EVERY JOURNEY MUST COME TO AN END

From the comfort of my own home I am able to write this post and thank everyone involved and know that every mile, no matter the destination, the weather or the reason was worth it. Sure there are things I wish I could still have squeezed in but there are also so many things I did get to do and share. While I was hoping for more of a live tracking I manually updated my sat location every chance I could and this map show (as the bird flies) the route. Next time I will get an extended battery so live tracking can be done, even the times I got lost you will see the U turns and all.

It is back to what I call a normal life and I am proud of all of those who supported this cause as you have posted enough pledges to allow 3 more children to enjoy a summer free of fear and abuse. If I could do this every day, I would, but since I can't I will look forward to doing another Ride 4 Kids Sake Marathon in the future. I have had a few charities inquire if they could be the beneficiary for the next ride, if you are interested please do not hesitate to contact me.

Over time I will post updates, ideas and other interesting facts here. But for the most part this chapter in my life is completed and the final mileage is well worth a million words as there are so many things along the way I was not able to photograph or share.

BEFORE

AFTER

TOTAL = 2,792 Miles x Your Pledge = Donation $

If you would like to donate for this year's ride please send checks payable to Royal Family Kids Camp or Brian P. Russell and mail to P.O. Box 1437, Erie PA 16512. I ask that you send me an email when you send the donation as I would love to time the presentation of the 'BIG' check to Pastor Young fairly soon.

Godspeed

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR 2009 RIDE 4 KIDS SAKE MARATHON

As I departed the Flight 93 Memorial I had about a 3-1/2 hour ride home to reflect on events and the meaning of this ride. Utter was a great companion, didn't say much, but was still inspiring. No more than 15 miles out of the memorial I hit heavy rain and it remained that way right up until I got to the Edinboro exit. If anyone watched the news or the Weather Channel then you know what I went through.

For the last 15 miles I found my self with mixed emotions. On one hand I was glad to be home and ready to see family (Including extended family at Cycle City), then on the other hand I felt I could do this none stop. I rolled into First Assembly of God parking lot a little after 6:30 and took the photo of the final mileage. You will have to put up with me for one more post before seeing the final trip mileage.

This trip was worth every penny spent and was made possible by people and companies like Gary at Cycle City of Erie, Shannon and James at Country Fair, Carol at Chick-Fil-A, Erie Motorcycle Club, Advertising Advantage, The Erie Times News, WJET 24 and WICU 12 TV. Every pledge means more to the kids than you could imagine. While I had wished for a better turnout for the pledges this year I am grateful for what we did get and once all the calculations are done I expect we can send another child or two to camp next year. At the very least I hope those who followed along and others who were aware of this ride take a proactive effort in curbing child neglect and abuse. Stay tuned for the final posting...

MY FINAL DESTINATION

This final stop for me, moved me in ways that are hard to explain. It makes one take self reflection and a lot of thinking of how you would have reacted in their shoes.

9 years later and this memorial has had over 4 million visitors, while it is only a temporary site at this time the

The picture of the field is where Flight 93 came to its end and buried the plan in a 30' deep crater. There is on little shack with a staff member who goes through a three ring binder presentation of the events leading up to the crash. I was amazed she is able to get through it day after day without getting emotional. final memorial is designed and ground breaking will be this November and done in time for the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Those 40 people on this flight are true Heros and saved an unknown amount of lives. Should you be traveling near Eastern Pittsburgh or over the PA Turnpike take a detour and check it out. I am off for my final leg of the trip home.

80 YEARS A HEAD OF ITS TIME

I felt like Charlie from Willy Wonka's Chacolate Factory. To take a tour of Fallingwater was something I can't believe I did not do before. The design and technology used in the late 30's by Frank Llyod Wright is just now being adopted by modern designers for ecological builds and practices.

I could have spent all day at this house looking at every little corner, details and element of his design. There was not one area that was wasted or 'just there', every thing had a design that included form and function.

While they did not allow pictures inside I was for sure getting some good ones from the outside. This house was built over hanging a creek and every view from the outside to the inside is breath taking. in 1939 when the house was completed it cost $155,000. Even if money was endless you could still not build this house, ever stone was pulled from the surrounding area and formed there. To do something as simple as that today it would cost millions just to mine the stone.

For any kid thinking of becoming an architect this is one destination that is a must.

FINAL PLAN OF ATTACK

Well I shacked up in New Stanton PA, temps dropping fast and feeling a little under the weather so didn't want to push it. Had a chance to figure out what options there were for the route home tomorrow. Well sort of, I will go out of my way by about 25 miles but after this many miles what's 25 more.

