Kyle Petty's Ride to Victory VIII -- October 17, 2010

A friend of mine mentioned this ride to me, and sent me the link to Kyle Petty's Ride to Victory VII. Curious, I took a look for myself. I had thought that the only ride associated with this charity was the cross-country one, that takes about two weeks. This extension is a one-day run from Charlotte to Greensboro where Victory Junction is located. It's an opportunity to ride with celebrities on a ride across North Carolina.

We filled out the paperwork and mailed it in for both Linda and I, and received an email within the week confirming our registration.

There are 4 staging points around Charlotte, in Monroe, Matthews, Gastonia and Statesville. At 8 am on Sunday morning, the riders will depart for the zMax Dragstrip (across from Lowe's Motor Speedway) and join with the riders there for the ride to Victory Junction, a camp for kids with serious illnesses and chronic medical conditions. This year, after the ride to Victory Junction, we'll ride to Kyle Petty's farm in Trinity for "Kyle Petty & Friends: A Songwriters' Jam." Sounds like a blast!

Because of the early start on Sunday morning, we're traveling to Monroe on Saturday Night, and staying in a hotel not far from Iron Horse Motorcycles, the staging point in Monroe. After the concert, we plan to stay in Lexington, NC overnight and return to Florence on Monday morning. All in all, it looks like it'll be a 350-mile weekend (or more)! Can't wait!

Saturday, October 16, 3PM. Dateline Quality Inn, Monroe, NC.

We left the house about 11 this morning, packed light for a 2-night trip. Of course, besides clothes, this includes: tools, flat tire repair kit, rain suits and bike covers, cameras, chargers, and computer. We really know how to rough it -- we just choose not to!

I had hoped to leave around noon, but with nothing else to do, we figured we could leave early, gas up, get cash, and get to Monroe, find a restaurant and eat, then check in. When we left, the temperature was around 70, but we decided to wear chaps and leathers anyway. The wind chill at 60 miles per hour can make you feel very cold.

Fate is a strange partner. We ended up losing about half an hour just getting through Florence. Apparently Wilson High School was having their Homecoming Parade, blocking traffic for 20 minutes or more about a block in front of us. We were stopped next to a flatbed wrecker, who was trying to get to the next block for a wreck, but like the rest of us was stuck. As we finally passed the road where the wreck occurred, we saw three patrol cars waiting for him, and looking none too happy about it.

Finally on our way, we sifted our way through the backlog of traffic, up Highway 52, through the I-95 interchange, and on into Darlington. Traffic about normal for this area, not too busy, but steady. We turned onto Highway 151 and the Garmin indicated 66 miles until the next turn.

It's been a very long time since I've traveled up that road. Linda reminded me that we had gone that way to see Neil Diamond at the Charlotte Coliseum on a Friday night, and Jimmy Buffet at Memorial Stadium the next night. That was over twenty years ago! At that time, as you left Hartsville, the road slimmed down from a four-line highway with a center turn lane to a two lane road. Now (and I'm sure it's been this way for a long time), its four-lane all the way to Charlotte. Sweet!

Traffic lightened up as we moved north and west out of Hartsville. We rode up through Kellytown, and you can see the dome at the Robinson Nuclear Power Plant as you pass the high-voltage lines. After passing that area, things opened up, and we were out in the country.

Highway 151 on the north side of Hartsville passes through some beautiful scenery. The road is very straight, with gentle hills and curves that are a joy to ride. Traffic thinned until, at some points, we were alone on the highway. The air was crisp and cool, and felt good on the face. Wearing the chaps and leathers paid off; they kept us from getting chilled, and allowed us to enjoy the ride. We weren't the only ones that had pulled out their cool weather gear -- there were a lot of bikes out there, and most of the riders were wearing chaps.

The road condition was good, even if it was older. When we crossed the border into North Carolina, the road changed, and it looked as if it had been recently paved, making it smoother.  Traffic remained light until we arrived in Monroe. As we turned onto 601 (W. Roosevelt Blvd), we went from two empty lanes to 5 full lanes. I maneuvered into the middle lane, and followed around until we were in the left lane out of three, with bumper-to-bumper vehicles, moving between 45 miles per hour and stopped. We passed Iron Horse Motorcycles, where we will join the ride, and continued for another mile where we found the Quality Inn and turned in.

It was only 1:15, but we were able to check in a little early. They were accomodating in that we asked to be moved to a first-floor room (no elevator), and we were in our room by 1:30.

Across the street is a Logan's Roadhouse, and we took the trike across for lunch. You know the kind of place, a bucket of peanuts on each table, shells on the floor. The steaks were prepared perfectly, were very tender and delicious. The young lady that served us was so energetic, she made me tired just watching her as she hopped, skipped and ran to each table. I accused her of chugging those 5-hour energy drinks (she just laughed). No matter. Lunch was perfect, even to the manager coming over and asking how our food was.

It's almost four, and nap time. I told you, we can really rough it! More later.

Sunday, October 17th, 8:45 PM Dateline Lexington, NC.

What a great day! Perfect weather, beautiful scenery, good music, great people, terrific ride.

We were up at six this morning, and packed up the bags before grabbing a quick bite at the Quality Inn's "breakfast." We packed up the bikes and were checked out at 7.

I had my first experience with the Tire Pressure Indicator when it started blinking. I'm pretty sure it had to do with the fact that it was 41 degrees, and the tire was close to the lower limit. We stopped for gas and air before heading south for a mile to Iron Horse Motorcycles, where we found about 10 other riders waiting to head for the dragway about 7:30.

There were 3 or  4 other Goldwings there, and we compared extras -- one had Sirius, one had a Garmin like mine, and I gave him pointers on hooking up the audio. There were a few Yamahas, a Valkyrie and yes, even a Harley or two. Poor guys felt outnumbered, for a change . :-)

More motorcycles showed up and we took off around 8:15 for zMax Dragway, the starting point for the run. We headed up the highway, and arrived in about 40 minutes. It was cold! But the seat heaters and grip heaters helped, not to mention the chaps and leathers.

We pulled up in front of Lowes Motor Speedway and saw the aftermath from the race the night before. Motor homes and campers were strewn around on all sides, as if a tonado had hit a trailer park. We turned off, and threaded our way through to the dragway, and parked in the staging lines, with about an hour to spare before the start.

We walked up to the check-in area. There were three lines: Pre-Registered (the longest), New Registrations (the shortest) and Waivers / Wrist Bands. We stood in the long queue, but there was no real grumbling going on. Everybody was laughing and joking, and enjoying the event. Kyle Petty was out and about, looking for a set of lost keys (they were found eventually).

He's third from the left, in the background.

We checked in and got our goodies (t-shirt, pin and decals), and joined the next line to sign the waiver and get our wrist band for lunch. We still had about a half hour to go, so we took some pictures.

Kyle was doing an interview (not sure for who) in front of the staged cycles.

Here's Linda, ready to ride!

There were supposed to be some celebrities around; most of them had to do with NASCAR, so sorry, I wouldn't know them at all. However, I was hoping to see Robert D. Raiford, from The Big Show, the morning radio show out of Charlotte. Raiford does daily commentaries. I'm pretty sure this is him:

He's in his 80's, and still riding. In fact, he's been on several of the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, a 9-day run from Las Vegas to Victory Junction. He usually reports on each day of the run. He's an outspoken curmudgeon that can be very entertaining.

Before mounting up, we gathered at the front while Kyle thanked everyone for coming, and thanked the sponsers for their continued support. In fact, he mentioned that Krispy Kreme had provided the coffee and donuts that morning. He asked if anyone had arrived too late for the coffee and donuts, and a lot of hands went up (including ours). "Well, they were good!" he quipped. Funny guy.

