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Awesome! Wven tho my ride is put up, j still rhink about riding every day. Hope to see u on the road someday! Thanks for posting this.
Why I Ride (or Why We Ride)
- Thread starter jfheilman
- Start date
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jfheilman
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The next ride I did was in May, 2006. I don't have the exact dates but I am pretty sure I have a record that shows the route I took.
Back in that time frame, I was working at the V. C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville, SC. My job (title) was Supervisor, Corrective Action Program (CAP for short).
The intent of the CAP program (and all US nuclear power plants had a CAP program) was to keep track of "events" at the station. Things like missed surveillance actives, failed components, personal errors, were all logged into the "CAP" data base.
The information in that data base was reviewed but the CAP group (and others groups also) to look for trends or issues that needed appropriate Corrective Actions.
Also, INPO (The Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, is an organization established in 1979 by the U.S. nuclear power industry in response to recommendations by the Kemeny Commission Report, following the investigation of the Three Mile Island accident) would routinely visit US nuclear plants to check on their programs.
Prior to these visits by INPO, the Nuclear Plant would generally do its own "investigation" into how well the plant was following their own rules. As part of this "Self Evaluation", these plants also asked for assistance from other commercial nuclear plants.
That was why I was headed out to Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Plant located near Port Gibson, Mississippi. I was "selected" to help the station prepare for an up coming visit from INPO.
I don't have a lot of information about the ride. the only thing that I have is a map from Microsoft Streets and Trips that I believes shows me the route I was to travel.
Now since this was a solo ride, I mostly just rode. The trip was about 1,730 miles. I believe I took three days to get to Grand Gulf and four days to get back home. Spent two days at Grand Gulf, leaving on the morning of the third day there.
This is the route I believe I traveled.
Sometime, just before I made this trip I believe, I got a new GPS. It was a Garmin Street Pilot 2820. I could now generate my routes (as shown above) and have the routes downloaded to the GPS as GPX files.
I could then break up the trip to individual days. Which is what I do today.
Also, the 2820 GPS allowed me to add XM Radio to my trips. However, that was not the first thing I did. The 2820 supported playing MP3 music. However, I found that whatever I was doing to get the music converted was not working. So, I got a subscription to XM Radio. I still have that subscription.
The XM radio channel I listened to also had a period (at noon I think) where they played an audio book. That go me hooked on Audio Books from Audible. Over the next 20 years or so, I purchased over 200 books that I listened to as I rode (instead of music). I enjoyed the books a lot. And I still have the books.
But today, with my new Garmin GPS on the Goldwing, I am back to listening to Music via, MP3 music played through the Wing's audio system.
This is information about Grand Gold Nuclear if you are interested.
Grand Gulf Nuclear
Back in that time frame, I was working at the V. C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville, SC. My job (title) was Supervisor, Corrective Action Program (CAP for short).
The intent of the CAP program (and all US nuclear power plants had a CAP program) was to keep track of "events" at the station. Things like missed surveillance actives, failed components, personal errors, were all logged into the "CAP" data base.
The information in that data base was reviewed but the CAP group (and others groups also) to look for trends or issues that needed appropriate Corrective Actions.
Also, INPO (The Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, is an organization established in 1979 by the U.S. nuclear power industry in response to recommendations by the Kemeny Commission Report, following the investigation of the Three Mile Island accident) would routinely visit US nuclear plants to check on their programs.
Prior to these visits by INPO, the Nuclear Plant would generally do its own "investigation" into how well the plant was following their own rules. As part of this "Self Evaluation", these plants also asked for assistance from other commercial nuclear plants.
That was why I was headed out to Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Plant located near Port Gibson, Mississippi. I was "selected" to help the station prepare for an up coming visit from INPO.
I don't have a lot of information about the ride. the only thing that I have is a map from Microsoft Streets and Trips that I believes shows me the route I was to travel.
Now since this was a solo ride, I mostly just rode. The trip was about 1,730 miles. I believe I took three days to get to Grand Gulf and four days to get back home. Spent two days at Grand Gulf, leaving on the morning of the third day there.
This is the route I believe I traveled.
Sometime, just before I made this trip I believe, I got a new GPS. It was a Garmin Street Pilot 2820. I could now generate my routes (as shown above) and have the routes downloaded to the GPS as GPX files.
I could then break up the trip to individual days. Which is what I do today.
Also, the 2820 GPS allowed me to add XM Radio to my trips. However, that was not the first thing I did. The 2820 supported playing MP3 music. However, I found that whatever I was doing to get the music converted was not working. So, I got a subscription to XM Radio. I still have that subscription.
The XM radio channel I listened to also had a period (at noon I think) where they played an audio book. That go me hooked on Audio Books from Audible. Over the next 20 years or so, I purchased over 200 books that I listened to as I rode (instead of music). I enjoyed the books a lot. And I still have the books.
But today, with my new Garmin GPS on the Goldwing, I am back to listening to Music via, MP3 music played through the Wing's audio system.
This is information about Grand Gold Nuclear if you are interested.
Grand Gulf Nuclear
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jfheilman
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The last trip I made in 2006 was "epic". At least in my mind.
It was a trip to Oklahoma to ride the Talimena Trail. This trip was sort of inspired by a song that was written and sung by Toby Keith
The the song, Honkytonk U, mentioned that his Grandmother owned a Night Club on the Arkansas-Oklahoma line.
In the summer his mother would put Toby on a bus to go visit his grandmother’s bar in Oklahoma where he would “make a hand” stacking up empty long necks.
At night, his grandmother would let him sneak out of the kitchen and sit with the band.
That was supposedly the start of his career in singing.
So, I thought it would be nice to visit the Arkansas-Oklahoma line and find the Night Club. Well, while I was looking for the possible location of the Night Club mentioned in the song, I found the Talimena Trail in Oklahoma and figured I would make that the destination and if we found the bar on the way, "so be it".
Also, a stop in Memphis TN was planned. We were going to have dinner at Rendezvous Ribs located just off Beale ST. in Memphis.
