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
9 comments:
I was happy to help you out! I had alot of fun doing it! Glad it was a success!! Looking forward to the next trip too.
..... I forget to say one thing, that your song "The Ride", truly describes what your trip was. I know first hand! It was the perfect song.
Haha! Well, thanks for the thanks... glad you could visit us! You got out just in time. The hills are on fire right now!
Yeah the song says it all from my perspective. The next trip is already in the works. I’m looking forward to it already!
Mike,
Not only that but the day I left you had rain that followed me all the way home. I stayed a day ahead of it all the way home. Then there was big show storm in the west a few days after I left and now the hills are on fire. I was really blessed with the weather.
Welcome home. Simply awesome........great job & beautiful photography. I spoke of your journey to my mother in law who is a teacher & she asked me to ask you if you would be a guest speaker explaining your journey to her fifth grade class at Norwood Public School. Please let me know if you are interested & I will have her contact you.
Thank you Mr. Greed! I’m glad you are enjoying the website and were able to follow my American Journey “08.” I would be happy to speak to the 5th grad class. Feel free to have your mother-in law contact me.
Welcome back Frank! I enjoyed riding along (virtually) with you, too. Great job, and glad you had a safe journey. I am still enjoying the great photos, so I hope you keep them on your blog a while longer. Take care. Anthony.
Thanks Anthony! Yes I will be keeping the photos up. I will also continue to post. As I said in the trip summery, “this is just the start!” I have and exciting event coming up shortly where I will be SCUBA diving on a 550 foot ship wreck in 140 feet of water on the ocean bottom in Fl. I will also be posting many more motorcycle rides. Looking forward to more of your comments in the near future.
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