The Future is not Today: bbq

It's absolutely clear and blue out, but the temps are in the 40's just barely. Having moved and living in one floor house, one would think it would be easier to get the bike ready to go than living 3 flights up. When you live on the third floor you think in terms of only going down once, so that you don't have to climb back up for something you forgot. You organize the trek. I need to organize myself again and apply the same thinking for 1 floor as I do multi floors.

We are heading for Westport CT to recapture the 9-11 Living Memorial, but we have a bunch of places to stop before we get there. To get out of town headed down I-395. Foliage is turning but no where near peak.

He was headed for some car show.

Just off I395 heading for my first schedules stop saw this guy. Being so brightly colored I figured it had to be a BBQ joint. Turns out it is pizza. I ended up using this for the First Last Letter Tag. You have to find a place that has the last letter of the last tag which was Tombstone, thus E is the letter. So where is the E.

Right there on the side of the truck in the background. I circled it to make it more visible

Back on the hunt. Passed thru Colchester and wondered if Harry's was still open. You wouldn't think the hamburgers were that good looking at them, but they are. Still too early for something to eat. Grabbed my first BBQ place of the day for the Smoke Chasing 2012 Tour, Hilltop Barbecue.

In Westbrook I followed this guy for quite awhile. At first glance I said what great condition that Opel GT was in. These were built between 1968 and 1973 and you could find them at your Buick dealers.

Following him, I realized this was not just a plain ole restored GT, but had something else to it. The engine sounded nothing like 1100 four banger. While the pipes seemed appropriate they also seemed rather oversized. A close look at the rear wheels brought things into perspective. Still a really nice car.

Not too long after the Opel sighting, buzzing down US 1 in Madison, I saw smoke. Past this black object and made a U Turn. As I was setting up to take a picture, Ahman came over and asked what I was doing. Said taking a picture. He said I have to check with my uncle to make sure it is ok. I gave him a puzzled look, geez (to myself) this is only a friggin picture. He went on to explain how people seem to stop and take pictures and they do not know why. So after he got permission and his supposed uncle came out and nodded his approval, Ahman said you can go ahead. I am wondering now if the cooker was really an Iranian centrifuge now.

After the Iranian Encounter, headed off to grab the CT tag in Guilford. Initially there was no problems and took the pic. The Henry Whitfield house dates back to 1639, just 30 years after the first white settlement in the US and is a National Historic Landmark. I realized I had been here before and think I submitted as a tag a while back. The problem came when I went to post up the tag, I realized that someone else posted this in early September. Being Bruced is part of the game, but I was Bruced by a whole month.

Was thinking it was time to eat, which should be no problem. After all I am hitting 10+ BBQ joints. Figured my next stop I would grab something lite. Coming off I95 I spotted the place I was going to eat at, but first I had to grab my Uncle's place

U Turn and headed for a lunch stop. The place was jammed, which is always a good sign. Doesn't hurt to be located directly across for an exit off the interstate either. This was going to be the tag for the Whitfield House. Now you will just have to go to go. Located in West Haven ( N41 16.299 W72 58.447) or HERE.

The line to get food.

By the time my order was ready, alot of folks had cleared out.

While they serve more than dogs, I figured I should stay with what they are named for. I had 2 Georgia Hots. Didn't know what they were, but it sounded it. I had chili on one. What immediately hit me was these were much bigger and longer that a regular dog, plus they split them down the middle to cook em. So a Georgia Hot has hot stuff in them like hot Italian sausage.

Hit a couple more BBQ joints, Joey C's and a place called BBQ Restaurant (guess they ran out of names) Actually I didn't pick this up in the Google search, it was probably there, but figured it was just part of the key words BBQ Restaurant. Kind of defeats the purpose of the name, well at least for me.

The whole purpose of today's trip, other than to go out for a ride, was the 9-11 Living Memorial in Westport CT on Sherwood Island. Last time I was here it cost us $16 for just a picture. Today it was free and hardly anyone was here. I needed a picture of my bike, rally towel as close to the memorial as possible.

This trip wraps up the Tour of Honor tour for me. All I gotta do now is organize the photos and submit them. The Smoke Chasing Tour runs thru November 30, so I have plenty of time left to seek out some more.

Headed further south to pick up some more joints.

Right around the corner from Papaya's is this sculpture. When I do capture the CT Tag, this just might be the new Tag. Located right outside the Maritime Aquarium of Norwalk ( N41 06.136 W73 24.994 )

The turn point in Stamford, CT

I had a good friend Booter Thompson that lived in Westport, CT. I found myself on Main St in Westport and things sure have changed with this town. I remembered a quiet suburb of NYC that came to have a bunch of artists living in the community. I think Booter's mother was an artist and his father worked on Wall Street. Had to, to afford to live here.Their house was directly on the water. What I remember was a hick town on the water with stories of Paul Newman running around in his dune buggy with the Porche engine in it. That was around 1971. Now it looks like Kittery Maine, nothing but stores.

