After waking up this morning and packing up the bikes, we realized we didn't have a tent to camp with. Jeremy offered us the pull out for another night, and we gladly accepted.
So we unloaded everything we didn't need so we'd have room for our gear in the saddlebags and headed to a laundromat. With the addition of three days of travel, we needed some clean clothes. We ate some breakfast at White Castle while we waited for the clothes to dry, then headed to the track.
Jeremy had given us directions to the free bike parking, but we had no idea we'd be parking where the Indy cars race!! We got to park on the back straight of the oval!! Super awesome, and so many bikes! It was like a bike show just trying to walk in, lol!!
GP practice was just wrapping up as we got to the track. So we walked around the vendor areas and met up with friends. We just missed Elena at the Suzuki tent, so we took note to show up tomorrow at 11.
We spent the day walking around checking out the vendors and running into friends. It was quite a blast. Watching qualifying was pretty cool too, although there were a number of crashes. We even got to walk down put lane at the end of the day which was pretty awesome.
We ended the day at White Castle with friends who hadn't been yet. Dinner of champions, lol. By the time we got home at 9pm, we were pooped!! Showered up, and watched some GP recap action on TV. Then passed out, excited for the racing action tomorrow!!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Day 8 - The long, horrible, painful road to Indy...
So... As the title might indicate, today was not the best of days... After a bit of a late start (8:00) we were able to make it down the road 130 miles before stopping for breakfast at an Eat'n'Park. Good breakfast, but when we came out, it started to rain. We headed to Home Depot to get a replacement bulb for one of Larkin's spotter lights, then got on the road to head to a BBQ place to snap a pic for PA. Right across the street from our destination for the pic was a covered gas station so we took shelter to try and ride the storm out. We donned our bootie covers (for the wet roads) but that was it since the rain had mostly stopped. There was another little storm behind it, but we weren't too worried. So off we went.
We wanted to get to Columbus, so we could have just one more stop before Indy. Unfortunately, traffic had other plans. Shortly after crossing into Ohio, we ran into stopped traffic for construction. So we sat, and sat, and moved 50 feet and sat (similar to day 1). A car (from Chantilly no less) attempted to lane share with me. When I blasted my horn instead of backing off, they just kept being their shiny black Lexus SUV right into me. I gave up and backed off. It was so pointless for the to move over anyways! We're barely moving!! And the two lanes are moving at basically the same speed!! Ugh.
After awhile, five motorcycles rode by on the shoulder. After some debating of pro/cons, we decided to go for it. "They can't write us all!" was Larkin's mindset. My fan had been on way too long, I was starting to get dehydrated, and my left hand was cramping up bad. We didn't go very far at all when a car jumped out in front of the bikes we were joining up with. He was trying to block them, but they were able to slip by somehow. By the time we got to him he was out for blood. He was no longer using his vehicle to block, but rather as a weapon. I got pissed and opted to just pull over. I needed Motrin and some water. A few cars back from battering ram guy, was a guy who asked if I wanted to borrow his 9mm. Thanks dude, would love to!! Just kidding, but this guy was trying to kill me. So we hydrate a bit, take some Motrin and try to ride the shoulder again. (I'll note that we're STUCK on the interstate. Since we hit construction traffic there hasn't been an exit, so we literally have no where to go.) As soon as we get up to the guy, he swerves to the shoulder, fully, so I take his place in the regular lane. He's not going to have that either, as he starts pushing towards me, Larkin says "He has nothing to lose" so I back off. I'm so angry, I back off. Larkin starts talking to the guy, pleading because of how I'm feeling. He doesn't care. After calling him a d-bag numerous times the guy admits to riding a Harley!! WTF dude!! Ugh!! The car behind us appears to be trying to pass us, and I think he's pissed at battering ram guy. We let him around so he can try and deal with the fool. But alas, he's not able to right this guy either. I'm near my breaking point when it finally let's up. So not what we needed for this day...
Instead of stopping, we hammer down to get to Columbus which is about 100mi away at this point. We take a much needed break there, but end up taking an hour and a half. We're just so beat physically and mentally. We have about 160mi left so we saddle up and get moving.
The last leg is uneventful save for a false neutral that freaked me out. I couldn't get the bike into gear so I put on my flashers and pulled off the interstate and asked Larkin to pull off ahead of me, I'd coast up to him. As soon as I pulled off, so did a big, black Suburban from CT. A guy jumped out and waved for us to ride up to them. Some fellow riders headed to Indy, he just wanted to make sure we were okay. I was able to get it into gear at that point so we thanked him and said we were good. He offered to ride behind us just in case but we declined. Just a minor recurring issue I hadn't been able to fix on the fly. :-)
So after a very painful 160mi, we made it to our dinner stop to meet up with Jeremy and Stacy. We were going to go to Jersey Cafe (apparently it was on the travel channel) but it was packed so we opted for an Italian place nearby that was pretty yummy. After some debating on what to do, camp at the track or get a hotel room (which most everything was sold out) Jeremy and Stacy offered their pull-out for us. Which was awesome cause then we could shower and clean-up, and camp at the track tomorrow night.
So after a quick shower we passed out. Two 550 mile days back to back had really done us in. A lot of learning, and this will really help for next year. Sweet dreams!! :-)
We wanted to get to Columbus, so we could have just one more stop before Indy. Unfortunately, traffic had other plans. Shortly after crossing into Ohio, we ran into stopped traffic for construction. So we sat, and sat, and moved 50 feet and sat (similar to day 1). A car (from Chantilly no less) attempted to lane share with me. When I blasted my horn instead of backing off, they just kept being their shiny black Lexus SUV right into me. I gave up and backed off. It was so pointless for the to move over anyways! We're barely moving!! And the two lanes are moving at basically the same speed!! Ugh.
