Moto Journey: Summer Trip XV

"...its about the journey, not the destination..."

A bridge along US 50 near Rowlesburg WV.

Last day of the trip. This is always "bitter-sweet" because I love touring on a bike so much, but by this time of a trip I am REALLY ready to get home. I have to force myself to calm down and enjoy the ride, to not be impatient, but to focus on the "journey" that is the last day.

This was an attempt to show how great US 50 is, with many curves and a good smooth surface.

As I was planning the trip I thought that the last day would probably be an Interstate day, from Clarksburg WV to Morgantown WV, then east to Baltimore MD and then up I 95 to home. The night before I left Lexington I looked at this route and saw that I would be headed north up to Morgantown, then south down to Baltimore, and then north again to Newark DE. Huh. Then I noticed that US 50 went through Clarksburg, then over to Winchester VA, which is part of my normal route coming home from the Blue Ridge. I checked the mileage and it was around 150 miles from Clarksburg to Winchester, and 150 miles from Winchester home. US 50 is a VERY "wiggly" line to Winchester, so it looked like fun ( "...its about the journey..." even on the last day! ). Sounds like a plan!

Near Oakland WV, with mountains going off to the horizon.

US 50 did not disappoint. Lots of curves, ranging from 15 mph up to 50 mph, up and down mountains, but with few places to stop and take a picture. There were stretches that rivaled the Blue Ridge Parkway, and then there were the small towns scattered along the way: Grafton, Thornton, Aurora, Gormania, Mount Storm. As usual there was little traffic, and when I did run into traffic there was usually an opportunity to pass it.

At the intersection of US 50 and WV 42 near New Creek WV. Imagine coming out of that left hand curve coming towards the camera, then leaning to the right as the road crests the mountain and then begins its circuitous path down the other side.

I stopped in the town of Romney for the mid-morning break. While paying for gas I asked the lady at the counter if there was a place with picnic tables around there. She informed they usually used the grounds of then state school for the deaf, and it was just down the road. I found a "pavilion" on the grounds with some picnic tables there. Perfect. I sat down to work on my blog while I took my break. As I sat there, looking towards the west, I noticed the sky was getting dark. Huh. A few minutes later I heard the rumble of thunder. That ain't good. Time to go. I quickly grabbed my stuff, got to the bike, and then got back on the road.

Pavilion in Romney WV where I took my mid-morning break...until Mother Nature told me I better get on the road!

I hurried east towards Winchester VA. As I rode east the sky in front of me got darker and darker. Also not good. By the time I got to Winchester it was clear that I was going to get wet. I pulled over, put on my rain gear, and rode into the rain. Ever the optimist I thought I could ride through the showers and then find dryer conditions. It kept raining, not hard but pretty persistent. By now I was on my "tried and true" route of VA 7 to Berryville, then US 340 to Frederick MD, then US 15 north to MD 26 to Eldersburg MD, and so on up through Maryland horse country, eventually hitting US 1 and then towards home. I began to think I might skip lunch when I did ride out of the rain into cloudy, but damp, conditions. I stopped for lunch at a Subway, and when I came out decided just to put on my rain jacket, not the pants. It was probably two hours or so home. How bad could it get?

The West Virginia mountains rolling off to the horizon. You may notice there are no pictures after I reached Winchester VA. That is because I was in the thick of the rain from then on.

WELL....I rode in and out of some pretty heavy showers, and by the time I reached Bel Air MD it REALLY started coming down! Heavy, heavy rain; so much so that cars were slowing down dramatically, which, in turn, meant that I got wetter and wetter. Remember I had not put on my rain pants! The long and the short of it is that I get VERY wet during the last hour of my trip, hitting the worst weather of the whole trip. As I rode on there was one saving grace: I would soon be home with an endless supply of dry clothes and a nice hot shower.

It had been a spectacular trip. As usual there had been some unplanned challenges, but that is part of motorcycle touring. I'd met many nice people, got to ride the bike every day, and really gotten to see this tremendous country that we live in. The diversity, the richness, the natural beauty of America is awe-inspiring. Each day I was thrilled by the sights and smells that I encountered as I wandered across the country. The challenges that I faced only added to the richness of the experience. Seeing America this way touches you deep inside. Everyone should make the effort to see this great land of ours. Trust me, I'll be out there on a bike once again soon.