I’m a WUSS

September 15, 2011

Bangor ME

                Took care of the admin things before riding out of Madawaska; gas receipt, photo at PO, mail the SCMA form, and then a visit to the 4 Corners Park monument (very nicely done).  At the Post Ofice Riding thru the town I could see why my ride in at 9pm in the rain was swishy….Main St is grooved with car tire tracks!  Each side of the rode is perfectly grooved from what appears to be either a long time of a lot of heavy traffic (morning commute of 300 families??) or a weak sublayer….I vote for the latter.  At nite I couldn’t see the grooves but could feel the bike handling weird as it wanted to follow the groove.  Also saw more of the road outa town that I drove thru last night and some of the stuff I couldn’t see….damn scary at nite.  Moose warning signs were posted along the way at the marshes/swamps where they like to hang out…..glad I didn’t see any last night!

Bless the Trucker Guy

September 14, 2011
Madawaska ME

                I got up at 4am and was on the road by 5:30.  Learned a few more things on loading the bike to make it go quicker next time.

                The ride outa Walpole was scary….dark I-95, and traffic beginning to form.  But as I was passing thru Boston, watching the golden orb rise in the east, I noticed the traffic jam on the opposite side going into Boston….seems like getting up at 4am was a smart move after all.

                The slab ride on the I-95 was a nice one.  Saw the ports and cities and beautiful countryside.  Went into a McD for a bkfst and met about 8 seniors in their 70s-80s enjoying a bkfst meeting.  Great fun joking with them…I encouraged them to by a Harley and hit the road J

                The ride thru ME was fantastic!  The scenery is absolutely gorgeous even tho the leaves haven’t turned yet.  Out of Bangor to Houlton, where the I-95 ends at the US-1, I made great time doing a steady 70 mph, a speed that feels very comfortable to me with this load and my inexperience. During the whole run to Houlton I saw maybe 20 cars….not too many folks heading to this part of the country for a vacation at this time of the year J….wonder why not?

Stolen Helmet

September 13, 2011
Fairfield CT

                Well, this trip is getting to be real exciting.  Last nite my helmet disappeared and I called the police for them to interrogate two guests of the hotel who were smoking near the bike as I carried my bags in to the room.  Needless to say, they were innocent and a search of their room as well as friends rooms uncovered nothing.

                Hard way to learn a lesson….leave nothing loose on the bike.  I’ll have to change my plans and ride up to Bristol near Hartford to get an exact replacement…They’re the only store open on a Monday in CT and RI…..the two states that don’t have helmet laws.  I need to get it Monday however as I will be traveling thru MA and that state has helmet required law.

                Good News, as I was carrying my things past the front desk, the Hotel Clerk, Melissa, called me over and putting a helmet on the counter asked if this was what I had lost.  Seems that the cleaning ladies found it in an empty room….go figure, huh?

                As Gus (GM) was coming in to the hotel I told him about the find.  He was very gracious and still insisted on comping the room for me even tho the helmet was found and returned.

                My ride up the CT coast and into RI was uneventful and enjoyable.  Spent the night in a small local hotel in Walpole MA

                So again, a great lesson learned with only a little pain L, but no loss.

                BTW, in addition to carrying all items immediately into my hotel room, I also remove saddlebags, luggage rack, sissy bar, and back rest.

                Don’t wanna learn any more lessons J

C ya mañana
Gonzo
twitter: @GonzoCrossUSA
email: GonzoCrossUSA@gmail.com

Day Two

9/11/11

Fairfield CT

                Exercised out this morning for 45 min then loaded the bike.  Did a little variation to the arrangement and think it’ll work out for the better.  Stopped at the Waffle House for breakfast and was served will by Pamela….that place was really jumping…WH, exit 80 on I-95.

Made it as far as Fairfield CT, actually got thru NYC without any trouble…not bad for 9/11….of course it was around 9pm on a Sunday so that helped a lot.  My route took me into the town of Aberdeen so I could mail a letter and get a pic taken with something that depicted the name of the city.  From there I headed up the I-95 into DE and the University of Delaware campus.  I lost some time here as I could not find a mailbox to deposit my letter…asked two kids if they knew where a mailbox was….one said it was on his computer…I liked that.  Finally found a post office and got outa Dodge.

On the run to the City I missed the turnoff for the DE Bridge and Jersey Turnpike and staying on the 95 entered PA.  Fortunately there was a Welcome Center at the first exit and I a route thru PA and NJ that got me back on the NJT.  Along that route I stopped at a roadside stand to confirm directions…met Frank, fella in a truck for Gates & Doors. 

