Fall Foliage

Well it's beginning to get brisk which means winter is coming but there is still time to get out and ride. I have a small 1 car garage so I am extremely envious of J.P. Usually my bike sits in the back corner on the Park-and-Move. I've got to move My wife's car from the drive way and then back my car out of the garage. This after moving bicycles and other various toys and things to get my bike out. Then there is the gear. By the time I think of all that I need to do to get out and ride I often don't. Well I decided to change things up. Although my wife doth protest, I started parking my bike outside in front of my door, literally. I am sure I will get a nasty letter from the home owners association Nazis. I keep a cover on it but its easy access from here on out while the weather cooperates.

When I get up in the morning I throw on a pair of Draggin-Jeans just in case. My helmet and gloves are on my desk and my jacket is on the back of my chair. Now I'm on at a moments notice even if its just a grocery run. I found out that with my top case I actually CAN get a case of wine home safely if I de-box it. Until it gets too cold to ride or too slippery, she's staying at the ready. Get out and ride and enjoy the foliage! Ride Safe, -Robert

Time to Ride

Happy 2013!  Can you believe that another riding season is upon us?  I am sitting here on March 16, 2013 looking out my window and seeing a 3 inch blanket of snow on the ground.  Last year at this time the weather was in the 70-80's which for Chicago area is unseasonably warm.  In fact last year for the month of March I was able to ride about 2500 miles.  The most miles that I have ever ridden in March around here.  Anyway, I am looking forward to another riding season.  As I am writing this blog there are some in our group preparing to ride the unpaved roads!  Yes that would be Joe and Ron.  I believe they are preparing for the Trans America Trail or TAT.  Good luck to them.  I think this year we are planning to go back to Americade.  This year Americade is extending the Expo on the Beach Front for the whole week from Saturday to Saturday.  I will assume this is done to compete with all of the vendors in Warrensburg.   Anyway, mark your calendars for the first week in June, 2013 and plan to go to Upstate New York!

Ride safe,

Jp

Look who was at the Chicago Motorcycle Show 2012

Guess who was at the Motorcycle Show this year? Do you believe in miracles? Theresa actually had what appears to be a good time at the Show. I am so proud of her! She spent Sunday afternoon at the Stephen's Center looking at motorcycles and motorcycle gear.....Ride safe, Jp

Chicago International Motorcycle Show 2012

NOB was present at the Chicago International Motorcycle Show that took place February 10-12, 2012. As with each year, we attended the Show on opening day and had our dinner at Gibson's. It was good fellowship as always. I want to thank everyone who attended this year. It was good to see some of our friends who are vendors at the show. Ever year it appears that the Show has gotten smaller with respect to the number of vendors. This is probably a combination of the economy and fact that the number of new riders is on the decline. The Show does provide a nice winter break and hope for the new riding season. I am looking forward to the future rides this upcoming year. Again, I thank all that attended. See you down the road. Ride safe, Jp

MotoGP Indianapolis 2K11

NOB attended MotoGP this year. We had a small but intrepid group of riders. Bert, Mallory, Erskine, Edmund and me rode to Indianapolis for MotoGP. This year we had the pleasure of riding with Mark Michaels. He is much improved since the days of riding with a broken gear shift in loafers.....Mark actually looks like a rider these days. Thankfully we had no accidents. The weather was great and the fellowship was even better. I like to thank all of those who attended MotoGP this year. Our group "hung out" in downtown Indy after the time trials on Saturday night. It was a hot and muggy night with 1000's of bikes and freaks.....A fun time was had by all. We hope that next year Indianapolis will play host to MotoGP. If so, we will be back in Indianapolis next year. Enjoy the fall riding season. Soon it will be time to put the bikes up for the season. Ride safe.

