Quaker City to New York.

Day 23
480 miles.

I woke up happy. Really happy, I didn't get fucked with again for the rest of the night and I slept like a baby. I like setting up camp at night because when you wake up in the morning, it's like Christmas morning. It was foggy and nice. I passed the spot where I almost ran over the Quakers and realized it wasn't a church, but a 24 hour porn store!!!!!!!!!!! My mind was blown.
I crossed into West Virginia again and ate breakfast and brushed my teeth at Perkins. I crossed into Pennsylvania shortly after. It's a really pretty state. Some of the leaves were starting to change color.
I was planning on going to Centralia, PA later in the day. Basically a mine fire went out of control underneath the town in 1962. The town was evacuated and the fire still burns to this day. This website gives a nice description http://www.offroaders.com/album/centralia/centralia.htm
It started to rain as soon as I got out of the Blue Mountain Tunnel. Not hard, but just enough to suck. It rained off and on throughout the state and I decided to skip Centralia and come back another day.
When I got near New Jersey I noticed that I would have to go over the Delaware River and it was a toll bridge, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get a good state sign photo. So I decided to ride south along the Delaware and cross at a small bridge. Well the sign was gone because of construction, dammit. I retraced my route and decided to try the big bridge. Thankfully I was able to stop and get a photo.
The second I got into Jersey everyone was going 90mph, it felt like LA, just in the rain and with shittier roads. I got onto the Garden State Parkway and it was gridlocked. No lane splitting allowed here, it sucked. I made it to my friend, Nick's house. The weather sucked, so I didn't shoot much, but it felt good to make it. We got some pizza.
I will be in New York and New Jersey until November. I am going to explore New England and hopefully Canada during this time. I also have more travel jobs to South America and Europe. So my return trip is being postponed until November.
It's been an amazing journey so far.

Bug Report:
1- not worth a photo. It rained all day.





Ohio morning.



Pennsylvania.



Wet in New Jersey.


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Cincinnati to Quaker City.

Day 22
354 miles.

I got a late start this morning, stayed out too late the night before. We went to a Reds game and the went out. We got White Castle late and was a partial reason for my late start.
It was raining lightly, but not too bad. I rode along the Ohio River. Ducking into Kentucky and then West Virginia. There is a lot if history along this river and it was really neat to be in such an old area. Lots of cool, old, crumbling barns and houses. It was an easy ride and super beautiful. It was also a really somber day, as it was the 9 year anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. I could feel the heaviness in the air, it's hard to believe that it happened 9 years ago. I can remember waking up that morning and watching the news, no one was sure what was going on. I remember sitting in Mr. Mill's earlybird Government class, forth seat back, to the right of the class room, and watching the second plane hit. So much changed that day.
I made it into Marietta right before sunset and ate dinner. I was planning on camping outside of the town in Wayne National Forest. As soon as the sun went down the sky opened up and it started pouring rain. I decided I should look at getting a hotel. All of them were booked because of a stern boat festival that was going on.
It was about 8:30 and decided I would ride out of town and find a hotel. It finally stopped raining, so I decided to do some camping. I pulled off the freeway and started going down farm roads. I found a great spot, but thankfully noticed a sign warning that raw sewage had been sprayed in the area, you don't have tell me twice.
I then went up a gravel road and found an old crumbling barn. It seemed perfect, if it rained it wouldn't get wet and as far as I could tell it was abandoned. It was right next to the freeway and all I could hear were truck's enginebraking off the highway. It was way too loud, even for me.
I continued down the freeway to the next exit, Quaker City. I almost ran over a group of Quaker men as they were crossing the street, from what looked to be a church. I looked through the dark for places that seemed hidden, but no luck, until I found a dirt road. I went up it and found a clearing, it was perfect. There were some barns off in the distance. I set up my tent and started to get settled, it was around 10:30 and I was spent. The quietness was broken with the sound of a huge truck leaving one of the farms and then up my road. Shit. I was about to get my ass kicked by some crazy farm boys. They pulled up to me and I looked in their truck and noticed about 6 guys, they asked what I was doing and I explained I was just camping here and it appeared to not be private property. The kid said he didn't have a problem with me staying here and they came up because they had seen my light. They left. I sat there for a minute, glad I dodged that incident. I climbed into my bag and started to go to sleep.
20 minutes later I had headlights on my tent again. Great, they came back with more guys to kick my ass. Nope, I was greeted with, "sheriff's department, come out of your tent." They searched me, ran my id, and plates. I explained my trip and they told me the kids parent's called to make sure I wasn't some crazy biker that would kill them in the night. They let me stay. I went to bed.

Bug Report:
6- today was alright, got a really good hit on my chin. Most of them washed off in the rain, hence the low score.




THE NIGHT BEFORE:



Reds.



Bald heads.




TBS' garage.



Inside the TBS lair.



Moscow, OH.








Kentucky.



Drive thru liquor.



Take me home, country roads.



Never forget.



Chain adjustment in the rain.


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Buenos Aires.

I went to Buenos Aires for 5 days for work. It was a blast. Great food, Spain vs. Argentina soccer match, cool bikes everywhere, etc.



















Fuck School.



Jawa cruiser.



Police wagon.















Tango!


Muppet lady.


Best sandwich I never got to finish.





Game day.




















My new little friend.


Mom and baby.

Chicago to Cincinnati.

Days 19-21
311 miles.

I woke up and it was pissing rain, it was hot outside and it felt like a shower. I knew my emergency rain suit would get destroyed in about 5 seconds, so I went down to REI and bought a quality rain suit. I packed my bags, put on my rain suit and loaded up the bike. Luck must be on my side because as soon as my rain suit was on it stopped raining, oh I found a parking ticket on my seat. Shit.
I made it out of Chicago and into Indiana. I jammed across the state and only stopped to eat and fuel up. It's another flat, windy and boring state. As soon as I crossed into Ohio I saw trees and hills again.
I met up at TBS's garage space that's in the basement of an old ice cream factory. It's awesome. That's where I am leaving my bike while I go to Buenos Aires for 5 days, for work. I stayed at Erin's house. She showed me around Cincinnati. It reminds me of San Francisco, just a lot older. There are lots of really cool buildings and steep hills. I went to the museum and saw an amazing Robert Frank exhibit, basically his entire career, except his Depression era stuff he became famous for.
See you in a week Cincinnati.





Indiana.



Waffle House.



Ohio.



Church.



Green and white.



House.



Train.







Cincinnati.



Skyline!


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