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48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

SPYDER TOUR – Day 2
Weather: Foggy morning, 54 degrees to 77 degrees, sunny most of day.
Awakened at 6:00 a.m. in Bluefield, West Virginia. Humidity was 100% in pea soup thick fog. Rode for two hours without seeing anything but taillights.
Eventually, Virginia revealed herself as a series of verdant rolling hills. Cattle dotted hillsides. The temperature rose to the mid-seventies. Great riding weather. I stuck to four-lane expressways. The traffic was light and amazingly polite. The road surface was excellent. No potholes.
Traffic thickened as I approached Washington D.C. Drivers became less polite. Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey traffic were elbow to armpit thick. No one gave an inch of space to anyone else.
Motels had no vacancies. Managers could not explain where all the people came from.
I ended up in a fleabag motel in Thorofare, New Jersey. The TV has one channel. No sound. The programing was XXX rated. The program directors saved loads of money on buying/renting costumes . . . they just went au naturel. The mirrored headboard should have been a clue. The mirror on the ceiling . . . maybe.
There was no wi-fi.
The nearby Chinese restaurant provided tasty food.
Expenses:
Breakfast: $ 21.38
Lunch: skipped
Dinner: $ 15.00
Gas: $ 61.78
Misc: $ 0.00
Motel $ 83.00
Days Total: $181.16 Total on trip: $ 319.89
Today’s miles: 500 Total miles: 852
 
SPYDER TOUR
Day 3
I slept well in Thorofare, New Jersey.
Awakened to a clear sunny day. Temps varied from 60 – 77. I tried driving turnpikes, but don’t have an EasyPass to sail through New Jersey, or New York, toll gates. They don’t take cash. There were no toll takers in any booth . . . so, I waved and rode onward. Never paid. Hmm.
I swapped lies with a man and wife from Cebu, Philippine Islands. They admired my bike. I envied their being on a round-the-world trip.
A retired colonel―paratrooper in the Israeli Defense Force introduced himself. He’s 74 and made 54 jumps, 24 at night. Tough cookie.
Today’s ride was terrible. Heavy traffic. Road construction. Accidents. I rode at speeds ranging from zero to twenty for four straight hours. A madhouse. Roads in New York feature potholes you could rappel into.
The 19 toll road miles ridden across New Hampshire were delightful, except for the one tiny tar-strip bump.
Breakfast: $ 10.00
Lunch: $ 12.00
Dinner: $ 32.00 Fish & chips
Misc: $ 2.00 New Hampshire toll road
Motel $130.00 Radison /Wyndham Motel
Day’s costs $247.50 Trip Total $567.39
Miles today: 400 Trip Total: 1,252
Ended the day in Kittery, Maine. The town feels like a tourist trap.
 
SPYDER TOUR
Day 4
I awakened in Kittery, Maine. Which was good. That’s where I went to sleep. For breakfast, I ate the cardboard-style waffle featured in most upscale motels. Swapped stories with a man from Park City, Utah. He is visiting all fifty states to see and identify fifty birds in each state. It may take a while.
Another sunny day with the temperature at 64 degrees started the ride. The temperature then dropped to the mid-fifties. I stopped, added a sweatshirt and rain pants to combat the cold wind created when traveling at 70 mph.
Before this ride, I had not ridden a motorcycle in Maryland, Delaware, New Hampshire, or Vermont. They’re now checked off on my Bucket List.
Vermont proved a treat. Well-paved roads topped hills that think they are mountains, swooped through verdant valleys, skirted bogs that undoubtedly harbored a moose or a moosette. Cattails in ditches looked like exclamation points. Pines fought for space with deciduous trees sporting fall’s rainbow colors. Rock-bottomed creeks and rivers flowed into pristine lakes.
Quaint towns, villages, and hamlets featured hundred-plus-year-old houses with front porch swings and Adirondack chairs. Interesting to me, I saw no dogs, horses, or cows. I saw one raven atop a lightning-struck tree.
I ended the day in Utica, New York.
Expenses:
Breakfast: $ 0.00 Motel fare, waffle
Lunch: $ 33.00 ( Keene, VT golf course clubhouse established in 1897.)
Dinner $ 33.67 (Delmonico’s Restaurant in Utica, NY)
Misc. $ 0.00
Gas: $ 47.75
Motel: $153.50 (Best Western)
Day’s Total: $267.92 Trip Total: $835.31
Today’s Miles: 283 Trip Total: 1,535
 
