FALL TRIP 2022 II

 “…its about the journey, not the destination…”

2000 Honda GL 1500 with just under 26,000 miles.

    Over the years I have often showed up for our trips with a “new” bike that my buddies didn’t know about. This year I decided to replace my 1988 Honda GL 1500, which I have owned for 32 years, and which has over 195,000 miles. A good friend of mine who is somewhat older decided that his ‘Wing was to big for him to handle. He graciously sold it to me for a very good price. It is a 2000 GL 1500 25th year anniversary edition with just under 26,000 miles on it. It had sat in his garage for over 2 years without being ridden. 

My 1988 Gold Wing at an overlook on Skyline Drive September 2022.

The Black Wing sitting in my back yard so I could admire it from my seat on the deck.

    When I got the Black Wing it needed tires, oil change for the motor and differential, and brakes, since I only had the hand brake. In addition it started right up, but wouldn’t idle. When my friend put the bike away he had filled up the tank,  but over the years only started it periodically. The result was that when I picked up the bike it had 3/4 tank of gas, and that gas was very old. 

The Black Wing at the part at Safe Harbor PA, one of my favorite day rides.

    My local Honda dealer (Power Sports East in  Bear Delaware) mounted the tires, changed the oils, fixed the rear brake which only needed to have the brake fluid replaced! The idle remained a problem. To get to idle I had turned up the idle adjustment. It idled, but would surge up and down. I spent a day in my garage, accessed the  air cleaner, which I replace with a permanent after market  unit, and sprayed the heck out the carb with carb cleaner. The result was it idled better, but it still wasn’t right. Probably the only thing that was going to fix it was to run several tankers of fresh gas through it. Time to take it on a trip!

FALL TRIP 2022

 “…it’s about the journey, not the destination…”

Overlook above Buena Vista VA

   Every spring and fall my college room mates and I take a motorcycle trip, usually down the Blue Ridge Parkway. This fall we decided to stay around Boone NC. We found a cabin to rent in Linville Falls, about 20 minutes south of Boone, and right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Gary would ride up from Atlanta, about a five hour ride for him. Curtis and I would have a longer trip, around 550 miles for me; around 400 plus mile for Curtis from Chantilly VA. 

The “historic” Hampton Inn Lexington VA

    It turned out Curtis had meetings in Richmond VA, so we decided to meet west of Richmond. I got a room at the Hampton Inn in Lexington VA. Curtis and I met Friday morning at Dillwyn VA, and then navigated to Appomattox VA, and on over to Roanoke. There we made the major mistake of the day. We (mostly I!) decided to ride down US 221 to Hillsville VA, get on I 77 south to US 421 to Boone. What we should have done is get on I 81 in Roanoke, shoot down to I 77, then to 421 to Boone. The result was we got to Linville Falls community after dark, had difficulty finding the road that the cabin was on. 

Nice front porch, but the gravel driveway was a challenge

    To add to the experience the road in was gravel, and the driveway for the cabin was steep and had soft gravel. Let’s just say Curtis and I were very happy to have the bikes up the hill and settled for the night. 

The view off of the back deck. Notice the sign on the tree, and the big guy to the left!

Fall Trip 2019 II

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

Beautiful view from an overlook on the BRP. You have to pick and choose; you can't stop at every one!

     The ride from Roanoke VA to Brevard NC consists of 292 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping for lunch and gas at Boone NC (mm 290), then continuing down to the Pisgah Inn (mm 408) where we would meet Curtis' brother Gary. An entire day on the BRP. Heaven!

Another overlook with mountains going off to the horizon. 

     Following my habit of getting up and out in two hours, and since we had a 300 plus mile day, it was "...up at 6, out by 8..."  We had breakfast at an IHOP restaurant on the way from the motel to the BRP. On the BRP by 7:45 we cruised south, running at 55-60 MPH with little traffic. As we rode south there was less and less traffic, but it was a little heavier than usual. As we would find out, due to our taking the trip a couple of weeks later than usual people were coming to the BRP to see the fall foliage. There were places, particularly in the Asheville area, where the road is at its highest elevations, that the trees were starting to change. Beautiful time of year on the BRP!

Gary and Curtis enjoying a libation as we wait for our table at the Pisgah Inn.

