At the end of May 2019, I was notified that I would be traveling from North Carolina to New York City for a meeting with a business client. This particular client is one that I have been working with for a year or so but have not yet had the chance to meet them in person. They are based out of Israel and were flying into New York for a conference. Since they were making the trek across the Atlantic, it made for an opportune time to meet. Schedules were coordinated and it was decided to meet on a Monday morning in mid June. I was not keen on the idea of flying up there as its restrictive and monotonous. You get probed by TSA, crammed into a tin can and fed a bag of peanuts to make you feel… comfortable. Thanks, but I’ll pass on the peanuts.
Itching to go for a ride, I began thinking of ways I could ride my motorcycle up to New York. I thought about trying to ride into the city (traffic, tolls), where I would park and securely store my bike, etc. Sounds like a nightmare. I’m not one for cities and didn’t want to deal with that if I didn’t have to. So back to thinking I went. It occurred to me that taking the train into New York would allow me to avoid the city streets, tolls, and mindless drivers. I had some friends who recently took the train from Exton PA into New York, so I discussed this option with them. Exton is a smaller town and allows me to avoid trying to catch the train in Philadelphia. The hotel I was staying at in New York is a few blocks from Penn Station, so I could easily walk. This makes getting into and out of New York very easy and I just had to rely on my own two legs. Self-reliant and a less restrictive schedule. Sounds good to me and intuitively it felt right, so I booked my train ticket. I would pick up the train in Exton on Sunday afternoon and be back on the train and out of New York Monday afternoon.
Now I had to plan my motorcycle route. With the meeting being on Monday, I had the weekend to ride. For traveling back home to NC, I took a PTO day the following Tuesday giving me the day to ride. My tires have never been through Delaware so I decided on a route that would take me up the Delmarva Peninsula. I would camp out in Delaware about 120 miles out from Exton, leaving time to ride around in the morning before having to catch the train. I would camp out Monday night after escaping the city and getting back to my bike. I scouted out a couple of camping spots and routes for the way back but didn’t settle on any option. I’m not on any specific time constraints so we will just see how things play out as Monday approaches.
Friday morning, the day before I leave, I noticed a bug bite just above my left wrist. Later that afternoon it started getting really itchy. By Friday night it began to swell. It had a white head on it which immediately made me think it was a spider bite. I’ve been bit by spiders before, there is some itching and some minor swelling but it goes away on its own after a couple of days. So I didn’t think much of it and kept going about my business. After getting off work, I begin packing up the bike. Wanting to stay light and minimal, I loaded up a hammock, tarp (in case of rain and to use as a cover for the bike), blanket, camping chair, fire starter, headlamp, rain gear, a change of clothes, paracord, bungees, and some tools. I also took a backpack that had everything I needed for New York (laptop, business clothes, etc.). Once I got to the train, I could just grab the backpack and go. Bike is packed up and ready to go, time to grab some food and hit the sack as I will be up and on the road when the sun comes up.
0500, alarm goes off and I’m up and getting ready, excited to hit the road and the adventure that lies ahead. As I’m grabbing some breakfast, I hear it starting to rain. A few moments later I hear it starting to rain, hard. The bottom just fell out, an absolute downpour. I looked at the radar and it looks like the entire state of North Carolina is covered in one giant rain cloud. While it’s down pouring, I unpack my rain gear, as it seems I will be needing it, and I double check that I packed everything that I will need. My book bag doesn’t fit in my panniers, so I put it in a heavy duty garbage bag and wrap it tight. That should keep the rain off it. I use Rok straps to strap it to the back seat. I put on my rain gear and wait a bit for the rain to slow down. About 0630 there is a break in the rain and it slows to a drizzle. Wanting to take advantage of this, I hop on the bike, fire it up, pull in the clutch, click it into first gear, twist the throttle and I’m off. Looking forward to getting out of this town and explore some untraveled roads and unseen country side of this great land of America.
I ride across route 98, the sky is full of heavy clouds but the rain has stopped. As I’m riding out of Wake Forest, traveling about 55 MPH, my phone (which is mounted on my handlebars) suddenly falls out of the RAM mount and bounces off my gas tank. Catching it out of the corner of my eye, without evening thinking, my clutch hand grabbed the phone before it fell to the asphalt. As I’m holding the phone, I realized what just happened. Whoa, how did I manage to grab it? Seeing the traffic behind me, it would most likely have been run over. Losing my phone, which I was using for GPS and work related activities, would have made this trip much more… interesting (however not being on an electronic leash sounds great). I put my phone under my butt and look for a place to pull over. My phone was in a plastic bag, to keep it dry, and I’ve never had an issue with my phone in the RAM mount. I must not have mounted it securely or maybe the plastic bag caused it to slip; not sure. Oh well, back into the RAM mount it goes and I pull back onto the road.
