Kentucky Rednecks

This morning after breakfast I was sitting out in front of the hotel having a smoke and met the most wonderful person, Marty. She walked out of the front door of the hotel, looked at me sitting on the bench, and pointing to the empty seat next to me, said, "I'm gonna sit here, and I promise to behave myself." I chuckled a little and she sat down.

After a moment I turned to her and asked, "So, what brings you to Harlan, Kentucky?"

She smiled and said, "I'm Harlan High class of fifty-eight and we have a little reunion every two years. Actually I didn't graduate from Harlan, in fact I didn't get my diploma until nineteen ninety-eight, but I like coming back here to see the people."

We talked for a bit about Harlan and I told her some about the trip, and then she got a phone call. I'm not sure who was on the other end, but I do know that just after saying hello she said, "Now sweetie, you're gonna have to make this quick. I'm out in front of the hotel and I've got a man cornered."

I wish I hadn't been drinking coffee right when she said that, because I spit a little out my nose and laughed.

When she got off the phone it was like nothing had ever happened. Marty just went right back to talking. She told me a lot about what it was like growing up in here. Harlan, like a lot of eastern Kentucky, is a coal town, and Marty thinks there is something about having one's father be in constant peril that makes the entire town pull together and become a big family. She remembers being in high school and being conscious that some people had more money than others, but no one was better than anyone else, and everyone looked out for each other.

Marty was a wealth of information, including knowing the origin of the term
'redneck.' "It started right here in Harlan County," she said. "In the thirties there was a lot of turmoil in the mining community, and all the union miners and union supporters wore red bandanas around their necks. That way people could tell who was who."

I think it's incredible that something like that can get so turned around through the years.

After we talked for a little while I told her the details of my trip, and we had a wonderful talk about the importance of friends and family. We had talked some about it earlier, but I told her about my travels through the biggest family on earth, and she smiled from ear to ear.

Talking with Marty reminded me why I wanted to take this trip in the first place - to talk to folks about life. Thanks for sharing the bench with me, Marty!

After my talk with Marty I was ready to get back on the road, she had fired me up. I started north again and found highway 160 through eastern Kentucky. I have tried to keep expectations to a minimum for this trip because that allows for more great surprises, and Kentucky was easily one of the biggest surprises. This place in beautiful! The mountains are lush, the farmland is fertile and green, and the roads are great:

I wound my way north and ended the day in Portsmouth, OH. When I got into town I went straight to the meeting place and was lucky to pull up next to Phil. He reassured me that I was in the right place for a meeting, but it wasn't for another hour. I asked him about a place to eat and he said, "There's a great place for footers just up there."

I said, "OK," and I didn't tell him that I was unsure what a footer was, but I wanted to find out. So I went to the little stand and then it dawned on me that a footer was a foot-long hot dog. Duh. So, I had a footer and net back over to the church.

The meeting was the 12 and 12 Group and it was a speaker meeting. I have to say that I was a little relieved to just be able to sit and listen for a change, and I was really grateful for the story that I heard.

After the meeting I asked Phil about places to camp and he was kind enough to arrange a campsite with his nephew, Dave, and also take me to his house to have a shower. Thanks, Phil!

After setting up camp I had a chance to sit with Dave by the campfire and chat about life and recovery. What a treat to have good company by the fire on the bank of the Ohio river. Thanks, Barb and Dave!

Faith Renewed

This morning I woke up in my tent and it was hot again, so I decided almost immediately that a hotel room would be a good idea. I took my time getting my things together and packed on the bike and rode back to town and checked back into get the A/C.

It was a good thing, too, that I decided to get a hotel, because I needed to do laundry and take a shower if I was going to be anything that resembled presentable for the meeting tonight at the treatment center. I kept myself busy most of the day, and that meant that my mind wasn't running about what I was going to say until I was on my way up the hill to the meeting, and then it started to race. I kept thinking about all the things that I wanted to say and how I was gonna tie it all together, and it was soon just a mess up there.

Then, when I walked into the room and saw that the place was more packed with people than I thought it was going to be, I really started to panic. I went outside to smoke and collect myself a bit, and said something that resembled a prayer. When I got back into the room I still had no idea what I was going to say, but realized that it didn't matter. I was going to say whatever I said, and that was going to be fine.

And that's exactly what I did. I stood up at the podium and I talked, and when I started running out of things to say I turned to look at the clock and I was out of time. Perfect! I have no idea what I said, but I know that I spoke and that people seemed to enjoy it, and I felt great. And not just because it was over, but because I had been given the chance to share my story with a room full of people I'd only known for 23 hours. It was certainly one of those times that I knew I was in the right place at the right time, and I felt that.

When I walked out of the treatment center I looked at the sky and saw this:

Someone's looking out for us…

As I was leaving someone mentioned that they were going to the meeting down in Harlan and I figured I'd stop in for the chance to hear someone else talk for a while. The meeting was great, and there was even another Nick there who has most of the same story that I do! Maybe it's in the name…

Thank you so much to the people of Harlan, especially Stacy for having the courage to ask me to speak, Shawn, for the support, and Nick, for telling my story when I needed to hear it. You all (Y'all) gave me the most wonderful couple of days at a time when I really needed it, and it means more than you may ever know. Keep doing the deal, Harlan!

Dude Bless the Blue Highways

This morning I hunted down another wonderful breakfast at a place called the Little House of Pancakes. I would have gone with the all-you-can-eat pancakes, but the special was a waffle, and I am sort of partial to waffles. I considered sticking around for a bit and updating the blog, but when I went outside it smelled like rain and there were dark clouds looming all around so I hightailed it out of town in hopes of staying dry.

I didn't really have a destination in mind for the day, I just knew that I wanted to get farther north, so I just took random turns onto highways headed north and was reminded that the back roads of this country really are where it's at. Had I been on an Interstate I never would have known that this little spot on the Pigeon River existed:

I stayed in this little spot for a little while and wondered what it must have been like to find this spot for the first time in the middle of nowhere. Not only is it a beautiful little spot to look at, but there were fish jumping all over the place and it would be a great source of food. It's no wonder people settle by the water, it's so peaceful!

A little ways down the road I stopped for some coffee and found highway 70 on the map to take me north and cut the corner of Virginia into Kentucky. What a fabulous road! Only out in the country can you see horses on the side of the road:

Have a little kitty come up to you at a gas station and cover your legs with hair and yell at you for something,  then glare at you when you leave:

AND get to twist and turn up over the wooded hills. Dude Bless the Blue Highways!

Before coming up 70 I found that there was a meeting in Harlan, KY. It wasn't very far to ride, but the meetings are a little sparse out here so I went for it.

The meeting was packed! And mostly because there is a women's treatment center nearby and that meant that about 60 of them came down to the meeting in vans. It was one of the few meetings I have been to where the women outnumbered the men by so many.

