Prince Edward Island  - 2 Nov 03

The sea-crossing took less than two hours and then, after a short ride of just 40 minutes, we arrived at the island's capital Charlottetown. We were told by the management at the Sydney Delta Hotel in Nova Scotia that they would phone ahead to Delta Hotel PEI to see if they would also sponsor us a room. We decided to go there first to see if something had by chance been arranged. Sure enough, the reception staff were expecting us and there was a nice personal message from the Hotel Sales Manager Mr. Lenahan-Scot, which read "Welcome to Charlottetown and enjoy your stay in Delta PIE". The reality is that we have been fortunate to receive hospitality in almost every city in Canada and the United States, such is the generosity of the people of North America. In truth, and unlike in some previous countries, our trusty Terra Nova Tent has been used here only a few times. So when presented with wonderful, complementary 5-star accommodation in such a beautiful location you kick back and relax because you never know when it will happen again.We stayed two days and basically did nothing except relax in the hotel. The town, like all towns in the Maritimes, had a strong community spirit and a warm and friendly atmosphere. Our motor cycles stopped people dead in the street and even a visit to the local restaurant for breakfast brought the customers from the warm inside, outside into the cold to admire our motorbikes. We departed PEI from Bordon Carleton and headed across the new one mile-long bridge to Cape Tormentine in New Brunswick. We had to return to Fredericton, New Brunswick as Monika had left her Walkman and a jacket in a hotel there two weeks earlier, during our ride across Canada, and she hoped it would still be there for her collect.

Maine USA  -  05 Nov 03

After a day's ride south in Snow flurries, and a successful and fortunate recuperation of Monika’s belongings from Fredericton, we then rode south to Vanceboro for our border crossing from Canada to the USA. The crossing was routine and within just 30 minutes we were on our way along Route 6 heading south across the state of Maine.

We visited Mr Duane Snow and his garage “Street cycles of Falmouth” and were treated to a nice meal out at the local restaurant and a lovely hotel. The following morning after a quick check of the bikes we continued our long journey across those remaining states of North America necessary for the successful completion of our first Guinness World record. En route to better weather we had to make sure that we visit the remaining states on the way. We rode across New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont, where we stopped for the night at a friend’s house in Marlboro. The next day we were back on the road passing through Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. We had a home welcome from Pete and his lovely wife located in a small rural village called Whitehorse Sta. We met Pete earlier this year, while he was on vacation in the Everglades, in Florida, where he treated us to a boat ride around the Everglades National Park.

Washington DC  -  12 Nov 03

We both loved Washington DC, it was ironic that it took us 18 months to get to the White House from England and when we got there we learned that George Bush has just departed DC for London! After a one day tour of the city we headed south. Our destination was Savannah, a beautiful and historic city in the state of Georgia. Savannah’s architecture and civic charm took us by surprise and we stayed for 2 days in order to enjoy it. Our favourite place was Riverside Street, where we watched the boats ply up and down the river whilst we passed away hours just sipping coffee. We toured the old part of town and enjoyed the calm relaxing atmosphere.
 

Tennessee  - 30 Nov 03

We now find our selves in Tennessee our 45th State heading west towards Colorado and 4,900 Kilometres short of the endurance world record.

Tennessee – Memphis  30 Nov - 01 Dec 03 (Monika)

 Memphis is probably the number one tourist attraction in the state of Tennessee and this is the venue Simon and I choose to explore on our travels through the state.   So why Memphis?  Well, first of all it’s the birthplace of Rock and Roll, or so the locals claim with justifiable pride.  It’s certainly the town where Elvis Presley lived, became famous and where he eventually settled.  Every year thousands of tourists come from all over the world to visit his mansion – Graceland.  And for two days Simon and I become tourists, too.

Graceland was easy to find.  The sun was shining and the sky was blue, one could say a perfect day.  We parked our bikes and took in our surroundings.  In front of us across the road was Graceland, to our left was Elvis’ Heartbreak Hotel and to our right were his planes, cars, souvenir shops and Rock ‘n’ Roll cafes. We purchased tickets for the Mansion Tour ( $ 16.50 per person ). A few minutes later we were sitting in a mini-bus with headphones on, listening to a commentary about Elvis’ life, his music and even, in his own words, about his home.

