SUMMING UP

Tue, Sep 2 2008 01:56 | Permalink

Further to my comments in earlier writings, I named the sectors on my journey through the 50 states. With some calendar flexibility, the sectors corresponded to the months of travel. As a recap, although with deviations, I progressed north through the continent in layers. The route was designed to move into good weather as the seasons developed. On the whole, my plan worked, although the weather was always a challenge. I have selected a photograph from each sector for this final journey article. The choice of one image from sometimes a huge area, frequently encompassing several National Parks, was difficult. However, the image selected is unique to me and my feelings at the time and may not represent the best photograph I have in my collection from that area.

SAW TOOTH SECTOR-tallahassee fl to raleigh nc-february

This is one of the many colonial style houses on the water front in Charleston, South Carolina. Almost a millionaires row! Charleston is a charming town, not as commercially developed as nearby Savannah, Georgia. Earlier parts of this sector were not boring, but nothing captured my photographic imagination as something as simple as this delightful part of Charleston. Undoubtedly a lovely place to live.

WEST FOR PHOENIX-raleigh nc to phoenix az-march

The Smoky Mountains National Park. I encountered this moody and misty shot of the Smokies very early on this sector on the North Carolina-Tennessee State Line. My first mountains of the journey!!

IN CALIFORNIA-phoenix az to las vegas nv-april

Selecting a shot from California was difficult. There were many contenders from many parts of this geographically diverse state. A shot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in eastern California takes the prize. It was the isolation and sheer immensity of this range that provoked my interest and almost fear. I rode up to 9500 feet close to the peak of Mount Whitney the highest point in the contiguous USA at 14 505 feet. The local town of Lone Pine, with cowboy feel, provided a great base for a few days.

UTAH RED ROCK-las vegas nv to salt lake city ut-april

Was it to be Zion, Capital Reef or Bryce Canyon? Its Bryce Canyon. Perhaps it was the contrast of greenery, snow and the stunning red rock that persuaded my selection. The National Parks of Utah are not to be missed. Utah is almost the ‘best kept secret’ of the USA, familiarity is not common. Even by Americans.

THE BIG EAST -salt lake city ut to richmond va -may

Having seen all the 50 State Capitol buildings, Des Moines in Iowa was my favourite and stole the show on this trek across the middle of the country. I was graced with clear azure sky, a dramatic backdrop for those impressive domes.

NORTH EAST GRIDLOCK-richmond va to augusta me-june

There’s a lot of asphalt, brick, concrete and people in this part of the country. North east ‘’mega-tropolis’’. My selection was not a typical building that we all would recognise from north east USA. My subject is a touch different. I met astronaut James Irwin at a presentation in England back in 1982. I came across this photo of him and his Apollo 15 crew in the DC Smithsonian. He passed away in 1991. The advancement of technology is spine chilling when you consider the average digital SLR camera today, has more computing power than any Apollo rocket in the 1970s. They were brave people then-but they knew nothing else and could not predict technologies of the future.

ACROSS THE TOP -augusta me to olympia wa -july

Yellowstone or Teton? It’s Teton and those stunning snow capped jagged mountains, against the blue sky with foreground summer flowers says it all.

NORTH TO THE LAST FRONTIER -olympia wa to juneau ak -july

I could have chosen a shot of the Alaska Highway here, considering it dominated my journey through British Columbia, Yukon and into Alaska for a couple of thousand miles. But it was the final part of my journey to the 49th capital that got it. The ferry journey on the Alaska Marine Highway from Skagway-Alaska to Juneau-Alaska was memorable. The sun was burning off early morning low cloud, revealing steep hills lining the quite still fjord. As if my arrangement, hump back whales surfaced ahead of the ferry.

ONWARDS TO ANCHORAGE -juneau ak to anchorage ak -aug

Another marine shot, this time northbound on the fjord from Juneau to Haines. It was a moody evening with not a hint of blue sky. A glimpse of the odd glacier against the grey sky and foreboding landscape, gave very much an isolated feel.