The trip was about 1,900 miles. We took, I believe eight days (8) to make the trip.
I don't have the original routing file but, based on the pictures and what I remember of the trip, the map below should be a good approximation of our trip.
So here is the map of the route we took.
We did an overnight stop in Tupelo. I wanted to visit Elvis Presley's boyhood home again and this time get some pictures.
So, here are some pictures.
First a picture of the riders for this in the Elvis Family home front porch swing.
And a picture of the sign documenting the home
There is also a "Chapel" on the grounds.
And a car (not sure of make or model) that belonged to the Presley family.
It was hot the days we did this ride. We stopped for lunch at a gas station and used the shade there.
Oh, by the way, the riders on this trip became the gentlemen I rode with almost exclusively for the next five or so years. Henry is in the front, Billie, is laying down, and Leo is in the back of the picture.
Now, as life would have it we found an interesting spot on the way to ride the Talimena Scenic Drive or Byway. As we were traveling down US 270, looking for a spot for lunch, we found the Rich Mountain, Country Store and RV Park.
A surprise for sure. We parked the bikes in the parking lot and stepped inside.
We found a nice place to sit and eat
And an nice selection of eats.
And a lady ready to take our orders
Oh, the restrooms were out back.
As we were getting our stuff on(helmets and gloves and earpieces) the owner stepped outside to talk with us. A picture of the owner taking with Leo.
The owner's wife also came oustide to chat with us. In the picture below a friend of her's joins us. She just arrived in a pickup truck as we were outside talking.
Now I was born and raised in the south so ladies walking barefoot did not usually seem "different" but, I must say it was a little "striking". She walked barefoot from her pickup truck over an asphalt parking area in August, in Arkansas in the sun.
Now, while we were there the gentlemen began to tell stories and they are not really stories but a "demonstration" of what he could do.
Oh, you must know that I had a small digital camera. The camera (as many were back in those days) was able to take still shots (the ones you have seen here) and movies. All you had to do was to make the selection. It was easy to do. So, as the gentleman began to tell his stories, I switched the camera to video mode.
I have not put the videos on YouTube bu I do have them stored in Dropbox. So I have included those links below.
The Art of the Nickel
The Art of the Propeller
As we left the Rich Mountain Country Store we were all smiles. It was nice and sort of unique to be treated as close friends by strangers
Next, we made it to the Talimena Scenic Drive. The views were exceptional.
A view of the Talimena Scenic Drive
The riders at an overlook
Distant view of the rest of the Talimena Scenic Drive
A view from the Overlook
Henry, Billie, and Leo standing on the overlook with Billie's new Goldwing in the forefront
We truly enjoyed riding the Talimena Scenic Byway. It was a real treat to see something that we knew nothing about a few days before.
But, it was time to head for home. So we headed back East toward Memphis.
However, as we were traveling through Arkansas we found this spot. Many of us had heard of the name but alway thought it was sort of a joke. Not so.
We made it to Memphis without incident and went to Elvis Presley's home. We were not really aware of the wall and the signatures.
Here is a picture of his home from the wall.
Us in front of the wall.
And we signed the wall.
Oh, and I found out that Elvis really liked Valkyries
And our last meal together before the trip was over.
We had no real issues on this trip;. It was hot. It was the only time I can remember that, when we got to the motel one afternoon after the day's trip, that we all put on swimming trunks and jumped in the pool. And you might ask, why did we bring along swimming trunks? I can't give you a reasonable answer. We just did.
A great ride. A great experience. Great fiends and we will have many more rides in the coming years.
Next, 2007, and my new ride for touring for the next eight (8) years.
It was a trip to Oklahoma to ride the Talimena Trail. This trip was sort of inspired by a song that was written and sung by Toby Keith
The the song, Honkytonk U, mentioned that his Grandmother owned a Night Club on the Arkansas-Oklahoma line.
In the summer his mother would put Toby on a bus to go visit his grandmother’s bar in Oklahoma where he would “make a hand” stacking up empty long necks.
At night, his grandmother would let him sneak out of the kitchen and sit with the band.
That was supposedly the start of his career in singing.
So, I thought it would be nice to visit the Arkansas-Oklahoma line and find the Night Club. Well, while I was looking for the possible location of the Night Club mentioned in the song, I found the Talimena Trail in Oklahoma and figured I would make that the destination and if we found the bar on the way, "so be it".
Also, a stop in Memphis TN was planned. We were going to have dinner at Rendezvous Ribs located just off Beale ST. in Memphis.
The trip was about 1,900 miles. We took, I believe eight days (8) to make the trip.
I don't have the original routing file but, based on the pictures and what I remember of the trip, the map below should be a good approximation of our trip.
So here is the map of the route we took.
We did an overnight stop in Tupelo. I wanted to visit Elvis Presley's boyhood home again and this time get some pictures.
So, here are some pictures.
First a picture of the riders for this in the Elvis Family home front porch swing.
And a picture of the sign documenting the home
There is also a "Chapel" on the grounds.
And a car (not sure of make or model) that belonged to the Presley family.
It was hot the days we did this ride. We stopped for lunch at a gas station and used the shade there.
Oh, by the way, the riders on this trip became the gentlemen I rode with almost exclusively for the next five or so years. Henry is in the front, Billie, is laying down, and Leo is in the back of the picture.
Now, as life would have it we found an interesting spot on the way to ride the Talimena Scenic Drive or Byway. As we were traveling down US 270, looking for a spot for lunch, we found the Rich Mountain, Country Store and RV Park.
A surprise for sure. We parked the bikes in the parking lot and stepped inside.
We found a nice place to sit and eat
And an nice selection of eats.
And a lady ready to take our orders
Oh, the restrooms were out back.
As we were getting our stuff on(helmets and gloves and earpieces) the owner stepped outside to talk with us. A picture of the owner taking with Leo.
The owner's wife also came oustide to chat with us. In the picture below a friend of her's joins us. She just arrived in a pickup truck as we were outside talking.
