I'm Leaving On A...

[BikerGeek99]

Jet plane?

Ah, no. That'd be a motorcycle.

Don't know what I'll be back again.

Well, that's not entirely true, either.

Screw it.

So much for a snappy ride report title.

Sooze and I are heading out in a wee bit. Why else would I be up this early on a Saturday?

I may work on the ride report while we're oot and aboot. I may not. We'll see.

But you can spy on us here: SPOTwalla cliky for you weirdos.

As you were.

 

[Bustanut joker]

Nice ride so far ********..

Been sitting here waiting an ya ain't moved. Kinda like me Thursday afternoon. :lol:

 

[Bungie]

Screw it.

I'm doing the same today.. a follow my nose day.

 

[BikerGeek99]

Nice ride so far ********..

Been sitting here waiting an ya ain't moved. Kinda like me Thursday afternoon. :lol:

Glad ya made it home, idjut. Give yer daughter a "congrats" hug from me 'n Sooze.

Screw it.

I'm doing the same today.. a follow my nose day.

Bungie Bungie Bungie... You DO realize the 'circle' of fun one could have with this. Right?

You know... "So - just gonna chase yer tail like a dog, eh?"

 

[beemerdons]

Screw it.

I'm doing the same today.. a follow my nose day.

I had a famous relative in the 1800's named Henry M. Stanley that left for Africa on a year's journey to find a missing Dr. Livingstone and rescue him.

Seeing Steve-O write "...a follow my nose day." makes me think this Don Stanley is also going out on a seek and find mission: Dr. Bungie, I presume!

 

[user 6393]

ride safe youz guyz!

 

[BikerGeek99]

Helluva day today, guys. As in, helluva GREAT day today!

We did see a bike wadded up against a guard rail on Route 50, though. Hope the rider is OK.

 

[Bungie]

Great days all around. Ed and I headed south and explored some of the paved backroads around Georgian Bay. Found a couple of good ones. Then Greg came down and met us for lunch (max GPS speed on the trip down 238km/h) and we found still more great roads and scenery. Then we cut across to North Bay and road the backroads then slabbed it home. 10hrs and 600km in the books.

Now sitting here and having a couple of ice cold Canadian wobbly pops. Mmm good.

But I think my fork seal needs to be cleaned again. Its started drooling like Papa Chuy when he hears the Good Humor man.

 

[airboss]

Hey Bungie Jr, you're going the wrong way. NAFO is West and North, not South and East.

 

[NightShine]

I had a famous relative in the 1800's named Henry M. Stanley that left for Africa on a year's journey to find a missing Dr. Livingstone and rescue him...

Good one, Don! :lol2:

 

[BikerGeek99]

Sooze and I had another great ride today!

Been uploading pics this evening. Gonna be a shorter day tomorrow - I'll do me best to get this ride report up and rolling.

Speaking of that - would the mod who moved this thread from Ride Reports please move it back to Ride Reports?

Thanks.

Teaser pic:

 

[BikerGeek99]

Saturday, June 16, 2012.

Liftoff.

This ride had been a long time coming. For me and for Sooze, our jobs have been pretty pressure- and stress-filled for a while now.

Time to get away from it all, and spend some time in the saddle.

We were up early (for us) on a clear, gorgeous Saturday morning and headed out around 8:30.

My plan was to take us out of the south-east corner of the city. Living on the north-west side of the city, that means we gotta run through downtown or take a long, boring route around. We just went through downtown – hell, it’s Saturday morning! No worries, right?

It wasn’t any big deal, really.

We took US 33 out of Columbus and, of course, hit construction.

Off of US 33 we hit US 50 and headed east. We’ve ridden bits and pieces of US 50, but never this piece. It was a pretty nice road – 4 lanes, light traffic, and it just felt great to have some saddle time instead of being chained to a laptop in a cubicle.

I swear I had to look in the mirror a time or two – it just felt something fell off the bike. In reality, it was just the stress me and Sooze have been carrying falling away. Damn that felt good!

Wasn’t long before we hit the West Virginia state line.

The hills started rolling, the land was lush and green, and the winds brought smells of spring flowers, fresh growth, and … well, there were some farms here and there. You know.

We stayed on US 50 all afternoon, which took us through some smaller towns. We rode a chunk of US 50 a few years ago when we were on our honeymoon ride, so we knew that in West Virginia is went to 2-lane and snaked through small towns, which we both love.

Don’t remember where this was, but I wouldn’t mind coming back and checking it out sometime.

But we saw a lot of this – the rolling countryside of Midwest America.

