We had an early start on Friday morning. Bill arrived @ my house @ 5:05, Cindy and I piled onto my bike and ambled over to Steve and Jan’s house. They, too, were ready early, and we all hit the road and headed over to the rally point; Mobil gas station on 1A in Wrentham (Chris met us there). Before long, we had all 9 bikes gassed up and ready. We were supposed to have had 10 bikes, but 9 is not shabby for an early, 500-mile long trip.
Things were a bit foggy and overcast at first, but my sun-adverse skin did not complain at all. We had a slight touch of light rain about halfway through CT, but by the time we hit Jersey, the sun was out and the heat was building.
As we were merging onto 287, one of our tail riders got mixed up on which ramp to take, so her husband peeled off with her. The group of 10 which had turned into 9, was now down to 7.
Here’s the first of the two pics you’ll get in this post;
With that, we were off again. Jersey traffic sucked as usual when we got to the spot where the high-speed lanes merge with the commercial lanes. No surprises there, because what do you expect to happen when you’re merging 6 lanes of travel, down into 3?
We finally got through that and were moving along ok (not great, though). Our destination was an address in Baltimore for a cookout. One of the guys who was riding down with us (Jim) was proposing to his girlfriend (Jenn) who lives down here. We arrived, she came running out of the house to hug Jim, and the rest of us surrounded them, our front tires forming a circle around the couple. Jim went to one knee, pulled out a ring, and proposed on the spot. We all revved our engines and hit our horns. It was pretty cool, I have to admit. It was then time to park and proceed inside, where Jenn had coolers full of beers and plates full of food waiting for us. We quickly settled in and were made to feel right at home. Roughly an hour later, the two missing bikes arrived. The group of 7 was now 9 again! But our elation was short-lived. It’d been a 2-hour pit stop and it was time to hit the road again. We had places to get to and people waiting for us!
Taking off from the house, Jim naturally stayed behind to celebrate his new status change. This meant the group of 10 which had turned into 9, which had then become 7, but then 9 again, was now down to 8. But even this was to change all too soon, for some were headed to Arlington while others were headed to Crystal City. A mere few miles from Jenn’s house, we reached our turnoff. We exchanged salutes to each other, and with that, the group of 10 which had turned into 9, which had then become 7, but then 9 again, and then 8 after that; was split asunder; 5 in one direction, 3 in the other. Our fellowship was done for this day.
Our turnoff dumped us onto Rte 50, just in time to meet up with what appeared to be over half of the population of the entire state of Virginia. Moving at a snail’s pace, we quickly realized we needed assistance. Fortunately; Chris had just the right kind of assistance perched on his handlebar; a GPS unit. And it told us to take a left, a right, and then an on-ramp. A quick blast down 395, and we were making up some time.
We arrived at K’s and hearty hugs and hello’s were exchanged all around. She had cold beer waiting for us (Yay for cold beer!). We unpacked, changed and freshened up a bit, and then headed off to Old Town – an eclectic collection of shops, restaurants and bars. Nice!
After a quick dinner, we hopped on over to O’Connor’s bar for some more frosty refreshments. This is where I encountered the waitress from hell. After explaining why I was asking (all while her face registered complete lack of care or interest), she declined my request to open the bottle myself so that I could save the cap. I asked if I could open it in front of her and the bartender, but she denied me. I asked if she could hold it while I opened it; no. She wanted nothing to do with it, and had less than zero interest in being a good waitress. Good for her! I made sure that her tip reflected the outstanding level of service she’d bestowed upon us. (And those that know me, know that I’m normally a heavy tipper!)
From there, we bopped around a bit more, then headed back to K’s. It was late, but we needed to outline a plan for the next day. After several more beers, and many plans laid into place, we said our goodnights and retired for the evening.
The next morning, we all agreed that we couldn’t remember what we’d agreed to the night (morning) before. So the discussions began again. We settled on hitting DC first and getting some of the sightseeing out of the way. With that, we were soon on the road again, and rolling down the on-ramp right into the thick of the city. After parking, we hit Thunder Alley for some souvenirs, grabbed a bite to eat for a late breakfast, then walked over to the National Mall (grass) and checked out Gary Senise’s band; Lt. Dan Band (Forrest Gump reference). They were really good!
After that, we walked over and visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall - always very emotional! There was the usual assortment of letters, pictures, flowers, medals, etc. laid out along the base of the panels. There were older vets hugging each other, some smiling, some crying. Very, very touching!