ALOHA STATE -honolulu hi -august

State number 50. Quite a bit of significant history here. However, here I guess is what we all associate Hawaii with. The beach and a surfer-just about a surfer!

globalgilroy

ALOHA STATE RIDE

Sat, Aug 16 2008 12:29 | Permalink

Alaska Airlines got me from Anchorage, Alaska to Honolulu on O’ahu island part of the Hawaiian chain. It was a 9 hour trek to the geographically disconnected 50th state. Albeit the tourist beach town of Waikiki provided my residence for a few days, my only objectives were to visit the state capital in Honolulu and ride a BMW motorcycle. Exploration of the extensive Hawaiian Island chain comprising Kaua’i, O’ahu, Molaka’t, Lana’t, Maui and Hawai’i, will have to wait for a future expedition!

A 130 mile circuit around O’ahu on a BMW 650 GS completed my 50 state ride.

HAWAIIAN SCENES

WAIKIKI BEACH

WAIKIKI TANNING

WALK TO THE SURF

ROAD SURF

MARYLYN HAS A FINE BUNCH !!

HONOLULU ROYAL PALACE

WAIKIKI BEACH BALL

HONOLULU & WAIKIKI-A CHANCE MEETING.........!!!

globalgilroy

ONWARDS TO ANCHORAGE

Sun, Aug 10 2008 08:58 | Permalink

a 2 week plan-3000 miles

I completed the main objective of my journey by reaching Juneau the capital of Alaska. That made 49 States and 49 State Capitals. Journey’s end really I guess. However, although a beautiful setting and quite a busy little city, Juneau is landlocked and only connected by ferry and air. So you arrive in Alaska’s capital by boat, plane or by birth of course! For me it made more sense to continue to Anchorage.

fjord lined mountain range

So, back on the Alaska Marine Highway north to the small town of Haines. It was a moody 4 hour journey down the narrow fjord with cloud hanging over the mountains. A grey evening with not a hint of blue sky. The odd sighting of a glacier studded onto the steep slopes and waterfalls falling out of the clouds down the hillsides, provided some photographic opportunities. The occasional splash from a hump back whale in the relatively calm water ahead of our ferry, MV Malaspina, offered some excitement.

glacial shades of grey

Thankfully not saturated with tourists like Skagway, Haines turned out to be an interesting little place with some good watering holes and eateries. Grizzly Bears are out and about in the lakes and rivers close to town at this time of the year. They are gorging on salmon prior to their winter snooze. I was warned to be on my lookout for these giant creatures, who now even challenge wading fisherman for their prize.

motorcycle friendly Haines

look out-there may be a grizzly about

On the road again and leaving Haines, I crossed back into Canada heading north west. British Columbia briefly, then into Yukon. At Haines Junction, it was left to rejoin the Alaska Highway. This was the section I had been warned about, lookout for construction. There was some around Destruction Bay, but nothing to get excited about. The GS was in its element as expected through these rough areas. Whilst waiting for the Pilot Car to take me through this section, the ‘stop sign’ lady said that a Grizzly had come quite close to her yesterday. Maybe that’s why all these girls have big dogs close by to their station and their trucks!

Still in Yukon, next was Beaver Creek. A one street dusty town with a couple of hotels, cabins, restaurants and the odd shop. Remarkably, I stumbled across a musical show in one of the hotels. The night’s performance was a humorous tale of Yukon life, led by 2 professional actors and singers. This place is on the tourist coach route and the show has been on the go in the summer season for years. It made for an interesting evening, before I returned to my cabin at midnight in perfect daylight. Slightly confusing.

a Beaver Creek haunt

Crossing the border back into the USA, the next day was just a quick 100 miles up to Tok. On this bit, the road is under much re-development with lots of mud, gravel and perma frost heave areas. Again the bike was in its element and it made for an interesting ride. However, I now know why the Harley guys I met in Whitehorse a couple of weeks ago were not happy with this section. A big heavy HD with rider and passenger, towing a trailer, is not designed to go over roads like this! It was definitely GS territory! Tok is another one street town, with the usual amenities including an airstrip next to the roadside. From Tok, the Alaska Highway continues to milepost 1422, where it ends at Delta Junction. The road does go on to Fairbanks further to the north west, before looping south into Anchorage. That bit is not part of the famous Alaska Highway. I didn’t go that far. That’s next year. From Tok, it was a left turn on the Glen Highway and onwards to Anchorage.

