bikemikewcr
Active Member
Sorry I have been MIA for a bit over a month, but things have been hectic here in a good way. I will try to wrap up the trip over the next few days.
Colorado Bound now with Pics
- Thread starter bikemikewcr
- Start date
bikemikewcr
Active Member
Day 10
Day 10 started off with us having a nice breakfast at Christians mothers house and than off to the gas station to top off. We rode together for about an hour or so and split ways. Christian was headed back to Georgia and I needed to start making my way back to New Jersey. The day was great as far as weather goes and I decided to take a bit longer of a route than I had planned just to grab another state or two on the way home. We split ways near Mt. Vernon, IL and I took 64 east while Christian continued south on 57. I crossed into Indiana and took that into Kentucky at Louisville. From there I continued to head east on 64 until I hit 68 North near Lexington. I can say that this road all the way to the Ohio boarder was some great scenery of long rock walls and tons of ranches loaded with horses. After I crossed the boarder into Ohio I started to head east along 52 to towards Ashland, OH. This part of the ride was nice with the road running along side of the Ohio River. I got back on 64 to make some time as it was starting to get late and I was a bit tired. I figured I would go as far as Hurricane, WV and grab a hotel room for some shut eye but that plan was quickly deserted when I saw the hotels. I was not comfortable leaving my bike alone and not attached to another bike or something that was not moveable so the ride went on. I figured maybe I could find a place to hang my lid in Charleston but all of the hotels were in the center of the city from what I could see from the highway so I pushed along in search of a place to sleep. I figured I could just go up 79 for a while and find a place in the next 1/2 hour but I was wrong. After I rode for another hour I came across a Sleep Inn but they were full so I had no choice but to continue the journey. At this point I was in the hills of WV and there was not anyone else on the road and talk about dark. There were also tons of our 4 legged friends all over the road so I had to keep the speed down and the alertness at 100%. It was now just before 11pm and I came across a Microtel Inn and Suites in Gassaway, WV and saw a few other bikes parked there so I figured I found home for the night and I was right. I managed to get the last room and I was able to see my ride from the window in the room. So this day added two more states bringing the total to 21 and another 624 miles bringing the total to 4,767 for the trip.
Day 10 started off with us having a nice breakfast at Christians mothers house and than off to the gas station to top off. We rode together for about an hour or so and split ways. Christian was headed back to Georgia and I needed to start making my way back to New Jersey. The day was great as far as weather goes and I decided to take a bit longer of a route than I had planned just to grab another state or two on the way home. We split ways near Mt. Vernon, IL and I took 64 east while Christian continued south on 57. I crossed into Indiana and took that into Kentucky at Louisville. From there I continued to head east on 64 until I hit 68 North near Lexington. I can say that this road all the way to the Ohio boarder was some great scenery of long rock walls and tons of ranches loaded with horses. After I crossed the boarder into Ohio I started to head east along 52 to towards Ashland, OH. This part of the ride was nice with the road running along side of the Ohio River. I got back on 64 to make some time as it was starting to get late and I was a bit tired. I figured I would go as far as Hurricane, WV and grab a hotel room for some shut eye but that plan was quickly deserted when I saw the hotels. I was not comfortable leaving my bike alone and not attached to another bike or something that was not moveable so the ride went on. I figured maybe I could find a place to hang my lid in Charleston but all of the hotels were in the center of the city from what I could see from the highway so I pushed along in search of a place to sleep. I figured I could just go up 79 for a while and find a place in the next 1/2 hour but I was wrong. After I rode for another hour I came across a Sleep Inn but they were full so I had no choice but to continue the journey. At this point I was in the hills of WV and there was not anyone else on the road and talk about dark. There were also tons of our 4 legged friends all over the road so I had to keep the speed down and the alertness at 100%. It was now just before 11pm and I came across a Microtel Inn and Suites in Gassaway, WV and saw a few other bikes parked there so I figured I found home for the night and I was right. I managed to get the last room and I was able to see my ride from the window in the room. So this day added two more states bringing the total to 21 and another 624 miles bringing the total to 4,767 for the trip.
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bikemikewcr
Active Member
Fastwalkin51
Member
Thanks for the update , been following along.. What windshield are you using? Does it work well ? Thanks Fastwalkin
bikemikewcr
Active Member
Thanks for the update , been following along.. What windshield are you using? Does it work well ? Thanks Fastwalkin
Hey Fastwalkin51,
I am using a 8/5" Klock Werks windshield and I really like that way that it has performed. I also put on the ergo up bars from Klock Werks.
bikemikewcr
Active Member
Day 11 – Final destination HOME
Day eleven started out with a nice sunny morning and some breakfast in the hotel while talking with the owner for a bit. She had what seemed to be a well and clean hotel. I also got to talking with a nice gentleman who was traveling with his wife on a Heritage and they were on their way back to Virginia. It was great to see them out on the road enjoying life on two wheels when they were in their late 70’s. He was concerned about making the left turn at the bottom of the hill where the hotel was situated because there was some loose gravel in the road and his right knee was bothering him. I offered to help him down with his bike but he just said that he would have his wife walk down the hill and meet him at the bottom where she could climb aboard their ride.