When we’d reached the far end of the Wall, we proceeded over to the Lincoln Memorial. The front steps were covered with seated members of the Run For The Wall groups. It was an impressive sight to see! Almost the entire steps were covered, and there were many rows at the bottom, which consisted of more members, reclined and seated.
The Reflecting Pool was closed for renovations. It was interesting as well as disappointing – interesting to see what’s at the bottom of the pool (large slabs, long crease in the middle where the water drains to be cleaned), disappointing to not see it in its full glory. I forget when it’s supposed to be up and running again, but I think; by the end of this year.
Oh yeah, a bit of a back story; Michigan Paul and Bettina had made the ride to DC as well. We’d been playing phone tag for a day or so and had agreed we would meet up here, on this day. Well, both of our schedules had been thrown off by late starts, so we decided that since we were both going ot be in Arlington later in the day, that would be the place to meet.
We headed back to the bikes, hit the road a bit, and found ourselves in Arlington Cemetery. The parking garage was almost full to the brink and it took us a while to get settled, but before too long, we were strolling along the roadways and looking at the far-too-long rows of marble markers.
Our first destination was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We arrived just in time to see the laying of a wreath which was very cool. As soon as that was completed, the regular guard took up his patrol once again. We stayed long enough to see the changing of the guard – something that everyone should see if they’re in the area. From there, we walked over and visited Audie Murphy, “the most decorated soldier”. After that, we checked out the Eternal Flame (Kennedy’s graves), and then it was time to head on out.
(Unfortunately; Paul had texted me during our stay; the parking garage was full to capacity, and he and Bettina had been turned away. Oh well, we were going to try again to catch up the next day, during the Rolling Thunder run.)
It took us forever to get out of the parking garage, and at one point, we saw a good bit of smoke, just over the trees. When we did finally get out and back onto Memorial Drive, we saw the reason; a bike had gone up. I’m assuming the rider(s) were fine, as the bike was standing up and on its kickstand. It possibly overheated or something, but regardless of the reason it caught fire, it was totaled. (There was a fire truck there, watching over the smoldering remains.)
Next up on the day was to head back to K’s, get cleaned up and then head back into the city to meet up with Chris’ brother (and his girlfriend) for dinner and drinks. It was great to meet them both, and we had some good laughs with them. Of course, we had some good laughs at ourselves, too. Our first attempt at a meeting spot left us parking in an uncertain area. When we asked the passing meter maid if we were ok, she informed us that she was a metro bus driver, not a meter maid. Oh, sorry. We asked the guys standing in front of the barber shop that was right there, if we were all set and they said “Sure”. (They were very helpful.) When we asked if the bar we were headed to (“Nellie’s”) was any good, they said “Yes, you’ll like it.” (They seemed helpful.) When we arrived at the bar, we found it was a gay bar. Is this bad? Nope, not at all, but we’d rather kick back and enjoy our beers without being hit upon, so we left. When we returned to the bikes, we asked the guys in front of the barber shop why hadn’t they told us it was a gay bar, they said they thought we knew it was, and that that’s what we were looking for. (They were not helpful at all.)
Anyway, from there, it was up the street a ways until we found another bar. Parking was still quite hard to find, so we had to settle for a spot that was oil-slicked and not very inviting. There was a real meter maid nearby (they were really working the tickets!!) and we asked if we were all set where we were. She said that “SHE” would not bother us. Which left us wondering how many of them were around, and if we were safe from the others, too, or if only from her… We decided to risk it, and hit the bar. They had an outside patio so we settled in, enjoyed a couple frosties, and people-watched. And there were many, MANY interesting people to watch!
Soon it was time for food! We walked over to Ben’s Chile Bar – apparently it’s a famous fast-food (chili) joint. I hadn’t heard of it, but it seems just about everyone else has. The best way to describe it is a mill. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but they were churning out food like there was no tomorrow. That place has to make a killing! The line never stopped moving; people were coming up, walking in, ordering, sitting, eating, leaving. And the line kept moving. The food itself was decent enough, but I couldn’t get over how many people they were serving, and so quickly, too.
After dinner, it was time for more beerverages! We weren’t certain where to go, but luckily enough for us, there was this amazing place right next to Ben’s; The Saloon! The beer selection was extensive, but pricey. That was ok, though, for the selection they had was all very good stuff! But what really set this place apart was the waiter we had. When I explained how I was looking to collect caps, and could I open the bottle, not only did he say ‘absolutely’, but he let me open all the bottles that were coming to our table. He even left his own personal opener on the table for me to use. And on top of all THAT, he went into the back room and collected a bag full of other caps! I came away with 15-20 caps that I hadn’t had yet! I made sure that his tip was quite heavy when it was time to leave, and then slipped him another $5 when we passed him on our way out. Loved that place!!
