Reflections...

We have ridden the border of most of the United States, and now a portion of central Canada. The economy seems to be on everyone's mind, and everyone seems more than happy to talk about the poor economy. From what we have seen, there is plenty of evidence that our economy is on the verge of imploding. It was common to ride through cities and towns, and see commercial buildings and homes abandoned. Most factories we saw were closed with empty parking lots. Throughout the northeast, for instance, the only real visible industry still in operation were small lumber mills. Car dealers were closed. Restaurants were closed. Gas stations were closed. We were looking at what once were thriving commercial communities now beginning to decompose. Our government's only "cure" for this national crisis is simply to increase spending, print more money, and increase taxes. The "tax and spend" policy of the Obama administration is blatant, and the administration is more than willing to lie to the people. The fact is that this tax and spend policy will ultimately affect the poor more than the wealthy, even though all will be affected.

We spoke to many people who were directly or indirectly connected to the tourist trade throughout the United States. Everyone we spoke to commented on the collapse of tourism, and the economic effect of this failing industry. No one, not a single person, had a positive word on the subject. In fact, while we were in Niagara Falls, New York, I spoke to a young Black woman at the hotel's front counter. I noticed she was wearing a visor with the word "Obama" printed in white. I pointed to the hat and asked whether she had voted for Obama. She immediately covered the name with both hands, said she did, and apologized. Possibly more notable, however, was her statement that someone had given her "hell" about the hat just the day before.

At this point in time, however, we are lucky. That's right, lucky. While in Canada, seemingly everyone wanted to talk about the lack of jobs and their failing economy. While traveling to Thunder Bay, we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. We spoke to the owner, a very pleasant woman whose brother lives in the United States. She was quick to complain about the Canadian government's decision to increase taxes, how the increased taxes was killing tourism and her business, and how the government had "lied" to the people. Like in the United States, so called temporary taxes became permanent, and only increased over time. In order to finance their "free" health care, Canada just increased the sales tax from 10% to 13% (effective July 1). There are other taxes, so that the cost of Canadian products is now out of reach to many. We had avoided purchasing anything in Canada, since the cost of most products was 25-50% higher than in the US. "Sin" products, such as alcohol, cigars, etc., were at least 50% higher, all to fund the "free" health care. She said she currently is paying over $5,500 in property taxes on her home, set to be increased by another $158 this year. She stated that her home is only appraised at $150,000, about four times the property taxes paid in California. The high taxes did not do anything to help her or other business people. Instead, it dramatically increased the cost of Canadian products, caused the loss of jobs, and prevented an economic environment conducive to economic growth and new jobs. Canada is already suffering from a "tax and spend" environment. Obama is bringing this disaster to us.

White River

Day: 41
Destination: White River, Ontario
Route: Highway 17
Miles Ridden: 214   Total Miles: 9,199

Points of Interest:

• Lake Superior
• Agawa Indian Gift Store
• Lake Superior Provincial Park
• Sinclair Cove
• City of Wawa

Today was the coldest day of our trip. Although we did not have any rain, we put on everything we could to keep warm...sweatshirts, jackets, rain jackets...but it was still cold. We also had more wind than we had experienced, with gusts up to 45 miles per hour. We left at 9:30 a.m., and arrived at White River at 4:00 p.m. We took several opportunities to stop and look around at things, and to take a few pictures. We left Lake Huron, and early on we began running alongside Lake Superior. Even with the overcast and grey skies (it looked like it was going to pour the entire day), the views over the lake were fantastic. In some areas, white beaches could be seen, as well as small islands. Larger islands were seen in the distance, as clouds hung low over the mountains around the lake. At the higher elevations, the highway was engulfed in a dense fog making visibility difficult at times, and the riding even colder.

We exited the highway, and road down a single lane road to Sinclair Cove. There was a boat ramp, with a pickup truck backed up to the water. Two American Indians, part of the Agawa Tribe, were cleaning about 500 pounds of whitefish which they caught that morning using gill nets. Gill nets are outlawed in the US and Canada, but can be used by Native Americans. We took a few photos (until the battery died), and moved on. We stopped for lunch at Wawa at a restaurant called the Viking. The chicken pot pie was excellent, and after a break, we continued on our way to White River. White River is little more than a bump in the highway (Not even available to mark on our blog's pin map). It had two hotels and one restaurant. We settled in for the night.

Sault Ste. Marie

Day: 40
Destination: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Route: Highway 17
Miles Ridden: 190    Total Miles: 8,950

Points of Interest:

• Lake Huron
• Lakes, marshes, streams

A 190 mile ride on a two lane road, rain (heavy at times), wind...another perfect day to ride!

The road between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie is a beautiful road. Two lanes which meander through and over mountains of forests, lakes, lagoons, rivers and marshland. The lakes were all black bottomed, mostly consumed by water plants which rose above the water leaving the elusion that streams were cutting back and forth, snaking through the plants. Everything was green. As we were riding, we had to look out for the wildlife (which we didn't see today), and had to be particularly careful due to the rain and wind. Sault Ste. Marie was not much to see. An older town, with older hotels, with few restaurants in the area. It is one of those cities where nothing seems close to anything else. We ended up eating pizza at the pub next to the hotel. Great pizza, but the pub lacked a little in ambience.

