Five Corners Run: Blastoff

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

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

2 comments:

ginaMay 14, 2010 at 9:32 AM
Waaahhoooo, Bud! Ramble On, i friggin love that song!
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daphne (aka VespaGirl)May 14, 2010 at 10:09 AM
Yay Dad!! Hope you all have an awesome, safe ride. I'll be keeping up with all of your adventures! :) I will think of you as I'm riding my Vespa around the streets of San Francisco. Hmmm, might need to make a trip to the Buena Vista and have an Irish Coffee in honor of the 5 Corners men! Can't wait to try the 5 Corners Cocktail when you all get back :)

daphne
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How it came to be...

For the past twenty plus years, a group of young (now not so young), enterprising men have followed that creed. They have ridden Harley-Davidson motorcycles in virtually every state in the Untied States, including Hawaii and Alaska. They have crossed the United States' mainland several times, stopping at infamous motorcycle rallies like Sturgis, The Love Ride, The Redwood Run, and The 100th Anniversary of Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee. They have dipped their toes in the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and the Sea of Cortez. They have traversed the Canadian Rockies and crossed over Baja, Mexico. Europe and other exotic places have extended their welcome to these "Yanks", as they cruised the countryside.

Twelve years ago, two of these enterprising men were sitting at a local establishment where spirits were rumored to be served. Ralph had just turned 50, and Bud- proud of his youth, brought to Ralph's attention that at four trips a year, assuming he would stop riding at 70 years of age, he only had about eighty trips left. The "ETL (eighty trips left) Club" was born. They then discovered that the rumors were true, toasted the new name, and talked about the adventures yet to come.

Over the years, their numbers grew as the trips became more extreme. With the passage of time however, some got "too old", "too busy", and some just lost interest. Sadly, two left the adventure entirely. Don Potts and Rod Curtis ride with the group today, but in spirit and memory. As their numbers declined, a hardcore group was left who never gave up their keys or left their bikes to rust in a garage.

During the Presidential campaign in 2008, there was some discussion about how different people were who lived in different areas of the United States. The ETL Club, having traveled the highways and backroads of the United States more than most, believe that people are pretty much the same no matter where they live. They believe most people are decent, law abiding sorts, even the so-called "bikers" encountered virtually every day on their trips. Whether on the West coast, in the deep South, the Northeast, or Midwest, most people they've met along the way seem to have the same core beliefs, the same wants and needs, concerns, and desire for freedom. An idea was born. Why not travel the entire United States? Not just across the Untied States, but around the United States. Why not meet and talk with as many people as possible, from Southern California to the Southern border of Texas; through the "Redneck Riviera" of Mississippi and Alabama to Key West; to the Canadian border with Maine to the Northern shore of Washington state? The five "corners" of the United States. Why not talk to people at the Alamo- the birthplace of Texas independence and at "The Wall" in Washington DC-honoring those who died preserving our freedom and independence?

Why not?

Trip Calendar

WE ARE TWO DAYS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE!

Day	Date	Destination	Day	Date	Destination
1	May 12	San Luis Obispo, CA	29	June 16	Boston, MA
2	May 13	San Diego, CA	30	June 17	Laconia, NH
3	May 14	Tucson, AZ	31	June 18	Laconia, NH
4	May 15	Las Cruces, NM	32	June 19	Camden, ME
5	May 16	Del Rio, TX	33	June 20	Camden, ME
6	May 17	Laredo, TX	34	June 21	Caribou, ME
7	May 18	Brownsville, TX	35	June 22	Madison, ME
8	May 19	San Antonio, TX	36	June 23	Burlington, VT
9	May 20	Austin, TX	37	June 24	Watertown, NY
10	May 21	Galveston, TX	38	June 25	Dunkirk, NY
11	May 22	Lake Charles, LA	39	June 26	Norwalk, OH
12	May 23	New Orleans, LA	40	June 27	Harbor Beach, MI
13	May 24	New Orleans, LA	41	June 28	Mackinaw City, MI
14	May 25	Pensacola, FL	42	June 29	Wawa, Canada
15	May 26	St. Marks, FL	43	June 30	Thunderbay, Canada
16	May 27	Cape Coral, FL	44	July 1	International Falls, Canada
17	May 28	Key West, FL	45	July 2	Devils Lake, ND
18	May 29	Key West, FL	46	July 3	Minot, ND
19	May 30	West Palm Beach, FL	47	July 4	Glasgow, MT
20	May 31	Daytona, FL	48	July 5	Shelby, MT
21	June 1	Savannah, GA	49	July 6	Glacier National Park, MT
22	June 2	Charleston, SC	50	July 7	Coeur d'Alene, ID
23	June 3	Myrtle Beach, SC	51	July 8	Coeur d'Alene, ID
24	June 4	Jacksonville, NC	52	July 9	Grand Coulee, WA
25	June 5	Virginia Beach, VA	53	July 10	Portland, OR
26	June 6	Washington, D.C.	54	July 11	Bandon, OR
27	June 7	New York, NY	55	July 12	Bandon, OR
28	June 8	Boston, MA	56	July 13	Trinidad, CA
		Home for break.	57	July 14	Mendocino, CA
			58	July 15	Home (2 days ahead of schedule!)
			59	July 16
				July 17

The Five Corners Run 2010

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Blastoff

2 comments:

How it came to be...

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Ralph "Rufus" Hughes

Ulysses "Bud" Early

Mike "Hammer" Oliveira

Bob "Bobby D" D'Ambrosio

Gary "MacGyver" Cose

Trip Calendar