| May 14, 2007 - Eastern MA, New Friends |
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While I was unpacking the bike last night, someone walking down the street commented “lovely
weather we're having, so warm and dry, it must be great riding weather!”
I checked the weather before leaving this morning and noticed that rain was expected for
tomorrow further north in Maine and New Hampshire. It looked like it was going to
miss the state of MA completely. Hmmm, since the rain appears to keep going around
me, maybe I'll just have to seek it out....kind of like those storm chaser people. The
people who don't know me are probably laughing.
I departed Easthampton late morning in more lovely weather – 71 degrees, slight breeze, a
clear and blue sky – headed west for Worcester, MA and the site of my next National Park
Passport stamp. To get to Worcester you have two choices: the interstate (I-90)
superslab which also happens to be a toll road, or various local roads and state
highways. Let's see, pay to ride on the vanilla, characterless road, or take the
flavorful, unique road less traveled for free? I'd pay a toll just so I could take
the back roads! Those travelers on “Blue Roads” as I call them (federal interstate
signs are marked blue) are usually in a hurry to get from point A to point B and could care
less about what's passing them by (um, like their life??) since they are trying to get
somewhere that is time sensitive. Why else would one take the interstate?
Traveling west on MA-9 led me through various communities that appeared to be waking up
from winter as most every storefront had offerings involving gardening, planting, mowing,
or was advertising something to do with recreation, be it an activity or equipment. One
particular town had numerous signs about their upcoming “Artichoke Festival.”
My stamping sources said a stamp could be had at the Worcester Historical Museum in downtown
Worcester. I'd say 99% of all stamps are in beautiful, park-like settings while the rest
are urban stamps that have urban issues like hostile traffic and bitter meter maids. I
wasn't exactly riddled with excitement about seeing downtown Worcester but the possibility of
a stamp had the FJR pointed in that direction. Upon arrival I found a parking spot within
sight of the building though not directly in front where I could take a photo of the sign and
the bike. It was now noontime and the outside temperature was nearing my internal “hot”
zone (hey, there's a reason I don't stay in AZ in the summer!).
I was glad to be leaving the downtown area and was looking forward to getting back to the roads
in the countryside and seeing people wave for no reason at all. However, when I consulted
my GPS for the directions to the next stamp location, the display showed an entire section of
the map was missing (perhaps it caught that lady's attitude?):
I couldn't figure out what was wrong (actually I still haven't but all of eastern MA is missing!)
and since I didn't know the directions and turns of the backroads to my next stamp and I didn't
want to be late meeting Russ, I had no choice but to take the known interstate where I was
confident signs would direct me to the stamp, the Minute Man National Historical Park outside
Concord, MA:
Webmaster Note: The cross-hatching on the right side of her GPS is Garmin's way of saying,
"You forgot to upload the proper maps to me!" Been there, done that, remember the feeling
well. I finally got a GPS that already has all of North America pre-loaded!
The Park has two Visitor Centers and each have their own stamp. I didn't know this last
year when I was in the area a collected a stamp at the other Visitor Center on my V-Strom, so
now both bikes have a stamp from Minute Man and I've added another one to my total, which is
now over 200 strong...woo-hoo! (My list:
HERE). By including the
bike I'm riding in my photos it allows me to essentially “date” the photo and therefore recall
in great detail my journey at that time. If I simply took a photo of the sign I wouldn't
be able to differentiate my experiences.
Given my GPS was still not able to route properly (hard to do when the map is missing), I had
to once again take a Blue Road to my next stamp, which was also an urban stamp, in downtown Lowell, MA:
As interesting as the facts at the park were, I found what was just outside the park to be most unique:
Construction equipment blocked the complete name on the building behind the dragon so I don't
know who gets credit for the art. Nonetheless, upon closer inspection, the dragon was made
up of entirely used compact discs, many of which have been uniquely colored, and glistened in
the bright sun:
I arrived a few minutes early to the meeting spot with Russ and while I was taking off my gear
a woman pulls up behind me and said that her daughter in the back seat noticed the “Girls Rule”
sticker on my helmet and really liked my bike but was too embarrassed to say anything. She
asked me what kind of bike I was riding as I was approaching the van to speak to the young
girl. When I said “Yamaha FJR” she erupted with “Oh my god that's the bike Dad wants
so bad!!!”
