Mile 3069

Today we will see if my efforts of yesterday will give the rewards I hoped for.  I leave Miami at the crack of dawn and make my way South on the last stretch of I-95 joining Hwy-1, also named Dixie Hwy, wonder how long that will last.  But the story of the Dixie Hwy is for some other time.  Today I will reach my second control point in Key West, and thanks god I left that early, because the 3-1/2 hours I estimated for the approx. 166 miles are plastered with gazillions of traffic lights, half of which I find red.  But as the sun comes up I'm already near Homestead, FL and make my way to the Keys.  Key Largo is somehow disappointing, I had more the picture of grass roofed buildings along white sandy beaches, but I find one Marina after the other, and even more resorts.  From here I continue to Islamorada on a partially two lane Hwy, before Hwy-1 completely turned into a single lane.  Traffic is relatively light, and so I'm in no time over the 7-mile bridge, and into Key West.

7-Mile Bridge, to the right the old one

In Key West, business first and proof of arrival at my second check-point.  From there to the southernmost point on the continental US.  And it is confirmed, you can not see Cuba from here, even though its only 90 miles away.  Driving around Key West is no fun, as traffic is so slow that pedestrians are making more progress than one in a car or me on the bike.  And since I have seen enough during my search efforts to find those two points, I get my gas filled up and head my way back North.  What a nightmare this was.  Did it take me about 4 hours from Miami to get down here, it took me over five (5) hours to get only to Key Largo (97 miles).  Main culprits are the big pick-up trucks with their boot trailers crawling along, and of course the construction on the Hwy doesn't make it better.  It's midday now, I'm running hot, the bike is running hot, and whilst passing another traffic stop on the shoulder the law caught me.  Now I owe a piece of this Hwy too.

Since my return from Key West took much longer than I thought, I change the plan (again!) and cross the Everglades over to Naples, FL.  And this stretch through the Everglades along the Alligator Alley and through the Big Cypress Nature Preserve compensates for all the sweat coming up Hwy-1.  Unfortunately are all the camp sites in the Everglades currently closed, so no cuddling with the gator.  But I will definitely return and try one of those Air Boots, they must be fun to fly over the swamp and maybe over a tail too.  Btw, just to proof what the heat does to you, how many words do you know with "gator" in it, like Gatorade, of course Alligator, Irrigator, Navigator, Mitigator, Litigator, Obligator, Investigator, Instigator, and how much more?  Anyway, that's what you do sitting in traffic jams in the Keys.

Tomorrow I turn Northwest, and make my way to the third checkpoint.  Two in the bag, two more to go.

"Natives of the Florida Keys often refer to themselves as Conchs, and for good reason: They have been drinking." - Dave Barry, out of Best.State.Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland

Mile 2650

Woah, what a day.  

“No plan is a good plan”, so the title of an adventure movie from Ramona & Herbert Schwarz which in fact turned out very well for them.  But for me today, I better have a plan.  Tropical storm Nine is moving into Florida and I need the check point mark of Key West, otherwise my best plan is worth nothing.  I can not risk that the storm picks up and the bridge / causeway is getting closed because of too high winds.  So the original idea of only going to Jacksonville, FL has been extended to reach at least Orlando, FL  I’m up as usual before the sun rises, have my coffee and break down camp.  By 6:00 AM I’m on the road, and there is a low cloud cover and mist hanging over North Carolina.  It is quite pleasant as the temperatures are rather on the cooler side, and riding is a breeze.  There is hardly any traffic and the miles are just flying by.  Crossing into South Carolina the sun hasn’t yet broken through the clouds, and it will stay this way into Georgia.  The Interstate is in good condition and makes good for its disastrous end up North.  Moving through Georgia at about Savanah I can see the first blue spots in the sky, and what looked rather promising turned out become deep black clouds further South.  Have I gotten till now only here and there some sprinkles, crossing into Florida the heavens opened up in Jacksonville, FL.  I got drenched down to the bone till Daytona Beach, at which point I decided I have to ride much further than Orlando to get dry again.  After Daytona the sun brook through, and it stayed that way until I called it quit in Miami.  Nevertheless it was an interesting ride through the swamps of Georgia, I listened perfectly suited Tony Joe White and his typical Swamp Rock/Blues music.  Have to listen to it again when going through the Bayou. I also have to say that when the sun shines in Florida, it looks exactly like the postcards, palm trees, huge and nicely manicured resorts, lush green everywhere, wide empty parkways, blue waters, neat and white building, and blue skies, but when it rains, it is exactly like New England, miserable.  So let’s hope that my efforts today will be rewarded in reaching Key West tomorrow morning, and than I will turn around and head North before TS Nine will hit the peninsula.  It was a long day, but not so bad after all.

PS:  Did I mention that if you thought the drivers in New York are crazy, the ones in Florida even more.  Speed limits and lane markings are just for the out of Staters.  If you’re going 80, and getting passed by a Semi, and this one getting passed by another car, and this one too, then you know You’re in Florida.  Of course no problem with that kind of racing on 4 to 6 lane Interstates.  But not my kind of cookie.

