| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
Did you ever get the feeling that you were meant to do something? When Terri (my ex) and I were trying to buy our house in Leominster, it seemed that there were numerous reasons why it wasn’t going to happen. First, someone put an offer in a couple of hours before us. Then, the Mortgage guy told us he didn’t think that the bank was going to approve the loan. Every time something was about to stop the purchase, a solution appeared out of nowhere. There were quite a few reasons why we shouldn’t have gotten the house, but in the end, it was ours. That’s the way it feels regarding this trip. A few months ago, it was a dream with a lot of things that could prevent it from happening. One by one, however, the difficulties have been dealt with. I have a bike that I bought specifically for this trip, I’ve got a self – testing meter to keep track of my anti-coagulant levels, I sold my Guzzi and I just signed a six month lease on cheap storage. Everything is just falling into place. It’s almost scary how it’s happening. Don’t get me wrong; it hasn’t been too easy. I’ve been running around like a chicken with its legs cut off. There’s a lot to do, and I’m the one who has to do it all; but it’s the things that are beyond my control that have come to me. Take the meter; first, I was told by a manufacturer that the Insurance company would not cover one. If I purchased one out of my own pocket, they would pay for the supplies, but not the meter itself. Then, I was told by the Ins. Co. that they would rent a meter for me to use on my trip, but I would have to give it back in a couple of months. Finally, I got a call that a meter of my own (not a rental) was being shipped from a supplier and that the Insurance Company would pay for supplies. The story is more involved than that description, but that’s the general gist of it. Or the garage; I had been looking for cheap storage, and was thinking about using a place here in town that has partitioned areas in an old mill building, when I just happened to see an ad on Craigslist for a 1 bay garage a couple of blocks from here for about half the price of a similar sized storage area. I decided I’d call about it the next morning, but the ad disappeared. I figured it was gone, and that I’d missed out on it. Then the ad reappeared a couple of weeks later and I wound up getting it. It’s actually bigger than I need, but the price is still a lot less than I was expecting to pay. All my Snippets lately have been focusing on my upcoming trip. I guess that’s understandable considering it’s the most important thing that’s dominating my thoughts. Once the trip starts, I’ll be writing about my experiences as they happen. I’m starting to shape my plans. I think my first “destination” will be to North Carolina. I haven’t been to my parent’s grave in way too long and I want to say a few things to them. Mainly, how much I miss them, but with a few personal items as well. And I promised my sister Grace that if I came within 200 miles of Fayetteville, I’d make it a point to stop and visit. From there, I’ll probably head towards Cincinnati and visit my brother David. Then on from there. The only definite dates and places are the four races that I’m planning see and my two Doctors’ appointments on July 28 back here in Taxachusetts. Well; I guess I ought to clean out a couple of the plastic storage bins that Ernie gave me and think about what I’m going to pack in them. | ||
| Ourdee |
200 miles? It's on the list. Make that stop. I envy the getting out there and going. Collect a state quarter from every state while in each one. Or plaster the new bike with a state sticker from each one.  | ||
| Reindog |
Go, Crusty, GO! | ||
| Prior |
Go Crusty, GO! Drop me a line when you're in NC, it'd be great to meet up! Prior | ||
| 86129squids |
"I’ve been running around like a chicken with its legs cut off." Ummm, dontcha mean "head"? Otherwise, you're a nugget...  Hoping to catch up with ya at Mark's W. VA shindig... keep the rubber side down, buddy! | ||
| Court |
This is so cool . . . be sure to get a photo inventory and renters insurance for your stored goods. (it's cheaper than a meal at the Dinosaur) . . . And keep us posted . . . heck I may join you for a couple legs. (uh, legs of the journey . . not the one's off the chicken) Go Crusty Go ! | ||
| 1313 |
if I came within 200 miles of Fayetteville I'm a shade over 100 miles from Fayetteville, but I'd presume you're more likely to be closer to Prior than me however... I'd still like to know when you'll be in NC in case I'd be able to meet up with you as well, 1313 | ||
| Prior |
I should have specified where I'm at- we're in Kernersville, right between Winston Salem and Greensboro. We're a stones throw away from some of the great roads NC and VA that'll lead to you Ohio. We can put together a great route for ya and spend some time in the wind together. Prior | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Go Crusty, I'm going through the exact same house purchase crap at the moment, with the added complication of being away a week at a time. Plus I haven't ridden for over a year, it's eating me up. I'm going to catch up with you somewhere too though. | ||