Happy Father's Day

Greetings:

We just returned from a great 2K11 Americade Trip! From Syracuse to Montreal, Canada!!! For those of you who attended this year's trip thank you. I really enjoyed our time on the road together. For those who were not able to attend, you missed some really beautiful rides this year. Unfortunately, Americade is really changing. I think it is a combination of a poor economy and a change in the demographics of the type of riders that are attending Americade. When NOB first went to Americade in 2002, Americade was primarily for Tour Riders, i.e. Goldwings, Sport Touring and Beemers. This was reflected by the types of vendors that were present at Americade. What Americade has morph into is a more universal rally with 50% of the riders there on Harleys and metric cruisers. With the Laconia Rally taking place the week after Americade in Laconia, New Hampshire, you have a lot of the cruiser crowd going to Americade. I hope that Americade will survive. I think about the Honda Hoot (rip 2008), Honda Homecoming (rip 2007) and various other motorcycle rallies disappearing because of the lack of interest or the poor economy.

Anyway, this being our 5th trip to Americade we have become somewhat familiar with the roads. This year we went up the the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Likewise, Erskine found Vermont Route 100. It is one of the most scenic state highways that I have ever been on. I will follow up this post with a more details and pictures.

Upcoming events-Wing Ding, Knoxville, TN. July 6, 2011 through July 9, 2011; BMW Nationals July 21-24, 2011 Bloomsburg, PA. Other rides TBA.

Happy Father's Day to all of the Fathers out there. Again, thanks for riding. As always, ride safe.

Jp

New Riding Season 2K11

Greetings Riders,

As we are about to start a new riding season, I just wanted to let everyone know what we are planning for the first part of 2011. The upcoming rides are Litchfield Honda Open House May 14-16, 2011. For those of you that have not been, think of a mini-Americade! There will be a number of vendors and music and a whole lot of motorcycles. Litchfield, IL is located on I-55 approximately 45 minutes south of Springfield, IL or 45 minutes north on I-55 of St. Louis, MO. Next ride will be Americade in Lake George, NY. That trip will be June 4-13, 2011. We will be leaving Chicago on June 4, early, i.e. 5 a.m. riding to Syracuse, NY. From there we plan on going into Canada and to Mount Washington, NH. We will then ride back down to Lake George and spend a few days at Lake George, NY. It will be a nice time. After that, some non-NOB trips with be the Wing Ding, July 6-9, 2011 in Knoxville, TN, and BMW Nationals in Bloomburg, NY, July 21-24. One of my friends Roc Shannon is a co chair of this event this year. More information to follow for those that are interested.

As always, ride safe and I hope to see all of you on the road this year.

God Bless,

Jp

Mid Winter ride in D.C.

Tonight it’s cold outside and raining ice. A far cry from the beautiful weather we had earlier this week. In fact it was so nice on Thursday I decided to take my bike out and go play in traffic. I rode down town and stopped by to see POTUS. Security there stopped me before I could get within a quarter mile of their big old house. “Where’s POTUS”, I asked. “He’s on punishment”, the officer said, “FLOTUS caught him smoking in the boys room again”. “I thought he quit I replied”. “Yeah we did to. Apparently those two boys, Phillip and Morris told him it would make him look cool”.

So I rode up the hill to see if anyone there wanted to play, but everyone was already busy playing games. Some were playing “Pin the Blame on the Donkey”. Others were playing “Pass the Buck”. POTUS was there in the corner pouting because he was on punishment. He was bored so he started playing “Balance the Budget” all by himself. His new friends on the other side of the isle turned out not to be so friendly. Some of them were having a tea party but would not let others play. The rest were playing Simon says “No!”. One of them named John was on his way to the emergency room. Apparently some girl named Nancy poked him in the eye. Normally he would just go see the nurse, but he did not have any health care. Something about a pre-existing condition.

I decided to leave the hill and head on home. At least it was a nice day for a ride, even if no one could come out and play.

Final Ride November 28, 2010

Greetings everyone. It has been some time since I have updated this blog site. I just want to say that 2010 has gone by too quickly. We really did not ride to many miles together this year. However, next year is just around the corner and our first big ride will be Americade in Lake George, New York. It is a really nice place to ride to and a great many sites to see along the way. I hope that each and everyone of you and year families have a safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year. This is the time of the year that we need to take time and reflect on the pass and welcome the future. I know that there have been many changes in everyone life. I just want to take that time and say that Tony Monroe and his lovely wife Donna have welcomed a daughter this pass year. Likewise rumor has it that Robert Weber and his wife Jerica are with child. That is a blessing and I wish you and your families the best. I understand that there is a very good possibility that neither Tony nor Robert will be able to ride this summer on any long trips that do not include stops at the diaper store. Good luck to Ron who has his oldest going off to college this year. Likewise, Huey's daughter is still going strong at Vanderbilt. Good luck to all the kids out there. I just wanted to drop a short update and status. I have included a picture of my bike in front of a local store with the Christmas decorations up. It shows that one can ride as late as the end of November.

