11,000 mile wrap-up

11,000 miles in 30 days gave me a lot of things to see, a lot of friends to catch up with, and a lot of time to think. I went through the following states on my journey:

Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota,  Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and finally back to Florida. 

That is 37 states in 30 days. There are a few places I felt real comfortable, and a few that did not jive with me at all. I have always had love for Colorado, but this time was different. It may have been my mindset going into the trip, or just where my mind was at the moment, but I have never felt more relaxed in my life and I wasn't partaking in what is now legal there. My new long term goal, now that I have retired, is to buy land in Colorado and build a tiny home. At a minimum I want to park an RV there and have another place to ride the bike to in the summer. 

Riding the bike over new and sometimes challenging terrain gave me a clue about what types of roads I like to ride best, and what type of scenery I like to see when riding. Colorado also topped the list of technical riding and scenery. However the PCH in California also offered a great riding experience. I was not aware of the panhandle of Idaho being so great for long high speed sweeping curves up and down the mountains. I would love to get back up there with my new tires. I don't know if the weather in Mt. Rainier is ever good, but it was a technical spot as well. The only city traffic I liked was around San Francisco. I feel like I could comfortably split traffic there all day.

National and State parks are wonderful and I hope you take advantage of what is local. I feel I need to repeat a section of my trip now that I have completed it. If you have the option of seeing the Grand Canyon, or any other tourist spot in America, go see the Grand Canyon. Until you have camped there, hiked all of the rims, taken a burro to the bottom, rafted down the river, and done a helicopter tour, you haven't experienced the Canyon. I am going back as soon as I can and I am going to take someone to share the experience with. 

I already mentioned my long term goal of building a tiny home in Colorado. That is the place I want to live the most. There are additional places that I liked. Texas will always feel comfortable to me, although it seems like it is getting hotter and hotter. Washington state near Spokane wasn't bad, but it seems too far from everything. I wouldn't mind trying Illinois for a while. Other things in life would have to line up for me there, but I would like to see if it will stick. For now though Florida is pretty awesome and comfortable. A bit hot, but the water being so close helps. 

I want to say thanks to all of the support I received, especially from my family and friends. Not once did I hear doubting comments or negative reactions to my journey. I only received wows of support.  

I took so many photos and haven't uploaded them yet as took a detour back to Texas to attend some 20 yr high school reunion activities. However the above is my favorite as it only took one attempt and accurately displays the majority of what I did on my trip. Take care for now, and I will start posting plans for other trips soon.  

Toby

11,032 miles...31 days

Well I am back at my home in Florida. I consider this home....for now, but now have love for other parts of the country that are pretty freaking amazing. Before I start my best of lists, here is a picture from this morning.  

I met chaplain Amy when I became a chaplain assistant at Altus AFB, OK. She was doing Air Force Reserve duty there about a year after I got there. Amy is a great woman to know and an amazing friend to have. I believed this so much that when I got to Hurlburt here in Florida and found out they had an open slot, I called her and asked if she wanted to come here. She transferred to Hurlburt for a few years before having to move on to other places. Amy's family opened their home up for me to stay a full day in Jacksonville. It was hard not riding the bike for a day, but it was wonderful to be in such a homey environment to relax for a day. That is what I noticed about all of my friend's houses I stayed at. I never felt like a burden. It felt like me being there was a good thing. I am definitely going to have to evaluate how I do vacations and start revisiting these amazing people. Chaplain Amy and her husband made me breakfast before I left.  it was a 5 hour ride today back to Fort Walton Beach in the hot and humid land known as Florida. 

Here it is. This is the same location I took my first picture for the trip 11,000 miles of dirt, grease, and tire wear later. I grew a full beard and some wavy hair in the month I was gone as well, and I like it. I need to clean it up, but this shaggy dude may stay shaggy for a while. I think I may end the blog today and do some lists that will be released over the next week as I go through my pictures and think about the amazing things I saw and more importantly the amazing things I thought about on the trip.  

