Georgia on my Mind

Monday Oct 1, 2012

Rising this morning, I'm relieved to see the rain has stopped. I've never done it, but I can imagine that packing up my camping supplies in the rain would not be a pleasant experience. Actually, it's not enjoyable when not raining. My method is to pack everything inside the tent while inside the tent. That's not too bad, but putting on my boots in that little tent can be challenging. I'm not the most limber guy in the world and things are getting progressively less flexible as I get older.

Willville

Will was most hospitable and went for breakfast biscuits even though I was the only camper that had requested one. For only three bucks, I get coffee and a chicken breakfast biscuit. You can't beat that deal. I was most impressed with Willville. The campground is picturesque and serene while the bath facilities are clean and comfortable. I recommend the place whole heartedly.

I decided to try the BRP today even though I was cautioned the weather might be a factor. In the beginning, the ride was most pleasant so I didn't exit at the first logical place to take the interstate. I would regret this decision rather quickly as I encountered very wet and thick fog at elevation just a few miles later. It was eerie creeping along the ridge of a mountain top with visibility almost zero. At times, I was concerned about getting hit by an airplane. Any pilot out in this weather would only be marginally more crazy than I.

After many miles of slogging through extremely dense fog, I manage to exit the parkway to find the interstate. Even though I'm not on the parkway anymore, the fog is still an issue and I'm hopeful that the constantly decreasing elevation will help. Ultimately, that's the case, but the fog has transitioned to a steady light-to-moderate rain. This ought to be fun.

The rest of the ride was pretty much uneventful, if you can call riding 400 miles in the rain uneventful, until I was about 25 miles from my house on I-85. All of a sudden the moderate rain became a downpour of biblical proportions. Traffic slowed to a crawl and I was no longer able to use the wind protection of the motorcycle to divert the rain around my body. I had been placed under a waterfall and the water was finding it's way into my rain suite at an alarming rate. I'm sure the folks on the interstate were getting a chuckle out of the nut-job on the motorcycle.

Ultimately, the rain moderated about two miles from my house and I was able to pull into the garage without too much difficulty. Undressing, I noticed my rain suit did a good job for the most part. I definitely needed a change into dry clothes, but considering the amount of water I had gone through, I can't complain.

This trip was interesting and fun for the most part. I traveled a total distance of 2888.8 miles in eight days which is an interesting number considering my spring trip netted 7770.6 miles. The longest one-day leg of my excursion was just over 500 miles; I did that a couple of times. I averaged 361 miles per day which isn't that bad considering all the rain. All in all, my personal performance was pretty good and I didn't really experience that much typical rider fatigue -- probably because I was too wet and cold to notice.

Yet again, the Yamaha FJR1300 has demonstrated what a magnificent machine it is. The motorcycle just performs with no misgivings whatsoever. It's just as happy blasting around a corner dragging the foot pegs as it is smoothly violating the upper boundaries of any posted speed limit. The anti-lock brakes are awesome and it gets great gas mileage with one of the largest fuel tanks in the sport touring class. The ergonomics are spot on for a 6' 1" guy like myself and it doesn't cost that much. What's not to like?

I am disappointed that my original plans had to be modified to account for the rain. I'm sure New England is beautiful this time of year and most enjoyable exploring on two wheels. Unfortunately, motorcycle touring is like life in that things don't always go the way you want. All you can do is make the best of each day and hope the next is better.

Until next time,

Cheers 

Willville

Saturday Sept 29, 2012

It's time to head south. I've had about as much fun with the New England rain as I can stand and it looks like today will yield a fair amount of precipitation as well. My strategy is to get as far south as quickly as possible. As I start today's journey, it's raining a little and I have to navigate quite a few NH and Vermont back roads before I make it to the interstates. Hopefully, at a minimum I'll make it to West Virginia by sunset and tomorrow head to Willville.

Today's trip was somewhat wet in the beginning but fortunately decreased as I continued south. This southerly route led me through NH, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and finally Virginia. Toward the end of this segment, the ride was actually very enjoyable. The skies were clear and the temperatures were pleasant. In fact, I was tempted to do an all-nighter and attempt an epic non-stop run to my home. After stopping in Winchester, Va and having a bite to eat, I came to my senses and decided that might not be the best strategy. Not only was it way too ambitious, I also wouldn't get to visit Willville which was one of my goals in the beginning of this trip. In short, I covered 500 miles today and half of that was in a light to moderate rain.