Sudbury

Day: 39
Destination: Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Route: Highway 190 across the international line; Highway 400 through Toronto; Highway 69 through Barrie and Parry Sound
Miles Ridden: 321   Total Miles: 8,795

Notable Quote: Trying to explain why he didn't want to walk the 500 yards to see Niagara Falls..."What's in a forest? Trees. What's in a waterfall? Water. If you've seen one, you've seen them all."            ~Mike "Hammer" Oliveira

Notable Quote: Explaining why we were wasting time in putting on our rain gear after leaving the border inspection center, 30 minutes before Noah and his ark floated by on the freeway..."I'm pretty sure we have clear weather ahead."    ~Ulysses "Bud" Early

Points of Interest:

• Niagara Falls State Park
• Highway 69 north of Barrie, Ontario

We looked out the window this morning, and saw a wet parking lot and dark, dark skies, but it wasn't raining, so two of us walked over to the Niagara Falls State Park about 500 yards from the hotel. There is a sidewalk alongside the rushing waters which ends at the observation deck. From the observation deck, you can see the falls from the US side, literally from the edge of the falls, as well as the pool below. Three of us had seen the falls before, although not from this side. It is an amazing sight, and something you can't get tired of seeing. The roar of the water is unforgettable. 40,000,000 gallons of water per minute go over the falls, and the water falls 162 feet to the pool below. And to think that lunatics have gone over the falls in barrels!

 

Two of us were detained and "checked out" at the border, which delayed our departure, but we were finally on our way by 10:00 a.m. It was drizzling as we left the inspection station, but we decided to put on rain jackets only because the forecast put the heavy rain south of us. So much for the weatherman. Within 30 minutes, we were experiencing constant, heavy rain. There was as much water coming up from the road as from the skies, and visibility was very poor. To make matters worse, Obama (and the Secret Service) were in town, there was a huge demonstration at the summit in Toronto, and highways and roads were closed, all to make our lives more difficult. After a few hours in heavy rain, we stopped at Barrie for lunch, the skies began to clear, the rain gear came off, and we continued to Sudbury. The highway between Barrie and Sudbury just got better as we went. It is a two lane highway which often runs between rock walls on both sides, and often in the center divider. The walls are black and brown, with marbling of reds and whites, all twisted and contorted from the ages. We found out later that the rocks were nickel and copper, the major industry in Sudbury. People had stacked rocks in many areas, looking like stone sculptures and even Japanese lanterns. The area is very rocky, covered by forests, lakes and marshlands. We saw a bunch of critters, including another swamp donkey and a large elk feeding a couple hundred yards to our ride.

 

Other than the linkage of one bike disconnecting, and the rain early in the day, another great ride.

Niagara Falls

Day: 38
Destination: Niagara Falls, New York
Route: Highway 3 to 104 west, then Lake Ontario Parkway, then 104 to Niagara Falls, NY
Miles Ridden: 330  Total Miles: 8,474

Points of Interest:

• Dar's Cafe, Natural Bridge, New York
• Marshland east of Natural Bridge
• Lake Ontario, New York
• Lake Ontario Parkway
• Niagara Falls

After two days of rain, it was a pleasure waking up to clear skies and a promise of a rain free day. We were up and gone by 8:00 a.m., and heading west to an unknown destination. We didn't know if we would make Canada today, and hadn't decided where to cross the border. We stopped at Dar's Cafe in Natural Bridge, New York, an outstanding place for breakfast with its 25 cent coffee and $3.00 breakfasts. The people there were outstanding, and we had a great time. We decided to go to Niagara Falls, if we could make it that far on the two lane, country roads. The road was excellent (and dry), and we enjoyed our travels along the country roads through small communities, farmlands, marshlands, and lake fronts. We arrived at Niagara Falls after a 10 hour ride and checked into the local Comfort Inn. The person at the counter was very cooperative and nice and, for the first time, it appeared that rooms were becoming rather scarce. That was a rarity, even though we had stayed at some tourist popular locations. We had dinner at the Old Falls Bar & Grill and had a couple great, inexpensive martinis and decided to call it a night. Tomorrow...Canada.

Tupper Lake

Day: 37
Destination: Tupper Lake, upstate New York
Route: Highway 89, south on Highway 7, Essex Ferry, Highway 9N, Highway 86, Highway 3
Miles Ridden:138   Total Miles: 8,144

Points of Interest:

• Valleys and farmland of Vermont
• Essex Ferry to upstate New York
• Downtown Lake Placid, New York

Our day began with heavy rain. Not the best way to start the day, but at least the temperature was 72 degrees, and the rain was warm. Rain is still rain, heavy at times, and we knew we were going to have an interesting day. It was unfortunate, since we intended to take some photos of downtown Montpelier, Vermont. Many of the buildings and Inns in Montpelier date back to the 1820's. We opted not to do so, and instead we hopped on the bikes and began our ride west. When you are dealing with heavy rain, it is difficult to enjoy the scenery. We tried, and our route was beautiful, but we spent most of our time watching the road and looking out for that elusive swamp donkey. We got to the Essex Ferry and alas, the sun was breaking. Off came the rain gear, and we enjoyed the ride to upstate New York. The trip was very nice, since the water was calm and blue, the sky was blue, and fog had settled on the water on the New York side. It cleared as we got to the shore, and we disembarked onto a small, two lane highway south. The rain had recently passed over the area, and the heat from the sun caused steam to rise from the pavement. The road meandered along the coast, with small homes on both sides of the streets. Many of the homes had small docks on the water.

