about 500 kilometres . I slept very uncomfortably , the tent that I have had with me for 22 years was asking for retirement . It was no longer waterproof .
The second section of the trip , 480km , was also done under heavy rain , forcing me to stop in Staunton , Virginia .
I had decided to make a 160-kilometre detour to a BMW dealership in Fredericksburg , Pennsylvania . The rain had forced me to acquire a new ride suit , a Klim . Mera was also treated to an oil change and new filter . With the mechanics showing an interest and the manager taking care of me I felt well treated .
Once done , I took to the famous Route 66 to join the Skyline Drive
Parkway and headed to Harrisburg across the Appalachian Mountains .
Next stop , Greencastle with the idea of reaching Boston . The day dawned overcast . A tropical front was continuing , calling for the new rider suit before riding out to Harrisburg , amazing how all the major cities in this part of the world end with ’ burg ’.
I looked for the BASS outdoor shop , where they sell everything imaginable for fishing , hunting , and camping gear . When I was a kid , my old man used to get the catalogues from this shop by mail . They were wonderful and over three hundred pages thick .
Arriving at the shop , I parked near the entrance and the only thing I took off the motorbike was the tank bag where I carry my cameras and documents . Everything else I left as it was , nobody would touch anything . I entered the store and walked straight to the first floor , to the camping section . There I didn ' t find the tent I was looking for , which is the North Face VE-25 , but I did find a Talus 2 , so I bought it . I also purchased a -7-degree sleeping bag , which would be especially useful when I would be camping on the coast of Nova Scotia .
Then onto Delaware National Park , anxious to set up the new tent .
An opportunity to eat came as I stopped Mera who was overheating due to riding slow in the rain . A music festival was being held near by but the sight of a parking lot full of Hell ’ s Angels was enough for me to move on , before coming across a
TRAVERSE 27