| Tpoppa |
If you're in Ohio, I can point you to some of the best sport bike roads that no one's ever heard of. The SE portion of the state has some amazing riding. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I'm just north of Cincinnati (Lebanon, just past Kings Island)... Let me know if you need anything while you are here. | ||
| Daddio |
The offer's still out for Western South Dakota, too; garage, tools, bed/couch/floor, whatever. I'll try to keep up on your adventure, too, Crusty, in case we come close to crossing paths on any of my road trips this year. | ||
| Crusty |
Just a quick update. I'm going to be heading out next week. I'm busier than a one armed paper hanger trying to get everything done before I hit the road. Address changes, packing up and putting the things I want to keep in storage, getting junk furniture to the dump, and so on. I had a disastrous weekend revolving around putting new tires on the bike. I bought a set of Dunlop American Elite tires and I could not get the rear mounted on my wheel. After wrestling with it for three hours, I surrendered and took it over to my friend's shop. Even with the tire machine, it took both of us to get the tire on the rim. I've been mounting my own motorcycle tires since 1972, and this is the first tire I could not mount on my own. Being a bit unfamiliar with the new bike, it also took me a while to get the wheel back on the bike. From start to finish, it took me almost 12 hours to change the rear tire on Saturday. Then, to add insult to injury; Sunday morning, when I went to take the bike out, the front tire had gone flat. So I pulled the wheel and took it over to the shop yesterday morning. Other than that, I loaded the bike with full saddlebags and my tent, sleeping bag, etc.,and went on a shake down ride a couple of weeks ago. I found a couple of minor issues that I have since addressed, but I think it will all be good. My tentative plan is to head to North Carolina and visit my parents' graves and spend a couple of days with my sister and brother-in-law, then head towards Cincinnati to see my younger brother then head for Springfield, IL to see the Mile on the 24th. I still have to get a new flip phone (I think I'm going to go with Metro PCS - they have the best rates) and I have to get a cheap Point & Shoot camera. Things are hectic, but the anticipation is building. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
When are you leaving from Cinci to head to Springfield? | ||
| Reepicheep |
Offer this guy $75. http://www.ebay.com/itm/GOOD-CONDITION-Panasonic-L UMIX-DMC-LX3-10-1-MP-Digital-Camera-Black-/2718586 78356?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f4c0a3a54 Or bid on one of the ones closing. $100 is a fair price for a good LX3 with battery and charger. You might be able to find one closer to $50 if you are lucky. Another one for about $100 buy it now... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-LUMIX-DMC-LX3-10 -1-MP-Digital-Camera-/351391131538?pt=LH_DefaultDo main_0&hash=item51d08b2792 Other great cameras are out there, I just know this one is a pretty slick one. Absolutely no telephoto (really, NO telephoto) but it shoots incredible wide angle and low light shots, and it is easy to use and portable. Much better a used good one than new cheap crap (IMHO). Or, if you want, I'll give you a Fuji F31FD, if I can find the charger. Getting pretty old, but not a bad camera. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
For the phone, check out Straight Talk at Walmart, & go for a smartphone rather than flip, yeah I know it's more complicated than you'd like, but you can access email & web on the move, which can be very handy when you're stuck somewhere you don't know. No contract, you can either buy refill cards at Walmart or by phone or online with a credit card. If you do go that way get a phone with the blue US silhouette rather than red as the coverage is wider. The one I got cost only $100. Another useful feature is that you can load rakes of music & useful files (workshop manual for example) onto a micro sd card & it's all in your pocket when you need it. | ||
| Crusty |
When are you leaving from Cinci to head to Springfield? I'll probably leave my brother's on Friday morning (May 22). There's a Short Track race in Peoria on Friday night which I might go to if I can get there without pushing too hard. On Saturday evening, there's a TT at the Fairgrounds that will probably be pretty good, so I want to see that. Even if I take my sweet time getting there, I should be able to make that. | ||
| Crusty |