SPYDER TOUR
Day 5
Utica greeted me with morning 50-degree fog. I put on my warmest clothes and headed west. A hundred miles down the road, I stopped to purchase gasoline. Imagine my dismay on discovering that the credit card I used the previous evening at Delmonico’s Restaurant was not in my wallet.
Drat, and double drat!
I telephoned my bank and cancelled the card. The bank confirmed there were no unexplained purchases. I have a debit card and a bit of cash. Three restaurants on this trip have only accepted cash. No plastic. Hmm. ATM machines can save me.
I admit the images of the ride through western New York and Pennsylvania are mostly blurs. My mind refused to get off the “What ifs?”. Punctuating the last sentence stumped me.
I stopped in Elyria, Ohio. The thermometer on the dashboard read 86 degrees. It explained why I dripped sweat. I still had on a helmet, gauntlet gloves, levis covered by rain pants, a t-shirt, sweatshirt, the winter jacket liner, and a windproof canvas jacket. Mental distractions . . . whew!
Expenses:
Breakfast: $ 0.00 Motel fare . . . waffle, yogurt, coffee
Lunch: $ 12.00 Whopper/fries
Dinner: $ 36.81 catfish, mushy green beans, slaw, peach cobbler
Misc: $ 0.00
Gas: $ 59.50
Motel: $ 87.00
Day’s total: $180.31 Trip total: $1,018.62
Day’s miles: 420 Trip Total: 1,955
 
Calimusjohn said:
I'm an 84-year-old ADV relic and just completed a 9,391-mile ride on my 2022 Sea to Sky that touched all 48 states. If readers are curious, I will submit a day-to-day ride report. I cover routes, weather, costs, and observations. Is anyone interested?
John
Click to expand...

I'm keeping up with, and enjoying, your posts and want to tell you that you're an inspiration to me. I'm 80, and you make me think there are a few more years of keeping my "knees in the breeze". Oh, and I like your style of succinct, efficient writing. jb
 
Thank you so much for doing this. I am a bit younger (57), but I am planning a similar trip that should take 6-8 weeks. My goal is to do this before age 60. As of right now I am looking at doing this in 2025. I will definitely be tagging along on your ride and ride report. Thanks again.
 
Garland417 & Bamajohn,
Thanks for the feedback. I can see that folks have peeked at this thread, but wasn't sure anyone cared for its content.
With that out of the way, here is another episode of "Spyder Tour."

SPYDER TOUR
Day 6
No fog! 59 to 80 degrees, sunny day.
The motel clerk in Elyria, Ohio, promised they had a great internet connection. I’m sure they do – when it operates. At least the TV had more than one channel. The motel offered yogurt and a bagel for breakfast.
Forests disappeared as I crossed Ohio from east to west. Agricultural fields or huge industrial complexes replaced the trees.
I deviated from the Ohio Turnpike and snuck into Michigan. Six miles later, the town of Sturgis appeared. It’s unlike Sturgis, South Dakota. No 600,000 motorcyclists jammed the streets. Women wore clothing. T-shirt hucksters hid their products inside stores. Police officers smiled as I rode by.
Indiana greeted me with bands of trees and large fields of corn. If you dislike large motorhomes driven by old geezers lacking driving skills, blame Elkhart, Indiana. Thousands of motorhomes are built there.
I can now say with complete accuracy that, “When I was younger, I studied at Notre Dame in South Bend.” I’ll leave out the part where I sat in a parking lot and studied a roadmap, plotting my next course of action.
At noon, I arrived at my cousin’s home in Valparaiso, Indiana. I’d called ahead. No one was home. Doors locked. Shades drawn. They’d escaped. I peed on a backyard tree.
My relatives returned as I studied their home’s security system. They let me in and assigned a bedroom for my exclusive use. Bruce said, “You can stay as long as you like.” I changed my mailing address. It’s fall. Winter is coming. Free is good!
Expenses:
Breakfast: $ 8.14 Supplemental Subway sandwich to the motel’s yogurt.
Lunch: $ 0.00 Bruce (cousin) treated me to a free lunch.
Dinner: $ 0.00 Brent (cousin) bought pizza and huge salad.
Misc: $ 17.80 Toll Road fees.
Gas: $ 40.58
Motel: $ 0.00
Day’s total: $ 66.02 Trip Total: $1,084.64
Day’s miles: 260 Trip Total: 1,305
 
Blacklightning,
Hi, you snuck in a comment while I was typing! Planning ahead is good, but don't let the trip slip away while planning. Time passes too quickly.
I planned on participating in the 2022 Tennessee River 600 tour. I missed the deadline for signing up and had to wait until 2023. For anyone that likes riding jetskis, I highly recommend the TN600. The tour has a website that gives all the information.
(Tennesseeriver600.com)
 
I really like your writting style. Thank you so much for putting this together. When we are done here I think I would like to read about a 600 mile Jetski trip.If you feel so inclined.
 
