The Journey - Day 14

Day 14 was actually yesterday...finally arrived home, home to the Miramichi. This is where I did most of my growing up and probably pick up where I left off when I visit. Home is always where you feel most comfortable, most familiar....the place where you can be your most "self". Anyone who has shared that feeling will know what I mean. Home for me is not an attachment to material things like a house or furniture...is is not substantive...it is a feeling..one of belonging or being a part of something greater. Usually that feeling is most prevalent when you are with family, the feeling of being part of something greater than just yourself....I think that is why we associate the "house" with being home.

My home is the Miramichi. That is where my family is, this is where I can be my true self, and this is where you will find the Miramichi River. This morning I woke up to sunshine and a beautiful view of that river.......home.

The Journey - Day 13 - Almost Home

A long ride today from Vermont to Bangor, Maine. Lots of time to talk about the adventures of the last couple of weeks. Lots to share and remember. Mostly we remarked how different things look since we left but also how different all the areas are from one another. It still amazes me how different the geography is and how quickly it changes as you cross the state lines.

In the end, it is really only yourself who has changed, generally in subtle ways. This trip has become something greater than the plan or any expectation either of us had. It has been an adventure for sure, a great deal of fun, and more importantly a few life lessons learned, or I should say re-learned...lessons about the importance of balance, taking time to enjoy what life has to offer.

See you in the Chi....as we take some time to enjoy our family and few libations.

The Journey - Day 12 & 13 - Trip so far

Outside of some searing temps there hasn't been a whole lot in the last couple of days to report. Frequent stops for water in and on the body to keep things cool...we have been riding thru 100 degree + temps. In order to minimize our heat exposure we have been leaving early in the mornings and taking the Interstates until noon, that way we cover more ground faster and stop earlier. Shame cause I really like the "other roads".

Highlight from yesterday, we got to stay in Scranton again at the Lackawanna Station Hotel. If you have followed the blog I included a link. BEAUTIFUL! This was a railway station that has been preserved in the best way ever. It apparently was empty for 13 years and was almost demolished until it was purchased and renovated as a hotel. Unbelievable detail, untouched in many ways like the terrazzo and mosaic floor, the original clock, marble walls and pillars. The whole first floor is pretty much as it was back in it's time. As you enter the front the dining room takes up the whole area that would have held the benches for people waiting. Front desk the ticket area. They did carpet over some of the flooring but did so in a way so as to not disturb the original flooring. The old benches are now located on each floor by the elevators and the stain glass ceiling.......priceless!

Today's highlight was a chance encounter. We had originally picked out two other routes once we got off the Interstate. In the end we decided on the route we had taken when traveling south. We stopped at a nice gas station that was a good stop for us previously (shade and REALLY clean bathrooms). When I came out, Larry, of course, was having a conversation with one of the locals. Turns out he has a new BMW 1200RT, his wife is a veterinarian and he has a new business ,making grip buddies.....neoprene hand grips...just what we have been looking for...quick side trip to his house and he custom outfits us. An hour later we are back on the road. Grips are awesome! No more sleepy throttle hand! Thanks Dave!

So here is some info on our trip, so far...........
Mountain ranges travelled - 10 not including Mount Washington!
States crossed - 10
Kms...so far 4800
What we did - visited Biltmore Estate, Luray Caverns, Erie Canal, Champlain Canal, historic Lackawanna Station, Mabry Mills; travelled thru or by - Glade Springs (tornado touch down site -April); Blueridge Parkway; Skyline Drive; Smokey Mountain Parkway; Tail of the Dragon; Mount Washington; Moonshine Trail (Route 28 South); Pepacton Reservoir; Hwy 91 with it's wild cows; Susquehanna Nuclear Reactor; Cherokee Reservation; to name a few.....
Animals we have seen....wild turkey including momma and about a dozen little ones, turkey vultures, deer (abundant); ground hogs and possums, turtle, locust and elk...most common road kill (Pennsylvania) possum, squirrel and skunk. Ya...yummy!

Hottest temp - Pennsylvania at 41 degrees
Coldest temp - Mount Washington 9 degrees
Rode thru 4 major thunderstorms (amazing really - one we were riding at the same level as the cloud)
Most state lines crossed in one day - 5 - this was done twice in two different areas.

