spanky
Mar 31st, 2006, 5:13 pm
For those of you who aren't familiar with this ride, it is called the Master Travelers Award, and you are given a year to ride to 50 different national parks in at least 25 different states. You have a national parks passport, where you get it stamped in the visitors center, to prove you were there. We also save all of our reciepts, to prove our time and our route for verification although it wasn't required.
I planned this trip over period of 5 months, trying to get this accomplished in the shortest amount of time. I did all of the planning and riding without the use of a GPS or other mapping software. I did it the old school way with a Rand McNally, and used maps on our tank bags during the ride. I like the added challenge, and am comfortable driving anywhere without knowing where the nearest Denny's is. This ride wasn't that severe as far as miles goes, but coordinating the stops in a timely fashion was the key.
I convinced my father to come along, and we used the middle of June for the optimal amount of daylight time. Fathers day was also on the second day of the trip.
I contacted Mike Kneebone, president of the Iron Butt Association, gave him our list of stops, and confirmed that no one has ever done it in 10 days. He reminded me that we couldn't claim parks unless we got a stamp from the visitors center during their open hours. I had to re-figure some of the list, because almost all of the parks hours are from 8 am to 5 pm. That was the biggest challenge of this ride was coordinating the stops during park hours. Yes, there were times that we passed by parks after hours to ride to the next park we wanted to get to in the morning.
Day 0 6-17-05
Left home to meet Dad in Prairie Du Chien, WI for the start of the ride tomorrow. There were 3 detours during that 330 miles, and it made me nervous because if that pace kept up, we had another 65 detours to go before the end of the week. Construction or detours were not factored into our time frame, and it could end our quest at any time. While fueling up at a gas station, the lady behind the counter said my LT looked like a space bike. I told her it was a BMW touring bike. Her reply was " Oh like a Goldwing knockoff". I left puzzled, but later I figured at least she knew bikes, most people will ask what kind of Harley it is.
Arrived at hotel at 8:00 pm.
Day 1 6-18-05
Left hotel at 7:15 am for gas and got our receipt for our start time. Less than a mile from the first park, a doe decided to test my ABS.
1. Effigy Mounds Monument 7:45 am, Harpers Ferry, IA
It seemed like every bird out pecking grit on the side of the road decided it would be fun to fly within inches of my fairing, but at least that was broken up by navigating through a pile of new lumber in the road.
2. Herbert Hoover Home 11:15 am, West Branch, IA
3. Lincoln Home 3:00 pm, Springfield, IL
In the upper midwest, they sell "Billy Bob" teeth in gas stations as a gag. As we got further south, I noticed that they weren't around anymore. Maybe they sell "Yankee" teeth down here which are white and straight, and they make fun of our accents. Stopped in Paducah, KY 8:00 pm, 630 total miles.
Day 2 6-19-05
Left hotel at 7:00 am. Rode "The Trace" down in the land between the lakes. Another doe timed her road crossing with my arrival. I don't have enough underwear along to have anymore of these. I brought my worst pairs along and throw them out every morning, so I have less luggage by the end of the trip. I'm sure why I hung onto some of these for so long, they looked like jock straps.
4. Fort Donelson 8:15 am, Dover, TN
5. Mammoth Cave Monument 11:15 am, Mammoth Cave, KY
We took hwy 70 (2 lane) to the WH Natcher Parkway. We were passing churches with full parking lots on Sunday, so I looked at the map, and my right hand figured the speed needed to reach the parkway by noon before all of these people left to go slowly to a buffett somewhere.
6. Lincoln Boyhood home 2:00 pm, Lincoln City, IN
We got split up in Cincinnati when I made a wrong turn when we got off the freeway, and dad didn't. (Insert GPS joke here) By the time I figured out the right way, dad was gone. I figured he would pull over sooner or later waiting for me. Well it was within the first mile because he didn't have his reading glasses on, and couldn't read the map. We continued on to Chillicothe, OH 9:15 pm, 650 total miles.
Day 3 6-20-05
Left hotel 8:00 am.
7. Hopewell Culture Monument 8:30 am, Chillicothe, OH
8. Flight 93 Memorial 1:00 pm, Shanksville, PA
9. Johnstown Flood Memorial 3:00 pm, St. Micheal, PA
10. Allegheny Portage Historical Site 4:30 pm, Cresson, PA
Rode to Middleton, NY 10:15 pm, 610 total miles.
Day 4 6-21-06
Arrived at FDR Home 7:50 am. Visitors Center gift shop opened 45 minutes late.