We began to head up into the mountains to the west. We stopped at a local restaurant in Elizabethtown, NY, and then made our way to Lake Placid. Downtown Lake Placid was very nice, and we enjoyed our brief stay. As we began to leave, however, the rain returned, this time constant and heavy. On again went the rain gear, and we continued west. By 4:00 p.m., the ride was getting too hairy. We gave up the ghost and stopped at Tupper Lake for the night.

Montpelier

Day: 36
Destination: Montpelier, Vermont
Route: Highway 95, to 222, then west on Highway 2
Mile Ridden: 257   Total Miles: 8,006

Points of Interest:

• Mexico, Maine
• Farmland and marshland on Highway 2
• White Mountains, Maine
• Montpelier, Vermont

We woke up today with the parking lot and our bikes wet from rain. The forecast was rain in the morning, but clearing in the afternoon, but by 10:30 a.m., the rain was only increasing and clear skies did not look likely. We left by 11:00 a.m., and rode through the rain, heavy at times, for about three hours. Eventually, the rain weakened, the rain suits came off, and riding returned to "normal." Essentially, the entire day was on Highway 2, which is an east to west highway which runs from Maine, through New Hampshire, and into Vermont. Our goal was Burlington, Vermont, but with the late start, and the rain, we came up 40 miles short and spent the night in Montpelier.

 

It turned out to be a great choice, since Montpelier is a great town, with very old buildings and streets, and some great restaurants and an outstanding Irish Pub. Highway 2 was an outstanding road as well, which ran from the hills and valleys of Maine, to the mountains of Vermont where the road begins with a two lane road, then a four lane road cut through granite, to a 2 lane road as it wraps around and through many communities. The scenery is the best, with everything around you a lush green. There are lakes, rivers, and streams which snake through marshland. It was a very enjoyable ride, despite the rain.

Madawaska

Day: 35
Destination: Madawaska, Maine (4th Corner); Bangor, Maine
Route: Highway 1 North;   Highway 11 South
Miles Ridden: 263   Total Miles: 7,749

Notable Quote: After discussing the fifty mile ride up and back from Caribou to the fourth corner..."Well, let's get it over with."
     ~Robert "Bobbie D" D'Ambrosio

Points of Interest:

• Fourth Corner, Madawaska, Maine
• Moose and other critters
• Highway 11

After handling a minor issue with one of the bikes (it's amazing how a part which costs less than $2 can delay a trip!), we began our ride north towards our fourth corner. The corner is located at Madawaska, Maine, which is the town furthermost north in Maine, and directly across from Canada. In fact, we have been riding the border with Canada since yesterday. About 15 miles north of Caribou, we encountered our first "swamp donkey," as it was described by a local, a full size, chocolate brown bull moose. It was feeding alongside the highway, and was startled by Bud as he approached. It turned and bolted toward us (Ralph and Mike), but fortunately stayed on the shoulder. As it got to us, it turned and ran into the forest. Very exciting to see such a creature in the wild. Even more exciting that it did not hit us, and we did not hit it. Bullwinkle would have been quite upset, and our paint would have suffered from the encounter.

We arrived at Madawaska and found a beautiful monument celebrating one of the "four corners." We, of course, included the fifth corner, Brownsville, Texas, a place few visit (for many reasons). We did our "Five Corners Dance", took our photos, had lunch, and were off again. We traveled to the end of Highway 1, and then began traveling south on Highway 11. Since we are no longer traveling further away from our homes, technically we have now begun our trip home. A few miles from Fort Kent, we encountered a sign bikers never want to see--"Pavement Ends." We can deal with "Construction Zone," "One Lane Ahead," even "Grooved Highway"- But "Pavement Ends" just sucks. For 2.5 miles, we rode a dirt highway with all the excitement it can bring, but once we got off this road we had a 125 mile ride on a spectacular two lane highway through farms, a handful of communities, forests, lakes, and marshland. What impressed us was that the main street in each town was bordered with American flags and flags representing branches of the military, and so many homes had flag poles bearing American flags. We were also impressed by all the people who waived to us as we passed. We talked to one local, who told us that Maine is suffering from the loss of manufacturing, and jobs in general, and tourism has suffered greatly as a result. That certainly explains the ease we have experienced in finding hotel rooms.

Caribou

Day: 34
Destination: Caribou, Maine
Route: Highway 1
Miles Ridden: 193     Total Miles: 7,486

Points of Interest:

• 45th Parallel
• Highway 1, proximately with Canada
• Marshland, lakes, inland waterways, forests

Last night, the area of the hotel was blanketed with fog. Today was the solstice, the longest day of the year, and the sunrise first broke at our hotel. We couldn't see the sun rise due to the fog, but by 7:00 a.m., the fog had pulled back onto the water between Eastport and the Canadian islands to our east. We took some photographs of the harbor area (including the buildings built in the 1880's), and began our trip to Caribou.