Please stay in touch, ride safe. Happy Holidays.

Happy Easter

Look what the Easter Bunny brought Mallory! Finally, after much deliberation, Mallory got his wish and is now riding a "REAL TOURING BIKE"! Congratulations Mallory, may you have many, many happy and safe miles on your new bike.

It is a new riding season, I hope that everyone will have the best year on their bikes this year. I hope to see everyone on the road. Enjoy Easter and remember why we celebrate the day. Enjoy life always for it is far too short.

Ride safe, God Bless,

Jp

WINTER WARM UP?

Hey Guys,

Yesterday afternoon I went into the garage and noticed that both of my motorcycles were crying.

Outside it was sunny and 32 degrees so I said to them, "OK I'll take you both out for a short ride".

So for each Motorcycle, a short "WINTER WARM UP" as follows;

start the motor, wow that sounds nice,

a 15 minute warm up for the motor,

ride about 4 miles to the gas station,

fill those gas tanks to full (both were about half tanks),

add "heet" additive to the gas tank,

ride for about 20 minutes,

back to the garage,

up on the center stand,

cover them back up.

Man, I can't hardly wait till the weather breaks!

I'm looking forward to riding with you guys later this year.

Meanwhile take care,

Ron M

Kokomo Ride November 7, 2009

This was one of the last rides for 2009. Six brave souls met in Kokomo, Indiana for lunch. You are probably wondering why Kokomo? Why not Kokomo? Have you ever been there? It was a nice town to visit. I did not know that Kokomo has a diverse population. We saw brothers on the golf course there. Have you ever heard of Tavis Smiley? Kokomo is his hometown. Kokomo is home to several car component parts facilities. It is also home of Delphi which seems to be a main employer. The restaurant that we had lunch at was Frittatas which had a nice and inexpensive menu. Thanks to Erskine for finding Frittatas....

Erskine (1400 GTR)drove up from Lexington, KY, Ron (K 1200 GT)drove down from Novi, MI, Bert (ST 1300), Mallory (VTX 1800), Q (CBR 600) and me (K1200RS) drove in from Chicago. It was a nice day, better ride, and great fellowship. It was approximately a 500 mile round trip for the Chicago Crew. I want to thank everyone who was able to go on the trip. We need to do lunch like this more often.

I know the riding season for most of us is short now. I am sure that here in Chicago we will be getting our first measurable snowfall soon. It has been great riding with you guys this year. As always ride safe and thank your spouses or significant others for giving you the time to ride.

Enjoy life, ride safe and Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! Jp

Making a "Naked" Bike

Hey NOBS,

Welcome back from Sturgis! Glad you had a great time and I hope to join you next time.

I own, two newer BMW’s. One is a “go fast” smooth long distance touring machine, K1200 GT. It has an electrically adjustable windshield, which can raise and lower its height by a few inches so its great for long distances. Windshield up for long rides at high speeds, lower the windshield when you slow down. So to a degree being able to raise and lower the windshield can be pretty cool. My other machine is the R1200 GS Adventure (GSA). I added an aftermarket Cee Bailey Windshield that is two inches higher than OEM stock. It is also manually adjustable by a few inches. I have a great time using the GSA for around town joy rides and running errands (big “file cases” otherwise known as Jesse Odyssey bags). I enjoy riding it on trips of up to a day or so out and back.

What is the idea, already! HOW ABOUT RIDING WITH A CUT-OFF WINDSHEILD?????

As you all know motorcycle riding is great but would it be “cooler” and cooler, if I could get ALL of the wind back in my face. How about making the GSA a ‘NAKED’ bike. Plus, I can use the Cee Bailey for the colder months, and the “Cut Off” OEM shield for the hot summer months.