I merge onto 401 and head towards Louisburg. As I approach the city limits the rain starts up again. The first few miles was just a sprinkle. As I leave the city limits and merge onto 561, the rain starts beating against my helmet at a steadier pace. I yell a “Woo hoo” inside my helmet as a big smile appears across my face. Nothing like the open road and the adventures that it brings. I continue up 561 until I merge onto 48, then 158, and head towards Weldon. Still heavy cloud cover but the rain subsides. As I’m riding through Weldon, I come across a large rockfish statue. Little known fact, Weldon is the ‘rockfish capital of the world’.
I pick up 186 and cross into Virginia. Shortly after entering VA, the clouds start to thin as blue skies and sunshine try to break through. I continue eastward merging onto 58 and ride that through Suffolk and Norfolk before entering into Virginia Beach. This is my first time in this part of Virginia, so I rode around for a bit to check out the area. I rode over to the Cape Henry Lighthouse, as I wanted to see it. As I approach the entrance, I came to realize that it’s on a military base. The only way to see it is to take a shuttle ride which was going about every 20 minutes. It was 1230 by this time and after riding about 200 miles, I was getting hungry and still had a ways to go so I decided to postpone this for another trip. While I was stopped and since it looked like the rain was done for good, I took this opportunity to shed my rain gear. I then took a short ride over to a nearby Rally’s to eat a burger and recharge my electronic devices. With the excitement of being on the road, I completely forgot about my left hand. Now that I have taken a breather, I realized that it was still itchy and had become quite a bit more swollen. I decided to stop by a local drugstore and get some benadryl to see if that would help with the swelling.
After popping some benadryl, I was back on the bike and headed towards the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The toll was $18, which is a bit pricey for a toll road but worth it for the adventure. It was a very cool experience. Looking around and seeing nothing but water, while riding a motorcycle. Pretty surreal. What an engineering marvel the CBBT is. Built in the early 1960s, at 17.6 miles, it’s the worlds largest bridge-tunnel complex. The tunnels are deep enough for large ships to cross over them. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see any ships crossing but after getting to the other side I can say that I rode my motorcycle underwater, twice.
I had made it to the Delmarva Peninsula and began riding northbound on US-13. Being on the peninsula, the land is quite flat, which resulted in some pretty strong side winds coming from the coast. The temperature was hovering around 70 degrees and the heavy winds made it a little chillier than I had planned on. Still not bad at all though. As I continued riding north, the clouds gave way to blue skies and sunshine. The roads and scenery were fantastic. Very little traffic and lots of farm land, perfect cruising conditions. Shortly after crossing into Maryland, I merged onto US-113. I decided to take this route as it was a little longer and would allow me to explore a bit more as I traveled north. I stopped at a gas station in Maryland and decided to take a little break off the bike after traveling roughly 350 miles thus far. There was a nice corn field next to the gas station and very little traffic, making for a very peaceful resting place. After filling up my gas tank, I bought a cold drink and parked my bike along the side of the gas station. I sat up against my bike, ate some trail mix I had packed, and took in the beautiful countryside. Thankful for the opportunity to be out riding my motorcycle and exploring a piece of God’s beautiful creation.
After 30 minutes or so, I was rested, refueled and ready to get back on the bike. I had about 60 miles to go before stopping to camp for the night. I continued cruising up 113, taking in the sites and landscape changes. It’s always interesting to see the architectural changes in the homes and buildings as you travel to different parts of the country. Whether they were built in different time periods, to accommodate weather, or just different building techniques. Always interesting to see and learn about. After meandering through the back roads, I rolled into Killens Pond State Park where I would be camping for the night. Unfortunately on the east coast, camping sites are fairly limited and the ones that are available are on the expensive side. Oh well, have to make use of what is available. I checked in and rode down to my camp site to set up camp. This didn’t take long as I just had to setup my hammock and my camping chair. Once set up I walked back up to the check-in station to buy some firewood. The guy running the check-in station was very nice. He was interested in my motorcycle and where I was traveling to, so I chatted with him a bit. After bidding him a good night, I made my way back to camp with my firewood and got a fire going. I spent the next couple hours sitting around the fire, reflecting on the days ride and the adventure that lies ahead before turning in for the night.