We talked about the responsibility we have to the fellowship and it's members and it was a really great little discussion with lots of talk of gratitude. After the meeting Stacy asked me if I might like to stop back through Harlan on my way home and speak at the treatment center. I told her that this was my way back through, but that if it was in the next couple of days I would be happy to. She took my phone number and said that she would call later to let me know. Lo and behold, when I got to my campsite my phone rang and it was Stacy telling me that they would love it if I could come speak tomorrow night! Although speaking at a women's treatment center is something that I never thought I would be asked to do I accepted because I was told early on to say yes when asked to do things like that.

So it looks like I will be spending an extra night in Kentucky tomorrow, and I have to say I am a little nervous, but I now understand why I made the turns I did onto the highways to get me to Harlan. Now I will try to ignore the butterflies and remember to be grateful for the opportunity. Thanks, Stacy!

Trying to Do Nothing

I woke up early this morning to make sure that I got the free breakfast at the hotel, and realized that I would not have missed it if I'd stayed in bed. But as I woke up it occurred to me that staying another night in the air conditioning and a bed might be a pretty nice deal, so I paid for another night and then decided to go for a little ride up the mountain before the day got too hot.

I rode out into Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the traffic began to close in around me, apparently I wasn't the only one with the idea. I found out later that the reason for all the traffic is that one third of the US population lives within a day's drive of Gatlinburg, and the means that everyone wants to go on vacation here.

I rode on in spite of the crowds and pulled off in lots of turnouts to let the swarms pass, only to get caught in them again five minutes later.

At one turnout near the summit I met Jack, a truly Harley biker looking guy riding a 1980's BMW K75S. He told me that he has a newer softail Harley at home, but it kills him to ride it more than an hour, and he didn't know where he was going to end up so he took the BMW.

We talked about the weather we have been through and he said he managed to miss all the rain yesterday, which he explained by saying that he had someone riding with him. I took that to mean the Dude, but he really meant the ashes of an old drinking buddy.

Evidently this friend of his had told him years ago that if he ever got really sick he wanted Jack to get a gallon of whiskey and take him up in the mountains to a big oak tree where they could have one last drinking bout, and he wanted Jack to leave him there to die.

As I pondered whether this was a nice thing for a friend to do, he told me that he never had to do that because his friend had died of a heart attack on his porch. Jack has his ashes and takes some with him on rides and spreads a bit of him here and there as he goes. He said he usually has a beer with him when he does it, too. Maybe it's just me, but if I tried to do that it wouldn't be a very long ride…

Jack went on his way and I rode up the rest of the way to Newfound Gap and took some photos. One side in Tennessee:

And the other is North Carolina:

The view was wonderful and I wanted to go farther into the Park, but all the other people did too, so I opted to head back down the mountain to a noon meeting. The ride back down was far less crowded, and afforded me the opportunity to stop for this:

While not the most fun curve of the trip by far, it's novelty ranks pretty high. It really does wind all the way around and end in a tunnel beneath where you started. Neat.

I went back to the North Gatlinburg Group for a noon meeting and had a wonderful talk about the spiritual value of helping others. It was a wonderful way to spend the noon hour. Thanks again, North Gatlinburg Group!

After the meeting I went to lunch at the Mountain Lodge, where the waitress asked where I rode in from. I told her the story that I have started to tell most people, and that's that I wanted to take a long motorcycle trip, and that I want to marry Mandy, so I figured that I'd better get the trip out of my system now.

Apparently she liked the story because she told at least one other one other woman in the place and the other woman came over and gave me a list of books to read about marriage. From what I gather they are Christian Counseling books about making marriage work, and I appreciate the thought.

After lunch I spent the rest of the day doing as close to nothing as possible, and I am ready to continue north in the morning.

the really good kind of 151

When I left Asheville this morning I took two bits of advice from Lani and Jay. First, I stopped to eat at the Country Kitchen for breakfast, and I was glad I did. For one thing, I got to have fried bologna and eggs for breakfast…Awesome! And second, the waitress called me honey the whole time. Sure, she called everyone else that, too, but it made me feel like I was a regular, and that was refreshing given the day I had yesterday.

The second thing Lani and Jay said I should do is ride highway 151 up to the Parkway. When I rounded a corner in a 55mph zone and saw this:

I knew I was in for a treat. The locals call it their version of Deal's Gap, and with good reason. It's a short run but tremendously fun, and I was busy the whole way up the hill. Awesome! Thanks again, Jay and Lani!

When I got to the Parkway I was ready for a little stretch and stopped at Mount Pisgah. When I pulled in I got to talking with a guy on a Harley from Virginia. I never did get his name, but we had a really nice little chat about nothing in particular, and I was again reassured that there are talkative people out there.

So we stood there and talked while we watched the thunderstorm brewing to the south, the way we were both headed We concluded that it was not so much a question of whether we would get wet, but more how wet would we get. We talked a bit more, and then decided that we should just go for it.

He took off, and I was still hot from the last few weeks in the heat, so I opted for no rain gear, and I was glad I did. I rode south into the storm and it started to sprinkle, then actually rain. I could see the other side of the storm, so I just kept going because I felt really close to cold for the first time in a long time. When I came out the other side I was a little wet, but felt cool, and relished it!

I stopped at an overlook to see if I could get a photo of the storm, but it had already mostly moved on so here are the remnants:

At the overlook I talked again with the nameless guy from before. We had a smoke together, and then off he went. I took off shortly after and enjoyed the twisty fun of the Parkway until I came around a corner and saw all black sky ahead. I stopped and listened to the storm grumble, and I knew that I'd get really wet without the rain gear, so I geared up. I was right, the storm was wet, and kept going for the last 20 miles or so of the Parkway. I had mixed feelings about the rain, because it made the road less fun, but also kept me from bursting into flames in the 100+ degree heat. In the end I was grateful to have not been sweaty all day long.

I spent the last part of the day's ride in Great Smoky Mountains State Park. It was really wonderful in spite of the drizzle and the traffic. For most of the ride I was meandering along the side of a little river:

The road through the park spit me out onto the main drag of Gatlinburg, TN, where I decided to stay the night. Granted I have only seen a few blocks of the town at this point, but I think this town is what the offspring of Disneyland and Aspen, CO would look like. The main drag is filled with bright family attractions to take your money, but it's tucked in the mountains with a National Park and other mountain activites, too. Strange.

So I got a hotel because I have been craving a bed, and while looking up a meeting another storm came in. The thunder was deafening, and the rain was driving. I was grateful I had arrived when I did, and even more grateful to find that the meeting was only a half block away!

The meeting was the North Gatlinburg Group and it was a book study. I would love to tell you that I read the book regularly while I'm on the road, but I'd be lying, so it was nice to be reading the book again. And the group was great. Being a resort town the meeting was about equal parts visitors and locals and the discussion was great. I remember feeling wonderful in that room, and I am happy I chose to stop here. Thanks, North Gatlinburg!

Too much time to think

I decided that I was going to stay in Asheville for an extra day and see Bele Chere, a local street fair, and see what all the hubbub about Asheville was really about.

