April Adventure Video

 

For an enhanced

chronological recap

of the road trip,

CLICK HERE.

To Grandmother’s House We Go

Actually we call her Nana, and it’s my Aunt’s house where Nana lives. On the way we rode the Dragon again.

This is Papa Smurf. He is a Dragon regular.

Here is Kep coming through a tunnel. I’m the Quick Draw McGraw of the pocket camera.

There is more to show you on the way to Nana, but we need to hit the road. So let me introduce you to the lady herself.

Here she is. The matriarch of our family. Nana with the boys.

WOW! The roads down here are incredible!

The Tail of the Dragon is part of Route 129 in Tennessee and ends in Deals Gap NC. This part of the road has 318 wicked turns in only 11 miles. It’s a bikers dream come true. It’s a test of fortitude and skill. A place to push it to the limit, and we did! Wait until I get some video up here. It’s insane! I was whipping around turns at such speeds and leaning the bike so far that my foot pegs scraped the ground! That’s a thrill!

This is a spot to pull off and gather yourself before confronting the Dragon.

He we are having conquered the Dragon. What a thrill!

And there are those who did not fare so well.

While standing next to this sign, a guy asked if I would take his picture with his iPhone. We started talking and he asked me if I was with this group of guys on these speed bikes. I said No, that’s my Triumph over there. He gives me a look and says, “You’re the school teacher!” WHAT? He said, “I just read your blog last last week.” CRAZY! He even added, “Sorry you went down at 10,000.” I was blown away! what are the odds?

And here he is. Meet Terry, about to test his skills on the Dragon. I guess he fared well. I did not see any parts of his bike in the Tree of Shame the following day. Thanks Terry! Enjoy that Triumph!

Time to say goodbye to the Smokies and head off to see family in South Carolina.

WI-FI is hard to come by in these parts

Our first night on the road we stayed in a hotel. The next day we rode through Pittsburgh.

This shot is taken from acroos the river by an old incline rail line.

We rolled into town to see an old prison then we hit the road.

As we were leaving Pittsburgh we saw a horrible sight. A beautiful large hawk was taking off from the side of the road and was clipped by the car in front of us. It was like a slow motion movie as we watched the hawk struggle for flight as it spiraled down to the ground next to me.

Say hello to the “Big J”. All of this cost less then a Egg McMuffin meal from McDonalds. Damn good too.

We rode to Columbus Ohio. We wanted to see the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Not on Easter Day fellas! So from my original plan, we ended up not seeing the coffe shop shaped like a coffe pot, George Washington’s headquarters from the Whiskey Rebellion, and the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. After that we didn’t see Hopewell Indian site and Serpant Mound. I am fairly certain the Smokey Mountains will still be there when we arrive.

In the Southern Ohio town of Ohio we stopped to see these murals we were told about by a local at a rest stop.

Here’s is a painted cat sniffing Kep’s finger.

The murals depicted the history of Portsmouth and Ohio. This particular section (in the photo) represents the oldest motorcycle club in Ohio which still exists right down the street.

Here is the Club.

After some lunch in Ohio we crossed over to Kentucky and found a place to camp at Blue Licks Battleground State Park.

It’s always nice to make new friends on the road. This guy stopped by to play fetch for a while.

On the way South the next day we stopped by this cool old house in Richmond, KY.

Inside we talked to the lady who works at a tourism office. It was the first time I actually heard someone use the term “Old Timey”. They had some old artifacts and furninture including one of only seven unforms still in existance from the Revolutionary War.

From there it was South to Cumberland Gap.

Camping in Cumberland Falls was fun. We got some Poterhouse steaks ans some beer and had a good night around the campfire. That night it rained A LOT! Here is Kep’s tent in the morning.

From there it was down to the Smokey Mountains where we are now. I am sitting in a coffee shop just outside the park in a town called Townsend, TN. We are about to travel to the Tail of the Dragon.

We are about to travel to the Tail of the Dragon.

APRIL ADVENTURES

OH BOY! ROAD TRIP!
If you’ve been here before, you know I love a road trip. And since I got my bike, I like ‘em that much much more. On this adventure I am joined by my brother. Blues Brothers step aside, “We’re on a mission from God.” It may be so. We were supposed to ride into two big storm fronts. Somehow we cruised right between them. We have done numerous day trips before but no overnight adventures. Wish us both luck!

Our dad was in town when we split he tok some nice shots of our departure, but they great shots, but they are tiny.

So we were off! VROOOM! We too Route 78 across NJ and PA. Kep (bro) forgot to bring a sleeping bag so we had to stop on the way at a crazy store for the outdoorsman.

So we rode well into the evening. Unfortunately night fell and we missed a turn, so the coffee shop shaped like a coffee pot will have to be a site for another day. Right now we are just outside of Pittsburgh. (Are you really? Are you really?) To the Motorcycle Hall of Fame we go!

One Year and 15,000 miles

It’s my bike’s birthday. I picked her up from the showroom on April 5, 2008. I’ve been riding my Bonneville for one year. Today while riding around upstate the odometer hit 15,000 miles.

I rode up to Woodbury Common Outlet Center. I had never been there. The place is huge! I was hoping they had some kind of camping outlet. The next best thing was a North Face outlet. I got a nice down sleeping bag. It rolls up small, good for travel.

Next I met up with my brother in Sloatsburg, NY.

We road over to a place called Ringwood Manor.

There is plenty to experience at Ringwood Manor. A fine place to explore.

This place has been around since 1762. It was the home of George Washington’s geographer. The home was used as a strategic headquarters during the Revolutionary War.

In the area surrounding the manor there are numerous trails dating back to the 18th century. Unfortunately we arrived late in the day. An adventure for another day.

FREE THE DEAD

April 1st. Get on the ship!

Jerry is still dead, but the fun is back. The Dead kicked off just after 11:00 Monday night and played past 1:00am for FREE. It was a great time! I was grinning like a cat in Wonderland the whole show!  There are some great shots in the following article. Check out Phil’s freaky bass!

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2009/03/live_the_gratef.php

The Dead played 3 free shows in NYC Monday. If you were not able to attend, here is what you missed.

Free The Dead I ~
Acoustic show – 5:00pm (Phil, Bobby, & Warren)
Angel Orensanz, New York, NY
Mon. March 30, 2009

Dire Wolf
Bird Song
Cumberland Blues
Pride of Cucamonga
Lazy River Road
Casey Jones
E: Ripple

******************************************

Free The Dead II ~
Blender Theatre @ Gramercy, NYC 3/30/09

Jam>
Playin’ In The Band>
Good Lovin’>
The Wheel>
Franklin ’s Tower

encore:
Touch Of Gray

******************************************

Free The Dead III ~
Roseland Ballroom, NYC 3/30/09
Althea >
Cassidy>
Uncle Johns Band >
Eyes Of The World >
St. Stephen >
Dark Star >
Sugar Magnolia