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!
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
___________________________________________________________
~ Mavis Leyrer
Facebook
The Five Corners Run 2010
This year, we will be traveling along the borders of the United States; from southern California to Brownsville, Texas- to Key West, Florida to the northern border of Maine- across the Great Lakes into Canada, to northwestern Washington, and finally back home.
12,000 miles - 30 states - 3 countries.
We call our little jaunt the Five Corners Run…
12,000 miles - 30 states - 3 countries.
We call our little jaunt the Five Corners Run…
___________________________________________________________
"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting 'Holy shit, what a ride!'"
~ Mavis Leyrer
___________________________________________________________
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?
YouTube
Ralph "Rufus" Hughes
Ulysses "Bud" Early
Mike "Hammer" Oliveira
Bob "Bobby D" D'Ambrosio
Gary "MacGyver" Cose
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 | |||||
No comments:
Post a Comment