So around the middle of the day I made my way into town for breakfast and people watching at the fair. During my breakfast (blackberry and cream french toast!) I had the pleasure of observing to frat boy types at the table next to me. Normally I would not have thought much of it, but they were so trashed they could barely sit, and one of them made several swaying trips to the bathroom. Neither of them really ate any of their food, and I was grateful that I wasn't one of the guys trashed at noon!

The fair was pretty much like and other street fair I've been to, a bunch of vendors selling things that people don't need for too much money, and it was also atrociously hot and humid so after seeing about half the fair I sought refuge in an air conditioned spot to log on and work on the blog.

Luckily, I missed the big thunderstorm while I was inside, and it was much cooler when I went back out again. I found a laundromat so I could have clean clothes, and I am still amazed I have been on the road for 37 days and not been to a laundromat! So I did my laundry and made some calls back home and then started to feel a little strange. For a little while I couldn't really pinpoint it, but then I realized that I was getting sort of a weird vibe from all the people around me. Then I thought back on the encounters I had with people here in Asheville, and aside from Lani and Jay, and the program folks it's felt a little like I am bothering people, even if just to buy a pack of cigarettes. Perhaps it has a lot to do with Bele Chere, but it seems that the people of Asheville are not so friendly with outsiders. It is also very possible, even likely, that it is because I have had more time to be in my head today because I am not out on the road. (Thanks, Mandy!) Either way, I have decided to move on tomorrow.

The meeting for the day was the Cumberland Group and we had a wonderful discussion about prayer and meditation and the grace of the Dude upstairs. I always enjoy a meeting about how we all come to realize that we are not that Dude. Thanks, Cumberland Group!

Where do twisty roads go when they die?

Last night while I was setting up my camp my neighbor came over to ask if I had everything that I needed. I told him that I did, and that I appreciated it, but I was also on the phone and couldn't give him my full attention. When I got up this morning I felt a little bad for not having talked to him the night before so I went over to say thanks. He said it was no problem and then asked if I wanted pancakes. I figured that I was either drooling while he was cooking, or he was just very friendly and wanted to share with a fellow traveler.

I was hungry, and a little tired of eating instant oatmeal for breakfast so I said "yes, of course I would like some pancakes." So as it went I had a wonderful breakfast with Richard and Melody, and they were both quite wonderful people. We got talking about all kinds of things, and one of them was a marriage workshop their church sponsors. A lot of the focus of the workshop is that the time we spend with our partner is all valuable, and therefore should be cherished. I took the chance to brag a little about Mandy again and tell them that the time I spent with her in New York was definitely some of the most cherished of the entire trip, and for that I am grateful.

Richard grew up in Kentucky and told me a story about their mailman when he was a kid. (Keep in mind here that Richard is far from elderly.) So, the mailman in his area was named Moses, and still delivered mail on horseback. Yes, Horseback! Evidently, Moses was one of the last two mail carriers in the country to do his job on a horse. The best part is that the horse knew the route so well that sometimes Moses would fall asleep on the horse and and the horse would stop at a fencepost and wait until Moses woke up and got the mail from the sack and then would start walking again. Richard even said that he had ridden the horse once for pleasure, and it had stopped at every fencepost on the route, just because that is what it knew to do. That would have been a sight to see.

After breakfast I took my time getting my things together and then wandered over to say goodbye and thank you again to Melody and Richard, and he turned to me and said, "If you've got a few minutes we're gonna have hot dogs if you want to join us."

"Well, a man's gotta eat," I replied and we had another meal together with more great conversation. What a wonderful surprise to have such a nice couple share their time and their food with me. Thanks, Melody and Richard!

So I was fed and on my way. The Blue Ridge was again beautiful and peaceful. I rode for about an hour and then stopped at Crabtree Falls for coffee and a snack, and that's where I met Fred:

Fred is what his owners like to call a "Highpoint Dog". Derek and Renee explained that in their off time they go "highpointing" where they hike the highest points in states and regions, and Fred goes with them. Even if his ears are longer than his legs, he's still managed to summit 13 of the highest points in the country. Way to go, Fred!

From Crabtree Falls down to Asheville, NC, I kept having this little daydream about of an interview with James Lipton where he asks me, "Nick, if heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?"

For today my answer is this, "Here are the keys to all the bikes in this garage, and welcome to North Carolina." This place is amazing!

And it keeps going like that in both directions for miles and miles. My bike hasn't been this happy with me since California. And on top of that I get to look at views like this:

For a place to stay I decided that I would go to Tipi Camp in Asheville, partially because they cater specifically to motorcycles, and partially because they converted an Airstream trailer to a bathhouse! I arrived and was greeted with a very warm reception by Jay and Lani, the owners. These two have a wonderful little spot to pitch a tent or stay in one of their tipis. It's just far enough out of town to be peaceful and not so far as to be inconvenient. Jay has even offered to take me out on some of the great roads nearby! What a great find. Thanks, Lani and Jay!

The meeting was the West Asheville Group and was just down the street. The topic was a little bit about going places we think maybe we shouldn't, and partially about our thinking getting us in trouble. It was a great meeting, and a wonderful group of folks. Thanks, West Asheville Group!

The night ended with some time around the campfire with Lani, Jay, and their neighbor, Sam. There is something very peaceful about staring into a campfire, and swapping stories with people. It was a terrific way to end the day.

Goin' to Carolina, and not just in my mind

This morning I woke up cooking in my tent and the sun wasn't even up yet. Last night I had chosen to stay at Roanoke Mountain Campground because it was close by, and the result was that it was hot and reminded me of Texas, minus the alligators and centipedes.
Luckily, once I was outside the tent it was slightly cooler and I was able to have some coffee and breakfast while I packed up before the heat really kicked in. After I was packed up I decided to go back into Roanoke for some real coffee and internet access. The day started to heat up shortly after and I knew that I had to get moving before I melted, so I headed back up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and went south.

Within twenty miles I was back up above 2000 feet and the temperatures were manageable again. The road and the scenery were much like the Skyline:

But there was one major difference. Because the Parkway isn't a National Park there is private land that butts up to the road and it makes it feel a little bit like New York State without the little towns. But the cemeteries are there without the towns:

This particular one is mostly Shavers, and I presume all are family. It contained two of the saddest headstones I have ever seen:

The thing that really got me choked up about it is that they were both born to the same parents. Part of me wants to research what exactly happened, but most of me is just tremendously sad for them,

Along the Parkway there are also fantastic views of old barns and cabins that make me want to go out in the middle of nowhere and live off the land, but then I remember that I like people today as a result of this program and there is no way I really want to give that up.

At about two in the afternoon I stopped for a break in Meadows of Dan, VA, a very small town just off the Parkway. I found a wonderful little store and wandered through the fresh local produce, all manner of wooden furniture, and little locally made treats like dried cantaloupe. I stocked up on snack items and sat outside for a break.