11. FDR Home 8:45 am, Hyde Park, NY
12. Vanderbuilt Mansion 9:00 am, Hyde Park, NY
13. Eleanor Roosevelt Home 9:10 am, Hyde Park, NY
14. Martin Van Buren Home 10:30 am, Kinderhook, NY
15. Springfield Armory 1:00 pm, Springfield, MA
To get Conneticut as a state we decided to stop on the Appalachian Trail at a point while it was running through the state. We went to Salisbury, CT where the trail runs through town, took pictures of our bikes on the trail when it crossed a street, and then went to town to get a picture of our bikes by a sign that said we were in Salisbury, CT. The stamp we will get later in WV.
It was at this time that I realized that we may not make it to the Delaware Water Gap by 5pm. A map doesn't tell you the speed limits, or the number of traffic lights we had to go through in the morning, and will go back through now. I was hoping the park would have summer hours until 6:00 pm. We weren't going to rush there, it wasn't worth the risk. We arrived 45 minutes late and the visitors center was closed. Dad suggested we ride to the rangers station to get them to sign something to prove we were in the park. Nobody there either. We stayed there discussing what we were going to do next. I called my wife and told her the quest was over and we were heading to the flattrack races in Ohio. A ranger pulled in, Dad explained to him the situation, he said he could do better than sign something, he had keys to the visitors center! We went back got our stamps, thanked him profusely and headed out.
16. Delaware Water Gap 6:10 pm, NJ / PA
Arrived in Harrisburg, PA 10:20 pm, 580 total miles.
Day 5 6-22-05
Left hotel 6:45 am.
17. Gettysburg Battlefield 8:00 am, Gettysburg, PA
Started raining.
18. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal 8:45 am, Williamsport, MD
19. Potomac National Scenic Trail 8:45 am, Williamsport, MD
20. Antietam National Battlefield 9:20 am, Sharpsburg, MD
Followed the Potomac Trail to Harpers Ferry.
21. Hapers Ferry National Park 10:00 am, Harpers Ferry, WV
22. Appalachian Trail Stamp, Harpers Ferry, WV
23. Monocacy Battlefield 11:00 am, Frederick, MD
Traffic started getting really heavy as we were getting closer to D.C. At least the rain finally stopped.
24. Manassas Battlefield 1:00 pm, Manassas, VA
25. Fredericksburg Battlefield 4:00 pm, Fredericksburg, VA
We didn't have time to get the other 2 we wanted that day because of traffic, but we had spares we could use later. Rode to Richmond, VA 7:30 pm, 310 total miles.
Day 6 6-23-05
Left hotel at 7:00 am, head into Richmond with morning commute.
26. Maggie Walker Historic Site 8:00 am, Richmond, VA
27. Richmond Battlefield 8:20 am, Richmond, VA
Had a hard time finding the next one.
28. Petersburg Battlefield 10:40 am, City Point, VA
Got to ride through an unexpected fresh entertainment center debris field between Raleigh and Wilmington, NC. The owner was farther down the road trying to re-tie the rest of the load. I still can't believe we didn't hit anything.
29. Moores Creek Battlefield 4:00 pm, Currie, NC
The temperatures the last 2 days have been in the mid 90's. We just keep drinking Gatoraid, and keep our riding suits on. The ranger at the last place gave us a back route to get to Chaleston, SC without going through Myrtle Beach. Thanks! Arrived in Charleston, SC 10:20 pm 530 total miles.
Day 7 6-24-05
Left hotel at 8:30 am. Had to weave our way through Chaleston morning rush to get the first 2.
30. Charles Pinckney home 8:45 am, Charleston, SC
31. Fort Sumter 9:45 am, Charleston, SC
32. Fort Frederica 12:30 pm, St. Simons Island, GA
33. Cumberland National Seashore 2:00 pm, St. Mary's, GA
Don Williams was the rangers name, but he didn't sing
34. Fort Caroline 4:00 pm, Jacksonville, FL
35. Timucuan Preserve 4:00 pm, Jacksonville, FL
Rode to Ashburn, GA 9:30 pm, 620 total miles.
Day 8 6-25-05
Left hotel 6:45 am.
36. Andersonville Historic Site 8:10 am, Andersonville, GA
The new POW museum was great. Even got misty-eyed.
37. Jimmy Carter Historic Site 9:30 am, Plains, GA
38. Tuskegee Airfield Historic Site 10:00 am, Tuskegee, AL
39. Tuskegee Institute 10:45 am, Tuskegee, AL
The visitors center was really hard to find on campus. We ended up going to the food commons during lunch for help. How do you think 2 old white guys looked from the midwest dressed in biker gear at an all black college in Alabama? We tried to pass ourselves off as students, and someone showed us where the Visitors Center was.
