2014 Eastern Mountain Pass - Day 8 - 200 miles TRIP END

This is the final blog, although tmr is technically the last day, we are only going to get up and get breakfast and go home. 

Here is us getting ready. The day before the day you go home always sucks. Not because the ride wasn't good, but because I'm running through my head the 5 million things that awaits me... Mow the lawn, apply for those classes, pick up the salvage ducati and send in for the check, shop for a new bike, hair cut, and a myriad of things awaiting me. 

Here we have a field of old machines for farming. Josh is showing off his package... Rofl. Yes we are 12. Then this turkey came to check out the bikes. We ended at the bridge overlooking the stream.

2nd day of BBQ, josh is our grill master. He had a better picture with the Cabasa he didn't want me to post. Lol

As I hang out with josh and rob, both over a decade my senior, each with different upbringing and life experience, there was a sense of simplicity hanging out with them. One could say the trip was "sublime". Lol 

Our neighbors kids came and wanted to ride our bikes, so I picked them up and put them on my bike. They had a blast, although the older sister was freaking out. Granted I picked up a random kid without the parents permission, and he was fiddling on my bike that could of broken things... Kids are masters at breaking things, ask me how I know. But will this boy remember getting on a big sports bike, or will he remember that he was told not to.

 Living in the litigious city environment one can easily get too caught up in all the little 'cya' precautions. What if the parents sue me because thier kid fall off my bike, what if they break my bike who do I sue, what if he cries and freak out, what if he cut himself. With that logic we can also ask, what if a meteor hits the bike blow up the kid while he was sitting on it. Or a massive earthquake shakes the bike and kills the kid when the bike landed on top of him... -_-

We have taken so much of what makes learning fun in our schools. As I remmeber talking to Shelly, when she regale me on her former days of building bird houses and engaging the kids in learning beyond the English textbook, I look at my students in thier classrooms today learning what we call "common core" or really a system to make all learning environment the same. While on paper it looks fantastic, but in reality it couldn't be less engaging. In fact, if you are a student, and walking into a classroom and all you see whether it's English, science, math, or WS, all you see is a goal for the day, and then you have a warm up, and then you do a activity, it becomes a routine.

Sure you can make it "fun" one day and show the entire staff, but seriously try doing that everyday and every week. Students are bored, not because the subject is boring, but if you do the same routine for everything, anyone will lose thier focus or concentration. Or worst, thier interest.

I always rememeber my favorite teachers, they were different. They were characters in the most fantastic of ways. Mr L sang a song in chemistry, and some other times he gets you started on the lab right away, sometimes he messes with you and then boom middle of the class he tells you what ur doing. By today's "observation" of meeting standard for teachers, they would have failed him on a regular basis, but he was more influential and powerful as an educator for so many kids than the others who simply follow the curriculum. He quit because of the politics. 

My art teacher drove me to a chessmaster and paid him to teach me, because he saw potential in me at the time. He broke about 500 school rules, but really that was one of the most amazing experience I ever had. I still keep In touch with him even to this day.

As I watch teachers leave one after another, hoping another berth is the answer, and some retiring all together. These are phenomenal educators. They all have character differing from one another. But we have devalued them and micromanaged them looking for numbers to attach to success of the students. 

As I took this trip with josh and rob, I felt very little stress. I felt fit in, without feeling like an outsider. They joke around at my jokes as much I joke about theirs. Despite the generation gap, I have already planned the next summer Europe trip and the summer after doing the tat with both of them. 

Did we do some silly things and make jokes on stupid things ? Yes. Are we 12? Yes. Because we all need to be reminded that maturity does not fall within the spectrum of following the rule, in fact, we need to constantly revisit our inner child, and forget all the fear, apprehension, our scars, political correctness, social acceptability, and just have fun. 

As I always tell my students "you live everyday, but you only die once, so make it count" 

2014 Eastern Mountain Pass - Day 7 - 200 miles

Gotten ready to go at sleep inn. I put the remainder of the half quart in my bike. I think I might try a thicker oil, when I get back. We are only doing 200 some miles today. We rode on the wv road, and the trucks were going like 65 in a 50 zone, pretty awesomely fast.

We follow robs trusty gps and went on 15 miles of gravel. This windy back road state park, that is alll gravel. Pretty neat

Another shot of the gravel road. I'll have to say, the gravel didn't bother me at all anymore. When the rear end starts sliding, It kind of just feels natural. 

We got to lodging, this place is pretty nice. We empty the bags and went and got food and grocery. 

Kill two bottles of red and had some BBQ. Just one more day of fun, and I gotta go home. I really don't like going home. 

2014 Eastern Mountain Pass - Day 6 - 200 miles

We knew it was gonna be a mega downpour today. After we gas up and got on our way, we headed to the back of the dragon. The same place I dumped my bike two years ago. This will be interesting... 