The tour was an enjoyable one.  We saw Elvis’ living-room and dining-room, a beautiful kitchen, family room, guest room, music room, billiard room and other locations of interest.  The rooms and garden were dressed with Christmas decorations, which added that extra feel to the mansion tour.  Apart from the “living quarters”, there was so much more to see.  What used to be a garage is now a museum showing some of the “King’s” personal possessions such as his clothing and writing desk, his gun-collection and many other items of interest.  After leaving the museum we walked though the garden to another building which serves as an office, the interior of which has been kept locked since the year 1977.  Once outside again, we learned about Elvis’ love for horses.  Graceland still has few horses walking and grazing behind the fences.  The tour took us to the “trophy room” where we saw a huge and very impressive display of Elvis’ achievements and it was here that I was reminded of why people of all generations call him the King of Rock ‘n' Roll.  Inside we walked though a long hall filled with “trophies “ of his musical career,  mementoes of his life in the American army and subsequent return back home, and more about his short but rich and artistically productive life.  Just before we left the premises we paid our respects at the graves of Elvis Presley and other close family members, all covered in flowers in a quiet corner of a peaceful garden. After the tour we decided to camp near Graceland.  As luck would have it, there was a site just next to the Heartbreak Hotel.  We set up our tent, got changed and took one of the free shuttles to town, to the one and only Beal Street.  Famous for it’s music, I could even nickname it the Blues Street.  Our first stop was BBKing Club where we had a bite to eat – actually we splashed out on full plate of BBQ Ribs.  Suitably fed and watered, we headed for the Sullivan Bar which has live goats in its beer garden. Have you ever heard of such a thing?  And if you gave them a bottle of beer to the mouth they would drink it!  We did not have a late night in Beal Street as we had to catch our free shuttle back at 10:30 pm , but we really enjoyed ourselves. 

The next morning we packed our tent and went to visit the famous Sun Studio.  It was here where Elvis recorded his first song.  The Sun Studio has recorded many famous artists over the years, and not only Elvis.  Johnny Cash, B B King,  Jerry Lee Lewis and in the recent years U2 have all been there.We were given a vivid and unforgettable tour through the studios and for a moment we travelled back in time and experienced the music revolution of the 50s, the birth of Rock and Roll and heard Elvis’s first recording and many other famous songs which followed.  Our visit to Memphis was one of the highlights of our touring across USA, visit we’ll remember for a long time.

Tennessee to Okalahoma 01 Dec - 06 Dec

After a wonderful couple of days exploring the birth place of Rock and Roll we finally departed Tennessee, our 44th state, and headed north-west across Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas and then south into Okalahoma, our 48th state of the intended 49. Sadly for us we did not get the opportunity to explore Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas in way that we would have liked. This was a disappointment, because we were only too well aware of the charm and hospitality these states had to offer but our sights are now set on reaching Colorado to complete the final and 49th state of our continental USA tour.

We entered Kansas from Missouri and headed due west on Route 166. We enjoyed a delightful hour in a gasoline station drinking Coffee in Edna, a small farming community of just 1,200 people, situated on the southern edge of the state. The locals were extremely friendly and a few had their own tales to tell of motorcycle adventures from years gone by. One elder captivated us with his stories from World War II, and told us with pride how he served his country as a dispatch rider riding a Harley Davidson and was very much part of the allied advance on Berlin. Another local insisted that he should take us out to buy us dinner but we could not accept that so instead we invited him to join us for coffee. He told us how he was born and raised in Edna and departed the state when he was 20 years old then returned some 45 years later and ended up marrying his first ever girlfriend whom he had not seen for nearly fifty years. He was close to tears when he told us his wife of just a few years had recently died, but was quick to say those few years with his first love were the best years of his life.

The manageress of the gasoline station, a young slender lady with streaked blonde hair and about 25 years of age, was utterly amazed to discover that it was possible to ride a single motorcycle around the world. Again and again she asked us repeat the countries we had visited and again she would shake her head, smile and say "What all on the same bike?" We watched her as she pressed her face against the shop window, staring in amazement at our two BMW motor cycles parked outside the premises. I had the clearest impression, reading the look of excitement on her face, that if Monika or I had said "Would you like to ditch you job, grab your essentials, jump on the back of a bike and join us?" that in a heart beat, she would have leapt onboard and been ready for a once in a lifetime adventure.