After awhile, five motorcycles rode by on the shoulder. After some debating of pro/cons, we decided to go for it. "They can't write us all!" was Larkin's mindset. My fan had been on way too long, I was starting to get dehydrated, and my left hand was cramping up bad. We didn't go very far at all when a car jumped out in front of the bikes we were joining up with. He was trying to block them, but they were able to slip by somehow. By the time we got to him he was out for blood. He was no longer using his vehicle to block, but rather as a weapon. I got pissed and opted to just pull over. I needed Motrin and some water. A few cars back from battering ram guy, was a guy who asked if I wanted to borrow his 9mm. Thanks dude, would love to!! Just kidding, but this guy was trying to kill me. So we hydrate a bit, take some Motrin and try to ride the shoulder again. (I'll note that we're STUCK on the interstate. Since we hit construction traffic there hasn't been an exit, so we literally have no where to go.) As soon as we get up to the guy, he swerves to the shoulder, fully, so I take his place in the regular lane. He's not going to have that either, as he starts pushing towards me, Larkin says "He has nothing to lose" so I back off. I'm so angry, I back off. Larkin starts talking to the guy, pleading because of how I'm feeling. He doesn't care. After calling him a d-bag numerous times the guy admits to riding a Harley!! WTF dude!! Ugh!! The car behind us appears to be trying to pass us, and I think he's pissed at battering ram guy. We let him around so he can try and deal with the fool. But alas, he's not able to right this guy either. I'm near my breaking point when it finally let's up. So not what we needed for this day...
Instead of stopping, we hammer down to get to Columbus which is about 100mi away at this point. We take a much needed break there, but end up taking an hour and a half. We're just so beat physically and mentally. We have about 160mi left so we saddle up and get moving.
The last leg is uneventful save for a false neutral that freaked me out. I couldn't get the bike into gear so I put on my flashers and pulled off the interstate and asked Larkin to pull off ahead of me, I'd coast up to him. As soon as I pulled off, so did a big, black Suburban from CT. A guy jumped out and waved for us to ride up to them. Some fellow riders headed to Indy, he just wanted to make sure we were okay. I was able to get it into gear at that point so we thanked him and said we were good. He offered to ride behind us just in case but we declined. Just a minor recurring issue I hadn't been able to fix on the fly. :-)
So after a very painful 160mi, we made it to our dinner stop to meet up with Jeremy and Stacy. We were going to go to Jersey Cafe (apparently it was on the travel channel) but it was packed so we opted for an Italian place nearby that was pretty yummy. After some debating on what to do, camp at the track or get a hotel room (which most everything was sold out) Jeremy and Stacy offered their pull-out for us. Which was awesome cause then we could shower and clean-up, and camp at the track tomorrow night.
So after a quick shower we passed out. Two 550 mile days back to back had really done us in. A lot of learning, and this will really help for next year. Sweet dreams!! :-)
Day 7 - The road to Indy!!
The beginning of today seems so long ago!! But we're on the road to Moto GP!
So today started bright and early. Larkin made a 6am call to his Capt, who informed him he needed to go through staffing for the leave request. So he sent an email and we waited for a response. We mapped out a route to pick up a Vermont BBQ place since we'd missed it on our way to Maine and headed out. The plan was to head South, waiting for an answer. If it was not approved, we'd head over to RI and get that state too. If it WAS approved, we'd head straight to get my tire changed, missing RI.
So off we went. There was a nice little diner in the town of our stop in VT so we got some hearty breakfast. While we're there, Larkin gets the email. Approved!! We're going to Indy!! I email my boss to secure leave, then realize I'm working next weekend and need to take Monday off anyways!! WOOT!!!!! So we get going, lotta ground to cover today!
We had the "toll avoidances" option activated on the GPS and it didn't work out too bad. Took some beautiful parkways through CT and NJ. Stopped for lunch just short of our tire changing stop, so we arrived there around 3:30. We wanted to leave around 5:00 at the latest so we could knock out another 150mi before stopping for the night.
Rubber Chicken Racing Service did a great job with my bike and got me up and running again. HUGE thanks for Tom for hooking it up while we were on the road. Def took great care of us. It's great having all these track friends scattered across the country. :-) With a brand new Q2 on the back, I was ready to rock and roll again!
Tom escorted us through town to put us back on the interstate so we wouldn't have to navigate ourselves. It was too bad it was a short visit but we should be seeing him in two weeks at VIR. :-) So, pointed West, off we went. About 100mi later we stopped for fuel. Our planned stop for the evening was only 30mi away, but Breezewood was 100mi away and that'd make tomorrow a more manageable day. So off we went with a planned arrival in Breezewood of 9:00pm. The worst thing about driving at night with my headlight is that the high beam blinds Larkin in his mirrors. But for the most part, we had light and it wasn't too bad. Made the last 100mi without incident. Had some famous bowls at KFC, yum! Met a guy from MD headed home from a three and a half week excursion (that'll be us next year!!). Also met a guy from San Diego (originally Australia) who was appalled at the toll roads, and that they charged Larkin and I $17.25 each for the last 200 miles. Seeing places, meeting people, what a great day! We've gone over 2000 miles on the tripometer so far, and still have 1000 miles to go!! This is DEF an epic adventure!! Tomorrow we arrive in Indy!!
So today started bright and early. Larkin made a 6am call to his Capt, who informed him he needed to go through staffing for the leave request. So he sent an email and we waited for a response. We mapped out a route to pick up a Vermont BBQ place since we'd missed it on our way to Maine and headed out. The plan was to head South, waiting for an answer. If it was not approved, we'd head over to RI and get that state too. If it WAS approved, we'd head straight to get my tire changed, missing RI.