While I was nibbling on the locally dried beef jerky a guy pulled up on a Goldwing and I asked him where he was headed. This was a mistake. The dissertation that followed was not at all interesting to me, and especially the part about how many awards he has won with the Goldwing (which is ugly if you ask me), and how many riding skills contests he's won. Maybe it's just me, but I find people who brag about things to strangers to be a little irritating, or maybe a lot irritating. As he was leaving he said to me, "Of course, this thing's got music and everything, too." I wanted to tell him, "You're not that special." But instead I just nodded my head and waited for him to leave first because he had been sure to tell me that he had been going 75mph the whole way from Waynesboro, and part of me wanted to see him pulled over down the road. Some people puzzle me.

About thirty miles down the road is the Blue Ridge Music Center, and although I was too late for the mid-day show I wanted to stop in and see if they had a shirt for my dad. I figured that the extra-small and the medium shirt wouldn't fit, but the musicians were still playing so I stayed for a bit to listen.

The group was probably about twelve people, but the best to watch were the two elders with a banjo and a fiddle. These two guys were well into their seventies and still played with incredible passion. There is something wonderful about watching a seasoned player play an instrument so effortlessly. Incredible.

When I was leaving I started talking to Stacy and Lloyd, a couple from Connecticut. The two of them had been down in Atlanta and now were headed back home. Somewhere along the way they had encountered a Black and Tan Coonhound running down the highway, and had stopped to pick it up. The puppy was terribly skinny from being on it's own, but was very sweet and likable. They hadn't decided on a name yet, and tasked me with coming up with one. I thought about it all day and the name that kept coming up was Isabella. Whatdaya think guys?

Stacy told me that the folks at the vet where they had taken Isabella had said that she was bred to hunt bears in the Smokies, but that if the young dogs don't work out for some reason that they just let them go in the woods. Thank Dude that Stacy and Lloyd were in the right place at the right time! Thanks to them Isabella will have a happy home in Connecticut.

Along the Skyline and the Parkway there are a bunch of animals; Deer and fawns, bears, butterflies, birds, etc. and they all have the same reaction when they see a bike or a car, "Oh shit! Person!!" and they turn and run back into the woods. They are all pretty good at avoiding us. Today, however, I encountered a turtle on the road. I am sure that his reaction was the same as all the other animals, but…well…less running. So I turned around and went back. I told him matter-of-factly that he couldn't be there in the road, and that's when he ran…into his shell. I picked him up and put him well off the side of the road he was facing, I just hope it was the side he wanted to be on. Poor little guy must have been terrified.

For a meeting I decided on Boone, NC and pulled into town with plenty of time to get food and make it to a meeting, The meeting was in a church and I pulled into the parking lot and saw some folks standing outside smoking. Thinking that they were my people I asked them if there was a meeting nearby. Turns out that all three of them were drunk and attending a wedding reception, so they had no idea but they did point me in the right direction.

The meting was the Boone Group, and was a great bunch of folks. There was a brand new person there and it made for a wonderful meeting discussing in the basics and the benefits. It was a great reminder of why we are all here. Thanks, Boone Group!

After the meeting I found a wonderful little campground outside of town and got to take a shower, good thing too, because I was starting to smell myself…not good. It's much cooler here, and I am looking forward to a good night's sleep.

bowl with!?

Day 35 (It's already been 35 days!!) started by waking up in the cool morning at 3000 feet! What a terrific relief after waking up in the heat since…well…California.

I took my sweet time having breakfast and getting ready to go because I didn't have anywhere to be for the first time in a while, and the scenery was great:

At about noon I started the ride south down the Skyline toward Waynesboro. The ride was still stunning but it was a little hazy in the valleys so the overlooks weren't as beautiful as they could have been.

The daredevil butterflies were still around, and try as I might I couldn't get one to sit still for a photo. So we have to settle for a moth:

After a couple of hours on the road I dropped down into Waynesboro for some food and to sort out what meeting I would get to tonight. (No phone service on the Skyline.) My options for a meeting were sort of limited because I wanted to stay close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, so I decided on a 5:45 meeting in Roanoke, VA. I had to ride freeway to get there, but the early meeting would allow enough time to get back up into the hills to camp.

I arrived at the meeting right before 5:45 and saw a license plate that said: GRAT1TDE and I knew I was in the right place. I talked with a couple of guys out front for a minute and told them about the trip. One of them told me that about a year ago he had picked up a guy at the train station who was hiking the Appalachian Trail. He told me he had been walking for four months, and mostly alone the whole time. It made me grateful that I don't have to spend that much time in my head on this trip…I might very well go insane.

The meeting was called the New Hope Group and the topic was willingness. The room was packed and it was a fantastic meeting. I had a very warm reception as the visitor, and had a wonderful time, even if people did talk a lot about the treats that the birthday girl (Kirsten?) used to bring. Evidently this woman used to bring not only brownies and cookies, but homemade French pastries and such! After the meeting I was assured that if I called ahead they could guarantee treats. Thanks, New Hope Group!

I asked around a bit after the meeting for a good place to eat and although I probably should have gone for something healthier, the idea of the Texas Tavern was too good to pass up. John told me that it was a Roanoke tradition, and that it was the place that was always packed after midnight. My type of place.

So I found my way to the Texas Tavern and ordered a Cheesy Western and a Hot Dog. Like most similar joints the Tavern has it's own lingo. Chuck, who sat next to me and said he had been eating there since he was "knee-high to a grasshopper", ordered and "bowl with" and a "dog with." When his food was delivered I pieced things together and established that it was a bowl of chili with onions (and he mixed in mustard!) and a hot dog with chili (at least I think that's what that with was for…).

I won't lie and tell you that it was a gourmet meal, but it was pretty awesome. The coolest part, though, was talking to Chuck about the place. The Tavern has been around since 1930 and had the same decor and same menu. Even the steel pipe foot rails under the bar are worn down from people's feet. They're open all day, every day, except Christmas, and they always have a steady crowd. There's only 8 stools to sit on and not much more space than that, and the cook can keep up with a full house on a 3' by 4' grill and two gas burners. I don't know how they do it, but it's amazing. If you ever get to Roanoke go find the Texas Tavern! Thanks for the recommendation, John!

Meandering the skyline

Well, we've rounded out the 7000 mile point on the trip, and that meant that we were a little overdue for an oil change so I hooked up with George in Manassas, VA today to get that done. It was hot as hell getting out of DC and the drivers there are easily the worst I have ever encountered. I was tense and exhausted from riding just 30 miles to get out of the city to George's shop. When I arrived at his place I was immediately grateful that he had air conditioning. It gave me a nice opportunity to sit back and relax my body a bit.

It turns out that George worked for BMW dealerships for quite some time and has only very recently opened his own shop. (His benches aren't even 100% set up yet.) We got to chatting a bit while he worked and talked about why each of us had left our respective corporate jobs. It turns out that we share a lot of the same angst toward the politics of big business.

We talked a lot about bikes, obviously, and about what breaks on them, and the camp of riders who believe that because it's a BMW it should never break. Now, don't get me wrong, I bought my bike because it is incredibly reliable, but they are all machines, and therefore, break. To quote George, "If it's made by man it will break. If it's made by God it will die." Well said my fellow angsty friend.