Caribou is located about 50 miles south of the northern most border of Maine, and is the fourth corner of our trip. The ride to Caribou was outstanding. The entire trip on Highway 1 runs up mountains into the blue sky and clouds, and then down into valleys of forests, lakes, marshlands, and inland waters. It runs through small communities, sometimes with homes and businesses alongside the highway collapsing from age and lack of maintenance. Most of the homes were very nice, however, and set back on large lots of nicely maintained grass and landscape. We were looking out for the moose and other creatures well known to frequent the area which create a great hazard to motorists, especially motorcyclists. We saw some smaller creatures, but unfortunately no moose. We found the local Harley dealership in Caribou, and then a hotel, and settled in for the night.

Photo sneak peek

I haven't gotten the Blog updates for the last couple days yet, but I did get these photos from the guys, which I believe may be from Camden, ME

Eastport

Day: 33
Destination: Eastport, Maine
Route: Highway 1
Miles Ridden: 203    Total Miles: 7,293

Points of Interest:

• Bar Harbor
• Acadia National Park

As we were getting ready to leave the hotel this morning, several people came up to us to talk. One group included several riders and their wives, all heading to Bar Harbor. Three women, the oldest 95, talked to us about our trip, and the woman behind the counter was very interested in our trip (and very conservative politically). We had nice conversations with each of them, and finally left the hotel heading towards Eastport.

[Bonus Dance] 

Eastport is the eastern most point in the United States, and therefore a "must see" on our list. On the way, however, we stopped by Bar Harbor, where we enjoyed a nice lunch and spoke with several other people about our trip. We have found New Englanders to be very nice and accomodating people. Bar Harbor is located on an island, most of which is covered by the Acadia National Park, and is a tourist area. While we were there we saw tourist buses and even a cruise ship in the harbor. It is a beautiful place, small, with very old buildings along both sides of the main street. Naturally, all the restaurants specialized in sea food, and lobster was readily available. We left late in the day, with another 100 plus miles to go along the coast. Thunderstorms were in the forecast, and it looked like rain when we left but we made our way through the beautiful bed and breakfasts near Bar Harbor, and then the small communities along Highway 1. We were welcomed by rain only 10 miles from Eastport.
 
To get to the harbor, you travel through a portion of the town, and then travel a couple of miles on a two lane road with water on both sides. You then reach the east part of town, and eventually arrive at the harbor. Numerous old homes, almost all three stories, white, with wood siding parallel the harbor. Most appeared to be unoccupied, and many in disrepair, and the businesses and streets were empty of people. We found the East Motel, the only motel/hotel, and fortunately it had rooms for us. There was also a bar and grill next door, the only restaurant within view which appeared to be open. They were closing, but agreed to stay open for us. The food was great, and afterwards we did a walkabout around town. More like a ghost town.

Catch of the Day!

On the ride to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Ralph was riding behind Bud and noticed that his left side compartment was open. The wind coming across the compartment was causing a small rolled up pillow to spin on top of the open lid. Ralph attempted to catch up to Bud, but it was obvious the pillow was going to come out. Ralph moved to the right as the pillow popped out. It hit the pavement once, and bounced up. Ralph reached out and caught the pillow. One gift the ride god missed out on!

Thunder Bay

Day: 42
Destination: Thunder Bay, Ontario
Route: Highway 17
Miles Ridden: 270    Total Miles: 9,469

Notable Quote: After Gary asked our waitress to slap Mikie Three Meals..."Do you want me to smack him periodically, or only once?"       ~Jennifer at Mr. Chinese, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Points of Interest:

• Marathan, Ontario
• Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

The coldest day of the ride...by far. As we went across the street from our expensive but class "C" hotel (giving it every benefit of the doubt) to the donut shop, you couldn't help but notice two things. First, it looked like it was going to rain. Second, it ws only 38 degrees. To make matters a little worse, we spoke to a local who advised that it could snow at the higher elevations as we traveled north to Thunder Bay. We began putting everything we could on...shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, rain jacket...and it was still cold. The trip was actually nice even though it was cold, and as we began going up the mountain it began to get a little warmer. The road was very nice, a two lane road which meanders through the mountains. In many spots, the roadway was cut through rock, leaving redrock walls on both sides of the highway. With the lakes, streams, glimpses of Lake Superior, and so forth, the views were very nice. And with virtually no traffic, and the "high speed twisties," it was a very nice ride to Thunder Bay.
 
Thunder Bay, itself, however was a little disappointing. The layout of the city made no sense at all, with most of the shoreline occupied by factories and commercial buildings, and the hotels, etc., inland. We found a nice hotel, had dinner at Mr. Chinese, and called it a night. Tomorrow...Minnesota.

Camden

Day: 32
Destination: Camden, Maine
Miles Ridden:     Total Miles: 6,090
Route: Route 104, north on Highway 93, Highway 112, Route 196 to Bath, then Highway 1

Points of Interest:

• Kancamagus Highway
• White Mountain National Forest
• "Big Burneys"
• Hatchet Mountain Publick House

Another beautiful day as we left Tommy and Jodie's "camp" in Danbury, New Hampshire. After thanking them for their hospitality and friendship and hearing how Jodie put a talking pig in Bobby's bed during the night, we left for Maine.
 
