National Parks Tour -- West & East Coasts

As part of my National Parks Tour (NPT): Master Traveler Gold quest I am riding to the west coast, doing an imbedded IBA challenge ride, ending up on the east coast.  This three legged adventure is an opportunity to practice some long distance riding, a stint of hard long distance riding and an opportunity to visit some of the wonderful National Park Service sites on both coasts.

The NPT prizes on this trip are to visit parks in California and Maine.  Scoring passport stamps in these states are required for the Master Traveler Gold certification.  I scored Florida park stamps while attending the Iron Butt Association annual get together in Jacksonville.  Next month I will be riding to Alaska to score a National Park passport stamp thereby reaching my goal of National Parks Tour Master Traveler -- Gold

LEG 1:  Deploy to San Francisco, CA -- May 11 - 14  Active SpotWalla Map

Leg 1:  1,973 Miles

The ride from home to Roswell went great.  Not much of the big storm that blew through the night before was left.  Was going to stop somewhere around Fort Stockton or Pecos but the ride was comfortable and the weather good.


Petrified Forest National Park, AZ
After leaving Roswell I stopped at Cline's Corner for a cup of coffee.  It's been there since the old Route 66 days.  The Petrified Forest NP was very interesting.  Secured two passport stamps for this stop.  Love the geology of the desert.


Hoover Dam National Historic Landmark, NV
Wasn't going to hit Hoover Dam until the following day.  But, I was making great time on I-40 and the weather was good.  So, I pushed on to arrive ten minutes before the Visitor's Center closed.  Crap!  Hoover Dam is not a NP but just part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.  Spent the night in the Hacienda Casino, for $54, blew two twenties on the slots after a buffet meal.  Sunday morning I headed to the Lake Mead NRA visitor center about a mile away.  Crap again!  It was closed for renovations.  Going to check to see if my Hoover Dam stamp will qualify me for Nevada stamp location.


Death Valley, CA

The was my second, or was it third time riding through Death Valley.  Always a spectacular ride though this unique place.  Temps were warm but not uncomfortable.  Only got above 100f on the way out.  Got me a new T-shirt and headed to my next California NP, Yosemite.




Yosemite National Park, CA
The ride up the Owens Valley was also good.  The view of Mount Whitney over my left shoulder riding on US 395 through Lone Pine reminded me how special California is.  Death Valley is the lowest point in the lower 48 states and Mount Whitney is the highest point.  They are about 100 miles apart.  I entered Yosemite on the east end of the park through the Tioga Pass gate.  The ride to the Yosemite Valley was over the mountains and around the twisty roads.  The park wasn't very crowed for a Sunday.  Guess Mother's Day kept all but the foreign tourists busy elsewhere.  I sent a Spot message when I parked in the Visitor's Center lot but checking later I see it didn't take.  But the pictures I took of my bike and El Capitan bear witness to ride.

 
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, CA

I slept in today, Monday the 14th.  No hurry to reach San Francisco so, hanging out in the motel drinking some coffee was relaxing.  Heading out I stopped to hose off the bike before riding to the northern approach to the Golden Gate bridge.  I've always wanted to ride across this landmark.  After paying the $6 toll I rode to "Warming Hut" to get my Golden Gate NRA passport stamp.

Fort Point National Historic Site, CA
Closed for renovation.  

LEG 2:  Operation George Wyman Coast to Coast -- May 15 - 18
Ride from San Francisco to New York City in fewer than 50 hours.   Integral to this 50CC "The Hard Way" challenge ride will be doing another BunBurner Gold, 1,500 miles in fewer than 24 hours.  Remember my ride last week?  It was a prep ride for this tougher IBA challenge ride. 

LEG 3:  Re-Deploy to Wimberley, TX -- May 19 - 24

Leg 3:  3,367 Miles

After completing the 50CC ride from San Francisco to NYC it's time do some relaxed riding to knock out the north east NPT passport stamp location.










Federal Hall National Memorial, NY

Leaving Coney Island in Brooklyn  I rode to Manhattan.  Navigating the Big Apple is always an adventure.  

General Grant National Memorial, NY
This NP location was on the other side of Manhattan.  Wow, riding in NYC is so much fun.  Good training.