..and that's it....so far!

The Journey - Day 11

Today we set off early taking the Interstate to get us up to the top of the Parkway closer to Route 211 to Luray Caverns....it was a hot one today so moving fast on the Interstate when it is early is preferred to doing so in the afternoon heat. This morning started at 9 with a temp of 22 and quickly climbed to 33 by the afternoon when you were moving. When you stopped it was more like 38 and 40. We have been drinking loads of water which usually results in a lot of bathroom breaks for the first hour and a half but after that the stops are less frequent...this is a phenomena that I have started to call "pisspiring"......

By the time we stopped for lunch it was noon and 2 pm before we reached the caverns. We were not disappointed in making the time to see this site. You go down into the tunnel inside the main building and you are immediately greeted by some of the most beautiful natural wonders ever seen. Stagmites and stalactites, reflecting pools, huge chambers and small pathways. Two of my favorite were the reflecting pool where the formations are mirrored in the still water and it appears as though there is this great abyss when in fact the water couldn't be more than 3 inches deep, and the music chamber. In this chamber someone installed little rubber hammers like a piano to a cellinoid switch which is triggered by a large organ. There are 37 of these which when triggered "tap" specific stalactites each giving an individual note. From this they can either play the organ or use a template on a drum (old fashioned way) and they play a sound that is so pure, almost like crystal being played. It is beautiful and almost haunting at the same time.

After we left the Luray Caverns we decided riding in the shade would be the best bet so it was 10 miles back over to the Skyline Drive and we rode the last 30 miles to the beginning of our Parkway journey. It had an almost melancholy feeling really. So little time had really passed since we first made our way through here but we had covered so much ground and have done so much since our last ride through only a week ago......

I will miss Shenandoah.....it is indeed, almost heaven!

The Journey - Day 10 (the Adventure)

Well today started like any other. Up early to get on the road by 8:30 so we could clock some miles and beat the late day heat and humidity. We took a quick run up the Interstate (no traffic) to Johnson City, Tennessee and then moved over to some of the bi-ways. The roads and scenery were beautiful as always.....we made a quick stop to a visitors bureau in West Virginia and then got off the highway on to a highly recommended West Virginia bi-way known as Hwy 91...destination Lewisburg, West Virginia for the night. Hwy 91turned out to be a sweet road with nice easy turns, some shade (29-31 degrees all afternoon).....like I said...easy ride until this conversation....

Cindy - "sign said gravel for 3 miles and suggests alternate route of 604"
Larry - "no I think that route is only for trucks...there's no gravel up ahead"
.....2 miles later...
Larry - " here's the gravel road...it doesn't look too bad"
.....as the gravel road starts to narrow and climb high up in the hills with switchback turns narrower than the road.....
Cindy - "next time will you listen to me?"
Larry, as he rounds a corner out of view -"oh my God, there are cows on the road!"...laughing
Cindy - "you got to be kidding!", as she rounds the same corner and catches sight of two cows, one standing, chewing on the grass on the side of the road staring at the two bikes slowly making their way towards him, the other running across the road on down over the hill....
Larry, as he is passing the staring steer....laughing.."I don't friggen believe it"..then toots his horn at the cow as he passes...
Cindy - "Don't piss him off, I still have to go by him!"

Trust me we weren't stopping to take pictures, not only was the road nothing but gravel with very little room for two vehicles and very steep cliffs (I did mention we were climbing a very steep hill with lots of turns), but what I didn't mention is that there were no houses, farms or seemingly inhabited areas anywhere. Have no idea where the cows came from, but pretty sure there was a gun totin' hillbilly in the woods somewhere...we did see one small log cabin off in the woods to which Larry suggested we knock on the door to see if they would invite us to tea, which I respectfully declined. I don't think they drink tea in these here parts lol....Halfway through the gravel road adventure I started laughing and when we reached the pavement finally, I did take a moment to thank Larry for the great adventure. Who knew that 45 minutes of terror could be so much fun...while we laughed our way through, we both confessed to having a "moment" up there on that hill....

Not sure how I will ever go back to ordinary living....a stop overnight in Lewisburg, West Virginia and off to the Luray Caverns tomorrow. Oh and we found out the deserted place has a name...it is called Aris Mountain, one of the highest peaks in Virginia and is apparently quite spectacular to see.....from the Interstate!