He gave us some of the basic rules of the run, and a quick itinerary. We were to ride in traditional staggered formation, using the two-second rule. If a rider had a problem with his bike, we were to continue as they pulled off. There were enough support personnel that would stop and either render assistance, or call for help. "We don't stop for anybody," he said, as it messes up the whole ride for everybody else.

We ended with a short prayer, and headed for the bikes. We pulled onto the dragway's track, and rode it's length, the surface black with rubber. At the end we turned and headed out to the road. The local motorcycle police did a great job of escorting us through the entire ride.

The first part of the ride was a bit fragmented, as they didn't actually stop traffic on I-85. Instead, the diverted the northbound traffic to the left lane, allowing us to pull on as one group. But cars continued to pull through the line, breaking us up again and again. It didn't last long, as our first stop was at the Flying J Pilot Travel Center. We crowded in while some got gas, others used the bathrooms, food and drink were provided.

Again, everybody had a good time, and we were soon on our way. In spite of the chaos, once we were on the road, things quickly sorted out, and we were on the way. This time, as we entered I-85 North, the highway patrol had blocked all the traffic, and we got a good head start on the traffic, so it wasn't as fragmented. We moved quickly up the highway, although the "accordian effect" occurred a few times. As someone slows or brakes, the riders bunch up and slow down, then quickly speed up and space back out again. We would go from 70 to 35 and back again in a matter of minutes. You had to keep your eyes on the riders ahead.

What a sight, though as you looked as far as you could see and couldn't see the beginning of the line of motorcycles, then looked back, and couldn't see the end. It is an awesome sight.

There were several riders that pulled out and to the side of the road, but I think I counted less than 10 of them. Not bad in a field of 400 motorcycles. Kyle Petty had a good time. He was in the lane to our right, moving at about 5 mph slower than us, so he could make eye contact and wave at every rider. He is a truly ingenuous person, and really enjoyed the day with us.

When we left I-85 and headed for Victory Junction, we were blessed with some beautiful countryside as the roads got smaller. Carolina blue skies, fields that seemed to stretch on forever, placid ponds and lakes, rolling hills and great roads with curves ranging from gentle to sharp, making for a very nice ride.

As we passed houses and neighborhoods, we found people standing by the road, waving to us, flashing peace signs and thumbs-up as we waved and blew our horns for them. Soon enough we were entering Victory Junction for our "Victory Lap."

In past runs, the ride ended at the camp, and lunch was served along with a tour. However, there were campers in residence, and we were only taking a ride through. The place is amazing, and I encourage you to follow the link above and see what it's about. It's a small town, in a placid, beautiful setting. There were staff members at each intersection, waving at us as we passed at about 5 mph. One group of about 20 stood there with their hands out. I pulled closer and held out my hand for a mass high-five, to the cheers of the crowd. It was incredible! Too soon, we had passed through, and headed back out to Kyles Farm in Trinity.

More fantastic scenery as we arrived at the farm, a sprawling landscape of rolling hills, tranquil lake, livestock and a huge building that was our destination. We parked the bikes, and were offered drinks of water, Cokes, and other beverages. Inside, the ladies had taken over all of the restrooms. The men were banished to the 5 PortaJohns outside.

Inside was a huge hall, where several tables of food had been laid out for the riders. Barbeque sandwiches, sausage and sweet red bell peppers (yum!), pasta salad, raw fries, potato wedges, desserts and more. We filled our plates, and went searching for a place to sit. We found a corner in the next room and enjoyed the delicious food.

Behind us, I found a small museum of Kyle and his son Adam's memorabilia: cars, motorcycles, mini racers, photos, ribbons, trophies and more.

Afterwards, we strolled outside where a stage had been set up for the Songwriter's Jam. Bales of hay had been set up as seats for the concert, but Linda and I found two rockers in the shade, off to the side.

On the stage were Mark Collie, Billy Montana and Rafe Van Hoy who, combined, have 19 Number One hits and 17 others in the Top Ten, ranging from "Golden Ring" to "Bring On The Rain." They were joined by Kyle Petty and  violinist Jimmy Edmonds. Each sang one of their creations, either a well-known song or something new, and Kyle even sang some of his own. He actually has a good voice, and his songs were worth listening to. Jimmy Edmonds did "Listen To The Mockingbird" on his violin, and at the end he manipulated his violin to do bird impressions. Around 4 they finished up as Billy Montana sang Kris Kristopherson's "Why Me (Lord)" as we sang along. Then Kyle sang his original "The Most Famous Person I Know," his tribute to Click Baldwin, a long-time friend of Kyle's that died following a motorcycle crash in Montana in 2008. It was a beautiful tribute. Finally, Jimmy Edmond played a moving version of a Victory Junction standard, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."

Click Baldwin owned and operated Carolina Harley-Davidson in Gastonia. The Harley Owner's Group attached to his dealership have been strong supporters of Victory Junction, and through the years have collected over $200,000 for the cause. Sadly, Carolina Harley-Davidson has just closed, disbanding this group. They were there in force, and Kyle brought them up and acknowledged their hard work and contribution.

We left soon after, and headed for Lexington, to the Holiday Inn Express outside of the Childress Winery. Here's a picture of the view outside our room's window:

The hotel still has that new smell, and the room is big and comfy. We headed into town for dinner, but ate very little, as tired as we are.

Overall, it was a great day, and we'll be coming back next year for the next run. Maybe some of you can join us next year.

Tomorrow we'll head back to Florence, heading down I-71 and through Cheraw. Should be another nice ride.

Kill Devil Hills NC - September 17th - 19th, 2010

Friday, September 17th

First of all, a happy birthday to my wonderful wife, Linda. To celebrate, we loaded up the bikes, and spent 8 hours on the road to get to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

We left out this morning around 8:30 from Florence. Rather than go the traditional route (I-95 to Raleigh, then west and south to US 64), we (I) elected to go the back route, using US 76, US 74, and apparently as many back roads as the Garmin could find.

I figured out after about 200 miles where I went wrong. When planning the route in MapSource, Garmin's PC mapping application, I changed the Road Preferences, sliding the bar a notch toward "Prefer minor roads." This allowed the software to take us off the beaten path. It held true to it's programming!

This is the Google equivilent of the route I chose to take. We headed out of Florence on US 76, and rode through Marion, Mullins, Nichols, then into Fair Bluff, North Carolina, a town that doesn't seem to have changed in 50 years. That's not a criticism, it's still a really nice town!

The going was a bit slow for a while, as we went from 55 to 45 to 35 and back again over and over. The temperature was in the low 70's, and it was a nice country ride.

We made up some time when we hit US 74, a 4-lane divided highway with a 70 mph speed limit.Traffic was light, and we were really moving. We turned off on Highway 11 (General Howe Road), a two-lane blacktop frequented by logging trucks and other 18-wheelers. While the turn was at the 100 mile mark, there wasn't any place to stop for the 100-mile break (see my last post). We had to travel to Burgaw, another 30 miles, before we re-entered civilization. I swear I could hear Dueling Banjos playing!

We stopped for lunch in Jacksonville, and took a break. We followed the planned route, and somewhere around Washington, we managed to miss a turn. We only thought we were in the country before! We ended up traveling another 10 miles down tiny blacktop roads before we found our way back to 17 North.

Around New Bern, there's a lot of construction on 17. Apparently, they're changing the route a bit, and the April update to the Garmin doesn't show the new road. At one point, the screen showed us racing across the fields (we were on a brand new, really nice and long bridge), until we joined back up with 17 again.

