Bah Habah

Started the day with cinamon rolls at the Holiday Inn Express ... a great start! After breakfast, LL Bean was the first item on our list, and they had some great stuff at great prices ... Joe and Paul got stuff but I figured the best way to save money is not to spend any ...

After LL Bean we headed to Bar Harbor. Traffic was light and we successfully avoided speeding tickets in the numerous 25 mph towns. When we arrived, Paul had to have lobster ... he was a happy man when we found an all you can eat lobster pound! Eight or so lobsters later ... we were the last customers to leave and the place was getting ready to close! The moral of the story is ... don't advertise an all you can eat lobster dinner when Paul is anywhere around!

After dinner we walked down to the waterfront to enjoy the fireworks with several thousand of our closest friends. The fireworks at Bar Harbor were great ... long and loud and spectacular!!! Hope you all had a great 4th too!!!

49 States

We got a great start this morning ... fresh frut at the fitness center and coffee from the in-room maker. After a killer shower from the drencher shower head in the Marriott, we were prepared for whatever the new day might bring! The great weather has continued, there's little traffic, and we were in Mystic for lunch in no time at all. Mystic is a postcard beautiful town and worthy of much more time than we gave it!



After lunch it was on to Newport. Rhode Island is the 49th state I've ridden in. We celebrated with a Mocha Frappe at Mc Donalds! Newport is extraordinary but very touristy and the traffic was impossible on the 4th of July holiday. The visitor cnter parking lot had a sign reading "no motorcycles allowed." And the only other parking we could find was $20! What's up with that? Not particularly welcoming ... We eventually gave up trying to see the"Belvidere Mansions" and decided to head for Maine.



Our final destination for the day was Freeport Maine. Of course we celebrated with our standard dinner. Many memories to relive and lies to be told. Joe has one more state to complete his 49 and then we will celebrate again! Paul, Joe, and I have ridden in most states together ... great friends. Our first trip was California in 2002. Paul said "I want to do that." Only problem was he didn't have a bike ... he bought one so he could go ... Thanks Paul! Joe's bike was old ... he bought a new bike so he could go. Now that bike will turn 100,000 miles on this trip! Wow, that's a lot of miles ... Thanks Joe! Good friends and so many outragious stories ... remember when?




And our new best friend Stephanie who has taken good care of us at the Holiday Inn Express .... celebrate every chance you get!!!

The Flat Tire Day

After a fantastic breakfast of Norwegian waffles at David and Inger’s we headed out to do battle with urban traffic around New York City.

After successfully negotiating the maze of roads leading to the George Washington Bridge we encountered slow moving traffic on 95 in Connecticut. Then just as the traffic seems to be improving I check my rear view … where’s Joe and Paul? I slow but they are nowhere to be found. I pull into a welcome center and call. Joe has a flat! Since the wheel has a tube, it can’t be plugged. Joe has to call the Honda Riders Club to get towed. We make the most of it and have fun at the Honda dealer while Joe picks out his next bike.

Since the traffic is still stalled on 95, we decide to go to the Marriott and enjoy the pool and fitness center. Stamford, CT is a great town! Dinner at PF Chang’s and a walk through the entertainment district completes the evening.

Now its morning … looking out the window of the Marriott I can see that it’s a beautiful day! It was a good decision to stay here and let the traffic clear. Looking forward to the new day … life is good here on the road.

Messrs Suzuki and Kawasaki meet Messrs Harley and Davidson

Well ... the weather on day one was great but day two was extra superb!!! One of those days with low humidity and just enough sun. Clear blue skies with fluffy clouds and a so clear that you can "see forever" kind of day.

Reluctantly we left the comforts of the Hampton Inn with it's hot tub and pool for the adventure of the open road. We were on our way to tour the Harley Davidson plant. Up through the rolling fields of Gettysburg and over to York and the Amish country beyond Lancaster.

The Harley plant tour was going great until Paul mentioned that "you can buy a better bike but you can't pay more." Fortunately they didnt remove us from the premises! We had great fun trying on Harley garb and sitting on the bikes. Paul decided that he wants the "Fat Boy." Dick wants the Screaming Eagle convertible. No doubt the Christine and Clem will want to suprise their husbands on their upcoming anniversaries ...

Dick had fun trying on Harley garb and wondering ..."is it me?"

The best part was the conversation with a couple of Harley guys. The noticed our Iron Butt license plates and mentioned that they had done an iron butt too (100 miles in 24 hours or less). We swapped lies and then they told the truth ... during their iron butt trip several of the Harley's broke down and they had to make repairs along the way. Their bike died as soon as the 100 miles was complete. It only cost $1500 to put the bike back in working order. Any way it was fun doing the Harley thing ... and then we traveled to NJ to stay with David and Inger. Awonderful meal of stroganoff was waiting for us a good time was had by all. Life is good on Day Two!!! Joe will arrive soon and we will head out in the morning for parts unknown!

Day One

Does it look like Paul and Dick are having fun yet?
Guess the picture doesn't tell the whole story (but it's the only picture we took on day one so it will have to do).

We're at Mabry Mill and although the picture doesn't quite capture the joy and excitment we are feeling inside ... it actually was a great first day! After a great breakfast we left home around 9. The more we rode together, the more I remembered why we do this and the great memories of "rides past."

The weather is cooling as we ride towards the mountains,
Feeling the acceleration and hearing the motor respond to the twist of the wrist, slowing for the corners, and accelerating again ...
Seeing the beauty of the mountains and passing through the canopy of a dark green forest,
Stopping for gas and chatting with strangers ... where you going? Wow ... that's a long way!

Tomorrow we're headed for York, PA to tour the Harley factory ... maybe we can get a reject ... cheap :^) Looking forward to staying with David and Inger in New Jersey and meeting up with Joe. Maybe we can capture some better smiles on day two!!!

Looking Back

Here we are after day one of last year's trip. 1026 miles ... wow what a first day! Joe looks ready for another 1000 ... he's a riding machine!

This year will be a little different. We're a year older, wiser, and more mature ... well maybe just older :^) Thankfully there are no 1000 mile Iron Butt Days planed for this trip!

And one of my favorites ... the Moki Dugway in Utah. This year we're looking for new favorites (in NEW England ... of course)!
























And a photo from our Alaska trip ... yes that would be a glacier, very incredible!


We've had some wonderful trips together--California 2002, Nova Scotia 2003, Alaska 2006, Oregon 2009, and now New England 2010.


At one time all these trips had a day one. Amazing how the experiences accumulate and increase in significance. I'm packed and ready to go. Looking forward to day one of New England 2010 ... carpe diem!

Getting Ready

This is it ... getting ready for our Summer motorcycle trip. This year it will be New England. After the trip, Joe, and I will have have ridden a motorcycle in every state (except Hawaii). We'll do that when they build the bridge :^) Paul has ridden with us on all the trips except for Alaska. We first rode together to California in 2002.

So it's a historic trip ... we have many miles together and we are looking forward to the adventure. Joe will also complete 100,000 miles on his Honda Shadow ... wow, that's a lot of miles!!!

The plan is for Paul and I to ride through the Virginia mountains and meet Joe in New Jersey. Joe has a meeting in Baltimore and he will meet us as soon as he can get away. Then we will "head out on the highway, lookin for adventure, or whatever comes our way." Hope you enjoy the ride with us!!!