After the oil change I headed to Front Royal where I took a left onto the Skyline Drive. Pardon my french, but Holy Shit, what a beautiful road!!

Even with a (mostly) obeyed 35mph speed limit it is damn fun, and because I got on it at 4pm there was very little traffic to contend with. I rode the first 30 miles or so and then dropped down to the west and into Luray, VA for dinner and a meeting.

I tracked down the church where the meeting was and found a little spot across the street for dinner. As I walked into the Artisan's Grill I noticed a sign on the door saying that they had live music on Wednesday nights from 7 - 9. Unfortunately, the meeting was at 7 so I would miss it.

I did, however, get to chat with Hector, one of the musicians, while I ate. Hector is a local guy, but wasn't always. He had a Latin accent of some kind, and mentioned playing in a Mexican band in L.A., but I never did find out where he was from. He did tell me that he had lived in Cincinnati for a long time and that after being in Luray for a while had decided that small town life suits him much better.

Hector and I also talked a bit about the lost art of the postcard, what with email and cell phones and all of that. I guess I am not one to talk given that I have not sent a single postcard on the trip, but I sort of wish that I did. As I was leaving he yelled to me across the place to send him a postcard later in the trip, and if I think of it I most certainly will.

So I was fed and had mingled a bit with the locals so it was time for a meeting. I walked into the church and asked if there was a meeting. The church folks informed me that there hadn't been a meeting there for some time, and they were unsure about where it might be. They told me about another church to try, so I did, and nothing. I made some phone calls and came up empty and at 7:40 decided that today was another missed meeting (not for lack of trying) and it was time to go set up camp. I was bummed, but it is bound to happen now and again, and I am grateful that it is a rare thing to not find a meeting where I go.

So I rode back up to the Skyline (and 15 degree cooler temperatures) and rode a little farther south to Big Meadows campground. Along the way it was getting toward sunset so I stopped to look.

As the sun sank lower the deer started to come out and line the road for miles. I slowed to about 25mph and avoided any close calls.

After setting up camp, in the daylight for a change,:

I wandered over to talk to Ted, a fellow biker from Wisconsin. He let me know about the parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway to avoid because of traffic or boring scenery. He also asked if I had any booze with me and I choked back the laughter because he wouldn't understand, and politely told him that I didn't. We had a nice little talk and it made me grateful that I am not drinking myself to sleep tonight.

After I took a shower I was leaving the shower area and noticed two siblings, a big sister and a little brother. The big sister was trying very hard to get her brother to play a game of some kind and the little brother kept yelling, "I don't wanna!" It made me smile and remember how nice it is that Alison and I have grown out of that…mostly.

Tourist free DC

Tim and I slept in late and had a nice mellow morning with coffee on the front porch.

After we felt sufficiently caffeinated we met up with Tim's brother, Dan, to go to lunch at Wagshel's deli. It turns out that Wagshel's has the best reuben I have ever eaten. It was incredible!

Dan also decided that he needed to try a hot and sour tomato from the bin in front of the counter. It was a green tomato that had been pickled in something. We all tried it and collectively decided that it wasn't terrible, but it was certainly strange. I don't have any idea what possess someone to eat them.

We took our lunch to Battery Kemble Park in DC and I had a hard time believing that we were still in the city. We walked down a dirt trail off a side street and into the woods and the next thing I knew we were in what looked like a mountain meadow with no indication of the city at all. I find it impressive that the city planners could accomplish this so many years ago!

We wandered the park a bit and I was struck by the number of butterflies in DC, and big one's too.

After lunch in the park we had a mellow afternoon around the house and at about 6pm I called Keith, a guy I'd met at the meeting the night before, and asked him for a ride to a meeting. He was running late, but was more than happy to swing by and get me.

I didn't catch the name of the meeting, but it was a men's meeting in a church basement, classic. It was the first men's meeting I had been to since leaving Seattle, and it felt good to be in a room with a bunch of guys who are OK with having feelings. Thanks, guys!

On the ride home from the meeting Keith and I had a nice talk about how we make this program work in our daily lives. I always like talking with someone about how it's made our day-to-day easier and more serene. It reminds me that it really works. Thanks, Keith!

When I got back to the house TIm and I got some dinner and had a good chance to talk about how life is for us these days. It was great to find out about where Tim is and hear that he is settling into life here in DC. I also got to brag a bit about my relationship with Mandy again, something that I love to do, especially after our little visit in New York. Our time together there showed me that what we have really is precious and I am a very lucky man! Thanks for everything, Tim!

Impending rain

Last night I arrived at the campground in Snow Shoe, PA late at night and had to ask someone if there was a spot for me to set up my tent. Luckily, the woman who runs the place was in front of the trailer where I had stopped to ask. She walked me to her trailer, got my info, and told me where to go. It was $10 for the night, but I only had a twenty and she had no change. I told her that it was fine if she just let the next guy stay for free. She thought that was nice, but said she would see what she could do in the morning.

I slept well and woke up early to get all packed and ready to go. When I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth an old man came in and started talking to me. It turns out he is the husband of the woman from last night and they have been running the campground for twenty or so years.

We were standing in front of the bathroom talking about the weather on the trip and I heard, "Do you want your ten dollars, honey?"

I shrugged and said, "Sure."

"Well, come on over and get it then," she said waving me over and turning back to go into the trailer.

I started to walk over and the old man followed, still talking. When I got to the trailer she handed me the money and said, "Money is money when you're traveling."

After I got my money they both continued to tell me all the stories about accidents that happen on the Interstate right nearby. They seemed especially interested in telling me about all the motorcycle accidents. (I'm still not sure I understand why everyone wants to tell the guy on the motorcycle about all the people they know who have been in motorcycle accidents…)

During our conversation a little black cat, Peanut, came up and started yelling at us for something. I put my hand out for him to come over and say "hi" and I was told that he doesn't like anyone but them. But within a couple of minutes Peanut was rubbing at my legs and let me pet him. I guess there is just something about me that attracts cats.

So I left Snow Shoe destined for Washington, DC to see my good friend Tim. I set the GPS to avoid Interstates and off I went.

After about an hour I was riding on US 322 along side the Juniata River. The valley was beautiful, and I stopped at a little wayside to get a closer look.

While wandering the parking lot for a stretch I met Mark, a fellow motorcyclist currently confined to a car for a business trip. He, like all other riders, expressed his jealously, but also had an interesting bit of trivia about the roads in rural Pennsylvania.

Evidently, the Amish wear ruts into the road with the wheels from their carts, and then the horses hooves polish the hump in between the ruts to a smooth finish. The result, for a motorcycle in the rain, is a slick hump that the bike won't stay on and ruts full of water on either side. Mark rides a cruiser and explained that he just put a car tire with rain tread on the rear of his bike so that he could stay alive in the rain.