The Journey - Day 9 (Down Day)

Still in Asheville we decided today would be a no ride day with the exception of dropping the bikes off to have the oil changed. Once we had them in the service shop we took a walk over to do some Yammy shopping. Great service again (can't say enough about how polite and friendly everyone here is)! Travis, our sales guy helped us with all of our inquiries as did Scott and Fred. When we finished purchasing our FroggToggs, boots and new gloves they offered to hold them until we came to pick up the bikes. When we asked if they could call us a cab to go to the Biltmore Estate, Travis offered to drive us over in his car (mini Coopers are way cool).

I think I took more pictures today than I did all week.....OMG, this place is unbelievable, the largest private residence in the US......250 rooms, 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, a heated indoor pool, bowling alley, exercise room, fire alarm system, electricity and refrigeration...this may not seem like a big deal except it took 6 years to build and was officially opened to guests and family on Christmas Eve in 1895. Yup 1895.....and the gardens are absolutely beautiful, designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead...Olmstead was also the architect of New York Central Park but always considered the Biltmore Estate to be his crowning glory and finest achievement. Needless to say I could go on for hours but suffice to say we are seriously considering coming back during the Christmas season to see it decorated. Apparently there is nothing like it and I am sure that this would be the case..the people here are immensely proud of the Biltmore and what it has meant to their history as well as to their economy since being open to the public in 1930.

Well, tonight we pack all our clean clothes and various trinkets and other purchases for our trip north. Next destination is the Luray Caverns near the top of Skyline Drive. Two days ride but can't wait!

The Journey - Riding the Dragon

The morning started early....7 am to be exact was the first rev of engines warming up to tackle the Dragon. Some of the racers (professional) like to get on that stretch before the traffic starts. By 9 am the parking lot was almost full and a half hour later there were bikes EVERYWHERE! Bikes of all kinds, Harleys, Goldwings, Goldwings and Harleys with trailers, sport bikes (known as Popsicles by the locals), cruisers, enduros, cross, you name it it was there. We took a bunch of pics and then started gearing up. I had sent Larry out for a run of the Dragon so he could enjoy it without the tag along...when he came back he was more than a little revved up. Once we had everything packed, we headed for the Dragon.....while we had ridden many twists on our route to the Dragon, i can now say it is truly challenging,,,strangely it doesn't seem like 318 turns when you are on it, however you are totally focused on the road and counting is the last thing you want to be doing.

As we neared the end we pulled over into an outlook, did the celebratory "woohoo" with the traditional fist punch to the air.....and pictures!

All in all the Dragon had been all we had hoped...the day before we had unknowingly tried another route, the "Moonshiner", quite by accident (right highway, wrong direction)....I must say Lee has us more than a little interested in some of the other routes there. I sense we will be back. When we finished the Dragon, we keep heading north on Route 129 and turned off on the Smokey Mountain Parkway. The route was a little busier traffic wise, but we had been told it was one of the prettiest rides ever. We were't disappointed! We followed along a river that had beautiful falls, pools and rapids. It was very relaxing and the road was again as smooth and windy as always. This route brought us back out to the Cherokee reservation and back on the Blueridge to Asheville. We got to enjoy all the tunnels again.....more than a few laughs as we passed thru them..

We got into Asheville around 7pm, went for a much needed swim and then shower. After eating some take out pizza and beer (thank you Larry), we took all our clothes aka dirty laundry down the hall to the laundry room...yep, this nice hotel has EVERYTHING! We weren't long for sleep time, as it had been a very long day...again!

Oh ya....and if you are wondering what happened after we slayed the Dragon...take a look...he's riding Bitch on MY bike.........

The Journey - Day of Destination

After yet another long day in the saddle, we pulled into Deals Gap, 15 minutes before the office and restaurant closed. Keeping our unplanned planning as spontaneous as always! We settled into the room, cracked open a couple of beers and went to meet up with our other biker friends...well they didn't know they were going to be our friends but they had a good idea it was coming!

