Daytona

Day 20
Destination: Daytona, FL
Route: Highway 95 north, to Highway 1 at Titusville, then A1A to Daytona
Miles Ridden: 199    Total Miles: 5,018

Points of Interest:

• Met with old friends
• Last Resort Bar
• Tower One Procession
• Daytona Strip

 

A most interesting day. Rich came over today and rode with us to Daytona. In route, however, we met up with Kevin Gors and Mikey Graham, both retired police officers from Oakland, California. Kevin, being the swell guy that he is, picked up the tab, which made breakfast even better. We later passed a procession heading south to West Palm Beach. We had noticed fire trucks and people on the over crossings. The procession was carrying a section of Tower One to be installed as a permanent monument, and had a police motorcycle escort, fire trucks, and probably 3,000 mototcycles. The procession went on for at least three miles.

 

We later got off 95, and began our trek on Highway 1 from Titisville, after meeting up with Joe Thomas, another former police officer from Oakland. We continued north, and went to the Last Resort Bar. This bar was made famous in the movie Monster, since it was in this bar that Aileen Wuornos, the only female serial killer to be executed in Florida, was captured on January 9, 1991. After a quick beverage, and as the rain began, we made our way to Daytona.

 

West Palm Beach

Day 19
Destination: West Palm Beach, Florida
Route: Highway 1, Florida turnpike
Miles Ridden: 238    Total Miles: 4,819

Points of Interest:

• Return trip through the keys (without the traffic)
• E.R. Bradleys Saloon
• Palm Beach

We sadly had to say goodbye to Waylon and Marge, as they broke off at Hollywood, Florida. When we got to West Palm Beach, however, we picked up Rich H., who will be riding with us to Daytona. It was very hot and muggy today, but we still managed to tour West Palm Beach and Palm Beach. We spent some time at E.R. Bradleys, and then with Rich at Island Jacks for dinner. We got into town a little early, and we took full advantage of it. A very nice day.

Key West

Day 18
Destination: Rest day in Key West
Miles Ridden: None

Points of Interest:

• Duval Street
• Raw Half Shell Restaurant

During our brief stay in Key West, we walked the distance of Duval Street several times. In the day light, especially in the early morning hours, Duval Street is a quaint, two lane street lined on both sides by small businesses, restaurants, coffee shops, gift shops, clothing stores and bars. The weather is almost always great, so the pedestrians are wearing shorts and sandals. Many are on bicycles or scooters. There is great diversity in terms of race and age.

As day turns into night, however, Duval Street begins to change. Businesses not visible in the day, light up at night, including strip clubs, adult entertainment, gay bars, and even one bar for cross dressers. Patrons begin drinking, and public intoxication is rampant. The more they drink, the more they spend, the more they spend, the drunker they become. The only way to stop the nightly insanity is to stop the spending, close the businesses, and clear the streets. All of this done peacefully, and nightly, only to begin again the next day. All that is left behind for the early morning visitors is the trash.

We ate at a great restaurant called the Raw Half Shell, and then walked the 20 or so blocks back to the hotel. The entertainment along Duval is outstanding, and we were drawn into Margaritaville to listen to a three piece band and, of course, enjoy a margarita.

If you visit Key West, make sure you take the time to walk the streets and find the Hemingway house, and the magnificent 19th century homes which can be seen all over the keys.

Key West

Day 17
Destination: Key West, Florida
Route: Highway 41 through the Indian Reservation and the Everglades, 997 south to Highway 1
Miles Ridden: 306     Total Miles: 4,581

Points of Interest:

• Everglades
• Big Cypress Reserve
• The Keys

The ride through the everglades is something you would always remember. There are routes a rider can take from the west. You can take "Alligator Alley," Highway 75, which is a major highway, or Highway 41. 41 is a two lane road, about 125 miles in length, which runs south of Highway 75.  Like all back roads, the road is slower, but the views are outstanding and there were very few trucks or other vehicles.  As we passed through the glades, we began to see alligators in their natural habitat to our left. The alligators are rather shy, and once they see you they often partially submerge under the water. They are beautiful creatures, and seeing them in the wild is a great experience.