I want to end today by encouraging you to just do the thing you have always wanted if it builds you up and doesn't tear anyone else down. Take care of yourself and show the ones you love that they are important. 

Best of lists to come real soon.  

Play ball

On day 29 I left Patrick's house with the promise of visiting him again once he gets settled back in Ohio. I completely understand why someone would want to return back home after completion of a job or in our case, our military career. I don't share that same internal pull. I love going home to Texas, and will call it home, but I don't have a strong desire to set down roots there than anywhere else in the world. After I get home, I will be creating lists of possible relocation spots, but for now, I like where I am at and my current living situation. 

I headed south through Charleston, SC, through a few back roads before I stopped for the storm that popped up around Savannah, GA. The rest of the ride was only slightly damp and I made it to Jacksonville safely. I caught up with Chaplain Amy's family for a bit before heading back into downtown Jacksonville for the Jumbo Shrimp game. 

Going to this game completed a goal I set 3 years ago. I have always enjoyed baseball and went to many Rangers games as a kid. However the move to Florida 4 years ago put me near the minor league team known as the Blue Wahoos. after going to a few games there the first year, I figured out that the league they played in had 10 teams with the furthest being only a days drive away. My goal was to see all 10 teams play at their home park. Seeing Jacksonville put me at visiting 11 teams at home. The Huntsville Stars moved to Biloxi and became the Shuckers after the first year, but I saw them both at their home. 

The game ended up getting rained out but the ticket was free for military appreciation night and I saw about half the game, so I am happy.  

I decided that I am going to stick around today and visit Chaplain Amy when she gets home from her job in Georgia. Tomorrow I will head back home and end this trip. I will compile my pictures and memories and come up with places I want to go back to and start planning a way to connect with friends I missed on the trip. I will also start planning routes for new trips. Alaska, the Mississippi River, and a Florida loop are already being thought about. Europe is a possibility, but the logistics will need to be thought about. 

The bookend that was needed

The drive from North Carolina to South Carolina was filled with both curvy roads and a few straight sections, but good all around. I left Caleb and his family early this morning to a crisp Carolina morning with the occasional patch of fog hovering in a valley. Culverts steamed with residual heat as I rode southeast back towards the coast.  

I stopped in Myrtle Beach to see what the draw was. At 7AM, it seems to be worn with the years. I am sure the life that tourism breathes through it, fills a void for many. However, for me, I will stick with Okaloosa Island and Navarre Beach.  

I made it to Patrick's house just outside of Charleston early in the day, which is good, as we had about 18 years of catching up to do.  

This is us in Aug-Sep 1998. We drove our vehicles from Biloxi, MS to our homes in Texas and Ohio, met back up in Great Falls, and then drove the ALCAN Highway to Alaska where we split up at Tok and went our separate ways. We saw each other again about 6 months later for the last time in 18 years.  

Here we are today, one less hairy, the other much more hairy. We are both still into cars and both still build things with our hands. Actually our lives/careers had quite a few parallels in it and we both ended our careers happy about where we are.  

Without Patrick, I am unsure if I would have made it to Alaska on my own. I barely knew how to be a person then and didn't grasp how to be me for many years after. I hope I left a positive impression with Patrick 18 years ago. I hope I leave an even more positive impression with him and others as long as I live. 

Tomorrow I head towards Jacksonville for my final stop before heading home. Yes, I said final. I am skipping Tallahassee as the family I was supposed to meet up with there was not prepared for me to be ahead of schedule. That is ok. Tallahassee is only 3 hours away and I am freaking retired.  

2 N 1

Last night I stayed in North Carolina and had less than no reception so I couldn't even draft my trip from New Jersey to just over the North Carolina border. There wasn't much to report from Delaware other than it doesn't fit the theme of New England. It was farm house after farm house with an Air Force Base kind of shoved in the middle. I think Delaware is a buffer state between the south and the cities of New England.

I did gladly pay a toll to drive the Chesapeake bay bridge/tunnel. It is a cool way to traverse the waterway and an engineering feat. I even experienced the semi trucks that appeared to be less than 6 inches from scraping the roof of the tunnel.