So off we went. There was a nice little diner in the town of our stop in VT so we got some hearty breakfast. While we're there, Larkin gets the email. Approved!! We're going to Indy!! I email my boss to secure leave, then realize I'm working next weekend and need to take Monday off anyways!! WOOT!!!!! So we get going, lotta ground to cover today!
We had the "toll avoidances" option activated on the GPS and it didn't work out too bad. Took some beautiful parkways through CT and NJ. Stopped for lunch just short of our tire changing stop, so we arrived there around 3:30. We wanted to leave around 5:00 at the latest so we could knock out another 150mi before stopping for the night.
Rubber Chicken Racing Service did a great job with my bike and got me up and running again. HUGE thanks for Tom for hooking it up while we were on the road. Def took great care of us. It's great having all these track friends scattered across the country. :-) With a brand new Q2 on the back, I was ready to rock and roll again!
Tom escorted us through town to put us back on the interstate so we wouldn't have to navigate ourselves. It was too bad it was a short visit but we should be seeing him in two weeks at VIR. :-) So, pointed West, off we went. About 100mi later we stopped for fuel. Our planned stop for the evening was only 30mi away, but Breezewood was 100mi away and that'd make tomorrow a more manageable day. So off we went with a planned arrival in Breezewood of 9:00pm. The worst thing about driving at night with my headlight is that the high beam blinds Larkin in his mirrors. But for the most part, we had light and it wasn't too bad. Made the last 100mi without incident. Had some famous bowls at KFC, yum! Met a guy from MD headed home from a three and a half week excursion (that'll be us next year!!). Also met a guy from San Diego (originally Australia) who was appalled at the toll roads, and that they charged Larkin and I $17.25 each for the last 200 miles. Seeing places, meeting people, what a great day! We've gone over 2000 miles on the tripometer so far, and still have 1000 miles to go!! This is DEF an epic adventure!! Tomorrow we arrive in Indy!!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Day 6 - Leaving Acadia
Ahh!! So much fun at Acadia National Park with our awesome friends!! So sad to leave today. We slept in a little too much, but it was some much needed rest after Cadillac Mountain yesterday. But we got up and moving, got the bikes packed, ready to go, and my bike was COMPLETELY dead. Since my bump starting skills are amateur at best, Larkin hopped on and tried to get it going with Mica pushing down a LOOOONG hill. Nothing. Dead. Dead. Dead. So Mica brought the truck around so we could jump my bike. Took a little bit to build up enough juice, but we finally got it started and on our way to breakfast!!
So we headed into Bar Harbor for some awesome breakfast. The blueberry pancakes were AMAZING but someone "doesn't like puttin' fruit in stuff that's supposed to be good" so he had tasty plain pancakes. :-)
So after our sad goodbyes, we headed out a little before noon (later than we wanted but meh). It really was very fortunate that Larkin and I were able to mesh our trip with our friends. We both feel very fortunate for the awesome experience. Acadia National Park FTMFW!! :-)
Today turned out to be pretty uneventful. We opted to skip I-95 and instead head down Rt 1, thinking the coastal ride would be more fun. But the craziness of the small tourist towns was almost more than we could handle. Took FOREVER to get anywhere. We had our sights set on VT since we'd missed a BBQ place on the way to Maine due to the nasty weather. Made it to Keene, NH, about 30 minutes from the BBQ place we scoped out on Google Maps. These places are not as abundant as they are in the South, that's for sure!
So, as we're sitting at the gas station in Keene, looking up a place to stay, and I'm playing around on FB, I mention something about a few friends checking in near Indy for the Moto GP races. We kept talking about it, but Larkin has to work Saturday. But the Battalion Chief can approve leave. His crew is on today, so he attempted to call his Lt to discuss, but he's also on his Kelly day. SO... He'll call his Capt first thing tomorrow morning when they get in (6am). Then he can run it up the chain. It's a slim chance, but if it happens? Total epicness for this trip. So fingers crossed. :-) We've got it planned out, ready to rock and roll if it happens. I'll most def need that tire we're getting tomorrow though!! Can't. Freaking. Wait. Sooooo excited!! Stay tuned!! :-)
So we headed into Bar Harbor for some awesome breakfast. The blueberry pancakes were AMAZING but someone "doesn't like puttin' fruit in stuff that's supposed to be good" so he had tasty plain pancakes. :-)
So after our sad goodbyes, we headed out a little before noon (later than we wanted but meh). It really was very fortunate that Larkin and I were able to mesh our trip with our friends. We both feel very fortunate for the awesome experience. Acadia National Park FTMFW!! :-)
Today turned out to be pretty uneventful. We opted to skip I-95 and instead head down Rt 1, thinking the coastal ride would be more fun. But the craziness of the small tourist towns was almost more than we could handle. Took FOREVER to get anywhere. We had our sights set on VT since we'd missed a BBQ place on the way to Maine due to the nasty weather. Made it to Keene, NH, about 30 minutes from the BBQ place we scoped out on Google Maps. These places are not as abundant as they are in the South, that's for sure!
So, as we're sitting at the gas station in Keene, looking up a place to stay, and I'm playing around on FB, I mention something about a few friends checking in near Indy for the Moto GP races. We kept talking about it, but Larkin has to work Saturday. But the Battalion Chief can approve leave. His crew is on today, so he attempted to call his Lt to discuss, but he's also on his Kelly day. SO... He'll call his Capt first thing tomorrow morning when they get in (6am). Then he can run it up the chain. It's a slim chance, but if it happens? Total epicness for this trip. So fingers crossed. :-) We've got it planned out, ready to rock and roll if it happens. I'll most def need that tire we're getting tomorrow though!! Can't. Freaking. Wait. Sooooo excited!! Stay tuned!! :-)
Day 5 - Cadillac Mountain
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...