     The ride was uneventful, but GREAT! The BMW'S are a joy in the "twisties." As large as they look they are extremely easy to lean into turns, and hold the line well. The brakes are tremendous, the steering is very light. I generally like to stop around 10am and 3pm at an overlook and enjoy the view. With that being said we were both anxious to get to the Pisgah Inn and meet up with Gary. The plan was to meet Gary there, have dinner, and then ride down off of the BRP to Brevard and on to the cabin we'd rented. Arriving around 6pm Curtis and I put our names in for a table, got a couple of drinks and sat down in some Adirondack chairs to wait for our table. Gary arrived about 10 minutes later.

Beautiful blue sky, puffy white clouds, rolling mountains; the view never gets old!

      After a delicious dinner we rode about 4 miles further south to the exit for US 276 (mm 412). This is a VERY twisty road with very faded lines on the road. The saving grace is there are reflectors you can follow. It is safe to say you travel this stretch of road down off the BRP at a much more moderate pace at night than you would in the daytime. US 276 merges with US 64 into Brevard, then continues south towards the South Carolina border. We had never stayed in this cabin before, and it was down US 276 almost to the SC border. The cabin itself was great, but the road back to it was 4 miles of poorly maintained dirt road, no street lights, many curves and dips, sometimes narrower than my driveway. Needless to say we wouldn't be running back and forth from the cabin and Brevard several time a day! We all made it to the cabin safely, unpacked, and settled in for the night.

Curtis looking a little the worse for wear at the Mexican Restaurant in Roanoke VA. While Gary's hair always looks neat, Curtis does not enjoy that genetic trait!

     Mother Nature can throw a monkey wrench into your plans, and often does. In this case Curtis had to be home Sunday night to work on Monday. We met Gary and got into the cabin Thursday night. Heavy rain was forecast Sunday, so Curtis had to cut his trip short. He decided to leave Saturday for the 8 hour highway trip back to his home in Chantilly VA. Riding all day long in sometimes heavy rain is no fun, and can be dangerous. Gary and Curtis went hiking Friday, and Saturday morning, then Curtis left for home around 3pm. After Curtis left Gary and I went for a really nice ride along a series of back roads, crossing the BRP several times. We had dinner that night, and the rain hit during the night. It was supposed to end by mid morning Sunday. We'll see!

Another overlook, this one on a back road that I was on Friday as I wandered around south of Brevard. Great place to sit and read for a while. 

Fall Trip 2019

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

A view from one of the many overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway

     Its that time of the year again: the fall trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway to Brevard NC to spend a few days with my buddies Gary and Curtis. They both work, while I'm retired, so the trip is planned around their busy schedules. This year Curtis was doing a presentation at James Madison University in Harrisonburg VA. He would be finished by 1 PM Wednesday, so I arranged to meet him at that time in Harrisonburg.

The Chili's in Eldersburg MD. GREAT place for lunch!

     I decided to leave on Tuesday and ride to Front Royal VA and spend the night there. I have a route to Front Royal that includes no interstates, and features a ride through the Maryland horse country north of Baltimore. I have found that I am in Eldersburg MD generally by lunch time. There I stop for lunch at a Chili's. Then MD 26 to US 15 near Frederick MD, and then pickup US 340 which goes right into Front Royal. I stay at a Super 8 there, and then get on the Skyline Drive the next morning.

My bike sitting in the drizzle in Front Royal VA while I sat in a gazebo and read.

     The weather was cloudy and threatening rain the entire trip, but although I ran into isolated pockets of sprinkles along the way it never got heavy enough to put on rain pants. When I reached Front Royal I stopped at a small park in town that offered a gazebo with a picnic table where I could sit for a while and read. At the motel I ran into a pair of motorcyclists from Mississippi and we struck up a conversation. That evening we went across the road to a "burger joint" and had dinner together. The first example, of many along the way, of the fun it is to talk to and meet folks when you travel. This really adds to the enjoyment of traveling.

This is the third overlook on Skyline Drive heading south from the northern entrance. I stop here every trip. 

     Wednesday morning dawned bright and clear, with crystal blue skies. Using my senior pass I got up on Skyline Drive, speed limit 35 mph, to enjoy the 105 mile ride down to mile marker 66 where I would pick up US 33 over to Harrisonburg. The run down US 33 off of the Skyline Drive offers some interesting "twisties" on the way down off of the mountain. Once in Harrisonburg I came across another Chili's and had lunch there.

