Just a Little Update

[Crusty]

The Bridge / Tunnel and The Roar On the Shore


I crossed off another item on the Bucket List yesterday. I rode my motorcycle across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge / Tunnel. I really got a buzz doing it. I first crossed it back in 1971 or so; a couple of friends and I drove down to Fort Eustis, VA to visit Ernie when he was stationed there. I loved it then, and for all the years since, I've wanted to ride it. Terri and the girls and I drove over it back in 2003, and that only increased my itch to ride it on a motorcycle. After I paid my $13.00 toll and actually started riding on the first bridge, I was giddy. The weather was beautiful; temps in the mid to upper 70s, a slight haze, but not very cloudy. The smell of the ocean and the feel of the air just increased the sensory overload I was experiencing.  The Bridge / Tunnel consists of long stretches of bridge and two tunnels about a mile long, or so (I didn't check my odometer; I was having too much fun). I stopped at the island where the first tunnel entrance was and took some pictures. I didn't go into the restaurant/gift shop. I was afraid that they might still be selling the poster of Edible Mollusks, Crustaceans, etc. that I'd bought back in 1971, and I'd have to buy another one. Sue (my first wife) and I had that poster on our walls for years.  The islands at the entrances to the tunnels are man made, and the riprap keeping the ocean at bay (pun intended) consisted of huge pieces of rock; big jagged chunks that were eight feet or so on a side. The engineering and implementation that went into the whole project must have been both really intense and ground breaking ( another pun, but still true). I took a couple of pictures while stopped; one was of a guy who was fishing in a kayak. he had three poles, and I wondered what he'd do if he got bites on two of them at the same time. Then, I got back on the bike knowing that the pictures I took were inadequate, but not knowing what would be better.
All in all, it's a pretty impressive experience, riding a motorcycle out in the middle of Chesapeake Bay. If you ever get the chance, don't pass it up.

I've had a few people on the various forums I post on tell me that I shouldn't miss the crab cakes, or that I should eat lots of seafood while I'm in the area. I have to say no way in hell to that. I'm allergic to seafood. The last time I ate a seafood dinner, (Fried Clams from Bill's Fish Market in Waltham, MA), I spent the night in the bathroom being violently ill. My allergy wasn't bad when I was young; there were certain things I could eat. I loved Swordfish and I especially loved Fried Clams. As time went on, however, my allergy got worse, and the list of items I could eat without getting ill became smaller and smaller. Finally, I realized that it was better to just stay away from seafood altogether. Maybe there are items I could eat; but if they're items I'm allergic to, the consequences are bad enough that I don't want to chance it.

After the Bridge / Tunnel, it was a pleasant ride north through Virginia and Maryland. I stopped at a McDonalds in Maryland for lunch, and discovered the second Golden Arches that didn't have WiFi on this trip. The first was in Burlington, Colorado; the second was in an unknown town along US Rt. 13 in Maryland. I've been in hundreds of McDonalds for breakfast in something like 39 states, all summer long, and I've only found two that didn't offer free WiFi. That's pretty good, I guess; but it still disappoints me when I discover one. Then again, I buy some of the cheapest items on the menu, so they're not making much money off me. When you add in the cost of providing WiFi and the electricity I use charging my computer and cell phone batteries, they're probably taking a loss. I have no valid cause for complaint; especially when I compare the WiFi at McD's to the WiFi at Blubber King. Blubber King's WiFi flat sucks. To get it, you have to endure advertisements from their "partners". Sometimes "free" ain't worth the price.

I eventually found the track. I purchased my ticket and I'm camped on the edge of a nice grassy field. I didn't know it, but there's a thing called "Roar on the Shore" going on. There are loud rock bands and there are supposed to be assorted events going on, besides the race tomorrow night. There's supposed to be a motorcycle Rodeo, games for kids, there's a draft beer stand ($5.00/16 oz. cup!) food stand, a few vendors and a few porta-potties.
La-de-freakin'-da!  All I care about is the race (well, maybe I'll check out the wet T-shirt contest).
I got a look at the track yesterday. It looks good to my untrained eye. There were a few riders out on it during the afternoon, but I don't know if it was to make sure the track is up to Contemporary Professional Standards, or if they were out for publicity photos or tire testing or what. There was a guard at the gate, and he wouldn't let me in. I just hope it's a good race tomorrow night.

