Brick by Brick - The Roads to be Traveled

The following are the individual maps for the Trip West 2011. Each image is clickable, which will open a new window that can be enlarged. I choose to break the loops into individual days because it does not take as long to load up the routes in the unit. I learned early on with my 2610, if I planned a multi day trip as one big route, by the middle of the trip, it took longer for the route to load because it was reloading the entire route and then trying to figure out where the heck I was. Planning individual day routes lets you focus on that part of the trip versus constantly looking at the forest. The trees do make a difference. My spreadsheet application deals with 24 hour periods better than multi-day periods for calculating times of arrivals, gas stops, etc.



Day 1 - 104 miles

We land in Salt Lake City around 1:30p, have to take a cab to Baileys Storage to pick up the bike and perform an inspection. Giving all of that, we won't make Golden Spike in time to spend any quality time there. Instead we held into SLC to pick up some Landmarks, such as Temple Square, Old City Hall and "This is the Place, a couple Water towns and maybe a Harley dealer for a shot glass. We have our reservations booked for the night, so maybe we will have eat at Souls and Bones BBQ for Smoke Chasing 2011.



Day 2 - 362 miles

No need for an early rise and shine, since Golden Spike doesn't open until 9am, our first stop. From there we head off to City of Rocks National Preserve and Evil Knivel jump over the Snake River marker. We will try to make it to Hagerman Fossil Beds. We may not make Beds before the VC closes, so we may just head to Arco, ID passing Craters of the Moon, which is the first place for the next day. We also have reservations in Arco for the night. We will be staying at the D K Motel. We will find out if my selection was a good or bad one, but it does have quite a few stars on the Internet. Also scheduled for the day is another HD dealer, and Twin Falls, a water town.



Day 3 - 326 miles

From Arco we back track 20 miles to Craters of the Moon and then head off to Atomic City and Breeder Reactor 1, the first world's first nuclear electric generating plant. It initially lit up 4 200 watt light bulbs. A stop in Idaho Falls for a Water grab and a BBQ joint, then head off to Grand Teton, JD Rockefeller Parkway and Yellowstone. We did these last year, but I am sure we will still have a in awe of the scenery moments. Our destination is the Branding Iron Motel in West Yellowstone, pricey but so is all the other places. We have a couple of National Landmarks, like Murie Ranch and a BBQ joint to pick up on the way. As of this writing this is the last reservation we have made for the trip. We will make a decision on where to stay and make a reservation the day before or just wing it.




Day 4 - 284 miles

Today's ride should be real easy, other than we pass Clyde Park, where we had out deer strike last year. We have no places that we have to make, no pressure and we should arrive in Great Falls way before the sun goes down. We have a couple of Landmarks to pick up in Yellowstone, White Sulphur Springs for Water, and will probably stop in the Lewis and Clark Expedition Center for a NP stamp and a visit. In Great Falls is a Smoke Chasing special BBQ joint, Big Mouth BBQ, so we will stop here as well.



Day 5 - 248 miles

This will be an early rise and shine days, since Great Falls is about 157 miles away from Glacier National Park and the Going to the Sun road. We have a bunch of National Register of Historic Places to pick up, but this will be primarily a day of taking in the vistas. Our destination for the night is Kalispell, MT.



Day 6 - 301 miles

This is another leisurely ride day, but we will ride down RT 12 to Kamiah, ID. Here we may actually arrive much earlier than planned since we pass from Mountain to Pacific time zone. This places in ear shot of Nez Perce and Witman Mission VC's for the next day. We will pick up 3 or 4 water towns, Travelers' Rest as a landmark and stop at another HD for a shot glass. I am looking forward to passing thru the Lolo Pass.



Day 6 Side Trip - 63 miles

Depending when we arrive in Kamiah, we may just go grab Weippe Prairie. This is where Lewis and Clark emerged out of the Lolo Pass on their way to the Pacific Ocean. Hopefully we will be able to find the Landmark plague.



Day 7 - 314 miles

Two parks on the agenda, Nez Perce and Whitman Mission. We will pick up oddities like the Teapot Gas station Car Part Sculptures, and a BBQ joint. Destination for the night is Yakima, WA



Day 8 - 254

We will head up WA 410, which is the Chinook Scenic Byway, on our way to the Sunrise Visitor Center at Mt Ranier. Hopefully we will not run into any weather related problems like snow. We will then travel south and head west via Steven Canyon Rd and Paradise Longmire Rd. It is my understanding the Grove of the Patriachs is a must see. I am so looking forward to view this area. Destination for the night is Kelso, WA



Day 9 - 245 Miles

Today should be an overwhelming eye candy scenic day. First we will head for the Johnson Observatory to see Mt St Helen and then off to Vancouver / Portland area. We will visit Fort Vancouver, grab a stamp and then travel the Historic Columbia River Highway ending up in Hood, OR. We will stop in at the Bonneville Dam VC.