Our neighbor on the left, Lee from just outside New Orleans is a walking map of which routes to ride for the most thrill. Literally, there is nothing you can't ask him about the area. He has been coming to stay here every year for 18 years. His daughter lives nearby and it gives him purpose to plan the trip to see her and her family, and throw in a bike trip to boot. His wife died almost 12 years ago, a second marriage to a "Cindy" ended with her being in Atlanta, "just where she should be" was his opinion.....by the way, he did mention that not all Cindy's are like me! We chatted and teased each other as he as replacing a piece on his HD. When I made a smart remark about his patience, he laughed and asked me if I knew sign language....I showed him our metric version to which he had a great chuckle.

On the other side of our room were 4 nice gentleman from Ontario.....they were nice, but Lee was my favorite conversationalist. A couple of doors down were Jeff and Nate from Michigan. They had left the wives at home for a trip to the Dragon. Great guys....Jeff had an FJR, same year as Larry's, except custom shopped to the nines.....was even running a car tire on the rear wheel, odd...damn odd...we chatted bikes for the longest time, he telling me that his wife bikes as well and how she bought him his first sport touring that he thought he had missed out on purchasing himself....first time he had ever cried he said...he introduced himself after sharing the stories about his wife and their bike purchases/sales and trips. When I gave him my name he chucked out loud as his wife's name was also Cindy....couldn't wait to tell her he met a Cindy riding an FJR.

All in all the parking lot was fairly quiet except for people pulling in to ask for a phone...some young guy didn't quite kick the Dragon's ass so he was sitting up on the tail waiting for an ambulance. What they originally thought was a couple of sprained ankles turned into a possible fracture. Luckily there was a paramedic staying at the Gap who went up to assist. North Carolina and Tennessee don't see eye to eye on who should pick up who on which part of the 11 mile ride.......apparently Tennessee got this round and showed up reluctantly more than 3 hours later...point being, keep the rubber to the road and your wits about you...and most importantly, ride your level. Some of these guys do the tail a couple of times and get over confident, or so I was told by one very fortunate young man over breakfast. He had dropped his bike the day before but walked away with his bike and his body intact albeit a slight limp from a banged up knee.......the result is usually not a positive one.....three ambulance responses and four other spills in less than 24 hours...no wonder these states don't want to respond...they should have their own services just for the Gap...instead of ambulance, just send the idiot van.....

The Tree of Shame is littered with bike parts of people who didn't quite slay the Dragon and there are also pictures inside of various road rashes from those upsets as well...those are really the fortunate ones and do serve as a reminder to all....one gentleman riding by the tree as he headed for the Tail, looked over at me and said..."just want a real reminder before I go"...smart man!

We retired early so we would be fresh the next day.....hope I won't need an idiot van.....

PS....we were off the grid, no cellular or wifi, hence no update last nite....

The Journey - Day 6

I forgot to mention yesterday that we have been singing John Denver's Country Roads a lot these last couple of days. When we get to the part "I get a feeling like I should have been home yesterday" we answer with a resounding "NOT!" and that is where the song ends.

We got back on the Parkway again with the thought of reaching Deals Gap by end of day...in fact the only reservations thus far have been for there...the "destination".

We made our way along the plateau with a quick stop at what used to be a gas station and is now a visitors bureau. The lovely lady there who introduced herself to us, was Brenda originally from Michigan. She and her husband chose to move here from Michigan 13 years ago Apparently having 12 states in mind of where they would like to live, it only took one trip through the parkway to decide this was the place for them. Even after 13 years of living here, she confessed to stopping at the outlook nearby every morning on her way to work and on her way home....just to breath in the beauty and the fresh air. Like me her favorite parts of the drive were the areas where the trees grew like a canopy over the road, giving you the feeling of driving through a rain forest or jungle She was a wealth of information about the Parkway including a detour that was coming up. Now the detour is obviously not as interesting as the reason for the detour. They were doing some stonework on one of the outlooks and buildings. The Parkways dedication to preserving every aspect of it's history includes carefully removing and numbering every piece of stonework so that it is put together exactly the same way once everything is repaired. They had done the same at this gas station aka visitors bureau 2 years ago. They are not even allowed to put any nails in the wall to hang things. Shelving, stands and tables provide the displays for souvenirs and crafts.