So I got my OEM stock windshield, marked it where I wanted to cut it off, then took it to the local plastic factory. For $65.00 they cut it off and polished the edges for me. It looks great.Judge for yourself.

Riding with a cutoff windscreen reminds me of my early days on a Harley Softail. There is a little more noise but much less wind buffeting. But the real deal is it is so much more comfortable riding on those warmer summer days when the temp goes above 80 degrees. I think I really like the change. Check out the pictures. What do you think?

Ride Safe Ya’ll

R M.

Sturgis 2K9 Trip

As you can see, we had a little BBQ at the Patton's Home on July 31, 2009. I really would like to thank my lovely wife-Theresa, for all of her organizational skills and thoughts and efforts in making the BBQ a success. We had the cookout in honor of Theresa's grandfather Big Grandpa who turned 96 or 97 years old on Aug. 1, 2009. Present at the Q were members of Theresa's family who drove up from Jackson, MS to partake in the party. Also present were some of the riders from NOB who were riding out to Sturgis. There were approximately 10 riders who showed up for the BBQ. Riders from Virginia Joe (R 1200 RT), Robert (FJR 1300); from New Jersey Tony ( Soft tail Duece); from Kentucky Erskine (GTR 1400); Alabama Phil (GL 1800); local riders were Alex (V-strom 1000), Q (CBR 600), Bert (ST 1300)and myself. The cookout was great and it was really good to see everyone here. We took off the next day at approximately 8:30 AM. We were only 30 minutes late from our departure time. Nine of us left Barrington, IL. Q and Alex rode with us to Galena, IL and turned around. Bert stayed with us most of the day riding about 325 miles with us to Ft. Dodge, IA. There he got a hotel and explored such shopping meccas as Home Depot and Target. The six of us rode to Sioux City, IA and arrived there at approximately 7:00 PM. We checked into the AmericInn and had a nice dinner at Outback Steakhouse.

As we checked into our hotel, there were three Harley Riders who had driven from Kentucky looking for a room. Joe wanted to give up his room so they would have a place to stay. Of course this meant that I would have to share my room with Joe. When Joe asked me in front of the Harley riders if we could share a room together my response was simply, "Hell no they are Harley riders and don't even wave to other riders!" Of course we gladly gave up our room and they had a nice place to stay for that evening.

Here is the Karma, when we got to Outback after giving up our room, someone in Outback gave us a $25 gift certificate. Good things happen to good people. The manager at Outback, Jim Brown, not the football player, gave us some certificates for free desserts for Outback in Sturgis. Unfortunately, we ended up not using them. We had a good night sleep that evening. We had driven approximately 500 miles and mostly on US 20.

The next morning we got up and of course left late from Sioux City. It seems like anywhere we go, we end up talking to people. Please note the lady in the tie dyed dress. Her name is Carol. She is from Denver. She flew to Chicago to drive her aunt from Schaumburg, IL to Sioux City, IA for a wedding. She was on her way back to Schaumburg, IL to catch a flight back to Denver. Carol had gone to Black Canyon, CO. She said that it was really a beautiful place to visit. That was our intended destination after Sturgis.

We left Sioux City Sunday morning on Route 20 into Nebraska. It is amazing how just crossing the Missouri River into Nebraska how drastically the topography changes. Western Iowa near the Missouri River is really hilly. Once you cross into Nebraska the hills grow exponentially. We rode on Rt. 20 for almost an hour then we picked up Nebraska State Highway 12. This road took us through the many sweepers and hills of eastern Nebraska. You kind of forget what the speed limit is because of the lack of traffic. The only limitations that we experienced was the limited range of one of our brethren's bike. We found ourselves stopping ever 110-130 miles for fuel. We rode Nebraska 12 for a few hours and then picked up US 18 and rode that into South Dakota. Usually I have found in the past that South Dakota was dry and brown. This year there must have been a great deal of rain because South Dakota was relatively green. We rode US 18 for quite a few hours. We stopped for lunch at a place called the Tee Pee Cafe. You can see our bikes lined up at the Cafe. Boy was it hot that day! We had good food, good service at a reasonable price. See our waitress Kathy...She was really nice.

