Murph
Well-known member
I just returned last night from my 9 day trip, 5 days included riding.
The first leg of the journey was covered as a point-to-point SS1000 ride from Chicago to Boston via I-90. That ride report is here but a couple photos are below.
This photo was taken at 5:30am on Sunday, June 17. Notice how fresh I appear:
This photo was taken 17.5 hours and 1,031 miles later when I finally reached my hotel in Boston. Notice how un-fresh I appear:
During my morning training runs around Boston, I passed some interesting things, including the gravesites of Sam Adams and Paul Revere. I also passed many inspirational statues. Here is a photo of the statue of George Washington in Boston Common. Very inspirational in its glory.
After my meetings in Boston, I departed Boston on Thursday night and rode I-95 north to Brunswick, Maine.
From Brunswick, and after days of waiting, I was finally on a decent road as US-1 is a 2-lane highway through the coastal region of Maine. After taking a short cut on Rte 90, I entered the town of Camden which appeared to be a stereotypical New England coast village as the town was well-kept, the sidewalks were lit and clean, and the townsfolk were out in full force. Had my SO been with me, she would have pressed me to stop. However, she wasn’t with me and I wasn't about to stop since my plans were to cover a bit more ground. I followed Rte 52 ("Mountain Rd") north out of town and this is where things got interesting. On my left was a lake and mountains in the distance while the road hugged the sheer cliff to my right. What Rte 52 lacked in presentation (i.e. it was bumpy), it made up for in delivery (i.e. there were few cars, the road was twisty, and I was able to post some speed while all-around enjoying the ride). After rejoining US-1, I stopped for the night in a small motel on the north side of the town of Belfast. Total miles = 213.
I woke up the next morning ready for a long day. Actually, my itinerary was very optimistic as I planned on visiting Acadia National Park in Maine and then to proceed westward by Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, Pico Peak in Vermont, and finally into Glens Falls, NY.
On the road at 6am, I continued north on US-1 and the scenery set the tone for the day.
After a brief photo stop, I proceeded to Ellsworth, Maine where I refueled both the bike and myself. Following Rte 3 east to Acadia National Park, I made it to the visitor's center at 8am and just as the doors opened so I could add the official park stamp to the inside cover of my journal. With administrative stuff taken care of, I proceeded into the park and this was my first site overlooking Bar Harbor, Maine:
From there, I followed signs further into the park and to Cadillac Mountain which would offer panoramic views of the island on which Acadia Nat'l Park is situated. I turned left onto the road leading to the top and was pleasantly surprised by the switchbacks and the fact that Joe Law was nowhere around to enforce the 15mph speed limit. I seriously recommend this road for the enthusiastic rider ... but only first thing in the morning as I am certain that the man is on patrol during higher traffic times of the day.
On the way to the summit of Cadillac Mountain:
And the shot of me and the FJR to prove to my wife that I actually made it there in one piece:
The view eastward from the summit of Cadillac Mountain. Maybe one of these days I will get around to piecing together the 4-5 photos that make up the entire view.
Another good thing about Cadillac Mountain was that it was high enough for me to spy a storm in the western distance. I was able to take advantage of my stop at the top to don my liner and rain gear because the rest of the day was indeed cold and saw me riding through intermittent rain.
After another enjoyable and spirited ride back down the mountain road (too bad I was going a little too fast to take in the scenery and the dramatic view of the town of Bar Harbor below and to my right), I turned left and proceeded on the park loop road. Acadia has many carriage roads which are closed to vehicle traffic, however the gatehouses are built of stone and look sort of like mini-castles. Also built of stone (and paid for by John D. Rockefeller) are the carriage road bridges that the loop road occasionally goes under. Here is a photo of one of the bridges. Splendid design and architecture amid the woods:
I left Acadia National Park after spending about an hour and a half inside the park and proceeded west on US-1 and US-1A to Bangor. From Bangor, I followed I-95 south to Newport where I picked up US-2 which I found to be an enjoyable road as it is a 2-lane highway that offered much in the way of scenery as it cuts through the Maine wilderness. On it, I enjoyed passing through many lakes and recreation areas as well as the occasional town. I say enjoyable, however I cannot say that it is the best motorcycling road as it did not offer much in the way of twisties (few major routes do) and seemed to be heavily patrolled. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed taking in the Maine countryside.