We said our goodbyes and headed the short distance remaining to the Okalahoma state border and then headed south for a one night stop-over in Tulsa. We checked out the local KOA Camping but were informed their daily rates were
$23 for tent placing and $36 for a log Cabin. We hesitate to spend money on camping, because free camping is always our first choice, but when you are inside the city limits it's never a practical option. Normally in these
conditions we would have accepted $23 for a camp spot but there seemed to be some terrific deals available in the local motels. Rooms were being advertised with Cable TV from $20-$30 so we naturally searched out and found
a cheap motel. The following morning we continued south to Okalahoma City.

We had kindly been invited to stay with Kenny and Susan, residents of a small suburb of Norman situated just 20 miles south of Okalahoma City. It was arranged we would meet Kenny at BMW Okalahoma and this we did at 1pm. We received a terrific welcome from Michael, the owner, and all the staff at the BMW dealership. Monika's drive-chain was now quite worn after 12,000 miles so it was agreed that we would leave her 650 GS for the dealership to make the necessary replacements. Michael even offered to sponsor the cost of the chain and sprocket items, a gesture that was really appreciated, but it did not really surprise us as all of the dealers during our two record challenges have been extremely generous and supportive in offering much valued assistance and advice.

It was also a time during our stay in Okalahoma to pay our own respects to the people who died in the Okalahoma bombing of April, 1995, where a truck bomb exploded at the Alfred P Murrah federal building in Okalahoma City. 168 people were murdered, including 19 children, by the cruel and despicable act of two terrorist, Tim McVeigh and Terry Nichols.On 13 June, 1997, McVeigh was found guilty and sentenced to death by lethal injection. This lethal injection was carried out 11 June, 2001 and the world was rid of one more monster. The second participant Terry Nichols is still  in jail currently waiting for more charges to be laid against him by the State of Okalahoma. It was agreed Saturday would be a good day to visit and pay our respects at the bombing memorial. This would allow Kenny's wife Susan and a few of Kenny's biker friends to revisit the memorial site to pay their own respects also. Friday afternoon Michael the Owner of BMW Oklahoma took Monika and I to a local restaurant for a dinner which included BBQ Ribs and salad.

Saturday morning started early as a ring on the door bell announced the arrival of friends of Kenny. A heavily set Goldwing rider called Butch Flint and Michael Walden, a BMW GS rider. Monika jumped at the chance to be a passenger on the
Goldwing for the 20 mile ride to the Oklahoma Bombing memorial.

The first phase of the Memorial was completed on 19 April 2000, exactly five years after the bombing. Susan was hesitant about revisiting the memorial as the first time she was so emotional and distressed she had to leave. She
felt now was the right time and was pleased she could take me and Monika so we too could remember and pay our own respects. Susan said "The memorial would never give closure to the terrible happenings of 19 April, 1995, but
would provide the family, friends and the city townsfolk with solace, and a place they could visit to remember. We parked the bikes 30 metres from the East entrance to the Memorial and, as we looked west from our bikes, we could clearly
see the following inscription etched into the granite, high on the entrance wall.

"We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those who changed for ever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence and may the memorial offer comfort strength, peace, hope and serenity"Both Monika and I felt a lump in our throats as we approached the West entrance. Susan stood still and took control of her emotions before walking the final steps to the entrance. To our right, on the wall of an adjacent building, a spray-painted message from a member of Team 5 of the Okalahoma state fire fighting department read, as follows:

" Team 5. 19 April, 1995.

We search for the truth
We seek justice.
The courts require it.
The victims cry for it
God demands it".

Between the adjacent building and the entrance stands the "Survivor Tree" an 80 year old American elm which bore witness to the horrific day in 1995 and which stands today as a symbol of human resilience. The entrance walls which we passed through are called the "Gates of Time" because the east gate has engraved 09.01 representing the innocence of the city and 09.02 the moment of destruction. The west entrance has time 09.03 the moment we were all changed for ever. Once we entered the memorial site we saw a large, rectangular shallow pool and heard the slow moving water ripple away from the edges. A place where the calming sound of slow running water can provide a peaceful setting for quiet thoughts. Visitors may see their own reflection, a face of some one changed forever.To our left, "The field of empty chairs", where 168 chairs stand as a poignant reminder of each and every life that was lost. The chairs crafted in bronze and stone are arranged in 9 rows representing the nine floors of the building and 19 smaller chairs represent the 19 missing children. Some times a picture can say far more than words can ever say

Oklahoma 10th December

The following day we returned to BMW, Okalahoma, where the owner, Michael, had very kindly offered to give both bikes a thorough check-over. His kindness and support was even further demonstrated when the dealership also specially sponsored Monika by supplying and fitting a replacement chain and sprocket. As if that wasn’t enough we were also presented with two BMW Okalahoma T-shirts.

