My wife and I invited friends for diner so we could hear once again about his Ride Across America when he retired. My friend did his ride on a bicycle after he retired and he is the one who gave me the inspiration to try my own ride across America on my bicycle.
A bicycle was my first thought but then changed as pointed out on an earlier posting that a motorcycle was my instrument of choice.

It was great to hear first hand the thoughts of someone who had spent three plus months on the road peddling home from Oregon and points west. Also the wife's point of view and how she kept updated and compiled emails and forwarded them to others who were interested in my friends personal journey across this great land.

I am only hoping to be able to slow down and take time to smell as many Roses Along the Way as possible. There is a lot out there in America that is great and very interesting. I am just hoping I can find a few wonderful people, places and things to remember on my Retirement Ride of a Life Time.

Trip Check Lists


I have been thinking a lot about what I would be taking along on my Retirement Trip of a Life Time.
Seems that most suggestions received so far are to make sure everything I take serves more than one purpose (this is except toilet paper). Sounds good so far.
Below is a list I have started on. It is not complete and probably has items on it I will eventually leave behind. Take a look to see if it helps you decide what to carry. Remember I have a Goldwing with three luggage compartments and a pull behind trailer.

Trip Check Lists

Camp Gear	Clothing	Cooking	Beverages
Tent -Fly -poles -Ground cover	Yellow Coat -wind breaker layer -Quilted layer	White gas stove -skillet -pot -funnel	Water -gallon jug or two -couple of beers
Stakes	Western Boots	Cutting board	Coffee – instant
Mallet for stakes	Sandals	Chef knife	Milk - creamer
Xtra tarp	Sneakers	Place setting for one
Lantern	Clod hoppers	Seasonings
Flash light	Full face helmet	Spatula
Sleeping bag	Half helmet	Butter
Sleeping bag liner	Sun glasses	Eggs
Pillow	Clear riding glasses	Oil
Cot	Both pairs glasses	Bread
Front door mat	1 pair Blue Jeans	Peanut butter
Clothes line	1 pair suspenders	Pasta
Clothes pins	4 pairs undies t&b	Paper toweling
	Two T-shirts	Napkins
	Two long sleeve shirts	Can white gas for stove
	Hat	Kitchen towel
	Riding Vest - black	Scratch pad
		Dish detergent
Laundry soap			Misc
Phels Nathfa soap			Meds
Rolls of quarters			Phone-chargers
			GPS – chargers
			Extension cord
			6 way outlet
Bath towel
Soap
Shampoo
Toiletries
Sun Screen
Athletic foot ointment
Hydrocortisone cream

Smelling the Roses after Retirement

So there I was, retired and looking for something to do today. I rode my Goldwing onto the Williams Grove Road just thinking I would head out to get some wine, lettuce or romaine and maybe some gas today before I went back home and did my little household things.

I recently retired from active full time work and decided that part time working was just not my cup of tea. So retirement looked really good to me. I knew I needed to start enjoying the little things in life that I have ignored oh these many years.

While riding down William’s Grove Road I noticed a dead deer laying in the field and a big bird standing in front of the carcass. I thought, Wow! A great big vulture but low and behold it had a white head and white tail feathers. It was not a vulture but an American Bald Eagle. I continued on past the bird and thought damn I am retired and nothing is stopping me from taking my time and stopping to watch the bird and make sure it was in fact a Bald Eagle. I turned around at the nearest driveway and ran back to where I could stop safely. I got off the bike and retrieved my binoculars from the boot. My movements must have spooked the bird because it flew off and landed in a tree at the edge of the field. Sure enough I identified an American Bale Eagle. I watched it for some time. I thought this is what retirement is all about. WOW!! What fun this is looking at something that in the Eastern US is not something seen every day.

Once I had seen enough and decided to continue my daily run to obtain groceries and wine I got back on the Goldwing and started it up. I needed to back up some to get started properly but was unable to move the over 900 lb bike by myself. I thought great let’s just use the reverse option on this bike. I placed the transmission into reverse and pressed the reverse button on the right handle bar. The bike responsibly started to back up and I turned the handle bars to get a good heading forward once the reverse option was complete. Well unfortunately when I tried to disengage the reverse option the bike would not respond to my pressing the “OFF” button to disengage reverse. I kept pressing the button many times and still not turning off the reverse option. I thought well what am I going to do? I turned the motor off and tried to release the reverse option to no avail. I called the shop for some advice on how to turn this reverse option off. They only had advice as to pressing the button until it became unstuck. That did not happen for as many times as I tried.

Ok a call to AAA was in order. I called and asked if the Plus membership would cover a motorcycle? It would not, I had to have the RV coverage. Or I could do a cash call and have to charge my towing on my credit card instead of having AAA cover the expense. So I said to go ahead and do a cash call. After a half an hour I received a call from the local towing service. It seems the quote of $150 dollars would have to do for a pick up and carrying the bike and me to the local Honda shop. I said go ahead. Well in about 45 minutes a very nice young man on a tow vehicle arrived. Eventually, after consulting the Goldwing owner’s manual several times the bike was placed on the tow truck, I might add that the bike seemed locked in gear but it was only the starter that was engaged and forward movement was not a great problem. The winch pulled the bike onto the flat bed and by my sitting on it to guide the bike to the middle and most forward spot seemed to make the attachment work wonderfully well.

