George Washington Slept Here…No Really!

When I took Bonnie in for service in NYC, the guy at the shop really wanted to clean her. They said it would be a mere 85 bucks. I said I got it. I cleaned poor dirty Bonnie for the first time in months once I got to Maryland. Mother nature decided she needed a second rinse.

On Wednesday I visited a long time neglected gem in history. In the photo below is an aerial view of the College Park airport. This tiny strip is the oldest continuously used airport IN THE WORLD!

That section within the circle is one of my old stomping grounds. When I was younger me and my crew used to hang there. It was a fun spot. There was an old bridge for the B&O railroad that crossed a creek at the end of the runway. We would bring some brews, watch planes land and take off, and wait for the trains to come by. There were these 5×5 wooden platforms that extended from the sides of the bridge. It was a huge thrill to run out to the platform and stay there as these long, large, loud, clamoring trains raged by. Or, if the trains were traveling slow enough we would run along side, grab a ladder and climb to the roof, jumping from car to car like in the Wild Wild West! Nowadays the DC Metro runs through there. A great many things have changed down here in Maryland.

One positive change is that they built a museum to recognize this airport which has given so much to aviation history.

The College Park Airport was established in 1909 for the Wright Brothers to train members of the United States Army Signal Corps to fly their biplane. Below is the Wright Brothers plane in College Park being prepared for flight using a launching rail.

A diorama in the museum of the airport as it looked in the early 1900’s with that same B&O railroad passing by. Civilian aviation began with Rex Smith Aeroplane Company as seen below.

The museum houses a number of planes that have flown from the airport over the years.

Below is another photo of the Wright Brothers plane flying over College Park.

The first machine gun ever fired from a plane occurred here in College Park.

An old ticket for a motorcycle/air show. When is the next one?

There were many notable firsts that took place at the College Park Airport. I mentioned a couple already, but there are more. The first woman to fly in an airplane in 1909 with Wilbur Wright. In 1911 the first Army flying school was established here. The first bombs using bomb sites were dropped here in 1912. In 1918 the first regular air mail service was established here. The first successful flight of a helicopter took place here in 1922.

 

For more about the airport, CLICK HERE.

After the airport I headed back to my dad’s. After looking at some childhood photos I asked dad to take a photo in the same place with my motorcycle in place of my tricycle.

I took a walk down by the creek beyond my dad’s neighborhood. Along the way is the Adelphi Mill. It’s the oldest mill in the DC area built in 1796.

Another old hang out for me and my friends were these rocks. It was a great lookout high above a curve so you could see anyone coming from either direction (which is important for a good hangout). Notice the carved heart in the center of the rock. It was there since I was a young boy.

Here’s looking up at those same rocks.

When I was little we would catch frogs and toads in this swamp.

On the way back to the house I stopped to take this photo in order to say Happy Wednesday to some friends. This is more of the change I mentioned. The street near my dad’s is full of humps now. The road is only about a mile long and has 6 or 7 humps.

 

Mount Vernon

They say George Washington slept in many places, but this is the place he called home. Welcome to Mount Vernon. When I arrived, the guy at the ticket booth told me it was the busiest time of the year because of the DC cherry blossoms. In order to go inside the home you have to get a timed ticket. He seemed surprised that I got a slot for the 4:10 admission. I think riding solo helped me slip in early because I heard a group next to me get a ticket for after 5:00.

I had about an hour and a half to walk around the grounds before having to get in line for the main house.

As you look across the Potomac River from Mount Vernon you can see Fort Washington in the background.

For any fans of the National Treasure movies…I think this is the entrance to those vaults where Nicholas Cage kidnaps the President.

Or maybe it was this one. This is actually the family vault where George Washington was originally buried.

In his will however he gave orders and plans to have the family vault moved. Below is his final resting place.

There are many buildings surrounding the estate of Mount Vernon. This is a basement to store linseed oil and mixed paint.

Recognizing the possible consequences of losing trade with England, George Washington raised quality sheep and was prepared to make his own wool fabrics as well as other necessary produced items like hemp for rope.

Washington even had a smokehouse for his plastic meats.

When I saw the sign for the Spinning Room, I raised an eyebrow. No it was not a place George would go to wait it out after a night on the town. It had something to do with those sheep.

Mount Vernon keeps a live blacksmith in the shop.

