After Thoughts

Wednesday, August 3rd

I've been home for just over a week now and have had some time to think about the trip, and have had a few thoughts.

Trip Totals:  Miles- 14,588.  Days- 82.  States- 35.  Countries- 1 (thanks to Canada not allowing me in...still a little bitter).  Hotels- 26 (this is not 100% accurate, but close.)  Number of times I seriously considered quitting- 3.  Dollars spent-  I'm not going to say the actual dollar amount, but will say I spent more than twice what I thought I would.  "When packing for vacation, take half as much clothing and twice as much money."  I don't know who said it, but it's true.  I sent clothes home twice.  Oil Changes- 3. Double Quarter Pounders with cheese-  I'm glad I didn't keep track, because it would probably make me sick thinking of how many I had.  Speaking of which, Pounds gained- 12.  Number of times I used a hotel pool or exercise room- 0.  Pages read of the book I brought with me- 14.  I thought I would read a lot more than I did.  Number of tow trucks- 2.  Once for my bike when I left the battery on and once when my friend's car in Miami died.  Number of times I was told I look like Zach Galifianakis- 5.

Mini Goals:  I wanted do a 500 mile day on the trip.  I did that riding from Seattle to Boise.  So cheers to myself for that.  Another was not to trim my beard the entire time I was on my journey.  I did not, still haven't, and don't want to.

                                             Day 1                                                    

                                         Day 84 - not combed

                                            Day 84 - combed

Favorite rides:  Driving the west coast, especially Oregon.  I was unable to ride the entire coast of California because the road was closed.  Badlands National Park in South Dakota.  Utah, a state I had not planned on riding through, turned out to be one of my favorite rides from essentially the northwest to southeast corner.  70 west from Denver into Utah.  A little corner of Arizona on I-15 between Utah and Nevada.  Riding the south rim of the Grand Canyon.  The coastal road in Maine.  US 1 to Key West.  Route 550 in New Mexico.  Riding with Brian Head in Chicago, Ryan Parle in Boulder, my Uncles Ray and Jack (Jack and I rode for about 5 minutes together on the way to his boat) in Florida, and my Uncle Dan in New Hampshire.  

Least Favorite Place to Ride:  The panhandle of Texas.  

Activity I Did for the First Time:  Surfing.  Love it!

Disappointing:  I did not go to Yellowstone or Glacier National Park, Montana, or Vancouver as planned.    There are some friends I missed along the way that I would have liked to have seen, but timing, etc., didn't allow it.  

America truly is beautiful.  Not only the landscape, but the people.  Are there places I'd rather not go, and people I'd rather not run into?  Yes.  But nothing's perfect.  Most people I encountered were friendly and a pleasure to talk to.  There are people out there that truly enjoy what they do.  Maybe it's not their dream job, but they make the most of it, and that positivity has an effect on the people around them.  I truly believe there is more good than bad.  People underestimate the power of a smile, or a wave, or just saying "hi."  GPS is helpful, but getting lost is more fun.  People don't get enough vacation time.  Spend more time making your dreams come true than thinking of reasons you can't.  The biggest obstacle in your way of doing what you want to do is you.  Nike has it right.  Just do it.  You don't need all the stuff you think you do.  I touched 35 states, and barely scratched the surface of what there is to see and do in the USA.  I can't wait to explore more.  

A big thanks to everyone I met along the way.  I am very lucky to have such fantastic friends and family, and that they live all over the country.  ;)  Thank you for your generosity, time, and opening your homes to me.

Harley Davidson makes a great product.  I did not have any mechanical issues with my 2007 Street Glide, and faithful companion, Clyde.  Best Westerns are great hotels.  A lot of them have are designed in a style representative of their location.  Their clean, and reasonably priced.  And no, Harley nor Best Western paid me for my endorsement.  

Would I do it again?  Yes, in a heartbeat.  Would I have said that during the trip?  No.