The Turnpike was a long ride….all the way to the Geo. Washington Bridge into NYC.  With the exception of the 40 miles of construction it’s a pretty good one…and the 100+ mile ride only cost $4.75, however, before  the bridge I got hit for another $4 which seemed like the cost per mile went up considerably as I only traveled about 10-15 miles.  Riding these slabs and constantly watching traffic is a full time job in these overpopulated areas….not like runnin thru the Dakotas or WY or UT….hell, the whole southwest.
At the first service stop for fuel I got directions to Rahway from the attendant pumpmeister.  Of course, finding a PO or PD is a challenge.  So I pulled into a Quick Stop and a young man was coming out...perfect...asked if he knew the area...and he did.  His name is Marcus and he gave me excellent directions to both the PO and PD.  At the PO I was able to get a phot taken by a gentleman from the Ukraine...forgot his name (bummer aging)...got me, Sophia's license plate (DIELVN), and the Rahway NH PO signage...sweet :)

At the last service area, around 830pm, I bought a small hamburger and a coke.  In the parking lot I met Lenny Gusel , his wife Anna and cute little girl Avial (hope I got the spelling correct).  He’s a SW engineer working marketing and she’s a grad from Columbia…so we had that connection as my dau is an alum.

Found a Hampton Inn in Stamford CT but they wanted $175 for a room…oops!  Another 20 miles later I found a Best Western to bunk down for the night.  Hope to get an earlier start tomorrow and get settled into a good routine to get in and out of hotels/campsites. 

C ya mañana
Gonzo
twitter: @GonzoCrossUSA
email: GonzoCrossUSA@gmail.com

Day One

September 10, 2011
Aberdeen MD

                Had a bit of a challenge getting out of town.  After loading the bike up Bro and I rode over to the Ace HW for a few more bungie cords and I didn’t like the way the bike was handling…a little too much weight  affecting the balance….seemed like my center of gravity was off.  So we headed back to the house and I ditched the leathers, small cooler, extra helmet, and other things…about 20 lbs.  Made a big difference when we headed out again.

                Bro followed me for about 20 miles on his Harley to make sure all was well.  He confirmed my route again and gave me a few pointers.  We parted and I headed off to pick up the MD2 which showed up real quick.  I pulled off a small road and called Peggy to confirm and when turning around on the gravel I dropped the bike!  Crap!  Fortunately, with a lotta leg strength I got Sophia upright.  But navigating these country roads is a challenge.  Finally hit I-95 and arrived at Aberdeen at the Edgewood side.  At the gate I got directions to Skipper’s Point Recreation area but found it all muddy from the rains.  Ended up dropping the bike again when my foot slipped out on unseen mud.  Again, got it up and got the hell outa there and went to a hotel.

                Once I had the bike unloaded and settled into the room, I went out for a sandwich.  When I returned I knew it was going to rain so I went to the room to get the bike cover and upon exiting the front entrance I was greeted with a torrential downpour!  What is it about MD and the East Coast?  Cant they join the SW in a drought so I can enjoy my rides???

                Anyhow, finally settled down for the night….hoping to never again drop Sophia…way too hard getting her upright…and risking her displeasure with me ):

C ya mañana
Gonzo
twitter: @GonzoCrossUSA
email:  GonzoCrossUSA@gmail.com

Devil’s Tower

August 9, 2011

Looked like a rainy day comino on….and it was.  So I put Sophia away and drove the truck to Devil’s Tower, WY. 

I thot this tower was just a Hollywood set make believe….nope, it’s for real.

Wonder how Richard Dreyfuss ever climbed that puppy….goes straight up about 1250 feet.

C ya mañana

Gonzo

twitter:  @GonzoCrossUSA

Jeff Bridges & Robert Thomas

August 11, 2011

What a surprise, Jeff Bridges put on a pretty good show….not only can he sing but he can also play the guitar…howzat for some talent???!!!  Unfortunately I was looking for some drum beating, electric guitar rocking music night…he was singing ballads, and wistful stuff….but it was good stuff. 

Keep on singing Jeff….but don’t give up the acting job.

            While sitting at a bench table in front of Col Tom’s, couldn’t help noticing a nice sleeveless vest being worn by a guy in the front bench seat.  He’s Robert Thomas owner of Thomas Heating & Maintenance out of Gettysburg, SD. 

            Had a great chat with Robert.  He started out as a mechanic, became a truck driver, went to school to become HVAC, raised a family, made sure his son got educated and working for someone else before taking over the family business.  Twas a real pleasure to meed Robert.

            I’ve been very fortunate meeting some fine folks along the way of my travels…hope the good fortune continues.

            Listened to Stevie Nicks sing some…Changes, Soldier’s Angel, then the wind came down pretty strong, storm in site, so I pulled outa there and headed for the Best Western in Custer.  Tomorrow morning will be heading to Denver to pick up the I70 and head to Louisville.

            Looking forward to meeting more nice folks.

C ya mañana

Gonzo

twitter:  @GonzoCrossUSA