The men’s slave quarters. The original building burned down in the 1800’s. This is a recreation.

Now I got in line to go inside. Unfortunately they don’t allow photography on the inside.

Since they have a NO PHOTO policy, I cannot show you the inside. You will have to visit the Mount Vernon website to show you.

After visiting the house I went to the museum and education center. Like the house, no photos in the museum. But you could take photos in the education center. Here is young George the surveyor.

My dear Jillian’s father is a collector of many items of historical importance. He donated this Indian Peace Medal to Mount Vernon.

It was a good visit. I don’t think I had been to Mount Vernon since a class trip in Elementary School.

I saw a patriotic potpourri of American flags in the store on my way out.

As I rode down the road away from Mount Vernon I exited when I saw a sign for Fort Hunt Park. In the park were the cement ruins of some old gun turrets.

Across the river from Fort Hunt one can get a direct look at Fort Washington which was also visible from Mount Vernon.

On my way home I rode through Arlington Virginia. I thought the cemetery might be open, but it wasn’t. So I went to the memorial for the USMC, the Iwo Jima sculpture.

And lastly, on the other side of the great cemetery is the memorial dedicated to the Air Force. An appropriate end to this post having started with the very beginnings of the US military in the air at College Park.

Spring Break 2014

I got a week off of work and headed to Maryland.

It’s April 15 – Happy tax day!

I just racked my brain with TurboTax and sent it off electronically. Now I can enjoy the rest of this rainy day. Definitely not a riding day, but it gives me time to share my journey thus far.

I packed my bags, ready for any scenario. I wasn’t sure where I would end up. I figured I would head down to Maryland to visit family then take it from there.

Due to a late start, I was forced to make my trek toward Maryland via I-95. As much as I hate the interstate, I wanted to get to my dad’s before dark. As I flew along the Jersey Turnpike, I noticed a guy entering from a rest area on a Speed Triple Triumph. I realized my Triumph riding brother had noticed me as well as he joyfully pulled along side and waved. We zipped through traffic taking turns in the lead position until I had to stop for gas. He followed me to the rest stop. Meet Matt. He was headed down to Baltimore. He rides this Speed Triple and also has a decked out Bonnie at home. He is from Albania and spoke of the joys of riding around in Eastern Europe. He was saying he had a Harley over in Albania. I mentioned my desire to ride around Europe. He recommended buying a Harley and shipping it over. They are so desirable that you can’t go wrong. It can almost certainly be sold for a profit when you are done with it. Europeans love Harleys!

Matt is also a member of the NYC Triumph and Brit Bike Riders. I have heard of this group. He said it is fun to get together and ride around the tristate area. I may have to check that out, but I generally like to ride solo.

I made it down to dad’s. In the morning we had brunch with my brother and his wife at the place where my bro works. That’s him on the left.

After brunch I took off for some reminiscing. That red circle marks the spot where I lived for 3 fun filled years during my college days.  My god did I have a good time up there!

I went looking unsuccessfully for my old friend Brian. I dropped a note on a door that I deduced was his. Then I went down the road to a place called Savage Mill. Approaching Savage Mill is an old truss bridge built in 1868. It is now the only bridge left of it’s kind.

The train tracks from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad then turn and lead to Savage Mill. It is a part decrepit and part renovated cotton mill that dates back to the 1800’s like the bridge.

I of course was focused on the part of the mill that is beyond renovation.

It began as a mill powered by the dammed up section of the Little Patuxent River and later was powered by steam generators which still lay rusting away.

It turned out that the note I left earlier was on the correct door and I’ll hang with Brian tonight.

The following day I headed to D.C. After taking journeys all over this nation it seems fitting that I should visit the nations capitol.

The bubble shield on my new helmet has multi purposes.

Below is one of the recent monuments on the mall in D.C. This is the WWII memorial. One side is dedicated to the veterans that crossed the Atlantic and the other side commemorates those brave souls in the Pacific. It is still unfinished.

From there I walked to the Lincoln Memorial. It was so crowded you would think Forrest Gump or some other memorable character was giving a speech there.

Despite the crowds it is an awe inspiring site.

This is how it looks from the top of the stairs facing the Washington Monument.

The Korean War Memorial is another relatively new addition to the mall.

Next I went to visit the new kid in town. On the way to the Jefferson Memorial is the new Martin Luther King memorial.