We spent the next day being shown around the city by our hosts Kenny and Susan. together with their friends. Butch Flint, the owner of a Yellow Goldwing and Mike Walden, a fellow BMW GS rider.  This memorable tour included a visit to the legendary Norman, Oklahoma, Baseball Stadium, where we were generously treated by Butch to a magnificent BBQ dinner with ice cream while enjoying splendid views from the restaurant overlooking the playing area of the stadium. We also had a tour of Brickhouse, a renovated part of the city, which features flowered walkways and narrow canal waterways complete with low-powered boats in which tourists can explore a two-mile circuit of this beautiful part of town.The evening was spent watching a game of American football at the home of our hosts’ friends and neighbours. The result of the game was a forgone conclusion as the home team, Okalahoma University, were top of the table after 12 consecutive wins. Our seemingly obligatory preparation for the game included a detailed rehearsal of the football chants and learning to form the shape of the letters O and U with our outstretched arms.

I was genuinely excited about watching the game, such was the atmosphere generated around the town by the forthcoming contest. Our hosts for the evening, Greg and Mary, even offered me their Lazy Boy chair, from which I could watch the game in relaxed and cosseted style. This was to be the first time in my life that I had watched a complete game of American football, and I was intrigued to know and understand how a game with four quarters of just 15 minutes could possibly be extended to four hours or even more..

We left Kenny and Susan’s house and made the short walk to Greg’s property. It was a walk along the most festive street I have ever seen, and considerably more festive than the ‘real’ Father Christmas home which we had seen a few months earlier during our visit to the North Pole in Alaska. Every house on the street, with the exception of just one, has their home illuminated by rows and rows of Christmas flashing lights.  Some properties even enhance the Christmas spirit by temporarily decorating their cars in lights which they remove and replace each day, before and after work. Some owners even erected large, inflatable Snowmen in their trunks, which certainly added to the festive spirit.  Kenny and Sue told us that, for two weeks a year during the festive season, this small street in Norman situated on the south side of Okalahoma City became a major seasonal tourist attraction. After many photos we made our way to Greg’s front door. Greg had promised us the best steak in Oklahoma and we were not disappointed. After dinner we took our places in the front room and awaited the start of the game. After a quick rehearsal of arm-swinging and chanting “OU OU OU” the game kicked off.  As predicted, Okalahoma made all the initial play against the underdogs, Kansas University.  And then ……….   Kansas did the unthinkable and, against the run of play, they stormed into the lead.  Sadly, for our hosts, it was a lead they did not surrender. Suddenly, the chants stopped and I watched our host, Greg, leap up and down his front room, in animated disbelief. It would be fair to say that everybody was in a state of shock except Monika and I.  Neither of us fully understood the form guide implications, but we were both sympathetic to the cause, as we frequently display similar emotions if our team, Manchester United, lose an English Premiership football game. 

The result had been a shock for everyone, and the walk back to Kenny and Sue’s was rather less animated than the outward journey had been.  But for Monika and I it was a tremendous night out with great company.  And, finally, I had been able to witness first hand how a game with just four fifteen-minute quarters lasted for over four hours. The following day Monika picked her newly-serviced bike from the modern BMW Dealership in Okalahoma and we said our goodbyes to Michael the owner and his dedicated Service staff who were still elated at being voted the seventh best service team in North America – an assessment rating which was no surprise to us after they had so gone out of their way, like most other BMW dealerships, to make us feel extremely welcome. Monika’s bike was in tip-top shape and both bikes sounded great as they purred, quietly ready, for another 1,000 miles. We had four fantastic days in Okalahoma, in the small suburb of Norman, and we very much appreciate the effort and kindness everybody made to make us feel so welcome. We kicked the bikes into gear and headed south another two hundred miles to our next stop-over in Lewisville, North Dallas.