Leaving the driveway on the top of the truck was interesting. I advised the young driver as to the quickest and most direct route to the Velocity Cycle shop that would repair the bike. Our drive was not very long and the conversation with the driver was good. Upon arriving at the shop the driver unbuckled the bike and I was sitting on it to steady it while on the incline and would ease the bike back down the ramp. Unfortunately the bike just didn’t want to coast backwards. Forwards getting on the truck was not much problem with the winch but backing off was difficult. The driver pushed and the local mechanic pushed and so did I but to little avail. The tech went back into the shop to get a can of something to unstick the reverse button and that worked successfully. The button released and I backed the bike off the flatbed and onto the macadam.

 

The mechanic would be not just spraying the reverse button to allow it to work for a while and then stick again but he would be replacing the switch. I also had the cruise control button stuck since last year when I bought the bike and he will be fixing that also. Goldwing’s are notorious for their cruise buttons sticking.

Anyway I called my brother to see when he got off work but he did not answer. So I called my wife and asked her if she could come and pick me up at the bike shop. She said she would ask and I mentioned that if she couldn’t I would understand. After hanging up with Judy my brother Bo called me and asked what was up? I told him I was sitting at the bike shop and looking for a ride home. He said he would be right there. That was great! I called Judy to tell her she did not have to come and she said she was already on Center Street on her way to pick me up. I have never seen an old lady move so fast. She was out to save her loving husband and she is a wonderful wife to do that. Anyway I advised her to go back to work and my brother would pick me up and take me home.

The day was saved and I got to spend time by myself with the bike and the dead deer, the eagle and just myself. Something I must learn how to do more of.

I stopped and smelt the roses today and am very happy to have had the opportunity to do just that.

Retirement is great!

As time goes by the riding and staying on both of the two wheels on the Goldwing became easier  and safer. In fact a vacation on the bike was done in May 2012.

My brother and nephew and I under took a ride to Deal's Gap and the Dragon. We did it twice.

Then to Myrtle Beach South Carolina for the Bike show.

It rained a lot that week. Saturday on the Skyline Drive was nice. Sunday on the Blue Ridge Parkway was nice. Monday morning we woke up to rain. It rained all day Monday and an overnight in an Econo Inn was in order. We were still wet after riding all day. Tuesday and Deals Gap was a riot. We rode it twice, starting from Tennessee and riding to North Carolina then back was an experience I want to have again. Mexican food is always an exciting experience when on a motorcycle. Seems you never know when the mood will strike?

Myrtle Beach was nice but still it was raining. We got a cabin at KOA for two days. It was nice not to have to camp out in the rain. The cabin was really a god send. Did the Bike week thing and had good eats the entire week. Road home to Dillsburg on Saturday, some 500+ miles.

Dreaming about taking a trip after retirement

I retired on November 16th 2012 at the ripe old age of 65. Now what do I do with myself?
Originally I wanted to take my bicycle and fly to the Pacific Coast and ride home to Dillsburg, Pa. but I had an unfortunate incident happen one day.

My wife of 40+ years told me she didn't think I was getting any younger and that if there was something I really wanted to do I ought to start do that now and not wait. Man was she in for a difficult time. You see I always listened to my wife's advise since she is much smarter than I. I think she might now have some second thoughts about her opinion of my later years.

I bought a motorcycle at 62 years of age. I had never ridden a motorcycle in my entire life prior to purchasing a brand new Yamaha 950. I drove it off the lot and proceeded to drop the bike in the grass across the street from the dealership. The wife just about had a coronary and quickly came to my side. I told her not to fear cause I had this covered. I proceeded to pick the bike up and start out for home.

I believe this is the first time she wondered about giving me such inspiring advise.

Next we, she and I, rode the motorcycle around the country learning the tricks of the road so to speak.

Then I told her I had always wanted to visit a nudist resort. This I did and have been visiting several ever since.

She was uncomfortable on the back of the Yamaha 950 so I thought something bigger would be in order. I had found a 2001 Honda Goldwing with a trailer on sale at the local Honda dealers. It only took me six weeks to make up my mind that I really wanted that bike. Well! Maybe I should mention that my younger brother also had a hand in making up my mind. His comment was, Dick if you want it get it. Darn, I did just that.

 Our first ride on the Goldwing was to Ocean City MD for the annual Delmarva Bike event. In Salisbury I was going into the parking area and proceeded to drop the bike with the wife being thrown off the back. She was fine and request those near by to assist me righting the bike. I proceeded to park the bike and we had a great time there. Even with all the rain that day. BTW, Martini's help ease the pain of the wet and wild ride we had.