 

After leaving the everglades, we began the best (and worst) part of the trip. A ride through the keys is incredible. The keys are connected with a series of bridges that run over 100 miles. The bridges are beautiful, and the clear, pale blue water is unmatched anywhere in the continental United States. It's also the worst trip, since the trip takes about 4 hours, with stop and go traffic broken up with occasional spurts of speed. On balance, the pain of the road, with the heat and humidity, is outweighed by the views and the destination. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, we anticipated huge crowds. We booked rooms at the Southernmost Hotel, which has the distinction of being the "southernmost hotel" in the United States. It turned out to be a great hotel, with a very nice pool, beach, bar and restaurant.  Johnny B. took very good care of us.

3rd 'Corner' Dance... see it here!

Cape Coral

Day 16
Destination: Cape Coral, Florida
Route: Highway 27, to 19, to 10
Miles Ridden: 375     Total Miles: 4,275

Points of Interest:

• Seaports
• Back roads
• Beautiful scenary
• Forests and beautiful farms

It is not always easy to keep riders together, and yesterday we lost one rider. Instead of coming up to Tallahassee, he opted to remain on the coast.  We met up at Perry, Florida, and then began a very pleasant ride to Cape Coral. 

We began the day with some concerns about rain and thunderstorms. We were out early, with the "wheels turning" at 7:00, and began our day by getting off the main highway for a southernly secondary highway-  It was a great decision.  The mostly two lane road went through several little towns, where we seemed to be well received by those we spoke with.  We passed some very large estates and farms, but very little traffic. By avoiding major highways, we exchanged quiet roads for the efficiency of major highways. One point needs to be made here. You cannot see America from major highways, whether in a car or on a motorcycle. Most of America lives in those small towns which are connected by the back roads. When we found a hotel in the busy little town of Cape Coral, we also found a bar and grill called the Monkey. It was an outdoor bar and grill which had great live music, pretty much what you'd expect in Hawaii or Key West.  The entertainment was great, and we avoided most of the rain.  A good day.

Gulf Shores

Day 14
Destination: Gulf Shores, Alabama
Route: Highway 10 to 90 through Gulfport, Biloxi, MS, Pascagoula, MS, 188 to Dauphin, Island, AL, ferry to Fort Morgan, AL, to Gulf Shores, AL.
Miles Ridden: 206      Total Miles: 3,626

Points of Interest:

• 25 mile bridge across Lake Pontchartrair, north of New Orleans
• Long Beach, Mississippi
• Biloxi, Mississippi
• Home of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States
• Gulf Island National Seashore
• Fort Morgan National Historic Landmark

Today was a great day. The quickest and easiest route would have been on Highway 10. The trip to Pensacola, Florida would have taken about 4 hours. Instead, we began our trip by heading north on a 25 mile bridge over Lake Pontchartrair. Even though it has major highways east and west of the Lake, they built this beautiful, long bridge over this fantastic lake used for shipping and recreation. We then found Highway 10, but we only stayed on 10 until we could head south along the gulf. This road, mostly a nice, two lane highway, took us through some beautiful areas. We passed miles and miles of beautiful white beaches with sand so fine that it squeaked when you walked on it. The wind was blowing the sand across the road, feeling like needles against your face. But the temperature was great, and we hadn't seen the threatened thunder storms.

In Biloxi, we saw Jefferson Davis' home. It had been damaged during Katrina, since it is located directly across from the beach. The trees around the home were blown down, as well as many of the modern homes built along the highway. Many are not being rebuilt, leaving a lot of space between the homes. We rode to Dauphin Island, Alabama, and took a 45 minute ferry ride across Mobile Harbor. The ruins of Fort Morgan, Civil War fortresses used to protect the harbor from Union forces, are on both sides of the harbor. Very interesting. As the rain began to come down, we got to the resort area called Gulf Shores. Although 20 miles short of Pensacola, and without forming a committee to consider the issue, we made the executive decision to stay for the night.

Reflections

The purpose of our trip was to travel the nation and talk to the American People. The White House believes that Americans across the nation are not the same, and that we as a People do not necessarily share the same values.

We have now traveled across southern California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Having motorcycles with California plates opens the doors to many conversations, and we have talked with many, many people. What we have found out so far is that the People have the same concerns, and the same values. With one exception, all have been courteous, pleasant, and helpful.

