This weekend, my wife Elsa flew into Key West Florida just as I reached corner number 3 on my journey. We were able to get a room at the Navy lodge on the Truman Annex of NAS Key West. The cool thing about this place is it’s actually more south than the “Southernmost marker buoy” that all the tourists get their picture taken at. Unbeknownst to us, it was also Ernest Hemmingway’s birthday weekend and the entire Key is awash with look-a-likes for the annual competition. I’ve only had 5 or 6 locals tell me “I thought you were dead” lol. Elsa even had a little fun photo shopping my face over this years winner. I gotta say there is a resemblance.
Its Elsa’s birthday soon(the big five-zero) and I’ll be somewhere near Maine then so this is her birthday weekend for us on the tropical beach.
I’ll start my journey north tomorrow from mile marker ZERO on US 1 as I head up the east coast to Madawaska Maine by the end of August.
My stats as of 17 July 2016
17 states
2 corners
10900 miles
2 months, 3 days(65 days)
2 oil changes
2 new tires
2 new rear wheel bearings
850 photos taken
(www.tenerescrosstheusa.com)
29 blog posts
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8000 views
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408 likes
254 photos posted
We had a great week of family,food and fun. I was nervous about putting my Klim pants back on, but it was ok ;-). I flew in my teenage daughters Emily(16) and Madison(19) to Lafayette for the week to hang out with mom and I. It was one of the agreements we had made for me to take this trip.
The girls and I have a usual list of places to eat at when they get to moms, Canes chicken, Chris’s Poyboys and Deno’s pizza are at the top. Mom also makes crawfish etoufee and beef brisket.Emily was actively helping and taking notes as mom cooked. It’s good that the traditions are continuing.
It’s also great to hang out with the friends and family when we are home. Katy and Doris invited me over for boiled crabs and later I the week we had a family diner with 25 of our closest cousins at Deno’s for great pizza.
Madi and Emily have taken on the Pokemon go ap and we spend the better part of one day looking for those things, We found out that all of the decorative Pelicans around town are a stop so we went around looking for as many as we can find.
I’m planning to go to the Touratech Rally EAST in Huntington Pennsylvania this year because I couldn’t make the Touratech Rally in Plain Wa a couple weeks ago. I’m seeing a few of the videos on YouTube and it looks like a great time even though the mountains aren’t has high 😉
It’s a lot more than the a Mototcycle rally as it’s also an “Overland” rally for the 4×4, Jeep and Landrover crowd. I think it’s the best of both worlds.
There is always training on site so if you don’t have any off-road experience on your Tenere, here is the place to learn. It’s also a great time to refresh and sharpen the skills you already may have. The training ground is normally the site for the challenge competition which looks like a blast to watch with the slow race.
All throughout the weekend are seminars on a vast array of topics. Packing, tire changing, cooking on the road and first aid. I’m sure I’ll be sitting in on a few over the course of the weekend.
The event is $100 for the weekend and that includes camping, guided rides and meals. You’ll need to bring fuel. The training is normally extra. I am in contact with Touratech USA and will pass on any updates as I get them.
Please come out and join me for a great weekend. There were only about a dozen Teneres in Washington a couple weeks ago so let’s try for more!
Here is the latest
Property Address – 3 Couch Lane, Huntingdon, PA 16652
GPS Coordinates:
DD: Latitude 40.631
Longitude -77.840
DMS: Latitude N 40 37’54.678
Longitude W 77 50’25.775
There will be a sign on the street indicating the correct field entrance. All attendees must check in with Rally staff at the gate, and receive a wristband. NO ENTRY AFTER 10PM. NO WEDNESDAY ENTRY UNLESS YOU ARE A VOLUNTEER OR A VENDOR.
This year there is a meal ticket available. $70 will get you a killer catered dinner on Friday and Saturday nights and breakfast Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You have to pre-purchase this option, because we are ordering the the food before the event. Get your meal ticket here!
My time is Arkansas is done and it’s been a blast!
I got to spend about a week in Arkansas revisiting the roads and friends I made while stationed there and during my time in the Air Force. I had entered the state on the Winding stare case from Okalhoma. A great ride if you can make it. I then headed to my real good friend Jesse Baileys place in Sourhern Arkansas in the town of Waldo. Where’s Waldo, you ask? 😉 It’s not far off the Louisiana border between the town of Hope( home town of Bill Clinton) and Magnolia. It’s very rural where most of the streets are red clay dirt and gravel. Jesse retired last year and lives in the house he grew up in on 250 acres.
I then headed north up through the small town of Delight Arkansas. It’s claim to fame is sit the hometown of singer Glen Campbell. My parents always joked that I was named after him, not sure if it’s a joke or not… Lol
This was my day north.
I stayed the night at “The Hub” It’s been the site of the National Tenere Rally in 2014 and 2015. The curious thing about The Hub is it’s on the site of “Dogpatch USA”. It was a Theme park in the 60’s and 70’s based on tha comic book Li’ll Abner. What I will say about the area it has so much excellent riding in the area!
My day south from the Ozarks was to meet Jason Diamond for lunch and ride Ar 341 “Push Mountain Rd” Jason worked for me when he was fresh out of Basic Training 22 years ago and now he’s retired( yes, it makes me feel old) He lives on 341 and tells me that’s it’s extremely popular with the motorcycle guys. After riding it, I’ll whole heartedly agree! It had just finished raining and the stream was rising on the road as the humidity climbed. I scared about 5 or 6 wild turkeys off the road, in fact I passed more turkeys than cars on that stretch of super twisty road.
I ended the day in Cabot Arkansas just outside Little Rock AFB where I stayed with retired CMSgt Dave Salsbury and his wife Lori. Dave and I worked together at LRAFB but now he’s a hard riding Harley rider that doesn’t miss a Sturgis or Daytona rally.
I ended my Arkansas time at the state line town of Junction City before heading into my home state of Louisiana. All I can say now is “Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!!”
Tenere Across the USA 