I stayed at the Merchant Millponds State Park, and when I checked in around 3, I was the only camper. Sometime in the night a second camper showed up. This campground had the best natural separation between campsites with thick foliage growing everywhere. Lots of bugs here in the summer so bring bug spray or build a fire. 

Part 2. The priority to get down to this area was to see Caleb and his family, but on the way I was able to experience some North Carolina roads. Finally I get back to smooth southern roads and my tires are about completely shot. The rear tire is severely cupping and I hope that it lasts the last 1,000 miles. 

Speaking of mileage, I hit the 10,000 mile mark today and I am not even close to finished. Or maybe it is a sign that I should be here.... 

Like Harrison, I met Caleb and Shannon at Altus. I got to the pottery capital of the world around lunchtime and had a great day with the whole family especially with Easton and Madison. I love it when I see families that overflow with love and this family does that well.  

I was able to read Madison a few bedtime stories and reconnect with a feeling that has been dormant for a while. I am going to miss that feeling as I ride towards South Carolina tomorrow. I am going to miss that feeling for a long time to come. 

It feels more like heading home now.

Today as I rode south it felt more like going home, and less like a continuation of my adventure. There must be some internal instinct that knows that my direction is putting me closer to home each day now, even though that was true the day I left Harrison's house. I couldn't stop thinking about the friends I reconnected with, the best places to ride and camp. My mind is already putting a period on the journey before it is done. 

Today I went from Maine to New Jersey through Boston and Rhode Island. Above is the USS Constitution. I got there before 7 so taking a quick picture was pretty easy.  

I even stopped in Providence just to prove I had been there. I then tackled the big city and made it out in one piece. I have still not paid a toll but I plan on paying one tomorrow to cross the Chesapeake bay bridge and tunnel. That one seems worth the $12.  

If you were not aware, there are 2 states that you cannot pump your own gas. Oregon and New Jersey. I believe I have enough gas to get me to Philly. We will see. In Oregon they let me pump my own because of the motorcycle, not sure how New Jersey is. 

Remember....

My son died from complications of epilepsy 4 years ago today. It was obvious, that on the good days, he loved life. I will do my best to love life as well.  

Welcome to Vermont. Green as far as the eye can see in every direction. Also more wet mountain roads for me. I made a slight discovery over the course of the last 25 days. It doesn't matter what state you live in, there is "country" everywhere you go. I am not saying that is good or bad, it is what it is. 

This is my first covered bridge of the trip and it is no longer being used by cars. It was used as a sleeping pad when I went by it.  

You can't come to Maine without getting a lobster roll, so I threw on my thickest accent and turned to Charlie and said, "hey Charlie...let's go get a lobster roll and some chowder." So that is what we did.  

Speaking of Charlie; here he is. I left Alaska and my pal Charlie in August of 2001. We reconnected on Facebook earlier this year. Catching up with your old friends is the best. We even rode our bikes to the beach, and then to get lobster rolls. Also I want to stress the importance of being around your friends and family on tough days  Charlie made this day easier  

Tomorrow I start my journey south towards Florida. I am going to try and gain a half day the next two days and be ahead of schedule 3 days. And I found out I am almost 1000 miles over my estimation for this far in the trip. Let's hope my tires hold out.  

Avoid the tolls

Last night was interesting. At the 4 Mile State Park the camping accommodations were spectacular in size and grass. Lacking were trees and respect for what camping is supposed to be. From the moment I got to my site, the family 4 sites over could be heard from everywhere in the park. They weren't screaming or laughing uncontrollably. They just didn't like each other. Here is a tip, if you can't stand to be around each other at home, what makes you think that tent camping will be any better. Also don't yell at your kids if all they are doing is talking to you the same way you are talking to them. 

