch.
Sleep can't come soon enough since we have another 450 miles to Memphis tomorrow...
So far, we're holding up OK. We're both tired and my mid-back is stiff and sore from staying in the same position all day. Tim said, "Your the most fidgety person I've ever met!!". True - it keeps me moving on the bike and makes the time pass but it's also a distraction from riding so I need to focus a bit more...
All of the day 4 uploaded pics can be found here: http://flickr.com/photos/pacifisticuffs/sets/72157607624953579/
Day 3 - Tuba City AZ to Albuquerque NM
Total miles: 336
Route: 264E, 491S, 40E, 25S
By the numbers:
1 - massively disappoint Continental Divide marker
2 -number of Indian Reservations ridden through - Navajo & Hopi
7713 - highest elevation reached today by motorcycle
We got a good night sleep and headed to the breakfast joint in the same parking lot as the hotel. It seemed odd that, much like the night before, all we saw were Native Americans and European tourists. I can understand the Native Americans but why would a European end up in Tuba City off all places?!? I think they need to fire their travel agent. Our breakfast was delicious (heuvos rancheros with green chile sauce on top) and we packed and hit the road. It sure was much easier than dealing with the luggage shenanigans at the Monte Carlo.
The road out of Tuba City was boring at first then stunning. In hindsight, I'm glad we got stuck in Tuba City so we didn't have to take Hwy 40. We got a much better view of AZ and NM...
Riding through the reservations really made me appreciate the fact that I'm able to be on this trip. It's hard to see the "have-nots" when you're on a trip of excess like this...
We made it to Gallup NM for lunch and were disappointed that neither of us saw a "Welcome to New Mexico" sign. I guess we're not welcome here. We'll make up for it by taking a picture of it when we leave NM and head into TX.
Tim and I are trying hard to avoid any chain restaurants so we can enjoy a little local flavor. Well, lunch didn't let me down. We ended up on Route 66 heading back West when we settled on a restaurant aptly named "Mexican Restaurant". We head in and we're the only guys in the place. Maybe this whole "local flavor" thing isn't such a good idea. But we were hungry and needed some food. I actually settled on the buffet which luckily was a great idea. I had multiple servings of the spicy carne adovada, green chile enciladas, and rice. Yum.
We truck on to ABQ and make it to my Mom's cousins (does that make her my cousin??) house where she graciously offered to let us stay the night. We chatted for a bit, had a beer, and cleaned up a little before hitting the road. She had made resevations for the restaurant at the top of Sandia Peak so we headed out to see what the fuss about this mountain was all about.
Well, there's a tram that goes to the top of Sandia Peak at 10,378 feet. I'm afraid of heights so, I was happy I couldn't see below as we rose 20 feet per second. The views were stunning. You can see in every direction from up there. I could see Sante Fe which was 44 miles away. I'm sure the views during the day are amazing...
Dinner at High Finance was great but we rushed home to get some laundry done and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day...
You can see all of the days uploaded pics, go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pacifisticuffs/sets/72157607590362438/
PS - I have about 100 pics per day that I'll upload when I get home.
Route: 264E, 491S, 40E, 25S
By the numbers:
1 - massively disappoint Continental Divide marker
2 -number of Indian Reservations ridden through - Navajo & Hopi
7713 - highest elevation reached today by motorcycle
We got a good night sleep and headed to the breakfast joint in the same parking lot as the hotel. It seemed odd that, much like the night before, all we saw were Native Americans and European tourists. I can understand the Native Americans but why would a European end up in Tuba City off all places?!? I think they need to fire their travel agent. Our breakfast was delicious (heuvos rancheros with green chile sauce on top) and we packed and hit the road. It sure was much easier than dealing with the luggage shenanigans at the Monte Carlo.
The road out of Tuba City was boring at first then stunning. In hindsight, I'm glad we got stuck in Tuba City so we didn't have to take Hwy 40. We got a much better view of AZ and NM...
Riding through the reservations really made me appreciate the fact that I'm able to be on this trip. It's hard to see the "have-nots" when you're on a trip of excess like this...
We made it to Gallup NM for lunch and were disappointed that neither of us saw a "Welcome to New Mexico" sign. I guess we're not welcome here. We'll make up for it by taking a picture of it when we leave NM and head into TX.
Tim and I are trying hard to avoid any chain restaurants so we can enjoy a little local flavor. Well, lunch didn't let me down. We ended up on Route 66 heading back West when we settled on a restaurant aptly named "Mexican Restaurant". We head in and we're the only guys in the place. Maybe this whole "local flavor" thing isn't such a good idea. But we were hungry and needed some food. I actually settled on the buffet which luckily was a great idea. I had multiple servings of the spicy carne adovada, green chile enciladas, and rice. Yum.
We truck on to ABQ and make it to my Mom's cousins (does that make her my cousin??) house where she graciously offered to let us stay the night. We chatted for a bit, had a beer, and cleaned up a little before hitting the road. She had made resevations for the restaurant at the top of Sandia Peak so we headed out to see what the fuss about this mountain was all about.
Well, there's a tram that goes to the top of Sandia Peak at 10,378 feet. I'm afraid of heights so, I was happy I couldn't see below as we rose 20 feet per second. The views were stunning. You can see in every direction from up there. I could see Sante Fe which was 44 miles away. I'm sure the views during the day are amazing...
Dinner at High Finance was great but we rushed home to get some laundry done and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day...
You can see all of the days uploaded pics, go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pacifisticuffs/sets/72157607590362438/
PS - I have about 100 pics per day that I'll upload when I get home.
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