The last place we hit that night was a place called Four Courts. K had some friends who were there and we wanted to catch up with them. We did, we shared hello’s and handshakes, and then settled in a bit. There was a 2-man band on the stage and they were keeping the crowd moderately interested. (Most of the patrons seemed to be bar-hopping frat folks, more interested in hovering by the bar, than checking out the band.)
At any rate, when the bar closed (2am), Chris had the genius to suggest that this was the best time to ride the streets of D.C. And it WAS genius! No traffic, most of the lights were in our favor, it was awesome! Up and down we rode, streaking by this and that sight. We eventually parked on H St, walked across Lafayette Square and up to the White House fence. We shot the breeze with the guards posted there, and stuck our heads through the fence and took pictures of the White House. After that, some more riding around, then headed back to K’s for a couple of night capping beers, then off to slumber-land for a few hours.
Sunday morning! Time to get up for the run! We scoffed down a quick breakfast at a nearby breakfast joint, then shot into downtown DC. We parked quickly and soon had made our way to the corner of 23rd and Constitution, where SSgt Tim Chambers stands at attention. There was something new this year, however; roughly 10 minutes before the start of the run, two more Marines approached from Constitution Ave. They walked up to Tim, spoke for a little bit, then shook hands with him and proceeded up 23rd. One of them stopped halfway to the rotary, while the other went all the way to the top of 23rd. They both stood at attention for the entire run, but I don’t know what they did when the run ended, as we didn’t stick around for the entirety (we figured 3 hours was enough).
On the bright side, Paul and Bettina did find us and we all got to say hello and catch up…for a little bit. Paul and Bettina soon mosied along to see the run from some other viewpoints, and that was that. Hopefully the next time we catch up with each other, we’ll be able to squeeze in some frosties.
We made our break from downtown, proper, and hit a sportsbar called the Green Turtle. They’re the ones with the Irish Breakfast shot. Meh, it was ok. From there, we headed back to K’s to freshen up again, then it was time to head out for the evening. Yeah man, we’re headed back to Old Town! We hit one place on the water – I don’t remember the name of it, but it was ‘ok’. We had one drink, paid our tab, and hit the bricks. Our destination? Murphy’s! Yeah! Love this place! The guy on the stage was engaging the crowd very well, the waitress was decent enough (no caps tonight, though), and we had many laughs, long into the evening. Yep, right up until Cindy stepped outside, then returned to inform us that it was raining out. What? It wasn’t supposed to rain tonight! What the hell? Let’s check the weather maps on the phones. Holy Impending Rain Pattern! Ok, well we’re not going to try waiting out the current precipitation because what’s coming behind it looks rather ferocious. We settled up our tab, fired up the bikes and enjoyed a fast-paced, albeit soaking wet ride back to K’s house.
After changing into dry clothes, we kicked around for a little bit, not at all anxious to close the door on our final night in DC. We shared some laughs about this, that and the other thing, when suddenly K remembered she had a friend hanging out in the closet. Introducing; Mr. Ugly!
Did I mention that he likes to pack heat? Yeah, not only is this thing beyond creepy on its own, it’s especially unnerving when its holding a service revolver. What can I say, things get weird on the road.
Anyway, we soon turned in and got some shut-eye in preparation for the long ride home the next morning. And all too soon; that morning arrived with the buzzing of the alarm. Bleah, time to get up. Walking out the door, who should be laying against the door, waiting for me? None other than Mr. Ugly itself. Gahh!! Not what I needed to see, in the darkness, first thing in the morning, with a still-foggy head! (At least he didn’t have the gun on him anymore!) I moved him gently to the couch and tucked a blanket around him to keep him warm. I definitely wanted to keep on this things’ good side.
And that was that. We hammered the 500 miles home (on only 5 hours of sleep, after a long, low-sleep weekend, to boot). The ride was good enough; no rain, sun wasn’t too bad, and we beat most of the traffic. We pulled over in RI to get some needed grub and a cocktail or three, before hopping back onto the highway and knocking off the last leg of the trip.
Whew!! What a year. Thanks again, K!!! As always, we had an amazing time, and all for an amazing purpose; the celebration and appreciation of the Veterans who have, and who continue to secure our freedoms for us. For those that have not made this trip yet – You Need To!
And in the meantime, remember to thank a Vet!! We did. And we Rode Hard, and we Took Chances!
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