So I booked it out of there as they started their loud talking first thing in the morning. I headed down highway/byway 20. I had to slow down or stop every 5-10 miles all the way through parts of New York, but these villages were cute. most of the house were a cross between Victorian and Colonial style houses. Most looked to be over 100 years old. Some were in great shape, others had been abandoned years ago. Quite a few had back porches overlooking the water and were for sale. 

Another surprise mileage day at 50mpg. I think the Road King has a mileage sweet spot when I am cruising at about 60-65. I just rode into Vermont about an hour ago and set up my tent. My neighbor looks like he moved in permanently a few years ago.  

I only have one picture for the day and it is where I sit righting this. No, I have yet to drink a beer, even though I sit in a cool New England micro brewery.  

Tomorrow I head to Maine to see Charlie. It has been a minutes since we have seen each other. About 16-17 years to be a bit more exact.  

Found the falls...

Today was another wet one as I got near the Great Lakes. The storm that I was able to bypass was strong, but small and quick. I managed to duck into a McDonald's just in time to stay mostly dry. I decided to get on my rain gear anyways as the road was bound to throw up some wetness and the skies weren't completely clear.  

Going up around Cleveland was a good idea, and Pennsylvania came and went in a flash on the lakeside. I cut over to the 5 once I got into New York to avoid the tolls. If you ride a motorcycle in an area that has a lot of tolls, you can set a way point using google maps and tell it to avoid tolls to make it an interesting ride. I plan on doing this down the east coast as long as it doesn't take me too far out of my way. I have yet to pay a toll on this trip.  

I got to Niagara Falls a little after lunch and parked off the street north of the falls. Not a great part of town, but I knew I wouldn't be away from the bike for long. The falls are smaller than I thought they would be, and yes, the Canadians seem to have a better view and their town looks much nicer. If I ever come back it will be to go to Canada and also to see the falls.  

I set up camp at the 4 mile creek campsite. This place has a few hundred spaces for all kinds of camping. There are no pull throughs, so practice reversing that trailer. The campsite borders Lake Ontario. You can't make out a coastline on the other side. There is no swimming here, but there is a good view of the lake in the 100 and 200 areas of the camp.  

Tomorrow I head east to Vermont through New York. It should be pretty as the trees are getting thicker each day.  

Two thirds done

On this day I left Bloomington headed east towards Delaware, OH. The day could not have started better eating breakfast with Dusti's mom and grandpa, and then having coffee with Liz. I absolutely love talking with Liz. She is one of those special people in the world that glow with the light of love. Whoever she decides to share her life with will be a very lucky person.  

This picture says a lot to me. I am into motorsports and have watched many races at Indy. However this is different as a little over a year ago, I sat in a chair at my friends house watching the Indy 500 a week after having back surgery. I had a fusion of the L4, L5, S1 spinal segment. Here I sit 8200 miles into my road trip with some back pain, but nothing compared to where I was a year ago. 

I also stopped at the United States Air Force Museum. I got the AF bug when the B-52s out of Carswell AFB used to fly directly over my apartment building at Summit on the Lake. I was only 8 or so at the time but the bug was persistent. I wanted to be a pilot until a few of them told me I would never fly with my poor eyesight. My dreams weren't completely crushed as the AF provided me with plenty of opportunities to feel a part of the flying machine that is the AF. 

The SR-71 Blackbird was my favorite plane as a young teenager. This huge plane was so fast it was classified. I later found out that it leaked fuel while on the ground because the plane would heat up when it got up to speed allowing the panels to expand. The museum had three variations of this plane type as it took a few designs to get it right.  

WWII buffs will recognize this plane immediately. This is the plane that dropped Fat Man on Nagasaki killing 35,000 people almost instantly. 

I have many more pictures that will be available in a gallery after the trip is complete.

The museum is free and open to the public and features 4 huge hangers full of aircraft, a missle silo full of missle tech, and various other displays. Bring your walking shoes and plan to spend around 3-6 hours here if you want to see everything. 

I ended up at Delaware state park in Ohio. The camping was adequate and just out of cell phone range as usual.  

I am now headed to Niagara Falls, before I head towards the east coast.