The only exception was the staff at Fuddruckers in Del Rio, who made no effort to hide their prejudice, and who could not have been more rude and discourteous. Other than these fine individuals, our contact with Americans across this part of the nation has been a wonderful experience.

New Orleans (Day 2)

Day 13
Destination: None
Route: None
Miles Ridden: None     Total Miles: 3,420

Points of Interest:

• Pool
• Rest and Relaxation
• Palace Cafe, New Orleans

Today was our second day in New Orleans, and was a scheduled day of rest. A day to sleep in a little, to lay by the pool and to read a good book (using an e-book, of course).  That is exactly what we did.

We did get away from the hotel long enough to have dinner. We were looking for something "light," and saw a cafe on Canal Street called the Palace Cafe. We wanted to be back early enough to watch the final episode of 24, possibly the only fiction show on TV that shows how to handle national emergencies, and how being politically correct can further damage our country. The "cafe" turned out to be a five star hotel with excellent food, and even better service. We had filet mignon, blackened fish, pork shank, crab, etc., but the highlight may have been an appetizer call crab cheesecake. I know...it sounds strange. But it was very, very good, and we got back early enough to catch the second hour. It was worth missing the first hour.

New Orleans

Day 12

Destination: New Orleans, Louisiana

Route: Highway 10 through Baton Rouge

Miles Ridden: 405    Total Miles: 3,420

Points of Interest:

• Breaux Bridge
• Henderson Swamp
• Lake Pontchartair
• French Quarter

Our ride began early- 7:30, in an effort to avoid the heat of the afternoon sun. Near record temperatures were expected today, and there was no longer a cloud cover, just beautiful blue skies and scattered white clouds. We made our way through Lafayette, then to Baton Rouge for a brief stop over to replace one of our donations made to the ride god. Our list of sacrifices continues to increase as our ride continues, but the sacrifices seem to be working. Nothing major has happened...yet.

On Highway 10, we came across a true gem for bikers. We began to cross the Beaux Bridge about 45 miles from Baton Rouge. We soon realized that we were about to experience the highlight of the day. The bridge is a two lane road going east, with a westbound bridge about 100 feet to your left. It is built about 15 feet above the water. Facing a beautiful blue sky with white and silver clouds, we crossed through Henderson Swamp. Everything was green and lush with trees and vines. Sometimes that was all you could see, then you'd break through and see massive lakes with hundreds of trees standing alone in the water, green moss covering the water, a bayou, or a small river with small boats. The bridge was 25 miles long, the best 25 minute ride of the day. Although there is a similar bridge outside New Orleans, the view was not as good.

We arrived in New Orleans a little after 1:00 p.m,., and found rooms at a very reasonable rate. Despite the crowds, with many of the hotels near Canal Street wanting $250 or more a night, we found rooms at the Doubletree for $119. It doesn't hurt pushing for a lower rate. Since the area doesn't have a lot of room, parking is always difficult to find. The Doubletree let us park out front, and without any parking charge.

We walked to the French Quarter, and found little evidence of damage from Katrina. The music was outstanding, with live bands everywhere. We had a traditional hurricane drink, and then searched for a restaurant. The food is always outstanding. We ate at the Oceana off Bourbon Street, where Joe took excellent care of us. Another great day!

California Dreaming from New Orleans

(As Ralph's daughter editing this blog, I hereby state that the addition of this photo is posted under duress-

in other words... IT'S ALL BOB'S FAULT!)

Hello from Mike/ Five Corners

Well, I've finally gotten access to a laptop so I can update all the great new friends we've made on the 5 Corners Ride 2010 so far.

I have to start with Jim and Mike of Santa Barbara Harley Davidson where I desperately needed a 1000 mile service on the 2010 Classic Ultra Limited before continuing on the ride. Not only did they complete the service while I waiting but re-mapped the computer and installed the new air cleaner needed for the performance I'm enjoying now. Thanks to both of them and the folks there to keep us on the road in fast mode.

Next was THE GREAT Marine we met in the parking lot of the hotel in San Diego as we were loading the bikes for the day's travel. He was the controller for the Marine Corps League (I think - I lost the card, sorry sir). When Bobby and I mentioned our Marine Corps experience, he welcomed us home and provided a Marine Corps Challenge Coin to both of us.