At the next 100 mile break, we found a country (a real country) store for drinks. Finally we hit US 64 east, and the speed limit went between 55 and 70, with little traffic. An awesome road that took us across to Roanoke Island.

The US 64 segement of the trip is beautiful. As you pass over the East Lake bridge and the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge over the Croatan Sound, the view is spectacular, the bridges rival the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, or the Half Moon Bay Bridge in San Francisco. Combine that with very light traffic, and it made up for the long runs on the back roads.

While still on the mainland, we saw a couple of signs that said "Watch for bears," and Linda spotted an "Alligator Watch Zone." So, watching for dogs, deer and goats isn't enough? Thankfully, we didn't see any of them.

We pulled into the Travelodge parking lot in Kill Devil Hills around 4:30, and were greeted by a group of Vietnam Vets having a reunion at the hotel. We had to show them the bikes, and all the features before we could check in. Nice bunch of guys, all about our age (or older).

We're on the third floor, and don't have a view of the ocean (across the street, behind the dunes). But we do have a view of the Wright-Brothers Memorial, which we plan on visiting tomorrow.

 

They tell me that it's lit up at night. That should be something to see!

On the way in, we saw several billboards for Dirty Dick's Crab House("I got crabs at Dirty Dicks"). For some reason, I have a hankering for seafood. We asked at the desk for a good seafood restaurant for tonight. She told us we should go to Dirty Dicks to get a T-shirt, then go to the Kill Devil Grill, or Awful Arthur's for good seafood. I'll take her at her word on that.

Saturday, September 18th

It's about 6 am, and I'm just getting up. For me, anything past 5 is pretty good.

Last night, we headed up to Awful Arthur's for dinner around 7 pm. We had to circle the small parking lot a few times before we grabbed a just-vacated spot. As we approached the front door, someone coming out announced that it was an hour and a half wait for a table. IMHO, there's no restaurant that's worth waiting that long for, so we turned around and headed for the Kill Devil Grill.

The place is an old-time diner, with a counter up front and a small dining area added on the back. There was a small wait for tables when we got there (the line got longer when we left), but there were spaces at the counter, so we sat there.

The counter had been kept authentic, from the individual juke boxes mounted there (they didn't work. One guy asked, "I wonder what happens if I put in a quarter?" I quipped, "You lose your quarter, that's what!"), to the original stools. The girl behind the counter had an Eastern European accent as she announced the specials for the night.

Linda had the Crab Cakes (Lump crab, no fillers), and I had the special, Firecracker Shrimp. Linda said the crab was good; the shrimp I had were large, with a tasty breading that seemed to get spicier as you ate. I enjoyed them. We shared a large slice of key lime pie that was very tasty, and more than enough for the two of us.

Back to the hotel by 9, and the monument was ablaze with light, with a spotlight at the top that circled like a lighthouse. We sat on the balcony and had a beer, enjoying the mild weather and the moonlit view.

In bed by 10, and asleep soon after.

I've been wondering about Virginia Dare, the namesake of the bridge over the Croatan Sound, and of the road along the coast, the Virginia Dare Trail. According to Wikipedia, Virginia Dare is the first child born in the colonies from English parents, in the short-lived Roanoke Colony. While she has been legendized, no one knows much about her, and don't even know when she died.

Linda is sleeping behind me, and I'll start planning our itinerary. We have to see what's available regarding the Wright Brothers, and do a little souvenir shopping. It's a short trip, so we'll have to "git 'er done" in one day.

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Travelodge has a simple breakfast available, but it's enough to get you going. Linda and I had a bagel and cream cheese and coffee while we planned the day.

At 9 am we were at the Wright Brothers Memorial. I have to say, it's inspiring. The twelve-second, 120 foot flight, only 20 feet off the ground, truly changed the world. It only took 66 years from that day in December, 1903 for us to get to the moon!

We first went to the memorial itself, and took a 360 degree video around the base. The climb up Kill Devil Hill was steep, and we had to work to get to the top. Kudos to Linda! While her knees worked against her, she was determined to reach the top, and she did!  I have the video, but it's about 285K, and it's gonna take too long to upload. I'll put it on my iPod when I get home.

The Memorial is set on a 5-pointed star base, and is similar to markers used for air races in the early 20th century (only a lot bigger). There are bronze busts of Orville and Wilbur in the front, and the view is spectacular.

We drove around to the back of the circle to the sculpture of the First Flight. I took pictures from behind each of the figures, to provide a perspective from each viewpoint.

We hit the Visitor's Centers next; there are two There is a replica of the original glider, and of the powered plane that they used for "thousands of test flights" (I didn't know that) before they built their powered craft.

There are several things I didn't know. From the flip of a coin, Wilbur actually made the first attempt, from the top of the hill. The craft stalled and crashed, but it would have been a cheat anyway. The challenge was to have a powered, controlled flight from level ground.

Orville took the first actual flight, the one that lasted twelve seconds and travelled 120 feet (shorter than the wing span of a 747, btw). John Daniels, a member of the Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Team, took the famous picture of the flight. Mr. Daniels had never used a camera before, and his family claims he never used one again. They didn't even know if they had gotten the picture until they returned to Dayton, Ohio!

There were four flights that day, the last one traveling 825 feet and lasting 59 seconds. A fifth flight was planned, one of about 4 miles (?!?) to the Post Office, but a sudden gust of wind lifted the plane off the ground and it turned over, destroying the engine. Mr. Daniels tried to hold the plane down, and ended up tumbling over and over as it crashed. Till he died, he claimed credit for having survived the first plane crash.

We spent way too much on souvenirs, and headed down to Roanoke Island, where we visited the NC Aquarium (one of three). To tell the truth, while it was nice, it paled in comparison to the Ripley Aquarium in Myrtle Beach.

We saw signs pointing to the "Lost Colony," where Virginia Dare was born. We followed them to the park where the remains of the earthen Fort Raleigh can be found. The fort is actually a star-shaped hollow with built-up earth that's actually quite small. The Lost Colony is still, well, lost. There is an area that they think is where the original colony existed, but nothing remains.

Between 1855 and 1857, attempts were made to establish an English settlement in the New World, to compete with Spain (the Spaniards settled as far north as Camp Lejuene, not too far south of here), and the attempts were funded by Sir Walter Raleigh. After three years without supplies from England, the colony either moved on or died. The current belief is that they tore down the houses to build boats so they could head north to Chesapeake, but they have no evidence to support it.

We had done quite a bit of walking, and we were done in, so we headed back to Nag's Head and Kill Devil Hills. We ended up eating a late lunch at Dirty Dick's Crab Shack (yes, we bought T-shirts that say "I got my crabs from Dirty Dicks"), and spent the rest of the afternoon poolside.

It's 7 o'clock now, and we have a long trip home tomorrow. I don't expect to do much tonight but pack for the ride. Three days is too short, but it's been a lot of fun so far.

Sunday, September 19th

I was right last night -- we had a few beers and fell asleep (one of the problems of a hotel room -- no place to watch TV but laying in bed). I was up at 5 as usual, checking the weather and studying the maps for the return ride.

Our waitress at Dirty Dick's has taken the trip from the Outer Banks to Columbia many times, and recommended the US-64 west to I-95 south route. The maps show it as an hour less travel for about the same distance. While we enjoyed the ride in along the back roads, the constant stop and go for small towns, and following the log trucks on the two-lanes got to be a bit much, and we were ready to get home, so I checked it out.