On the road, you always listen to the locals who always know the best roads, restaurants and sites. Tommy and Jodie recommended that we take the Kancamagus Highway east to Maine, and we gladly took their advice. This highway runs though the forests and mountains of the White Mountain National Forest, and affords some outstanding views of the valleys and streams and lakes below. We arrived at Camden, Maine, alongside the Atlantic Ocean, at 5:15 p.m. We went to "Big Burneys" home, which is a beautiful home which sits next to a lake. Big Burney is related to Bud, and he and his wonderful family have always been very, very hospitable to us. This night was no different. Little Burney, his son, had arranged a lobster feast at a fabulous restaurant named Hatchet Mountain Publick House in Camden- and a feast it was. Gary, nicknamed "the stick," ate an incredible nine lobsters, and the rest of us ate all we wanted to eat. It's hard to describe how good the lobster and the appetizers were (including bacon wrapped around duck and jalapeno peppers and hot wings).

Woodstock

Day 31
Destination: Woodstock, New Hampshire
Route: Back roads, Route 104, Highway 3A, Highway 93
Miles Ridden: 93    Total Miles: 6,832

Points of Interest:

• White Mountain National Forest
• Blaire Bridge (covered)
• Woodstock, New Hampshire
• Lake Newburgh

Our third day in New Hampshire, and what a day it was.  After Mikie Three Meals fixed another great breakfast for us and Gary once again jumped in the stream, we mounted our silver eagles and took off for points north. Although we didn't have an actual destination in mind, we ultimately ended up at Woodstock, New Hampshire.
 
To get there however, we road a dirt road for several miles which took us to the top of a mountain. From this vantage point, we could see the valleys below, a lake and some great examples of the ranch homes and barns common in this part of New Hampshire. Most of the homes are two story with wide wood sidings, many with brightly colored metal roofs and barns. A couple locals stopped by, and we had a nice chat with them.
 
We left, and made our way to Woodstock. Woodstock in located in north central New Hampshire, a very short distance from the border with Vermont to the west. It has many attractions, but the one we liked the most was the Blaire Bridge. This is a covered bridge, not uncommon in New Hampshire. This one was built in 1870 to replace one originally built in 1829. The bridges have wooden decks, and only one vehicle at a time are permitted on the bridges. We later had lunch in Woodstock, and returned on back roads and Highway 3A so that we could run alongside Lake Newburgh.  New Hampshire had a major influence on the Colonies' decision to boot out the British before the Revolutionary War, and also played important roles during the Civil War (or the War of Northern Aggression, if you happen to live in the South), including the battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. We stopped at a very old cemetery, and found several markers from the Civil War, including one where the permanent guest had been killed while carrying the regimental flag during the Battle of Deep River, Virginia. There is a lot of history to be found and explored in New Hampshire. The state is truly beautiful, with great roads anxious to be explored and wonderful people.

Laconia

Day 30
Destination: Laconia, New Hampshire
Route: Back roads and Route 104
Miles Ridden: Total Miles 6,725

Points of Interest:

• Lake Winnnespasauki
• Laconia Motorcycle Rally

More pleasant than any hotel, we awoke this morning to the sounds of nature- a babbling brook, and a waterfall. This far north, the air is cool and clean, and everything is green. It had rained during the night, and was still raining, but that was not going to stop us from traveling the 40 plus miles to the Laconia motorcycle rally (its "Bike Week"). The Laconia rally is the oldest in the United States, having first taken place 87 years ago.
 
After Jodie prepared an outstanding breakfast for everyone, we loaded up and began our ride. It continued to rain off and on, but the weather forecast was for clear weather. (They lied!) We stopped by Laconia Harley-Davidson, and as expected found a party. It looked like over 1,000 bikes were in and around the various lots. Since it's Thursday, the crowd was considered light, since Saturday and Sunday they are expecting many more people. We were pleased to be there when it was not so crowded. The dealership had a large tent with food, drink and live entertainment (all for a price, of course), but a good time was had by all.
 
A few trinkets and T Shirts later, and we were en route to Laconia about 10 miles north. Laconia, during the rally, is like Daytona, in that the rally spans more than one town. Weir Beach and Laconia are separated by a small bridge, and the community is well worth the visit. The ride through the heavily wooded highways is great, the roads are in good condition, and the rally is located alongside Lake Winnespasauki at Weir Beach. There were scores of food, clothing, T shirt and other vendors, and no shortage of places to quench one's thirst. What made the rally exceptional was the nice people, and the fact that it was bordered by the lake on one side, and beautiful bed and breakfast homes on the other. Quite a contrast.

Danbury

Day 29
Destination: Danbury, New Hampshire
Miles Ridden: 109   Total Miles:
Route: Highway 93 from Boston, Highway 4

Points of Interest:

• Boston Harley-Davidson (Everest, Mass)
• The farm houses and small towns along Highway 4

Some days are better than others on a long motorcycle ride. Our day began at 3:30 a.m., which is when we were picked up at our homes for the ride to the San Francisco Airport.  Mike immediately wanted breakfast, so he was christened with the name "Mikie Three Meals".