Russ arrived just as the cell phone shooting session concluded and off we went to ride. I
must say it was quite odd to be following another FJR, especially one that has not only the same
luggage I have (Givi topcase) but a rider wearing the same bright yellow helmet that I
do! While we were riding I thought people must think we're riding across the country
together, but if someone pulls up beside me and asks “where ya headed?!” I'll have to truthfully
say “I have no idea” since I was following Russ! We weaved up to the far northeast corner
of MA and into the tip of New Hampshire, returning south on US-Hwy 1 alongside the ocean. Just
over 3 weeks ago I was riding along California's Highway 1 (pics:
HERE) so it was briefly
a bit strange to see “Hwy 1” beside the letters “NH” and “MA” on signage. Regardless of the
letters and numbers, any ride beside the ocean its beautiful. I was quite surprised with the
complete lack of traffic as well as the oddly absent roadside businesses geared to tourism; it was
definitely a welcome sight indeed and certainly made for a more pleasurable ride. Most roads of
this type (especially A1A in FL, sections of Hwy 1 in CA, etc) demand extra focus when riding because
of the touristy nature of vehicle and pedestrian traffic flow. Here's a photo of the one time Russ & I stopped:
I spent the rest of the evening enjoying a great meal and even better company in Newburyport, MA
with Russ, his wife, their two teenage daughters, and cute beagle “Buddy.” Russ' wife is a
new rider and is gaining experience on a Bergman, something that is being eyed by both
daughters. It was simply wonderful to meet such delightful people.... people who were
strangers yesterday and today are friends. It is meaningful experiences like this that
enrich my journey and re-enforce the goodness in life.
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AGirl
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After I arrived the central Massachusetts area last week, I received an email from
someone (“Russ”) who lives on the MA coast in Newburyport. He offered assistance
should I need it and also invited me to dinner with his family if I happened to be in
his area (just north of Boston). Not that it matters in the least, but Russ also
happens to own the same type bike I am riding (a Yamaha FJR). I exchanged a few
emails with him and after looking at my potential Stamping Expedition routes I decided
I could accept his offer. Since I was returning from Montreal and the Adirondacks
this past weekend we agreed that today (Mon, 16May07) would work best for both of us.
I said I agreed it was lovely but since I wasn't from around here I didn't know if this
weather was typical or not. It occurred to me that during the 18 days since I started
this East Coast 2007 journey that I have not ridden in a single drop of rain, and this includes
the fierce weather and tornado while I was in Ohio last Tuesday since I abruptly diverted off
the interstate before anything hit. I guess I brought some of the Arizona heat and
sunshine with me when I left my house in Phoenix! Actually, I was planning on testing
various gear and equipment set-up on my bike in the rain specifically to weed out any issues
before I headed out for my Alaska run in July, so the dry conditions have not helped me
accomplish that objective; kind of a catch-22, huh?
I'm thinking I just might have to go see what this is about since I've never been to an
Artichoke Festival. Actually, I can't even imagine what takes place at an Artichoke
Festival. Do people exchange artichoke recipes? Stories about artichokes? Are
there artichoke memorabilia? Collectors? Maybe there is an entire artichoke
world out there that in my 38 years of existence I have missed. Heck, for all I know
there are artichoke internet forums and messages boards. I wonder if these people
know about the school near my house in Arizona that has the nickname of the “Fighting
Artichokes” (no kidding- it's Scottsdale Community College). As I was chewing on the
concept of an Artichoke Festival, I approached a cemetery that had a large yellow banner
placed in the grass by the front entrance. It read “CHECK TWICE, SAVE A LIFE—MOTORCYCLES
ARE EVERYWHERE!”
Definitely an interesting location and ad campaign.
Not wanting to leave my gear out of sight in any downtown area I took it with me and tromped up
to the building that housed the museum. I entered the door and approached the lady behind
the large desk in the middle of the room ready to add another stamp to my Passport book. I
asked her if she had a National Park Passport stamp and she looked at me like I was from another
planet. I have no idea if it was the question I was asking, the fact I was wearing motorcycle
gear, or maybe something else, but nonetheless her reply was “No.”
I asked if she knew anything about the stamp, which also got a “No” as did “Is there anyone else
here who might?” This lady had the personality of an artichoke (no offense to artichokes)
and was about as helpful as one. I had been eating a banana and was finished so, not seeing
a trash can in sight, I asked her if she had a place I could discard my banana peel. I
probably shouldn't have been surprised but her answer was “No.”
I was going to clarify that she was telling me within the entire building there was no trash can,
but instead, as I was walking out the door, I said that since banana peels are considered
biodegradable I would be leaving it on the step's railing outside the door.
Walking back to the bike I thought about this lady and how sad she presents to be. Aside from
the fact she is in a position of customer service/public relations (geez, she's working at a
museum's front desk), she seemed devoid of energy, of life. When I look back at this photo I'll
remember that I didn't get a stamp but I did get a reminder that attitudes are contagious and
her's was definitely not worth catching:
The woman pleaded to take a photo of the bike with her cell phone so she could “prove to my
husband we saw it and met it's female owner!” ... yeah, attitudes are indeed contagious
I tell ya! 
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