On the Western edge of Maine, US-2 proceeds into the White Mountains and the rains became heavier. But I persevered ...even as my gloves took on the characteristics of a sponge more than hand protection ... and shortly after entering New Hampshire, I stopped in the town of Gorham where I refueled the bike and myself at the local Subway. After eating and answering a local kid's questions about the FJR (and entertaining him with the adjustable electric windshield), I continued west and saw Mt. Washington. Well, I sort of saw Mt. Washington. As usual, the summit was mostly hidden:
Just after that photo was taken, I was doing about 70mph down Rte 2 when I noticed a white van pulled over to the side of the road. Wondering whether the van was experiencing troubles since it was stopped in such an odd place, I soon discovered the purpose of the stop. As I passed, I saw a moose in the treeline just off to the right. In hindsight, I wish I would have stopped. So I guess the signs in that area are not lying when they caution that moose are around!
Turning south on Rte 115 and then onto US 302, I continued to enjoy the views of the White Mountains as I sped through the countryside. I was covering ground yet I was still seeing what I set out to see. Passing the town of Wells River and the state of Vermont, I turned too soon and got onto US-5 south instead of I-91. Oh well, US-5 ran parallel to the interstate anyway and continued to offer great views of the mountains! Finally joining I-91 at the town of Bradford, I proceeded south on the interstate and was able to gain some serious ground and was only passed once ... by a Goldwing.
With plans to follow US-4 west out of White River Junction, I had to detour north about 20 miles on interstate I-89 due to construction. It ended up being for the best, however, as Rte 107 south was a great road to ride as it proceeded into the Green Mountains and followed a valley for about 30 miles and offered many ups and downs and twists and turns until I arrived at the junction with US-4 just outside Killington, Vermont.
A photo of the bike just below the opposite side of Pico Peak.
In this area, US-4 is quite busy and is mostly 4-lanes as it goes up and down the mountain. But I still had a good time coming down the western side...and I very much appreciated the warning signs that the state of Vermont offers specifically cautioning motorcyclists to beware of surface changes.
After a forgettable experience with traffic and sprawl in Rutland, I followed Rte 133 south through Middletown Springs. Like Rte 107, I found this road to be very enjoyable as it had little traffic and offered much in the way of interesting riding. A right turn onto Rte 149 west continued the enjoyable riding into the setting sun and into the state of New York. I seriously recommend this road. My only problem was that I was too busy enjoying the ride than to take any photos!
With original plans to stay in Glens Falls and slightly ahead of schedule, I decided to stray from my plans, cover some more miles, and let the chips fall as they would as to the night's accomodations. So I hopped onto I-87 and proceeded south keeping up with traffic at 75mph but feeling that the 55mph speed limit posted over much of the section between Glens Falls and Albany was a bit on the low side. I guess the law would disagree, however, because I saw many people pulled over by LEOs on that stretch.
Feeling very fatigued and with darkness upon me, I stopped at a seedy motel outside Schenectady, New York. $50 doesn't get you much in the way of accomodations in some areas. After pulling down the sheets and seeing evidence that prior occupants enjoyed burning the sheets with their cigarettes, I had little trouble falling asleep on top of the covers. The day's total mileage = 563 miles.
I awoke refreshed and was on the bike at 6:30am. With plans of meeting a friend in Warren, PA, I knew that I had to take the slab all the way across NY until lunchtime.
So I jumped on I-88 and proceeded west. This interstate (aka "The Southern Expressway") is as scenic and fun as an interstate can get. Okay ... maybe not fun, but it is definitely scenic as it offers much in the way of mountain views. Oh yeah, if you like green then you'll really like this ride ... because everything was green.
At 9am, I stopped to refuel and while I was checking my tire pressure, a couple guys approached me. They saw my Illinois plates and inquired about my itinerary. When I told them that I was coming from Boston, they laughed as they themselves were travelling from Wisconsin to Boston. One was on a BMW 1100RT, another was on a Yamaha sport bike, and one was on a Honda cruiser. The guy on the cruiser was in the market for a touring bike and we talked about the FJR .... and how my butt was really achy and that all I felt the bike needed was a custom seat! At 9:30, I was back on the road....happy to have talked with some other riders but disappointed that my stop was half an hour! From there, the ride continued to be scenic but intermittent construction zones and LEOs around Elmira, NY were cramping my style and negatively impacting my timing.