Now I was born and raised in the south so ladies walking barefoot did not usually seem "different" but, I must say it was a little "striking". She walked barefoot from her pickup truck over an asphalt parking area in August, in Arkansas in the sun.
Now, while we were there the gentlemen began to tell stories and they are not really stories but a "demonstration" of what he could do.
Oh, you must know that I had a small digital camera. The camera (as many were back in those days) was able to take still shots (the ones you have seen here) and movies. All you had to do was to make the selection. It was easy to do. So, as the gentleman began to tell his stories, I switched the camera to video mode.
I have not put the videos on YouTube bu I do have them stored in Dropbox. So I have included those links below.
The Art of the Nickel
The Art of the Propeller
As we left the Rich Mountain Country Store we were all smiles. It was nice and sort of unique to be treated as close friends by strangers
Next, we made it to the Talimena Scenic Drive. The views were exceptional.
A view of the Talimena Scenic Drive
The riders at an overlook
Distant view of the rest of the Talimena Scenic Drive
A view from the Overlook
Henry, Billie, and Leo standing on the overlook with Billie's new Goldwing in the forefront
We truly enjoyed riding the Talimena Scenic Byway. It was a real treat to see something that we knew nothing about a few days before.
But, it was time to head for home. So we headed back East toward Memphis.
However, as we were traveling through Arkansas we found this spot. Many of us had heard of the name but alway thought it was sort of a joke. Not so.
We made it to Memphis without incident and went to Elvis Presley's home. We were not really aware of the wall and the signatures.
Here is a picture of his home from the wall.
Us in front of the wall.
And we signed the wall.
Oh, and I found out that Elvis really liked Valkyries
And our last meal together before the trip was over.
We had no real issues on this trip;. It was hot. It was the only time I can remember that, when we got to the motel one afternoon after the day's trip, that we all put on swimming trunks and jumped in the pool. And you might ask, why did we bring along swimming trunks? I can't give you a reasonable answer. We just did.
A great ride. A great experience. Great fiends and we will have many more rides in the coming years.
Next, 2007, and my new ride for touring for the next eight (8) years.
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jfheilman
Site Supporter
The Year - 2007
Our group made several trips this year. The first trip was to Key West, Florida in March. This time we followed a different route. We went down the West side of Florida and came back up around Lake Okeechobee. Then taking the Florida Turnpike North.
Total miles traveled were around 1,800 round trip.
I don't have a lot of pictures from this trip. Don't really know why but....
Again, I don't have the original route so the image below is my best guess of the route we took down and back. Again, the number of days is also a guess. I think we routinely stopped somewhere near Miami on the second day and then spent the third day riding the keys. Coming back up, we stopped for lunch at Cafe 27 and then continued North. We probably stopped for the night somewhere south of Jacksonville, Fl. Then continued home.
Here is route I believe we took.
Here are some pictures from the ride
Out stop at Alabama Jacks
Seven riders this trip.
The view of Florida Bay from Alabama Jacks
The "Band Stand" at Alabama Jacks. I have been there, later in my travels, when a band was playing. Not bad.
Lunch somewhere in Key West. I am the gentlemen on the right. And I still have that T-shirt and hat.
On the trip back North, we stopped, again, at Cafe 27.
Now issues on this trip. We all enjoyed the journey and might just do it again.
Our group made several trips this year. The first trip was to Key West, Florida in March. This time we followed a different route. We went down the West side of Florida and came back up around Lake Okeechobee. Then taking the Florida Turnpike North.
Total miles traveled were around 1,800 round trip.
I don't have a lot of pictures from this trip. Don't really know why but....
Again, I don't have the original route so the image below is my best guess of the route we took down and back. Again, the number of days is also a guess. I think we routinely stopped somewhere near Miami on the second day and then spent the third day riding the keys. Coming back up, we stopped for lunch at Cafe 27 and then continued North. We probably stopped for the night somewhere south of Jacksonville, Fl. Then continued home.
Here is route I believe we took.
Here are some pictures from the ride
Out stop at Alabama Jacks
Seven riders this trip.
The view of Florida Bay from Alabama Jacks
The "Band Stand" at Alabama Jacks. I have been there, later in my travels, when a band was playing. Not bad.
Lunch somewhere in Key West. I am the gentlemen on the right. And I still have that T-shirt and hat.
On the trip back North, we stopped, again, at Cafe 27.
Now issues on this trip. We all enjoyed the journey and might just do it again.
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great pics
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jfheilman
Site Supporter
My second ride in 2007 was in May.
The plan was to to complete a ride down the Natchez Trace, from beginning just south of Nashville, TN to end, near Natchez, MS. While I had ridden parts of the Natchez Trace before, I wanted to see the entire Trace. I also wanted to visit Natchez Under The Hill.
Why?
Natchez Under the Hill was mentioned in a John Wayne Movie. I believe it is The Comancheros.
For some reason, I cannot locate any pictures or videos I took during the ride. They are probably on an old disk drive somewhere.
If I find the documentation and photos, I will post them.
The plan was to to complete a ride down the Natchez Trace, from beginning just south of Nashville, TN to end, near Natchez, MS. While I had ridden parts of the Natchez Trace before, I wanted to see the entire Trace. I also wanted to visit Natchez Under The Hill.
Why?
Natchez Under the Hill was mentioned in a John Wayne Movie. I believe it is The Comancheros.
For some reason, I cannot locate any pictures or videos I took during the ride. They are probably on an old disk drive somewhere.
If I find the documentation and photos, I will post them.
Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
I did that ride as well. We rode the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway to The Great Smokey Mountain Parkway to the Cherahola Skyway to the Natchez Trace Parkway. Once we got to the end of the Trace we headed down to Louisiana and rode as far as we could go South and then around the Louisiana part of the Gulf. Then we turned around and headed back the same way. It was an excellent ride because we were on scenic congestion free parkways for most of the trip. Good memories.
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jfheilman
Site Supporter
The third ride in 2007 was a trip to Maine and Canada, In August, 2007. Part 1
This was a different trip for us. Not all of us had been to Canada. So, that was a special part. And we were going to see parts of the Great Lakes. And we were going to see Bangor, Maine.
