After the last minute packing and 5 hours of sleep, I was on the road at 7:30 am. I was expecting Eloise to come for the send off but our tenant probably appreciated the lack of celebration. I quietly rolled down the driveway and started the bike in the street.
Arrived in Stafford, VA 12.5 hours and 543 miles later. The mileage was measured from the Waterford, CT boat ramp where I baptized the rear tire. Memories included passing through the aroma of wild roses on the highway, feeling the coolness of the air when crossing over large bridges, and the heat of traffic jams during the last part of the trip. Judy and John arrived before me covering 470 miles in 8 hours.
At the first rest stop on the Garden State Parkway, a group of girls in their 20s were celebrating a wedding and hamming it up at a nearby gas pump. They had enlisted a gas station attendant to join in the fun for pictures. Then they spied me. Oh oh! Six girls came running over to me. One sat on my lap; another on my gas tank and the others surrounded the bike. Then it was time for everyone to smile for the picture and they were off. I kicked myself for forgetting to have them get a picture with my camera. The opportunity to share the experience was lost.