I am going to visit a place designed my a guy I have admired since high school, I live all but 2 hours from it but have yet visited. The location is home to Falling Waters one of Frank Llyod Wrights most astonishing architectural designs. His fundamentals of design take cues from what we learn as kids, with our basic shapes (circle, square, triangle, etc.). Click Image for Info.

By visiting here I will only be a few miles from the Flight 93 Memorial and I think that would be a crowning moment for this trip, and a great reminder to our youth that these 40 people are among the greatest heros our country has. Click on image to visit Flight 93 Site.

From here I am heading home and my final destination will put me at the front door of Erie's Royal Family Kids Camp located at First Assembly of God on Oliver Road. And since I am so close I will stop at Cycle City, my second home. Then off to see the family.

WASTED DAY DUE TO THE MIRACLES OF TECHNOLOGY

I know, I know.... earlier in the posts I mentioned how great technology was. Well after a few hours surfing the web at a local cafe in the morning waiting to hear back from the Kawasaki dealership 30 miles away to call and let me know if they can come pick me up.

Ran through the obvious troubleshooting issues to get things working and then I figured out it was the battery in the key fob. The bike has a cool feature where you don't have to put a key in every time. As long as the key fob is in my jacket I can start the bike. Well this time around, something as simple as a watch battery put me out of commission.

Of course watch batteries are not a hot commodity here in the white water rafting center of the US. So this set back allowed me to have a great conversation with one of the partners at Pies and Pints and of course I put down another pie for lunch.

After all the delays and still not sure where I am heading next I decided to make a run for home. Most of the day is wasted and sorry I don't have anything cool to post. I am going to make it to Pittsburgh and should be home Friday late afternoon. Does anyone want to take a crack at the final mileage.

THE BIKE IS MAKING SURE IT WRITES ITS OWN CHAPTER ON THIS RIDE

Last night i posted I was back at the restaurant to do some research on where to head next on my final leg of the road home. But when I went to leave Pies & Pints the bike was dead as a rock. No lights and ignition system doesn't even work. We tried to jump it and no luck.

No reason to panic yet, plan B. Plug in the battery tender over night and get a ride to the Inn.

So this morning I was optimistic all would work out, bit when I got to the bike I realized the outlet the guys plugged my charger into was getting no power as the last person to close thongs down last night kills that switch. So we are for sure dead in the water. Closest dealer is 30 some miles away and not open yet. Looks like we are going to test how good their customer service is. Stay tuned for updates.

HOW SMALL OUR WORLD REALLY IS...

It's amazing how some people have never traveled outside of the town or state they live in. For those who have, they can understand the treasures that can be found out there just in our own backyard (USA).

For years I have been coming down to Fayetteville WV for some breath taking sites and white water rafting. Even tried the ATV trails and mount a horse for a trail ride once. This time I find myself in town for something more pleasurable, Pies and Pints Pizza. I think the first time I had their pizza was around 2003 or 2004 and every year have been back to try more. You might think pizza is pizza, but they do it right and use the finest ingredients and it just comes out perfect every time.

What's even better is I went back to the Inn to write this and found out they did not have WiFi, so I found out Pies & Pints does and headed back there to get caught up on the day. We need one of these in Erie (hint). The staff here is a blast and I look forward to coming back for lunch tomorrow before heading out to my next destination. Mmmmm, where do I go next?

DAISY DUKE AND OLIVER HAZARD PERRY SHARE SOMETHING IN COMMON

That's right, you ask how? Well during my ride I thought I would ride through Hazard Kentucky. Hazard is the inspiration behind the famous Dukes of Hazzard show, however there was some issues with the town at the time so the producers added another 'z' to the name and said it was a fictitious town in GA. You will need to go through some serious mining roads and stretches of remote land where everything is on wheels. But if by motorcycle I encourage it as there is some awesome winding roads and they are all in great shape.


Now here is where things take a turn for you locals of Erie, Pa. I did some research to see if there were any coal mines or other points of interest to stop at and write about for the kids. Found nothing other than the amazing fact that Hazard KY is located in Perry County Kentucky. Settle by a man in late 1790 and both city and county named after the one and only Oliver Hazard Perry. You know the guy who the entire town of Erie is established around. I am not sure why yet but if anyone can shed light on this amazing fact please let me know. (source Wikipedia).