“When it rains, it pours.  When it pours you get wet down to the bone.  When you wet to the bone you have to ride farther to get dry again.” - me

Mile 1788

I'm up again at sunrise to avoid the major traffic here in New England i.e. Hartford, New York, and New Jersey.  But I'm not that lucky.  When I had boredom yesterday morning up in Northern Maine, I had all the traffic of yesterday morning on the first two/three miles here on I-91 going South.  But that was easy compared to what awaited me in New York on I-95.  Besides that the Interstate is in a desolate condition, I think at the end of the trip I need to have the front fork inspected, and for the rest of the trip I hope the wheel bearings didn't get abused too much, but this Interstate is in need of major work.  Adding to the condition is the never easing up traffic and the stop and go through the Bronx, leading up to George Washington bridge.  What a nightmare, after I had crossed the bridge I was in for the New Jersey traffic until I hit the NJTP.  Here I got some breathers until I hit Philadelphia, PA, and then again another stop and go in Baltimore, MD.  I know why I hate this Interstate, and today I was reaffirmed.  But there are nice things along this terrible I-95 as well, in particular I like all those old iron bridges you need to cross, and of course the harbor in Philadelphia (Penn's Landing) and the Baltimore harbor.  But it's time to move on, I still have to get around Washington, DC into Virginia and onto North Carolina.  Specially in VA I can't make up any time, I have my experience with the law there.  But things are moving better than expected and upon entering Virginia traffic eases a lot.  Some light rain showers are hitting me, making the sticky air even more heavier, and I'm soaked inside my gear, sweating like a fish.  I finally make it to Rocky Mount, NC and call it the day.  All in all some good mileage, and once again friendly people everywhere I stopped.

                                        

T03 - My room for tonight

"The past exists only in our memories, the future only in our plans.  The present is our only reality."  - Robert M. Pirsig, American author and philosopher, known for his book 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'.

Mile 1178

I’m up again very early, making use of the cool, crisp air this morning.  There is still some low fog over the St, John valley, and the sun has difficulties burning the haze away.  With a pleasant 60 something degree I’m basically backtracking my way of yesterday, of course without the detour to Canada.  The roads are still empty, and after getting my official time stamp in form of a gas receipt at the Madawaska Gulf gas station, the clock starts ticking for me.  Before it is 7:30 AM I have had already three showers going down on me, but there is some silver (sun) lining further south.  The sun fighting to break through the fog and mist over the St. John river and over the potato fields that early in the morning is such a peaceful picture that I could sit down and watch to see who wins the fight.  But I have some distance to cover.  After going through Presque Isle, ME the weather gets better, and the sun is burning the rain clouds and fog away.  By the time I reach I-95 it’s getting hot, and it stays like this all the way south.  Traffic is still light, or better none existing, as for the next two hours or so I see not a single car in my direction.  I get a little bit more around Bangor, ME and then around Portland, ME, but until I circle Boston, MA it is easy going.  From here onward it is the usual driving, and early afternoon I’m at my house for one last rest stop, a cool shower, and sleeping in my own bed, before departing tomorrow morning again on my way to Key West, FL.

“You never really travel alone.  The world is full of friends waiting to get to know you.” - Unknown

Mile 603

This morning I left home early to ride up to Madawaska, ME, the official starting point of my 4 Corner USA Run.  Going north on I-91 onto I-90 and I-495 in the early morning hours was no problem, and before I knew it I was circling Boston and was on my way to I-95 which should bring me to the Canadian border.  Of course as always when I'm traveling, the weather changed from hot, to hot and rainy, to muggy and heavy air, to rain again.  Just enough time in-between to almost dry out, so you could get soaked again.  Perhaps this was the reason that I missed the turn on to Hwy-1 going North, but instead I was on the "no turn anymore" allowed traffic lanes into Canada.  The boarder officer was nice and allowed me to cross over their parking lot, handing me back my ID and allowed me to back enter the USA.  And the officer at the US side had a big smile when I told him my story and told me I missed the exit about 3 miles before coming to the border.  Anyway, we had a good chit-chat, and also he let me in again, and then I was up on my way to Madawaska, the Northeastern starting point of my journey.

Leaving home - not the same without my buddy

The only moose I saw today - Van Buren, ME at the International Bridge

Got my photo proof, will get my tank slip tomorrow morning, and then the clock starts ticking for me.  If everything goes like today, it should be a breeze again going back to where I came from today.  Roads up here are great, good conditions, and hardly no traffic.  Fun to ride up here.

"Jobs fill your pocket, but adventures fill your soul." - Jamie Lyn Beatty, American singer and actress

Cabin Fever

The COVID-19 pandemic is holding its grip on our daily life for now over six month, and so far I have been good with taking all precautions possible.  But home is getting small, my home office is feeling more and more like solitary confinement, and the view out the window doesn't change very much neither, even though there is no snow out there anymore like in February when I moved into this room here the first time.  It is summer now, and thanks god some outdoor life can take place.  But the patio is no substitute for the wide open countryside, for the cool and crisp air of the mountains, the scorching heat of the dessert, the smell of the redwood forest, the salty spray from the ocean.  I'm missing that a lot, very much.  And so the idea manifested over the last days that the only remedy to the developing cabin fever is to get out and onto the open road.  If I would ride a motorcycle I can minimize the contact with people, have the greatest possible social distance, and using a tent instead of motels and hotels further minimizing  the amount of contacts.  And as for the route, this is pretty simple, I will attempt to ride to all four corners of the lower 48.  That means my route will take me from Madawaska, ME to Key West, FL, to San Ysidro, CA, to Blaine, WA and back home.  And to add some spice to the effort, I want to do all that in less than 21 days.

There are still some last preparations needed, the gear to be checked, including my new one person tent (quick to set-up in less than two minutes) and the bike be packed.  If all goes well, I shall be on the road in a few days, and you hopefully following me and my thoughts along the way, as the wolve travels again.

"There are some places in life where you can only go alone.  Embrace the beauty of your solo journey." - Mandy Hale, American author, blogger and speaker