Hopped on the Merritt Parkway or CT 15. The Merritt is on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated at a National Scenic Byway. It is a pretty road that moves quickly. It is also known for its distinctive bridges that cross over the road.

Jumped off in Trumball to pick up a non-descript joint, Dickeys. Hope the food is better.

And a bit more lively joint. This place eeked of old boiling fat from the outside, but the customers were coming and going while I was there.

Back on the Merritt heading north. Off in New Haven. Thought about stopping for pizza here. New Haven is suppose to have the best pizza in the world. Also home to Louis Lunch and Yale University. It's getting late and I am losing both the sun and temperature.

Two more stops and I get to head for home. Passed this and just had to turn around. Who could resist. A very nicely done 46 or 47 Caddy.

Thought about skipping the next 2 joints, but they were on the way home, sorta.

Thought I was done with day, but did a U Do It for the final pic of the day. Another potential CT future tag. Ya gotta love it, a pawn shop called JAWS. They will take a bite out of you.

Having nothing more to capture, no more sunlight (even thou I looked for a sunset photo op), skies that are getting cloudy, a temps hovering right around 40, it was time to call it a day. Rolled into Uxbridge to put the bike away in my brand new garage (well it was built in 1949, but it is new to me), my son Sky has his dirt bike pulled all apart right at the entrance to the garage. I guess it sitting outside one more day is not going to make a difference.

The Trip

Today's ride starts out like many of our other rides. A visit to your local caterer is in order

With food on our minds and being mid morning we stop for breakfast at the Amber Road Cafe.

This place was crowded and we had to stand around, waiting for a table. This gives me time to look at everyone's food to see what I might want. What I did see was alot of fruit topped french toast and pancakes. This was going to be perfect for MeAsWe.

They had these cups with rubber bottoms, which were made so they didn't slip on the table. I didn't appreciate the neatness of the cup because I couldn't feel the cup hit the table when I put it down. Kinda of like not being able to feel the road under the tires. For this I am a touchy feely type person.

I selected the eggs and lean hash for breakfast, figuring it was the healthy choice. I have to say my egg was cooked to perfection. Now you are saying it is a Flipped and Broken, how can you mess that up. This went beyond just a flipped and broken. Take a careful look at the edges, that is perfection.

MeAsWe pretending to listen to me expound on the egg cuisine

After breakfast MeAsWe has her last cigarette for eva and I stroll across the street for this sign. Not neon but sign of Googie architecture is there.

As we meander thru Braintree MA. Not sure you can meander thru an urban setting but there is water nearby someplace. Now the reason for the stop isn't that interesting

But what is there is interesting. Best I can tell this thing is original and I believe it is a 51.

Hitting the first of four main purposes for the day to put the finishing touches on our Silver National Park Tour. We really don't need these, but just to make sure. While I was in the VC getting our stamps I always buy a pin for my collection of stuff. They had commemorative tins of chocolate with the Adams National Historic Park logo on them. When I got to the register, I told the ranger that it was beginning to look like a CVS with the chocolate thing going on. This really cracked her up and she said it made her day.

Adams National Historic Park Visitor Center

The next stop was a really difficult stop. In the heart of Boston on Joy Street is the Boston African Womens museum. I sat on the bike, pointing down hill, while MeAsWe ran in for the stamp. This is a place we have to come back to for a better visit.

Traveling from Boston to Salem is never really fun. Lots of traffic, lots of drivers that pay you no mind, crappy roads. Just getting out of Boston is a pain. In Lynn, the City of Sin, this place can brighten up your day with the colors alone. It has been said, "Lynn Lynn, City of Sin, You never go out the way you came in"

Salem is a neat place to visit. Between the Witches, boats and history, you just can't go wrong.

Some really great Neon. The were selling sweat shirts that said, I got it n the Bunghole. There wasn't a big line for them.

Great USA town to boot

MeAsWe having another one of those Last Cigarettes.

It is right around 4pm and making our last stop for day is iffy. The forecast for 30% chance of rain, probably has moved to the 70% range.

We grab 2 more BBQ Joints and head to Lowell, MA. That 70% moved to 100% on the way into Lowell. We make it right around 4:45pm and generally the VC's close right around 5pm. Lowell has decided to have a folk festival this weekend and we can't pull right up to the VC. I pull into a gas station and MeAsWe heads for the VC for Ink. While she was gone I take some pictures to pass the time away.