I did stop at a rest stop outside of Harrisburg, Pa and was most impressed with the stop itself and the scenery. I met a fellow Atlantan there who couldn't resist inquiring into the nature of my travels. It turns out he is a retired NY policeman returning from a visit to the old homeland.

PA Rest Stop

Ultimately, I landed in a mom-and-pop hotel in Winchester for the evening. So far, I've camped one night. Pitiful.

Sunday Sept 30, 2012

It was a great relief to get up and see clear skies. Hopefully those skies will be clear all the way to Willville.

Packing is easy today and I'm out of the hotel and on the road at about 9:30AM or so. Willville is only about 240 miles by interstate but I plan to go by the BRP starting at Waynesville, Va. This will add miles and time, but I still should have plenty of time to get there and set up my tent before dark.

Interestingly the northern section of the BRP that was under construction when I passed earlier in the week, had been completed. New asphalt where it was a dirt road is very nice indeed. Just for grins, I decided to stop and snap a picture of Otter Creek facility that I had stayed in earlier in the week.

Otter Creek Pond

Sure enough, I roll into Willville about 4:30PM or so. I have enough time to set up my tent and go have a nice sit-down dinner at one of the local diners nearby. The food was pretty good and the staff was most friendly. I wish I could remember the name of the place, but I can't. I had picked up some liquid refreshments earlier in the day, so I'm set for the evening.

There's only four patrons for the evening in Willville, but Will lights the communal campfire anyway and we all sit around the fire telling motorcycle stories. To the uninitiated, these stories might sound bland. However, if you've ever tried to put on your rain gear under an overpass and had a little difficulty, you tend to find other's stories of the same predicament quite hilarious. And so it was on into the evening with the stories and beverages. A good time was had by all.

I turn in kind of late and am very relaxed and comfortable. The camp sites at Willville are on grass, so there's a little extra padding for the bedding. I drift off to sleep but am awakened a short time later by the sound of rain. It's not a hard rain, but it's hard enough to make a distinctive sound on the tent. The combination of sounds from the flowing creek next to my tent and the rain make for a very relaxing ambiance conducive to sleep. I sure hope it's not raining in the morning when I have to pack up.

The Maine Event

Friday Sept 28, 2012

I'm presented with a most distasteful decision today. It's raining and a little on the cool side. I can stay in the hotel today and hope tomorrow is better or go ahead and maybe things will clear. I choose the latter as I am not going to sit in a less-than-luxury hotel room all day with the odds of improvement slim. This is probably karma from my Spring trip where I had only about twenty minutes of rain one day out of the 24 days I was gone. This should be interesting and I'm concerned since I don't have MY winter/rain-proof gloves.

Yuck

Just for grins, I swing by the Harley dealer just down the road, or as the locals call it: the Holly dealer (prolly does good biz at Christmas), and priced a new pair of gloves. I'm not going to pay $80 for a pair of gloves for one day regardless of the misery I will endure.

I decide to take Highway 1A which is the coastal road. I'm sure it would be fun on a good day but not so much today. I can't remember which of these photos is NH or Maine. Taking pictures with rain pouring down is difficult indeed so I only have shots when there was no active downpour.

Ultimately I went from NH to Maine, back to NH, on to Vermont, and back again to NH. After discovering there were no decent hotels in Springfield, Vermont, I backtracked to a very nice little motel in NH. The Red Robin Inn is in Claremont, NH and the owner Lorraine is just the sweetest lady you would ever want to meet. Not only did she give me a break on the room rate, she offered to let me use her car to go get food if the pizza folks wouldn't deliver. Fortunately, the pizza folks did deliver and I didn't have to take her up on her offer.

So after a miserable day of riding, I can settle down to some hot pizza and listen to the guy next door talk loudly on his cell phone. I wish AT&T worked in this part of the country so I could talk also but it's not to be. Only two guys in the whole motel and we're next to each other. Oh well, live and learn. At least I'm warm and dry. Today was no fun whatsoever but I'm not quite as wet as I could have been. My rain suit worked well and I only started getting wet around the feet, crotch, and head. The water that pools in the seat between the tank is an issue for heavy down pours and there's no way to keep water out of the helmet and have any visibility. It could have been worse.

Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Blue Ridge and Beyond

Wednesday Sept 26, 2012

Last night wasn't that bad. The two pads helped and I'm relatively rested. Since the campground didn't have a shower, I didn't bother to take out my contacts and so far so good. My neighbors invited me over for coffee and I graciously accepted. It may not have been Starbucks, but it was mighty fine given the circumstances. Those were some very nice people indeed.

I'm anxious to make a few more miles than yesterday -- which was about 300 again. My plan is to navigate the rest of the BRP and head north on the interstate to Scranton, Pa. To do that, I'll take I-64 at Waynesboro, Va to I-81N. That will take me into Scranton. From there, I can head east to Connecticut and Rhode Island. There's nothing in particular I want to see in those two states, but I've never been there so I'll drop in just for bragging rights.

BRP Maintenance

BRP Toward the End

I didn't get any pictures for the most part on today's leg of the journey. It consisted mainly of I-81 to Scranton and I just didn't take time to snap any. The northern Virginia and Pennsylvania country side is most picturesque, but I was trying to make time.

While stopping for fuel in Northern Va, a woman asked me where I was going. When I informed her that my destination was Maine, she cautioned that I might want to reconsider given the weather forecasts. This was a new development from my original weather research, but I decided to sojourn on.

Once I got past Harrisburg, Pa, I could see the signs of previous rain. Maybe that woman was on to something. By the time I navigated the saturated mountainous roads into Scranton, I'm not that enthused about my prospects for a sunny autumn New England tour. We shall see.

I found a hotel and checked in. It wasn't actively raining when I checked in, so I headed to the local mall for a meal. When I returned, I parked my motorcycle under the cover at the check-in driveway at the suggestion of the desk clerk. That was nice of her. 

Thursday Sept 27, 2012

I am so thankful that the weather looks pretty good today. It does appear to be somewhat overcast and there are forecasts of some showers. From appearances though, it's not that bad.

I wasn't really sure that I had ever been to New Jersey, so I deviated just a bit from my I-84 route to enter the state. I took a detour at Milford, Pa into New Jersey along the river toward Port Jarvis, NY. It was slower than I wanted to go, but it was a nice ride and now I'm sure I've been to New Jersey. I once drove from Philly to Annapolis and possibly passed through NJ, but I didn't want to take any chances.

Ultimately, I got back on I-84 at Port Jarvis, NY and continued east to Connecticut. Once in Conn, I stopped at the welcome center which I must say was very nice.

Conn Welcome Center and Rest Stop

When I travel on my motorcycle, I like stopping at rest stops. Not only do they provide much needed facilities and an opportunity to rest, it's interesting in that each one is unique. I think they represent something about the state and it's people. It's just my opinion, but does a state really want people who travel within their boundaries to remember them by a porta-potty? Yikes, both rest stops I visited in Massachusetts had only porta-potties and no pic-nic tables. Hopefully I had the misfortune to stop at the anomalies, but for such a high tax burden as the people of that state have to endure, you would think they could get plumbing in their rest stops.

While at the Conn welcome center, I asked the young lady at the desk to recommend a "scenic" road into Rhode Island. She did and I took it. What I should have asked was for a scenic road with limited read lights. Dang! I can't remember the road, or I'm trying to forget, but it was nothing but 45MPH speed limits and red lights.

Ultimately, I made it to Providence and took I-95 into Boston. I had planned to start this at 2:00PM, but due to the "scenic" route I took, it was 4:00PM. If you've never tried to cross Boston on I-95 at 4:00PM on a week day, I suggest you not do it. I've lived the Atlanta traffic, but this was really bad. Out of despair, I exited into the downtown area and was rewarded with even slower traffic. Fortunately, the road I took was just a couple of miles from the USS Constitution and went directly to the site. Of course, those last couple of miles took more than a half hour to navigate.  Oh well, might as well enjoy the scenery.

Boston Rush Hour Traffic

The USS Constitution is essentially on a US naval base and as such, security is a concern. It's nothing like a working base with actual war ships, but it's still not open. I didn't know that when I just drove right into the facility. When I turned around, the guard at the gate was chasing me down. Fortunately, I had turned around quickly as I had intended to ask him where to park anyway. He was very nice and allowed me to park in the base on the side walk. Apparently this is against the rules, but I think the lateness of the day and lack of crowds in the facility might have benefited my case in this matter.

