Friday May 5, 2023
The Iron Butt Rally was a little over a month away and I was itching to get out on a bike and do some long distance riding. I had gone out a few weeks before and picked up some of the PA Memorials but had run out of time and could not get the last two due to a family event. I wanted to finish up PA and do all of New York. The weather appeared to be cooperating however it was till rather cold at night, but not an issue as I had the gear for that. After work I put some clothes in my bag, geared up, and hit the road around 7:30pm.
My first stop was a little over an hour away, a Vietnam War Memorial in downtown Allentown. This was an easy ride straight up the Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike. I pulled up in front of the memorial at 8:25pm and took my photo.
From there I got back on the PA Turnpike headed north to I-80 and then turned west to Bloomsburg where I had reserved a room for the night. I pulled into the Hampton Inn Bloomsburg around 10:15pm, checked in, showered, and went to sleep.
Saturday May 6, 2023
Knowing I was going to have a long day I slept in and rolled out of bed around 7am. I dressed, packed the bike, and then went in for breakfast. I normally load up on breakfast and skip lunch and today was no different. Around 7:30am I was back on the road and headed to Williamsport PA form my next stop, another Vietnam War Memorial.
The ride went well and I made fairly good time. I had some early morning fog but it wasn’t too bad. I pulled into the Lycoming County Veterans Park around 8:30am and was treated to numerous memorials. I really enjoy sites such as this and before I stopped I decided I’d be here for a bit checking out all of the memorials. My first order of business is taking the “official” photo for the memorial and submitting it.
Next to the memorial was a sign welcoming Tour of Honor riders
Also at this site was a Gold Star Memorial which is also part of the Tour of Honor rides, so I also took a photo of that memorial with my flag.
Some of the other memorials at the site
After spending 10-15 minutes taking photos it was time to get back on the road. From here I was headed to Westfield NY in the southwest corner of the state. After almost 4 hours and 240 miles I pulled up in front of the memorial which was located in Moore Park in downtown Westfield NY. After I got off my bike and grabbed my phone and flag I took a look at the phone as I was walking and saw that I had a text from a friend of mine. I read the text and it was terrible news, my friend Chris Rasmussen had passed. I almost collapsed when I read the text as I was in shock.
I sat down on a nearby bench in a daze. Suddenly I had no desire to continue on and I seriously considered checking into the closest hotel and heading to a bar. The realization that I was pretty much at my furthest point from home ruled that out, and I decided that I’d dedicate this ride to my friend Chris. After 20 minutes I pulled myself together, and took my photo of the memorial
Back on the road around 1:10pm I was headed northeast to Rochester NY which was about 2 hours away. After a smooth ride of 130 miles I pulled into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial of Greater Rochester around 3:20pm. This memorial was part of the Tour of Honor a few years ago and it is one of my favorite and most moving locations. It is a rather large park with quite a few memorials. I parked my bike and I was off on my hike to take my photo of a black granite wall with a soldier walking into it.
The description of the memorial from the Tour of Honor website:
“A soldier walking into a polished black granite wall, signifying the passing of time from then to now and capturing the reflections of all who gaze upon the mirrored surface”
Some of the other memorials in the park:
The Walk of Honor which is a snaking line of stainless-steel bollards that line the path, each representing a Rochester area soldier that is listed as KIA or MIA. Many of these have photos of the solder. For me it’s one thing seeing a number indicating how many were lost, but having an individual marker for each of those individuals makes it more impactful.
Once I was done I walked back to my bike and I was on my way. Overall I spent about 45 minutes at the memorial. My next stop was in Cortland NY which was 120 miles away. Again everything went smooth and I pulled up to the Cortland Vietnam Memorial around 6:30pm.
At the same location there was also a 9/11 Memorial which is part of the Tour of Honor so I took that photo and sent it in as well
This was a straightforward location and I was in and out in just about five minutes or so. My next stop was pretty much due north in Canton NY, 165 miles away. As I was headed north it was starting to get dark and I started thinking about where I was going to stop for the night. I was thinking Canton may be a good option since I was going to get in after 9:30pm. Not wanting to stop to book a room I decided to do a quick search on my GPS to see what was on my route and a Best Western popped up. I figured I’d simply pull in and check in inside rather than book in advance. I pulled into town and parked in front of the WWI and WWII Veterans Memorial at 9:45pm and took my photo.