We left Tee Pee Cafe with full bellies and fond memories and continued our journey on Rt. 18. We ran into an accident in a small town and had to detour around the accident. Of course with only a few roads it was not hard to find our way back to the main highway of Rt. 18.

We finally left Rt. 18 and turned north at Nebraska Highway 183. This is the road that will connect us to I-90. On the map our route 183 does not look like it is more than maybe 20-30 miles apart. We got on route 183 and sped like demons for what seemed like hours. We saw a combine that took up the whole road. It looked like something out of Closer Encounters. We finally got to I-90 and headed west to Nebraska 240 to the Badlands! For those who have never been to the Badlands it is a place that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. See our picture of our bikes at the entrance of the Badlands. Once in the Badlands National Park we stopped and you can see a picture of Robert and his FJR 1300 with Phil in the background. They say that a picture is worth a 1000 words, look at the rock formations behind the two of them. Enough said.

We left the Badlands and the western exit is quite challenging as you leave the park. We stopped at Wall Drugs, another must see in a lifetime. We had dinner at Wall Drugs, no one in the group was impressed with the food. Moving on we left Wall Drugs and made our way to our rooms for the next two nights at the Black Hills Education and Health Center. It is a beautiful setting where the BHEHC is located. It is tucked in the foothills. It is a Christian run Wellness Center specializing in holistic treatment of the mind, body and spirit. People pay a great deal of money to recuperate there. The BHEHC also rents rooms at a very reasonable rate. The only thing to keep in mind is that the rooms do not have any TV's nor telephones and drinking of alcoholic beverages are prohibited. The only other down side is that the entrance of the BHEHC requires one to ride 2 1/2 miles on a gravel road. This can be a real challenge at night when there are no lights only wild animals all around you! That would include but not limited to deer, elk, antelopes and various other furry mammals.

Of course at the BHEHC there is no check in time, nor check out time. The Christians that run the facility do not even ask for a credit card to hold your reservations. Everything was on the honor system. I can tell you that if I ever need a place to stay while I am out in the Rapid City area, I will be staying at the BHEHC.

While we were in Sturgis we rode the next day to Devil's Tower. It is the backdrop for the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1979). It is an incredible site to behold. I have enclosed a picture of Joe (BMW R 1200 RT) posing with the Devil's Tower in the background. The picture looks so surreal. The background almost looks fake. It is not, it is the real deal.

We left the Devil's Tower and drove east on Route 24. What a wonderful, scenic way back to Sturgis. Most of the guys hung out at Sturgis that evening. Erskine and I went back to BHEHC. That evening there were really bad storms that everyone seemed to miss except for me. As I was going down that 2 1/2 mile stretch of gravel, at night, there was a horrific thunder and lighting show going on approximately 5 miles south of me. Unfortunately, I got the rain and wind from being of the fringe of the storm front. I made it back to BHEHC relative dry. I was worried about the rest of the group who were in Sturgis doing whatever. You know that what they say, "What happens in Sturgis stays in Sturgis!" The rest of the group got back without even seeing the rain or thunder and lighting.

When the group got back some of them decided to do their laundry at the community laundry room. Remember we are at the BHEHC and there are rules. One rule is that the laundry room is available from 6 AM to 9 PM. There is a BIG SIGN posted. Unfortunately for us, those who did their laundry that night either could not read or chose to disregard the sign. I guess doing your laundry after midnight is inappropriate at BHEHC. Of course the next morning our contact Jeannie spoke to me and Erskine about the groups late night activities. We apologized for the group.

We bid BHEHC adieu and left to ride around Custard National park. While in the park we saw a herd of wild donkeys and buffaloes roaming. It is amazing that more people are not injured or killed in this park. People treat these wild animals like this is some petting zoo. We also rode on Iron Mountain Highway. Unfortunately, the ride was not that good because there was so much traffic one had to do less than the posted speed limit.