The cherry blossoms that surround the area had peaked on Thursday. By Monday many of the trees had already released their petals to blanket the grounds in a speckled carpet of pink and white.

From Dr.King’s I moved with the masses to see T.J.

Afterward I wasn’t surprised to see Thomas Jefferson’s greatest accomplishment resting with the rubbish along side this fence. It seems the Constitution is treated with even less respect these days. Even Rolling stone magazine got it wrong when they recently had Julia Louise Dreyfus sporting a Constitution tattooed to her backside signed by John Hanncock. C’mon! Really?

This young man was having a blast trying to get his homemade kite airborne. It really was an impressive piece of work made entirely from newspaper draped around a 2 foot ring. Good job kid!

I stopped by the White House before returning to the bike. That is one big front yard! There are members of the Secret Service all over the place. You used to be able to drive right up to this fence. Since 9/11 many of the former access roads around DC buildings are off limits.

Even as a child I admired this sculpture in front of the American History Museum. Though it doesn’t move, it has that kinesthetic feel.

I hopped back on Bonnie and said farewell to the Capitol. Later D.C.

On Capitol Hill I passed this old beauty of an Oldsmobile parked 8th Street.

Down the block was this home turned shrine to Michael Jackson.

And finally before heading back to dad’s I stopped by my last residence in college. As much as I loved living in that big dormitory I showed you before, they didn’t like having me. I was kindly asked to leave. OK maybe forced to leave is a more accurate term. What can I say, “There’s a whole lot of things that I ain’t done, but I never had too much fun!”

Happy 6th Anniversary Bonnie

On April 5th, 2008 I got my first bike. A 2007 Triumph Bonneville. I nervously rode her from the showroom back to my place. I had only ridden a 250cc Suzuki in a Bronx parking lot before that day. We made it home safely and I was hooked. This is Bonnie the day I brought her home.

I started this blog after my first cross country trip on that 07 Bonnie in 2008. Sadly that bike was stolen on Labor Day the following year. The guy who stole it wrecked it that same night and was arrested while lying in his hospital bed. The bike was declared totaled and I quickly settled the insurance and got on the road again with the ’09 Triumph Bonneville T100 that I presently ride. Since that day 6 years ago, I’ve ridden over 75,000 miles. Below is a map of my journeys to date.

It was a long brutal winter. As soon as one snow thawed another quickly replaced it. It was the longest period of time in these past 6 years when there were no windows of pleasant riding weather. I took this shot from the elevated subway in Queens on one of the many non-riding days.

Despite the fact that sunny turned to cloudy and it was 10 degrees cooler than originally predicted, I went for a ride to celebrate my 6th year on 2 wheels. I figured it was warm enough. I packed an extra fleece and a scarf just in case. Good thing. In no time I was getting cold. Real cold. So I stopped for some coffee and a light breakfast at Burger De Luxe on Route 17 in New Jersey. Then I bundled up with the extra layers and continued the journey.

This would also be the debut of my new helmet. It’s a Biltwell Bonanza helmet with a mirror bubble shield. There are no vents in the helmet but a lot of air gets through. The shield is good day or night. It’s reflective but not too dark. So, after one healthy ride I have to say I like this helmet.

My first destination was New City Road. I had read about a ghost town there. Unfortunately what I had read was old news. This town had been razed and sealed off. Nothing to see here but these cement blockades.

Fortunately my plan didn’t end there. I headed north back across the NY border.

The lake beyond is still frozen over just past the shore.

Smokey.

The next stop was a place called Letchworth Village.

Letchworth Village was an old institution for people with disabilities.

It was built in 1911 and after a sordid history finally closed in 1996.

Letchworth had reports of rampant abuse of it’s residents. This was the case in many of these types of institutions throughout the United States until only a few decades ago.

These grand stone structures have fallen into disrepair.

The ground in this basement was solid ice.

There are many buildings on the Letchworth grounds.

I first heard about Letchworth Village on the TV show Ghost Adventures. I think they were exploring this building in photo below. I experienced no paranormal activity during my visit.

From Letchworth I hopped on the Palisades Parkway and headed back to the city. It felt good to be on the road again but it is still a bit cold to stay out here all day.

Ride and a Haircut

It’s been a cold winter. Can’t wait for riding season! When I pulled up to Sigfrido’s for a haircut today, my barber Beny came out to greet me.