Getting off I-86 at US-219, I proceeded south past the town of Bradford (and the Zippo building with the big Zippo lighter on the roof). Picking up Rte 770 west just outside of Bradford, I was 5 hours into my day of riding and finally on an enjoyable road as I raced up the curvy road and into the hills. After a few miles, I joined Rte 59 which took me into the scenic area of Kinzua Dam.
After a long lunch with my friend, I was chomping at the bit to ride since I knew the area well (I was born and raised in Western PA) and had been waiting to take the FJR through its paces in an area that I consider to have fantastic scenery and roads. So I followed Rte 6 for a few disappointing miles (I appreciate the road for its history and towns that it passes through as it traverses PA, but it is most definitely not a road for people who want to "ride") and picked up Rte 948 in the town of Sheffield. Although that road was okay, I knew the great riding was still ahead of me and I was ready for action when I turned right onto Rte 666 which is a great motorcycling road ... I only wish my schedule would have permitted me to follow it all the way to its western terminus. Nevertheless, I turned left onto Blue Jay Rd which is also a great road as it meanders beside a creek and through a valley. Again, I found myself wanting to take a photograph but enjoying the ride too much to stop. I did, however, stop beside one of the scenic iron bridges. I really appreciate these structures ... even though their metal "grate" road surfaces can be a bit stressful to ride across in the rain.
Continuing south, I picked up Rte 66. This is another road that I feel is just okay by Western PA standards. Plain and simple, there are just too many other good riding roads than this one which tends to offer little in the way of turns and much in the way of traffic! Good thing I knew the area, however, because I was soon able to turn left onto Rte 899 and again onto a great 2-lane highway that propelled me up and over many hills and down into valleys. Noticing a small, unnamed squiggly line on my map, I rounded a steep downhill to see an unknown road to my right. I applied the brakes but was not in time to make a safe right turn. As I turned the bike around on the road and proceeding down the unknown road, I thought to myself, "This better be worth it." I hate to waste time and, even more than that, I hate to doubleback. However, I would have none of that today! I soon learned that this was "River Road" and followed the Clarion River for many miles.
River Road served up a casual, slow-speed ride .... and I enjoyed every second of it. In previous travels, I had been too busy riding the higher speed alternatives than to take the time for this small road. And that was unfortunate because I was inspired by the numerous people out on the river enjoying the fine weather and the clear, shallow waters as they lazily floated down the river on their tubes, kayaks, etc. I even wondered to myself, "Why didn't I do that when I lived here?!!?"
After a brief ride on Rte 36 (which would be a great road if the powers that be would raise it to a more reasonable speed limit), I turned south on Miola Rd and proceeded 11 spirited riding miles into the town of Clarion where I picked up Rte 68 south.
Rte 68 is another fine Western PA road offering up the usual twisties and short-but-quick elevation changes with a loosely-enforced 55mph speed limit. The high point, however, is the section between Rimersburg and Chicora which starts off on .... literally .... a high point as the road follows the ridge line to the east of the Allegheny River. The popular stop in the area is at the Brady's Bend overlook (just east of the town of East Brady) as it offers a grand vista of a dramatic turn in the Allegheny River:
After continuing on and through the town of East Brady (and a near miss with a blind, left-turning cage driver
... thank you ABS), I proceeded on Rte 68 to the western side of the Allegheny River which offers many twists. Oh yeah, it also offers several blind elevated corners as you turn and go up at the same time ... which means that, for a few brief moments, you cannot see anything over the rise whether it be a car in your lane or an oncoming vehicle. That, along with the fact that railroad tracks appear in a couple of these turns, make this section very interesting. I highly recommend scouting this section of the road and getting acquainted with the area before trying any high speed maneuvers. With that said, trust me when I say that I enjoyed that section very much ... and got through it faster than the recommended speed limits suggest.
I remained on Rte 68 all the way to Butler, PA but had to enjoy the many turns from speeds just below the limit as traffic impeded my progress. The rest of the ride included my old shortcut side roads to Cranberry Twp where my parents live. Believe me when I say that I enjoyed every second. Did I mention that the roads in Western PA are great?!!?
Total miles on Saturday, 6/23 = 486
After a couple days spent with friends and relatives, it was time to go. So I saddled up on the morning of Tuesday, 6/26 and took the slab I-76 to I-80 to I-90 all the way back to Chicagoland. Oh yeah, I did have one detour ... to Cuyahoga Valley National Park where I picked up another stamp for my journal and, of course, a photo op:
Total Tuesday mileage = 512
Total mileage rode from home to Boston and all the way back = 3,005.