There is a whole list of things we wanted to see. But I planned the trip to also be fun. The trip was to take us about ten (10) days. Total miles traveled would be around 2,900.
As noted above, the intent of trip was to see the sights and experience the places along the way. And to say we visited Canada. We planned to travel up the Blue Ridge Parkway, as part of the trip. We were also going to stop in Bangor Maine and travel down the Outer Banks.
Here is the trip, Part 1
Our trip began (as would others in the future) at Waffle House.
On our way to the Blue Ridge Parkway, we stopped in Mount Airy, NC (AKA Mayberry)
And then we traveled the Blue Ridge Parkway to Staunton, VA
We spent the night in Staunton, VA. When we were getting ready for the next days ride to Horse Heads, NY, jointed this "Big Rig" parked behind us.
It appears that Kenny Koretsky was spending the night at the same hotel (or his team was).
We headed out to ride some of the very nice roads in VA as we headed north to Horse Heads, NY
And then back on the "major" roadways north to our destination.
Not many pictures of the rest of the trip to Horse Heads. One funny thing though was the motel we were staying at (forget the actually name) had some interesting room layouts. Henry's room was sort of down in a basement area.
Just different for the norm.
As we left the motel and headed North we noted signs for Watkins Glen. We figured, why not stop, so we did.
Henry
Henry, Leo, and Billie
And me.
We continued our travels north. We did pass by one of the Finger Lakes but....this is one of the roads we traveled North.
We got to a town that had a parking area along Lake Ontario, so we stopped for some pictures and to figure out where we would have Lunch.
Lake Oswego (I think)
And lunch. It was recommended by someone we meet while we were enjoying the views above.
The next morning we continued our travels North to Montreal. And we traveled along the St. Lawrence River after we crossed the border into Canada. Some interesting sights on the river.
In Montreal we stayed at a Quality Inn (I beleive). It was ok. No real issues that I remember. We ate in that night and I went to a local bar. Just to see what it was like. Nothing to report.
Don't remember where we had breakfast but it was interesting, as we all expected, that everyone spoke to us in French until we answer back in English. In one place (gas station I seem to remember but it may have been a fast food place), I asked a question of a lady and she responded in French. I asked again and she reposed in French. Then a younger lady walked over and we chatted and I got my question answered. No real issues. Just what we expected (well what I expected.)
We headed out of Montreal, next stop somewhere near Bangor, Maine. We found some nice scenery and views along the way.
And we reentered the USA some where near Derby Line, VT
We passed by the really perfect lake and a really fantastic view near Morgan Center, VT
I believe it is Seymour Lake.
We stopped for lunch in Colebrook, NH.
My Next post will follow us Maine's coast and Acadia National Park. And then our Trip south along the coast.
This was a different trip for us. Not all of us had been to Canada. So, that was a special part. And we were going to see parts of the Great Lakes. And we were going to see Bangor, Maine.
There is a whole list of things we wanted to see. But I planned the trip to also be fun. The trip was to take us about ten (10) days. Total miles traveled would be around 2,900.
As noted above, the intent of trip was to see the sights and experience the places along the way. And to say we visited Canada. We planned to travel up the Blue Ridge Parkway, as part of the trip. We were also going to stop in Bangor Maine and travel down the Outer Banks.
Here is the trip, Part 1
Our trip began (as would others in the future) at Waffle House.
On our way to the Blue Ridge Parkway, we stopped in Mount Airy, NC (AKA Mayberry)
And then we traveled the Blue Ridge Parkway to Staunton, VA
We spent the night in Staunton, VA. When we were getting ready for the next days ride to Horse Heads, NY, jointed this "Big Rig" parked behind us.
It appears that Kenny Koretsky was spending the night at the same hotel (or his team was).
We headed out to ride some of the very nice roads in VA as we headed north to Horse Heads, NY
And then back on the "major" roadways north to our destination.
Not many pictures of the rest of the trip to Horse Heads. One funny thing though was the motel we were staying at (forget the actually name) had some interesting room layouts. Henry's room was sort of down in a basement area.
Just different for the norm.
As we left the motel and headed North we noted signs for Watkins Glen. We figured, why not stop, so we did.
Henry
Henry, Leo, and Billie
And me.
We continued our travels north. We did pass by one of the Finger Lakes but....this is one of the roads we traveled North.
We got to a town that had a parking area along Lake Ontario, so we stopped for some pictures and to figure out where we would have Lunch.
Lake Oswego (I think)
And lunch. It was recommended by someone we meet while we were enjoying the views above.
The next morning we continued our travels North to Montreal. And we traveled along the St. Lawrence River after we crossed the border into Canada. Some interesting sights on the river.
In Montreal we stayed at a Quality Inn (I beleive). It was ok. No real issues that I remember. We ate in that night and I went to a local bar. Just to see what it was like. Nothing to report.
Don't remember where we had breakfast but it was interesting, as we all expected, that everyone spoke to us in French until we answer back in English. In one place (gas station I seem to remember but it may have been a fast food place), I asked a question of a lady and she responded in French. I asked again and she reposed in French. Then a younger lady walked over and we chatted and I got my question answered. No real issues. Just what we expected (well what I expected.)
We headed out of Montreal, next stop somewhere near Bangor, Maine. We found some nice scenery and views along the way.
And we reentered the USA some where near Derby Line, VT
We passed by the really perfect lake and a really fantastic view near Morgan Center, VT
I believe it is Seymour Lake.
We stopped for lunch in Colebrook, NH.
My Next post will follow us Maine's coast and Acadia National Park. And then our Trip south along the coast.
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jfheilman
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The third ride in 2007 was a trip to Maine and Canada, In August, 2007. Part 2
Arcadia National Park. I had been to this park back in 1970 on a trip to Nova Scotia. So, it was nice to see it again.
Another View of the Gulf of Maine from Acadia National Park
On the way south we stopped at a couple of places.
Western Bay Near Trenton, Maine
Me, Billie, and Leo
Penobscot Bay Belfast, Maine
Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant, Boothbay Harbor, Mainie
On the way south to our next evening stop, we found Princeton University.