Unfortunately, the ship was closed and the museum was closing in 15 minutes. I made the most of the time and did a quick tour of the museum and snapped a few shots (what I could see) of the ship itself. Maybe next time I can actually take a tour.

The guard at the gate allowed me one more special privilege of getting a photo of my motorcycle with Boston and the Constitution in the background. As luck would have it, a passerby offered to snap a shot with me in the picture.

USS Constitution and Boston

Dry Docked Ship

Now all I have to do is get out of Boston and find a place to sleep for the night. Camping is out of the question due to logistics and time of day. Once on the road again, it's apparent that the traffic is only marginally lesser than before. I decide to stop and eat at the first opportunity and hopefully give the traffic time to clear. I see an exit with an IHOP and decide to stop. It' just dusk as I pull into the parking lot.

I'm in a blue-collar Boston neighborhood and I'm curious as to the disposition of the residents. For whatever reason, the "fighting Irish" imagery is etched in my mind. The restaurant is not very crowded and the people inside were very friendly. Wow, I've never heard such thick accents. It's difficult following what they say and I have to pay attention so as not to offend. Interestingly, one Hispanic young lady overhead my conversation with my server and discovered I was from Georgia. She informed me that she was once a resident of Buford, Ga which is about 10 miles from my home. It's a small world after all.

All in all, I had a good meal and got good advice on a hotel from one of the local patrons -- even though I didn't take it. My smart phone tells me there's a cheaper hotel in Hampton, NH, so I'm off in that direction with only 40 miles to navigate in the dark. Whoopi...

Regarding my comment about the rest stops in MA, I found the people that I talked to from that state to be most friendly and pleasant.

Soon enough, I make it to Hampton, NH and never do find the hotel referred by my "smart" phone. While circling, I see a mom-and-pop hotel and land for the evening. The price is right and it's just across the street from a nice sports pub.

I quickly dequip and head over to the pub to get some local flavor and perhaps suggestions for my route tomorrow. I do run into a couple of motorcycling enthusiasts who are full of good advice, so I take notes for the next day. Also while sitting there, a young man enters and tells the story of his sister traveling from Texas to NH having an automobile accident that evening -- in Georgia.

At this point I'm curious and find out that the poor girl is stuck at a Waffle House with no money or car. I speak to the young man and inquire as to exactly where in Georgia his sister might be; possibly I can help if it's close to my house. After much delay and failures of communication, we discover that his sister rolled her car on I-85 in Buford, Ga. Fortunately she is not injured and a waitress at the Waffle house extended an invitation to stay at her house for the evening.

That's two Buford stories in one day. The world gets even smaller.

It's been a long day and I'm ready to retire. Hopefully the weather will hold for tomorrow.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Tuesday Sept 25, 2012

Day two starts uneventfully and I'm loaded relatively fast compared to my Spring trip where I took way too much stuff. This time, I've only taken the essentials for wardrobe and camping. No cooking equipment, fashion shoes, or summer riding jacket. I may revisit the cooking equipment in the future, but I can safely say I had no need of cowboy boots on this trip. I also didn't need a summer riding jacket as the weather was never hot for the entire trip.

The beauty of my current system is that all camping equipment fits into one medium sized waterproof duffel bag and the main items in the trunk are my cooler, netbook, and rain gear. The saddlebags hold clothes and miscellaneous heavy items such as tools. I also find the duffel bag backrest to be extremely comfortable. I just have to remember and pack all my soft items on the side where my back rests. It's quite a nice setup and only requires two tie-down straps. My camp chair (green) is held on by two lightweight bungee cords.

Streamlined Packing This Time

There's not much more to say about the BRP than what I've already stated. It's really an amazing road and if you've never taken time to visit, you really should. There's no admission fee and the scenery is spectacular. The facilities along the way are also commendable. There's lot's to do and the price is right.

One of the Many Overlooks on the BRP

Overlook Parking

The picture above was taken toward the end of the day. I couldn't get the two older gentlemen to pose with their bikes, but I would have sworn they were Cajuns by their very thick accents. Apparently they were from VA and full of good information about the best camping spots on the BRP. They suggested Otter Creek which is at a lower elevation and more prone to tolerable night-time temperatures. I took their advice.

