Happy 100th Birthday Uncle Louie!

Well, things are settling down a bit since the SCUBA trip in Oct. There was a dusting of snow here last night and won't be much riding for the next couple months. I have a trip or two I did in the summer that I haven’t posted yet. So, during the long stretch of winter I will put them up. It will be nice to remember the days out on the road.

One event very worth mentioning was last month my Great Uncle Louis Buonocore had his 100th birthday. He still drives, goes square dancing several times a week and plays the violin. His family threw a very nice party for him and I met relatives that I didn’t even know I had. Happy Birthday Uncle Louie! I hope I got some of those genes!

Diving The Spiegel Grove, 2008 (part #2)

Frank, Tom, Chad, Glenn, Klink & Hooper diving the Spiegel Grove. Key largo, 2008.

Click on video below.

Check out Diving The Spiegel Grove, 2008 (part #1), below.

Diving The Spiegel Grove, 2008 (part 1)

At the end of October some fellow divers and myself headed down to Key Largo, Fl. to dive The USS Spiegel Grove.

The Spiegel Grove is a United States Navy Ship. It’s called a Landing Ship Dock (LSD 32),. She was commissioned in June of 1956 and she was decommissioned October, 1998 after serving in amphibious exercises along the eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean with several goodwill trips to Africa. She was moved to Florida in 2002 and was sunk to create an artificial reef in Key Largo.

The ship is 510 feet in length, 84 feet wide. When the ship was sunk it flipped upside down. But then it was flipped onto her side by putting giant balloons into it and raising it. When it was on it’s side I dove to the bottom depth of about 135 ft at the stern and swam up the other side. The depth at the highest point of the ship is about 65 ft. Due to the waves, surge and currents from Hurricane Dennis in 2005, the Spiegel Grove shifted and now sits upright demonstrating the incredible power of the ocean.

Diving the Grove is an awesome experience and adventure. When dropping down on the rope to the ship you start to see the silhouette at about 25 feet. It’s so big that you can’t see the whole ship and it feels like you are seeing the Titanic. It’s an excellent wreck with a lot of history. There are many places to penetrate the wreck. But do not go inside unless you have the experience to do so. I’ve been diving this wreck since 2003. I have about 20 dives on it and know my way around a bit. Enjoy the pictures below. They will give you an idea of what the wreck is like but check back real soon. I will be posting a video of the dive that will be outstanding and I think you will really enjoy it!

Chad, Frank & Tom

American Journey 2008, (trip summery)

8,004.2 MILES

I rode 8,004.2 miles on this incredible “American Journey, 2008," and spread the word about the Wounded Warrior Project. I rode my Harley Davidson Ultra Classic motorcycle, hence forth known as “The Ride,” for 30 days on this trip. I averaged 266.8 miles per day. But some days I stayed close to one place and rode very few miles. Other days I rode over 500 miles. I stayed in one place about 4 days. If you subtract those days, I rode an average of 307.9 miles a day. I spent $949.28 in gas, that’s a little over $.11 per mile. The days went real fast. I did all those miles, the sightseeing and blogging everyday. I averaged about 7 hours sleep per night and then it started all over again each day, non-stop for 17 hours, day after day. It was tiring but it was great!!! (Click on the pictures to enlarge them).

I rode through 18 states (that I know of…lol).
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
Ohio
Indiana
Wisconsin
Minnesota
South Dakota
Wyoming
Montana
Utah
Nevada
California
Arizona
Colorado
Kansas
Missouri

Idaho, (and I may have been in Maryland and West Virginia briefly)

Some of the animals that I’ve seen on this trip are,
Antelope, Mountain Goats, Bison, Coyotes, Elk, Different Deer, Prairie Dogs, Ducks, Lamas, Horses, Cows & Cattle, Sheep, Regular Goats, Donkeys, Big crows & lots of different birds.

This trip has been truly blessed with the weather. After I left Jersey, it got hit with rain for days. Then shortly after the 45 mph winds I experienced in SD those winds picked up to 75 mph. That would have made it impossible to ride through. After I got through the middle of the country, that area got hit with massive rain. I caught a little of it in Minnesota and when I left Salt Lake City, but I missed most of the heavy stuff. The week before I rode over the Bear Tooth Pass they got 2-3 feet of snow. But when I got there it was perfect. As I left California a massive cold front with rain hit the west coast and crossed the entire country. It hit the day after I left CA. and I stayed one step ahead of it for 3,000 miles. I couldn’t ask for more. Right now the entire west (where I was just 5 short days ago), is getting hit with a major snow storm.