As I hit the road I realized that I was on the home stretch of a fantastic ride and was a bit saddened that it would be over, but was also anxious to get home and get back into the normal routine and grind. The weather continued to be fantastic, sunny and hot. I continued through West Virginia, Maryland and entered Pennsylvania and made my way up 81 to Harrisburg, PA where I stopped for some lunch and to get out of the heat for a while. After lunch I filled the tank for the last time on the trip and headed north for 78. As I crossed from Pennsylvania over the Delaware River into New Jersey I was only about an hour away from home and could not wait to get there, take a shower and have a nice cold beer. As these things were on my mind I almost forgot to stop at the state line and put my lid on but good thing I did not as there was a cop parked in the U turn about ½ of a mile up the road and that would have been a costly mistake in the form of a ticket. As I pulled into the driveway I knew that this journey had come to a bitter sweet end. I put in 491 miles today. It was great to be on the road for 11 days with the wind blowing in my face and taking in all of the great scenery, smells (not all good) and freedom that this country has to offer. Overall I managed to travel through 21 of our great states and rode through all types of weather while covering 5,258.7 miles of smiles with a good portion of that spent with some great friends both old and new. David and I have been best friends for the past 34 years and even though we live on opposite sides of the country now (him in Nevada and me in New Jersey) we still manage to take a great ride every year with the exception of last year as I was not able to make it due to health reasons. I met Christian several years ago when we were all in Florida for David’s wedding and before we that long weekend was over we already had the trip for 2008 planned. Christian has become a great friend to me over the last three years and I am sure that there are plenty more years to come. I just met Leo for the first time on this trip and I can say that he is a stand up guy and that it was a pleasure to meet. I would like to thank David, Christian and Leo for joining me on such a fantastic voyage that I will never forget and hope to manage another trip with all of you sometime in the not so distant future.
I will post some more pics to this thread when I receive the picture CD of the photos that Christian took on the trip.
Now it is time to move onto the next important phase of this year and what will undoubtedly be the most exciting of my life, preparing the nursery for the little baby girl that my 100% understanding and wonderful wife will be welcoming into this world with a due date of September 23, 2010.
Until the next journey begins,
Mike
Day eleven started out with a nice sunny morning and some breakfast in the hotel while talking with the owner for a bit. She had what seemed to be a well and clean hotel. I also got to talking with a nice gentleman who was traveling with his wife on a Heritage and they were on their way back to Virginia. It was great to see them out on the road enjoying life on two wheels when they were in their late 70’s. He was concerned about making the left turn at the bottom of the hill where the hotel was situated because there was some loose gravel in the road and his right knee was bothering him. I offered to help him down with his bike but he just said that he would have his wife walk down the hill and meet him at the bottom where she could climb aboard their ride.
As I hit the road I realized that I was on the home stretch of a fantastic ride and was a bit saddened that it would be over, but was also anxious to get home and get back into the normal routine and grind. The weather continued to be fantastic, sunny and hot. I continued through West Virginia, Maryland and entered Pennsylvania and made my way up 81 to Harrisburg, PA where I stopped for some lunch and to get out of the heat for a while. After lunch I filled the tank for the last time on the trip and headed north for 78. As I crossed from Pennsylvania over the Delaware River into New Jersey I was only about an hour away from home and could not wait to get there, take a shower and have a nice cold beer. As these things were on my mind I almost forgot to stop at the state line and put my lid on but good thing I did not as there was a cop parked in the U turn about ½ of a mile up the road and that would have been a costly mistake in the form of a ticket. As I pulled into the driveway I knew that this journey had come to a bitter sweet end. I put in 491 miles today. It was great to be on the road for 11 days with the wind blowing in my face and taking in all of the great scenery, smells (not all good) and freedom that this country has to offer. Overall I managed to travel through 21 of our great states and rode through all types of weather while covering 5,258.7 miles of smiles with a good portion of that spent with some great friends both old and new. David and I have been best friends for the past 34 years and even though we live on opposite sides of the country now (him in Nevada and me in New Jersey) we still manage to take a great ride every year with the exception of last year as I was not able to make it due to health reasons. I met Christian several years ago when we were all in Florida for David’s wedding and before we that long weekend was over we already had the trip for 2008 planned. Christian has become a great friend to me over the last three years and I am sure that there are plenty more years to come. I just met Leo for the first time on this trip and I can say that he is a stand up guy and that it was a pleasure to meet. I would like to thank David, Christian and Leo for joining me on such a fantastic voyage that I will never forget and hope to manage another trip with all of you sometime in the not so distant future.
I will post some more pics to this thread when I receive the picture CD of the photos that Christian took on the trip.
Now it is time to move onto the next important phase of this year and what will undoubtedly be the most exciting of my life, preparing the nursery for the little baby girl that my 100% understanding and wonderful wife will be welcoming into this world with a due date of September 23, 2010.
Until the next journey begins,
Mike
glenalt
Junior Member
Great report Mike. I looked forward to reading what was going on. I only have one suggestion and that's to break up your post with some paragraphs. It makes it a little easier to read, at least for me. Thanks for taking time to give such a detail and hope to see the pics soon. Congratulations on your future new addition to your family.