That's what we were saying at points on our 3.5mi one way trek up Cadillac Mountain today. What an adventure!! Due to a few delays from, well, pretty much everyone at some point, we didn't leave the camp site until 11:00, which put us at the trailhead at 11:15. Kendra and Mica were guessing around 8 hours, since that's how long it took them last time. So, off we went, hoofing it up the mountain.
Bug was persistent at first to the the leader and would even run to stay in front. That was VERY short lived. But she walked on her own two legs with a bit of encouragement, and found some more energy with each rest break. Luckily for us, it wasn't cloudy and only a bit hazy, and we were pleasantly rewarded with beautiful sites once we got above the tree line. You could see most of Mount Desert Island and the surrounding islands. Tons and tons of pictures. :-)
But it was a long, arduous hike. Especially for Bear, the Bodenheimer's black lab/stafford shore terrier mix. He had been worn out the day before, and while he started okay, near the end he got to the point where he wanted to lay down under ever scrub brush. So we gave him water, some breaks, and some encouragement to get him to the top and he made it. We stopped just short of the touristy part (were all the drivers were flocking for the vistas, which actually turned out to be the peak. It's just covered with some taller brush so you can't see as much. We ate lunch there so we could avoid the madness at the other location. Then we wandered down to the gift shop to refill our water and browse around. Larkin got a pair of socks, as his were too short and he was starting to get a hot spot. He also got a bottle opener in the shape of a moose. Too bad we didn't get to see one.
The vista point, although packed with people, was absolutely beautiful and afforded us some really beautiful pictures. :-)
One thing I forgot to mention days ago is that I need a new rear. Larkin was convinced that the current rear tire would hold up, but alas is has not. He sent an email to a friend, and got a phone call while on the top of the mountain. He had a take-off he could slap on for me! So we'll be running through North Philly on our way home. Yippee!! Also, since he's a BMW mechanic, maybe he'll be able to provide some insight into the wonky low beam issue.
The hike down the mountain was much easier, even though it took about the same amount of time. We kept stopping to pick blueberries!! They're so small and had been picked over pretty good already, so it takes a lot of time to get a significant amount. But we got enough for pancakes that the Bodenheimers will enjoy in a few days.
We arrived back to the trailhead in 6.5 hours, so it was a good improvement from their last hike. We headed back to the campsite so we could shower and change and go into Bar Harbor for some laundry and dinner. Larkin and I needed fresh clothes for riding! We ended up at an AMAZING pizza place. I wanted salami, Larkin wanted a white sauce and also hawaiian, so we opted for a white pizza with salami and pineapple which was actually quite amazing. Very tasty and quite the treat after such a hike.
We got back to the campsite around 11:00 and opted for NOT doing Cadillac Mountain at sunrise, because we needed some sleep to get back on the road. Next time. :-) We'll see what tomorrow holds. We have three days to get back home. Who knows where we'll go. It's sure to be an adventure though!!
That's what we were saying at points on our 3.5mi one way trek up Cadillac Mountain today. What an adventure!! Due to a few delays from, well, pretty much everyone at some point, we didn't leave the camp site until 11:00, which put us at the trailhead at 11:15. Kendra and Mica were guessing around 8 hours, since that's how long it took them last time. So, off we went, hoofing it up the mountain.
Bug was persistent at first to the the leader and would even run to stay in front. That was VERY short lived. But she walked on her own two legs with a bit of encouragement, and found some more energy with each rest break. Luckily for us, it wasn't cloudy and only a bit hazy, and we were pleasantly rewarded with beautiful sites once we got above the tree line. You could see most of Mount Desert Island and the surrounding islands. Tons and tons of pictures. :-)
But it was a long, arduous hike. Especially for Bear, the Bodenheimer's black lab/stafford shore terrier mix. He had been worn out the day before, and while he started okay, near the end he got to the point where he wanted to lay down under ever scrub brush. So we gave him water, some breaks, and some encouragement to get him to the top and he made it. We stopped just short of the touristy part (were all the drivers were flocking for the vistas, which actually turned out to be the peak. It's just covered with some taller brush so you can't see as much. We ate lunch there so we could avoid the madness at the other location. Then we wandered down to the gift shop to refill our water and browse around. Larkin got a pair of socks, as his were too short and he was starting to get a hot spot. He also got a bottle opener in the shape of a moose. Too bad we didn't get to see one.
The vista point, although packed with people, was absolutely beautiful and afforded us some really beautiful pictures. :-)
One thing I forgot to mention days ago is that I need a new rear. Larkin was convinced that the current rear tire would hold up, but alas is has not. He sent an email to a friend, and got a phone call while on the top of the mountain. He had a take-off he could slap on for me! So we'll be running through North Philly on our way home. Yippee!! Also, since he's a BMW mechanic, maybe he'll be able to provide some insight into the wonky low beam issue.
The hike down the mountain was much easier, even though it took about the same amount of time. We kept stopping to pick blueberries!! They're so small and had been picked over pretty good already, so it takes a lot of time to get a significant amount. But we got enough for pancakes that the Bodenheimers will enjoy in a few days.
We arrived back to the trailhead in 6.5 hours, so it was a good improvement from their last hike. We headed back to the campsite so we could shower and change and go into Bar Harbor for some laundry and dinner. Larkin and I needed fresh clothes for riding! We ended up at an AMAZING pizza place. I wanted salami, Larkin wanted a white sauce and also hawaiian, so we opted for a white pizza with salami and pineapple which was actually quite amazing. Very tasty and quite the treat after such a hike.