Another great experience! Another great ride completed successfully!
The first leg of the journey was covered as a point-to-point SS1000 ride from Chicago to Boston via I-90. That ride report is here but a couple photos are below.
This photo was taken at 5:30am on Sunday, June 17. Notice how fresh I appear:
This photo was taken 17.5 hours and 1,031 miles later when I finally reached my hotel in Boston. Notice how un-fresh I appear:
During my morning training runs around Boston, I passed some interesting things, including the gravesites of Sam Adams and Paul Revere. I also passed many inspirational statues. Here is a photo of the statue of George Washington in Boston Common. Very inspirational in its glory.
After my meetings in Boston, I departed Boston on Thursday night and rode I-95 north to Brunswick, Maine.
From Brunswick, and after days of waiting, I was finally on a decent road as US-1 is a 2-lane highway through the coastal region of Maine. After taking a short cut on Rte 90, I entered the town of Camden which appeared to be a stereotypical New England coast village as the town was well-kept, the sidewalks were lit and clean, and the townsfolk were out in full force. Had my SO been with me, she would have pressed me to stop. However, she wasn’t with me and I wasn't about to stop since my plans were to cover a bit more ground. I followed Rte 52 ("Mountain Rd") north out of town and this is where things got interesting. On my left was a lake and mountains in the distance while the road hugged the sheer cliff to my right. What Rte 52 lacked in presentation (i.e. it was bumpy), it made up for in delivery (i.e. there were few cars, the road was twisty, and I was able to post some speed while all-around enjoying the ride). After rejoining US-1, I stopped for the night in a small motel on the north side of the town of Belfast. Total miles = 213.
I woke up the next morning ready for a long day. Actually, my itinerary was very optimistic as I planned on visiting Acadia National Park in Maine and then to proceed westward by Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, Pico Peak in Vermont, and finally into Glens Falls, NY.
On the road at 6am, I continued north on US-1 and the scenery set the tone for the day.
After a brief photo stop, I proceeded to Ellsworth, Maine where I refueled both the bike and myself. Following Rte 3 east to Acadia National Park, I made it to the visitor's center at 8am and just as the doors opened so I could add the official park stamp to the inside cover of my journal. With administrative stuff taken care of, I proceeded into the park and this was my first site overlooking Bar Harbor, Maine:
From there, I followed signs further into the park and to Cadillac Mountain which would offer panoramic views of the island on which Acadia Nat'l Park is situated. I turned left onto the road leading to the top and was pleasantly surprised by the switchbacks and the fact that Joe Law was nowhere around to enforce the 15mph speed limit. I seriously recommend this road for the enthusiastic rider ... but only first thing in the morning as I am certain that the man is on patrol during higher traffic times of the day.
On the way to the summit of Cadillac Mountain:
And the shot of me and the FJR to prove to my wife that I actually made it there in one piece:
The view eastward from the summit of Cadillac Mountain. Maybe one of these days I will get around to piecing together the 4-5 photos that make up the entire view.
Another good thing about Cadillac Mountain was that it was high enough for me to spy a storm in the western distance. I was able to take advantage of my stop at the top to don my liner and rain gear because the rest of the day was indeed cold and saw me riding through intermittent rain.
After another enjoyable and spirited ride back down the mountain road (too bad I was going a little too fast to take in the scenery and the dramatic view of the town of Bar Harbor below and to my right), I turned left and proceeded on the park loop road. Acadia has many carriage roads which are closed to vehicle traffic, however the gatehouses are built of stone and look sort of like mini-castles. Also built of stone (and paid for by John D. Rockefeller) are the carriage road bridges that the loop road occasionally goes under. Here is a photo of one of the bridges. Splendid design and architecture amid the woods:
I left Acadia National Park after spending about an hour and a half inside the park and proceeded west on US-1 and US-1A to Bangor. From Bangor, I followed I-95 south to Newport where I picked up US-2 which I found to be an enjoyable road as it is a 2-lane highway that offered much in the way of scenery as it cuts through the Maine wilderness. On it, I enjoyed passing through many lakes and recreation areas as well as the occasional town. I say enjoyable, however I cannot say that it is the best motorcycling road as it did not offer much in the way of twisties (few major routes do) and seemed to be heavily patrolled. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed taking in the Maine countryside.