When we got to Galvenston, TX, we took a ride in Old town and stopped at the Loading Dock and Galvenston's only Harley repair facility, Galvenston Custom Cycles. It is owned by Mark Swan who told us all about the Loading Dock (A bar NEXT TO A HARLEY SHOP - LIFE DOES NOT GET BETTER THAT THAT!). The owner was there pouring drinks for a couple with all the bar stools on the bar, not even open yet. Valerie Perez "AKA Denali" pointed out the tags at the bar for seats labeling the customers' chairs. After 3 drinks and great friends she is arranging to have the 5 Corners tags on one of the bar stool places with our names on it. If you are ever in Galvenston go see "Denali" at the Loading Dock and say hi for us.

We are now in New Orleans about to spend our first night on the town. We got here via the highways and byways along the coast seeing the damage and new construction compliments of Katrina thanks to Bud's navagation efforts. More to follow in the next few days.

BTW, I talked to Joe Thomas (retired OPD) who is going to meet us in Florida and ride with us for awhile. To all my OPD Family and my Calaveras County SO family, I'm alive and well - don't pay the ransome - we escaped from Texas, Arizona and California on the way to Florida.

Mike "Hammer" Oliveira
Retired OPD Motors
5 Corners Run Dude

Lake Charles

Day 11
Destination: Lake Charles, LA
Route: Highway 87 to Highway 82
Miles Ridden: 220     Total Miles: 3,015

Points of Interest:

• Texas and Lousiana Bayous
• Incredibly high bridges
• Ferrys where you wouldn't expect them
• Beautiful beaches
• Houses on "stilts"

We weren't in much of a rush today, having only 220 miles to ride, so we decided to take the back roads again, heading east from Galveston. We got to the ferry, but had to wait in the hot sun (the cloud cover was gone) for 1 1/2 hours.  We finally got on the ferry, and our adventure of the day began.  Our ride took us along the gulf, and then into the bayous, first in Texas, but eventually in Lousiana. We saw miles of beautiful beaches, with many, many small groups on the beach enjoying the warm weather. Many had their trucks parked on the beaches with tents, covers or screens to protect them from the sun. Most everyone was surf fishing, which obviously is very big in the area. We crossed several extremely high bridges which traversed bayous and in one case, a very large lake. We even ran into a couple mental giants who, for reasons known only to them, welcomed us with one finger waves. There was evidence all around us of the damage from the hurricanes. Gas stations blown apart, refrigerators in trees, and debris everywhere.

Galveston, TX

Day 10

Destination: Galveston, TX
Route: Highway 36 to Highway 6
Total Miles Ridden: 220    Total: 3,015

Points of Interest:

• Great back roads ride with no traffic
• Small towns along the hghway
• Beautiful farmland and country homes

Today was a great ride. We had a cloud cover almost the entire day which kept the temperature down to a tolerable level. Instead of high 90's, it was mid 80's until we got to town. As you arrive from the west, you begin to experience a community which lives by tourism and the sea. You cross a bridge with the gulf to the south, and a cement barrier to the left which simulates the waves of the ocean. When you arrive on Seawall, the coastal road, you have miles of white beaches to the south, and hotels and restaurants to the north. The water was Mississippi brown. We were joined today by Waylon and Marge who rode in from Tyler, TX. We hadn't seen them for a couple years, and it will be a pleasure riding with them through Florida.

Austin

Day 9
Destination: Austin, TX
Route: Highway 35
Miles ridden today: 99.3    Total Miles: 2,789

Points of Interest:

• Congress Bridge
• 6th Street
• Pete's Dueling Pianos

When we arrived at San Antonio yesterday, Ralph noticed his headlight was not working. Bobbie's had been taken out by a rock the day before, so we started the day knowing we'd be looking for yet another Harley dealership. Bob and Mike weren't in for the hunt and instead, for some reason unknown to us, sought the warm water of the gulf and a cold beer (probably more than one). So off they went to Galveston, and Bud and Ralph headed north to Alamo Harley-Davidson. There they found Mike, the mechanic, who 90 minutes later gave us the bad news. It was not simply a bulb or a fuse. The entire wiring block had worked loose, and had melted together. Worse, they didn't have the wiring harness. But Mike was able to use his magic and his skills and improvised a solution, and another 90 minutes later (and a little cash) we were out the door again heading to Austin. Our mojo with the ride god looked like it may be fading, despite our donations to it, but the weather continued to be great. It always looked like rain is a mile away, the cloud cover kept the temperature at the mid to high 80's.

