Thursday, May 5, 2011

Six Day on the Road

Today started out pretty easy...weather was good. I have been lucky through out the trip in this department. I have faced freezing temperatures, a little snow, a little rain, and a lot of wind. The worst would have been a major storm I was actually 1 day behind. By the time I got to the Chicago area, it had already moved into Pennsylvania and on to NY. By the time I got into NY this afternoon, it was sunny and windy... But more on that in a minute.

Last night on I received a message from my sister-in-law suggesting that I buy an E-ZPass to make things easier. She saw that I was having difficulties with the Indiana toll roads and the Ohio turnpike. This is a cool thing much like the FastPass we have in the bay area. The difference here is that it can be used in something like 14 different states! I did some investigating on where I can get one of these for my time in NY as there are several bridges and toll roads I will have to deal with. From my location in Pennsylvania, the next closest place to buy the transponder was 50 miles. I decided that I would continue on my way and at each stop recheck to see if I am any closer to a place where I can buy one.






My first stop of the morning was at a Dunkin' Donuts. Got my fill of espresso and a jelly donut. Checked and found that I can get a E-ZPass at AAA 37 miles away (12 miles out of my way round trip). While sitting there having breakfast, I noticed a older guy milling around my bike checking it out. I finished my breakfast, collected my gear, and went out to my bike. When I got out there, the guy asks, "This your bike? I've been checking these out. There is a ride I want to do in Alaska and for the last 200 miles, I need one of these." Turns out he spotted my bike from the road, made a u-turn, and came back to look at it. I ended up listening to several riding stories he had to tell for about 45 minutes. Of all the things he said, there was one thing that stood out. He mentioned that he liked to go on his trips alone because people are more apt to talk to you than if you are part of a group. This is something I tend to agree with but never really thought about it. After parting ways, I was kicking myself for not getting a picture of the guy... I thought he was pretty cool.


My next stop was at the AAA office in State College, PA, I quickly found out that I needed to deal with E-ZPass in NJ if I wanted to set it up for my motorcycle. Although there was nothing the people at AAA could do for me, they did try.



I went back to I80 and continued on my way. I stopped for lunch at a Panera in Bloomsburg and a short break. My next stops were a little more interesting... First the Pennsylvania welcome center on my way out of the state. The next stop was at the New Jersey welcome center. I thing New Jersey needs to work on cleaning up their image. This was what I found I personally thought it was funny...



The stop in New Jersey would be my last until I get to my final destination. My final push onto Long Island was a bit of an accident. I was supposed to avoid the George Washington Bridge but somehow that is exactly where I went. It was the GWB then the Throgs Neck arriving at my brothers house at about 5:30. So far, it has been a fun ride. Now it is time to relax for 3 days before the real trip begins. That is when I begin moving towards Route 66. My next post will hopefully be next Monday afternoon. I'll bee seeing you from the road...

Total miles for today: 379





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Location:Freeport,United States

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