We left the Sturgis area and headed down the back roads, we ended up taking US 85 all the way down to Cheyenne, Wy. At one of our gas stops we ran into a guy named Kent who lived in Colorado and was on his way to Sturgis to visit his parents. He told us that due to construction US 85 was a much better route to take than US 18. We thanked him for his advice. Once in Cheyenne we got onto I-25 southbound to Loveland, CO. It was in Loveland, CO where people started to break off for home. We arrived in Loveland, CO on Tuesday evening. Robert and Tony took off for Colorado Springs, CO to visit friends and ride up Pikes' Peak. If you have not done that ride up to Pikes' Peak it is a once in a lifetime ride especially on a motorcycle. It is not for the novice. The road starts off paved and then becomes hard packed gravel. There are no guard rails and it is an absolute breath taking ride.

The next morning Joe left early back to Woodbridge, VA. Erskine and Phil left early afternoon. Then I was by myself in Loveland, CO. I had an opportunity to ride up to Estes Park, Boulder, Louisville, Longmount and Drake, CO. I really enjoyed being there and having an opportunity to explore the area. I met a lot of nice people the three days I spent there.

For Erskine, I have included a picture of the Hotel Stanley. I know Erskine was emotional distraught when he realized that he would not have an opportunity to see the Hotel Stanley. For those of you out there that do not know the significance of the Hotel Stanley-it is the hotel that was used in the 1980 movie "THE SHINING"! On our last trip that would be June, 2009, Erskine had to go to Bangor, ME. I was at first perplexed as to why we were stopping in Bangor, ME. The reason was because Erskine wanted to see Stephen King's home which happens to be located in Bangor. This is the same Stephen King who wrote the novel "The Shining"!

That second night in Loveland I happened to eat at Lone Star. I had a very nice waitress her name was Shelley. Shelley is my home girl, she admitted proudly that she was from Gary, IN! She is in the picture with me. I really enjoyed her conversation, however, she could have given me the home boy discount.

For the record, the first picture is of the oddest looking Harley that I have ever seen. That picture was taken in front of Wall Drugs. The picture of the quaint little town is that of Estes Park, CO. Estes Park was founded in 1859 by Joel Estes. The town has approximately 6006 people according to the 2006 census. From Estes Park you can pick up the Trail Ridge Road which happens to be the highest continuous highway in the US. Estes Park is at an elevation of 7522 feet. There was a noticeable difference in temperature between Estes Park and Loveland. I will be going back to drive the Trail Ridge Road soon.

The guy sitting on the Shadow is Mike, who tracked me down in Loveland. He was nice enough to explain to me what roads were good for motorcyclist going up into the mountains. By the way, Mike moved to Loveland, CO 15 years ago from the Chicago suburb of Hickory Hills, IL. He has no intentions of ever going back to live in Chicago. Who can blame him, the mountains are beautiful out there.

It was a great trip and various riders rode anywhere from 3100 miles to 4700 miles. We all returned to our respective homes safely. I want to thank each and every one for going on the trip. Until our next journey. RIDE SAFE.

Rollin' To The Mountains

NOB Tour 2009 Continues!

Well they're off! A few locals came to 'show them the way out' and now they are on their way to the mountains. I miss you guys already! RIDE SAFE and Call/Text/FB/SPOT whatever - but keep in touch along the way. TTP (alias RT GIRL)

NOB 'Q Summer 2009

I know you guys are gettin' giddy! People in my house have started to dream about the trip, I think. The route looks cool, the stops will be exciting, and my cousin in Kansas is the best host. So to get the party started, I'm having fun planning NOB 'Q Summer 2009. You'll park your bikes in the garage...Jesse will love the look of a motorcycle dealership.....then head out back to enjoy some good old fashioned ribs, chicken, mac and cheese, etc. And yeah we're having dessert....7up cake, cobbler, ice cream...you'll be full! Even you big eaters....you know who you are! We've invited some local riders not making the trip so they can dream about riding out of the state some day. And it wouldn't be a 'Q without family....so I've invited my family and a few aunts from Mississippi! I'm sure you will have fun with them....go easy. But don't think of riding in by moonlight....or you'll be stuck eating tuna sandwiches. Goal: Get here before 7pm! Then for the evening, sit back, enjoy a drink or two or three and enjoy the 'local' entertainment....very local. It will be engaging and I'm sure you will have fun...no I'm not sharing...can't give away everything.