The plan was to ride through then Boston area, find a motel and get some needed sleep.  Traffic was horrible so I decided to blow off the Boston area NP Sites and make tracks for the Acadia NP in Maine.  After all, that's the prize for this leg.  Stopped at a service plaza on the toll road.  Put the motorcycle up on the center stand and checked into the Iron Butt Motel, always open.  The power nap was most refreshing.  Finally got checked into a nice motel around 7pm, had a good meal at Chili's and couple of Sams to celebrate reaching my goals.



Acadia National Park, ME

It took just a "Minute", man

Caught up on my sleep I pressed on to Maine.  The high pressure system that I rode with from SF to NYC was still producing clear blue conditions.   Arrived at Acadia NP around 2pm. Toured a bit then headed back south.

I wanted to get close to Boston, check into a motel.  Stopping in Salem MA I scouted out a couple of hotels.  No vacancies...no problem...head to Boston.  Tried several motels on the outer ring around Boston.  Again, no vacancies!!!!  Seems ever college and university was doing graduation this weekend.   "it's not an adventure till things go not according to plan."  By this time it's getting late.  Don't want to blow off MA again.  So, I pulled off the Interstate at historic Concord and took this picture, thereby scoring MA.

Finally, a room.  Stopped at a TA travel center and checked into the Rodeway Inn.  

Springfield Armory National Historic Site
This site was just around to corner, so to speak.  Dashed back into MA secure a passport stamp and visit this very historic site.  George Washington himself established this the tech center of the day.  Toured the museum of American arms.



Weir Farm National Historic Site
This is the only National Park Service site in Connecticut, who knew.  The site is nestled deep into the forested hills.  I didn't plan on this stop.  I selected it because I wanted to score CT and it showed up on my GPS.  I'm glad I visited Weir Farm.  There were lots of artists sprinkled around slapping colored paints onto canvas covered boards.  

Thomas Edison National Historic Park, NJ
I'm getting lots of good training riding through New England.  Not my favorite place to ride though.  Very congested everywhere.  The Edison NHP is my only New Jersey stop but it counts.  Another tech center during the turn of the last century.  Built to consolidate Edison's efforts to invent.
 
Independence National Historic Park, PA
I arrived in Philly around 1630 but the Independence Park was still humming with activity.  The visitor's center was huge compared to all the others I have visited thus far.  Scored three passports stamps at this location.  Got into a bit of trouble parking my bike though.  I didn't want to pay the $4.50 parking fee, one because I'm a skin-flint, two because all I had was a $100 bill.  So, I parked across the street behind a wall so the bike wasn't in view of the street.  Dashed to the visitor's center, got the stamps and back across the street.  Busted! Two security guards were hovering around my MC.  I was inform I was trespassing on Federal property and was ask to produce some ID.  I whipped out my military ID card and cheerfully exclaimed I was a retired Federal employee.  I engaged the officers in a friendly conversation about what I was doing.  The warmed up and sent me on my way.

Ok, another change of plans.  I was to meet two rider coach comrades at Gettysburg before riding back to Texas with them.  But I really want to visit the Enola Gay B-29 at the Air & Space exhibit and Kitty Hawk.  So, I headed to Chantilly VA to get into position.  Arrived around 2030 checked into a Comfort Inn and went to Ruby Tuesdays

National Air & Space Annex

Wow, what a spectacular museum!  The history of manned flight on display.  For me the prize of this visit was the "Enola Gay" B-29 bomber.  






Manassas National Battefield
I had live in Northern Virginia for years and visited many of the historical sights in the area.  Stopped in to secure the passport stamp then on my way to NC.  Rain today.





Kitty Hawk, NC

I have always wanted to visit the site of the first powered flight and now I'm doing it.  I tried a couple times before but somehow things just got in the way. 

Heading west on I-64 through West Virginia I stopped at the New River Gorge Visitor Center and scored WV.  







Lincoln's Birthplace 

Kentucky in the spring time is very beautiful.  Rolling hills, grassy knolls with pasture animals roaming the green carpets. 


In my hotel room just outside of Memphis.  Just a short 750 mile ride home tomorrow.  After I get settled back to a normal routine I'll publish some to the riding statistics for this Hard Riding Adventure

During this trip I accomplished so many of the goals I set.  Chief among theses goals was my successful 50CC Quest Gold ride from San Francisco to NYC in 49:05.  I also scored a Bun Burner Gold ride of 1,554 in 22:10 during the 50CC.  This event was a tribute to George Wyman who in 1903 was the first person to cross America on a motorcycle.  He did it if 50 day. 

In addition to the George Wyman commemorative ride I scored dozens of passport stamps in 13 states.