On the Western edge of Maine, US-2 proceeds into the White Mountains and the rains became heavier. But I persevered ...even as my gloves took on the characteristics of a sponge more than hand protection ... and shortly after entering New Hampshire, I stopped in the town of Gorham where I refueled the bike and myself at the local Subway. After eating and answering a local kid's questions about the FJR (and entertaining him with the adjustable electric windshield), I continued west and saw Mt. Washington. Well, I sort of saw Mt. Washington. As usual, the summit was mostly hidden:
Just after that photo was taken, I was doing about 70mph down Rte 2 when I noticed a white van pulled over to the side of the road. Wondering whether the van was experiencing troubles since it was stopped in such an odd place, I soon discovered the purpose of the stop. As I passed, I saw a moose in the treeline just off to the right. In hindsight, I wish I would have stopped. So I guess the signs in that area are not lying when they caution that moose are around!
Turning south on Rte 115 and then onto US 302, I continued to enjoy the views of the White Mountains as I sped through the countryside. I was covering ground yet I was still seeing what I set out to see. Passing the town of Wells River and the state of Vermont, I turned too soon and got onto US-5 south instead of I-91. Oh well, US-5 ran parallel to the interstate anyway and continued to offer great views of the mountains! Finally joining I-91 at the town of Bradford, I proceeded south on the interstate and was able to gain some serious ground and was only passed once ... by a Goldwing.
With plans to follow US-4 west out of White River Junction, I had to detour north about 20 miles on interstate I-89 due to construction. It ended up being for the best, however, as Rte 107 south was a great road to ride as it proceeded into the Green Mountains and followed a valley for about 30 miles and offered many ups and downs and twists and turns until I arrived at the junction with US-4 just outside Killington, Vermont.
A photo of the bike just below the opposite side of Pico Peak.
In this area, US-4 is quite busy and is mostly 4-lanes as it goes up and down the mountain. But I still had a good time coming down the western side...and I very much appreciated the warning signs that the state of Vermont offers specifically cautioning motorcyclists to beware of surface changes.
After a forgettable experience with traffic and sprawl in Rutland, I followed Rte 133 south through Middletown Springs. Like Rte 107, I found this road to be very enjoyable as it had little traffic and offered much in the way of interesting riding. A right turn onto Rte 149 west continued the enjoyable riding into the setting sun and into the state of New York. I seriously recommend this road. My only problem was that I was too busy enjoying the ride than to take any photos!
With original plans to stay in Glens Falls and slightly ahead of schedule, I decided to stray from my plans, cover some more miles, and let the chips fall as they would as to the night's accomodations. So I hopped onto I-87 and proceeded south keeping up with traffic at 75mph but feeling that the 55mph speed limit posted over much of the section between Glens Falls and Albany was a bit on the low side. I guess the law would disagree, however, because I saw many people pulled over by LEOs on that stretch.
Feeling very fatigued and with darkness upon me, I stopped at a seedy motel outside Schenectady, New York. $50 doesn't get you much in the way of accomodations in some areas. After pulling down the sheets and seeing evidence that prior occupants enjoyed burning the sheets with their cigarettes, I had little trouble falling asleep on top of the covers. The day's total mileage = 563 miles.
I awoke refreshed and was on the bike at 6:30am. With plans of meeting a friend in Warren, PA, I knew that I had to take the slab all the way across NY until lunchtime.
So I jumped on I-88 and proceeded west. This interstate (aka "The Southern Expressway") is as scenic and fun as an interstate can get. Okay ... maybe not fun, but it is definitely scenic as it offers much in the way of mountain views. Oh yeah, if you like green then you'll really like this ride ... because everything was green.
At 9am, I stopped to refuel and while I was checking my tire pressure, a couple guys approached me. They saw my Illinois plates and inquired about my itinerary. When I told them that I was coming from Boston, they laughed as they themselves were travelling from Wisconsin to Boston. One was on a BMW 1100RT, another was on a Yamaha sport bike, and one was on a Honda cruiser. The guy on the cruiser was in the market for a touring bike and we talked about the FJR .... and how my butt was really achy and that all I felt the bike needed was a custom seat! At 9:30, I was back on the road....happy to have talked with some other riders but disappointed that my stop was half an hour! From there, the ride continued to be scenic but intermittent construction zones and LEOs around Elmira, NY were cramping my style and negatively impacting my timing.
Getting off I-86 at US-219, I proceeded south past the town of Bradford (and the Zippo building with the big Zippo lighter on the roof). Picking up Rte 770 west just outside of Bradford, I was 5 hours into my day of riding and finally on an enjoyable road as I raced up the curvy road and into the hills. After a few miles, I joined Rte 59 which took me into the scenic area of Kinzua Dam.
