This is a test post that will appear on the travel blog, just to show that it still exists.

Ok, the final post for this trip. I'm taking all of you off the notification list. I hope it was enjoyable to read about my vacation.

Here's a shot of the side of US-191 as taken from my bike while waiting for some construction work to let us through. If you have NOT, I cannot encourage you more strongly to take a look at the photos I have posted on my home page. I'll even include links to them, so you can go right to the ones that I have taken this trip, some of which are very artsy!


Running by Haystack Rock


Multnomah Falls


Radioactive Site


Badlands Panorama


Lightning Storm


Badlands Storm Clouds


Trucks on the Interstate


St. Louis Arch at Night


Looking from the Gateway Arch


Concert at the Gateway Arch


Motorcycle on Death Valley (if you don't see stars in the photo, check your monitor)


The Grand Canyon: North Rim Edition

I can make prints if you want for real cheap!

Here are the complete tracks for my three week trip across the United States. Sometimes the GPS crapped out -- I've since returned it as defective -- and I didn't always have it on the bike -- like when I was tooling around from my campsite to the hiking spots in Badlands -- but it's a good picture of where I went! Roughly 8500 miles later, my bike needs another overhaul, and I think my next road trip will be by car. I saw rain, hail, blistering sun, temperatures below 50 degrees and over 110 degrees. I was as low as 46 feet below sea level and as high as 11,500 feet above sea level. I was in big cities and small towns. I talked to people at almost every restaurant and bar I went into, and I saw a few friends along the way, too. While I made a number of mistakes -- knocking the bike over three times, not bringing enough cold weather gear, forgetting to set the alarm when someone tried to steal the motorcycle, not getting reservations to more popular areas -- I also did a number of things correct -- Camelback, maps in addition to the GPS, tank bag with tissues, amazing waterproof boots that doubled for hiking and remain very comfortable, talking to random people whenever the opportunity presented itself -- yes, while I made a number of mistakes, I also did so much right and didn't die. Knowing everything that happened on this trip, I'd do the whole thing over again in a heartbeat, even with the mistakes, because the mistakes are the funniest part.

Travel Entry: A Cross Country Jaunt

Trip start time:	July 10th, 2009 at 13:08 GMT
Trip end time:	August 2nd, 2009 at 18:59 GMT
Distance Travelled:	8450.943 miles

Click here for more trip details.

I have calculated the numbers for gasoline usage, with these two caveats:
1) All significant digits are accurate.
2) All mileage is according to the motorcycle odometer, NOT the GPS tracks. There was some inconsistency, mostly because my motorcycle's speedometer gets terribly out of whack at higher speeds by as much as ten miles per hour.

Filled up 84 times.
Least expensive gas: $2.29 per gallon
Most expensive gas: $3.75 per gallon
Average cost of gas: $2.68 per gallon
Average cost per mile: $0.05
Average miles per gallon: 47.7
Most miles per gallon: 63.8
Fewest miles per gallon: 33.8
Average miles covered per day: 376.2
Average gallons burned per day: 7.821
Average spent on gasoline per day: $20.80
Total cost: $478.37
Total gallons: 178.879
Total miles: 8653.5

Any other numbers you'd like to see?

It's strange how the last day can be one of the shorter ones and yet feel like it will take so long. As the GPS ticked down the final five miles, two thoughts ran through my head. The first was that I have seen so few police throughout the whole country that it would be so lucky for me to get a ticket in the last five miles or something and that would be typical Virginia. The second thought as the last few miles ticked down was "my goodness, it's over." And here I am, at home, 8500 miles later.

Travel Entry: UAAS: Day 24 - Blacksburg, Virginia to Fairfax, Virginia

Trip start time:	August 2nd, 2009 at 14:16 GMT
Trip end time:	August 2nd, 2009 at 18:59 GMT
Distance Travelled:	252.817 miles

Click here for more trip details.

Finally back at home and working at unpacking and cleaning all of my stuff to be put away where it belongs. Also trying to figure out what to do with the bike now. As evidenced by the photo shown, it won't pass the safety inspection that it needs this month, and I don't know that I have money to give it another $500 maintenance routine at the moment. That's ok, I have a cover for it, and I have a car I can drive to work for a while, goodness knows that I need to get familiar with a foot operated clutch again!

I feel like a jackass for not checking the forecast. It's raining across all of Virginia today and I still have go 250 more miles to get home.

And Kansas also had weird state highway icons, too. I think it's either a flower, or a sun, but at first it looked like one of those stickers that grocery stores use to say "NEW LOWER PRICE!".

Of note, I suppose, is that my previously documented attempt to ride 1500 miles in thirty-six hours has now successfully completed! However, I did not do the proper documentation to "prove" it, so no award for me, except the satisfaction to know that I did it.

Finishing up with a marathon run across the country... Kansas is the most boring state in the country. There weren't even tourist traps along the interstate. And I forgot how gorgeous Blacksburg is in the summer, especially when coming in from US-460. Almost done! Spending some time in Blacksburg for the weekend.

Travel Entry: UAAS: Day 21 and 22 - Colorado Springs, Colorado to Blacksburg, Virginia

Trip start time:	July 30th, 2009 at 14:41 GMT
Trip end time:	July 31st, 2009 at 21:47 GMT
Distance Travelled:	1519.698 miles

Click here for more trip details.

Across the country, I saw at least a dozen construction sites sponsored by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. If there is one area of our economy that is recovering, it's definitely the traffic cone industry.

I am not sure how many times I almost killed myself or scared the truckers last night, but I gotta figure out a better way of keeping myself awake.

I guess with myself I am impressed that I can sleep for an hour sitting up on my motorcycle with the kickstand down.

Missouri is the only state I have been in that apparently ran out of numbers and started using letters for its route names, like Route Y. Then they ran out of letters and started doubling them up, like Route AA. I am surprised they don't use Roman numerals for the exit numers, too!

At least with the motorcycle, hitchhikers don't ask me for a ride. More than halfway through Kansas. A little over 1000 miles until Blacksburg.

So it's just after 3pm local time (I lost another hour) and I've laid down 300 miles. Can I do another 400?

I think everyone should spend the next two days listening to the Doobie Brothers' Rockin' Down the Highway on repeat and think of me. Please?

It's hailing here in Colorado Springs. I am taking a day off, spending it in my hotel room relaxing.

I get better connection speeds from my Blackberry than I do from the hotel internet.

Pushed myself from Moab to Colorado Springs to see Matt, Keith, and Liz for a wonderful dinner, rounding my trip's start and finish with social hours with people I work with. Good job, way to get away from work.

Going to push to get to Blacksburg by Friday and home on Saturday. It's only another 1600 miles!

Travel Entry: UAAS: Day 19 - Moab, Utah to Colorado Springs, Colorado

Trip start time:	July 28th, 2009 at 15:39 GMT
Trip end time:	July 28th, 2009 at 23:41 GMT
Distance Travelled:	421.329 miles

Click here for more trip details.

Is it a beehive? Is it a pile of poo? Is it a temple? Someone please tell me what the Utah state highway icon is supposed to represent??

I am very pleased at how well the this Eee PC computer has been working to update the website, and the entire components only take up half a saddle bag while allowing me to upload photos and get on the internet almost anywhere. I'll do this part again.