After visiting Princeton University and having lunch in a spot nearby, we headed south to our stop for the night. This was, as was the stop in Horse Head, NY, an interesting stop. A nice motel with a Bar and Grill right there.
But, upon stepping inside to register we were sort of startled by what appeared to be Bullet Proof Glass at the check in counter.
But things worked out, no issues and we headed south the next morning as planned.
One of the biggest reasons for this trip was to visit Arlington National Cemetery.
Henry, the gentleman ridding the Harley, served in Viet Nam. I don’t believe Leo was there and Billie was to young. Me, I served in the US Navy Submarine service. Henry had never been to “The Wall”, The Viet Nam Memorial. I believe he did not want to relive the events he saw or endured in Viet Nam. I, and my other companions on this trip, wanted to honor Henry for for his service and sacrifices he made for us.
When we got to D. C., we stopped a local motorcycle dealer and told Henry we were going to take a bus to Arlington. He said he would join us. We asked the dealer if we could leave our bikes there (we told him why) and he said he would be happy to help us.
There was a lot going on at Arlington. We saw several horse drawn carriages pass. We witnessed the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.
Note: There will be a link to a video of our visit to Arlington attached below. It will be on Rumble.
Honoring those who served and those who were lost or did not return from Viet Nam
The Wall
The video is linked below.
Arlington May 2007
Note: The video has an incorrect title in Rumble. It says the date of the video was August, 2007. That is not correct.
Our Mission Accomplished, we got back on our rides and headed South to the Outer Banks. Turns out Henry (which we did not know) was very found of Monster Trucks. So we stopped.
Then there was Wright Brothers Monument.
And we finally got to the Outer Banks and the final leg of our trip home.
There were two ferry rides to the North Carolina Coast (only one ride pictured below)
And the last part of our ride to our last overnight stay in Havelock, NC.
We almost always have reached the end of our last Ferry ride, South to the NC coast at sundown. As this became sort of normal and we just enjoyed the views. We spent the night somewhere near Havelock, NC and then headed home the next day.
It was a great trip. Really good weather. Good experiences. Some nice surprises. In the future we would take several trips to Canada.
Arcadia National Park. I had been to this park back in 1970 on a trip to Nova Scotia. So, it was nice to see it again.
Another View of the Gulf of Maine from Acadia National Park
On the way south we stopped at a couple of places.
Western Bay Near Trenton, Maine
Me, Billie, and Leo
Penobscot Bay Belfast, Maine
Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant, Boothbay Harbor, Mainie
On the way south to our next evening stop, we found Princeton University.
After visiting Princeton University and having lunch in a spot nearby, we headed south to our stop for the night. This was, as was the stop in Horse Head, NY, an interesting stop. A nice motel with a Bar and Grill right there.
But, upon stepping inside to register we were sort of startled by what appeared to be Bullet Proof Glass at the check in counter.
But things worked out, no issues and we headed south the next morning as planned.
One of the biggest reasons for this trip was to visit Arlington National Cemetery.
Henry, the gentleman ridding the Harley, served in Viet Nam. I don’t believe Leo was there and Billie was to young. Me, I served in the US Navy Submarine service. Henry had never been to “The Wall”, The Viet Nam Memorial. I believe he did not want to relive the events he saw or endured in Viet Nam. I, and my other companions on this trip, wanted to honor Henry for for his service and sacrifices he made for us.
When we got to D. C., we stopped a local motorcycle dealer and told Henry we were going to take a bus to Arlington. He said he would join us. We asked the dealer if we could leave our bikes there (we told him why) and he said he would be happy to help us.
There was a lot going on at Arlington. We saw several horse drawn carriages pass. We witnessed the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.
Note: There will be a link to a video of our visit to Arlington attached below. It will be on Rumble.
Honoring those who served and those who were lost or did not return from Viet Nam
The Wall
The video is linked below.
Arlington May 2007
Note: The video has an incorrect title in Rumble. It says the date of the video was August, 2007. That is not correct.
Our Mission Accomplished, we got back on our rides and headed South to the Outer Banks. Turns out Henry (which we did not know) was very found of Monster Trucks. So we stopped.
Then there was Wright Brothers Monument.
And we finally got to the Outer Banks and the final leg of our trip home.
There were two ferry rides to the North Carolina Coast (only one ride pictured below)
And the last part of our ride to our last overnight stay in Havelock, NC.
We almost always have reached the end of our last Ferry ride, South to the NC coast at sundown. As this became sort of normal and we just enjoyed the views. We spent the night somewhere near Havelock, NC and then headed home the next day.
It was a great trip. Really good weather. Good experiences. Some nice surprises. In the future we would take several trips to Canada.
Re: "WHY I RIDE"
I started riding 40+ years ago when I was a teenager so that I could travel all of the network of dirtbike trails / Jeep trails that I knew of near my home in one day rather than having to walk them, which would mean that I could not possibly cover all of them in one day.
I used a Honda Z50 for this purpose, and I would pick it up and just toss it in the trunk of my four-door sedan.
"Riding beats walking" was my motto.
I similarly got interested in a street legal Enduro or dual sport bike for the very practical reason that I didn't want to trailer a dirtbike to the woods.
I would rather ride it there on pavement and then take that same bike offroading. This is after I graduated up from a 50 cc dirtbike to a Honda 125 which would not fit in the trunk of any car.
I started riding 40+ years ago when I was a teenager so that I could travel all of the network of dirtbike trails / Jeep trails that I knew of near my home in one day rather than having to walk them, which would mean that I could not possibly cover all of them in one day.
I used a Honda Z50 for this purpose, and I would pick it up and just toss it in the trunk of my four-door sedan.
"Riding beats walking" was my motto.
I similarly got interested in a street legal Enduro or dual sport bike for the very practical reason that I didn't want to trailer a dirtbike to the woods.
I would rather ride it there on pavement and then take that same bike offroading. This is after I graduated up from a 50 cc dirtbike to a Honda 125 which would not fit in the trunk of any car.