Just after leaving the wayside on the Juniata I stopped in Mifflintown to refill water and go to the bathroom. While getting ready to leave again I saw an Amish man pull in and park his cart. I asked if I could take a photo because the irony killed me.

He asked if I was traveling far and I explained the trip. He didn't say much after that, but wished me a safe journey. When I was leaving the station he was back in his cart and watched me leave with the fascinated gaze of a child, as though he had never thought much about getting out of the area he lived in. I felt sort of sad for him at that moment and I hope that he finds whatever it is that he needs to satisfy the curiosity I saw in his eyes.

After Mifflintown I took a left onto PA 74 and was immediately ecstatic about the road the GPS had chosen for me. It had wonderful switchbacks and was tremendously fun to ride, unfortunately it started to rain about half way across the mountains, and all I could think about was what Mark had said about sliding off the hump and hydroplaning - that took a lot of the fun out of it.

After the rain started it mostly drizzled the whole day and I was chasing the storm and it kept looking like it was going to pour on me so I kept my rain gear on. The result was that it never really rained on me and by the time I pulled into DC I was sitting in a puddle of sweat inside my rain gear. Damn Mother Nature sometimes!

As soon as I got to Tim's house it was time to turn around and head back out to a meeting. Luckily Cory, Tim's sister-in-law, was already going to a meeting and came by the house to pick me up so I didn't have to get on the bike again.

The meeting was the Camel Group and the format was a few short speakers at the beginning, followed by a break and then a 30 minute speaker. The stories were good, and it was sort of nice to be able to sit back and not have to share for a change. Thanks, Cory!

After the meeting Tim and I got to just hang out and laugh like old times. It's good to be with a best friend!

Fluffy Forest

Today started out a little strange. I woke up around 8:20 and immediately wondered if my girl was getting on a plane in Atlanta. So, I got dressed and went out for a smoke and call Mandy.

I was relieved to hear that she had slept a few hours on a bench in the airport and she was about to board her plane in spite of the fact that the first class ticket they had given her the night before was for a different person and had been torn up when she tried to use it. (Who runs these things, really?!) She told me later that when she got on the plane one of the other passengers had said, "Oh good, she got on!" That would have been a nice thing to hear after feeling so alone in the airport all night.

In my relief I went back to bed to lay down for a bit, and thought to myself, "Maybe I should just stay up and…" and, well, the next thing I knew it was noon. I guess I needed the sleep.

I got up, made some coffee, and started to wake up. I knew that I wanted to get to a specific town in Pennsylvania today, but I was a little worried given my unintended late start, but for some reason I didn't panic. I just took my time getting things together, talked with Angie and Ryan, and finally left around 3pm. (By the way, Angie is Mandy's best friend, and Ryan is her boyfriend. That's where they come in to this whole thing. And I want to thank them for the incredible hospitality, it was like being at home on the other side of the country.)

So I got on the road again headed south. Once I got out of town I noticed only one thing - Mandy wasn't there. I couldn't reach down and squeeze her calf to say "hello", and her arms never wrapped around me going into a corner. I was missing her terribly already!

As I continued on the sadness didn't go away, but I did get distracted by the change in scenery approaching the state line. The road started to get more narrow and twisty, and the forest thickened all around. I have never seen a forest as dense as what I rode through today. It was amazing. I got one photo that sort of shows what I saw:

The best way I can think to describe the real-life look of it is to liken it to a well-manicured juniper bush. You know, the ones that look like they would be nice and soft to roll around on? Only it was entire hillsides that looked like a giant, green, fluffy pillow. And where the woods met the road looked like walls had been cut out. When I looked to the side into the forest I was lucky to see twenty feet in. Incredible!

Through northern Pennsylvania there were still several small towns, (They call them hamlets, villages and townships out here) and beautiful old brick buildings to look at. I stopped for gas in Ridgway, PA and talked for a minute with a couple of guys on Harleys. When I told them I was from Seattle one of them said, "What the hell are you doing in Ridgway. Pennsylvania?"

I responded, "Just going for a little cruise."

We all had a good chuckle and I told them about the trip. They admired my bike, and made sure to tell just how envious they were, repeatedly.

Shortly after Ridgway I was forced onto I-80 for about 30 miles, and they were long miles. I had forgotten what it was like to battle with the trucks and other cars because Mandy and I had done such a good job staying on little country roads in New York. The only highlight was that I got to chuckle at the "highest point on I-80 east of the Mississippi - 2250 ft". That was a good laugh given the 9000 foot passes I crossed to get out of California.

I was, however, happy that I had gotten on I-80 because I pulled in to Snow Shoe, PA just in time for the 8 o'clock meeting. I had seen Snow Show ion the map yesterday and knew that I had to get to that meeting if I could, and I was pleased that I did.

The meeting was full of laughter and fun, and the topic was being stuck in our own heads (they called it camping out in their heads…) What a perfect topic for me to hear about again. As always, the solution we discussed was a combination of prayer, meetings, getting busy with something, and working with someone else. Thanks for the reminder, Snow Shoe!

Ice Cream Days

Alright, it's been a couple of days and a lot has happened, so bear with me. I apologize for being late with the posts, but Mandy kept me quite nicely distracted!

The day we left Old Forge began peacefully in our campsite at Nicks Lake, but started to get a little strange as soon as we got to town for breakfast. We couldn't find a place that advertised breakfast, so we tried Walt's Diner thinking that a diner would have breakfast. We were right, they did have breakfast, but only until 11:00 and it was 11:13, so no breakfast for us. The service was marginal and we paid far too much for the little sandwiches we got, but we were fed, and that was the point.

Our bellies were full-ish, so we headed out of town and stopped for gas. I pulled up and started filling the tank. I spaced off for a bit and then looked over at the gallon counter on the pump and it was a little past 5.5 gallons and I thought, "It can't possibly be taking that much…" Then I looked at the bike and the gas was pouring out all over the bike! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! I began to panic and Mandy stood flabbergasted and not knowing what to do, then she went to get paper towels. Just as I was starting to make some progress with the towels a guy there to fix another pump said, "Did that nozzle not shut off?"

"Nope, just dumped all over my bike," I told him shrugging my shoulders

"Well, here," he said handing me a box of heftier paper towels.

Things were looking up a bit because someone had extended some help to someone, and I appreciated it greatly. Later, after drying off the bike and cleaning myself up I went to tell the attendant inside that the pump had failed to shut off and she responded, "Again? The guy just fixed it a couple of days ago." I know that was meant to make me feel a little better, but it made me feel like they were more neglectful than before. I wasn't exactly angry, but I wasn't happy about the situation either.

We sat around for a bit and waited for the rest of the spill to evaporate before getting back on the bike to leave. When we got on the road and didn't burst into flames I was feeling better. We were moving again and the scenery was nice. We had decided to backtrack a little bit and then cut over to the shore of Lake Ontario, so we headed toward Camden via Florence. Things were going along just fine up to this point:

Seemed harmless enough until I got to the corner and saw this:

Now, some of you will remember my adventures leaving Tucson. Granted, the wildlife in New York is not nearly as dangerous as the deserts of Arizona, but I was not in for having a repeat performance of that day, especially not with Mandy on the bike.

So we turned around and went around the little hill on roads that were not only paved, but painted too! We wound up Westdale and needed a break, so we stopped for ice cream cones. (Ice cream became my favorite tradition with Mandy on this trip. It was awesome!)

After the sweet treat we pressed on toward Oswego, and things started to get even weirder. A little way out of Westdale there were couple of bikes ahead of me going a little under the speed limit, so I passed them. As I was passing Mandy waved, like she always does, and the guy flipped us off! I will never know why he did that. Maybe it was the BMW, maybe the yellow jackets, maybe because we passed him, I have no idea, but I do know that I am grateful that I got to sleep with my untroubled head that night, and not his. I knew I had done nothing wrong, and that was a comfort.

The rest of the ride to Oswego was short, and uneventful, but it was getting hotter out. We had planned to go to a 5:30 meeting in town, but when we got there realized that food was far more important. We got some sandwiches and ate in the parking lot of the grocery store. Not ideal, but functional.

Afterward we decided that we would try to make the 7pm meeting instead. We had time to ride down to Fair Haven State Park and see about a campsite and off we went. Once out of town we started to cool off a bit and felt better about where we were, and just then a bird flew out of the bushes and right into the side of the bike. I am not sure who hit who, but we crossed paths at the wrong time. Mandy said she had turned around to see the bird roll in the road a little bit, and I was glad to hear that it was not suffering.

The woman I talked to at the park seemed convinced that I did not want to register for a site at that time because I wasn't going to pay, when in reality we just needed to get back to town for the meeting. I left with a sort of ill feeling about the park staff, but knew that the place looked nice and had showers so we would still stay there.

Back in town there was some kind of a fair happening on the downtown street with the meeting so we parked the bike and hiked in to the meeting. We both noticed that the people of Oswego seemed a little off. I may have imagined this, but I am pretty sure I have never seen so many people with physical and mental disabilities in one place, and I hope it doesn't have anything to do with the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Plant near town. As we entered the door to go up the stairs into the meeting there was a guy, who was clearly high on something, in the way and stared at us with a vacant stare. He mumbled something to us as we walked by, and I felt uncomfortable.

The meeting was the Oak Hill group. It was a small meeting and we both got to hear about and talk about things that we needed. It was nice to be in a place with family for a bit.

After the meeting we left and had some more strange encounters with people. There was another kid who was high that wanted a cigarette and wanted to tell us about the tattoo he was going to get. His eyes looked in two different directions and his ears had two different size earrings in them. He made me nervous, and I wanted him to go away, but he kept talking for a little while.

While we were getting ready to get on the bike woman saw Mandy's jacket and then tried to sell her another one. Who does that? I mean, she was wearing a jacket. What makes her think she needs another one? Mandy was polite and said that she want interested, and then the woman made a comment as she was getting in her car that sounded like, "Jeez, I was just trying to sell it to her." Don't ever go to Oswego, NY if it can be avoided…

So we left town and went back to the park and found a campsite. We set up the tent and started to get situated and I went down to the office to pay for the site. When I got back to the site someone had pulled a trailer into our site! I asked if I could help him, and he told me that he had reserved the site for the night. I told him that I had been told a few hours before that I should pick a site and come back and pay them for it, so I did, but he insisted that he had reserved that site, and that we should move.

So I walked out onto the road to see if there was another site nearby and that's when things finally turned around for the day. The man across the way came out onto the road and said that we were more than welcome to move our tent in behind his trailer. He said that it was ridiculous that someone would come in and insist that someone move out of a site, and that he would love to help us out. Thank Dude! So he, Danny, and his wife, Jacque, helped us to move our things over, chatted for a minute and then left us to ourselves. The folks next door also offered their chairs and fire to us since they were going to bed. It was a great gesture of humanity and it saved our day. Thanks Jacque, Danny, and the family next door!

On top of the good natured folks letting us stay we also got a refund for the site that had been taken from us, so we got to camp for free! I guess the office woman's fears from earlier were all for naught, because we didn't have to pay anyway.

The next morning it was raining when we got up, but it didn't much matter. We were headed back to Buffalo and would be able to dry things off, and we had been reassured of the goodness of people the night before. We didn't spend much time at camp, and went into Fair Haven to find some breakfast. We found a place with a sign out front advertising waffles, pancakes, and french toast, so in we went. It turns out that the place is an antique shop, a cafe, and has a studio apartment upstairs for rent. The woman working there explained that she was buying the place and that breakfast was all they were serving. Hooray, we had wanted a good breakfast for days!

She took our order, and then went back to make our breakfast. We actually got to talk to the person who made our food, it was awesome! Not only was the service perfect, but the food was indescribable! The best breakfast I have eaten on the trip. (Minus the eggs Mandy made in Buffalo, those were off the charts.) It was the perfect way to start our final day on the road together and we were thankful!

The ride for the day was mostly a straight shot on HWY 104, and mostly peaceful and easygoing. We did, however, stop for some fruit at a roadside stand somewhere near Ridgeway, and man, was it worth it. We bought a couple of peaches and a pint of cherries and they were all wonderful.

While we were eating some cherries and old man came up and started talking to us. He explained that he was the third generation of his family to work the land and that they owned all the land from "that tree down there to the cemetery." He was about to turn 89 and he was still as peppy and active as anyone else at the stand. He stood and talked to us for at least five minutes, chewing the same cheery pit the whole time. He said that he had always talked too much, and that he was sorry for boring us, and walked away. He returned a few minutes later with two more peaches and told us to enjoy them, but not to let them sit in the sun or they would turn to mush. We ate them the next day and they were more wonderful than the two we had picked. I guess 89 years around fruit makes you a pretty good judge…

Once we were back in Buffalo we went out to a meeting at the Serenity Shack. It was another experience of being in the right place at the right time. The three other guys in the room were the perfect ones to be there for us. The meeting was small, homey, and comfortable, exactly what we needed after the day before. Thanks, Paul (Pink-Cloud-Double-Dipping-Uncle Paul), Mike, and Larry!

We then went and got dinner and our daily ice cream cone, only this time it was frozen custard, something I had heard a lot about but never tried. It was amazing! I have never had soft serve that was so good!

When we were leaving the ice cream stand I saw this:

I have no idea what it means or why it's there, but it was something that I had to share with all of you.

Mandy and I had another great evening together here in Buffalo just relaxing together and soaking up the last bit of time we had together. It was wonderful.

Today was relaxed and sad. The morning and early afternoon were spent mostly relaxing with Mandy. And interesting thing happened though, we were able to talk about what we were feeling about being apart again. We both got to say that we felt sad about leaving each other again, but that we knew we could do it for another 29 days because we had done it before. We talked about my thoughts about just ending the trip now and heading home (Don't worry, I'm not going to), feeling that there was something sort of magical about the distance for the first leg of the trip, and that really neither of us wanted to be without the other one. It was wonderful to talk so freely and openly about the way we felt.

