Days 1 and 2 - Charlestown, WV and Shenandoah Nat. Park

Day 1 - Baltimore, MD to Charlestown, WV
The day started with a mild hangover, still in Baltimore at a cute girls house, rounding up my period of vagrancy (thank you David, Lisa, Vi, Deborah, Vi, DMC, and Lauren). After trying very hard to sleep in (I was pretty anxious about the trip) I headed out on 83, passing campus to get gas and a coke... I was taking it easy cause I was tired... and bam! I got a ticket for doing 70 in a 55 zone (thank you Officer Thomas) - luckily I had my registration on me - and they told me that MD tickets don't reciprocate to CA... good maybe I won't pay it? I thought that was some odd information for police to share with me... they were pretty cute too actually
Then after some general trying not to panick... or fall asleep... and wondering when I would finally be ready for the road, I got out around 4 pm, after finding out that I wouldn't be getting any turn signals from Dafan (thanks Dafan and Nate anyways)

Sneaky Emily - speeding and squatting at churches.

Man I was so tired though - so I wasn't really sure where I'd end up... I headed for Shenandoah National Park via Charlestown, WV - which is a town that I know pretty well since its right next to summit point.
I even tried to stay at Summit Point - but it would cost 25 bucks cause its a race weekend. I've actually set up camp at a lutheran church... service tomorrow at 7 - so this will be a quick sleep for me. But there's a firefly show going on outside my tent, which is smelling interesting already - I hope I shower sometime before I get to Chicago.

Here is my setup behind the church.

Actually, I thought about returning to town for a bite to eat after setting up behind the church... because I've only had a powerbar all day - and I'm pretty thirsty too - but no, nervousness has kept me.

Mmm I hear a motorcycle! : D
and I've found a non-country station on the radio -- ooh barraccuda!
Anyhows time to turn off the laptop...
Tomorrow through shenandoah!

Day 2 - Charlestown, WV to Charlottesville, VA to ?
I woke up at 5:30 - having no idea when service would start, and thinking that it might be at 7. It's not by the way, I could have probably slept in a few more hours. After baking in my tent all night, I was so relieved to put on my cold, damp jeans - something that I've never been glad for ever before. There was a small array of bugs on my tent, including what I think was either a humongous tick or a ladybug - I somehow repacked all my stuff, and headed to mcdonalds - mmm breakfast (should a yogurt parfait be sweeter than the powerade?)
i left there at around 8... and headed down to shenandoah on 340. At one point I passed by Dinosaur land - that looked like a remnant of... rte. 66 - it was so early it was closed
then I had to run through a red light cause it wasn't turning green

My bike is scarrier than the dino...

When i got to the park, the very nice park ranger lady told me that there was gravel on miles 22-31 and maybe at mile 43 - it was like going to a ski or theme park - with a ticketperson telling you which lifts are down for the morning - ahhhh - my kind of theme park has gravel warnings.

Shenandoah (Skyline Dr.) is 100 miles of lovely turns, intermingled with crazy wildlife and no stop signs, lots of opportunities to pass, and cruiser/touring bikes everywhere. Its the sexiest bit of road that I've been on since leaving California last summer. Actually - its the sexiest bit of road ever - If I feel like I need to be near my new East Coast family... then I will probably move in between Summit Point and Shenandoah - oh man! oh man!

It's like the Los Laureles Grade only 100 mi. instead of 7 mi.

After a few miles getting used to the road, and the view - oh my god! - I started to pick up the pace. First I saw a bear right in the other lane... a huge bear!! It scrambled back into the mountain. I saw a bajillion deer - the d in deer is for dumb - I didn't slow down enough for one and nicked its foot as it changed direction right into my path - hopefully it didn't hurt the deer at all... then I saw some mice and a beaver - I think

My favorite songs for the park were a french song vi gave me, an ennio morricone song that they use in Kill Bill 2 when pounding the bride into her grave (that was excellent for the gravel portion of the road), and a spanish song that they play at the end of Kill Bill 2 when she and BB are driving away. Hmmm... I've never before been so limited in my mp3 selection - stupid fried harddrive - all you readers should email me one mp3 each of a song you think I should have while on the road (teknokruncher@gmail.com)

I was going 60 through most of the park... probably much to the chagrin of all the harleys and goldwings out there. Actually one goldwing was holding up the garbage truck... the G in goldwing is for Go learn how to RIDE your bike. I met some nice fellows from Pittsburgh and some other ones from Quebec - their accents were excellent - so far everyone has been pretty wide eyed to see me and my bike and then hear my plans... ah confounding the world again - most excellent. I wasn't passed by anyone else - so that would make me the fastest bike in the park - yeehaw!
By the way, I predict that I will get one more ticket before I'm done -- just with how today has gone so far... I'm sure my mom doesn't want to read that...

Plans for today - to head west through VA back in WV - not sure where. I plan on staying at churches for most of the way, simply because they're everywhere and they have nice backyards that are generally hidden from plain view, and I won't have to worry about too many people except Wed. and Sun. mornings... plus who in a church is going to say - hey you - we're going to call the sherriff... ah but then I will get arrested/ticketed for vagrancy - just like pancho barnes! haha maybe not... cough... sorry mom : )

Check back some truly badass film footage that I took while in the park.

Geotag - Panera at Charlottesville, VA
38.051739
-78.500535