SOME DAYS ARE JUST MEANT FOR RIDING

Today when I ventured out from my sister's house to head to the captial of white water rafting (Fayetteville, WV) I would have never guessed it would be like late November weather. As I mapped out my route I wanted to keep to the back country roads and coal mining towns. I got what I asked for, the route taken took me 6 hours but there was not one straight section of road. Nothing to stop and highlite, however when I get into my room I do have some interesting facts on how the most influential person in Erie's history, has a connection with the Dukes of Hazzard.

For now take every review of pizza you have heard from me and throw it out the window. I choose to stop in Fayetteville, not because of the attractions this time, but rather to feast at what I consider the best pizza in the US.

Stay tuned for another awesome review.

"OUT FOR DINNER"

BEING IN TWO PLACES AT ONE TIME

I have sooooo asked for this a million times, with the way work and life is in general there are not enough hours in the day. Well today my sister and I traveled to Cumberland Gap National Park to see the sights and my wish came true. Hard to see in the photo as a cloud bank rolled in (which looked like snow clouds) but I am in both Virginia and Kentucky at the same time.

There is a point out on the first ridge where KY, VA and TN all come to a point, they wouldn't let me down there as they thought I might get lost. Do you blame them....

The following three pictures are from Pinnacle Point Overlook in the National Park, the first one is looking at Kentucky, the second one is looking at Tennessee and the third is overlooking Virginia.

FINGER LICKING GOOD

Well I missed the World Chicken Festival which just ended Sunday. It is held in London, KY. Why you might ask of all places in the country???

Well believe it or not the home of Colonel Sander is right down the road in Corbin KY and is home to the original Kentucky Fried Chicken. I can say I have eaten at the very first KFC in the world. Actually this is my second trip here, stopped once before with my father when we visited my sister in the past. If you are interested in how Sanders became a Colonel click here.

THE DRAGON WAS TAME THIS TIME

So I found my self too close not to make it to Deal's Gap and the famous home of The Tail of the Dragon, which is Route 129 that goes from Tennessee into Kentucky. It is a blast if you are looking for some thrills on two or even four wheels. With 318 turns in 11 miles your hands are full, trust me I tried to figure out a way to get some video but safety came first here. Click here to learn more.

I made my first trip north on the route and got stuck behind an ambulance as they were taking someone off the route due to an accident, so that killed some of the thrill. What to do? Make a u-turn and head back to the other end, that is exactly what I did. Took a break grabbed a snack and made my third run heading back north to make way to my big sister's house for a day.

UTTER, TOM-TOM AND BIKE ARE TAKING A DAY OFF

I rolled into Big Sis's house last night and we are relaxing and catching up. Going to do some sightseeing and do it in one of these strange vehicles with 4 wheels.

WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE HEATING BILL FOR THIS HOUSE

The Biltmore Estate is one of grandest privately owned homes in the country. It belongs to the Vanderbilt family and has some extraordinary history and facts about. The weather here is 10x better here and it takes a good day if you want to see the entire grounds of the estate. I will post a link this afternoon to the website so you can explore more. Click here to learn more.

From the highs of the mountain to the lows of the Biltmore valley I am now off to tame the dragon.

BEING KING OF THE HILL IS NOT SO GREAT

The plan was to get up really early and be on top of Mt. Mitchell for the sunrise. Why Mt. Mitchell, well because it's summit is the highest elevation East of the Mississippi.

Well no surprise, I over slept and rolled out kind of late, which was OK because as you will see the weather at the summit for not kind. The first picture is from across the valley looking at Mt. Mitchell, yes the summit is engulfed in clouds. The next picture is the entrance to the park and as you can see the weather is sunny and warm. However 3/4 up the mountain things got nasty and at the summit it was like being in a different state. Temps were in the 50's the wind was 35 to 40 mph and the mist, fog and rain were just icing on the cake ( or mountain top).

As you can imagine I did not stay long and decided to start to head back down for a ride to the historic Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC.

NEVER TAKE FAMILY FOR GRANTED

Got off in the morning to stop by my cousin's house and see family I haven't been around in several years. It was perfect timing as the family was all visiting due to a 60th birthday party for my cousin. We got caught up on how everyone was doing and while I have loved to stay a couple days I had to get back on the open road.

Easier said then done. I went to start the bike and there was no juice. This was the second time it happened. Thankful that the guys at Cycle City threw a travel charger on her. We tried that for a bit an finally had to use a jumper battery. Good part was I got to stay a few extra hours and break bread. Off to higher places.

