Today is the first day of our trip. I got up at 5:00 and waited till 5:15 to call Phaedon to make sure he will be at Yermos at 6 to pick up my keys. To my surprise he reply immediately as I text him. "I was up at 4:30". Okay I wasn't really surprise, I knew Phaedon was reliable. I got showered and dressed. When I arrive at Yermo's both bikes were already out and ready. Its an interesting feeling dealing with reliable people. Being able to depend on people. Being on time, and keeping your word has always been out of respect for others, but more importantly, respect and expectation for myself. Many people do not value those values any longer.
After a few photos, we left at 6:01 am. I was so tired. I slept only 4 hours the night before. Maybe it's anxiety. I was however alert enough to ride.
Before long we did 90 miles and stopped at our usual first rest point, Front Royal, VA. We were going a pretty good clip. I felt rather excited. I didn't look down at the odometer, just at the road ahead. It was quite the burden last year doing the whole way back from the dragon, albeit it was crazy hot. Today, seem much easier. Expectation is such a powerful anesthetic, if you do not know what to expect, it seems the pain is interminable. While if you knew what is coming, the same act seem less burdensome and less taxing.
Our first gas stop. All the stop we stop for gas or rest seem very familiar. Yermo said to me that "he seem to stop at the same place each time. At first I thought, maybe he is familiar and comfortable with the place. While that maybe true, we stop when we don't need to stop, and we take periodic breaks whether we need it or not. It's good practice, it's discipline to keep not only yourself safe, but all those you ride with. Naturally, if we took the same route, we stop at the same mile markers.
220 miles in Acadia. Shell gas station. Just break, no gas, we only had 80 miles on the tank, we will stop in the next 80 mile marker.
300 miles, at the sportsman general store. This was actually a new place. We missed a exit and had to go to the next one. It was right by the lake. The lake didn't come out well in the picture. We then broke for lunch soon after at Shoneys at the next available town.
We then made it to Bristol va. As we roll up into the Starbucks, I remember last year at 120 degree weather, we met some guy from bmore or something chatting us up as he was going back home as well. I remember him to be quite loud.
Some places the water is just better than other places. And Bristol, at least today, was one of those places. Guy at the counter asked if those were our BMW bikes, I said "yea, we are headed to Seattle". He said cool and some small talk. I went to pick up my drink, and a light red head barista asked, "so does your bike have names." She was standing 6 feet away as she fixes the stuff on the counter next to me. Okay, she was really cute. Do I think she was flirting? Maybe.
Leaving Bristol the sun came out, Yermo turned very Asian all of a sudden.
At 440 miles at Metcalf Overlook on route 26
We parked our bikes over 300 ft away
Darn it was bright. I was falling asleep at this point. Like crashing type of falling asleep.
Then we took a crazy detour to this k bike camping ground. This was a planned route, just didn't know it was this far. This took a lot of time. And it was quite disappointing. Unlike the e30 gathering of custom mods, it was all stock bikes. Stock suspension for the most part. Yawn...
I did get two photos for Duncan on the k1. The black one is pretty awesome #dowant
It was getting late and we still had 80 miles to Fontana. At one point, I had to tell Yermo to pull over because my shoulder was cramping up. This guy that lives in the area chatted up Yermo, while I walked around to loosen up. We did about 600 miles by then.
At around 5:15. My Sena unit battery decide to die, I think the music killed the battery via Bluetooth. I pulled out my accessory USB power, courtesy of rob Shaunessey, and plug it right in and tucked it in my jacket. Yermo took a picture of it charging, and I was able to use it. Apparently when the unit is plugged in, it amplified its volume and clarity... Hm...
Then we did the last 20 miles to Fontana, or rather the Dragon preparation roads. It's surprising how bad I've gotten over the year. Complacency is pretty bad. Shoulder was tight, hands were tight, body position is off, on and off throttle is inconsistent. Sigh.... Lame.
Finally got to Fontana at 7:30, Then we went to get food.
So the oil came with the bread that's as under the wrapping. The waiter goes "some bread for you." So I try to look under the wrapping, and Yermo goes... "The bread isn't there, they are gonna bring it out." Long behold it was under the covers. Hahaha. Hilarious.
As we ate dinner, I remember a year and some ago, we were here. Things were different then. For both of us. It was quite the dejavoo moment. Many times in the conversation, I went back and forth to the year before. Not knowing which trip this was. All the responsibility and the baggages I had last year, they are no more. The book was done, what else is next?
Sometime during dinner the question was posed, "what is the story of this trip?" I thought I knew. It was rather clear for the last few month. I wanted to write about the backstory, the reason why I need to find myself again, etc etc. In fact, it was cleared until that question at dinner. I looked down at my phone and the photos I took, and how it would relate to the story I would like to tell. The story I wanted to tell about why I'm not sharing this with her. How I want to overcome this and that, all seem to matter no longer. Right now, I just want to get up, ride the dragon. I want to see the Ozarks and Pikes Peak, and most of all the Pacific Ocean.
Maybe I'll figure out the story along the way.
11:55 at Fontana resort