We got back to the campsite around 11:00 and opted for NOT doing Cadillac Mountain at sunrise, because we needed some sleep to get back on the road. Next time. :-) We'll see what tomorrow holds. We have three days to get back home. Who knows where we'll go. It's sure to be an adventure though!!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Day 4 - Acadia with the Bodenheimers
What an adventure!! Beautiful and wonderful National Park!
After a bit of wrangling with the chillin's, we all got up and moving and headed to Sand Beach to meet up with Kendra's parents. That was going to be our starting point for some hiking. It was a but doggy in the morning, and we were hoping it'd burn off so we could see some sights. Plus, Larkin is convinced the entire NE is like this since it's all we've seen on our trip.
So, we head out on the road to get to the trailhead. The side of the road is marked with tall orange cones in order to prevent people from parking on the side in high traffic areas. The shortest member of our group did not see the cones that are as tall as she is and she ran smack dab into one and went flying. We probably shouldn't have laughed, but we did. I have a feeling it's gonna be something she'll hear about years from now. She DID use the tears to get Larkin to carry her up the first section of the trail, which was probably for the best since it was mostly rocks half her size anyways.
So we made our way to the top of Gorham Mountain. Along the way we picked wild mountain blueberries. Delicious!! But boy are they a lot of work! They were pretty picked over already, but there was still plenty to pick if you looked for them. Soooo tasty!!
The peak of Gorham Mountain is 525 feet, so a but less than Mt. Washington yesterday. Unfortunately we were still in the cloud/fog, so we couldn't see off the summit. So we ate our tasty sandwiches and enjoyed the sounds. You can hear the waves crashing on the beach below, and also the screams of children as they run and play in the 50 degree water.
On the way up we saw Beehive Mountain, which is a very steep ascent that is pretty challenging. Mica, the boys, and us really wanted to climb it, so the group split up. We backtracked down the trail to get to the Beehive Trailhead, while Kendra, the girls, and her parents opted for the Otter Cliffs trail. Beehive was a BLAST to climb, albeit a little nerve wracking if you're not a fan of heights. There still wasn't a lot to see when we got to the top because of the clouds/fog, and since there were so many people making the trek up, we opted to come down the mountain the other side. We saw the Bowl, which was beautiful and visibility was a lot better on that side of the mountain.
After hiking, we decided to head to the beach (the one on a lake so the water was a bit warmer). That was a nice refreshing dip! Then we headed over to the Jordan House for some popovers, an Acadia National Park institution. They were soooo tasty!! And it was right on the lake with some quite gorgeous views. :-)
After a fun-packed day, we made it back to our campsite for some tasty burgers and great company. What an awesomely amazing day. I'm so glad our vacations worked out. It's so much fun being up here hanging our with friends. What a blast! Can't wait for tomorrow!! :-)
After a bit of wrangling with the chillin's, we all got up and moving and headed to Sand Beach to meet up with Kendra's parents. That was going to be our starting point for some hiking. It was a but doggy in the morning, and we were hoping it'd burn off so we could see some sights. Plus, Larkin is convinced the entire NE is like this since it's all we've seen on our trip.
So, we head out on the road to get to the trailhead. The side of the road is marked with tall orange cones in order to prevent people from parking on the side in high traffic areas. The shortest member of our group did not see the cones that are as tall as she is and she ran smack dab into one and went flying. We probably shouldn't have laughed, but we did. I have a feeling it's gonna be something she'll hear about years from now. She DID use the tears to get Larkin to carry her up the first section of the trail, which was probably for the best since it was mostly rocks half her size anyways.
So we made our way to the top of Gorham Mountain. Along the way we picked wild mountain blueberries. Delicious!! But boy are they a lot of work! They were pretty picked over already, but there was still plenty to pick if you looked for them. Soooo tasty!!
The peak of Gorham Mountain is 525 feet, so a but less than Mt. Washington yesterday. Unfortunately we were still in the cloud/fog, so we couldn't see off the summit. So we ate our tasty sandwiches and enjoyed the sounds. You can hear the waves crashing on the beach below, and also the screams of children as they run and play in the 50 degree water.
On the way up we saw Beehive Mountain, which is a very steep ascent that is pretty challenging. Mica, the boys, and us really wanted to climb it, so the group split up. We backtracked down the trail to get to the Beehive Trailhead, while Kendra, the girls, and her parents opted for the Otter Cliffs trail. Beehive was a BLAST to climb, albeit a little nerve wracking if you're not a fan of heights. There still wasn't a lot to see when we got to the top because of the clouds/fog, and since there were so many people making the trek up, we opted to come down the mountain the other side. We saw the Bowl, which was beautiful and visibility was a lot better on that side of the mountain.