I was back on the road in just a few minutes, and I was feeling pretty good, but I was looking forward to a hotel room and a hot shower. I saw the Best Western – University Inn and in the parking lot there were quite a few police cars with their flashing lights, so I decided to pass. Had I been thinking I would have pulled over and performed a search for a hotel room, but I didn’t. My (flawed) logic was most of the memorials were in fairly populated locations with hotels nearby, and I was typically on highways with hotels nearby. But this area of NY was not “Typical.”
Canton was my most northern location and I was now headed south. My next stop was in Long Lake NY 75 miles away. Had I looked at my route I would have noticed there were no population centers along my route, and I was going to be on NY state highways. At 11pm I was approaching Tupper Lake near Piercefield NY, and I had a good view of the full moon reflecting off the lake, so I pulled over for a quick photo.
I’m always leery of shutting my bike off in the middle of nowhere in the dark like this, but the bike fired right up, and I was on my way. 45 minutes later I pulled into Long Lake NY and stopped near the WWII Memorial at 11:40pm.
After submitting my photo I did a quick search for hotels and the only hotels I could find were 45 miles away or more in the wrong direction. Not wanting to backtrack I decided to continue on to my next stop 147 miles away in Stamford NY. I was back on the road and was getting a little nervous on fuel. My 2007 Sportster does not have an auxiliary fuel tank and the fuel mileage is not as good as my 2006 Sportster. On my side was the fact that I was on smaller roads traveling at slower speeds which increases my fuel mileage a fair amount. There were some gas stations along my route however many were closed. Also I was seeing quite a few smaller motels however they were also closed. Andy by closed I mean dark, with no lights, not even a No Vacancy sign out front. I guess the first weekend of May is not a big tourist weekend.
As the time ticked by and the distance traveled increased my stress level increased. I had come across a gas station however it was dark and the pumps were shut off. Further down the road in the thriving metropolis of Blue Mountain NY I spotted a small gas station and the pumps were on. I was able to top off at The Corner Store at Blue Mountain Lake at midnight.
With that I relaxed and was on my way to my next stop. I pulled up next to the Veterans Memorial Park in Stamford NY at 3:20am. The park was brightly lit, and I walked over and took my photo.
I decided that I’d take a break here so I sat down on a bench and relaxed. And within a few minutes I was cold, too cold to relax. So much for taking a nap! It was at that point I realized I was riding through the night since it was not worth checking into a hotel at this point. I got back on my bike and was on my way south with my next stop actually in PA at the Veterans Memorial Park and Education Center in Matamoras PA 100 miles away. Along the way I got on the NY State Thruway, and I was actually happy for the first time. This meant I had rest stops where I could get some food, a place to rest, and fuel. At 5:30am I stopped at the rest area near Plattekill for a much-needed break. I topped off the bike, got some food, and sat down at a table to relax. I didn’t actually sleep, but I relaxed and stretched out.
At 6:30am I was back on the road refreshed and at 7:10am I was pulling up near the next memorial in Matamoras. The park was pretty big, and I could not park near the memorial, so I had a short hike to get to it. The memorial was also not obvious, so I was using my GPS as I walked to find it and snapped my photo at 7:25am.
I noticed there was a 9/11 memorial in the park so I grabbed that photo as well
And with that I was back on the road at 7:40am with my next and last stop 35 miles away in Monroe NY. At 8:40am I pulled into a park hosting an F-86 aircraft that was service as a Korean War Memorial.
My photo was taken and submitted, and I was now on my way home. I had a 115-mile ride which went quick, and I was home just after 11am. I got home tired yet satisfied with my ride. Total mileage ridden since leaving home was 1,390 miles and I visited 11 Tour of Honor sites.
I laughed at myself for not planning better for a hotel room, but fully realize I will most likely be making that mistake again because I am not a planner. I was also in a daze at the loss of my friend Chris. Prior to this ride I had been considering not riding in the Iron Butt Rally for several reasons, however I had a lot of time to reflect on that while riding and had decided that I would be riding in memory of Chris who had been accepted into the 2023 IBR.
This ride was dedicated to my friend, Chris Rasmussen, who I am sure was looking out for me as I rode.
Chris' Riding Adventures 