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jfheilman
Site Supporter
It's been a few days since I made the last post. I have been trying to ensure that the information I am providing here is fairly accurate. Harder to do than I thought. There were three rides I made in 2008.
The first was to ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway, that was a solo ride in May, 2008.
The second was a ride to the Great Lakes to see White Fish Bay. That was in September, 2008. I have pictures and some video but the route is not clear, when compared to the pictures.
The third was a rid up and through West Virginia in October, 2008. I think the information I have from that ride is accurate. However, I cannot be completely sure. On the West Virginia trip, I took very few still images since I had started using a video camera to record my rides.
In 2008 I began to use a "nose mounted" Contour Roam Video camera for capturing my rides (you can see me turning it on in the BRP video). The down side was that it was only recording in 720P where as the digital camera I was using was doing a much better detailed picture.
The 720P videos look ok when you are looking at a sort of close up still image, but as your travel it gets a bit blurry.
I used the Contour Roam video cameras unit the end of 2023 when I have a failure. Went over a train track on a well traveled highway and the camera got dislodged from the windscreen where it was mounted. Major bump.
I was using a mount made by a gentlemen with the handle of Yoda on the Goldwing Forum. The big bump broke the cameras mount and damaged the camera beyond repair.
I tired to find a replacement but COVID seemed to have taken its toll on the Contour brand and the cameras I got from Ebay were actually sort of trashy. I tired to purchase a 4K Contour Roam but you have to use "Bluetooth" to set it up not the Contour Roam software I had been using. And you had to have the new software from Contour to do that. Not easy to find.
And yes, I still have the original software for the Contour Roam cameras. Even though I now use a MacBook Air to do route planning, I run a program called VMWare that allows me to run Windows 7 and therefore all the old programs I use to use on my MacBook.
I did purchase a cheap phone that had the needed Bluetooth system and did find the needed 4K software that Contour produced but.... never got the two to connect.
In the spring of 2024, I purchased a GoPro12 Black. It will recored in 4K. It's ok, a little more bulky than the Contour Camera but.... it works.
So the following three post will show the rides I took in 2008.
One, a solo ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway in May.
One, a ride with my wife to see Canada and White Fish Bay
One, a ride the there gentlemen I had been riding with to visit some scenic spots in West Virginia
Regrading the GoPro12, here is a link to my ride on New Years Eve, 2024. I think you might have to manually select 4K. It looks like it starts in 1k so you have to select the "Gear" icon on the bottom of the screen and change the resolution to max shown on the selection list. You will notice a difference in sharpness.
New Years Eve Ride Newberry County SC - 2024
The first was to ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway, that was a solo ride in May, 2008.
The second was a ride to the Great Lakes to see White Fish Bay. That was in September, 2008. I have pictures and some video but the route is not clear, when compared to the pictures.
The third was a rid up and through West Virginia in October, 2008. I think the information I have from that ride is accurate. However, I cannot be completely sure. On the West Virginia trip, I took very few still images since I had started using a video camera to record my rides.
In 2008 I began to use a "nose mounted" Contour Roam Video camera for capturing my rides (you can see me turning it on in the BRP video). The down side was that it was only recording in 720P where as the digital camera I was using was doing a much better detailed picture.
The 720P videos look ok when you are looking at a sort of close up still image, but as your travel it gets a bit blurry.
I used the Contour Roam video cameras unit the end of 2023 when I have a failure. Went over a train track on a well traveled highway and the camera got dislodged from the windscreen where it was mounted. Major bump.
I was using a mount made by a gentlemen with the handle of Yoda on the Goldwing Forum. The big bump broke the cameras mount and damaged the camera beyond repair.
I tired to find a replacement but COVID seemed to have taken its toll on the Contour brand and the cameras I got from Ebay were actually sort of trashy. I tired to purchase a 4K Contour Roam but you have to use "Bluetooth" to set it up not the Contour Roam software I had been using. And you had to have the new software from Contour to do that. Not easy to find.
And yes, I still have the original software for the Contour Roam cameras. Even though I now use a MacBook Air to do route planning, I run a program called VMWare that allows me to run Windows 7 and therefore all the old programs I use to use on my MacBook.
I did purchase a cheap phone that had the needed Bluetooth system and did find the needed 4K software that Contour produced but.... never got the two to connect.
In the spring of 2024, I purchased a GoPro12 Black. It will recored in 4K. It's ok, a little more bulky than the Contour Camera but.... it works.
So the following three post will show the rides I took in 2008.
One, a solo ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway in May.
One, a ride with my wife to see Canada and White Fish Bay
One, a ride the there gentlemen I had been riding with to visit some scenic spots in West Virginia
Regrading the GoPro12, here is a link to my ride on New Years Eve, 2024. I think you might have to manually select 4K. It looks like it starts in 1k so you have to select the "Gear" icon on the bottom of the screen and change the resolution to max shown on the selection list. You will notice a difference in sharpness.
New Years Eve Ride Newberry County SC - 2024
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jfheilman
Site Supporter
Ride down from the Blue Ridge Parkway, May, 2008.
The image below shows this trip. I believe I was doing a solo ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but I cannot find any documentation of the route I followed. It seem to have been about 35 miles.
The route followed was US-276 which goes past “Sliding Rock Falls” and “Looking Glass Falls”. My first experience with this roadway and Looking Glass and Sliding rock was back in the late mid 1960's. A friend at my High School in Myrtle Beach was from the area. His father was in the Air Force. We his father retired in 1960 or so, they moved to the home they had in Lake Toxway, NC. I visited him a few times there and went to visited Sliding Rock a few times. Never took the slide. Just liked the scenery.
And a link to the video on Youtube.
May, 2008 Riding Down From BRP
The image below shows this trip. I believe I was doing a solo ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but I cannot find any documentation of the route I followed. It seem to have been about 35 miles.
