Here's my little photo travelog:
I left New Hampshire on Wednesday and rode out to Albany to stay the night at my son's house. He's going to school there and has rented a house with 3 other people and were kind enough to offer me beer and a bed. The trip out was interesting as I rode out on Route 2, the Mohawk Trail, all the way west across Massachusetts. I had driven, but never ridden the trail. Well worth including in anyone's ride plans.
On Thursday, rode out about an hour and met up with Art (Roadrunner) coming down from his Adirondac home at a Dunkin Donuts on Rte 30 in Schoharie, NY. From there we rode on down Rte 30 all the way down along the Catskills. Highly recomended. We then took all secondary and back roads all the way down to Chambersburg, PA. Total smileage for the day was ~375 mi., not much time left for picture takin'. Stayed at the Red Carpet in Chambersburg, which was new, so very clean and also cheap (only $49 including tax via Orbitz).
In the morning we went to the local Denny's for cheap eats. It was about then that I remembered that I had my camera:
Here's Roadrunner in the Denny's parking lot:
We didn't realize that Chambersburg was on the way from Heflin, AL. Either that or Scab was having some trouble with his new GPS:
Then, while we were admiring Scab's pretty pink van, a couple of guys rode in on some dusty lookin' BMW GS bikes, packed like old mules:
When we started chatting I could hear the heavy accent, so I asked where they were from. They were from Mehico! Wow, says I... you guys have come a good distance.
"Oh, no. We are heading home now. We are coming down from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia." Yikes! True road warriors eat at Denny's...
Back on the road we headed down to Lewisburg on all back roads, including US Rte 50 through the mountains early, then Rte 220 and 219. All great riding. Late in the day, as we were toodling along at around 50 mph in one of the flat sections of 219, anticipating our arrival at the Brier Inn, from out of nowhere a 2-up FJR rider passes us at about +30. All I caught was the powder blue coat on the pillion, didn't even really see what year the bike was as it was a blur. I was like: WTF? I am in for a rude awakening if everyone rides like that down here... (Who was that anyway?)
Saturday morning we hooked up with a group headed to ride Route #2, the "Puckered Sphincter" run. We started out with 6 bikes, me riding sweep, but just before we made our first turn we got mixed up with the 2-up group, and we lost Axeman as he continued along with them. Zen Master Brody led the way, with MartyA and Sally 2-up, Roadrunner, local Cliff? from WV (sorry forgot your screen name) and your's truly at sweep (ie sucking hind *****). Here's the group at our first rest stop:
...and then later in the day when we stopped for lunch at a Sonic (gawd knows where) and we used up half of their drive-up spaces:
T'was a very nice ride, a momentous one for me as it was my 51st birthday. What better way to celebrate the beginning of the second half century of my miserable existence?
Others have done a better job of capturing the impressively large group photo opportunity, so I won't bore you with mine. But I had a unique, craned neck, side angle view of the proceedings Saturday night so, forthwith...
Deep Thoughts w/ Ari Rankum: (I'm still digesting)
...a gesticulating J Willy being spooned by the Scab-meister:
I think I captured Galaxy Blue's best side as he accepted his "award":
Fencer passing the "baton"...
TWN's sign being, erm... signed. That's CJ (De Oppresso Liber) on the left.
Then on Sunday, we decided to do some West Virginia sight seeing. Here are some pics from the New River Gorge: First from the top of the gorge at the visitor center:
Here's the "Old" New river bridge as seen from above:
Than some pics taken from the old bridge:
Art says I'm #1!!
Little roads:
Here comes the roadrunner... "Meep, meep!!"
On Monday we busted out of Lewisburg and slabbed it across WV, up through Virginia and on up to Chambersburg, PA where we again got off the nasty interstates and found our way along the sweet 2 lanes. Overnighted in Wilkes Barre and then went our respective way back home on Tuesday AM.
Good times...
