1 June 2011
Home at last, home at last, Great God I'm home at last. Didn't Martin Luther King say something like that. I certainly know how he felt. I'm sitting on my bed and just smiling at it.
I got to my sister's Monday afternoon. She lives at a place called the Woods in Berkeley Springs, WVA. It is in the woods and extremely peaceful. She and her friend Betty have had the place since engineers learned how to make roads in the woods. They are continually making improvements to the physical plant and at the same time are caring for all the animals that Noah left off the Ark in WVA. While we dined on the deck they talked to a myriad of wild animals that came to chow down on free victuals such as corn and seed. I seriously considered getting out there on all fours and catching a little of the surplus. But when they started to talk to the animals and even have arguements as to whether that deer was boots or socks or horns, I excused myself to have another drink. Seriously women, you need to drive out to the end of the road, and visit with the other humans in this world.
I left my sister's place the next morning heading for Roanoke VA. I was traveling route 11 which parralels Interstate 81. Then I got on 340 which goes through the Shenandoah Natl. Park and the Shenandoah Valley. It was a beautiful ride. I continually marvelled at the beautiful world the Almighty has given us and thanked him numerous times. It was a splendid ride. After I got to Roanoke and the Holiday Inn, I called the son of a very good friend of mine and we got together for dinner. Brad graduated from Va. Tech and was thoroughly enjoying living and working in the Roanoke area with his wife. He took me downtown to a chicken and waffle place that had really great food. My first time with fried green tomatoes and they were good. Thanks Brad for a nice evening.
The next morning I launched out of Roanoke around 8:00 AM. Being that it is my last day on the road, I thought I would let the GPS lady guide me home using the back roads. Bad mistake. It started out well but as the temperature rose to 93 the GPS Lady apparently decided to get back at me for the times I had not thoroughly believed in her abilities to get me where I wanted to go. She took me down some nice country roads but as I got close to Durham she took her revenge and took me to parts of Durham that one who respects life should never enter. On one street corner I observed six fella's with red caps and red bandana's. I belived them to be part of that well known fraternal organization, the Crips and I had no desire to have any interaction with them. I sat at many traffic lights in that burning heat and I think I might have called the GPS Lady some off color names. Finally, I pulled over and shut off the avoidance of highways and toll roads and we got to 540 and the rest was history. As I pulled up to my home my oldest daughter Gina and two of my grandkids Jack and Selah were there to welcome me home. They had balloons hanging off the porch railing and American flags down both sides of the driveway. I was never so happy to get off the seat of that motorcycle.
I've now had a couple of days of good sleep and two rounds of golf so everything seems to be back to normal.
I had a lot of friends and family I visited along the way and I would like to thank them all for their friendship and hospitality. It made the trip so much more memorable.
Gus & Dee Tozzi, Mills River NC
Joe Dalton, Saratoga Springs NY
Gene and Ann Cenci, Burlington VT
Davy and Katie Kitchel, White River Junction VT
Bob Therrien, Sanford Me
Leftenant Grande, Canadian Air Force, Shearwater Nova Scotia
Susan Woodcock, Tiverton RI
Irv and Marci Frankel, Boston Ma
Vin Becker, Madison CT
George Bodycoat, Colebrook CT
Henri and Liz David, Old Saybrook CT
AJ Tozzi and his son Dan, Hamden CT
Tom and Mary Green, Danbury CT
Pete and Bernie Ganio, Danbury CT
Nick Scattolini and Eve
My sister Amy and her friend Betty, The Woods, Berkley Springs WVA
Brad Soroka, Roanoke VA
Thank you all. I would do it again but with a softer seat and hopefully better weather. Every day I rode I marveled at what a beautiful gift the Almighty has given us with this land we live on. Unfortunately, it was very obvious that we have not always taken the best care of this gift. And although the weather in Canada was extremely bad the people were very friendly and warm. The Honda people make a great bike in the Goldwing maybe they can get together with their engineers and make a better seat.
It wasn't a great ride but it was a good ride and a great experience.