After I dropped Mandy at the airport (with only a few tears this time) I went to another meeting over at the Serenity Shack. The guys from last night weren't there, but there were two new people. Something remarkable happens in a room of us when a new person is there, and I love it. I love to be around a bunch of folks who are all in it just to help someone! Amazing!

It turns out that Mandy has been stranded in Atlanta airport for the night, and will not get home until tomorrow. I love it when the airlines overbook flights and then have to kick people off! That business strategy doesn't make any sense to me, but I guess that's why I am out on the road writing and not in an executive chair.

As for me, I am well rested and ready to get headed out on the next leg of the journey! 

I have a lake!

This morning we woke up late and hung around the hotel until they called to kick us out just after noon. It was nice to continue taking it slow and relax.

We left town around 1:30 after breakfast (the best food either of us have ever had at Denny's) and had a leisurely ride through mountain (at least that is what they call them here) roads and more quaint little towns. We stopped in Boonville to get stamps at the Post Office. It was a nice little town, but there was a sign coming into town that said, "Christians Unite Against Abortion," and a sign on a church about celebrating 200 years in Christ or something like that. Now I'm open minded and all of that, but I was a little freaked out. On top of that, no one talked to us when they passed us on the street, but just looked at us a little sideways. It was a little un-nerving.

Leaving Boonville we crossed the Moose river, it was beautiful, and I had to stop for a photo:

From Boonville to Old Forge was a short little jaunt and the weather was getting cooler. The road was twisty and fun, and I was happy to be able to really ride the bike.

We stopped for some coffee in Old Forge to try to locate our campground, and soon discovered that coffee here is sort of a mistake. Both our lattes were watered down and weak. Mandy reminded me that this isn't home, where coffee is a way of life. We are in the land where people are content to drink warm mud puddles instead of coffee. Bummer.

We found a campsite at Nicks Lake because how could we not stay at my lake? The campground was quiet and peaceful and entirely surrounded by forest which made for great enjoyment of one of Mandy's favorite sounds - wind in deciduous trees. It was beautiful.

At night we were lucky to have clear skies got to see this:

It turns out that out here in New York the stars can be just as brilliant as New Mexico.

For a meeting we went into Old Forge to get to a 5:30 meeting but there was no one there. It turns out that the meeting had been moved to 8, so we went for food and ice cream and lazed around in town until the meeting. While we waited I noticed that this town is obviously a tourist town with a population that quadruples in the summer. I found out later that it is the same in the winter because of snowmobiling, so spring and fall are the only times that the locals have the place to themselves.

The 8 o'clock meeting was, cleverly enough, The Adirondack Group. And we met in the Social Room of the church, a fireside room filled with couches and big comfy chairs. Unfortunately the meeting was too full for Mandy and I to get comfy seats, but we managed. Being a resort town there were lots of visitors, which meant that the locals got the chance to hear new stories, and they clearly enjoyed it.

One topic that was discussed was dealing with children who are potential future members of our club. I was pleased that I could relate my experience in being the kid getting in trouble. I also got to share my gratitude for the way that my family handled me and my trouble. I appreciate that nothing was ever candy-coated, but that there was also an understanding that I would have to make my own mistakes and live my own experience in order to learn. As a result of that I have been given the opportunity to live a tremendous life and for that I will always be grateful. Thank you everyone!

Lollygagging

Monday morning Mandy and I hung around Angie's house and took it slow. We did some laundry, packed the bike, talked with Ryan, just relaxed, and it felt wonderful after the days I had just had to get to Buffalo.

We got moving out of town sometime in the early afternoon with no real destination in mind. We were planning to go toward the finger lakes, but beyond that we had no plans.

Getting out of the city was a little tricky. I didn't want to get on an Interstate, so that meant a lot of snaking through neighborhoods that appeared to have no traffic laws. There were cars going the wrong way down streets, multiple lanes of traffic on single lane roads, people everywhere. The neighborhoods changed in a block from peaceful little places with manicured yards to areas with signs offering $2500 rewards for murder convictions. We needed to get out of the city, fast.

Eventually we got out onto US 20 and things started to open up a little bit and I was able to relax again. We stopped and had some food and decided that we would try to get to the town of Penn Yan. Once off the main highway the road was flanked by farmland with old barns scattered around, and something that I didn't plan to see in New York - wind turbines:

The scenery was stunning as we wound through the hills and small towns. Every ten miles or so we rode through another quaint (the only word to describe them) little town with it's own cemetery right off the main drag, something that isn't seen nearly as much in the West.

The ride was fabulous because I got to turn the bike for a change, and there was very little traffic so we could take everything in.

We found our way into Penn Yan and got a wonderful pizza and went to the Third Tradition Group. We were late, but no one seemed to mind too much, and as is typical in small towns, they noticed us as visitors and called on us early. We felt welcomed and at home immediately.

After the meeting Sean invited us to pitch our tent in his back yard. The spot was perfect:

The conversation on the back porch that evening was fantastic. Thank you to Sean and his family for welcoming us to Penn Yan.

I woke up in the morning to the clip-clop of horse hooves on the street. It turns out that we are in a place where the Amish live near town and come into town in their little carriages. Crazy!

We started the morning with coffee and, to use Sean's words, crappy store bought danish on the back porch. Amazing hospitality.

We left town with the Adirondacks as a destination. There is a town called Speculator that sounded interesting so we pointed the bike that way. We got on US 20 and is was quickly apparent that the road was too crowded to be enjoyable. We had only gone 25 miles and we were both tired, so we stopped and I found a new course for us to take on a state route north. We had a far more pleasant ride without all the cars on the road. The roads were lined with trees and farmland again, and we were in bliss.

Around 3pm we stopped for an ice cream cone and wound up staying about an hour. (This traveling with Mandy thing is really wonderful!) We didn't stay for any reason, just hanging out.

While we were having a cup of coffee I realized that there was no way we would make it to Speculator, so we got the map and started plotting plan B. While we were looking at the map a local woman came up and really wanted to tell us where to go and what to see. This was when I noticed that people around here love to talk, but aren't much for listening. She would ask us a question and we would get a half-answer out and she would start talking again. I thought it had just been a fluke up to this point, but it's regional. After that we began to notice groups of four to six people all talking and no one listening. It's a wonder that people talk at all.

After ice cream and coffee our new destination was Rome, NY where we found the Copper City Original Group. As we were pulling up in front of the church I asked Mandy if the group out front looked like out people. She said, "Yep, these are our people, funny how we can spot each other." There are few places you will find and old Indian, two black women, three middle-aged Italian men, and a young couple visiting from Seattle (us) all in one place and getting along. These are our people!

The meeting was about fear and worry and what we do with it, a topic that was perfect for us to hear given the way our minds tend to go about things we cant control.

We got a room at the Quality Inn and holed up for a quiet evening, just the two of us. It's good to be with Mandy!