NOT MUCH RIDING. BUT STILL ADDING MILES

So after taking the first ferry I found out there is only 2 other ferries to get me off the island and I missed one and just made it in time for the second one which only by the grace of riding a motorcycle did they get me in. The bad news is I would be on the water for 2 hours before hitting the mainland. Half way across things turned dark, not because of a sunset but rather a storm moving in. When we hit Cedar Island and unloaded it was raining at a good rate. Being I still had 3 hours to get to Clayton NC to see some family I suited up in the rain gear and plowed out.

It was some of the darkest and hardest rain I have been in and called it any early night in Wilson NC. About 40 miles short of my destination.

100 YEARS AND SOME TECHNOLOGY HASNT CHANGED

It's amazing that given the timeline of human life we have only experienced flight for the last 106 years. That is the same time Harley rolled out their first motorcycle and the first automobile was launched. I remember the awe and inspiration the first time I visited Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks to see where the birth of flight took place. Two brothers hatched an idea to put a Machine in the air. The story and success is something worth exploring. The memorial is only 2 blocks from the ocean. The one picture looking down onto the field is where the brothers made their actual attemps and finally made the first controled flight over a few football fields. At this point in the trip I am making a change on the fly and heading further down the Outer Banks to Hateress.

AS FAR EAST AS I AM GOING TO MAKE IT

That's right this is the Atlantic ocean and I am at mile marker 7 in Kill Devil Hill NC. Home of the Wright Brothers first flight. Got a ton of things to post and get caught up on. Been riding all day or out of cell range. Island hopping and ferry cruising the outer banks of North Carolina

SUV CAMP HAS NOTHING ON THIS

For those of you who watched the movie cars you will recall at the end they had SUV camp. You know for all those trucks that are blinged out and owners who are afraid to go over railroad tracks fast with their Hummers. Well the guys here at Gravedigger have one up on them. You've seen him in action on tv and there is no doubt he is having fun. Enjoy the pics.

Off The Beaten Path

This is worth mentioning. I checked into the hotel and ask the great lady at the counter for a restaurant recommendation, and since traveling like this doesn't come along too often I always try to find places the locals love (harder than it sounds as everyone is so use to going to chain locations). Se recommended a place within walking distance from the hotel called Montero's.

The atmosphere was welcoming and the staff was very accommodating. The food was priced below what you would find at a chain restaurant and still had flavor that would make you come back. If you ever find yourself traveling near Elizabeth City, Nags Head or the Outer Banks make sure you give it a try.

Dinner included Calamari, and Tuna Belize (with black bean and pineapple salsa). Yes I can hear everyone out there laughing, since I don't like pineapples... yet I still tried it and loved every bit of it.

The Ride Takes On Another Meaning

This is the first post I am doing from my laptop, so it will be a tad longer than normal ones from my phone. Today was packed with meeting old friends and colleuges and hanging out in a town I feel very comfortable in. Not much has changed in Richmond or Chester, but it just felt good to get back there after being away for a few years. I made a promise to not take as long and to make a trip back down soon. The culture, environment and places to see are endless, history is endless and can be found around any corner.

I took a moment to stop by another Go Green Kawasaki Dealer and to check out a few things. The more I see other dealerships the more I begin to learn how right we do things at Cycle City. Little things like just have genuine interest in talking to a customer.

Oh did I mention it rained today, so rather than hang around for the evening I decided to head toward Elizabeth City and speed up the schedule to make sure I get into Clayton, NC Saturday night to see some family (one of them hitting the milestone 60th birthday).

I found myself following a very familiar route that i took several years back, in fact the last time I took this same route was on a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 and going to my grandfather's house after hearing of his passing. So for the rest of my ride into Elizabeth City I reminisced about the times I had with him and my grandmother.

Tomorrow will put me on the Outer Banks and I will have some cool things for the kids to check out.

World Headquarters for Peanuts

That's right Virginia and more importantly this area of Virginia is the birthplace in the US for peanuts. People go nuts for VA peanuts. Hehehe. This was a stopping point for my family years back when we use to make this trip for Christmas and other holidays to see my grandparents.

Brian makes the world go 'round

Oh, if it were really that easy.

Who says the world doesn't revolve...

You thought I was going to say a 'around me'. Nope, I remember this when I first flew into Richmond to see if it was a town I wanted to live in. It is in front of the Childrens Museum and it one solid ball of marble floating on water. I will upload the video of it moving soon. With just a push of my hand, it will spin.

Even Big Kids Like Big Toys

Got to see a good friend for lunch in Chester VA and I though I would swing by the old stomping grounds at the police training academy there and to my surprise they brought out the big toys. If you think riding on the interstate with a half helmet is loud wait until you get a chance to fly in one these.

Wish I could have spent more time with Scott and others from the team but all the more reason to come back down soon.