After purchasing our usual souvenir of a tree ornament for our Christmas tree, or as know as the memory tree in our house, we moved on armed with a few maps, instructions and a booklet outlining gas stations, food and bathroom stops. Our next stop at Mabry Mills not only provided a real glimpse into living in the parkway in those early years but also another historian Brian who was making chairs the way they did way back when. He was using a shaving knife and working on the slats for the back of the chair. They also peel the inside of one of the trees there which tends to be very wet, coil it up and it can then be stored and used years later by just soaking it. He had used this to weave the seat and to anchor it, had tied it with a square knot...who knew you could do THAT with a tree. After a traditional breakfast/lunch we moved on having spent almost two hours exploring this spot. Lots of pictures with my big camera. Dad you will love some of these shots.

We ended the trip for the day in Ashville, NC when we knew there was no way to make it the rest of the way before dark, not to mention being pretty tired. After a great hot shower at a better hotel and a great supper at Carrabba's with a whole bottle of wine, we were not long for the night. I can't even remember who fell asleep first.

One rather funny epiphany we both had this morning, was that Deals Gap doesn't hold the same excitement as it did at the first of the trip. We are still looking forward to it, don't get me wrong, but the idea of 318 turns in 11 miles doesn't seem like as big a deal....I mean we have already done thousands of turns just getting here! We have already decided to come back to Asheville for an oil change and a tour of the Biltmore, thanks to our newest historian, Jarret, our entertaining and fabulous host/server at Carrabba's.

P.S. Sorry for any grammar errors today. In a hurry to get going....love to all!

The Journey - Day 5

Today did not start out with a slow ride through town. We were at the Gateway to Skyline Drive and it was all horses on deck! Everything they say about Virginia and the Shenandoah's is absolutely true! Part of the joy of riding is the feeling of being in touch with everything around you...becoming one with the flow of the road, breathing the freshness of the air. I couldn't get over how unbelievably fresh and fragrant the air was after the storms the night before. We stopped at Big Meadow for lunch, deer grazing nearby.

After finishing Skyline Drive in fine style we passed onto the Blueridge Parkway. The corners were nice big sweepers, the views no less spectacular. We stopped at Humpback Rocks Visitor Center for a quick break and met up with a couple on a Harley who were coming in from the south. They had just turned around because of the rain which they said, was pretty heavy.....Hardly..lol. Well not too heavy for a couple of seasoned riders (haha) who aren't afraid of a little rain! After all it was just yesterday when the falling rain was in our favor and the weather witch (that would be me) could call upon it at will! Well it was a good thing we had a lot of it today...will that is, or perseverance, tenacity or stupidity...whatever you wish to label it! It rained and it rained hard. Contrary to yesterday's relief the temp kept dropping.

Eventually it did let up but then there was a lot of wind especially on the open ridges. And yes, despite all of this we still managed to have a blast! The weather eased as the weather witch (yup, me again) called on the sun who obliged us nicely. And the pay-off was on the other side of the storm...as we kept climbing up we could see the lightning almost parallel to where we were, the clouds moved up and over the ridge where we rode, like smoke from a fire.....and the air was so fresh and pure it was like drinking water from a glacier...if you have ever done so, you know EXACTLY what I am talking about. The rest of the ride we followed another biker on a Goldwing keeping time and momentum as if we had practiced the ride together. We never did get to meet them other than a wave and a toot of our horns as they turned off to their destination at Otter Lake about 40 kms before our turn off to Roanoke. By this time our fuel was getting down and I was running on reserve. Not my favorite fuel level especially in the mountains with wet clothes and the dire wish for a hot shower.

So another exciting day! And yes Mom, we got some gas, a room, a hot shower and I am ready again for tomorrow's journey.....down the rest of the Parkway and to our original destination, Deals Gap! By the way, we stopped at Mary's tunnel (amazing) to take some pics and you will never believe what we found there. If we had not decided on day 2 what this trip was, on Day 5 it would have been decided for us......it is always important to take a moment to read the signs!

The Journey - Day 4

Day 4 started around 4:30 in the morning when we woke up to one of the biggest thunderstorms ever...or at least we thought so at the time. We got up, packed, had breakfast done by 9 am and were ready to hit the road. Mother Nature, however, had other plans. It was raining so hard we could only sit with another couple sharing the same rockstar parking as we were....they too were riding an FJR, same year as Larry's. After 20 mins of waiting it finally let up enough to take off. As most bikers will tell you, riding in the rain when you are already on the road is one thing....taking off in the rain, quite another.