After hiking, we decided to head to the beach (the one on a lake so the water was a bit warmer). That was a nice refreshing dip! Then we headed over to the Jordan House for some popovers, an Acadia National Park institution. They were soooo tasty!! And it was right on the lake with some quite gorgeous views. :-)
After a fun-packed day, we made it back to our campsite for some tasty burgers and great company. What an awesomely amazing day. I'm so glad our vacations worked out. It's so much fun being up here hanging our with friends. What a blast! Can't wait for tomorrow!! :-)
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Day 3 - Mt. Washington to Acadia
What an exciting day today turned out to be! We woke up before the alarm (always a plus) and decided that pancakes sounded like a good idea. So after a quick review of Yelp, we found a highly rated place called Polly's Pancake Parlor and hit the road at 7:30. We arrived at about 8:00, and it was packed!! Our 20min wait wasn't too bad, and they fill the tables, so we had breakfast with a lovely couple visiting the area from Albany. Oh. My. Goodness!! Polly makes some mean pancakes! You chose the "base", whole wheat, oatmeal buttermilk, cornmeal (and two others I've forgotten) and then can add "add-ins". We had oatmeal buttermilk with walnuts and cornmeal with coconut. You get six three-inch pancakes in an order, and they bring them out three at a time so they stay warm. They also have maple sugar for the coffee, or you can just use the syrup like Larkin did. :) Simply amazing. :-) The couple we ate with hadn't been there in 15 years because the last time they visited their wait ended up being 5 hours! They were happy with their 10min wait this time. :) I'm surprised I haven't seen this joint on Triple D with as hopping' as it was. Perhaps I should write an email... :)
After breakfast, we got back on the road to head to Mt. Washington. Rick our innkeeper from the night before warned that it may be foggy and to not go up if we couldn't see the peak from the bottom, because there'd be nothing to see when we got to the top. Well, we could see the peak from Polly's so we figured it couldn't be too bad. The GPS took a shortcut that include 4mi of gravel road. Not too bad and it was a fun little ride. VERY pretty. :-)
Lucky for us, due to the clouds and haze, there was no line to climb the mountain. So we paid our $30 and headed up. It was okay at first, lots of trees and no downhill traffic, although the road was pretty narrow. It got sketchy when the road open up and you could see straight down the side I the mountain!! There is also a dirt section, and while it's scary to think about riding on dirt, up a mountain, on a motorcycle, it actually was packed pretty well, so it wasn't so bad. None the less, it was a pretty intense ride for two people who are generally less than thrilled when it comes to heights. But the view from the top? MORE than worth it! Amazing views 360. AND we had cell service. We had a race to see who could check us in to FB first. I think Verizon won. Apparently there's lots to see if it's not so hazy/cloudy, but we still had some great views. You can see all the routes at Wildcat Ski Resort, which appears so close. The views at the top were amazing, and the climb to the top was a feat I was definitely proud of. I'm so glad we lucked out with the weather to be able to climb it. The descent was a little sketchy at first (downhill on dirt?!) but after that it was pretty smooth sailing the rest of the way down (we were smelling some serious brakes of the cars ahead of us).
So we got off the mountain and set our sites for Acadia. We mostly just wanted to get there (but still take a fun route). We were so ready to get off the road for a few days. It'll be interesting to see how next year goes. We have some high mileage days planned.
We stopped for lunch in Bethel, ME, right inside the border. Neither ME or NH have helmet laws. It's so weird to see so many riders not wearing one. For lunch we had a lobster salad sandwich. A 12" sandwich we split was only $5! Eat it subway! It was very tasty! A check of the weather looked clear the rest of the way, so off we went.
We were clicking along, doing good, until about the last two hours. That's when the fog and mist rolled in. We pulled over, Larkin put his rain gear on, I just put my bootie covers on and didn't bother with my jacket. It wasn't really raining, it was just really annoying mist. We kept plugging along, it kept getting worse. We were feeling pretty defeated as we got close to Acadia. Headsets were dead so we couldn't talk anymore. GPS got us to camp at about 7:30 though, and the Bodenheimers were the smiling faces we needed!! They made us coffee and filled our bellies with some TASTY pea soup. Earlier in the day Kendra had sent me a text saying sorry for the rain and that Mica was making pea soup for dinner to warm us up. At that point in the day, we hadn't gotten wet, although I had told her about our escapades from the day before. In my mind we wouldn't need warming up when we got to camp, but pea soup sounded tasty. Well, I guess she knew something we didn't!! Thank goodness for smart friends! :-)
So we had coffee, soup, wine, and enjoyed some nice chatting around the campfire. Time to hit the rack. Our itinerary is set for tomorrow and we're going hiking. Can't wait!!
After breakfast, we got back on the road to head to Mt. Washington. Rick our innkeeper from the night before warned that it may be foggy and to not go up if we couldn't see the peak from the bottom, because there'd be nothing to see when we got to the top. Well, we could see the peak from Polly's so we figured it couldn't be too bad. The GPS took a shortcut that include 4mi of gravel road. Not too bad and it was a fun little ride. VERY pretty. :-)
Lucky for us, due to the clouds and haze, there was no line to climb the mountain. So we paid our $30 and headed up. It was okay at first, lots of trees and no downhill traffic, although the road was pretty narrow. It got sketchy when the road open up and you could see straight down the side I the mountain!! There is also a dirt section, and while it's scary to think about riding on dirt, up a mountain, on a motorcycle, it actually was packed pretty well, so it wasn't so bad. None the less, it was a pretty intense ride for two people who are generally less than thrilled when it comes to heights. But the view from the top? MORE than worth it! Amazing views 360. AND we had cell service. We had a race to see who could check us in to FB first. I think Verizon won. Apparently there's lots to see if it's not so hazy/cloudy, but we still had some great views. You can see all the routes at Wildcat Ski Resort, which appears so close. The views at the top were amazing, and the climb to the top was a feat I was definitely proud of. I'm so glad we lucked out with the weather to be able to climb it. The descent was a little sketchy at first (downhill on dirt?!) but after that it was pretty smooth sailing the rest of the way down (we were smelling some serious brakes of the cars ahead of us).
So we got off the mountain and set our sites for Acadia. We mostly just wanted to get there (but still take a fun route). We were so ready to get off the road for a few days. It'll be interesting to see how next year goes. We have some high mileage days planned.
We stopped for lunch in Bethel, ME, right inside the border. Neither ME or NH have helmet laws. It's so weird to see so many riders not wearing one. For lunch we had a lobster salad sandwich. A 12" sandwich we split was only $5! Eat it subway! It was very tasty! A check of the weather looked clear the rest of the way, so off we went.
