Sleeping in my own bed was nice, but it just didn't seem right without a couple of felines stomping over me all night. They're still at their Grandparents house, and will be for a few more days. I've got to jump right back into work.
Almost 8800 miles. Wow! I'm so glad I took this trip, and I'd leave tomorrow again if I could. I have had the splendid opportunity to meet and enjoy some of the finest people one could ever meet. I think I have forged some new friendships that just wouldn't have happened if not for this extraordinary journey.
All the guys and gals on the lrlr.org charity ride, I'm proud to have had the opportunity to share some incredible vistas of this country I've only seen from 32,000 feet in the air, and conjure up some cash for two outstanding charities. All you Royal Bastards on the west coast, thank you for opening your hearts and homes and making me a part of you. I'm more than just Easy, I'm humbled and honored. To all my Cushman friends, thank you for welcoming me to your world. It's been a trip, really. And to anyone reading this now, thank you. Writing this has not been easy for me, but I think it's worth it. I appreciate all your comments.
Many of you have kindly asked me about my concerns for my personal safety and what precautions I had taken. Well...really...none. I mean I do carry an 18" breaker bar and a swell Gerber hatchet, but those items would be nowhere at hand if I really needed to clock someone. I think a lot of one's personal safety is in one's head. Look confident and you'll be confident. I helps for sure that I wear the full get up of protective gear with a full face helmet and dark face shield. My riding style probably gives me away to experienced riders, but for the most part, I think I look mostly androgynous. Actually on several occasions in Utah and Kansas, a carload of youth would speed by, yelling 'faggot' out their windows, and display their limp wrists. I usually responded with my tightly cupped hand pageant wave.
Several people have asked what would I do different next time. Hmmm. Let's see...
#1- I won't bury my flashlight deep in the pet carrier. I'll start of with it in the glove box.
#2- Unless I'm doing a specific camping trip, I'll ditch the tent and sleeping bag. Just too bulky, and for me, I rather enjoyed finding and staying at the no-tell-motels found on the outskirts of small towns. I like having internet.
#3- Sunblock everyday. I didn't realize until the third or fourth day that I could get a sunburn on my face under my full-face helmet with a sun visor. Same thing with windburn around my neck despite the high collar of my hi-viz jacket.
#4- I should have researched my locales more in advance. Even with my leisurely 250 mile a day pace, I burned up a good portion of the day deciding what I would like to seek out. Some days I just drove until something caught my eye.
#5- I'll call my credit card company every three days to make sure they don't cut my card off for 'my own fraud protection' No, wait...I did that already. What useless pricks at American Express. Seems like only the last of nine separate calls that eventually was routed to 'Account Services Dept.' was able to cut through the BS and stop the declines. Why 'Customer Service Dept.' or 'Fraud Dept.' couldn't do the same thing is a mystery to me.
The things I would do the same again:
#1- Have a spare set of keys accessible at all times. It really came in handy when I left my keys on Lucky's kitchen counter in Sacramento, and we had trailered the scooters the few hours to Tahoe. Would have been very awkward to go back for keys.
#2- Take spare tools, wheel, rollers, belt, and such. It ate up most of my space in the pet carrier, but I was confident I could handle most any roadside maintenance issue. With the exception of the keys, I'm of the mindset: if I have it, I won't need it, and conversely if I need it, I won't have it. So, I tend to overpack.
#3- Take spare oil. I think the days of WOT burned oil. I had to add oil three times, about 2/3 cup each time.
#4- Take spare fuel. I bought two small fuel bottles from the local outdoor camping store. Clamped one under the rear luggage rack and another in the pet carrier. Needless to mention, I did run out of fuel near McLean, TX, where the fuel stations are not at every exit.
#5- Take and drink plenty of water, always. De-hydration is an issue in all kinds of weather.
#6- Take lots of gloves, once a pair gets wet, even the waterproof ones, they transmit the cold badly to my fingers. It was nice to have a dry pair of gloves to switch to. Same thing for mesh gloves, once they're wet, they're a drag.
#7- Take a good first aid kit, and forget the band-aids. Take loads of gauze and other blood sucking material. Road-rash is not pretty and band-aids would be worthless for some deep blood gushing gash in my flesh.
Thats all for now. It's good to be home.
Cheers.