We got about 10 minutes away and the rain, with it's electrical co-star, showed up. Now it is not as bad as one might think. It was humid and hot, so being rain soaked as you are moving along is really nothing short of relief. It didn't rain long nor did it take long to get dry once it stopped, maybe a whole 20 minutes. It should be noted that we do have rain gear, however we opted to ride without because of the heat. We continued along route 11, which was very slow, but by noon we had picked up speed and the roads really opened up. I finally got a look at the great Penn State roads I had long heard about.

The longer the day went the hotter it got hitting temps between 33 and 41 depending on if you were moving or stopped. We stopped frequently for water as well as one well deserved stop for ice cream about 10 miles before the Maryland border. Great folks there! We continued on, crossing two borders within a mile of one another. Through the rolling hills of West Virginia crossing into Virginia almost to our last stop for the day.....

We had been watching storm cells all day moving across Pennsylvania, large bolts of lightning on either side of the valley. For miles it was "crap", "friggen' awesome" and "did you see that one?" back and forth in the intercoms. No rain, just immense humidity and heat, occasionally passing through a cool valley, which really only lasted moments but was enough to carry you longer.

Then, as we were riding into Winchester, 17 miles outside of Front Royal, the rain, with it's electrical co-star, showed up again. This time I think they were trying to out do each another. It poured and the sky lit up like a baseball field at a night game! We were finally cooled down but more than just a little wet. We pulled into a gas station for some rain relief and gas, then continued on to Front Royal. By this time the rain had stopped and the sky seemed like it MIGHT clear. Watching the sky we could see the cells moving back and forth as we weaved our way west and south. We stopped to use the GPS to find lodging for the night and could see that another "show" was imminent. We had no sooner stopped to check in when the sky opened up to an even bigger show and a downpour that would have been a travel stopper anyway......dry clothes, pizza delivery and thankfully gas station next door with beer, made for a great end to an even greater day....and to a couple of tired travelers, only half a blog written before sleep snuck in and knocked us out for the night.

All in all another great day...and as strange as this may sound, I would have to say even the weather is co-operating.

The Journey - Day 3

So.....since it has now been decided that this is a journey, we will dispense with all the philosophical stuff and get to it! Don't worry though, we are still laughing at our corny jokes along the way. Got to love bike to bike communication devices!

The morning started slower as we passed through some smaller towns in New York State. The temperature at 9 am this morning was 26 and stayed at 30 for most of the day. By afternoon we were hot and sweaty but still enjoying the beautiful roads of NY state. By afternoon we had entered the Catskills and the smaller communities seemed non existent. We rode into the mountains, roads that seemed to corner forever.....switchbacks so long all you could do was lean over, laugh and give'r more throttle! The road was shaded by a forest ceiling that immediately cooled the air down to 25 and 26. A garden of Eden! We had been riding in the hot sun all day.....this was like a long drink of water, cool and fast running. We ran along Route 30 for what seemed like forever when all of a sudden one of these turns brings us out on to this long bridge in the middle of no where, spanning a huge reservoir known as the Pepacton Resevoir. After a short stop, a couple of pics we moved on.

The rest of Route 30 was just as good as the beginning. At the end of this route we took a short run up highway 17 and over to Pennsylvania. It is amazing how different the roads and communities are between all the states. Not a whole lot notable about the roads here so far. Some were good and others not so much. Fortunately we didn't have a lot if them to reach Scranton, our stop for the night. We got rockstar treatment at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel as soon as we pulled up. They told us to park our bikes right up on the sidewalk at the front of the building next to the valet desk. LOL....so we did! A long shower (the soaps are freakin' awesome) and across the street to Kildares Irish Pub for a Guiness and some amazing food.

We are off to Maryland tomorrow. So far in our three days of travel we have covered 1500 kms of great roads, 5 states, and 4 mountain ranges.....and all I have to show for it is a big smile as I lay my head on the pillow and get ready for the next day's journey. Good nite all!

Destination or Journey - Decided

Day 2 started off with the climb to Mount Washington. Not for the light of heart! Needless to say it is probably the slowest 16 mile bike ride EVER! Oh but what a thrill it was and what a way to start the day!