40. Selma to Montgomery National Trail, Tuskegee, AL
41. Horseshoe Bend Military Park 1:30 pm, Tallapoosa, AL
My speedo must have broken for a while when a Nissan Titan passed us on Hwy 80 (2 Lane). We averaged 80 mph over the next hour. It started working again thankfully when we got on the interstate. Stopped in Clinton, MS, 590 total miles.
Day 9 6-26-05
Left hotel at 7:00 am.
42. Vicksburg National Military Park 8:00 am, Vicksburg, MS
Met some guys from Texas who were involved in the battle re-enactments. I asked them how they did, and they said they've lost every year the've come, they're thinking of changing sides.
43. Poverty Point Historical Site 9:15 am, Poverty Point, LA
44. Arkansas Post Monument 11:30 am, Gillette, AR
45. Trail of Tears National Trail 11:30 am, Gillette, AR
46. Central High School Historic Site 2:30 pm, Little Rock, AR
We took our pictures on the top of the steps going into the school, and the national guard didn't try to stop us. Thermometer on the bike said it was 103. It felt like it. Rode to Bentonville, AR through the Ozarks, beautiful ride. Arrived 9:45 pm, 570 total miles.
Day 10 6-27-05
47. George W Carver National Monument 7:50 am, Diamond, MO
We talked the maintenance crew to open the doors early for us because they didn't open until 9. We left at 8:20 am.
48. Fort Scott 9:10 am, Fort Scott, KS
49. Tallgrass Prairie Preserve 11:00 am, Strong City, KS
50. Homestead National Monument 4:58 pm, Beatrice, NE
Note the time. They were folding the flag inside when we arrived,, and had to unlock the door for us. We screwed around too much looking for a Pony Express Barn to get an extra stamp, and had to really scoot to get here. Turned out the stamp was located here anyway, and 2 more we didn't know about!
51. Pony Express Trail, Beatrice, NE
52. California National Trail, Beatrice, NE
53. Oregon National Trail, Beatrice, NE
405 Total miles.
What do two guys do after doing something not done before? I rode another 400 miles home because I had to work the next day. Dad? Well he rode part of the way back to Green Bay, WI. Finished the rest the next day, got an oil change and new tires on his LT and left for Colorado for a week.
Hope you enjoyed it.
Spanky
I planned this trip over period of 5 months, trying to get this accomplished in the shortest amount of time. I did all of the planning and riding without the use of a GPS or other mapping software. I did it the old school way with a Rand McNally, and used maps on our tank bags during the ride. I like the added challenge, and am comfortable driving anywhere without knowing where the nearest Denny's is. This ride wasn't that severe as far as miles goes, but coordinating the stops in a timely fashion was the key.
I convinced my father to come along, and we used the middle of June for the optimal amount of daylight time. Fathers day was also on the second day of the trip.
I contacted Mike Kneebone, president of the Iron Butt Association, gave him our list of stops, and confirmed that no one has ever done it in 10 days. He reminded me that we couldn't claim parks unless we got a stamp from the visitors center during their open hours. I had to re-figure some of the list, because almost all of the parks hours are from 8 am to 5 pm. That was the biggest challenge of this ride was coordinating the stops during park hours. Yes, there were times that we passed by parks after hours to ride to the next park we wanted to get to in the morning.
Day 0 6-17-05
Left home to meet Dad in Prairie Du Chien, WI for the start of the ride tomorrow. There were 3 detours during that 330 miles, and it made me nervous because if that pace kept up, we had another 65 detours to go before the end of the week. Construction or detours were not factored into our time frame, and it could end our quest at any time. While fueling up at a gas station, the lady behind the counter said my LT looked like a space bike. I told her it was a BMW touring bike. Her reply was " Oh like a Goldwing knockoff". I left puzzled, but later I figured at least she knew bikes, most people will ask what kind of Harley it is.
Arrived at hotel at 8:00 pm.
Day 1 6-18-05
Left hotel at 7:15 am for gas and got our receipt for our start time. Less than a mile from the first park, a doe decided to test my ABS.
1. Effigy Mounds Monument 7:45 am, Harpers Ferry, IA
It seemed like every bird out pecking grit on the side of the road decided it would be fun to fly within inches of my fairing, but at least that was broken up by navigating through a pile of new lumber in the road.