The remaining 320 miles passed very quickly. Journey's end.

anchorage float plane base-the world's busiest

around anchorage

globalgilroy

CAPITAL CITIES CONNECTED

Fri, Aug 1 2008 06:06 | Permalink

49 STATES

49 CAPITALS
172 DAYS
23 963 MILES
555.615 GALLONS OF FUEL
5 FERRY JOURNEYS
3 MOTORCYCLE SERVICES
3 SETS TYRES
1 HEADLAMP BULB REPLACED

NUMBER 49

CITY GLACIER

ICE SCULPTURE

LAND LOCKED JUNEAU

TUG BOAT & AVIATION HARBOUR TRAFFIC

globalgilroy

BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA

Wed, Jul 30 2008 05:18 | Permalink

BRITISH COLUMBIA FIRS

The province vehicle licence plate motto has got it just about right. The geography is quite pleasing to the eye up here. I passed over the border from Washington State into Canada at the quiet Aldergrove truck crossing. Vancouver was quickly behind me as I headed north on route 99. The coastal scenery was quite spectacular with steep wooded valleys and rocky gorges running down to the ocean. The road continued to climb towards the mining town of Lillooet where I made my first Canadian night stop. For the next couple of days, the terrain flattened out considerably, with many lakes and fir tree forests as far as the eye can see. The next towns were Prince George and Dawson Creek. Dawson Creek is the start or mile zero, of the famous Alaskan highway and the history of its construction is much recorded in this interesting town. The highway initially heads north for Fort Nelson, before turning to the west for Watson Lake and crossing the Continental Divide towards Whitehorse. So far the condition of the Alaska Highway has been very good, with only few construction and gravel areas. Long sections and snaking curves provide excellent riding. En route bikers I have met, advise that the section between Destruction Bay and Tok has suffered considerably from last winter’s perma frost. Here progress will not be as expeditious where surface damage, gravel and construction will require caution. This will make for an interesting run into Anchorage when I rejoin the Alaska Highway later on.

START OF ALASKA HIGHWAY-DAWSON CREEK

Towns are few and far between on the Alaska Highway and bikes with a small range have to pay close attention to fuel management! Not a problem with the 8 gallon fuel capacity of the GS, yielding 350 miles if you are gentle. There are however some service areas providing eating, drinking and most important fuel facilities. Another facility encountered at these service stations, are very basic airstrips. If you took away the orange runway markers from some of them, the land would not be recognisable as an aircraft landing area! Some are extremely close to the highway, where the approach must be quite precarious considering the surrounding steep terrain. One day, a Cessna was right on my shoulder and looked to be making an approach to the road ahead of me, before veering off to a rough strip a short distance ahead.

TYPICAL ALASKA HIGHWAY SERVICE AREA

ALASKA HIGHWAY AIRSTRIP

I have heard many folk talk about the abundant wildlife in the region. I was not really aware what I would encounter and the caution required as a road user. Stone Mountain Sheep, Elk, Moose, Caribou, Black Bear, Grizzly Bear and Buffalo are all very common. I saw all of these, both on and very close to the roadside. The Buffalo move in large herds and graze very close to the road. They are not at all deterred by photographers, but when an inquisitive Bull approached me for a closer look, I moved on! I encountered a close up of a Black Bear giving a deer carcass close attention and the Bear was not camera shy! Later that day, catching me quite by surprise, a Grizzly with characteristic shaggy brown coat, was taking in the sun a couple of metres from the road. Needless to say, I did not stop to say hello!

BLACK BEAR ON THE PROWL

ROADSIDE BUFFALO

MOOSE IN THE DRINK

It is possible to sample some of the territories fish and game in restaurants. Canadian Salmon with distinctive deep orange, almost red flesh colour is delicious. For the slightly more adventurous palate, Buffalo and Elk steaks are a must.