We were clicking along, doing good, until about the last two hours. That's when the fog and mist rolled in. We pulled over, Larkin put his rain gear on, I just put my bootie covers on and didn't bother with my jacket. It wasn't really raining, it was just really annoying mist. We kept plugging along, it kept getting worse. We were feeling pretty defeated as we got close to Acadia. Headsets were dead so we couldn't talk anymore. GPS got us to camp at about 7:30 though, and the Bodenheimers were the smiling faces we needed!! They made us coffee and filled our bellies with some TASTY pea soup. Earlier in the day Kendra had sent me a text saying sorry for the rain and that Mica was making pea soup for dinner to warm us up. At that point in the day, we hadn't gotten wet, although I had told her about our escapades from the day before. In my mind we wouldn't need warming up when we got to camp, but pea soup sounded tasty. Well, I guess she knew something we didn't!! Thank goodness for smart friends! :-)
So we had coffee, soup, wine, and enjoyed some nice chatting around the campfire. Time to hit the rack. Our itinerary is set for tomorrow and we're going hiking. Can't wait!!
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Day 2 - Adirondacks, Can-Ams, Mt. Whiteface, Lake Champlain, Vermont
So... Day 2... Well, where to start...
After getting up, grabbing some continental breakfast, and packing up the bikes, we hit the road at 9:30, headed to Advanced Auto to see if we could rectify the headlight situation. So a new bulb was purchased and installation commenced, although it was a somewhat painful process. But the light was in, working and we were in business, so away we went!
We set our sites on Lake Tupper in the Adirondacks. After getting stuck behind some slow moving traffic, Larkin found a fun detour on the GPS to get away from the crowds. A few miles in, he noticed that my headlight was out again. Ugh! Not wanting to waste anymore time fiddling with it, we kept on keeping on and I just switched the high beams on. We had lots of ground to cover and a hotel reservation in NH we needed to make.
Which would have been fine, had our lunch stop not taken an hour and a half. But that's a whole separate issue. Let's just say the deli was not exactly fast...
Rt 30 through the Adirondacks, on a Saturday, proved to be a VERY busy road, but we were able to pass traffic for the most part to keep things fun. BEAUTIFUL scenery and a pretty well paved road. But the further in we went, the more Can-Ams we saw. To the point where we were seeing more of them than their two-wheeled brethren. Larkin was going nuts (not a fan of the three-wheeled machines). But when we got to just below Mt. Whiteface, we figured out why we were seeing so many. They were having a rally! Ahh! So it's NOT that everyone in NY drives these things! :-)
We opted (after my insisting) to go up Mt. Whiteface even though we were a bit short on time from the lunch stop. It was an INCREDIBLY bumpy ride, and we both probably need new steering head bearings after that trek. But the road takes you almost to the top, and it's a short elevator ride after that for some gorgeous 360 views (on a clear day). We were in the clouds, which was cool too, until we realized these clouds might turn angry, so we skidaddled down after getting some VERY helpful driving directions from a staff member.
At this point, rain was imminent. After getting partway off the mountain, it started to spit so we pulled over so I could put my saddlebag covers on and don rain gear. And the headsets had to come off. I hate riding for so long without being able to talk to each other. Oh well, put in the music and rock out to take my mind off the wet.
We took a short and quick ferry ride across Lake Champlain instead of trekking around it (a tip from the friendly Mt. Whiteface staff member). After arriving in Vermont, the rain came, and just kept coming and getting harder. It was coming down fierce, but I was staying mostly dry. Larkin - not so much. He hadn't put the liner in his jacket. So we pulled off in Burlington, fueled up, and layered. And headed back out into even worse weather, but radar was showing we'd be out of it shortly. And we were. We had dry pavement for the last 80mi to our destination, which was needed as we were already pushing 7:00 and didn't know if we'd make it before sundown (remember headlight issue?).
But we did, and our hosts are wonderful. Offered to help with anything to get our suits dry for tomorrow. They both ride and totally understand what we were going though. Ahhhhh, nice to be bedded down for the evening. Tomorrow we attack Mt. Washington!! Which our friends from last night said is a very scary trek on a motorcycle. We shall see!! :-)
After getting up, grabbing some continental breakfast, and packing up the bikes, we hit the road at 9:30, headed to Advanced Auto to see if we could rectify the headlight situation. So a new bulb was purchased and installation commenced, although it was a somewhat painful process. But the light was in, working and we were in business, so away we went!
We set our sites on Lake Tupper in the Adirondacks. After getting stuck behind some slow moving traffic, Larkin found a fun detour on the GPS to get away from the crowds. A few miles in, he noticed that my headlight was out again. Ugh! Not wanting to waste anymore time fiddling with it, we kept on keeping on and I just switched the high beams on. We had lots of ground to cover and a hotel reservation in NH we needed to make.
Which would have been fine, had our lunch stop not taken an hour and a half. But that's a whole separate issue. Let's just say the deli was not exactly fast...
Rt 30 through the Adirondacks, on a Saturday, proved to be a VERY busy road, but we were able to pass traffic for the most part to keep things fun. BEAUTIFUL scenery and a pretty well paved road. But the further in we went, the more Can-Ams we saw. To the point where we were seeing more of them than their two-wheeled brethren. Larkin was going nuts (not a fan of the three-wheeled machines). But when we got to just below Mt. Whiteface, we figured out why we were seeing so many. They were having a rally! Ahh! So it's NOT that everyone in NY drives these things! :-)
We opted (after my insisting) to go up Mt. Whiteface even though we were a bit short on time from the lunch stop. It was an INCREDIBLY bumpy ride, and we both probably need new steering head bearings after that trek. But the road takes you almost to the top, and it's a short elevator ride after that for some gorgeous 360 views (on a clear day). We were in the clouds, which was cool too, until we realized these clouds might turn angry, so we skidaddled down after getting some VERY helpful driving directions from a staff member.