We decided on our route over lunch following some recommendations from other bikers we met on our way to the summit. The guys from Pennsylvania recommended our chosen route and we were not disappointed. We traveled the rest of the day along the Connecticut River which borders Vermont and New Hampshire. It follows the river through small towns with stretches of rolling hills and many turns between them. We seemed to miss the rain clouds running ahead of us. Temps ranged from 11 degrees (at the summit) to 28 degrees in Vermont in the late afternoon. We stopped in Rutland for the night and decided to use leg power to carry us to supper. The walk and the fresh air a great way to end the day and enjoy the evening.

As we rode along the river, giving in to solitude at times, thoughts had a way of finding their way in. Before this trip we had many discussions on whether this would be about the destination or about the journey. Neither of us could decide really, not that we were in disagreement just that it seemed that the trip could be both.....hence the title! Today I decided for myself what this trip meant to me, strangely so had Larry. We both agree, for the same reasons, that this is definitely all about the journey. Each to our own thoughts with like mindedness. Who would have thought! If we had traveled with only the destination in mind, we would have chosen a different route and maybe a different mode of getting there. We really only had two destinations in mind, one of which we conquered today. The other is still another 3-4 days out. Without understanding or realizing, we have been choosing our route with the journey in mind, not one of stops at museums and parks. We chose the path less traveled and believe me there is not a lot of traffic! We chose this route for the sheer pleasure of riding, the scenery and the freshness of the air. This is the perfect elixir, intoxicating and detoxicating at the same time. Each day something else to look forward to, new scenery, more winding roads and solitude - not from each other, but together, in our thoughts......and corny jokes.

Tomorrow I will tell you more.......about the journey.

Destination or Journey - Day 1

Well the journey got off to an official start at exactly 10:19 this morning. What a day! 500 kms of fog, Irish mist, sunshine and absolutely fabulous roads. There is something to be said about the pride Americans exhibit in their homes, community and of course their protectors! Flags, in anticipation of the Independence Day celebrations, line the streets and hang from just about every home. Even the graveyards are filled with fresh flowers and flags in honor of those who have passed.

Then there are the weird and wacky......like the gas station canopy with signage which announces in large letters that "Feed and Grain" are available for sale at this convenience store as are "Pizza and Sandwiches" which are displayed in smaller letters below it! Farmers know what came first and it was the chicken! Then there was the house with large windows facing the road. Standing in these windows were numerous tall dolls (as kids we called them walking dolls)....all lined up against the window, elbow to elbow, looking out, staring, blankly....yup they were just that creepy!

Then there are the roads. The greatest form of civic pride....I would be love to have these roads back home! WOW. These were some of the nicest roads I have ever ridden. Beautiful sweeping turns, crests with fabulous views for miles, no traffic, and no potholes! The best part was traveling through roads that wind along the rivers with huge canopies of trees that feel like riding through a forest tunnel and taking in the fragrances of roses and fresh hay and sometimes the not so fresh.

It has been a great day. We have travelled further than we anticipated with only a few stops including lunch at our favorite spot in Amherst (rustic little spot with home cooking).

While we have travelled most of the trip on familiar roads, we are re-acquainted in a new way and enjoying a facet of those roads we had not known or discovered.

Tomorrow looks to be a beautiful day and we intend to start it with a ride up Mount Washington...... I hope they have a small enough bumper sticker for my bike!

Until tomorrow, love to all! To Leigh and Bailey.....you are both here with us in thought and spirit. You would have loved the dolls.....NOT! Love you both..xoxo

Destination or Journey - Getting "mobile" ready

Learning new tricks or getting "techy" for my trip is taking more time than I anticipated. Please be patient with the student of adventure for the adventure has started before we even get "mobile"......pun intended!

Destination or Journey - Preparing for the trip

How much preparation is really needed when you set out on an adventure.....outside of making sure you have clothes, maps, tent and mode of transportation the rest should be, as they say, on the fly...expect the unexpected...take time to enjoy and explore interesting places along the way....be spontaneous...be free.

Well we are going to give adventure the true test....we are setting out on this trip with only a destination in mind...the journey will be the places we find along the way that look like fun, peak our interest.........and the adventure.....hopefully the adventure will be the joy of the unexpected...