2. Herbert Hoover Home 11:15 am, West Branch, IA
3. Lincoln Home 3:00 pm, Springfield, IL
In the upper midwest, they sell "Billy Bob" teeth in gas stations as a gag. As we got further south, I noticed that they weren't around anymore. Maybe they sell "Yankee" teeth down here which are white and straight, and they make fun of our accents. Stopped in Paducah, KY 8:00 pm, 630 total miles.
Day 2 6-19-05
Left hotel at 7:00 am. Rode "The Trace" down in the land between the lakes. Another doe timed her road crossing with my arrival. I don't have enough underwear along to have anymore of these. I brought my worst pairs along and throw them out every morning, so I have less luggage by the end of the trip. I'm sure why I hung onto some of these for so long, they looked like jock straps.
4. Fort Donelson 8:15 am, Dover, TN
5. Mammoth Cave Monument 11:15 am, Mammoth Cave, KY
We took hwy 70 (2 lane) to the WH Natcher Parkway. We were passing churches with full parking lots on Sunday, so I looked at the map, and my right hand figured the speed needed to reach the parkway by noon before all of these people left to go slowly to a buffett somewhere.
6. Lincoln Boyhood home 2:00 pm, Lincoln City, IN
We got split up in Cincinnati when I made a wrong turn when we got off the freeway, and dad didn't. (Insert GPS joke here) By the time I figured out the right way, dad was gone. I figured he would pull over sooner or later waiting for me. Well it was within the first mile because he didn't have his reading glasses on, and couldn't read the map. We continued on to Chillicothe, OH 9:15 pm, 650 total miles.
Day 3 6-20-05
Left hotel 8:00 am.
7. Hopewell Culture Monument 8:30 am, Chillicothe, OH
8. Flight 93 Memorial 1:00 pm, Shanksville, PA
9. Johnstown Flood Memorial 3:00 pm, St. Micheal, PA
10. Allegheny Portage Historical Site 4:30 pm, Cresson, PA
Rode to Middleton, NY 10:15 pm, 610 total miles.
Day 4 6-21-06
Arrived at FDR Home 7:50 am. Visitors Center gift shop opened 45 minutes late.
11. FDR Home 8:45 am, Hyde Park, NY
12. Vanderbuilt Mansion 9:00 am, Hyde Park, NY
13. Eleanor Roosevelt Home 9:10 am, Hyde Park, NY
14. Martin Van Buren Home 10:30 am, Kinderhook, NY
15. Springfield Armory 1:00 pm, Springfield, MA
To get Conneticut as a state we decided to stop on the Appalachian Trail at a point while it was running through the state. We went to Salisbury, CT where the trail runs through town, took pictures of our bikes on the trail when it crossed a street, and then went to town to get a picture of our bikes by a sign that said we were in Salisbury, CT. The stamp we will get later in WV.
It was at this time that I realized that we may not make it to the Delaware Water Gap by 5pm. A map doesn't tell you the speed limits, or the number of traffic lights we had to go through in the morning, and will go back through now. I was hoping the park would have summer hours until 6:00 pm. We weren't going to rush there, it wasn't worth the risk. We arrived 45 minutes late and the visitors center was closed. Dad suggested we ride to the rangers station to get them to sign something to prove we were in the park. Nobody there either. We stayed there discussing what we were going to do next. I called my wife and told her the quest was over and we were heading to the flattrack races in Ohio. A ranger pulled in, Dad explained to him the situation, he said he could do better than sign something, he had keys to the visitors center! We went back got our stamps, thanked him profusely and headed out.
16. Delaware Water Gap 6:10 pm, NJ / PA
Arrived in Harrisburg, PA 10:20 pm, 580 total miles.
Day 5 6-22-05
Left hotel 6:45 am.
17. Gettysburg Battlefield 8:00 am, Gettysburg, PA
Started raining.
18. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal 8:45 am, Williamsport, MD
19. Potomac National Scenic Trail 8:45 am, Williamsport, MD
20. Antietam National Battlefield 9:20 am, Sharpsburg, MD
Followed the Potomac Trail to Harpers Ferry.
21. Hapers Ferry National Park 10:00 am, Harpers Ferry, WV
22. Appalachian Trail Stamp, Harpers Ferry, WV
23. Monocacy Battlefield 11:00 am, Frederick, MD
Traffic started getting really heavy as we were getting closer to D.C. At least the rain finally stopped.
24. Manassas Battlefield 1:00 pm, Manassas, VA
25. Fredericksburg Battlefield 4:00 pm, Fredericksburg, VA
We didn't have time to get the other 2 we wanted that day because of traffic, but we had spares we could use later. Rode to Richmond, VA 7:30 pm, 310 total miles.