SPYDER TOUR
Day 7
A day of rest.
The family attended church services.
I brought my records up to date and studied maps to determine the best route.

Expenses:
Day’s total: $ 0.00 Trip Total: $1,084.64
Day’s miles: 0 Trip Total: 1,305
 
SPYDER TOUR
Day 8
Morning led to a reluctant departure from my cousin’s home, its camaraderie and (chuckle) free amenities.
Five miles after leaving, it began to rain. Nickle-sized blobs of water splatted me for five miles. Then the sun popped out from behind the clouds. I unclenched my teeth. Three piddling sprinkles pitter-patted me during the day.
Transiting the Chicago urban area has always been difficult. Today was different. Heavy traffic moved quickly. No crazies created chaos in their wake. No drivers weaved around cars and semi-trucks attempting to reach a crash-site faster than anyone else. A pleasant ride was a pleasant surprise.
Rural northwestern Illinois holds a series of rolling hills, mile-square corn fields, and large farmhouses. Areas seen from strategic lookout spots deserve photographs to be placed on expensive calendars or shared on 1,000-piece picture puzzles.
Note: Illinois toll roads have no attendants at toll booths. No instructions are posted on where to acquire an EZ Pass, or how to “Pay Online.”
At the Iowa state line, there is no toll booth. Apparently, if you don’t exit the toll road in Illinois, a driver need not pay. It’s weird. I found myself in mid-Iowa, free. Free at last.
Expenses:
Breakfast: $ 0.00
Lunch: $ 11.19 Atlantic cod sandwich at Culver’s.
Dinner: $ 16.71 Pasta
Misc: $ 1.70 Indiana toll road fee.
Gas: $ 35.05
Motel: $ 84.67
Day’s Total: $149.31 Trip Total: $1,233.95
Day’s miles: 230 Trip Total: 1,535
 
Great read!! Excellent writing. The math, though, not so much. Methinks your miles after day 8 should be 2,445 ... :thumbup:
 
SPYDER TOUR
Day 9
The motel clerk informed me that I was in Dyersville, Iowa. It’s always nice to learn where I’ve slept. The day’s ride consisted of rain, fog, rain, fog, more rain, and cold winds. It was not the greatest of conditions.
I visited the Spam Museum in Austin. Checked it off the Bucket List.
And THEN!
I approached Minneapolis at 70 mph in lane two of six. Traffic in lanes five and six had stopped awaiting clearance to exit. A black car passed me on the left traveling at 85 mph. A white car passed me on the right at 85 mph. The two drivers decided to switch into lane number two―simultaneously.
They slammed into one another 100 feet in front of me. I started maximum braking.
The black car ricocheted and spun left into the highway’s cement divider wall. The rear bumper assembly, a fender and the rear window broke loose and scattered across the roadway. The car continued to spin in the safety lane, lane number one, and finally stopped in lane two.
The white car bounced and spun into the line of cars stopped in lane five, continued to spin and crash into five vehicles before coming to a stop lying on its side in lane three. Automobile parts flew everywhere. Cars struck in lane five slid sideways into other vehicles in lane six.
Meanwhile, I zigzagged through the debris field. I avoided striking anything. I can’t imagine a more exciting ten seconds.
I escaped Minneapolis and stopped in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Expenses:
Breakfast: $ 5.02
Lunch: $ 17.97
Dinner: $ 28.08
Misc: $ 0.00
Gas: $ 56.40
Motel: $118.00
Day’s Cost: $225.47 Trip Total: $1,459.42
Day’s miles: 380 Trip Total: 1,915
 
Enjoying this read.
Crikey...two drivers decided to switch into lane number two―simultaneously. ....
:yikes: Ye Ha! Talk about yum yum..whew moments. Onya.
 
Calimusjohn said:
SPYDER TOUR
Day 9
Meanwhile, I zigzagged through the debris field. I avoided striking anything. I can’t imagine a more exciting ten seconds.
Click to expand...

That's where front and rear dash cams are worth way more than you pay for them. Nice job navigating the debris field. :2thumbs:
 
Please keep posting. I am savoring every word as I haven't even been on a Spyder yet. I am looking forward to taking the safety class in December before we purchase one and start our next adventures.
 
After that incident, I would think that one of the expenses for Day 9 would be for clean shorts! :yikes:
 
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