Sigfrido‘s is a fine old style barber shop. I highly recommended them for your grooming needs!

It’s hard to believe that jacket I am wearing was once black.

UPDATE: Beny has moved! Someone bought out his chair at Sigfrido’s. He has relocated a block and a half away to a place called (simply enough) Barber Shop. 343 East 21st just off 1st Ave.

Holiday Ride

Happy Holidays Everybody!

The weather’s been a bit too chilly for anything more than an occasional ride to and from work lately.

Got some really great gifts from Jillian this Christmas! Below is the result of one of those awesome gifts. It’s a heat proof rubber mold you drop in the skillet, add two eggs and get this great sunny side up skull.

She got me a few t-shirts like the one I’m wearing below and in my hand is a luggage rack for the bike. Nice! Thanks babe!

We ate some delicious meals throughout the holidays.

We had my mom and her friend Peter over for a delicious prime rib roast for Christmas!

And then finally, a day off from the cold and a ride out to Fort Totten.

Fort Totten is a former United States Army installation in the New York City borough of Queens.

Jillian waited by the bike while I slithered through an opening in the fence to have a look around at part of the old fort.

This area I was checking out consists of some old cement buildings. I am not sure what they were for. On the other side of these buildings is the old battery built during the Civil War. That area will have to wait for another day.

Meanwhile there were plenty of nooks and crannies to check out here.

Various old dark hallways and rooms ran below these cement structures.

I walked around quickly because the place seemed to be a very secure location and Jillian was waiting.

We rode around the premises of Fort Totten for a while.

Much of it is occupied by the NYC Fire Department but many of the buildings seem abandoned.

A few of the buildings are beyond repair, but others look like they will be repurposed in the near future. The former Bachelors Officers Quarters for instance will become the new Center for the Women of New York.

The exterior of this building below had YMCA carved above the entrance.

Fort Totten is at the very edge of Queens. Across the body of water beyond Jillian is Long Island.

On the way home we went to have another look at 5Pointz. You can see someone went over the white wash with a huge spray of ART MURDERER.

The few pieces across the street from 5Pointz still look great.

Jillian took a few of these shots. Thanks babe!

Always grateful for a warm winter day!

Happy New Year Everybody!

Summer 2013 Part 2

My motorcycle journey ended abruptly this summer, and I was somewhat aloof as to why. Fact is I was getting back to my girlfriend Jillian.

I was meeting her in NY and heading back West for more adventure. This next journey would be on 4 wheels in a rented vehicle. Although it has nothing to do with riding or motorcycles, I include it here for anyone who still appreciates a good road trip!

ROAD TRIP : CLICK HERE!

5 POINTZ GONE

GONE

All that you see in the photo above was wiped out in a single evening. It sickens me.

What once looked like this…

Now looks like this.

The 7 train once had windows filled with gawkers in awe of the spectacle below that was 5 Pointz.

The spray cap cap is all that remains of the creepy Mr. Blob mural.

The only ups around here are on the side of this truck.

How 5 Pointz looked last week.

How 5 Pointz looks today.

Every wall was once filled with spectacular artwork.

Now the building looks wounded with bandages of haphazardly applied white blotches.

It’s tragic!

There was a police presence in the courtyard as a disillusioned woman asked questions and received unsatisfactory answers.

I spoke to Meres One, an artist and organizer of 5 Pointz. He was upset but upbeat. He said he had been contacted by numerous people with buildings in multiple boroughs offering new canvases for the street artists. Meres also said the battle with Jerry Wolkoff (the man responsible for this vile act) is not over.

Across the street there are a few walls not owned by Wolkoff where the artists continue to express themselves, but when you turn around the whitewashed 5 Pointz is blinding. It is truly sad.

Here is a video from YouTube of Meres One and his crew putting up a final farewell piece the other day.

5 Pointz Part 2

5 POINTZ 2

I returned to 5 Pointz again today, this time without my lovely girlfriend, Jillian. She did however send me this photo she took on Saturday.

Thanks babe!

I wanted to see 5 Pointz without the weekend crowds and in the light of a different hour.

I have stopped by this side of the building a number of times. This time I wanted to see more.

I cut through the parking lot in back and all I can say is, damn!!! I had been missing out on a lot.

The work in the courtyard and up and down the street is phenomenal.

