wanting to get past the tapanzee before the morning traffic i agree to arrive at robert's for a 6:00 departure. this means leaving my area by 5:00 (sorry neighbors).

my 1st photo of the day shows the mileage on the rc a few digital clicks under 21k and the fuel light on.

this means 2 stops for gas on the way to robert's since i want to start from his place with a full tank. i will be at a disadvantage on this trip as robert's bmw gs has a range of about 230 miles compared to my 100.

here is a shot, in the dark, right before we leave from his house in glenn ridge, nj.

the rc51 will never be a goldwing, but some upgrades make traveling more comfortable and fun. the most important upgrade is the sargent seat (huge thanks to rigor from the speedzilla forum for letting me borrow this).

other additions include:

• cowl bag from www.luggagelocker.com

• camera mount from www.sportbikecam.com

the clear stock windscreen went back on for better shots from the camera.

the game plan to head out early works beautifully. we cross the tapanzee bridge with no sign of traffic then hit 100 north to valhalla where we stop for breakfast. we chow down a sausage and egg sandwich while chatting with some retired locals about our bikes and upcoming trip.

here's the 1st shot of the bikes in the daylight.

from valhalla we hop on the taconic parkway. as the sun fights to come out we hit a few small patches of fog.

the tac proves to be a great road with plenty of sweeping curves.

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our 1st stop for gas shows i traveled about 90 miles:

on about 3 gallons of gas:

equating to about 30 mpg. not too horrible.

we turn off the taconic in hillsdale, ny and stop for some quick ink (just kidding mom).

riding through massachusetts robert demonstrates the proper way to pass an 18 wheeler.

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traveling into vermont the roads get scenic and smooth.

stopping for gas we get a tip on a great old style diner called "the blue benn" in bennington. we find the small roadside diner that looks like it might have been on wheels at one point.

anyone for some stained glass eggs and bacon?

after lunch we continue on the smaller roads of vt.

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after a time check we agree to pick up route 91 to make up some time. for a slab route 91 is not too bad. there are plenty of scenic sections and some great flowing curves.

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stopping for gas we admire some of the "bug art" on my helmet's face shield.

off the slab we take side roads into nh. here we are crossing into nh.

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arriving at the hill top inn (www.hilltopinn.com) we get a huge welcome from owners mike and meri. mike rides a bmw rt and has some great tales of touring all over the country. we catch up a bit over a few spicy bloody marys. his stories make our weekend trip seem like a ride around the block.

i head back outside to check the odometer (showing a total of 349 miles traveled today) and to snap a few photos.

day two begins with an amazing breakfast (blueberry soufflé) and a quick map check.

our two goals today are to visit portland maine and to find red's eats about 50 miles north on route 1 in wiscasset. robert got a tip that red's has one of the best lobster rolls in the state from a forum called chowhound.

see the post here:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/317550

we decide to carve the mountainous route 302 which conveniently runs into portland. the nh portion of 302 is amazing. the road has a great combination of straights and sweeping curves perfect for a sport bike to stretch its legs.

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the sign at the beginning of this next clip reads "steep winding road".

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our fun abruptly stops as we cross into maine. it seems every town spotted on 302 has poorly timed traffic lights and horrific traffic. with visions of buttered lobster in our head we decide to slab it towards the direction of red's. portland will have to wait for another trip.

arriving at red's we score a sweet parking space right across the street.

red's eats is a true roadside shack with a line wrapped around the block. take note of robert at the end of the line snapping a photo.

our 1st thought is - do they have enough lobster in that small shed for all these people?

while on line we read a sign that sums up the experience.

an hour and ten minutes after arriving we sit at the only available table and enjoy our $18.95 lobster rolls with a side of fried clams.

yes there is a toasted hot dog roll under that pile of lobster (look closely). it is the best lobster i have had without any of the work. it is a truly a great experience.

with a belly full of lobster we decide to trek small roads home to avoid the tourist traffic on 302. we get back to the white mountain region of nh by early evening. the clouds are starting to form but we are only about an hour from the inn.

that's not a visitor; it's robert snapping a photo of me snapping a photo of him.

we are pleasantly amazed with the lack of wildlife we see while riding. but there are reminders posted of what you might potentially see around the next corner.

thinking we are home free the rain drops start falling. we stop to stow the camera and throw on rain gear.

we get back to the inn without incident and realize we traveled exactly 300 miles today in search of the perfect lobster roll and some adventure.

i awake sunday with the disturbing sound of steady rainfall coming from my open window (turn up the sound for this clip).

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a quick check on the net shows both nh and vt are covered in soup.

the good news is the weather is traveling east and should pass soon. also the forecast gets better towards home. our plan is to head due west into vt and take the scenic route 100 to travel south. we figure this is the best plan for a relaxing trip home and to beat the weather moving east.

we enjoy our breakfast (a wonderful quiche) and admire some of the local wildlife.

the inn has two resident ladies called beemer and bogey. beemer joins us for some morning conversation.

also staying at the inn this weekend is a great 2 year old black lab called buddy.

the entrance to the inn has our gear drying from the evening before.

we suit up and head out. the roads are wet but the rain seems to be letting up.

a few miles from the inn we stop in bath to snap some photos of new hampshire's oldest working covered bridge.

after our quick photo shoot the rain starts falling again. it slows us down a bit but we press west.

we find a great general store in east randolph, vt for a cup of coffee and a quick break from the road.

we are appalled to discover it's almost noon and we have not started south yet! this day is going to be much longer than expected. and the rain shows no sign of letting up.

finally traveling south on route 100 we hit some nasty micro climates in the mountains. the rain and fog is so thick that i lose sight of robert's flashers in front of me. i want to stop to snap a photo but it would be too dangerous and i might never see robert again. after passing killington the fog lets up and we only have the rain to deal with.

our last fill up in vt shows the rain is falling steadily.

looking at the time we decide to ditch route 100 and take a more direct path home. once we get into mass the weather lets up and the sun comes out. we stop at a great deli/café at the junction of rt 7 and 43 in wiliamstown for a snack and to peel off our rain gear.

my bike looks like it has been off-road at this point.

the rest of the trip home is uneventful. we hit the taconic to the saw mill which brings us over the tapenzee.

the last photo from my driveway shows we traveled about 1000 miles over the weekend!