Last Minute Activity In about three hours or so, Megan and Rocco (my daughter and son-in-law) will be arriving here from Maine, along with my friends Ernie and Dondi to help with getting the big heavy stuff out of my apartment, and to help with packing the stuff that isn’t packed yet. By the end of the day, I’ll be sleeping in a bedroom that will be devoid of all furniture, The living room will be nearly empty of everything, and the kitchen will also be pretty barren. I could leave Monday or Tuesday, but I have to wait until Wednesday before I can bring the big stuff to the Landfill. That’s OK; it’ll give me a couple of days to get used to living out of my saddlebags and I’ll be sleeping in my sleeping bag on the bedroom floor. That should help me get used to sleeping on the ground again a little faster that it usually takes. I’ll be easing my way into travelling. I’m kinda excited about it all. I’ve looked at bunches of different maps, and plotted many different routes and I still don’t know which way I’ll go. Maybe I’ll head south through New York City into New Jersey and follow the coast down to Cape May; then take the ferry over to Delaware and go down to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel to Virginia. Then I’ll ride through the Outer Banks until I head west towards Fayetteville. Or Maybe I’ll try the route that I got from Mapquest. That has me avoiding tolls and most Highways. I head west from here until I’m south of Utica, NY, then head south on secondary roads toward the Susquehanna Valley. Then I could ride both Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Maybe I’ll go one way now, and take the other when I have to come back to Massachusetts in late July. That’s the idea that appeals most to me at the present time. There were so many things that could have derailed this trip; yet it’s almost here, and everything’s falling into place. It feels like this is something that I’m meant to do. Maybe Bill is helping me from the Afterlife; maybe the Forces of the Universe are influencing events for a reason that’s beyond my understanding, or maybe I’m just looking for justification for doing what I want. I don’t know. What I do know is that on Thursday morning, I’ll be departing on a long term Adventure. It’s finally time.  | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I'm looking forward to ride reports and pics! | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
I'll be riding to the Springfield mile as well. Its going to take me 29 minutes.  | ||
| Nittanyxt |
Crusty, the door's open if you end up passing through central PA, just need to give the better half a few hours notice. Good karma on your travels! | ||
| Crusty |
Just a quick note. I'm sitting in a MacDonald's just north of Richmond, Virginia drinking my morning coffee. I'll be in Fayetteville this afternoon if I take my time. I didn't take any of the routes I was thinking of, though I did cover a lot of back roads in Massachusetts and New York. I slept in a truck rest area 'cause I couldn't find a campground and I slept well. The Tramp in me is back! I'm lovin' it! | ||
| 86129squids |
This one is a fave for sure... Keep the rubber side down, and keep us posted! | ||
| Daddio |
Crusty-- I, too have slept many hours at the 'Gray Bench Motel' (rest areas) because sometimes I'm trying to put miles behind me but need some snooze, and sometimes because I can't easily find anything better. Glad to hear that you're getting back to the old rhythm, Tramp. | ||
| Chauly |
Coming from Fayetteville can take you right through the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia. Between Ferris (southern VA) and me (central western VA) we can guide you right through, or at least have a meal... :-) And, we can give you Fifty Ways to Leave Massachusetts behind for good... :-) | ||
| Crusty |
Ever hear of the Back of the Dragon? It's Virginia Route 16; a Scenic Byway. I discovered it by accident yesterday. I left Steve and Grace's house yesterday morning to head toward Cincinnati. Of course, I planned to use only backroads, and I was enjoying the temps in the 80s and the smooth roads as I worked my way north and west. I had been following US route 52 when it merged with I-81 South. Somehow, I missed the exit where 52 broke off and continued North and west. A few miles later, I stopped in a rest area and looked at a large map of Virginia and discovered my mistake. I saw that if I continued a couple of miles further, I could take route 16 to Tazewell then take 460 to 52 and continue on my way. As I first turned on to 16, there was a sign saying Welcome to the Back of the Dragon. If you like twisty roads and magnificent scenic vistas, I strongly recommend riding it. The Tail of the Dragon is well known but I only saw three other motorcycles on 16, and maybe half a dozen cars in an hour and a half and it has close to 17 brazillion turns. I discovered it by accident, but it was true Serendipity. My battery is getting pretty low, so I'll continue this later. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
You will get to ride a whole bunch more or Rte 16 when you come to the WV Buell Rally. | ||
| Elsinore74 |
Crusty, thanks for the review of the Back of the Dragon; Marion,VA tourism rep is always at the DC IMS and we've been meaning to get over that way to check it out. One of the coolest things about a road trip is the accidental discovery of a great road. Hope you find many more of the same. Mark, one of my favorite routes to ride years ago was WV Rt 47 from Parkersburg to Smithville, then Rt 16 to Harrisville, Rt 31 to Cairo, and finally Rt 50 back home. Every time I see a Honda CB350 it takes me back there in my mind. | ||
| Chauly |
Glad to hear you enjoyed some of our neighborhood, Crusty... | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
 So which title do you prefer John, Hermes or Mercury? |