After a long lunch with my friend, I was chomping at the bit to ride since I knew the area well (I was born and raised in Western PA) and had been waiting to take the FJR through its paces in an area that I consider to have fantastic scenery and roads. So I followed Rte 6 for a few disappointing miles (I appreciate the road for its history and towns that it passes through as it traverses PA, but it is most definitely not a road for people who want to "ride") and picked up Rte 948 in the town of Sheffield. Although that road was okay, I knew the great riding was still ahead of me and I was ready for action when I turned right onto Rte 666 which is a great motorcycling road ... I only wish my schedule would have permitted me to follow it all the way to its western terminus. Nevertheless, I turned left onto Blue Jay Rd which is also a great road as it meanders beside a creek and through a valley. Again, I found myself wanting to take a photograph but enjoying the ride too much to stop. I did, however, stop beside one of the scenic iron bridges. I really appreciate these structures ... even though their metal "grate" road surfaces can be a bit stressful to ride across in the rain.
Continuing south, I picked up Rte 66. This is another road that I feel is just okay by Western PA standards. Plain and simple, there are just too many other good riding roads than this one which tends to offer little in the way of turns and much in the way of traffic! Good thing I knew the area, however, because I was soon able to turn left onto Rte 899 and again onto a great 2-lane highway that propelled me up and over many hills and down into valleys. Noticing a small, unnamed squiggly line on my map, I rounded a steep downhill to see an unknown road to my right. I applied the brakes but was not in time to make a safe right turn. As I turned the bike around on the road and proceeding down the unknown road, I thought to myself, "This better be worth it." I hate to waste time and, even more than that, I hate to doubleback. However, I would have none of that today! I soon learned that this was "River Road" and followed the Clarion River for many miles.
River Road served up a casual, slow-speed ride .... and I enjoyed every second of it. In previous travels, I had been too busy riding the higher speed alternatives than to take the time for this small road. And that was unfortunate because I was inspired by the numerous people out on the river enjoying the fine weather and the clear, shallow waters as they lazily floated down the river on their tubes, kayaks, etc. I even wondered to myself, "Why didn't I do that when I lived here?!!?"
After a brief ride on Rte 36 (which would be a great road if the powers that be would raise it to a more reasonable speed limit), I turned south on Miola Rd and proceeded 11 spirited riding miles into the town of Clarion where I picked up Rte 68 south.
Rte 68 is another fine Western PA road offering up the usual twisties and short-but-quick elevation changes with a loosely-enforced 55mph speed limit. The high point, however, is the section between Rimersburg and Chicora which starts off on .... literally .... a high point as the road follows the ridge line to the east of the Allegheny River. The popular stop in the area is at the Brady's Bend overlook (just east of the town of East Brady) as it offers a grand vista of a dramatic turn in the Allegheny River:
After continuing on and through the town of East Brady (and a near miss with a blind, left-turning cage driver
... thank you ABS), I proceeded on Rte 68 to the western side of the Allegheny River which offers many twists. Oh yeah, it also offers several blind elevated corners as you turn and go up at the same time ... which means that, for a few brief moments, you cannot see anything over the rise whether it be a car in your lane or an oncoming vehicle. That, along with the fact that railroad tracks appear in a couple of these turns, make this section very interesting. I highly recommend scouting this section of the road and getting acquainted with the area before trying any high speed maneuvers. With that said, trust me when I say that I enjoyed that section very much ... and got through it faster than the recommended speed limits suggest. I remained on Rte 68 all the way to Butler, PA but had to enjoy the many turns from speeds just below the limit as traffic impeded my progress. The rest of the ride included my old shortcut side roads to Cranberry Twp where my parents live. Believe me when I say that I enjoyed every second. Did I mention that the roads in Western PA are great?!!?
Total miles on Saturday, 6/23 = 486
After a couple days spent with friends and relatives, it was time to go. So I saddled up on the morning of Tuesday, 6/26 and took the slab I-76 to I-80 to I-90 all the way back to Chicagoland. Oh yeah, I did have one detour ... to Cuyahoga Valley National Park where I picked up another stamp for my journal and, of course, a photo op:
Total Tuesday mileage = 512
Total mileage rode from home to Boston and all the way back = 3,005.
Another great experience! Another great ride completed successfully!
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