Day 10 - 309 miles

This is another pure ride day with no places we have to be ending up in Klamath Falls. If we get there with plenty of time to spare, we will head to the Tulelake VC in California as a side trip



Day 11 Part 1 - 165 miles

An easy day in miles as we head out of Klamath Falls to Crate Lake. I have great expectations for this area, but we may have been spoiled by Ranier, Mt St Helen and the Columbia Highway. We will head back to Klamath Falls for the night.



Day 11 Part 2 (if there is enough time)- 66 miles

This is the Tule Lake Loop which can be done in any of 3 days. This park is part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific, which is primary in Hawaii. Tule Lake was a WWII internment center for the Japanese, which had the highest level of security out of all the internment centers located in the US. Also on the agenda are a couple National Wildlife Refuges.




Day 12 - 241 Miles

Finally leaving Klamath Falls, we head for Redding, CA to set us up for a quick visit to the Whiskey Town VC either today or the next day. This is another easy ride day with a few water towns to visit.



Day 13 - 254 miles
Today's major visit is Lassen Volcanic National Park and then off to Reno, NV for the night.




Day 14 - 346 miles
Out of Reno heading for Ely, NV on the Loneliest Road. This is a pure run and go day with a few stops such as the Shoe Tree that has been chopped down. We will visit Virginia City for Landmarks.




Day 15 - 408 miles

From Ely we head to Great Basin National Park and then off to the Bonneville Salt flats. Plans are to make it to Provo, UT for the night. This will put is very close to Timpanogos Cave National Monument.




Day 16 (The last riding day)

Today primary spot is Timpanogos Cave. We were here last year, but because of my knees I was unable to climb up the 1/2 mile to the caves. Maybe this year will be different. From here we deliver the bike back to Bailey's Moving and Storage and head for a motel, to be determined, for our flight by to Massachusetts on Saturday

Loop de Loops with the Wright Brothers - Day Three

Edenton, NC was picked to stay at, not because it was a great stopping place. Edenton has 3 National Landmarks that we can pick up before we really get on the road. Well as it turns out we got 2 of the 3 landmarks, because one of them was behind closed gates.

The agenda for the day is Wrights National Monument at Kill Devils Hills and then a ride down Cape Hatteras, picking up INK, lighthouses and just enjoying the views. Getting to Cape Hat was pretty breezy at times and the Connie got shoved around a little. I even considered not going down the cape, but heck I know I would have been sorry if I didn’t ride the outer banks.

The first ferry is a free one from Hatteras to Oracoke Island. This is to trap you on the island. There is a ferry from Oracoke to Cedar Swamp which is only 14 miles away, but (there is always a but in stories like this) but if you don’t time this right you can get stuck on the island over night. I am sure the inn keepers just love this. Well along with the wind, we had some light to moderate precipitation to add to the drama. Let’s just say when we disembarked; we did not have enough time to make the 2pm ferry within the prescribed speed limits. The route is straight, but there are cars, LEO’s, sand blown onto the RT 12, which kept my speed to under triple numbers. I never asked We if she was at all nervous.

Waiting to board the ferry from Hatteras to Oracoke Island


As we pulled up the gates to the ferry were closed and I saw guys tossing ropes on the ferry. Dang, we just missed it and will have to wait til 5. Sitting at the gates, a guy strolls down from the ferry and says "Go get your ticket", and starts opening the gates for me. So the excess MPH’s didn’t go for naught, because we were gonna be nautical in a few moments.
As we boarded the mates told me that the ride is going to be quite rough in places and I have to stay by the bike to make sure it doesn’t fall over. I complied, but I thought if it is going to be that bad, me standing next to the bike, isn’t going to prevent an 800 pound bike from tipping over.

We resting and hiding from the wind

The trip was choppy, but not so bad, that the bike was ever in danger of tipping. We stayed with me on deck, with the wind whipping thru the car bay, I finally said only one of us should suffer and being the gallant fellow I am, I sent her upstairs to the closed, calm, heated deck room. After we got off the ferry she told me she had taken a nap.


On land we headed out stopping at one of the restaurants from Road Side America,Clawsons. We had dinner here, having the special for the night; Dirigibles (baked potato with stuff all over it). It was 2 for 1 night, so dinner was relatively cheap, but some how no matter what always turns out to be $25.




Dinner consumed, we headed out for Wilmington NC for the night, a mere 100 miles away. Miles for the day was about 300 with an additional 30 miles on ferries.

Something for Nothing

It’s Saturday and my partner in crime, Crystal and I, are romping all over the Connecticut country side hunting down National Landmarks. Our first stop was Henry Bowen’s place called Roseland located in Woodstock. We were then off to Lebanon to pickup John Trumball’s Birthplace and William Williams House. Lebanon is chocked full of historic places with many other locations on the National Register of Historic Places, but today it was all about National Landmarks. As we finished up at the Trumball location, I mounted the bike and got ready for Crystal to hop on back I then saw this rock with a plaque on it. I just couldn’t let it go, so I asked Crystal to go over and see what it said. I was too lazy to get off the bike. She walked over, stood there for a second and then I saw her shoulders moving in an up and down motion. She came back to the bike and I said, “Is this something I need to take a picture of”.