6th Street in Austin is the area known for the best music in Texas. At dusk, we walked the 6 blocks to the Congress Bridge, the temporary home to some 750,000 bats passing thru from Mexico. We waited over an hour, with over 200 people on and around the bridge, for them to take off and feed on the insects. Just our luck on this night, they were apparently having union issues and stayed in. Too bad, since it is supposed to be quite a site. So we walked down to Pete's Dueling Pianos, and watched some great entertainment. Austin is a great place to visit. 

San Antonio

Day 8
Destination: San Antonio, TX
Miles Ridden: 308 Total Miles: 2,693
Route: Highway 77 to Kingsville, 141 east, 281 north, and 16 north

Points of Interest:

• Highway 16 (nice road, beautiful green farmlands)
• The Alamo
• Mengers
• Dirty Nellies

We were up early enough to take sunrise photos of the beach at South Padre Island and the Gulf of Mexico. We opted to avoid a swim in the gulf, since there were flag warns of "venomous" creatures in the water. That was enough for us to avoid the gulf waters. It didn't scare off the others, since there were others already enjoying the beautiful water. When we got to Kingsville, we noticed that Bob's headlight was broken. He and Mike decided to ride to Corpus Christi, about 30 miles east, and Bud and I decided to take the back roads to San Antonio, where we would later meet at the Alamo.

Waiting for Bob and Mike to arrive, we found an English pub called Mengers. It was built in the 1800's as an exact replica of the pub across from Parliament in London. Teddy Roosevelt had visited the pub in search of his Rough Riders. It is possible that David Crockett and the others are actually buried under the bar, since the remains have never been found and history reveals that they were buried alongside the Alamo shortly after Santa Ana was defeated. When the boys arrived, we crossed the street to visit the Alamo. For anyone who has not visited the Alamo, it truly is a shrine to heroism. People from all over the country met there to defend a small church from Santa Ana and a large army. They fought to the last man for freedom and the independence of Texas.

During the evening, we went to an Irish Pub called Dirty Nellies. The entertainment was outstanding.

Brownsville

Day 7
Destination: Brownsville, Tx
Route: Highway 83
Miles Ridden: 202 Total Miles: 2491

Points of Interest:

• Early morning lightening storm
• Rio Grande River

Second "Corner"

Divers believe that they are required to make sacrifices every now and then to appease the ocean god. A mask, a fin, or the ever popular dive knife dropping to the ocean floor is enough to guarantee calm seas, the lining up of fish for selection, and abalone which will respond to an ab whistle.

There must a ride god. We awoke at 4:30 a.m. to one of the most violent storms any of us had ever seen- Booming thunder which shook the hotel, flashes of lightening directly overhead, extremely high wind, and a down-pour of rain which flooded the parking lot and streets. But we had made our sacrifices to the ride god. A pair of chaps, a helmet, a gas cap, one GPS case and a weather cover all had been left somewhere alongside the highway. The rain was ahead of us to the south, heading to Brownsville, and we just followed the rain (and one tornado sighting) into town without a single drop hitting us. We went to the south end of town to the border crossing, and there took our second corner photo, and did our celebration dance. Yahoo! We then traveled to South Padre Island (thanks for the intel, Gil), to spend the night. A great day!

Laredo

Day 6
Destination: Laredo, Texas
Miles Ridden: 183  Total Miles: 2,118

Points of Interest:

• Not a damn thing!

Day 6 took us from Del Rio, where Judge Roy Bean is buried, to Laredo, Texas. Laredo is a large, industrial town which is a gateway to Mexico. The highway runs through the center of town, with frontage roads east and west of the highway. Hotels of every variety line the frontage roads, and numerous chain restaurants can be found. The trip getting here was the shortest, only 183 miles, and the most difficult. It was very hot, over 100 degrees, and the road is a two lane road. Generally, it had two major differences from the highways of California. First, it only had two lanes. Second, the road was in very good condition, with great markings. Like California highways used to be. While the road between El Paso to Del Rio was lined with abandoned and dilapidated buildings, this stretch of roadway had buildings in much better repair, and actually occupied (for the most part). In addition, we saw farmlands and orchards, so the smells traveling the road were pretty pleasant. There was the ever present threat of rain in the air, so you could smell the moisture all around us. We were hit with a mist when we first left, but rain never touched us.

When we arrived at Laredo, we rode into the old part of town along the border, and next to the border station. I know what you are thinking. If over a 100 degrees, why did we ride to the far end of town instead of finding a cold beer and floating in a pool? We're adventurers. We have never been accused of being overly bright! But the town is old, and the buildings pretty well maintained and occupied. We thought about staying in an old hotel in old town, but we changed our minds when we noticed the lack of air conditioning, lack of a place to park the bikes, and, did I mention, no pool? We're not that adventurous!

We met some very nice people along the way, and in Laredo. All of us were wearing our "ride shirts," so it was easy to start conversations. A good day for a ride!

Del Rio

Day 5
Destination: Del Rio, Texas
Miles: 469    Total Miles:  1,928
Route: Highway 10, east to 90, then south

Points of Interest:

• Judge Roy Bean's Museum

Del Rio is a small town along the border with Mexico. To get there from El Paso, one spends 40 minutes or so on Highway 10, and the balance of their lives on Highway 90, a two lane highway which seems to run almost forever. This may be an exaggeration, but only a small one. You travel through many, many small towns, some on the map, some not on the map. The distances between gas stations is great, and often GPS reports a station or other supplier of gas which has long since (LONG SINCE) been closed. Most of the buildings along the route are unoccupied and dilapidated, and it is obvious that the Obama stimulus money never got this far south. There are few farms, and most of the land is brush. There is no shortage of border patrol officers, however, and we got stopped several times at check points. I know...we got stopped without any probable cause. We didn't look like illegals. We didn't act like illegals. We weren't violating any laws, but they stopped us anyway! But really, we didn't complain, whine, cry, bellyache, or act like a better-than-thou democrat about the conduct of these brave men and women.  Instead, we thanked them for their service and went about our business.

The last two hundred miles was a challenge, since it was hot, sultry, and we were running out of gas. We found the Judge Roy Bean Museum, and spent some time there in the town of Langtry. Turns out the town was not named after Lilly Langtry, the actress, but some dude. Who knew? Our first taste of rain didn't help, but it didn't dampen our spirits and made the trip more memorable and the lightening off to the west was also cool.

El Paso

Day 4
Destination:  El Paso, TX

Miles Ridden:  358    Total Miles:  1,458

Points Of Interest:

• Tombstone (O.K. Corral)
• Corando National Forest (along Highway 9)
• Monument where Geronimo surrendered, ending the Indian conflicts

We were joined earlier in the day by Tony Garcia, who rode in this morning from Phoenix.  We arrived at Tombstone, the site of one of the most famous gun battles in the so-called "Wild West."  We went to the O.K. Corral, where the gun battle took place.  We ate lunch at Big Nose Kates, and had the "Town Marshall" photograph us behind the bar.  This was the saloon where Morgan Earp was shot and killed.  We also spent some time at the courthouse, now a museum, and then headed south and east.   We rode for 250 miles or so through the beautiful, rolling hills with the foothills in the background on both sides.  The temperature was warm, the sky blue, with only white puffy clouds over the foothills.  There was no shortage of border patrol, and twice we were stopped.  And no, we didn't whine, cry, whimper, complain or object to these unwarranted intrusions on our freedom.  Instead, we thanked them for their service and went about our business.

Arizona is rich in history, and we also stopped at the monument commemorating the final surrender of Geronimo.  An outstanding day!

Tucson

Day 3

Miles today: 486 miles

Total Miles: Approximately 1,100
Route: Highway 5 to San Ysidro, Highway 8 to 10, eastbound, to Tucson.

Points of interest:

• Pacific Ocean
• Gas light District
• Old Downtown, San Diego
• Beautiful rock formations and desert along Highway 8 (4,100 foot elevation)

Day 3 was indeed interesting. It began with our traveling from Old town San Diego to San Ysidro, the southernmost town in California. Other than those coming into the US (presumably legal), and those leaving the US, there wasn't much to see. But we did our Five Corners dance for YouTube, and we hit the road. A long road trip is not without its mishaps. Mike left a gas cap, and Bud lost his chaps and helmet. But we finally arrived in Tucson almost 500 miles later, despite the heat and the wind. Sunscreen is a must.