There was a good amount of press coverage on this trip and it is still continuing. The “American Journey” was a featured story in 3 news papers and a KRNV (NBC) TV new broadcast. It was also updated 5 additional times in the papers and mentioned on another news broadcast so far. My "American Journey" trip was also announced on Sirius Satellite Radio live from the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Click on the links below for some of the stories and video.

Here's the link to the Suburbanite piece: http://www.nvsuburbanite.com/NC/0/1156.html

Community Life.http://www.pvcommunitylife.com/NC/0/1026.html

More KRNV links, http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9076642

Other blogs;

http://web.me.com/artanon/Artanon/World_of_Artanon/Entries/2008/10/2_Honoring_Wounded_Veterans.html

http://blog.milowerx.com/?p=631

I’ve already started to plan next years “American Journey, 2009.” It promises to be another great adventure and a Revolutionary trip! I’m taking reservations for whoever wants to come along. Just make a comment on this post and let me know and I’ll get in touch with you.

This site will continue to be constantly active. There has been nearly 1,300 visits to the site since I started it 7 short weeks ago. Not a bad start, but this is only the start. Check back often for new rides and adventures. Next, me and some friends will be SCUBA diving on a 550 foot ship wreck, in 140 feet of sea water. It’s incredible!

I would like to thank the people and organizations who helped out with this trip in one way or another;
Susan Latilla, Susan Fazio, Kim Redmond, Kevin Glynn, The Pascack Valley Community Life, Laurie Kaplan, Kristin Bonnett, The Pascack Press, The Suburbanite, Shelley Kudelka, NBC affiliate KRNV in Reno, Chad Malloy, Tom Schroeder, Mike Milo, Mike Ratto, Mike Dash, Nancy Triggiani-Musco, Linda Newton, all of you who have followed the trip week after week and those of you who have showed me your support while I was on the road. Thank you!!!

My original song “The Ride” best describes this trip.

Click on this link to hear "The Ride" and my other original songs or click on the link on the left of this page: www.taximusic.com/hosting/home.php?userid=8336

The Ride

By: Frank James Buonocore

Living life out on the highway. Riding down this country road. I see life is going my way. This land of freedom is my home, and I roam.

I see adventure in the distance. I feel the sunshine on my face. At night the stars make their entrance. Dancing across time and space.

Riding over the mountains, to the valleys down below, I take it west and head to the ocean, everywhere is where I want to go.

I don’t look to hard at where I’m going. Remember folks of where I’ve been. Having a good time chasing the unknown. The only way I know to win.

Riding over the mountains, to the valleys down below, I take it west and head to the ocean, everywhere is where I want to go.

Watching the rain dancing on the road ahead. I hear the thunder in the sky. Oh man not again, it’s raining on my head. Makes no sense to wonder why.

It’s just part of the ride

Just part of your wild ride

Just part of the ride

Just part of life’s crazy ride

Just part of the ride

The ride of life

Home Sweet Home! (American Journey)

I wanted to make it home from the middle of Ohio. Unfortunately I went off course in Columbus but wasn't sure at the time. I left my hotel room at 8:40 AM because I wanted to make good time, but I misjudged the weather. There was dense fog and it was in the low 40's at best! Add that to 65-70 mph when the fog lifted and it was cold! After an hour of riding I had to stop at a Burger King to warm my legs. I hadn't needed anything other then jeans this whole trip for my legs, nor did I bring anything. But I needed it today. After 4 cups of coffee (and another breakfast...shocker!), I put on my rain pants for some extra wind protection. Then I cowboy-ed up and hit the trail. It was a long, hard day of riding, especially when I was so close to home and was looking forward to getting there.

It was fall when I got back home. The leaves are changing and the air is crisp. It's a far cry from the 98 degrees I left in CA. a few short days ago.

I rode about 10 hours and here I am, rode weary and chilly, but home.

Victory!

Check this site tomorrow. I'll be doing a written and photo summery of the whole trip.