New Smaller Tent

The campground was essentially deserted except for an older group of motorcyclists. They were from Georgia on their Gold Wings. They had pop-up campers which I found interesting and were most hospitable. They invited me over for the evening camp fire and we had a very pleasant time imbibing refreshments and telling travel stories. They had been all over this country on those Gold Wings and had some fascinating tales.

There's a certain beauty in traveling alone. You are very approachable and most folks want to know what makes you crazy enough to undertake such journeys by yourself. I've never not been invited to a campground next to me when camping solo on my motorcycle. It's a great way to meet folks and so far, all the people I've met have been great.

Now I'll test how my new sleeping pads work. I've brought Debbie's Therma-Rest pad in addition to mine. That's two pads stacked for extra comfort. We'll see.

New England via the Blue Ridge Parkway

Monday Sept 24, 2012

I've always wanted to see New England in the fall and I've got nothing better to do, so I'm going. My first leg of the trip will be to navigate the entire Blue Ridge Parkway starting in Cherokee NC ending north of Roanoke Va. I will be camping as many nights as possible weather permitting. The weather reports for the week are good, and hopefully I won't need all the foul weather gear I'm bringing.

On the Road Again

As usual, I have a late start. I finally manage to get away and pull out of the driveway at 1:30PM. The weather is good and my trip to Cherokee, NC is uneventful -- unlike my last trip to Pigeon Forge where I picked up a ticket in Franklin, NC for "unsafe maneuvering". I don't think the cage police understand the advantages or dangers of certain traffic situations for motorcycles. Anyway, I was extra careful getting through the gauntlet of speed traps on 441 North.

Cherokee NC

I've been through Cherokee many times but have never stopped. I've heard there's some interesting attractions other than the casino, so I'll have to check it out when I have more time one day.

Just after entering the Smoky Mountain National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance is barely a mile or two down the road. One of the interesting things about the Smoky Mountain park is the lack of an admission fee. Since the park is the most visited in the US by a factor of two, it's interesting that it's free. All western parks I visited this past year had admission fees.

The BRP is without a doubt, one of the most charming roadways in the US. It's over 400 miles and a great motorcycle road where the vistas are beautiful. You can't really "carve" up this roadway due to the speed limit and safety concerns, but there are times when the curves can be fun.

It is a little annoying that the speed limit is 45MPH and some people can't even maintain that consistently. Some sections of the road definitely require caution, but if folks think they can't handle the "challenging" sections at the suggested speed limit, they really should pull off when the opportunity presents itself and not create road blocks. It's easy enough to pass on the double yellow with the FJR, but I really don't like doing that for a couple of reasons. It would be better if folks would just pay attention and learn how to share the road. Rant over.

Overall, I would have to say the NC portion of the BRP is a bit more scenic than the Virginia section. There are more tunnels and less obvious non-parkway development visible. Not that the Virginia section is not charming in it's own way, but there are some sections where "affordable housing" is visible from the road. The quaint farms are visually charming and provide diversity so it's not all unpleasant.

Due to my late start, I'm not going to get anywhere near my original goal of Willville in VA. Willville is a motorcycle-only campground just into VA and from all reports, is a fun place to camp. Instead, I find myself about 150 miles from the start of the BRP with the sun setting and the temperatures dropping.

Not knowing how much further I must travel to find a place to stop for the evening, I pull over to get my "winter gloves". I am horrified to find that I packed Debbie's(my wife) winter gloves instead of mine. She wears medium and I wear XL. Long story short, I am barely able to fit into these things, they are painful, and my movement is hampered considerably. Bummer.

After my equipment change, I exit the BRP at the first opportunity and look for a place to eat and find a hotel. About five miles from the parkway in Spruce Pine, NC, I stop at the Western Sizzlin. The meal is sustaining and I absorb a little of the local culture. Being from southern Alabama, I'm familiar with southern accents, but I can't ever remember such a twang as I heard from the patrons of the Western Sizzlin in Spruce Pine NC. It was charming indeed.

From my search, I deduce that the best hotel is a place that I had just passed on the parkway called Little Switzerland. Sure enough they have a room for me and covered parking for my motorcycle. They cater to motorcycles so this was a great find. They also have food available even though it's a little late. I definitely would have preferred eating at the hotel if I had known. This would be a great overnight trip for Debbie and me on the motorcycle.

Day one is complete and progress isn't that bad even though I got such a late start. Mileage for the day is right at 300.