A New Years Resolution I Can Keep: Ride to the East Coast

I gave up on New Year's Resolutions long ago my friends...too depressing.  So I changed it up by planning my one or two big rides of the year on New Year's Eve.  Why not make a 'resolution' that is fun and one that you can stick to and look forward to and come New Years Day I am PUMPED and chomping at the bit to log some real miles and find a real Cheese Steak sammy!   

I've come to terms with the fact that I am not getting any y0unger {neither are you} and the one thing I look forward to more than anything is Spring/Summer and where I am going to go exploring on my Harley Davidson.

Lesli has many of the same roads and places she wants to see as I so we mapped out a great ride to the East coast in July for some scenic riding, historic places and a few stops to see some J4J friends along the way.

Here is the "New Years Resolution" Lesli and I put together on New Years Eve:

Day One {580 Miles} Ride out for Topeka and work Flag Patrols that evening.

Day Two {618 Miles} 0600 Wake-Up Call for the wbc compound.  Flag Patrol, breakfast and out of town by 10am to see Missouri 1 Team Leader Teri Bloom and her husband Doug for lunch in Lee's Summit then a stop in Sullivan MO to see Missouri 5 Team Leader Gene Overhoff and his son Geno-O then it's hammer down for Corinth Mississippi to see Mississippi 1 Team Leader Tommy Watson.

Day Three {450 Miles} Breakfast with Tommy then beating the pavement East through Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia into Tennessee to ride the Great Smokey Mountains and Deals Gap {The Dragons Tail}.  Nice easy day and find a spot with a great view and a hot tub!  {Insert your own 'banjo' jokes}

Day Four {650} Early breakfast and on the road at sunrise to grab a REAL Philly Cheesesteak at Geno's in Philadelphia PA. To get there we'll ride NE through the rest of Tennessee, North Carolina, Virgina, Maryland and into Philly.  [Geno's is at 1219 S 9th st if you want to meet us there!]

Day Five {300} Early breakfast and on the road by sunrise headed for the BIG APPLE!  We'll spend the entire day/night in New York City riding around in hopes of not getting lost in the South Bronx.  The ride from Philly is only a 100 but I included another 200 [minimum] for sight seeing on Day Five.

Day Six {200 Miles} Rest Day in New York - Sightseeing - Hopefully visiting with J4J VP and New York 2 Team Leader Steve Gorney and his wife Sandra who live in Spencer New York.

Day Seven {450 Miles} Early breakfast and on the road by Sunrise heading North for Niagara Falls. [Possibly with Steve Gorney and his friends] We have a room booked on the Canadian side of the falls which I hear from a friend of mine, Jon Sill,  is the only way to truly experience the Falls.

Day Eight {500 Miles} Head out again at Sunrise and start back West with an overnight stay in Ohio or Indiana to see the Ohio 1 Team Leader Erik Jon Barrett and his wife Julie and also the Indiana 1 Team Leader, Eric Turner.

Day Nine {716 Miles} Hammer Down for an overnight stay in Harvard NE at the home of the Nebraska 2 Team Leader Ron & Michelle Martin.  I also owe their daughter Miranda a ride so that will be a highlight.

Day Ten {400 Miles} Early Breakfast and on the road by sunrise and home by lunchtime!

That is about 4500 miles as planned but we all know these things never goes as planned.  Who cares I say!  As long as I get my REAL Cheesesteak in Philly and see the Big Apple I will be happy.