Didn't take much photos today. Took a photo of the road sign. They have this painted in quite a few places. We road it very slow, since it was raining rather hard on and off. We had all our gears on, so it wasn't that bad. 

We stopped at a Spanish food place. Had to strip down. 

We went down the side roads, but the road was closed, so we ended up going on this very tiny road, for 6 miles of half asphalt and gravel fun. We even ended at this place where we are under this gigantic bridge. Look at all the grafitti on the wall.

After thinking about the Ducati, I'm rather annoyed. I set up the Ducati in the last year with everything needed for over night and vacation. I learn all the service needed for the bike, and I dressed it up with mirrors, cans, and seat. I even order tires for this trip. Now I'll have to start all over. The duke is a bit small for me, but getting a new bike and figuring out which one, it's just another thing to do I didn't have on my agenda. I then have all these parts to unload. Sigh.... 

It was a fun day, we ate at apple be like three times the last two days... Or was it twice... I don't really remember. I'll try to write more reflection tmr. I'll gonna mull over this bike issue. 

2014 Eastern Mountain Pass - Day 5 - 200 miles

We left Fontana and road through to the smokey mountains. 

The smokey mountain was beautiful scenery. Steam was rising off the mountain at every corner. 

My ninjas... Because after I show them this vid from Leonard http://youtu.be/5Ns-kXeQCMk

I ran up the rock, and this girl was talking to her friend who struggles to get up the rock, "he just made it up so easily" as I ran pass them. 

We didn't go all the way to the sumit because we wanted to beat the rain coming.... Long behold we didn't beat the rain. 

After a long period of rain and traffic, we made some fun taking photos on the highway. Rob sleeping at the wheel. When we finally camp out we went and got food. Everyone threw on jeans and sneakers and went hooligan style. 

So I found out that my ducati is officially totaled. They are giving me decent amount of money for my bike. They even let me take off all my performance parts off. I schedule to do that next Tuesday. I'm pretty excited for a "do over". I called Phaedon and Jeff to see if either of them want the buy back on the bike. So we will see. 

2014 Eastern Mountain Pass - Day 4 - 200 miles

Today we started at the same time around 9:00 ish. 

I burned nearly a quart of oil over the last two days. That's pretty annoying, it is one of the niggling thing about this boxer motor that bother me even more than the stupid transmission spline failures. My ducati never burn a drop of oil in 4500 miles I put on it. Where the BMW needs half a quart every 500 miles. All boxer motors are the same, they eat oil. So it's not this specific design or model or brand, the opposable twin all eat oil. In a car that might be blah blah, you can carry a whole 10 gallon in the trunk if you are that paranoid, but lugging around a quart of oil, and what seemingly like I need another one, is utter ridiculous.

Our first stop was the water fall. Josh and rob been here, but I haven't so is was really neat for me. I washed my face and hair and cooled off my Daniese cooling shirt. We basically head out 28 and just wind up all the way through 28. It was some really nice roads. 

I got most of it on the go pro, which I promptly erased. Cause it kind of was boring fotos of the road. I got a few good ones. 

We had lunch at a standalone diner that was on the way to the dragon. We were talking about how this place is new, and Josh ask the waitress "how long has this been here?" "30 + years" was our answer. So basically it was here before I was born. ROFL. Pretty funny. 

 I got a catfish sandwich. The food was actually really good. Service was pretty.... Slow. 

We met a guy on a triumph tiger 800. He is apparently a photographer. When he was asking rob for some roads in West Virginia... He pulled out a note pad... Not like a nice note pad, of like a traveler, but like one of those note pad you see at a general store in the middle of no where, they don't accept credit card, and when you go up to the counter the cashier pulls out a tattered little booklet where he writes down what's he's sold in the store for a month. It's that type of note pad. Hahahaha

You meet the wierdest people. At the gas station, this guy came over from his truck and was mesmerized at the go pro josh had in front of his bike. He was like "WOW what is that! Is that like... " I don't remmeber what he said, but it definitely amazed him that this high tech thing exist... -_-' 

We came back and decided to run the dragon. We went to the overlook and turn around. Super tired. Rob just left us in the dust. I road the same pace I usually do, albeit I felt kind of off, I knew I shouldn't have eaten those chili cheese fries for lunch. Too late now. Anyways I made it alive. 

When we got back to the cabin, I finally got a call from the adjuster of the final verdict on my ducati. Except he called me at 4:45 when he is off at 5. So I'll have to call him tmr morning. To be honest, I always knew and felt the ducati makes me look like a monkey humping a football. The bike is too small. But I wanted a classic monster ever since the beginning of time. If they total it now I might be alright with it. I'm ready for another change. 