At this point, rain was imminent. After getting partway off the mountain, it started to spit so we pulled over so I could put my saddlebag covers on and don rain gear. And the headsets had to come off. I hate riding for so long without being able to talk to each other. Oh well, put in the music and rock out to take my mind off the wet.
We took a short and quick ferry ride across Lake Champlain instead of trekking around it (a tip from the friendly Mt. Whiteface staff member). After arriving in Vermont, the rain came, and just kept coming and getting harder. It was coming down fierce, but I was staying mostly dry. Larkin - not so much. He hadn't put the liner in his jacket. So we pulled off in Burlington, fueled up, and layered. And headed back out into even worse weather, but radar was showing we'd be out of it shortly. And we were. We had dry pavement for the last 80mi to our destination, which was needed as we were already pushing 7:00 and didn't know if we'd make it before sundown (remember headlight issue?).
But we did, and our hosts are wonderful. Offered to help with anything to get our suits dry for tomorrow. They both ride and totally understand what we were going though. Ahhhhh, nice to be bedded down for the evening. Tomorrow we attack Mt. Washington!! Which our friends from last night said is a very scary trek on a motorcycle. We shall see!! :-)
Day 1 - Home to Oriskany, NY
Larkin and I met up at 9am at a Starbucks in Woodbridge to enjoy a caffeinated beverage before heading out. He'd gotten just a few hours the night before due to multiple calls after midnight at work, and opted to leave later so he could log a solid nap after he got off.
Left town at about 10am with our sights set on a BBQ place on the border of Maryland and PA. That turned out to be mostly incident free, except that my fuel gauge decided to act up and was saying I wasn't completely full (and only had 118mi left when my range is well over 200). This has to be relate to the "running out of gas" incident from a few weeks ago when it indicated there were 30 mi left on the tank. It somehow reset itself (weird Beemers) and away we went. It would continue to act up the rest of the day. We had lunch at Chubby's in MD, to make it our first stop on our Smoke Chasing Grand Tour (we need to take a pic with a BBQ or Smoke place in each state).
The next issue would be heavy traffic in the middle of PA on 81 (we were just trying to get there, hence the slab). Immediately after passing an exit, traffic came to a halt that would last and last. It was 6 miles until the next exit, and while we were tempted to take the shoulder to avoid burning our clutches, these were angry drivers too, and we didn't want a PA ticket. So we sat. And sat. And move 50ft and sat. By the time we got off the interstate (Larkin was on one bar of eight on his fuel indicator) the two lanes were merging into one and it appeared to move just past the exit. So we fueled up, and jumped back on in now productive traffic.
This whole time we're seeing peaks of blue sky and incredibly angry black clouds. But the worst we get is some really wet roads in places (road spray). So we got pretty darn lucky in that regard.
The final bullet was my low beam headlight going out about 2 hours from our destination for the evening. which meant I had to ride with my high beam behind Larkin. We made to the hotel by 8:30, so it was dark, but mostly just waning light. We'll have to snoop out a headlight tomorrow.
At our final destination (a once happening Days Inn in Oriskany, NY) we met a couple on the final days of an eight day adventure on a R1200RT. We talked for hours over beer and food and they gave us some great tips for our travels through the rest of New England (like Vermont doesn't maintain their roads...). Tomorrow will be the Adirondacks, and then settle down near Mt Washington which will be our Sunday adventure. Can't wait! Goodnight!! :)
Left town at about 10am with our sights set on a BBQ place on the border of Maryland and PA. That turned out to be mostly incident free, except that my fuel gauge decided to act up and was saying I wasn't completely full (and only had 118mi left when my range is well over 200). This has to be relate to the "running out of gas" incident from a few weeks ago when it indicated there were 30 mi left on the tank. It somehow reset itself (weird Beemers) and away we went. It would continue to act up the rest of the day. We had lunch at Chubby's in MD, to make it our first stop on our Smoke Chasing Grand Tour (we need to take a pic with a BBQ or Smoke place in each state).
The next issue would be heavy traffic in the middle of PA on 81 (we were just trying to get there, hence the slab). Immediately after passing an exit, traffic came to a halt that would last and last. It was 6 miles until the next exit, and while we were tempted to take the shoulder to avoid burning our clutches, these were angry drivers too, and we didn't want a PA ticket. So we sat. And sat. And move 50ft and sat. By the time we got off the interstate (Larkin was on one bar of eight on his fuel indicator) the two lanes were merging into one and it appeared to move just past the exit. So we fueled up, and jumped back on in now productive traffic.
This whole time we're seeing peaks of blue sky and incredibly angry black clouds. But the worst we get is some really wet roads in places (road spray). So we got pretty darn lucky in that regard.
The final bullet was my low beam headlight going out about 2 hours from our destination for the evening. which meant I had to ride with my high beam behind Larkin. We made to the hotel by 8:30, so it was dark, but mostly just waning light. We'll have to snoop out a headlight tomorrow.
At our final destination (a once happening Days Inn in Oriskany, NY) we met a couple on the final days of an eight day adventure on a R1200RT. We talked for hours over beer and food and they gave us some great tips for our travels through the rest of New England (like Vermont doesn't maintain their roads...). Tomorrow will be the Adirondacks, and then settle down near Mt Washington which will be our Sunday adventure. Can't wait! Goodnight!! :)
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