Bermuda, ahhh my treasured island to bemoan. You see, every time I arrive, the weather is gruesome, and work is a burdensome chore, but the folks I work for, Barry and James are a treat to work with. This time is no different. I try my best keep my rain gear with me at all times, but I usually fail miserably. 
It was sad in a twisted sort of way to find a Piaggio badge from some Vespa crushed and defaced at the end of the driveway at Barry's house. 
In all the fifteen years I've been working on this island, I never took the time to check out the local Vespa shop. I tried to score some swag, but I failed miserably. With so many scooters here, I believe it is considered merely a utilitarian purchase. Very different than the scooter shops back in the states. Nothing, no tee-shirts, no key chains, nada, zip, zilch. There is a pile of rusting hulks of LX125 frames looking pitiful to me.
Almost 8800 miles. Wow! I'm so glad I took this trip, and I'd leave tomorrow again if I could. I have had the splendid opportunity to meet and enjoy some of the finest people one could ever meet. I think I have forged some new friendships that just wouldn't have happened if not for this extraordinary journey. 
We decided to try the Pollack Street Deli for breakfast, but we just missed the cut off. A grilled shrimp salad with feta cheese however was as good or better as an omelet had we gotten there earlier. I'm amused at all the bears, some carved well, some not scattered all through town.
My cousin Lauralyn, and I get up and walk downtown to a coffee shop, and then to a bakery for breakfast. The coffee shop is filled with locals who seem right at home. One customer complains about all the old posters on the windows. She's been cleaning the windows in exchange for her coffee fix. Try that at a Starbux. I ate an omelet bigger than my head at the bakery and stopped at the small grocery store for some needed supplies for a lazy day on the river.
I forgot to mention last night, my cousin Ben took several of us on an evening river cruise on a brilliantly restored skipjack. The Ada Mae is one of only a few surviving oyster dredging vessels from the early 1900's. It's now used as a teaching vessel to help kids understand and appreciate coastal and maritime heritage through Carolina Coastal Classrooms. We went a good ways downriver and returned under power of the jib sail. 
Coast to coast X2 (almost). Wow, I'm still in a bit of a fog thinking: did I really do this? I cooked breakfast for my self for the first time in I don't remember when. Scrambled eggs with sweet onions, cheddar cheese, with bacon. Mighty tasty if I must say so myself.
The signs pointing to Chapel Hill lead me through Kimesville. The village built a dam back in 1812 to run a grist mill. A cotton mill was on the site until 1931. It's a picturesque recreational setting, water gently trickling over the side. I remember as a child, my family driving to see holiday decorations and animated lighting displays strung out over the dam during Christmas time. I'm curious if they still do decorations. Several small buildings, and a replica of a lighthouse dot the edge of the reservoir. One shack advertises: "SEE ROCK CITY" on it's roof.
I'm always amused at signs on the highway displaying a double entendre, like 'Eat here, Get gas' and this one in Goldsboro is no exception. Folks who are not from around here are always get a giggle from this sign. I always wonder if the guys from the DOT had any idea how amusing that sign really is. Double click on the image for the full size.
Ben and Marion's house, on the Neuse River is the gathering point for a family re-union. At some funeral many, many years ago, my mother and her three siblings decided to not wait for the next funeral for a get-together. This half of the family made a concentrated effort to do that, and it's truly been a treat throughout the years. I haven't made it to all the gatherings, but those I've been to have been a delight. My Uncles, Cullen and Tryon have passed away in the last two years, and each one of these events become more precious for me.
I left Asheville early this morning in comparison to my normal departure time. Mostly to avoid the heat, it's supposed to be in the 100's today. Secondly, I want to get to the Scooter Vita of the Triad early to change my rear tire and get them to mount my old Michelin Gold Standard for the rear. This one has developed disturbing bulges only on the right side. Several are very big. 
I got to the scooter shop and was shocked to see a nearly empty showroom. Scott says the scooters have been flying out the door for the last month. When I left on this journey, you could hardly walk through the showroom. Now it's looks downright lonely in there. Josh kindly offered one of their lifts for my use to change out my rear tire. Thanks Josh. I'm not sure if I know how to do some of this stuff without actually standing on my head.
Pedro ran over some wild baby turkeys while cutting hay, and managed to not kill them. They were some wiggly little creatures. I had trouble holding on to them.