The route followed was US-276 which goes past “Sliding Rock Falls” and “Looking Glass Falls”. My first experience with this roadway and Looking Glass and Sliding rock was back in the late mid 1960's. A friend at my High School in Myrtle Beach was from the area. His father was in the Air Force. We his father retired in 1960 or so, they moved to the home they had in Lake Toxway, NC. I visited him a few times there and went to visited Sliding Rock a few times. Never took the slide. Just liked the scenery.
And a link to the video on Youtube.
May, 2008 Riding Down From BRP
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jfheilman
Site Supporter
September 2008 - Trip to Niagara - Canada
This was a trip to Canada to see all five of the Great Lakes. And to visit White Fish Bay. I heard of White Fish Bay from the song about the Edmund Fitzgerald. The song was sung by a Canadian, Gordon Lightfoot. So, it all seemed to fit and I wanted to say I had seen all five Great Lakes.
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29 men. Gordon Lightfoot's song memorialized this event in 1976. It is still a popular song (at least for me).
The trip was eight (8) days. We, my wife and I, traveled approximately 2,800 miles. During this trip we traveled through 11 states and two (2) Canadian Provinces. And we visited sites like White Fish Bay, and Niagara Falls.
Here is an approximation of the route we took. I say approximation because some of the images I have of the trip do not support that we followed the interstate as shown on the route. But.... it is what I found in my "records".
Niagara Falls Views
Our over night stay in Ontario - The Georgian Inn & Suites on Parry Sound
Traveling West Along The Georgian Bay Area Lake Huron
Whitefish Bay In Michigan Near Deer Park
Picnic Table at White Fish Bay
And yes it was cold and rainy but.......
Lunch Somewhere in Michigan. The Sign Says Mary’s Garden / Bakery & Cafe
Getting Ready to Get Back on the Road After Lunch
Traveling South Along Lake Michigan MI Route 35
More of Lake Michigan
Traveling Through Wisconsin Farmland Maybe Route 44
Traveling South Through Illinois
South Through Indiana
One of the problems with trying to relieve a trip that we took some 16 years ago is documentation of where the photos were taken. Not having the "real" route we took makes it hard but... I think the images above are good.
Attached below is the link to the video I made after the trip. It has more detailed information (well just a few words on the images) of where we were when.....
September 2008 - Niagara - Canada
This was a trip to Canada to see all five of the Great Lakes. And to visit White Fish Bay. I heard of White Fish Bay from the song about the Edmund Fitzgerald. The song was sung by a Canadian, Gordon Lightfoot. So, it all seemed to fit and I wanted to say I had seen all five Great Lakes.
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29 men. Gordon Lightfoot's song memorialized this event in 1976. It is still a popular song (at least for me).
The trip was eight (8) days. We, my wife and I, traveled approximately 2,800 miles. During this trip we traveled through 11 states and two (2) Canadian Provinces. And we visited sites like White Fish Bay, and Niagara Falls.
Here is an approximation of the route we took. I say approximation because some of the images I have of the trip do not support that we followed the interstate as shown on the route. But.... it is what I found in my "records".
Niagara Falls Views
Our over night stay in Ontario - The Georgian Inn & Suites on Parry Sound
Traveling West Along The Georgian Bay Area Lake Huron
Whitefish Bay In Michigan Near Deer Park
Picnic Table at White Fish Bay
And yes it was cold and rainy but.......
Lunch Somewhere in Michigan. The Sign Says Mary’s Garden / Bakery & Cafe
Getting Ready to Get Back on the Road After Lunch
Traveling South Along Lake Michigan MI Route 35
More of Lake Michigan
Traveling Through Wisconsin Farmland Maybe Route 44
Traveling South Through Illinois
South Through Indiana
One of the problems with trying to relieve a trip that we took some 16 years ago is documentation of where the photos were taken. Not having the "real" route we took makes it hard but... I think the images above are good.
Attached below is the link to the video I made after the trip. It has more detailed information (well just a few words on the images) of where we were when.....
September 2008 - Niagara - Canada
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jfheilman
Site Supporter
My last trip in 2008 was with my three riding companions. Leo, Billie, Henry, and I took a ride on the up to travel through West Virginia. It was a great trip. No issues and lots of new sights to see. One included some mountain top resort with a "jumping bunny" as part of the logo.
The trip was a total of 1,330 miles and I think we spent five days on the road. The reason the time on the road is not certain is that I did not document the overnight stays and most of the pictures are not pictures but videos. So dating things is a bit hard. But I know it was in October, 2008.
Here is a link to the video on Rumble. It is a compilation of extracts from five (5) videos I have documented. The dates are October 4th through the 5th. I guess the only really interesting part is that four of the videos are from October 4th and only one is from October 5th.
The Contour Roam did a good job, just not as detailed as today at 4K.
The route:
And the link to the video on Rumble
Trip to West Virginia October 2008
This was the last trip of 2008. The next year was a special year. We (Leo, Billie, Henry and I) only took one trip together. Might have been because of work. Henry, Billie, and I all worked at the same nuclear power plant. There might have been a fall outage that sort of limited our riding.
The trip...... West 2009
The trip was a total of 1,330 miles and I think we spent five days on the road. The reason the time on the road is not certain is that I did not document the overnight stays and most of the pictures are not pictures but videos. So dating things is a bit hard. But I know it was in October, 2008.
Here is a link to the video on Rumble. It is a compilation of extracts from five (5) videos I have documented. The dates are October 4th through the 5th. I guess the only really interesting part is that four of the videos are from October 4th and only one is from October 5th.
The Contour Roam did a good job, just not as detailed as today at 4K.
The route:
And the link to the video on Rumble
Trip to West Virginia October 2008
This was the last trip of 2008. The next year was a special year. We (Leo, Billie, Henry and I) only took one trip together. Might have been because of work. Henry, Billie, and I all worked at the same nuclear power plant. There might have been a fall outage that sort of limited our riding.
