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Day 2 (Sunday) - Richwood, WV to Bolivar, OH:  340 miles

Rt. 39(N) to Rt. 16(W) to Rt. 26(N) to Rt. 800(N)

If you don't like the weather in WV, wait 15 minutes.  Narrow, twisting roads were the order of the day.

Jim F:  "Great group of guys to ride with"

Harry:  "Damn rain"

Pam:  "Rain, rain, and more rain"

Vince:  "Liked those Ohio gas prices"

Faye: "Terrible rain and lightning"

Dean:  "Quite an experience and I enjoyed it"

Roger:  "Good thing motorcycles don't draw lightning"

Cathie:  "Kind of hard to see the beautiful lightning through the torrents of rain"

Karen:  "Liquid sunshine makes riding the twisting roads more challenging"

Charlie:  "I used to get up at 5:00 a.m. for Christmas, now I sleep through Christmas and get up at 5:00 a.m. to ride my bike"

Debby:  "Dam, what a cool tugboat"

Frank:  "I'm thinking... I cheated death again - the lightning was close but missed once more"

Paulette:  "What an anniversary - personal pan pizza and a broken back"

Mike:  "Carlos was concerned but it did wash off"

Carlos:  "Working for CP&L, I'm glad I didn't have to work after the storm in WV"

Ashleigh:  "Could have used some Depends under my rainsuit"

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Day 3 (Monday) - Bolivar, OH to Batavia, NY:  300 miles

Rt. 183(E) to Rt. 30(E) to Rt. 534(N) to Rt. 20(E) to I-90(E).  Back roads into Niagara Falls that night.

Temperature dropped 20 degrees but the views of Lake Erie and Niagara Falls were great!  The aromatic, outdoor restrooms in Ohio were a close second.  First time I rode my bike after midnight.

Jim F:  "Got cold but still having a great time"

Harry:  "Loved the traffic in downtown Erie, PA - worse than Myrtle Beach"

Pam:  "The colorful Falls at night were the best"

Vince:  "Beautiful views but very late night"

Dean: "I enjoyed bringing Faye to Niagara Falls since she had never seen it before"

Faye:  "Never been to Niagara Falls and its amazing"

Roger:  "Cathie continues to make me aware that her butt hurts"

Cathie:  "Too many people - see the Falls during the off season"

Karen:  "Two of America's nature wonders:  I-90 and Niagara Falls"

Charlie:  "Roger & I performed extensive field testing looking for the elusive knock in Jim F's Harley but to no avail.  If we had had a helmet with a cracked visor, we could have come to a conclusion much sooner.  Fortunately, duct tape on the visor solved the problem"

Frank:  "Difficulty checking into the motel with a schizophrenic desk clerk.  One moment, the evil Consuela - the next moment, the cordial Mary"

Paulette:  "Carlos can get a woman to warm his buns in Niagara Falls but Frank cannot"

Mike:  "Riding on the top of a double decker bus is rough"

Carlos:  "Going to Lake Erie is like going to the beach"

Ashleigh:  "They got any 'cuties' in Canada???"

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Day 4 (Tuesday) - Batavia, NY to Queensbury, NY:  350 miles

Rt. 98(S) to Rt. 20(E) to Rt. 4

The Adirondacks are beautiful.  Numerous lakes with mountain backgrounds.

Jim F:  "The curves were more subtle but the scenery was no less magnificent in the Adirondacks"

Pam:  "Long ride but Lake George looks like fun"

Vince:  "Thank goodness for gas stations in out of the way places"

Faye:  "More pretty country"

Dean:  "More relaxed ride"

Roger:  "See Cathie below"

Cathie:  "I did not know a State that would elect Hillary Rodham Clinton to the senate could be so beautiful"

Karen:  "Surprised that there was so much untamed wilderness in NY State"

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Day 5 (Wednesday) - Queensbury, NY to Bangor, ME:  400 miles

Rt. 4(E) to Rt. 3(N) to I-93(N) to Rt. 3(E) to Rt. 2(E)

Beautiful mountains, sparkling white water streams, placid lakes, and just when we thought the outdoor plumbing could not get any worse - it did!  In New Hampshire the State posts signs to the liquor stores.

Debby:  "Those New Hampshire State Police sure are cute when they are mad"  (Debby & Charlie were pulled over for having modulating headlights.  They showed the police their paperwork indicating that the modulators are legal and were let go.  Moral of the story:  be sure to carry something for the authorities.)

Pam:  "All the wines at the Winery were good"

Faye:  "Alicia gave a demonstration on how to use an outdoor toilet"

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Day 6 (Thursday) - Bangor, ME:  Miscellaneous miles (split up into separate groups)

Bar Harbor is a photogenic but crowded little town on the coast.  Enjoyed a live, Maine lobster dinner.

Frank:  "Acadia National Park was more spectacular than I remembered"

Jim F:  "Transportation Museum, Cadillac Mountain, and dinner at Bar Harbor"

Dean:  "Enjoyed the Transportation Museum in Rockport"

Faye:  "Was told I was going to Bar Harbor but never got there"

Pam:  "Lobster by the pound"

Paul:  "Everything was a pleasant surprise"

Alicia:  "I got my lobster"

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Day 7 (Friday) - Bangor, ME to Newburgh, NY:  480 miles

I-95(S) to Rt. 202(S) to Rt. 9(W) to Rt. 22(S) to I-84(W) to hotel

Surprisingly pretty countryside.  Lots of deer.

Frank:  "Are we there yet?  Carry a translator for the waitresses"

Vince:  "Who can read a map?"

Dean:  "You can't get there from here"

Paul: " A GPS is terrible thing to waste"

Alicia:  "I enjoyed the ride but the roads sucks"

Jim F:  "A long haul"

Faye:  "How old we will be when we get there?"

Pam:  "Twelve hours seems like twenty four when you are on the bike"

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Day 8 (Saturday) - Newburgh, NY to Dover, DE:  253 miles

I-84(W) to Rt. 17(E) to Rt. 94(S) to Rt. 519(S) to Rt. 31(S) to I-95(S) to Rt. 13(S)

Idyllic country roads with ample photo ops - not what you would expect crossing New York and New Jersey.

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Day 9 (Sunday) - Dover, DE to Raleigh, NC:  381 miles

Rt. 13(S) to I-64(E) to Rt. 58(W) to Rt. 258(S) to Rt. 64(W) to home

Due to rain and other commitments, the group split up and took different routes back to NC.  Great trip with good friends!

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