I was up the next morning about the time the sun came up. I did not sleep well in the hammock due to trouble getting comfortable and getting cold in the middle of the night. I will have to re-visit my hammock setup to see what I can improve next go round. After packing up camp and loading the bike, I ate a protein bar and got some fluids in me. My left hand was still very swollen and had continued to swell with the swelling moving up into my forearm. Since the benadryl didn’t do anything and the swelling had gotten worse, I decided to go get it checked out. I hopped on the bike and departed the state park, making my way towards Dover. After getting into Dover, I stopped at a MedExpress and got checked out. They quickly identified it as a skin infection and gave me a prescription for some antibiotics. I stopped at a nearby Walgreen’s to get my prescription filled. While that was being done, I rolled over to a nearby Friendly’s to get some breakfast. After finishing my omelet, hotcakes, and sausage, I picked up my prescription and hit the road.
Stopping at the MedExpress and picking up the prescription set me back a bit on time. I still had plenty of time to make the train but I planned on exploring some additional back roads before doing so. I left Dover and cruised on up the road heading towards Pennsylvania. The skies were clear and the sun was shining brightly above. I merged onto 71 towards Middleton and then continued on 896 towards Newark. Coming into this area and crossing into southeastern Pennsylvania, I noticed the scenery change before my eyes. The roads and landscapes through SE PA were just stunning. The rolling hills with horses running free and the curvy roads with switchbacks made shifting through the gears and leaning the bike over that much more enjoyable. Coming around corners and seeing rock built houses and barns set in a fantastic background of rolling hills made it hard to keep my eyes on the road. I managed to keep my focus enough to keep it on two wheels and continued making my way towards Exton, enjoying every mile I clicked off. After getting into Exton, I made a quick stop at a store to pick up a few protein bars to replenish my stash. Once I navigated my way over to the train station and got parked I found out there was a $1 parking fee that only takes coins. Wish I had known this ahead of time. I dug my hand into my pocket as I was pretty sure I had some coins on me but I couldn’t find any. I had about 30 minutes before the train arrived, so I quickly hopped back on the bike and drove up to a nearby drugstore to get change. Making my way back to the train station I reached into my pocket and came out with a lot more quarters than I got for the dollar I exchanged. Why I couldn’t find them the first time, who knows, I shake my head and go about getting ready to catch the train. I leave my boots in the panniers, lock my helmet up, and lock the forks. I use a tarp to cover the bike and use bungees to tie it down. By this time I hear the train coming, so I quickly make my way to the platform. As they were boarding I found out I was on the wrong side of the tracks, as this train was heading towards Harrisburg. Crap, so I quickly made my way to the other side of the train tracks. Construction didn’t make this an easy task and I was a bit irritated that they didn’t have it clearly marked. Thankfully the train I needed to catch did not come first and it was running a bit late so I didn’t miss it. I boarded the train and was on my way to New York City.
With it being a Sunday night, the train was at capacity until we hit Philadelphia. After that stop, the train cleared out and was quite comfortable all the way into Penn Station. After arriving in New York , I checked into my hotel and then stopped at a couple of nearby pizza shops to have a few slices for dinner. The next morning, I met up with a co-worker and then met up with the client. During the meeting, they mentioned that there was a large customer of theirs who had an escalation issue in which they wanted me to join them on a conference call the following morning. This required me to change up my travel plans a bit but I’m glad I left them open. After finishing up the meeting later that morning, I worked remotely the rest of the day until my train departure that afternoon. I also booked a hotel for Monday night in Exton as I needed internet connection for the conference call the following morning at 0800. By the afternoon, after taking a couple of doses of antibiotics, the swelling in my hand went down significantly and was nearing its normal size. The itching had also subsided. So all seemed good with my hand and I would take the antibiotics the next couple of days to make sure it healed completely. As 1600 neared, I made my way through the city streets towards Penn Station. It had only been 22 hours that I have been in the city but I was glad to be leaving. I made it back to my bike in Exton around 2.5 hours after boarding the train. I strapped down my book bag and headed for the hotel.
The next morning I was up and working by 0700. I joined the customer conference call by 0800. This call did not go as I had planned. I assumed it would take an hour at the most and I would be out enjoying myself on the road; I was wrong. It seemed like whatever could go wrong, did go wrong, which led to about a 3 hour call. I would occasionally look out the window and see the beautiful sun filled blue skies, a bit irritated that I was on the call and not out riding. We were eventually able to identify the issues, so the customer was happy as we ended the call. By this time it was about 1100 and I was ready to be out in the wind. As I walk outside towards my bike, the weather is perfect, couldn’t ask for a better day. I’m loading up the bike and thinking about the nearly 500 mile ride ahead of me, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Whiskey Rock-a-Roller pops into my head. I put some Skynyrd on, fire up the bike, take a deep breath, and take off; relieved and excited to finally be back on the road.
I’m headed down a highway got my suitcase by my side
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Whiskey Rock-a-Roller
Blue skies hangin’ over my head I got five hundred miles to ride
I made my way southbound, once again thoroughly enjoying the Pennsylvania roads and all the beautiful views that is has to offer. Knowing that I got a late start and that I had a long way to ride, I usually put the hammer down to try to make it home at a decent time (knowing that I had to be at work the next morning). I made a point not to do that so I could enjoy the roads and views before me. I would get home when I get home. As I came near the state lines where PA, DE, and MD all meet, I turned off the GPS and just explored the area; crossing between the state lines multiple times. While exploring, I came upon a cool covered bridge on a back road in PA. After about an hour or so of exploring, I continued my way south through DE and eventually back into MD.
I maneuvered through various back roads in Maryland enjoying the views of all the farm land. At one point, riding down a fairly narrow road I came upon large wheat fields on both sides of the road. I stood up on the foot pegs, with the wind in my face, and took in the amber waves of grain that were blowing in the breeze. ‘America the Beautiful’ pops into my head. Thankful to God for his grace, the hard-working men who helped build this beautiful country, and those who came before and laid their lives down for it. I continue on eventually picking up US-301 and heading towards Annapolis. Traffic was little to none until I got closer to Kent Island. As I’m cruising down the road with no other cars around, ‘The Last Rebel’ by Skynyrd comes on in my earbuds. I put myself into the song as I’m “rollin’ down the highway” and think about those who are the “last of a dying breed” who will stand up and fight for liberty.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
Ronald Reagan
Continuing to cruise down US-301, I make a stop in Kent Narrows to have some seafood for lunch. The steamed shellfish and garlic bread were delicious and hit the spot. With a full stomach, back down the road I went, crossing the US-50 Chesapeake Bay Bridge and into Annapolis. I avoided the toll road and went through the downtown area passing by Navy stadium. I continued venturing westward and eventually picked up US-301 to continue south. Unfortunately it was around 1600 by this time and the traffic was terrible until I crossed the Potomac river. It was stop and go for a good portion of the way and there were a lot of traffic lights. With the sun beaming down and sitting on asphalt, it made sitting in traffic quite hot. What a contrast this portion of 301 is compared to that on the other side of the bay. Lesson learned, will avoid this area next time. Shortly after crossing over the Potomac river, I made a pit stop to refuel the bike and get a drink. I didn’t travel all that far but was on the bike a long time fighting traffic, so needed to rehydrate a bit before continuing on.
I swung my leg back over the bike and continue riding down US-301 before breaking off onto some back roads. I meandered through the beautiful Virginia countryside north of Richmond, taking in the fresh air and scenery. One unique characteristic I’ve noticed about Virginia are the tree tunnels that you come across on the back roads. There are patches of wooded areas where the branches of large trees on either side of the road extend over the road, essentially making a tunnel. Very cool to ride through and adds another element to take in and enjoy.
I made my way towards Powhatan and continued south towards US-360 as the sun began to set behind the trees. As it grew darker, fireflies began to light up through the fields and along the edges of the road. There were many of them making it quite enjoyable to see them all light up as I drove along. I merged onto US-360 and pushed pretty hard to get as far as I could while I still had a little daylight. The temperatures began to drop and it got chilly out. Once the sun had fully set, I stopped at a gas station. I warmed my hands up over the hot muffler to get some feeling back into them and put on a long sleeve shirt and a jacket to break the wind. That would keep me warm for the rest of the ride home. I continue on down US-360 and eventually merge onto US-15, keeping alert for critters now that it was dark out. I saw a few deer standing along the side of road and flashed my lights to alert oncoming cars. Thankfully none of them tried to run across the road.
I cross into North Carolina shortly after 2100 and continue venturing south. Staying alert for animals and crazy cagers. No animals were seen, just crazy drivers who either drive ten to fifteen miles under the speed limit or who like to ride your butt when there is a line of traffic in front of you. I was amazed at how much traffic there was on these roads this late on a Tuesday. I continue south entering familiar roads that I have been riding for years and nearing home. Around 2330 I pull into my driveway with just over 1000 miles on the trip meter. I unload the bike, thinking about the amazing journey I had just completed and wishing I was going back out on the road.