Our 6:00 a.m. flight was on time, and by 2:30 p.m. we were on the ground in Boston, and at the dealership by 3:30. We had a surprise this date, since Gary C. joined us without prior announcement. When the car arrived to pick us up, Gary C. was sitting in the back seat holding a shot of Patron Silver. Over the years, we have always started a ride with a shot of either Patron or Bushmill, and today was certainly no different.

We were welcomed to the East Coast by rain. Our bikes had been serviced and were ready to go. We loaded up, but alas, no motorcycle for Gary. It was setting in a warehouse some 50 miles away (on the other side of Boston, of course), and had not been delivered to the dealership. Gary hopped a ride with Bud, and they made their way through hellacious traffic to pick up the bike. We were also joined once again by Bobbie D.  Bud and Gary went south, and the rest of us went north, and ultimately we met up at Derry, New Hampshire. In fact, as three bikes left the gas station, Bud and Gary rode into town behind us. While sitting in the local Applebees, Bud asked an excellent question. If you ended up there by accident, would that be a "Derry error"?  We pondered the question for awhile, and concluded that it would. After leaving Derry, we went north to Highway 4, and then rode along a two lane highway for miles to find our destination. Tommy and Jodie had invited us to spend the night at their "camp." The camp turned out to be a home way out in the country, away from people, and down a three mile dirt road. It was a beautiful place, with 80 foot pines, a creek and a waterfall. It was especially nice to find, since it had been raining off and on during the day.

Returning to the "Run"

It is Tuesday, June 15, 2010, and tomorrow we will be returning to Boston Mass. We will soon be making our way to Vermont, and begin our northern, and then eastern trek across America. We have been home for a week, and it has been great seeing our loved ones and friends. The past week has been trying also, since we have been watching the destruction of the southern beaches and coastline, an area we rode through just a couple short weeks ago.

Our goal was to travel America, talk to Americans, and determine for ourselves whether Americans across this great nation share our views. We have traveled the southwest and the entire south, and have spoken to many people. It was not difficult to start up conversations with the people we met along the way. The California license plates...our distinctive shirts showing our route...or...just a simple comment making reference to the economy. This latter method always resulted in comments, and not once did a person state his or her belief that the economy is getting better. All across the nation, everyone we spoke to on the subject was very concerned about the direction this country is going, and most stated their belief that our way of life cannot be sustained if we keep spending and borrowing.

The problem in the Gulf may be helping Mr. Obama redirect attention away from the economy and his blatant incompetence and inability to lead. For almost three weeks after the explosion in the gulf, the administration did nothing. We know that he does not seem to handle emergencies well (except those economic "emergencies" which enable him to borrow more and more money from our children and grandchildren). When Tennessee was hit with the worst flooding in 100 years, resulting in many deaths, we know that Mr. Obama did nothing. When 20 people were killed in Arkansas, and Oklahoma City was ravaged with flood, he did nothing.

In our humble opinion, there are at least two reasons why Obama did not visit the gulf, and did not take any aggressive action for so long. First is his belief that no crisis should be wasted, and he will use this crisis to slow the oil industry and push his cap and trade legislation, both liberal points of view destructive to our way of life. The second reason the administration did nothing for so long, and ignored the international maritime community offering to help, was because of his desire to protect unions. The administration has cited the Jones Act which prohibits the use of international ships in US waters. Scores of ships had offered their assistance, including oil skimmers, which clearly would have lessened the impact on our beaches and coastline. What the administration is not telling America is that the Jones Act was enacted in 1920 at the behest of certain trade unions, run by self proclaimed communists involved in the labor movement at the time, to protect union jobs from international shipping and competition. It was intended to benefit the rights of union sailors and longshoremen, and protect them from foreign vessels operating on the navigatable waters in and around the US. The Jones Act has resulted in eliminating competition from abroad, and has been under attack for years. The administration could have waived the Jones Act, but instead it waived off the offers of assistance. Rather than offend the ILWU and other unions which put him in power, he permitted this disaster to occur.

Boston

Day 28

Destination: Boston, MA

Route: Backroads, then Highway 93

Miles Ridden: 55 Miles   Total Miles: 6,541

Points of Interest:

• Nantasket Beach, MA

Today started out as a beautiful day- beautiful blue skies with white and silver clouds overhead. We met with Tommy and Jodie, and before heading to Boston Harley-Davidson, they took us on a tour of the area. There is nothing like riding with an experienced local, since they know every turn, every great road, and every great place to eat. Today was no different. We followed them east to the coast, and through some of the most beautiful neighborhoods I've ever seen. Many of the homes were literally built on granite flows, with beautiful lawns and flowers and trees surrounding the homes. Bridges crossing over beautiful salt water inlets. Beautiful white sand beaches. Homes with the most spectacular views. Our travels took us to a recreational area called Nantasket Beach where we had a great lunch, then off to Boston Harley located about a hour north. Proving there is humor everywhere, the highway separated as a large ambulance passed. Behind the ambulance was a car which was shadowing it as the ambulance parted the seas ahead. About five minutes later the highway stopped. When we got to the scene of the accident, we saw that the same car had actually rear-ended the ambulance- A little justice (accept for the person being transported in the ambulance). We dropped our bikes off at the dealership, made our way to the airport, and made our way home.

See ya in a week!

Hanover

Day 27
Destination: Hanover, MA
Route: Highway 95 through New York, New Haven, Providence, Highway 93 (Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts)
Miles Ridden: 310    Total Miles: 6,486

Points of Interest:

• Holy frijoles, Batman! Where did all this traffic come from?
• Scituate Harbor

Downtown Philidelphia has some of the most magnificent buildings imaginable. From the churches, to the museums, to the government buildings, it was a pleasure seeing these buildings. On a motorcycle trip like this, your time is limited. You see what you can, and then have to keep moving.

For the first time in 26 days, we put our jackets on. Instead of being 95 degrees, the temperature was only expected to reach 70, so it was rather cool this morning. Jackets on and we were off through a series of turns trying to find Highway 95. As you would expect, we encountered congested traffic. We had time, therefore, to view the Manhattan skyline from the New Jersey highway, and took special notice of the missing towers. But when we got to the George Washington Bridge entering New York, the traffic was unbelievable. It took 90 minutes to enter and cross the bridge. If the traffic was normal for NY, it would explain the hostility New Yorkers are famous for, and they are masters at profanity. They just pushed us out of the way if they wanted the lane, and did the same with other motorists. I (Ralph) felt like the ball in a pinball machine! But survived we did.

We arrived at Hanover, and met up with Tommy and Jody. They took us to a resort area at Scituate, MA, which is a beautiful area surrounded by water, a lighthouse and small, beautiful vacation cottages. We had dinner at the Mill Wharf, which is a great restaurant which specializes in seafood. A long day, but a great day on the road. The lighthouse goes back to 1800, and in 1810 the daughters of the caretaker were given credit for stopping a British invasion by banging on their drums.

Philadelphia

Day 26
Destination: Philidelphia, PA
Route: Highway 13, 495, 95
Miles Ridden: 295    Total Miles: 6,129

Points of Interest:

• Constitutional Hall

Our anticipated trip was to take us to Washington DC. We decided to get to Boston one day early, and had to adjust our trip. Since we had been in DC several times before, we decided to visit Philidelphia. The most important place to visit is Constitutional Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were argued and signed. It is the birthplace of the United States, and a place every citizen should visit. Even though President Obama finds no need for the Constitution, most people disagree and believe that the Constitution should be protected at all cost. Looking at the room where these great men met and created such a document, one could only imagine the risk they took in signing the Declaration of Independence. The signors must have been considered rather extreme in their day, since modern historians believe that only 1/3 of the colonists actually supported independence. If they followed polls, like the current administration likes to do, the colonists would have been peacefully sipping the tea which was dumped into the harbor in Boston. How different our world would have been.

Virginia Beach

Day 25
Destination: Virginia Beach, VA
Route: Highway 17
Miles Ridden: 177   Total Miles: 5,834
Points Of Interest:

• Bridge across the Neuse Inlet
• Two lane roads through farm land
• Great Dismal Swamp
• Hall and Oates Concert
• Virginia Beach

The ride out of New Bern was very nice. As you leave town, you drive over a very large, recently built bridge over the Neuse inlet. It is a wide, sweeping bridge that, like so many bridges we have encountered in the south, makes the trip over waterways a pleasure. Once over the bridge, we traveled over 60 miles on a very nice two lane road through farms. It seems the primary crop in the area is corn and blueberries, both of which are in abundance. The farm houses are almost always two or more stories, set off by themselves on the back of very large lots. The grounds in front are green, and obviously mowed often using these cool riding mowers which can turn on a dime. The other things in abundance are water, forests, and beautiful blue skies.
 

 
Our luck continues to hold, and we have experienced only light rain and some cross winds. When we crossed into Virginia, we went through a portion of the Great Dismal Swamp. We made our way to Virginia Beach, and upon arrival learned that Hall and Oates was to perform a live concert on the beach. We found a hotel close enough to enable us to hear the concert, but we could not resist walking down to the free concert. Virginia Beach itself is an amazing beach. It was crowded with tourists, but not unbearably so. The water is about 500 feet from a boardwalk, separated by sand volleyball courts. The water was great, about 75 degrees, and the sand hot and pure white in color. A tourist's dream come true. No wonder it is a favorite spot for northerners looking for a place to enjoy the water and sand. On this particular weekend, Virginia Beach was celebrating its Patriotic Festival, something you're not likely to see in California. It was a USO event, well attended by the military. The South loves its God and Country.

When we left Virginia beach, we went across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge which is 21 miles in length and considered to be one of the engineering wonders of the United States.  A must see!

Jacksonville/ New Bern

Day 24
Destination: Jacksonville, New Bern, NC
Route: Highway 17
Miles Ridden: 177    Total Miles: 177

Points of Interest:

• Historic Buildings of New Bern

Before leaving for Jacksonville, NC, we took a walk along the beach of Myrtle Beach, SC. Myrtle Beach runs north and south for miles, so we only got a glimpse of the beach. We snapped a few pictures, loaded up, and off we went. The ride to Jacksonville was pretty congested, but there where spots were traffic eased and we were able to push the speed to 50-55. We had learned that Myrtle Beach had a city ordinance which required everyone to wear a helmet, even though state law did not require helmets if you are over 21 years old. When we got to Jacksonville, we began looking for lighter, legal helmets, since we were also told that the local popo would write you a citation if wearing the peanut helmets two of us were wearing. As we found the helmets, but we were met with rain. Our mojo was beginning to run thin.

We decided to keep traveling north, and made our way to New Bern. New Bern is a great town. It was founded in 1710, and was the original state capital. We saw some beautiful homes and buildings dating back to 1800. We met the clerk of the US District Court, who told us of the "War of Northern Aggression" (we call it the Civil War, and he refered to us as "Yankees" for doing so), and pointed out holes in a church steeple from the Union soldiers' muskets who had captured the town during the war. We had dinner at Morgan's Tavern and grill. The food was excellent, and the service even better.
 

New Bern is also the birthplace of Pepsi Cola, which was invented by a Pharmacist in 1898, who called it "Brad's Drink".

Myrtle Beach

Day 23

Destination: Myrtle Beach

Route: Highway 17

Miles Ridden: 126    Total Miles: 5,480

Points of Interest:

• Historic Homes in Charleston
• Fort Sumter National Monument
• Myrtle Beach

We lost one of our core riders today when Bob decided to ride to Virginia to meet with his wife. We wished him a safe ride. We will be meeting up with Bob again in Boston.

Before leaving this morning, we decided to visit the Fort Sumter National Monument. The first fatality of the Civil War was at Fort Sumter on April 14, 1861. A short distance from the monument is the oldest neighborhood which is a must see for any visitor to Charleston. The homes were built at the turn of the 19th century, with homes built in 1802, 1806 and 1810. Beautiful homes which have been restored and on the historic registry.

After our stroll through history, off we went to Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach has one main street along the coast which has an almost countless number of hotels. We found it interesting that this same street had few restaurants. The restaurants were found several blocks away. But the weather was good, it was not raining, and the humidly acceptable.
 

Charleston

Day 22
Destination: Charleston, SC
Route: Highway 17, to 95, to 17
Miles Ridden: 106       Total Miles: 5,354

Points of Interest:

• Swamps and marshes in northern Georgia, southern South Carolina
• Historical district around Meeting Street
• Bocci's Restaurant

With 106 miles to our destination, and spending the night at the fabulous Olde Harbour Inn, we were not in a hurry to leave, so we didn't hit the highway until 10:00 a.m. We began our trip on Highway 17.

After a short distance, Georgia became South Carolina. We pulled over and ditched the helmets for the freedom of riding in much lighter head gear. Except for a short time on Highway 95, the trip was casual in terms of the speed and traffic. For the most part, the trip was on a tree lined, two lane highway. Like Georgia, this part of South Carolina is flat, green, and covered by water. When we arrived, we found a historic hotel on Meeting Street, which is in the heart of the district. It was surrounded by 100 year old + homes and commercial buildings. When dinner came around, we met at Bocci's on Church Street. We had the pleasure of meeting Jason, the bartender, and Rachael Porter the hostess. Both were exceptional, and made us feel welcome to be in their restaurant.

In traveling through the South, one has to be impressed with the number of community based churches. Faith is obviously important in the South, and we found many churches, including some dating back into the 1700's.

Savannah

Day 21

Destination: Savannah, GA

Miles Ridden: 230     Total Miles: 5,248

Route: Highways 95, 16, 17

Points of Interest:

• River Street
• Kevin Barry's Irish Pub
• Bernie's Pub
• Olde Harbor Inn

The threat of thunder storms was once again before us as we loaded up in Daytona and started to Savannah, GA. We started out in T-shirts, in fact, none of us has worn a jacket since the first day of the trip, 21 days ago. It was already warm and humid at 8:30 a.m. Our first stop was Daytona HD, which is a magnificent dealership. It is the largest in the country, two stories, and boasts a cafe, plus a restaurant and bar called Destination in a building separate from the dealership. It truly was a destination, and had a windshield screw that the previous six dealerships did not have. We got what we "needed," and we were off again.

 

We encountered light rain only as we rode north on 95. Past Jacksonville, Florida, we began to cross bridges which ran over and through waterways and marshes, and only periodically could you see the Atlantic Ocean to our right. As we crossed into Georgia, we had to stop and put the helmets on. Bud had long since lost his peanut helmet to the ride god, and had to put on his Aria helmet. A little hot and humid for a 3/4 helmet.

 

When we arrived in Savannah, we went directly to the Historical District. Savannah was an important city in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, and is rich with history. We went to the railway museum, a site where the colonials first took on the British (and lost). We then made our way to a restaurant called the Distillery, which had the most amazing crab soup, then down to River Street. Riding a motorcycle on River Street, with its huge, uneven cobblestones and raised trolley tracks was, to say the least, interesting. But its a great area not to be missed, and rich with history. The first commissioned colonial warship, the Liberty, left from here.  An excellent day for us travelers.