And just before hitting the road, and before the sunrises according to 'you know who', we'll have a hot country breakfast, coffee, cereal, etc. Make sure you eat something... the first stop appears to be Sioux City! Can't wait to see you guys....Ride Safe!

Americade 2K9 Continued Part 3

We woke up after staying at the Super 8 Motel to a great breakfast! We ate in a small room and provided entertainment for the other hotel guests that were dining in. We met a really nice woman Iris who ran the breakfast room. We talked to her for over an hour. Her parents emigrated to the United States from Germany after World War II. We said good bye to Iris and the Super 8 and set off for Stephen King's House. This of course was Erskine's idea. WOW! Stephen King's House is beautiful!

After leaving the 3 minute exterior tour of Stephen King's home, we departed for a remedial tour of Bangor, ME. This is Erskine's specialty, Erskine will go a certain route get lost, do a u-turn and retrace his route. Thus the remedial tour is born.

Once we got out of Bangor, ME we drove to Bar Harbor, ME. It was beautiful. We went to the top of Mt. Cadillac, which is located in Arcadia National Park. It was really beautiful at the top of the Mt. Cadillac.

For those who have not been there, Mt. Cadillac is a great place to ride a motorcycle. You have a 360 degree view of the coastline of Maine and beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean. You can see a picture of Phil, Erskine and I at the top of the mountain. The added bonus is the ride to the top of the mountain. It was a good, challenging ride. From Arcadia National Park we rode to Lewiston, ME.

Americade 2K9 Continued

We said good bye to Battleboro and Ron Milon on Monday morning. Unfortunately, Ron had to go home (Detroit) early so that he can go back to work. Erskine, Phil and I continued our journey through Vermont into New Hampshire. We stopped and had lunch in Concord, NH. Did you know that the State House of New Hampshire is the oldest in the country in which the State Legislature has continuously used since 1819? After lunch we crossed into Maine and ended up in Freeport, ME. Freeport is a very quaint New England town. All of the buildings appear to be from the middle 1800's. Even the newer buildings appear to be from circa 1880s. However, the town is an outlet shopper's mecca. See the picture of Phil and me at the L.L. Bean outlet store. L.L. Bean has a campus of stores there in Freeport. Unfortunately, we only stayed in Freeport for about an hour. We had to drive another one and half hours north to our destination for the night of Bangor, ME. That entire area is so beautiful and desolate. I have never seen so many MOOSE CROSSING signs on highway. Thank God we did not see any Moose or car versus Moose accidents. We stayed at Super 8 Hotel in Bangor that evening.

Americade 2K9

NOB's Americade 2K9 trip went well this year. There was only four of us on this trip this year. Unfortunately, Ron Milon (BMW K 1200 GT) was only able to go as far as Vermont with us. The rest of the group comprised of Erskine Clinton (ZZR 1400), Phil Williams (Honda GL 1800)and your truly with a GL 1800. Our trip was awesome this year. A great deal of miles very low drama. We met in Olean, NY the first night. Phil had started his journey from Opelika, AL. I believe that Opelika, AL is where Sheriff Taylor's (Andy Griffith) grandfather was born. Phil rode to Erskine's home in Lexington, KY. They rode out from Lexington, KY to Olean, NY. I started my journey from Barrington, IL. I met Ron Milon in Toledo, OH. The two of us rode to Olean, NY. We had a great dinner at World Famous Beef 'n Barrel in Olean, NY. Phil ordered Halibut which was to die for. I say that because with the amount of salt that was on the Halibut a person would OD on salt.

The next day we left beautiful Olean for Syracuse, NY. Anyone that rides with us knows this is one of our few traditions to eat at this Motorcyle Friendly BBQ Joint. Of course Phil and Erskine lived in Syracuse for a long time and they called a few of their friends and we had a nice little reunion. We left Syracuse right after lunch and drove the backroads to Vermont. Erskine found some really nice back roads. Our journey ended day 2 in Battleboro, VT.