So 1663 miles after crossing the USA border into Canada has got me north of British Columbia and into Yukon. Whitehorse, the provinces capital and by far the largest and busiest city, is an interesting and convenient stop. From here, it’s a scenic drive down the South Klondike Highway, crossing into Alaska and onwards to Skagway to catch the ferry to landlocked Juneau, the State Capital.

globalgilroy

''ACROSS THE TOP'' COMPLETE & ''THE LOWER 48 IN THE BAG''

Fri, Jul 18 2008 06:11 | Permalink

I completed this section across the top of the country pretty much as planned. The only real bad weather encountered was when leaving Maine. The remnants of an active area of low pressure was still hanging around leading to some rain and low cloud. After crossing Lake Champlain and entering the impressive Adirondacks, the grey sky changed to blue and apart from the occasional thunderstorm, stayed with me pretty much for the rest of the month.

storms gathering over the great lakes

Continuing west, I had the option to take a short cut into Canada, however, I remained in the USA and followed the southern shores of Lakes Ontario and Erie. On the shores of Lake Ontario, the notable village of Sackets Harbour provided an enjoyable and informative stopover. It was almost a mini history lesson. Following the Seaway Trail west, in complete contrast was the sprawling and characterless resort city of Erie. Erie sits in northern Pennsylvania and on the southern shore of the lake with the same name.

sacketsharbour-new york state

When leaving the city of Erie westbound early on a Saturday morning, I recall I was completely surrounded by active thunderstorms, with the sky in every direction looking extremely threatening. Remarkably, my path remained dry and calm for the 350 miles or so to Lansing, Michigan. I was lucky! Leaving Michigan, I did take a short cut. I crossed the 68.5 mile width of Lake Michigan on the high speed ferry from Muskegon-Michigan to the brewing city of Milwaukee-Wisconsin. The enjoyable capital Madison and the striking Wisconsin countryside, made way for the metropolitan sprawl of the twin cities. Thankfully, this was the last major urban area encountered on this section.

Further west, the states got big again and entering the Dakotas, I really got a feel of open space and the big sky, even though I had not yet got to Montana. The sky did appear to wrap around the whole picture ahead. It has to be seen. Montana turned out to be quite an impressive state. I wasn’t surprised. I entered from North Dakota and headed west on the highline route along the top of the state close to the Canadian border. The road runs parallel to a busy rail freight route and the trains at least a mile long, normally hauling double-decker container trucks, forge east and west with great frequency. All the towns grew up on the railroad and have most unusual names. As if picked randomly from an atlas, Glasgow, Kremlin, Zurich, Chester, but to mention a few. I stayed in Malta where I met local Ranchers in a rustic bar. They were keen to tell of their ranch life and original cattle rearing methods. Here, annual branding days are a big event where a young bullock may be pinned down and subject to branding, castration and inoculations, all at once. Then there’s the rest of the herd! It’s a physical day, managed by an organised and expert team. It was a priceless conversation and insight into Montana ranching methods, which are still practised in adjoining western states. Further west in the huge state, an early morning ride through Glacier National Park was very much a highlight of the month. After a hearty brunch in the small town of Lakeside on Flathead Lake, the vibrant city of Missoula on Independence Day provided a great finale to the Big Sky State.

freight train bisects Malta-Montana

glacier national park-montana

Close behind in geographical spectacle were Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Wyoming. After the latter 2, I stopped over in Jackson Hole. I thought this small town would be an ideal venue after the National Parks. Alas, I disliked everything about this tourist and grossly expensive place, where even some of the locals were pretentious and unfriendly. It is quite similar to Sedona-Arizona-very commercial. This type of place does not represent the real America. The locals want your money and not your conversation. Thankfully I have experienced few similar places on my journey. One good thing about Jackson Hole was the road out of town. It crossed the southern end of the Tetons and lands in Idaho. Idaho is another extremely geographically diverse state. A mixture of rich lowlands with fast flowing rivers, high desert, verdant agricultural plains and striking mountain ranges. The cosmopolitan and unpretentious city of Boise is aptly the capital of this impressive state.