Here’s a tribute to Jimi Hendrix below. And I would like to express my sadness at the passing of the great Lou Reed.

The elevated subway rattles overhead adding to the urban ambiance of this place.

Here you can see the subway passing in the background and the giant Citi building beyond that.

This piece below is tremendous!

Meet Baxter the cat as he checks out one of Fumero’s pieces.

I was talking to this dude Fume for a bit about the fate of the building. You can barely see Fume in the photo below sitting in the womb of the giant figure. He didn’t seem to know much more than what I had read about, but he did introduce me to Baxter the cat.

This one’s for my Uncle Fritz. He’s a Notre Dame man.

 

I want to go back for more before it’s gone! Hopefully 5 Pointz will stick around for a while!

5 POINTZ

Yesterday Jillian and I hopped on the bike and headed to Queens. For a Saturday, traffic was a mess. One artery of the Queens Midtown Tunnel was closed. As a result I thought about not going to Queens, but we were feeling groovy so we crossed on the 59 Street Bridge instead and headed to 5 Pointz.

5 Pointz is a building in Queens which has been the canvas for world renowned graffiti artists. The building has been covered from top to bottom creating a spectacular aerosol art exhibit.

Sadly 5 Pointz is scheduled to be torn down to make way for a $400 million residential project.

5 Pointz is just across Jackson Avenue from PS 1 in Long Island City, Queens.

Before that demolition begins I highly recommend checking it out (if you haven’t already).

We were having a great time exploring this visual extravaganza when a beautiful blast from the past came rolling in completely distracting me.

A 1964 Chevy Impala.  What a classic beauty! I could have spent hours shooting this baby alone.

This car is clean. It’s customized but adheres to it’s original vintage design and color.

This 64 Impala drove and hopped around to various positions around the building. It’s owner Mike patiently took photos as numerous people (over enthusiastic to get a photo of their own) would block his shots .

This car commanded each space it occupied. When the car pulled up and stopped behind Bonnie, I felt bad to be obstructing any opportunity to photograph this bad ass machine.

This Chevy Impala is a member of the Tekniquez Auto Club, a group of custom low riders whose motto is Friends Dont Let Friends Drive “Stock”.

No matter what part of this car you focus on it screams “Take my picture!”

The hydraulics on this ride were smooth. At one point he was backing up toward a curb while riding way low, hugging the pavement. Just inches from hitting the curb he clicked the car into motion and the rear elevated for easy clearance as he drove up onto the sidewalk.

The Impala rode off and we got back to checking the building. Below is a portrait of Alex from A Clockwork Orange.

My man Sinxero has a few pieces up on the columns.  His masked figure stands strong vertically supporting the floors above. Unfortunately it may not be strong enough to prevent the building from crumbling down in the very near future. There has been a temporary stay put on the demolition while a judge hears from the artists, but it’s fate remains uncertain. You can check out more of Sinxero’s work here: http://www.sinxero.com

The shadow of my 007 girlfriend goes creeping by on the wall beyond.

A great day had for all!

Johnny Redd

I recently went to the Brooklyn Invitational Bike Show. It is a two block mish-mash of  tattoos, thunderous pipes and vintage bikes. One bike in the showroom at Root Studios brought me back to my childhood.

This grand old Harley was done up with lots of bling. I remembered a guy I used to see when I was a young kid growing up in NYC who rode a similar bike.

He rode around on a huge Electra Glide that was as ornate as a Fabergé egg. All I knew as a boy was that this cat was cool and now I couldn’t remember his name. He was hard to miss back in the seventies. He had his name all chromed out behind his throne of a seat. It was Redd something. I remembered the Redd with two d’s but that was it.

Then today I was looking through an old box of assorted papers and magazines. There he was. Johnny Redd, “King of all Kings”.  I used to look in awe as he rode around town. He would sometimes stop at a busy corner just to sit and bathe in the envious stares that showered him.

I am surprised to find so little about this man who was once a common icon of the NYC streets. Especially puzzling is that there are no pictures of this gleaming machine he used to ride. It was phenomenal. The only information I have found is an article in New Yorker Magazine from the eighties. I don’t have a subscription so I can only read the beginning. But yup, that’s him. Too cool, Johnny Redd. Thanks for the inspiration!

If anyone out there has any more information about Johhny Redd or has any photos of that wild, lit up bike, I’d love to hear about it.