Linda got up early (for her) and we had a light breakfast before packing the bikes. The discussions around the breakfast area were mostly about travel home, and getting an early start. We left before most of them, at about 7:30. It was about 70 degrees, and we wore our jackets. It was warm to begin with, but as soon as we were up to speed, the cool air made us glad we had worn them.

US-64 West was almost empty, and we sailed across the bridges, and through the (swamps? marshes? not sure what the area is -- mostly wetlands and lakes). Besides the "Don't feed the bears" signs we'd seen on the way in, we saw a "Red Fox Crossing, next 10 miles" sign as well. Thankfully, we saw no bears or gators, or foxes. We did have a doe and a fawn run across in front of us (about 100 yards ahead), but they were well off the road by the time we got there. We did see a red fox later, but someone had already run it over. Yuch!

We were traveling at 60, about 5 mph over the limit, but at a particularly long straight stretch, we had some impatient drivers that passed about 5 cars to get in front of us -- crazy, but I had no plans to go faster. With all the wildlife crossing potential, there was a reason for the speed limit. Most of the rest of the crowd behind us passed us once we hit Columbia (NC), but they never did get very far ahead of us.

After Columbia, the highway opened up to 4 lanes, and the speed went up to 70. This highway was in better shape than most of I-95, and the miles rolled smoothly under our wheels. The road isn't very straight; it twists back and forth, and it was a blast. There were some bends that I had to push the bike through, and one that I turned off the cruise to get control. It was a tight turn at 70, and there was an exit ramp in the middle of it. I almost took the exit by mistake!

Don't worry. At no time did I feel out of control, or in danger. It was exhilirating, and it was fun, but it was in control.

We made it all the way to Rocky Mount on our first run, and stopped for gas and rest rooms about 10 miles from the Interstate, about 10 o'clock. It was about 82 degrees, and we left the jackets on for the time being.

The more I ride on I-95, the less I like it. The road surface isn't the best, and with the trucks, campers, and stupid drivers, you can't maintain a decent speed. You have the passive agressive guys that will race up on you, then slow down and ride just off your rear, preventing you from moving over to pass, and having to slow down. This is not just something I've experienced on the motorcycle; it happens in the car as well. The only solution is to pre-empt them by pulling into their lane long before you need to, and let them sit behind you until you've passed the slower vehicles.

The road continued to disappear beneath us, and the mile markers flew by. We were back in Florence by 1:30, and headed over to Longhorn for a good steak dinner before coming home and crashing.

All in all, it was a great weekend. The Travelodge was very good: quiet, friendly, clean. The Wright Brothers Memorial was more than I expected, and inspiring. We ate some delicious seafood, and packed a heckuva lot of stuff into the one day we were there. The next time, we'll take 4 days, and see if we can hit all four of the local lighthouses.

Hope you enjoy our adventures. They're not always exciting, but I try to provide an idea of how the trips go. If I'm succeeding, let me know.

Sunday, August 29, 2010 -- Lunch at the Sandy Ocean

Finally, a break in the heat (at least the humidity)! This weekend, the temps in the low 90's, humidity lower, making it warm and comfortable to ride.

After our NJ trip (see the archives), we decided to take the bikes to Honda of Sumter to get 'em checked out. I had put 2,000 miles on mine in the first three weeks, and Linda has 8,300 miles in a year and a half (bet I catch up with her). Ted, the sales manager, had suggested that I get my first change after 2K (not a break-in oil, but a good idea), and that we grease the trike's rear-end every 8K. So we got there early and they had 'em finished before 11. Maybe it's my imagination, but I swear that my Goldwing rides better now! Linda says the trike seems smoother as well.

In spite of our McLellanvile run that left us soaking wet at a closed restaurant, I still like the idea of trying out new places to eat. It gives us a destination to ride, and you never know what you'll find. That's what makes it an adventure!

I checked Google maps, and looked for places north of Florence, as we haven't gone that way yet. I found Sandy Ocean Bar-B-Que. A look at the street view, and it looked like a nice, country restaurant. We weren't disappointed!

The place is only 35 miles from Florence, and we headed up through Darlington, went slowly through Society Hill (the speed limit is 35, and I wouldn't go 36). and across the river to Marlboro county on Highway 15 / 401. For most of the ride, once we passed Darlington, Linda and  I had the road to ourselves. Beautiful country, beautiful blue sky with light clouds, a great ride! As we neared Bennettsville, we began to look for the restaurant. The picture on Google's street view is just how the place looks and we pulled in.

The parking lot is mostly loose stone, but we found some hard ground to put down my kickstand, and headed for the front door. People were standing outside, waiting to get in. At first, I thought I had to get my name on a list, but that's not how a traditional country restaurant works. The line inside had simply gotten too long, and the line outside was waiting for room. The line went straight to the buffet.

Inside, the place was filled with tables ranging from 4 chairs to 10 chairs, and another room off the side had more. While some groups were obviously together, other tables held several smaller groups. You just found a place to sit, and make room for the people next to you.

The food was truly your basic country fare -- ham, chopped bar-b-que, turkey and dressing, rice, macaroni and cheese, pulled pork and roast beef, greens (yes, I tried the greens), beans, corn, salad fixin's, peach cobbler and 'nanner pudding. The difference? This food had real flavor! The bar-b-que is described as "vinegar-ketchup" based, and it was tasty on it's own. Add the sauce from the table, and it was as good as any I've had. Home-made mac and cheese -- yum! Everything was delicious, and I wasted not one bit of it. The girls were prompt in keeping my glass filled, not an easy task in that busy place. And at $20.01 (don't forget your penny), it was a true bargain.

In truth, we had to spend about 10 minutes in line before we got to the food. And I recommend you get what you want in your first pass. The line never got shorter than out to the door the entire time we were there!

As we headed back towards Florence I believe our gas mileage suffered considering the amount of food we put away. I'm sure we'll make that trip again!

Same great ride back home -- little or no traffic, just great weather and feeling the road rush under your wheels. A great adventure!

New Jersey -- August 7th - 14th, 2010

Ah, vacation! We've been planning this for months! A nice ride up the coast, across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, then up to Lewes, Delaware and a ferry ride across to Cape May. We're planning on spending the week with Linda's sisters and their friends at the Villa Nova "Resort" hotel in Wildwood Crest. We've done this for the last few years, and we've enjoyed ourselves each time. This time, we're going to try something different -- we're going by motorcycle.

I'm watching the weather closely for signs of a front that's going to bring rain for the whole trip. If that happens, we'll fall back to using the Mustang. But now, with two Honda Goldwings in the family, this should be a great ride.

We started packing on Thursday night, and I found that there's probably as much room between the trunks and saddlebags on both bikes as there is in the Mustang, so we're able to pack more than we thought. Tonight I'll check the bikes, the air in the tires, etc. and get them packed up so we can get an early start in the morning. I know Linda is excited and, to tell you the truth, so am I!

Saturday Morning, 5 AM

It really doesn't seem to matter whether I'm on vacation or not. I still wake up at 5 am.

We had a bunch of rain last night, and Linda and I watched the weather nervously. Even though the various weather sites show the rain moving out of the area, it's hard to believe it when it's still coming down, accompanied by thunder and lightning. We kept our resolve, though. At 8 o'clock we packed the bikes with everything but the computers -- they'll be just about the last thing to go.

The Goldwing is an amazing black hole when it comes to loading your stuff -- we have two top trunks, the very large trike trunk (Linda's), the two saddlebags (mine), even those little stash boxes on either side of the back seats (good for extra gloves and cameras). It looks like we filled to about 90% capacity, but the only thing we may have to lash to a back seat is a cooler. Even the Keurig coffee maker (single cup model) fit in the trunk!

