This country is beautiful

[mmburtch]

Brian: Where is next on the trip?

Heading N Phil. Through MD, DE, CT, MA, NH, ME and ???

Brian

What part of MD you headed through? Maybe we can burn one...

We are sticking to the coast. I'm not sure where we will stop though. Looking at our Park bible, there are not many parks in MD or NE.
I'll let you know next week, thanks for the offer...if we do burn one, we will be burning one of mine, traveling sticks taste better.

Brian

Umm... Nebraska is not a coastal state


Sounds like a great trip Brian.

 

[sonuvabum]

Did you ever get a camera??

 

[jfields]

...I still would like to go see Maine, Alaska, and Northern California (been to South)....

Anytime.... :thumbs:

Oh hell yeah Jim!

Might have to stay at a nearby hotel, instead of sharing a bed with Amber & Porter though...............The wifely unit says there is no way I'm going to go see Alaska without her after I told her about your last invite. :laugh:

 

[Jonesy]

...I still would like to go see Maine, Alaska, and Northern California (been to South)....

Anytime.... :thumbs:

Oh hell yeah Jim!

Might have to stay at a nearby hotel, instead of sharing a bed with Amber & Porter though...............The wifely unit says there is no way I'm going to go see Alaska without her after I told her about your last invite. :laugh:

You'll go all the way to Alaska but can't make your way down ONE state to see a buddy.......that's just wrong man. :sign:

 

[Infinity]

There's no wall here, WTH ???

Just got into Berlin, MD...another beautiful spot.

Brian

 

[sinnyc]

Outstanding! That's a good long haul Brian.

I love traveling in the U.S. and I have been to all 48 contiguous states, almost all of the major cities, and many of the smaller ones. Most of this I have done on motorcycles. This country is sooooo big but that is easy to forget when you fly across it.

I have been across the U.S. on Interstates 10, 40, 70, 80, and 90. I've also crossed vertically all the way on 95, 35, and 5, most of 25, and large parts of 55, 65, and 75. In addition, I have been on more state highways, county highways, and country roads (mostly in the upper midwest and Colorado) then I'll ever remember. I've ridden in a hard rain for almost 10 solid hours. I've ridden in 112 degree heat for most of a day. I rode around all of the Great Lakes (in under 48 hours) with the mercury sitting at 32 for all of the first day.

I've been on both the highest continuous paved highway as well as the highest (up and back) paved road in the U.S. (both in Colorado), been to National Parks, National Monuments, and found myself out of gas 80 miles from the nearest pump. I've seen big dams and little no-name streams. I've ridden in NYC rush hour a number of times and I've also been on highways where I didn't see another vehicle for an hour or more. I've seen local attractions like the biggest ball of twine (several towns claim this), the Atomic Cannon (Kansas), the Mother Featherlegs Prostitute Monument (Wyoming) and a million other things as well. I've ridden to see something, I've ridden to get away from some things, and I've ridden just because I can. In 1995 I rode from Minneapolis to Fargo, N.D. just to have lunch because I hadn't been there and North Dakota was the last contiguous state I hadn't set foot in.

One of the most beautiful things I have seen was on a ride from Minneapolis to Longmont Colorado to visit friends. We left later in the day to do most of the ride at night because it was cooler and easier on the tires and also because once you've seen Nebraska along I-80 for the 30th time you never really need to see it again, heheh. We were getting close when dawn broke over the Rockies and we had this astounding and increasingly clearer vista of peaks spreading out across the entire horizon, beckoning us to hurry up and get there and ride in them.

I've met good people, bad people, and amazing people of all stripes on the road and I have loved every minute of it. About the only thing I regret is not being able to spend more time in any place. But I think that is part of the joy of traveling - its transience. You get somewhere you've never been and get to see/taste/hear something brand new to you and then...you're gone. What a great and freeing feeling.

When I was 19 I went to Europe with my younger sister for about 3 weeks. We traveled around Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and had a ball. When we got back, my Dad looked at the photos I took and was just dumbfounded. "All of these pictures are of mountains and valleys and villages and buildings and...", he said. "Where are all the pictures of you?" I responded, "Dad, these are pictures of what I saw, not proof that I was there. I know where we were! I took these to remind me of how beautiful it all was." He didn't fully understand but that's OK, he didn't have to.

Enjoy it all Brian, it's a great adventure to travel! And don't worry about the camera

 

[grateful1]

How's CT?

 

[Infinity]

How's CT?

LOL. Gary.

Hope you don't mind. We popped into your house, ate what little you had in the refrigerator, tried on all your clothes, none passed. LOL

Hey Tim...nice note, especially this...

But I think that is part of the joy of traveling - its transience. You get somewhere you've never been and get to see/taste/hear something brand new to you and then...you're gone. What a great and freeing feeling.