The trip...... West 2009
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CollingsBob
Certified JB Welder
I’ve been riding since 1967. My parents bought me a Honda 90 which I thrashed until my father bought me a Bridgestone 175. I thrashed that until I moved for college when I bought a Yamaha 100cc to commute to work on. After a couple of summers I traded it in on a Yamaha R5, 350cc..that led to 8 or 9 RD350’s, all tweaked for more power which always led to shorter lifespans. Finally I moved up to a 750 Honda which I kept until I inherited my father’s Vincent. I kept the Vincent for about 40 yrs, adding a Vstrom then a FJR1300, then selling the Vincent in 2024 and trading the Yamaha in on a 2024 BMW R1300 GS.I like the serenity of long distance riding.
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jfheilman
Site Supporter
The year 2009 was an epic year, at least for this rider. I wanted to go out west. So, I planned, using Microsoft Streets and Trips a trip to see the sights out west.
Total miles traveled were about 5,800. I was joined by Billie and Leo, who brought his lady friend along, and Henry. We only had two issues. Something happened to Henry's Harley and we had to make a short stop to get it right. And Billie thought the engine died on his 2006 Goldwing but he figured out (rather quickly) he had hit the "Stop" switch by accident.
Here is a “picture” of the route we took.
The states traveled included: South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and North Carolina
I don’t have many pictures of our “trip” toward the western part of are planned route. But I have included the ones I have. Also, I can no longer find some of the pictures that I know exist but.... there is a video linked at the end, on Rumble, that has more pictures and some fun short videos.
Breakfast, I believe, in Tupelo, MS
Enterring the Great State of Texas
Entering New Mexico
A very nice place to eat in San Jose, NM
Some more scenery on the road
A stop for gas with a possible tornado North of us
And now, as with all things, there was a surprise on the trip.
The song, by the Eagles, that mentions “Standing on the corner in Wilson, AZ” made me make sure we stopped there. So we did an overnight there. Guess what we found?
After we stopped by the “Standing on the Corner” Store in downtown Winslow, we looked for a place to eat. Just a block or two down the road (towards our hotel) was, what looked like, a nice restaurant. I think it might have been “RelicRoad Brewing Company”.
Anyway we stopped in for dinner and a conversation with the waitress and staff started. Turns out the owners were from South Carolina, Garden City, I believe. Small world. Very nice restaurant.
A distant view of the meteor crater in AZ. We did not visit it directly
The Grand Canyon
Me, Henry, and Billie at the Grand Canyon
More scenery on the way north to Monument Valley
John Wayne and I at Goulding Lodge - Monument Valley, Utah
The Mittens at Monument Valley
And the scenery changes once more as we head North
An overnight stop in Norwood, CO
We found, by accident, the last place Thelma and Louise Visited.
And we visited (not planned on the trip) the Arches National Park
Entering the state of Wyoming
Jackson Hole, WY, an overnight stop before entering Yosemite National Park
Me in front of Glacier Lake
Just some snow of the roadway near Yosemite. The road was not icy but…..
A short visit to Old Faithful
Beartooth June, 2009 - Elevation 11,000 feet - Temperature 34 degrees F
When we first entered the actual area that was Beartooth, we had to pass over a metal grate on the roadway. It was early June, 2009 and the temperatures on the mountain top were near freezing. The grate was icy.
Down from Beartooth
The next day, our view from Big Horn
Going to visit Devil's Tower
Other things we visited and/or traveled through include: Mount Rushmore and the Badlands. I am sure there are others, I just don’t have a good list.
Here is a video I made using some pictures from the trip and a video or two. It's on Rumble.
Going West 2009
Total miles traveled were about 5,800. I was joined by Billie and Leo, who brought his lady friend along, and Henry. We only had two issues. Something happened to Henry's Harley and we had to make a short stop to get it right. And Billie thought the engine died on his 2006 Goldwing but he figured out (rather quickly) he had hit the "Stop" switch by accident.
Here is a “picture” of the route we took.
The states traveled included: South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and North Carolina
I don’t have many pictures of our “trip” toward the western part of are planned route. But I have included the ones I have. Also, I can no longer find some of the pictures that I know exist but.... there is a video linked at the end, on Rumble, that has more pictures and some fun short videos.
Breakfast, I believe, in Tupelo, MS
Enterring the Great State of Texas
Entering New Mexico
A very nice place to eat in San Jose, NM
Some more scenery on the road
A stop for gas with a possible tornado North of us
And now, as with all things, there was a surprise on the trip.
The song, by the Eagles, that mentions “Standing on the corner in Wilson, AZ” made me make sure we stopped there. So we did an overnight there. Guess what we found?
After we stopped by the “Standing on the Corner” Store in downtown Winslow, we looked for a place to eat. Just a block or two down the road (towards our hotel) was, what looked like, a nice restaurant. I think it might have been “RelicRoad Brewing Company”.
Anyway we stopped in for dinner and a conversation with the waitress and staff started. Turns out the owners were from South Carolina, Garden City, I believe. Small world. Very nice restaurant.
A distant view of the meteor crater in AZ. We did not visit it directly
The Grand Canyon
Me, Henry, and Billie at the Grand Canyon
More scenery on the way north to Monument Valley
John Wayne and I at Goulding Lodge - Monument Valley, Utah
The Mittens at Monument Valley
And the scenery changes once more as we head North
An overnight stop in Norwood, CO
We found, by accident, the last place Thelma and Louise Visited.
And we visited (not planned on the trip) the Arches National Park
Entering the state of Wyoming
Jackson Hole, WY, an overnight stop before entering Yosemite National Park
Me in front of Glacier Lake
Just some snow of the roadway near Yosemite. The road was not icy but…..
A short visit to Old Faithful
Beartooth June, 2009 - Elevation 11,000 feet - Temperature 34 degrees F
When we first entered the actual area that was Beartooth, we had to pass over a metal grate on the roadway. It was early June, 2009 and the temperatures on the mountain top were near freezing. The grate was icy.
Down from Beartooth
The next day, our view from Big Horn
Going to visit Devil's Tower
Other things we visited and/or traveled through include: Mount Rushmore and the Badlands. I am sure there are others, I just don’t have a good list.
Here is a video I made using some pictures from the trip and a video or two. It's on Rumble.
Going West 2009
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