We got stopped twice by the Border Patrol, and met a Minuteman. A very interesting man who was only concerned about protecting Arizona from the threat from the south. I thanked them for their service, and was not concerned for a moment that we were being stopped. It's easy to talk about "freedom" when you get on a motorcycle to travel through 30 states. But true "freedom" is not experienced simply because one can travel from one state to another. Freedom doesn't exist simply because one can vote a socialist into office if the majority is of a mind to do so. True freedom is in the heart. To ensure freedom, people must be willing to risk it all to stand up against enemies, whether outside or inside the government. That spirit exists today in Arizona. Rather than blame the people of Arizona, how about blaming those truly responsible: (1) the Mexican citizens who enter this country illegally, regardless of their reason; (2) the American employers who provide the incentive for them to ignore our laws; (3) the safe harbor cities, such as San Francisco, who ignore the law and encourage the illegals to come here; (4) Western Union, which makes huge profits from the transferring of money from the US and Mexico; and (5) an administration which has no desire to stop the flood of illegals into this country. Arizona is only the start.

First Thousand Miles

Toasting the First Thousand Miles

San Diego

Today was one of those days that reminds you that you are "on the road." Out by 8:00 a.m., but not at the hotel in San Diego until 8:30 p.m. Cool in the morning, but very warm in the afternoon. 12 miles of 5 mph traffic in the heat due to an accident. But, the highlight of the day was visiting the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. It was an honor to be there and visit his grave site. A truly great man, who did much more than people remember. This country could certainly use that kind of insite and political astuteness today.

Tomorrow, we are off to Tucson, Arizona. We are really looking forward to talking to people who know, and who are suffering every day, because of the administration's refusal to deal with the illegals in this country. The dems are more concerned about future votes than the fact that illegals are destroying the economies of California and Arizona.

Along the beach in Santa Barbara.

First "Corner", San Diego

First Corner "Dance" (We'll use the term lightly!)

Blastoff

We were met by a nice group before leaving Danville at 8:30 this morning. It's not easy for our wives to say goodbye to us for such a long time. But we promised to be careful and send back photos and our stories of the road.

We had breakfast at the infamous Buena Vista, the birthplace of the Irish Coffee, and then our trip began through Fisherman's Wharf, the Presidio, and south along the Great Highway through Moss Landing, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, and ultimately San Luis Obispo. A great day, although cool and very windy. Tomorrow...San Diego.

San Francisco, CA

Countdown Ends at 7:30 a.m. Tomorrow!

The boyz will be meeting tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. at Starbucks in Danville, California.  We will be meeting to say goodbye to those unfortunates who can't make the trip, and to give farewell kisses to our loved ones, and then mount the silver eagles to begin our trip south along the Pacific Ocean.  Tomorrow's ride will take us to San Francisco for a brief stop at the Buena Vista, then on to Santa Cruz, Carmel, Big Sur, and eventually San Luis Obispo.  We are promised good weather for the first several days, and some of the most spectacular scenary in the world

"Every day is a great day to ride...some are just better than others!"

Ready to Go!

Only 9 days left, and da boyz will be blasting off to all points south...and east, and north, and west...  Three years of planning come down to a single date of departure, and we can see that date when we bring up the 10-day weather forecast  (which, incidently, is supposed to be excellant along the Pacific coast).   Ralph, Bud and Bob have had their bikes serviced, and their respective GPS devices have been tested and found in good working order.  The iPods have been loaded with a boatload of songs (not to mention the podcasts for our favorite conservative talk radio).    We said we were leaving the watches behind.  We never said we weren't going to take every other piece of high tech electronic equipment known to man. 

Our goal remains the same, and that is to meet and speak with as many Americans as we can along this 12,000 mile route. Check in with us every now and then.  You can read about our trip on this blog, and you can leave your comments.  Or you can watch the YouTube films we plan to take along the way.  Or, you can read about this great adventure in Dawn to Dusk...Our 12,000 Mile Conversation with America. We hope you enjoy the ride!