Part XVIII "Epilog"

Saturday, September 24/11



A couple of days have passed since I unloaded the bike for the last time on this tour. While I miss the daily movement and rhythm of the road is also nice to be home. It's taking a few days to come down and I find I'm sleeping more than I usually do. I better get ready for it's back to work on Monday morning bright and early!

Looking back, this trip was a major Bucket-List item for me. When I had the original idea to do this ride a year prior to leaving, I had a vague plan of riding across the continent. A few weeks before I left I still had only a vague idea of the route and as I explained in the opening chapter I was only going to plan a few days in advance. This method worked most of the time. Keep it loose and you will find the way.

Since I've been back I've had a few people ask me would I do it again. I'm still not sure how to answer that, however; if I were to take on another cross country trip there are a couple of things I might do differently. One item that comes to mind is I would start earlier in the summer. Perhaps start in June and go through to August and not wait until starting in August as I did this time. Granted the weather was, for the most part, excellent, I was leaving more to chance by returning in late September. Next time I wouldn't camp as much. It's too much gear to lug around and I was getting tired of the constant loading and unloading. Strip away the tent, sleeping bag, inflatable mattress, cooking gear and food and I've lightened the load considerably. The bike would have been a lot more aero-dynamic and the fuel consumption would have improved as well. Yes, I know motels are expensive, but I'd make the trade off for the longer travel days and lighter loads.


One other thing I might change is have someone else come with me. The company would have been great and having another person's input and different point-of-view would have added a new value component to the trip.


Another question I have been asked is what was the best moment? What was the worst moment? What was the best road? Where was the best food? In fact I had pondered these questions throughout the trip. So to address these biting issues I've prepared a brief list of The Best & Worst Of". Okay. Here we go.


THE BEST MOMENT:
This had to be when I reached the top of the Bourne Bridge spanning Cape Cod Canal and I saw the sun sparkling like diamonds on the water. I had fulfilled a dream of riding across the continent from the Pacific to the Atlantic. A short time later I also reflected, "Damn. I have to go all the way back again!"


THE FRIENDLIEST PEOPLE:
Tough one as there are two shining examples. This is a dead even tie, but wait, there is a way to separate them. Not too hard to do as one group is in the U.S. and the other is Canadian.

The friendliest people on the U.S. side are in Tennessee. They go beyond friendly and have to be some of the most hospitable people you will ever meet.

On the Canadian side Cape Breton wins hands down. Everyone has a welcoming smile and greet you like you're lost family. Go there and you'll see what I mean.


THE BEST ROADS:
Another toughie as there are several. Some have great sweeping bends while others are more demanding, tighter conditions and lastly there is the overall surface condition of the roads. This award has to be shared so included in this list, in no particular order are:


The Blue Ridge Parkway. From North Carolina to Virginia. Great surface conditions with wonderful views of the Appalachian Mountains. The Parkway twists it's way along a ridge above the towns and valleys. The one drawback is the 45 mph speed limit. Other than the odd ranger I never saw any enforcement so draw your own conclusions. Also there was lots of wildlife, mainly deer and Wild Turkeys.

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island. Big wide sweeping curves with stunning views of the Atlantic coastline. The surface had a few issues right at the beginning and again at the end of the trail but overall you can see why it's in the top motorcycle destinations in the world.

U.S. 212. Little Bighorn, Montana south-east to Sturgis, South Dakota. This is a lonely stretch of highway passing for the most part through high prairie and wooded mountains. The surface is good and there are a few small towns along the way for fuel and refreshment.

Great Smokey Mountains National Forest, Tennessee and North Carolina. This road was an absolute joy to ride. I was on it fairly early in the morning so it was misty and eerie. Tight twisting bends and dramatic elevation gains make this road a "must-do".

Here are a couple more well deserving roads.

Devil's Triangle, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Tight, technical riding through thick bush and small open pockets of farmland. This is Eastern Tennessee hillbilly country and I thought it was wonderful. Oh and mile for mile Tennessee had the best road surface conditions. Bravo!

Hwy 9 East from Bangor Maine to Calais Maine. Smooth riding with elevation changes through forests and farmland. Minimal traffic make this a very enjoyable ride.