What am I gonna do next?  Maybe I'll keep blogging and keep those interested updated.   

Home

Saturday, July 23rd

It was just a 153 mile drive to Buffalo.  The weather was pleasant, but I can't saying driving on I-90 is.  I made to the hotel and rendezvous point with no problems.  My friends Tony, Donna, Yuri, and Carla made it just about an hour after I got there.  Seems they had some issues at the border coming from Canada, but America kindly allowed them to enter.  It was great seeing them and we had some good times Buffalo!  The next day I rode up to Niagara Falls and had a quick look.  My intention was to get a good picture of Clyde with the falls in the background.  But I couldn't find a good spot to do that.  Oh well.  Sunday night I met the sisters of a friend from Buffalo, who now lives in Boston (Colleen, if ya know her), for dinner.

Monday morning I woke up dreading this moment.  The moment I would get on the bike for my final ride! The moment was delayed because of thunderstorms.  How fitting.  As if I wasn't in a bad mood already.  Fortunately they broke at check-out time, noon.  I have to say the timing was pretty good there.  I would  have been none too happy leaving in the rain.  So the sun shone on me as I drove the last 206 miles back to Cleveland.  Again, sad it's over, but happy I did it.

                              Happy

                                Sad

I did it.  I drove to the four corners of the lower 48 states on my motorcycle.

The Rivers Styx

Friday, July 22nd

I reluctantly left Montpelier and started a day of driving to get as close to Buffalo as I could, without straining myself too much.  After just a couple of hours of driving scenic roads in Vermont and part of New York, I hit the rivers Styx, or I-90 as most call it.  The interstate that leads to Cleveland, the final destination.  Home.  The end.  The death of my trip that I'm loving so much.   After all the incredible scenery America has to offer, I'm on back on rice pudding road.   Boring.  Grey.  I-90.  Eighteen wheelers, construction, and tolls.  Tasteless service plazas with no picnic tables under trees.  Miles from the blue ocean water, instead of feet.  No more stopping at the site of something interesting and unexpected, like the naturally formed hole in a rock I saw in Utah.  Or an incredible beach on the Oregon coast.  Or a ranch in Wyoming with a funny name.  Regulated stops every 39 miles.

I'm trying to focus on the good, seeing my friends in Buffalo, and all I'd seen and done, but it's difficult.  I made it to Syracuse a little on the blue side.

License Plates Don't Lie

Thursday, July 21st

Although it was difficult to shake the anger I had for Canada, I woke up in good spirits, knowing I could take my time getting to Buffalo in time to see my friends on Saturday.  I took the back roads through Maine and into New Hampshire on Route 2 hugging the northern edge of the White Mountains.  It was sunny most of the day, with high winds and dark clouds always just around the corner, but never quite taking up residence where I was driving.  The threat was always there, but it never did storm.

I made my way into Vermont, the Evergreen State, as the license plates tell you.  License plates don't lie.  It is very green, and a great state for driving.  The roads could be smoother, but the scenery more than makes up for it.  Lush greenery surrounds you.  Roads follow rivers.  I couldn't help but think of Easy Rider.  The last shot in the movie is taken from a helicopter as it ascends.  You see a road next to a river.  In the commentary on the DVD,  Peter Fonda says that the road that man built and the road that God built are side by side.  I always find it more enjoyable to be on a road that follows nature as best as possible, instead of being on a road that nature was obviously destroyed for.  Some roads or highways just look unnatural in the path that was cleared for them.  I was happy to be driving through Vermont, and thought of Ben and Jerry happily making their ice cream here in a renovated gas station in the early 80's.

I stopped in Montpelier for the night in what was one of the friendliest, cleanest hotels I'd been in on my trip.  Ten minutes after I was in my room, I got a phone call.  "Hi Mr. O'Malley.  Is everything to your liking?  Is there anything you need?"  Hmmm.....maybe some ice cream.