I walked outside this morning. Cloudy, about 74 degrees. Everything looks damp, but the crickets are out, chirping away. A good sign. Looks like this is going to happen.

I'll let Linda sleep in for a little while. I'll bet she's up early as well -- I know she's as excited as I am to get on the road.

Saturday Afternoon, 3 PM Dateline Virginia Beach

After all the warnings and concerns about the amount of time and effort it would take to get here, we're amazed that we made it to the Red Roof Inn on Northampton Blvd in Virginia Beach in 6½ hours, about an hour longer than it would take by car.

We left the house, and hit I-95 at Highway 327 around 8:30 this morning. While I-95 isn't the best ride around, it wasn't too bad. We had overcast skies and about 76 degree temps when we left. We kept looking at the sky, because it looked like it was going to rain at any time. Weather.com was right, though. The rain was gone.

I was (and am) committed to enforced breaks every 100 miles. That may not seem like a lot in a car, but it's a fair distance on motorcycles, even touring bikes like the Goldwing. The cruise control really takes some of the stress out of the ride, but you still have to be very alert, watching everything and everybody around you, both in front and behind. Having the CB's really helps. "You've got a bogie coming up fast on your left" gives you a little more warning on the crazies that think that 95 is the speed limit. We kept our speed to about 5mph over the whole way.

We shared the CB channel with 3 riders, all of them on older Goldwings for a few miles, just before we pulled off at Dunn, NC. It's just north of Fayetteville, about 115 miles into the trip. Not sure where they were headed, but they were pleasant enough. Even though we weren't too bad on gas, we filled up and grabbed some fruit juice, then got back on the road. Stretching the back and legs really helps, and the next hundred and twenty miles to Emporia, VA flew by. We were at the I-95 / US 58 interchange by noon.

We stopped for lunch at Wendy's, and took a good break before gassing up and heading east on 58 to Norfolk. The Garmin, trying to take us to what it considered the "shortest route," kept trying to get us to turn off on assorted highways. I knew where I wanted to be, so I ignored it, and kept on.

US58 from Emporia to just west of Norfolk is a really nice 4-lane country highway. Speed limit around 60, the occaisonal stop light, but most of them were green for us, and traffic was light. Only when we were on "final approach" to I-64 did the traffic begin to escalate, and the trip become a bit of work.

I should explain that, last year we somehow ended up on I-264, assuming that it was the loop around Norfolk. But nooooo! In Norfolk, the highways are backwards. I-64 is the southern loop, and 264 takes you downtown where you have to squeeze several lanes down to 2 to get through the downtown tunnel. We weren't having any of that this year.

We followed the maze that is I-64 around, and had no trouble getting onto Northampton. We found the Red Roof, and as luck would have it, they had a room for the night, and gave us the AARP discount (shut up -- you'd use it too!).

Nice room, a sports bar across the street for dinner, good coffee in the lobby.

I checked the next part of the trip. We are only 184 miles (about 3½ hours) away from our destination. Awesome!

Sunday Morning, 6:45

Went to "Ike's Sportz Bar" for dinner, right across Northampton Blvd. We walked, but it's wierd crossing this road. It's about 10 lanes across! You're really not sure if there's enough time to get all the way to the other side before the light changes. Felt a little like "Frogger."

The bar isn't very big, but it's a friendly place, and we found a few stools at the bar. We met a retired Navy cook that now works at the Sheraton, which he claims is where celebrities stay when they're in town for concerts and stuff. He's met Carlos Santana, George Clooney, and even cooked a cheeseburger for Bill Cosby. The stories kept getting a little mixed up, but it was fun.

You wouldn't expect a place like this to offer prime rib on the special, but it turned out to be pretty good for $12.95. Not in my "top ten" list of prime ribs, but not bad. At around 8 o'clock, the police set up shop across the street, and when the light was red, walked between the cars with flashlights, checking the drivers. They directed some to pull into the lot for breathalyzers. Didn't last too long, but it seemed a strange way to do it.

It's about 74 degrees here right now and maybe a little fog, but it's supposed to be clear with a high of 85. Should be a great ride today. Most of it on US 13 and 113, through mostly rural areas (aka "boondocks"). We've taken this route before, and I remember the roads as being in good shape, and 4 lanes. We should make good time to the ferry. Can't wait!

Sunday, August 8th – We Made It!


We left Virginia Beach around 8:15 under cloudy skies, a reminder that God has a sense of humor – even though the weather channel was predicting sunny skies, He could make the weather do whatever He wanted. He was only kidding, though. The day turned out to be perfect for the ride.

We headed out Northampton Blvd. towards the bridge, paid the tolls (2 bikes @ $12 each), and headed “out to sea.” The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is actually two separate structures, North and Southbound, each of them two lanes with a narrow shoulder and a few breakdown pull-overs.

It was beautiful: the sun low in the eastern sky, light fog over the water, very little traffic to interfere with the pleasure of the ride. As you ride north, you can see the bridge ahead for miles as it gently curves northeast towards the upper peninsula of Virginia.

Linda was a bit nervous at first, and we kept our speed to the limit as we approached the first tunnel. The northbound side merges to one lane, and you enter the tunnel facing oncoming traffic. We maintained the speed limit (55) and stayed in the center of the lane as Linda built up her confidence. She’s a great rider, and it didn’t take long for her to get used to the feeling of the walls and ceiling rushing past you, the noise of the oncoming cars echoing around you as they pass. When we came up out of the first tunnel, she said, “Let’s pick it up a bit; I feel better now.” We set the cruise at 60 and headed across the middle bridge.

The second tunnel was really cool, as we left the bikes on cruise control, and allowed them to take us through at 60. On the third bridge as we passed the breakdown pullover, we found a highway patrol car tucked neatly in, watching for speeders. Nice hidey-hole! I waved as we passed, and we moved on.

Traffic on Highway 13 was light, and the air was comfortable as the blue skies began to open. This area of Virginia isn’t exactly desolate, but I was surprised at the number of small hotels we passed. It is a fisherman’s paradise, as there are plenty of access points to the bay and the ocean.

We passed through small town after small town. Some of them were just crossroads with a traffic light. The speed limit would go to 55 for a few miles, then slow to 45 for the light, then back up again. We probably had to stop for about half of them.

Making great time, we crossed into Maryland around 9:30, and stopped at the Welcome Center outside of Pocamoke City for our first break. We checked the maps and found we were 85 miles from the ferry in Lewes, Delaware.

The sun was out in all its glory, and we decided to try the cooling bandanas we brought. They’d been soaking in cold water in the cooler, and the gel inside them was nice and cold. Wrapping them around our necks, it helped us stay cooler for the rest of the ride as we headed up Highway 113.

About the only slowdown we hit was within 20 miles of our destination. The road slims down to two lanes, and we were stuck behind a “slowpoke with a boat.” He managed to keep his vehicle at 5 – 10 mph below the speed limit for about 15 miles, with no way to pass him. The line of cars behind us continued to grow. Finally he turned off and we headed for the ferry, arriving at about 11:30

We purchased the round-trip ticket for the ferry ($63 each – ouch!) and were directed to an empty lane with only 15minutes or so before boarding. Motorcycles are put on the boat first, so they can position them near the front. Linda’s trike was placed dead center, just behind the fence at the front. They directed me to pull up, then back up, turning the bike so it was actually perpendicular to the boat – it was going to take the trip sideways!

As it turns out, there is very little motion forward or backward as the ferry travels across the mouth of the Delaware River. But there is a lot of side-to-side motion, so the bike never moved. We went upstairs for a light lunch as we enjoyed the hour and a half trip to Cape May, NJ.

We went back down to the bikes about twenty minutes before we arrived at the other side. You get a better sense of speed from the main deck as you watch the water rush under the bow. I turned on the Garmin and found that we were travelling at a steady 13 mph across the water. It seemed faster.

As we came towards the port on the NJ side, the announcement came to return to your vehicles. The crew suddenly appeared and began to make preparations for landing as we climbed on the bikes. I never actually felt it when the boat stopped at the dock; that’s how skilled the pilot was. As they brought down the ramp, one of the crew looked at the two of us and asked if we were together. She directed Linda to leave first, then for me to follow as they held up the rest of the vehicles. It’s really cool being the first off and leading the crowd out to the street.

Within 10 minutes we were at our hotel and checking in. Two days of perfect riding, over 500 miles with no rain, no drama, no crisis. Bored? Heck no! This was probably the best trip to New Jersey we’ve experienced in a long time – so far!

I won’t blog everything we do on vacation, except that, when we get to the beach, I’ll bring my camera, and y’all can join me in my favorite beach game – “Real . . . or Fake?”

Thursday, August 12th

We've pretty much been hanging with the family -- Linda's sisters Patti, Tracy and Carrie, Tom (Carrie's husband), and the nieces and nephews Nicole, Vicky, Gina (Tracy's), and Kelly, Tommy and Michelle (Carrie's) -- all week. We went to the boardwalk one night, hung out at the pool, napped, drank beer, etc. I've gone down to the beach every morning at dawn to dip my toes in. It's been really cold, especially compared to the warm water off Myrtle Beach! Linda hasn't seen the need to walk all the way to the beach, so she's hanging at the pool.

Yesterday, we gassed up the bikes and headed north on the Garden State Parkway, the toll road that takes you from Cape May in the south of New Jersey, up to the New York State Thruway. We were headed for my godmother's house in Manahawkin, about 65 miles. The GSP down here is two lanes in each direction, and the posted speed is 65. We cruised along for about 20 miles before we hit construction and had to slow to a creeping crawl. The right lane was closed, and we had to merge to the left lane. Normally, you would think that, once the merging had completed, we would start rolling, right? Not in New Jersey! We ended up stopping and going for another mile, until we reached a bridge. There were a bunch of workers (?) standing around as one guy welded a plate in the right lane. Every driver had to stop and check his work; once we passed him, we started rolling again. It reminded me why I'm happy we moved south!

We found Aunt Mary's house with little trouble (thanks to the Garmin), and had a really nice visit. She took us to lunch, to her favorite diner. Unfortunately, they were having power problems, so we ended up at TGIFridays instead.

I found something interesting on the way back. I noticed going up that there was a toll just north of the entrance ramp from the Atlantic City Expressway, but there was no southbound toll. Unusual. On the return ride, we found the other toll, just south of the entrance ramp from (you guessed it) the Atlantic City Expressway. If you're coming on to the GSP from the ACE in either direction, they're gonna get their dollar!

We got back to Wildwood after 4, and went to bed early, tired from the ride. We had rain this morning, and the sun came out around noon. We hit the souvenier shops and found our shot glasses for the collection, as well as a few others for taking back home.

I've been looking for my house keys, and pretty much decided that I'd left them home. After all, I wasn't going to need them. Just to cover my bases, I called the Red Roof Inn at Virginia Beach, and asked about them. They had found them. So we're stopping on the way back through. If the traffic or weather are against us, we'll probably spend the night there. Good place, clean, and nice people.

We've done our "pre-packing," and we're scheduled on the 8:30 ferry in the morning. With a little luck, we'll be through Norfolk before rush hour.

Friday, August 13th

I was up early, anticipating the ride ahead, knowing it was going to be a long day. We have an 8:30 reservation on the Cape May -- Lewes Ferry, and we need to leave at 7:30 to make sure we're there and ready to board on time. I brought the motel's luggage carrier over to load all of our bags, and was amazed at how much we were actually going to pack in the two bikes (there will be a picture on Facebook soon)! Amazingly, everything fit. I used my Dad's old axiom: Dont't pack any air, there's plenty where you're going!

Tracy Patti and Carrie got up to see us off, and get some pictures. I had to be the bad guy and insist on "kicks up at 7:30." Otherwise, we'd have been rushing to the ferry, I had two dollars ready to go for the drawbridge, only to find that the price was now $1.50 each. We got to the ferry and had about 15 minutes to spare. As before, we were first on. They pulled of the New Jersey; I think it was because of the huge travel home that boarded. He had about 4 inches to spare to board the big ship.

The weather was "iffy." The wind was brisk, and the clouds looked heavy with rain. Indeed, there were storms in Philadelphia and Atlantic City, and looked like they were circling us. The ride on the ferry was rough, the waves rocking the ship the entire hour and twenty-five minutes across. We ate a light breakfast on board, and were (almost) the first off at the dock at Lewes, Delaware.

Experience is a great teacher. I knew that I did NOT want to go south on US 1, as it would take us through Ocean City, MD, which would delay us for all the traffic. We wanted to head south on US 113, a nice country ride.

To get to 113, you have to head south on US 1, if only for a while. As we were waiting at a light, I asked a young man if we were heading the right way. He confirmed our route, and gave us landmarks where we should turn. He is a student at USC, and his mother is from New Jersey. Small world! That's about as much as you can learn while you're sitting at a red light!

Once we were pointed in the right direction, the ride was fairly uneventful: we went from 55 to 45 mph more times than I can count as headed towards Pocomoke City, where we would continue south on US 13. We pushed the 100 mile break a little bit (120 miles), and filled up the bikes.

By this time, we were within 30 miles of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT), and soon enough we were on the bridge. We were behind an 18 wheeler that was tall enough that, if he bounced the tralier, it would scrape the tile on the roof. He slowed down to 40 mph, and we had no choice but to follow. We passed him on the next bridge, and set the cruise at 60.

Heading into the second tunnel, there was no oncoming traffic (at first), and no vehicles right in front of me. I got, if you'll parden the pun, "Tunnel Vision." I became fixated on the hole in front of me, and I deactivated the cruise. It was freaky, but with the throttle under my control, I was fine.

We stopped at the Red Roof Inn and picked up my keys. It was barely 2 pm so we pushed on through. I 64 is insane! We managed to navigate our way through, and pushed on through to Emporia. We found a Country Inn, and an adjoining Applebee's. Tomorrow morning we'll jump on I-95. We should have a 4-hour ride, and then we'll be home.

Dateline: Emporia, August 14th

Wow! Yesterday was a harder ride than we thought. We hit the Appleby's about 4:30 and ordered a couple of beers before dinner. We ate well, had a few beers and walked back to the hotel. We were asleep before dark.

We had waffles for breakfast, and were packed and on the road by 8:30. The last 215 miles were busy ones. For most of the morning we were in a moving traffic jam. Both lanes were packed with cars, trucks and campers, but we were moving -- most of the time. Every now and then, for no apparent reason, traffic would suddenly slow to almost a full stop, only to start moving again right away. It kept us on our toes.

We had several times when we were separated by one or more cars or trucks, but the CB's are really worth having for staying in touch with each other. We took the mandatory 100-mile break, then headed out.

In Fayetteville we had a close call. Riding in the left lane, as we were passing an on-ramp, a car in the right lane pulled in between Linda and I where there really wasn't enough room. As Linda backed off and I pulled forward, brake lights began to appear. I tapped my brakes several times, then began to slow down quickly when I heard tires squeal behind me. Apparently this guy wasn't paying attention, and overreacted. Linda hit her brakes and pulled to the left, her rear left wheel hitting the rumble strips on the shoulder. Fortunately the guy behind her was paying attention, and all was fine. I know she was afraid that I was going to be hit, and I was concerned for her safety. Our training, our experience and our reflexes helped to avoid a nasty incident.

We got home about 1 in the afternoon, as tired after 4½ hours as we were the day before after 6. Most of the day we rode under cloudy skies with rain a possibility, but we were spared a soaking. It's good to be home!

We've been taking this route for three years now, and we've traveled back and forth to New Jersey for 30 years. This ride was the best I can remember. We were alert the entire time, and the sights and sounds as we traveled across the countryside were worth the effort. The frequent (every 100 miles) breaks made it a lot easier to ride comfortably.

This is what was packed in the two bikes!

July 17, 2010 -- South of the Border

For those of you not familiar with it, South of the Border is a cheesy tourist trap, located at the North and South Carolina border, at the intersection of I-95 and US Highway 301. For almost the entire length of North Carolina (Southbound) and South Carolina (Northbound) you are besieged with billboards, spaced a mile apart.

We got a late start today, and decided on a short ride. SOB is only 45 miles away. Riding on the Interstate may be faster, but it's not really much fun. We opted for the Highway 301 route, and pulled out around 2. We had to travel a short way along the main Beach route (US Highway 76 and 301), but the eastbound traffic wasn't too bad. Across the median, the westbound lanes were crowded and moving slowly; must've been the vacationers leaving the beach.

Once we turned north to follow 301 we left the traffic behind. The route from Pee Dee to Dillon is mostly two-lane blacktop, and 55 MPH, so with no traffic it's an easy ride. The temperature was in the upper 90's, and the air was warm, so there were no cool breezes. Not too bad through Sellars, but it got warm as we stopped at traffic lights in Latta and Dillon. Once we left Dillon the traffic eased up and we arrived in South of the Border in no time. The giant sombrero stands out, pointing the way. You can pay (I think it's a dollar) to ride the elevator to the top.

Spanning both sides of 301, SOB is designed to extract as much cash from the tourists as it can before they continue on to their destination. They have several souvenir shops, assorted restaurants, coffee shops and an ice cream store. We parked in what appeared to be the only shaded parking spot available, and went to one of the souvenir shops to get a shot glass for our collection, before crossing the street for Coke Floats (made with Pepsi -- go figure).

Something new, the Reptile Lagoon, caught our attention, so we headed over. The building is air conditioned, and we figured it would be as cheesy as the rest of the place. We were pleasantly surprised. Most of the displays are small, with assorted smaller caimens, crocodiles and alligators from around the world. In the center of the building was a large display of American Alligators, and there were dozens of them. Since the temperature was comfortable, the lizards were active, and interesting to watch as they swam around. There were assorted snakes in glass displays: pythons, rattlesnakes, copperheads, boas and more, from around the world. There were even a few tortoises, as large as beach balls. We followed the path around and exited (of course) through the gift shop.

We headed out after that, heading south again on 301. As we came down the highway, we came past a snake in the middle of the road, about 6 foot long and black. We couldn't tell whether it was sunning itself or dead, but didn't stop to find out.

Back to Florence by about 5:30, and we headed for Stephano's for dinner. As always, the best Italian food in Florence. Then, back home again.

Not an exciting day, but the ride was good, the company better.

Swegel-Tedesco Reunion Day 2

When we left Kent and Joanne's on Saturday night, the Pavlovich boys (Michael and Ray) were still singing with Bill and Chris -- I think the Sambuco lubricated their voices -- but we gave up and headed back to the Gravity for the night.

The Gravity was a good choice -- clean, quiet, working TV. For what we were doing, you don't need more. A place to put your stuff, and a place to sleep. Wifi would have been good, but we weren't there much anyway.

Sunday morning weather was beautiful -- low 70's clear and sunny. The sun glistened off the prison towers above us ;) I took a walk over to the restaurant to find that they open at 9 on Sundays. It was only 7, and I needed coffee.

Linda's iPhone located Mcdonnell's Restaurant in Carbondale, that was open. I plugged it into the Garmin and headed down the highway, right to the front door. I'm told this place has been open forever, and it showed: wooden tables and chairs, even had the old jukeboxes at the tables. Looking at the selections, I don't think they've worked since the 90's. The service was good, the food and coffee were great! We got in just in time, as church was letting out and the place filled up quickly.

We headed to St. Joseph's Church for Mass. When the Swegel-Tedesco clan is in town, the church fills up, and we saw many of our family there. They acknowledged the family, but the services were dedicated to those in service, not only the military but the police, firefighters, emt's and others that serve and protect us at home. They had a color guard that processed with the American flag, the flags of Slovenia and Italy, and several others. The hymns included God Bless America and others.

From there, we headed for the Browndale Sportsmen's Club for the main event. Coffee and doughnuts were already set up, with lunch to follow a bit later.

The more we attend these events, the more family we get to know that we don't usually get to meet. The Swegels, the Tedescos, the Vidella's, Glia's, Shivitz's and so many others that can trace their lineage to Frank Swegel and Mary Intihar. According to Josie's research for the family tree, there are over 950 of us out there.

Joe Pavlovich (the driving force behind the effort to  put this together) told me that we were down a bit in attendance this year to about 270. I'm sure that the economy had a lot to do with it.

The temperatures warmed up into the low 90's, and most stayed in the shade. The food was good, the beer was cold and the sense of family was wonderful!

One thing that I missed -- Since Mom and Dad didn't come up this year, and Aunt Polly has passed, we didn't get the traditional singing that they always provided in the past. It's something that has been a part of the family gatherings as long as I can remember.

I spoke with Ray Pavlovich (my Dad's cousin); he has some reel-to-reel tapes of previous gatherings that have them singing the old songs along with other memories. I urged him to send them to me, and I'll get them converted to digital, then send them out on CD's to any of the family that want them. I did the same with the tapes my Dad had of Uncle Jink and his accordian, and I think it's important that we capture these memories before the tapes become unusable.

An update on Aunt Josie (remember, she fell on Saturday). She showed up for a short while at the reunion. Her husband John came up and took her to the hospital (nobody else was able to get her to go). After three hours, they told her they would call someone in to read the xrays. She got fed up with the typical service you receive at the hospital, and left. The swelling at her eye (where the glasses hit her) was down some, and she had a hand and wrist strap on her left arm. Some bruising, and she said she was a bit sore, but fine. She's tough!

We helped clean up a bit and went back to Kent and Joanne's to say goodbye to the cousins. We allowed the Garmin to lead us back, and it picked the shorter route, which took us down a road that wound around the mountain and got smaller and smaller until it was only a single car's width, with no barriers and a deep drop-off. But it took us past the huge windmills on top of the mountain, probably within a half-mile of them. Wow, are they huge!

We did get a bit of the old music, as they harmonized on "Uncle Moon" and "Good Night Irene." It was good.

Back to the Gravity, and up at 6 to pack and head for the airport. We had a better trip home, as all of the flights were on time. Again, the US Airways people were great with the electric carts, and we were whisked through the airports from gate to gate. I'm going to send them a note of thanks for their friendly and courteous people -- not what I consider the norm in most airports.

It was a short trip, but we filled it with adventure, family, music and love -- the criteria that we believe is essential in our lives.

Swegel-Tedesco Reunion Day 1 (continued)

My last post was written early on Saturday morning, sitting in our room in the Clarion Hotel in Scranton. It had been a long day of travel, and Linda was still asleep. I was at least able to get a cup of lousy hotel room coffee.

When she finally woke, we headed to the breakfast room where we found artificial scrambled eggs, a few lone breakfast links, home fries and an empty bacon container. The whole experience can be summed up as "Mediocre hotel, mediocre breakfast."

We got on the road early, and set the Garmin for the Gravity Inn in Waymart, about thirty miles north of us. Garmin is an interesting navigation tool. Since I have it set to take the shortest route (not the fastest), we seem to have lots of adventures. We drove through some residential areas of Scranton, before coming across Highway 6. While it wanted us to continue on past (I think it was going to take us through all the small towns), we headed out on the highway to the delightful electronic voice saying "Recalculating . . ."

Beautiful scenery was plentiful as we "climbed up the hill out of Scranton, Pennsylvania (thanks to Harry Chapin for the song stuck in my head)" and we made good time with little traffic. We followed the Garmin's directions as we turned off and headed into the country. We passed the Waymart Prison, a lovely 1930's looking place, and found the Gravity on the other side. In fact you can see the tops of the roofs of the Prison from the Gravity's parking lot.

The Gravity Inn is a small strip of rooms on a small side road. At the (locked) office, the sign suggested that "Check in is at two. Please go to the restaurant to check in." It was only about 10:30, so we decided to find my brother Chris and his wife MacKel. The were already over at Kent and Joannes, where the "Pre-reunion reunion" would commence at 4 that afternoon. Back to the car, and I tried to set the Garmin to take us there.

The navigator was locked so badly it wouldn't even turn off. It was purchased for the motorcycle, and it's shockproof, waterproof, even Daytona proof. Apparently it wasn't Waymart proof!

Chris gave me directions, and we were soon at Kent and Joannes' house. They have a good wifi signal, so we found out how to reset the Garmin. We hung out and had lunch, waiting for two when we could check in at the Gravity and clean up a bit.

Aunt Josie (Dad's sister) stopped by for a while and we caught up with her. When she was leaving her bifocals betrayed her and she missed a step in the garage. She banged her arm, cut her lip, and her glasses hit her face near her eye. She couldn't remember what happened, and we were concerned that she hit her head, so I drove her car back to her place, and MacKel followed. We tried to get her to go to the hospital to be checked, but she insisted she would be fine. Knowing that you can't get a Maleckar to do something they don't want, we made sure she was comforatable, and promised we check on her later.

The afternoon was as we hoped -- lot's of family, catching up on each other's lives, beer, music and singing until the wee hours of the morning. The temperature was in the low 90's (hot for the Yankees, pleasant for those of us from the Sourth).We went back to check on Josie. She was up, sitting on the porch reading. Her eyes was swollen, she was icing her arm, but she insisted she was fine, and that she'd come over later.

As it was getting dark, Kent lit the bonfire as the temperature began to drop, and the gang moved down to sit around and sing while we watched the fireworks around us. All in all, a great start to the reunion.

Swegel-Tedesco Reunion, Forest City PA July 4th, 2010

Every three years, my Dad's family gets together to celebrate our family. It has drawn over three hundred family members from both the Slovenien and the Italian sides, and it is an amazing thing to see this many people in one place, and realize that you're related to most of 'em!

Linda and I have attended many of these reunions, when they were held at the Browndale Fire Hall, and when we exceeded the capacity of the hall and it was moved to the Sportsmen's Club, a picnic area. Forest City is a small community about thirty minutes north of Scranton Pennsylvania where my Dad grew up. It used to be coal mining country, We used to visit when I was a kid, usually around Easter when the family would gather at my great-grandmother's home. The town is built on the side of a mountain, and I always thought it was a great place with a beautiful view. I never really paid much attention to the slag piles that were on the other side of the tracks. To me, it was an adventure of it's own.

We got reservations for this particular event months ago. Because of vacation scheduling, we couldn't spare an entire week to drive, so we elected to fly. Florence to Charlotte, then on to Philadelphia, and finally into Scranton around 10:45 PM. Rather than drive to Waymart (about 30 miles north) at that time of night, we decided on reservations at the Clarion in Scranton. We have reservations at The Gravity Inn, a small hotel/bed and breakfast, for Saturday and Sunday nights. Then we fly back to Florence on Monday.

With the arthritis in Linda's knees, I realized that the long walks through the airports would ruin this trip for her, so I arranged with US Airways to have an electric cart available at each stop to take us to the next gate. As it turned out, I was glad that I did.

We went through the usual strip-search at the Florence airport, and waited at the gate. The plane arrived with about 15 minutes to spare before it was supposed to take off again. Because we had the "special handling" form, we boarded second, right after the lady in the wheelchair. Amazingly, we pulled away from the terminal right on time.

28 minutes later, we touched down in Charlotte, at the far end of the E Concourse. As promised, one of those electric carts showed up and carried us up the long corridor to the escalator. At the top, another cart was waiting to whisk us to the far end of D Concourse. I'm pretty sure that, had we walked that long walk, Linda would have been limping at the end. I enjoyed the ride myself -- I'm gonna have to figure out how to take her on all my trips, so I can ride along!

We had about a two and a half hour layover, and we found the Carolina Beer Company spot at the end of D Concourse. They serve their own micro-brews and sandwiches. I really liked their Irish Red, and Linda enjoyed the Strawberry Ale. We shared a beef brisket sandwich that had to be the best thing I've ever tasted in an airport.

Back to the gate, where we were boarded on time. I used the form for the electric cart as a means to board early, giving Linda a little more time to navigate the aisles (and ensure that we had room in the overhead for our carry-ons). It was a full flight, but still we managed to take off on time, and arrived in Philiadelphia, on time. We were at the end of Terminal A, and our next flight left from Terminal F.

The electric cart was waiting, and we hopped on. The driver opined that the journey to our next gate was about a mile and a half, but we could feel the breeze as he sped through the concourse. He dropped us at the top of an escalator, where we caught a shuttle bus to Terminal F. Even with the advantage of a ride, we arrived at the terminal 10 minutes before scheduled boarding was to begin, and gratefully, another cart showed up to takes us to the far end of the terminal. This is where things slowed down.

Our 8:50 flight to Scranton had been delayed until 9:09 because the plane couldn't be located. Not too bad, until at 9 o'clock they announced that the plane was on its way and would arrive around ten. The departure time was pushed back to 10:40. I was beginning to wonder if we could transfer our car rental and drive to Scranton.

At the next gate, the passengers destined for Birmingham were in similar straits. They had a plane, but they were missing a flight attendant, and their departure time had been pushed back several hours. All in all, a large group of unhappy travelers. They were made even more unhappy when their gate was changed from F36 to F9, all the back up the hall!

When the clerk came over to the gate, I suggested that, since they now had a free plane, maybe they should use that one to get us to Scranton. Imagine my surprise when they posted the sign for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton! Only problem was that the flight number wasn't for our flight. Now we had two flights to the same airport, scheduled to depart 9 minutes apart.

We actually left around 10:45 with the second plane right behind us. We had to wait for two hours with a plane sitting there idle, and the second group of passengers got to leave on time (or close to it)! Many of the passengers on our flight actually applauded as we pulled away from the terminal, as if they had pulled off a miracle to be leaving at all!

The flight was only twenty minutes long. It seemed that we went up, then came right back down again. We gathered our bags, and headed for the rental desk. The car was waiting for us, and we finally arrived at our hotel at midnight. No restaraunt, no bar. We finally got to bed around twelve-thirty, and I'm posting this just before 7, waiting for Linda to wake up so I can get some breakfast before heading north to Waymart.

All adventures have (and will have) both good and bad experiences. Over all, this wasn't too bad. To paraphrase W.C. Fields, "Frankly, my dear, I'd rather NOT be in Philadelphia!"