 

[BikerGeek99]

One of the very cool things about riding US 50 through West Virginia – there are quite a few “Handyman’s Specials” right along the road!

The road didn’t suck, either.

A few years back when we rode through here on the FJR, I happened to find a place to stop for pictures. It was here:

I kinda wanted to stop there again, if we could find it. I was focused on riding the bike (and not running over the idjut cagers in front of us) and almost missed it, but Sooze had her radar on and gave me fair warning so we pulled off at a familiar spot.

Then:

Now:

Considering 3 years had gone by, the place really didn’t look any different.

If’n yer gonna look for it, it’s at the corner of US 50 and here in West Virginia:

And the road getting here does not suck.

Did I already mention “Handyman’s Special?”

 

[BikerGeek99]

After a few minutes lollygagging and picture taking, we were back in the saddle, east-bound and down. Or something.

We like US 50.

After a bit we crossed into Maryland – note the color of the pavement – it’s red.

We saw these things off on a distant hillside.

Can ya seem ‘em lined up?

It was a farm of these things:

With the red pavement and all, I amused myself (go figure) with the thought: “Maryland: home of green energy and red pavement.” I think the fluorescent lights of the cubicle farm have affected my brain.

Oh, well.

Onward we rolled, east-bound.

Then … we were back in West Virginia. Kinda weird the way the state lines run through here, ya know?

It was soooo nice to just kick back and chill, taking in the scenery and the moment(s) like one can only do on a motorcycle.

Yep.

 

[BikerGeek99]

Gotta wonder if that one fella is gonna make a campaign stop here…

We made a fuel / bio / hydration stop and this was across the street. Sooze and I seriously debated whether the baby carriage was actually for sale at the used car lot. Ya never know…

Small town America. I love it.

The temperatures were warm, but not uncomfortable in any way.

Wasn’t long before we made to Virginia – the non-west one. Wonder why it isn’t East Virginia. Things that make me go, Hmm….

The last time we rode through here, we happened to stop here – the Amherst Diner, in Winchester, Virginia.

For this trip, we thought that’d be a good stopping point the first day, so that’s what we did.

Our hotel was walking-distance(ish) from the historic district, which has a pedestrian mall, which was kinda cool.

One thing about this region compared to home is the history. Yeah, we have some kinda-historic stuff back home, but around here you can’t spit into the wind (much less pee, but that’s a different conversation) without hitting a historic building.

The pedestrian mall in Winchester’s historic district is kinda cool if you ask me.

For a Saturday evening, we were kind of surprised at how empty the place was. Weird.

 

[Old Michael]

This is a truly cosmic ride report, Andy.

I am mesmerized.

 

[BikerGeek99]

This is a truly cosmic ride report, Andy.

I am mesmerized.

Thanks, buddy!

 

[BikerGeek99]

We were thinking that with it being a beautiful Saturday evening, and a pedestrian area in the historic district in a town founded in the 1700’s that the stores would stay open late. We thought wrong – most of the stores were closed or about to close. Not sure what’s up with that, but that’s how it was.

It is a neat area, though, if you ask us.

History was all around us.

This sign told the tale of how injured Civil War soldiers were piled on the steps of the building in the background, waiting to die. When they died, they were carried off to make room for more injured soldiers, wailing and shrieking from their wounds knowing they were also going to die. Makes my pissing and moaning about my job kinda trite, you know?

Sooze had done some research and we decided to swing in here – an authentic British-style pub with a pretty schweet beer selection.

They had quite a few beers that I had never tried before. Being a member of Rogue Nation (go to our “Milestones” ride report when we were in Newport, Oregon, in 2010 for more on that), I felt obliged to try a Rogue Brewing beer I hadn’t heard of before. Yummmmm…..

Sooze had a Somersault from the kind folks in Fort Collins, CO – note the label.

Being a British pub, I felt compelled to have the bangers & mash.

Sooze had the grilled pork & apple sammich, topped with cheddar cheese.

It was an “interesting” dinner. There was a table next to us where there was a couple having dinner and drinks. We were too close not to overhear their conversation. We’re still not sure what the deal was – first date? Blind date? Dunno, but he was “working it.” If you ask me, the doood was a *********. Anytime she picked up her phone to text whoever, he was asking, “Who are you texting? Is my company that bad? Are you talking about me? Put your phone down – now.” The dooood was a diiiiickhead. Then there was the hippy chick with a pup – the pup was some kind of service dog in training, but she was … well, a hippy.

But the food was tasty, the beers cold. Check out the Union Jack in Winchester, VA, some time.

Bellies full, we continued our walking tour of the historic district.

 

[Bungie]

Go Andy Go!

WV for me in July!