yellowstone-wyoming

grand teton-wyoming

Next door is Oregon, where the eastern part of the state is on the high desert, descending just a touch towards Bend and Chemult which are quite close to the unmissable Crater Lake and Cascade Mountains. Prior to the capital of Salem, it was refreshing to see and smell the Pacific Ocean again, this time on the Oregon coastline. Whilst in Oregon and undoubtedly an aviation highlight on this trip, was a visit to the aviation museum at McMinnville. Here I was able to view the immaculately maintained ‘Spruce Goose’ and even allowed to sit in Howard Hughes’ Captains seat. Thereafter, it was a quick jaunt up to Olympia, the capital of Washington State and a visit to Mount Rainier National Park concluded my ‘across the top’ sector and putting ‘the lower 48 in the bag’.

crater lake-oregon

spruce goose-mcminnville-oregon

in Howard's seat........

I achieved my objective of completing the lower 48 by remaining in the lower 48. My mileage was somewhat in excess of what I planned on this sector and instead of 4000 miles, I rode 5300 miles. The journey total so far is 21 700 miles.

mount rainier-washington state

Next-north for the 49th !

globalgilroy

RETURN TO THE PACIFIC COAST

Mon, Jul 14 2008 05:28 | Permalink

It was back in mid-April I last saw the Pacific Ocean on this journey. It was when I was leaving San Francisco east bound for Santa Rosa and Sacramento. Since then I have done 13 055 miles where I have travelled across the middle of the country, traversed the small states of New England and most lately passed across the top of the country. An oceanic coincidence, it was on the 12th of June I was tossing stones into the Atlantic Ocean at Newport-Rhode Island whilst gazing at expensive and exclusive properties. Exactly a month later, today on July 12th, the Oregon Pacific coast greeted me on a very breezy Saturday afternoon in the seaside town of Yachats. Blue ocean and blue sky. With the strong breeze, it was a cool 65F here in Yachats. Inland by only 20 miles it was a sizzling 92F.

pacific ocean-yachats-oregon

En route to the coast today, I viewed more impressive water scenes. A stop over at the Crater Lake National Park, also in Oregon, was worth a few pictures.

crater lake-oregon

Crater Lake was formed when a massive eruption of Mount Mazama 7700 years ago caused the mountain to collapse, leaving a steaming caldera. Centuries of rain and snow filled the caldera creating Crater Lake. Deep blue and almost black at a second take, the lake is a smidgen short of 2000 feet deep and the deepest in the western hemisphere. At 7500 feet elevation, a looping scenic road circumnavigates the lake providing spectacular views of the vertical walls and deep water. I wonder if the depths of Crater Lake hold any similar secrets to those of Lake Tahoe in California?

crater lake oregon reflections & winter snow remnants

globalgilroy

WHAT ABOUT BOISE?

Thu, Jul 10 2008 03:48 | Permalink

Well, what about Boise? Pronounced Boy-zee and not to be confused with an actor in a Brit sitcom, Boise is the capital of the geographically diverse state of Idaho. The cities origins go back to 1862 as a settlement used by pioneers passing on the Oregon Trail. The original site had a forest by a river which was truly a welcome sight in comparison with the surrounding arid desert areas. The name was originally given by French trappers - Les Bois- meaning the woods and later adapted or misspelt to Boise. Early residents planted hundreds more trees.

Today the city of 180 000 population which sits at 2842 feet elevation, certainly has a buzz and an attitude. It’s a clean and compact place. Trees and parks dominate giving a fresh feel. Idaho geography changes dramatically. Nearby mountain ranges provide winter sports. Not far away, in most directions is the bleak and arid high desert. Therefore arriving in Boise is a refreshing contrast where abundant street side cafes and convivial locals certainly express a cosmopolitan culture.

The downtown is neatly divided into the Capitol District, a Cultural District with theatres and galleries and Old Boise’s Historic District. The pedestrian friendly city is easily navigable on foot or on an efficient public transport network. In every section, elegant brick faced restaurants and shops are plenty.

I passed on the offer to float 6 miles down the swollen Boise River on a rubber ring. I agree, a unique way to see a city. A local tradition I believe, which I will leave to the locals! The attractions of the city did however persuade an extra day’s stay.

Enjoy downtown Boise. A unique combination of interesting architecture and culture districts, blended with a distinctive selection of speciality boutiques and restaurants.