We take so many things for granted living in the city. Everyone has an iPad, iPhone etc, present company included. When we are at home, it becomes an inseperable part of us, as if we can not live without such life entertainment. It was something I never had growing up until college. Even then, it was just a phone, there was no internet plan or texting. But somehow it became a necessity. Sometimes I come out here in the mountains and while I still take photos and post them and write my blog at night, there are moments I remmeber how simple life was back then, no internet, no phones, no constant marketing. Sometimes I look around and just enjoy where I am because there are no service in the mountains. Sometimes, just soemtimes, when I forget to take photos and forgotten to check my text msg and email, for a moment however brief, I am reminded how simple life still is if I want it to be. 

2014 Eastern Mountain Pass - Day 3 - 241 miles

The gps mount failing is quite the bummer, I can only kind of draw the place. But eh, it's not terrible. We went the remainder of the blue ridge today. We started the same time around 9 am

Packed and ready to go, josh was air drying his socks, by putting in on the top of his bag while the wind blows on it while riding. 

Our first stop. In fact, we road passed it, and then turned around. This is the famous bridge overlooking the mountain side. It's the photo to the color of my novel.

I took the same shot three years ago, and.... It looks the same awesomeness. Everytime I hit the parkway it's always this impossibly beautiful weather. I was sure to remind rob and josh as they recounts how awesome this weather is compare to last year when I didn't go with them. I always say "this is awesome.... But this is all I know, so I guess it's just okay". They threaten to throw me off the side of the mountain so I can experience what "sucks" feels like. Rofl. 

We made plans to eat lunch on top of mount Mitchell. I didn't even know it's here off the Blue Ridge. Apparently it's really famous, and apparently it's the highest peak east of the Mississippi. The view was pretty awesome... Except there are these tiny small scarab like bugs that swarms you like a locus. It's like swarm of flying ticks. But luckily they didn't bike, just annoyed the hell out of us. 

End of blue ridge, there was like 10 tunnels. Let me tell you, I absolutely LOVE the tunnels. You go in these mountain tunnels, there is no electricity. So it's pitch black, and on the long ones, you are riding blind in the dark, cause your headlight is hitting straight but you are lean "way the fuck over" you don't know if you are gonna see light or hit a brick wall going 70 mph. It's just awesome. But... Unfortunately we went through like only two tunnels without traffic, with traffic, we crawled like 15 miles per hour through, really takes away the fun. 

Cars on the parkway crawl at speeds, you just want to take them all to driving school. The cautious ones drive the speed limit, the really scared ones almost comes to a stop at the turns, which is really dangerous. 

At the peak, it's all sports bike, they are all over the place. It was a hoot. We all rip the chicken strip on the rear to shreds. I got some epic shots on the go pro. Maybe I can load them up tmr night when I have some time. 

We made it to Fontana at awesome time. 5:30 pm. 

I really enjoying traveling with the guys, we stop where ever, whether it's your checklist or mine, it doesn't matter. I say I want to go, then it becomes everyone's checklist. Same goes for them. It's not, "oh let me do you this favor and go where you want to go", it's more like, if its goal, it can be mine too. 

It is now 9:30 here now, at Fontana lodge. I've been here so many times now, it almost seem like this is "my hotel". The view is spectacular. I get the final call tmr on my ducati. Maybe it's totaled maybe they'll fix it. Quite frankly... I don't really care that much. I have my eye set on a few new bike options. Vfr800 to be one, but I will have to say I have a major hard-on for the triumphs triple motor. Silky smooth, and 3 is my favorite number. After I road Josh's speed triple that one time... Damn you josh... Grrrrr. 

On the way here today, so we were talking about I don't know what, Rob says over the intercom "you make a good gay guy" -_- to which I naturally reply "what?" Then I got the similar spiel of "you care about how things look, you take care of urself, etc etc. then... Rob followed up with "you are only half gay"... Then josh followed up with "51%" to which I reply with a rhetorical question, knowing what's to come ... "Faaaaak this is gonna be going on the whole trip is it" they respond in unison "yes". Fml. 

2014 Eastern Mountain Pass - Day 2 - 385 miles

We left lake Anna at roughly 9 o'clock. Our first stop was brunch at Charlottesville. Unbeknownst to me  and to Josh's regular reminder that we were right next to UVA. The more I travel with Josh, the more he reminds me of what Phaedon would be in 20 years. rofl. Very similar personalities. 

Riding the same bike is interesting, it feels so natural, I'm not worrying about anything...well other than my transmission blowing up on me again. Lol. But I was able to enjoy so much of the world on the blue ridge than I had before. 

I can honestly tell you, I didn't understand the appeal before I started riding. I was happy living in my world, sheltered and protected by the confines of city life. My attempts to "go hiking" or "back packing" is nothing more than glorified temporary entertainment from imminent death by boredom. More often than not I am asked "so you guys just ride around?" , well yea... But it is so much more than that.