Day 6 6-23-05
Left hotel at 7:00 am, head into Richmond with morning commute.
26. Maggie Walker Historic Site 8:00 am, Richmond, VA
27. Richmond Battlefield 8:20 am, Richmond, VA
Had a hard time finding the next one.
28. Petersburg Battlefield 10:40 am, City Point, VA
Got to ride through an unexpected fresh entertainment center debris field between Raleigh and Wilmington, NC. The owner was farther down the road trying to re-tie the rest of the load. I still can't believe we didn't hit anything.
29. Moores Creek Battlefield 4:00 pm, Currie, NC
The temperatures the last 2 days have been in the mid 90's. We just keep drinking Gatoraid, and keep our riding suits on. The ranger at the last place gave us a back route to get to Chaleston, SC without going through Myrtle Beach. Thanks! Arrived in Charleston, SC 10:20 pm 530 total miles.
Day 7 6-24-05
Left hotel at 8:30 am. Had to weave our way through Chaleston morning rush to get the first 2.
30. Charles Pinckney home 8:45 am, Charleston, SC
31. Fort Sumter 9:45 am, Charleston, SC
32. Fort Frederica 12:30 pm, St. Simons Island, GA
33. Cumberland National Seashore 2:00 pm, St. Mary's, GA
Don Williams was the rangers name, but he didn't sing
34. Fort Caroline 4:00 pm, Jacksonville, FL
35. Timucuan Preserve 4:00 pm, Jacksonville, FL
Rode to Ashburn, GA 9:30 pm, 620 total miles.
Day 8 6-25-05
Left hotel 6:45 am.
36. Andersonville Historic Site 8:10 am, Andersonville, GA
The new POW museum was great. Even got misty-eyed.
37. Jimmy Carter Historic Site 9:30 am, Plains, GA
38. Tuskegee Airfield Historic Site 10:00 am, Tuskegee, AL
39. Tuskegee Institute 10:45 am, Tuskegee, AL
The visitors center was really hard to find on campus. We ended up going to the food commons during lunch for help. How do you think 2 old white guys looked from the midwest dressed in biker gear at an all black college in Alabama? We tried to pass ourselves off as students, and someone showed us where the Visitors Center was.
40. Selma to Montgomery National Trail, Tuskegee, AL
41. Horseshoe Bend Military Park 1:30 pm, Tallapoosa, AL
My speedo must have broken for a while when a Nissan Titan passed us on Hwy 80 (2 Lane). We averaged 80 mph over the next hour. It started working again thankfully when we got on the interstate. Stopped in Clinton, MS, 590 total miles.
Day 9 6-26-05
Left hotel at 7:00 am.
42. Vicksburg National Military Park 8:00 am, Vicksburg, MS
Met some guys from Texas who were involved in the battle re-enactments. I asked them how they did, and they said they've lost every year the've come, they're thinking of changing sides.
43. Poverty Point Historical Site 9:15 am, Poverty Point, LA
44. Arkansas Post Monument 11:30 am, Gillette, AR
45. Trail of Tears National Trail 11:30 am, Gillette, AR
46. Central High School Historic Site 2:30 pm, Little Rock, AR
We took our pictures on the top of the steps going into the school, and the national guard didn't try to stop us. Thermometer on the bike said it was 103. It felt like it. Rode to Bentonville, AR through the Ozarks, beautiful ride. Arrived 9:45 pm, 570 total miles.
Day 10 6-27-05
47. George W Carver National Monument 7:50 am, Diamond, MO
We talked the maintenance crew to open the doors early for us because they didn't open until 9. We left at 8:20 am.
48. Fort Scott 9:10 am, Fort Scott, KS
49. Tallgrass Prairie Preserve 11:00 am, Strong City, KS
50. Homestead National Monument 4:58 pm, Beatrice, NE
Note the time. They were folding the flag inside when we arrived,, and had to unlock the door for us. We screwed around too much looking for a Pony Express Barn to get an extra stamp, and had to really scoot to get here. Turned out the stamp was located here anyway, and 2 more we didn't know about!
51. Pony Express Trail, Beatrice, NE
52. California National Trail, Beatrice, NE
53. Oregon National Trail, Beatrice, NE
405 Total miles.
What do two guys do after doing something not done before? I rode another 400 miles home because I had to work the next day. Dad? Well he rode part of the way back to Green Bay, WI. Finished the rest the next day, got an oil change and new tires on his LT and left for Colorado for a week.
Hope you enjoyed it.
Spanky