THE BEST FOOD:
This one is purely subjective but for my money Cape Cod seafood is out in front on this one. The week I was there I ate scallops, swordfish, tuna steak, cod, halibut, crab cakes, clam cakes oh and a visit to a barbecue smokehouse.
Mmmmmm

As far a home cooking goes, my friends Kathy and Trey in Knoxville receive "The Eaters Choice Award" for a Southern delicacy Chicken Fried Steak which was wonderful. I'm going to make it at home but it likely won't have that Southern flair that y'all put in it!


THE BEST CUP OF TEA:
I have to mention this as I'm pretty particular about my tea and unless I make it myself it's usually lousy. In this case I was pleasantly surprised to the quality of this cup of tea and the unlikely location. I got this cup early on a Saturday morning, when stuck in traffic I pulled off into a parking lot for refreshment. The winner is, are you ready for this....Dunkin' Donuts in Eastham, Massachusetts! The gal actually boiled the water, put the bag in the pot and then poured in the boiling water. She offered me milk, not cream, half and half or milky dust. It was a wonderful cup of tea and clearly the winner of this prestigious award.


THE BEST CAMPGROUND:
No-brainer here. This was a lovely campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Linville Falls, North Carolina. Clean, friendly scenic and cheap. What more can you ask for?

 THE BEST "WELCOME TO" SIGN:

After passing through 6 provinces and 23 states I saw more than my share of "Welcome To" signs. Most were large cheerful billboards and some were pitiful little pieces of plywood. Shame on you again Nebraska. Worse yet was Quebec who didn't even bother to erect a welcome sign. Tu n'as pas honte Quebec!

There was one welcome sign that was head and shoulders above anyone, anywhere, anytime. If fact no one was even in their league. And the winner is.........NOVA SCOTIA! What an excellent sign and the visitor centre was above and beyond any other Province or State. Not only did they post a billboard they built a lighthouse and provided a photograph area where you could pose for the folks back home. Well done Nova Scotia!

THE LOWEST POINT OF THE TRIP:
There really wasn't a low point per se. It was a bit annoying when I lost my turn signals and instrument gauges but it all worked out. I got the instruments back and used hand signals for left hand turns. No big deal really. The entire trip was upbeat and exhilarating.

DAMAGE REPORT:

This trip was not without mishap. Hey things break, fall apart and get lost. Here's a rundown of my damage and loss experience.

• Broken thermos. (Day 1)
• Lost cap from new, replacement thermos.
• Rain jacket. It blew off somewhere in Illinois or was it Kentucky?
• Unbreakable camp bowl breaks when it falls on the ground.
• Turn signal switch goes kaput leaving me with only a right hand signal.
• Crotch rips out on a pair of blue jeans. A quick patch and sew remedied this little annoyance.
• New tires in Knoxville. This was expected so it's not really damage.
• GPS power unit decided to die in Nebraska and had to be replaced with an entire new unit. Ouch!
• Two pairs, count 'em. two pairs of bi-focal sunglasses gone. One pair broke and the other mysteriously lost..
• Tank Bag zipper teeth don't like to mesh nicely anymore.
• 18-55mm lens not aligning properly and has a definite clunk in it.

To my family, friends and neighbours, thank you so much for reading along with my blog as well as your comments and emails. I really appreciated your participation as it kept the blog alive. I had a wonderful time writing and sharing this experience with you.


Special thanks go to my fiance Lori Ducharme for the nights we would Skype; it kept you that much closer. 'love you Belle! Thanks to Trey and Kathy Sansom for your kindness and hospitality while showing me around Eastern Tennessee. You guys are great! Thanks to Mike and Carol Buckton and family for sharing a week's vacation with me in Cape Cod. See you at Christmas? Thanks to old buddy John and Brenda Hawes for the dinner and the laugh down memory lane. Many thanks to Helen and Dick Shannon, my Mother and Step-Father for the warm welcome. It's too bad we didn't have more time together. A big thank you has to go out to Allen Stowell and Mike Silver for riding along with me on that first morning. That was a most brotherly gesture on your parts. Thanks as well to Jesse Allred for the company from New Haven to Fall River. I hope our paths cross again. Ride safe Amiga.

So here I am at the end of this particular part of the tale. The trip may be over but the journey continues. Stay tuned as I'm hatching a plan for perhaps another tour late winter or early spring 2012.


Until the next time. Ride safe, but ride.

Steve Buckton
Steveston, B.C.