Riding frees you from what we call for a lack of better term, "total fucken bullshit", the petty power struggle, the rat race, the bleeding out of your pore insecurities, and above all away from the people who perpetuate such environment. I travel with some old people, min 10 years my senior and some 20. But on the road there isn't a difference in age, color, or wealth, it's just about the freedom. Everything is what ever, and you make a few landmark stop and you keep going. You go where you want, and never a sense of possibly offending your traveling companion. 

As Rob put it "I love these trips, it allows me to bring back my inner 12 year old", to which I reply naturally, "uh.... I'm just being my self". If my students were here they would without a doubt in unison agree, I am possibly the most immature counselor ever, but I engage my students far beyond just being politically correct. 

My gps mount died, in the morning since it rained overnight and I didn't wire the power to the base on key ignition, so it was always on, and it shorted out. We all mounted our go pro and got a lot of good shots, but no one brought a laptop so the photo will have to be posted later when we have access

Approx 350 miles today, ending in Boone, NC. 100% Blue Ridge Parkway.  

We went to this restaurant in Boone... I was the only Asian person there. I was a little nervous. Call it paranoia or self preservation, it's weird when there is only white people and you. It's just weird. Lol 

2014 Eastern Mountain Pass - day 1 - 120 miles

No service so this is the first day route, I'll make a map when I have internet connection

Rough route - we took the back road, but since my gps mount doesn't work I can't do the actual track. 

4705 Edgewood road college park md 

4372 Decatur dr Woodbridge va

Cardinal dr - miniville rd - 234 west - (l) Bristow rd - (l) Aden road - (l) fleet wood dr. - (r) court house - (l) elkrun rd - court me else corner road - (r) summer duck - (l) Kelleys fort road  (l) stonesmill - (l) Edward shop road - (l) eleys fort road - (r) yellow bottom road - (l) route 3 - (r) flat run rd (r) rt20 (l) gold dale rd (r) old plank road (l) Dulin lane - catharpjn road (r) lawyers rd (r) Belmont rd - Stubbs bridge road 522 (l) 208 -(r) Kentucky springs road.

Total 130 miles

Three years ago when I left for tails of the dragon for the first time with Yermo I was .... Different. I always remember the anxiety I felt, with nothing but my motorcycle under me, going as far as i couldn't have imagined. For the first 200 miles into the trip, I felt like I need to turn around, and while I never looked back, or turn around, I always left myself emotionally trailing and dragging 30 min behind me. 

I had very minor anxiety last year before leaving for cross country, and by the time I was half way across, I almost dreaded the time I had to turn around and go home. By the time I hit Seattle I really didn't want to go back the other way. A stark contrast to the year before

I had the ducati all prepped and ready to go, I was even going to wear the helmet the kids drew for me, 

But alas it wasn't meant to be. Some lady ran over my bike in front of Starbucks in Kentlands 2 days before the trip... 

I got a call yesterday from the adjuster to the tune of 7300 dollars in dmg. The bike is totaled. So I prepped the BMW to go instead. 

If you have met me 3 years ago, I probably be so down, with mix emotions of resentment and a myriad of other issues. Today, I was just annoyed. Annoyed that I had it prepped to go and now I can't. But oddly, I didn't care that much, I guess it wasn't meant to be. 

Got ready to go, it was kind of wierd, taking the BMW cross country last year, seem anxious, when I packed it to go today... I can't say I was worried. In fact, it almost feel too natural. I wasn't anxious, and when I got on the road, it just felt natural. 

We gather at Josh's house, before heading down to his lake house. This was the gas station by his house as we has up and head underway. I read with these guys quite a few times. Josh and rob are all in thier mid and late 40s. I tend to always hang out with older people. I don't know why, people my age all want to go clubbing and blow money on going to the bar. I am not against it, nor do I look down on it, I just find it really boring. Now if tell me, I can see natures perfection that is yet untouched by corportization, I'm packed and ready to go. 

Our first day was not really a first day, it's more like a fraternizing day. We were gonna head to Josh's and hang out. There is a resturant josh suggested. It was sushi,and if you know me and fish, you know I didn't object. During lunch, I text Katie, cause I remmeber her and Michael has a place in lake Anna, and I told them I hit them up when I'm down there.... Turns out they live... Like 2 min away... Walking distance. Lol we visited thier new kitchen construction, and josh invited them over for dinner.

We had a good time. We had 4 bottle of wine. At the end... No one wanted to be on my team, cause I sucked so bad. It became a joke that when someone missed badly they would say "you Yun it " lol. Was never gonna be a pool player anyways. 

At 9. We call it a day. Cleaned up, and passed out.