An American Motorcycle Diary

Those born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina apparently have  a distinct and somewhat endangered accent which stands out in the South for its unique qualities.  Among the various regional Southern accents, the Charleston accent utilizes a vowel sound that keeps the same quality for the whole syllable. Under certain conditions the letter “r” is  not pronounced when it occurs after a vowel or at the end of a syllable (as in fah away). The features of this speech may be attributed to its early settlement by the the Huguenots and Sephardic Jews, both of which had major influences on the development of the area. It is more likely though that the speech … Continue Reading

Isaac Newton said, “We build too many walls and not enough bridges.”

It was already eighty-six degrees  and the humidity was 80 %  at 6:45 AM on Wednesday when we resumed our ride south on Rt 17.  We crossed the Neuse River in New Bern on a bridge that was battered by five hurricanes during its construction from 1995 until 1999.

It seemed sturdy enough, considering that there was: 49,000,000 pounds of steel; 200,000 cubic yards reinforced concrete ; 221,000 feet (just about forty miles worth) of pilings, drilled shaft, and piers; eight miles of bridge railing; and 40,000 feet (over seven miles) of concrete precast girders used in the … Continue Reading

Her grey hair is thick, full and  cut perfectly to frame her face. She has no noticeable furrows, brow lines or wrinkles in her skin, which has a soft and smooth appearance. She has avoided the pitfalls of spending to much time  in the sun. She is articulate, choosing her words wisely. She presents herself as comfortable and confident. We are sitting on wrought iron furniture on the front lawn of her modest brick home, under a tree, while the sun is low in the sky. If not for the hanging branches, the sun would be in her eyes. I am sweating … Continue Reading

We left Moe’s at around six o’clock on Monday morning. The cresting sun was hidden by low level clouds. It was cool, and the dew had drenched my bike.

We drove south on Interstate 95 to catch Rt.13 south of Norfolk. The sun slowly burned off the low lying clouds and filled the morning air with light and warmth.   We traveled in a south westerly direction on Rt.13 with the early morning angle of the suns light flickering a strobe effect through the trees while, we moved along at fifty five miles an hour.

As a New Yorker, I have grown accustomed to seeing grand-like churches and cathedrals built … Continue Reading

I visited with the Moe man for a day and a half on this journey.

He has been a better friend to me  than I have been to him. I love him for that. Despite my failings as a friend, he still calls me on my birthday, sends a card on the holidays, calls my wife and I on our anniversary. He shares  his most  intimate thoughts with me, bringing me in as one of his closest confidantes. I on the other hand rarely call anybody on their birthday, I no longer send out holiday cards and the only wedding anniversary date I am absolutely sure of is my own.  My wife can … Continue Reading

We continued our trek from Dr Jon’s toward the Pennsylvania border on Rt 94 on Friday. The sky remained clear during our treck down Rt 222. As me made our way south we encountered several traffic jams for what appeared to be no apparent reason. As we plodded along in the high eighty degree temperatures at five miles an hour I found my self cursing  route 222. It was my 666 but only a fraction. Ross had it no better as his Saturn Ion has no air conditioning and it’s black. The only solace we found was when the jam would … Continue Reading

I left Warwick with Ross behind me in his car as our newly formed support vehilce on Friday, traveling southwest on  Rt. 94 in New Jersey.

Rt.94 is a winding road, peppered with small villages and town ships with names like Vernon, Hamburg, Lafeyette, Hampton and Newton in Sussex County, and  Blairstown and Knowlton in Warren County. There were small villages with nineteenth century buildings laid close to the streets providing for a sense of intimacy, a bonding where residents lived close to the local business district. On this day I … Continue Reading

The original plan was to make our way east to South Portland, Maine, then south through Massachusetts. However, Ross struggled with the discomfort he felt in his back. His bike tipped at a stop and he wrenched his back in keeping it up. The pain kept him up the first night of our trip. When he got out of bed, he recognized how difficult it would be to ride with the soreness he felt. He suggested returning to Binghamton to obtain his car and make the trip keeping the video equipment and luggage in his car. I felt reluctant about this at first but it made … Continue Reading

OK, I have to admit that I was wreck for the past two days. Getting ready for this trip proved to be a formidable task.  Just preparing myself to be away from my family,  having the necessary equipment, and then questioning if any of this is worth. Why punish myself?

After a restless night, I said goodbye to my wife who has been  my constant source of support, although I understand her worries, and to my youngest daugther who has been my most ardent supporter, despite her concerns. Off  to work they went, while I pondered with my cat, “Black”, what could I have  been thinking of. … Continue Reading

Unless we have isolated ourselves in a distant cabin in the woods, miles from our closest neighbor, away from the voices of others, the decisions we make, the choices we act on, will leave a mark on someone, somehow, at sometime.  While some of our decisions can leave a long lasting and profound impact on others, most of our decisions, most of our acts are trivial and quickly forgotten. My decision to travel the United States by motorcycle during the course of this summer to make a documentary about a specific American experience will clearly impact my family and those I am close to. I too have my concerns. I am stepping away from a safe routine which I … Continue Reading