So kickstand down, dismount, get the camera out and walk over to the monument.


The dismount view























Getting closer






















And the Plaque





For those who are looking for this, it is right next to John Trumball's Birthplace in Lebanon, CT.

Get Ready Get Set Get LANDMARKS

Someplace, somewhere among my blog writings I said I would write about National Landmarks, so not to disappoint myself I offer the following. Landmarks are located in all states plus you will find them in places such as the Federated States of Micronesia, which has 2. The National Park Service not only administers our beautiful parks and monuments, but handles those places that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. National Landmarks are a subset of the NRHP. They are defined as

National Historic Landmarks are nationally significant historic places designated by the Secretary of the Interior because they possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. Today, fewer than 2,500 historic places bear this national distinction. Working with citizens throughout the nation, the National Historic Landmarks Program draws upon the expertise of National Park Service staff who work to nominate new landmarks and provide assistance to existing landmarks.


In New England alone there are 350+ locations. Examples of National Landmarks are the normal places you would think like Bunker Hill Monument or the Old North Church in Boston; however there are some unusual spots, such as Goddard Rocket Launching Site in Auburn, MA or the USS Lion Fish in Fall River, MA.

With this in mind, what better way to see New England than by motorcycling across the byways and byroads visiting these sites, maybe learning something in the process?

The Old Manse



Ralph Waldo Emerson House

Birth of a Nation - Death of the Winter Blues

Since the end of November, right around the date the bike was put away for the winter, I developed an interest in places on the National Register of Historic Places. Living in the town of Uxbridge, I drove by what I thought were run down buildings and old houses that were not quite straight and thought; geez that gotta be expensive to fix. Who would have thought that Uxbridge was so rooted in the history of this country?. Uxbridge was ground zero for the early textile industry with many mills surrounding the rivers. It is in the heart of the John H Chafee Blackstone National Heritage Corridor area, designated by the NPS. In Uxbridge alone, there are 54 houses, mills, buildings and districts. So what does this all mean?

I HAVE MORE PLACES TO CHASE!!
that’s what it means.

There are numerous web sites that list the places and their addresses. I use the NRIS database from the NPS site and This Place as my primarily search tools.

You lookup these places, plug them into MapSource, download them to the GPS, jump in the car (remember the bike has been put away), charge up route, push the gas, hit the break, jump out and take a picture and then off to the next one. All in the hopes you come across one of these.

Easy right?............... not so fast oh “gone postal plaquer”.

In the town of Uxbridge, someone sometime decided to renumber the addresses and of course the addresses the NPS had were not updated. This enables you to use your deductive reasoning and observation skills or resorting to guessing, asking people on the street things like,

Me: Is this Deacon Smith’s house and you get the response “no our last name is Rubinowski not Smith.
Me: No no I am looking for historical places. Is this house called the Deacon Smith House
Them: I don’t think we know Deacon Smith
Me to myself: Of course you don’t know Deacon Smith, he has been dead for 223 years.
Them: You should ask my parents, they might know where the preacher lives
Me: Thank you.

You drive to all these places and one old home looks like the next old home, either one could be the right place. This is where the analility ( I think I made that word up) kicks in plus not wanting to be defeated in this self made contest, it is off to the Uxbridge library (which by the way has a plaque on the outside, but it is not an National Historic Place, simply a notation by the Uxbridge Historical Society and quite possibly on the Massachusetts Historical Place Registry) to see if I can get some information on the places I just wasn’t sure about. Yup they have all the original documentation that was used to get the places listed and there are photos attached too. So I take a picture of the pictures and the info page. Oh guess what, the address from the renumbering of Uxbridge were written on these pages, so now all I had to do was plug in the new addresses to MS, blah blah blah.

Not so fast oh “youthinkyouare sosmart”. Some places don’t exist anymore, but you drive around looking for them over and over anyways, double checking the addresses and then driving reeeeaaaaaaaaallll slow down the street to make sure you just aren’t missing the place. This is the life of a Waypoint junkie. If National Park chasin is Macroeconomics, NRHP (National Register of Historic Places) is microeconomics. To boot there is a special subsection to NRHP’s which are National Landmarks. I am sure sometime I will write on this subject too.

So you have the photos, and the GPS coordinates you got standing right at someone’s front door. Now what. There is the place called www.waymarking.com that has a ton of categories from Abstract Public Sculptures to Zoos where you can post your finds and get a ribbon. Now there are 2 types of ribbon categories. Your Posts and Your Visits. If you are the poster, you must post some history or interesting facts about the place. This means research which gets you educated, all in one fell swoop. Check it out in the link above. Here’s my stats.

With Uxbridge done, I then branched out to Northbridge, Mendon, Milford, Sutton… do you see where this is going?

As this writing, I have posted 204 places on the NRHP category and visited an additional 36 places. In the Northeast section there are over 18,200 places from Maine to Ohio to the southern border of Pennsylvania across Northern Maryland . Since I am planning a trip to Florida you can throw in another 27,000 places in the Southeast section. It appears I have some places to chase this year, Ya Think ?

Some places that I have been to: