Cross country boondoggle in progress

[McDee]

Hi all,

Apologies for my inactivity of late. It's hard to catch up on 30-some pages of new posts every couple of days. Quick update on my progress.

I left Seattle on the 5th of August after packing everything I own into a 10x10 storage unit and selling off anything that wouldn't fit. I've only done about 10 days of riding in the interim, what with visiting family and friends as well as (shudder) using my brother's truck for the trip to Burning Man. It did make it easier to bring in 60 gallons of water for the week though.

My original plan was to write up two versions of my log. One more food and travel centered for the bulk of my friends and another with more two wheel notations for the rest. Since I'm having a heckuva time updating only one, I'm just going to leave it at that for now.

Ramblings are available at https://andymcd.livejournal.com/ with links to my Flickr page. Enjoy or ignore at your leisure

 

[McDee]

Checking in from Portland, ME.

Brief synopsis so far:

6 day run from NorCal to Chicago. Contemplated my mortality on a "shortcut" in Wyoming.

7 days in Chicago including dinners at Frontera Grill, Alinea, and L2O

Easy roll up the west side of Lake Michigan, across the UP and down the east side of the lake.

Several days living on a friend's yacht in Grand Harbor, MI.

Scenic run through Northern Ohio, Pennsylvania, and upstate New York.

Couple of days exploring Niagara, NY.

Continued along Lake Erie, across HWY 2 to Bar Harbor, ME.

Starting my southbound leg after a visit to some extended family in Boston tomorrow.

I gave up on trying to use libraries and such for the interweb access. Picked up a cheap Asus Eee PC yesterday, so livejournal updates and Flickr uploads are in progress.

Ride safe,

McDee

 

[Wicked Webby]

McDee,

Never read a ride review with a emphasis on a variety of foods....

Pretty neat.

WW

 

[McDee]

Checking in from Greeneville, SC after hanging out in the Boston area for a few weeks. Enroute Clearwater, FL via Atlanta.

Rolled over 11,720 miles yesterday afternoon. This is significant to me since I bought the bike with 1720 miles on it earlier this year.

Updates on the blog are coming along slowly but surely. I'll catch up some day, I swear.

WW - the food related influence to the writing comes from the fact that I quit my job as a cook when I left Seattle. Well, I suppose there's a fine line between "quit" and "leave of absence"... The bulk of my friends are either cooks or foodies, thus the heavy focus on eating.

I may have graduated with a culinary degree, but I still consider myself a student. Also hoping to somehow turn the boodoggle into a "gustatory sabbatical" type of thing. In other words, convince someone to pay for it somehow

 

[FJReady]

'In the Boston area for a few weeks' and you didn't stop in to say hi?

Good luck on your journey.

 

[hecpilot]

Heck, only "10" days of riding in the interim!!!!!

I think I'm gonna sell it all, house, tv, girl, baby, mistress, car, and fit what ever is left in a 10x10 storage.

Be safe.

 

[dcarver]

Pix! I can't reed soo gud an' neud pixtures!

Puhleaze?

 

[McDee]

Pix! I can't reed soo gud an' neud pixtures! Puhleaze?

Too lazy to link 'em all

 

[vroompuppy]

Checking in from Greeneville, SC after hanging out in the Boston area for a few weeks. Enroute Clearwater, FL via Atlanta.

I can at least vouch for a portion of his route as I ran into McDee today at a Shell station in Suwanee, GA.

McDee, it was nice chattin' witcha and keep it safe from the crazies in and around Atlanta.

VP

PS - had I known about the cookin' thingy I'd have been more adament in my return stopover invite.....hell, you can stop by anytime dude!!!

 

[wheatonFJR]

Holy crap! :clapping:

Nice trip! :yahoo: Thanks for sharing the piccies...

 

[McDee]

A lot and yet not much has transpired since my last update. I'm still on the road, back in the Boston area for a few weeks and keeping an eye on the NE boards for rides and meets. I tried out the snowbird thing. Wintered over in St. Pete FL and left when it started getting too warm for my taste.

I did a fairly hard run through the south (bypassed ATL completely this time) due to delays in getting my trailer and hitch set up and a time commitment in Brooklyn, NY. I went over to Ithaca, NY last week to hang out with the scooter and moped crowd.

Then I stopped by the Springfield Armory on my way back here. Pics available here.

Tentative plans indicate a run to NC in the middle of July and then start the trek westbound to be in Reno in late August to go hang out in the Black Rock Desert for a few weeks again. Still working on filling in the blanks in between.

 

[BIODSL]

I did a fairly hard run through the south (bypassed ATL completely this time) due to delays in getting my trailer and hitch set up and a time commitment in Brooklyn, NY. I went over to Ithaca, NY last week to hang out with the scooter and moped crowd.

Ah, the Finger Lakes. Spent two years of my life at Seneca Army Depot near Romulus. Good memories and a nice place to be...in the summer. Ithica was a destination when we wanted to try to pick up on the co-eds from Cornell.

You need to try to post a little more often, McDee. Keep us updated. Absolutely let us know when you hit the Black Rock.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Cool stuff McDee. That little green FeeJ is the new eco-friendly version for 2011, correct?

Enjoy, ride safe, and post up pix often.

 

[McDee]

Back on the road enroute Asheville, SC for a bit. Thought I'd try and post up something, but I'm beat, so I'll just share my last two status messages from Facebook:

Last night:

Back roads of CT, NY, and NE PA today. Camped near Pocono Mt. Shutting down the laptop so's I can watch the fireflies better.

Today:

So I flipped a coin this morning. Heads = Philly, Tails = Gettysburg. How come I missed the memo that it is bike week in Gettysburg? Tentative RV drivers and wobbly Harley riders everywhere (often the same person).

(no pics, as usual for me)

 

[McDee]

Stopped for lunch this afternoon. Took my wallet out of my pants pocket and set it on the seat while I put on the 'Stich. Got an hour down the road and found wallet missing from usual pocket in the suit. 3 hours of running up and down the 219 in NW Maryland looking for a brown wallet is not making for a happy afternoon. I see even more fun in the works trying to get cards replaced 3000 miles from my mailing address that I haven't been near in almost a year.

 

[iCruze]

That should be fun I haven't noticed what inspired this journey or how long you plan on being out there...

 

[McDee]

That should be fun I haven't noticed what inspired this journey or how long you plan on being out there...

h
The inspiration, in a nutshell, was that I was tired of working and had a bit of $$ saved up. Since I grew up and lived all up and down the west coast, I figured it was time to go see the rest of the country.

As far as return (or settling down if I find someplace I like as much as I do Seattle), that depends on how long I can stretch the savings. This is why I camp as much as I do, stay with friends often, carry a cooler on the trailer so I can eat on the cheap, etc.

After getting over the frustration of the lost wallet, I took the 219 south through MD and WV. What a fun road. Stopped newar Natural Bridge, VA on Sunday. Then I cut over to the Blue Ridge Parkway for few hours on Monday. Also highly recommended.

Got to Asheville, NC last night. Took care of bank issues and such today. I now have a new debit card and feel like a real person again. Now just have to replace my driver's license, insurance card, etc. It's all coming together.