We have traveled a fair amount of the US, still lots more to do and we are doing it. The beauty of travel for us is, go where we want, stay as long as we want. If we don't like the neighbors, move. If we don't like
the neighborhood, move. Travel is knowledge.

Yesterday we decided to skip DE and NJ coast and drove direct to CT, that's where we are now. Tomorrow we move to Cape Cod, ain't life grand?

The traveling was great yesterday as usual until we hit NY. We crossed over the the George Washington bridge and Sally (affectionate name for our GPS) took us on the usual short cut. Only this time, she messed up, someone forgot to tell her that we are driving a motor coach. We got to a toll and (man, I have never been through so many tolls in my life in one day, exhausted my cash bag...LOL) and the guy says. "you cannot carry on, take the first exit, there's a bridge up ahead that's about 10 feet high. When you get off ask someone how to get onto the 95N"

Yeah right...we got lost in the Bronx. The sign posts in NY are the worst we have ever seen, anywhere...I mean, anywhere!

At first I was cool and relaxed but when we finally got onto, what we thought was the 95 and discovered that it was not, we ended up taking an off ramp and landed slam dam back where we had circled for the past hour. The roads and then the traffic build up just got worse and worse. Like, bad for a car, never mind a rig...mother F*(%$#@ It's hard to explain unless you were there. The GPS was not helping us, she kept wanting to go back to the highway we had to originally get off.

Anyway, if we didn't have to get off that highway, we would not have seen the good people of the Bronx, the same people, several times. It was like, WTF, we just passed here and here and here...LOL

gardkarlsen: We have traveled all over the world, many times. Most of Europe, South America, Africa and still, so much to see. We sailed across the Atlantic on a sail boat with four kids ranging in age from 6 to 16, cruised for a year and 10,000 nautical miles. Saw places you can only get to by boat. We never taught our kids history or geography, they experienced it by seeing it...and still, there is always, so much more to see.

Yep, travel is knowledge.

Brian

 

[LilBastage]

I don't know how I missed this thread before.

Sounds like you're having a grand time, Brian (other than the traffic problems). We've always wanted to travel more, it just hasn't been in the cards yet.

Safe travels...

 

[souldog]

The roads and then the traffic build up just got worse and worse. Like, bad for a car, never mind a rig...mother F*(%$#@ It's hard to explain unless you were there. The GPS was not helping us, she kept wanting to go back to the highway we had to originally get off.

Anyway, if we didn't have to get off that highway, we would not have seen the good people of the Bronx, the same people, several times. It was like, WTF, we just passed here and here and here...LOL
Brian

So wait wait wait...you were actually UPSET!?!? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: That'd be the day!!! When Brian is truly UPSET! I hope Jane took a picture!!! :sign:


Travel safe my friend, and thank you for the update.

 

[sonuvabum]

Still no camera huh??

 

[slcraiders]

Wonderful post, Brian. Makes one appreciate what they have. I have seen most of the country east, west, north and south. Still outstanding on my to see list is: East Coast (between Boston and the Carolinas), Northern California, the Pacific North West Coast, and Northern Idaho/Western Montana. Doing the Pacific Northwest next Summer!

Your handle is slcraiders and you haven't been to Northern California?

LOL. I consider that area to be Central California, I guess. I have been to Oakland and San Fran several times. When I wrote that I would like to visit Northern California, I meant anything above Sacramento.

After seeing that pic Doc posted of Willoughby Lake, I should add Vermont toward the top of my list.

 

[Infinity]

So wait wait wait...you were actually UPSET!?!? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: That'd be the day!!! When Brian is truly UPSET! I hope Jane took a picture!!! :sign:

Travel safe my friend, and thank you for the update.

I don't have a camera Jonathan... :laugh:

Thanks Jonathan and don't fret, I'll be back soon for counseling... :laugh:

Still no camera huh??

Does a cellphone camera count?

Actually Gary, I was thinking about buying another camera, even though mine is one of the best in that type but I had to fill up the rig, it holds 120 gallons but only needed 90, that was $413...cheap diesel in NJ on/off the Turnpike. Here in CT, it's 30 cents more :sign:

Brian

 

[sonuvabum]

Sorry Brian.

I just couldn't help myself.

:laugh:

Be safe my friend.

 

[Matty_Vegas]

We have an annual herf at the Grand Canyon....

 

[smellysell]

You really should consider going through MT the next time you head out if you're looking for beautiful scenery Brian.

 

[Infinity]

That's gorgeous Justin.

It's funny because the last three years we say, lets go up to Montana and as yet, it hasn't happened. Here's the irony, my rig is registered in MT and I've never been there. :laugh:

Brian

 

[in2xshp]

Well being former Air Force and a Crew Cheif on the C-130, stationed in Abelene Tx., i had a chance to see a lot of this great country, mostly from an Air Force Base (which mostly look the same) and out of all of the states i have been in Alaska was the only one i didn't get to go to but always will. Hawaii was one of my favorites, Ma will always be my favorite of course.