Well, as Clint Eastwood says when he's directing; "That's enough of that sh*t!"

[davedel44]

Good on you buddy! 
Dave
Galveston

[elvisboy77]

Great story, thanks for posting it.

[kingoffleece]

Just before getting on the Bridge in Patchin there's a great BBQ place called Formy's.  Looks like an old white barn-VERY low key, and fantastic.

[brlawson]

My son was stationed in Norfolk for a time and I sat in the restaurant and watched his carrier strike group sail through on their first deployment. An awesome site to behold.

[Crusty]

Morning Has Broken... Crash, Clatter, Tinkle


Today is Race Day. Tonight, I'll be at the last race I'll be able to see this season. I'm looking forward to it. The "Roar On The Shore" turned out to be a pretty dull roar. Whoever organized it, dropped the ball big time. There was no rodeo (or any other events, for that matter) and the bands playing were mediocre, at best. That's OK, though because almost nobody showed up. Somebody lost their shirt. I hope that there's a decent crowd for the Race; but, to be honest, I expect the crowd size to match everything else I've seen here. Ppppbbbbttt! (Bronx Cheer)

Tomorrow morning, I'm going to decide whether it's better to get a late start or pack a wet tent. The humidity here is very high, and the dew is really heavy. I guess I could pack up a soaking wet tent, then set it up on Monday and let it dry out. That's probably what I'll do. I'm not looking forward to negotiating my way around New York City. I looked at the toll schedules for the George Washington Bridge, and those buttholes want $14.00 for a motorcycle! They can kiss the darkest part of my lily white a**! I'll go around it, even though it will take me longer. Freakin' thieves.

Yesterday, I got an e mail from a friend who asked if I reviewed the day I'd just had, or if I looked forward to the next day when I was about to go to sleep in my tent. That started me thinking about everything I've seen and all the places I traveled to these past few months. The highs, the lows and the unexpected. I now have material for several Snippets, even when I'm not on the move.

Where I'd like to settle down is one of the major questions that's been dominating my thoughts. Montrose, CO, Cincinnati, OH and Fitchburg, MA are the three leading contenders for very different reasons. Montrose has what I consider to be the closest to an ideal climate. The humidity is low there and I like that a lot. I don't know what the winter is like, but I suspect it's similar to the way winter was when I lived in Colorado Springs. Also, it's a city; but not a big city. It's big enough to provide the services I like from a city without being so big that I feel crushed. Cincinnati is a pretty neat place, even though it's much bigger than I usually care for. Housing is cheap; most of the houses that I saw were brick houses, and looked pretty nice. Also, I met quite a few friendly people. Fitchburg is a place I know. I have quite a few friends in the area. I like the city and I like my friends.

However; all three contenders have negative aspects, as well. I know almost nobody in Montrose. I know Sue, and I met the guys in the band she's in (Thin Air), but that's pretty much it. Plus, I'm not real sure of the price of housing. While I'm pretty sure it'll be cheaper than housing in Massachusetts, I'm also pretty sure that it won't be nearly as cheap as Cincinnati. I met a few very nice folks in Cincinnati, and the housing is very affordable, but there are quite a few, um, undesirable people there, as well. I stopped into a McDonalds to use their restroom, and there was a used syringe laying in the urinal. Crime will probably be pretty high. Fitchburg is cold in the winter and the rents are climbing toward being unaffordable. Winter in Fitchburg was one of the motivating reasons I set out on this course of wandering. I'll keep kicking around the pros and cons for a while before I make any decision. Besides, I still have to get over to Australia. Who knows, I might figure out a way to stay there and not come back! (I doubt that. The Australian government has done what this country should do and closed its borders to immigration)

Tuesday is my Birthday! I think I'll celebrate by going to see my Primary Care Physician and getting my annual physical! Then, I'm going to treat myself to a good meal and a cup of fresh ground Kenya coffee and maybe a nice piece of cheesecake.