Curtis standing with his "new" bike in the parking lot at another Chili's in Harrisonburg VA.

     Curtis got done his commitment and met me at Chili's around 1PM. Then it was back up US 33 to the Skyline Drive, and then south. Reaching the end of the Drive we continued straight on to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We had about 120 miles to go to get off in Roanoke VA. Now the speed limit was 45 mph. With few Park Rangers I have found I can run at 55-60 mph with no problem, dramatically adding to the enjoyment of the ride. We stopped once on the way down for a break, arriving at another Super 8 in Roanoke just before dark. There was a Mexican restaurant right across the street, and we walked over and had a great meal, along with a couple of cervasas'. Tomorrow night we would meet up with Gary down in Brevard NC.

Curtis checking his phone, AS USUAL! 

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.

Near Scott City Kansas, with wheat fields that stretch forever.

The Pan Handle of Texas. 

A thunder storm in the vicinity of Pike's Peak. 

Summer Trip XIV

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

Along US 60 in rural Kentucky. 

     The goal today is to ride from Lexington KY to Clarksburg WV, around 300 miles away,  mainly on US highways with as little interstate as possible. US 60 went right past my motel, and would take me all the way to West Virginia. The route would take me through many small towns, as usual, and, as usual, it would only take 5 or 10 minutes to ride through them. I mean we're not talking New York city here!

Uh, my driveway is just about as wide as this road. There are no lane markings on this road. Is this still US 119?

     Quickly after turning on US 60, known locally as Winchester Road, I am out in the country. There are a number of large farms here, both agricultural and horse farms. Most farms have gotten away from white fences, instead you find mostly black fences along the road. Winchester comes and goes quickly. Then I am out in the country, a two lane road with no shoulder, with twists and turns to make the ride fun.

My mid-morning stop in Grayson KY. There was so much room I could pull the bike right in  out of the sun. 

     I quickly pass through Mount Sterling, Owingsville, Salt Lick, and Morehead, where Phil Simms went to college. I wonder if he ever comes back to visit? Long stretches of the road are great motorcycling; lots of curves, the road goes up and down, left and right, the kind of riding you would be looking for if you were just going out for a ride for fun. I stop in Grayson KY for to work on my blog, with about 30 miles left to the WV border. US 60 goes up to Ashland KY and then back down towards Huntington WV. I decide to get on I 64 and run the 56 miles to Charleston WV.

The road has ended. Should I go right or left? Maybe I should ask the small black horse. 

     This is where the first adventure of the day begins. I glance at the map and see that US 119 winds its way up towards Clarksburg, and that it comes out of Charleston. I ride into Charleston on I 64, and then continue on I 64 looking for the exit for US 119...and I ride...and I ride... By this time I need gas, and it is lunch time so I get off to gas up, have lunch, and look at a map. I discover that I should have gotten on I 79 north for just a short time and then gotten off on US 119. I have ridden about 16 miles out of the way. Oh well, "...its about the journey..." After lunch, and gas, I get back on I 64 west and ride to I 79 north, ride it about 3 miles and get off on US 119. Soon I realize I have discovered another terrific road. The usual collection of curves and changes of elevation, often tree shaded. I run along at 60 mph with little traffic. If I do get behind some cars there are passing lanes to quickly dispatch them. In Clendenin WV 119 turns north towards I 79...and then the day's second adventure begins.

Notice the sign in the far right side of the picture. US 119 north. I'M SAVED!

     I leave Clendenin following three cars, but after 3 miles we get to I 79 and they all get on...I should have been paying closer attention. Within a mile or so there is no center line in the road...the surface begins to deteriorate...the road gets narrower and narrower...Toto I don't think I am on US 119 any more. Now a congenital issue crops up. I hate going back. I continue forward....the road surface is REALLY bad, some places half of it is gravel...get the picture? Up a mountain, down the other side. By this time I know I am REALLY lost, but I just don't want to back track. I reach the end of the road and there is a small horse tied there. I can go left or right. My sense is that 119 is to the right somewhere. I turn right, and soon the road gets even worse. There is little blacktop, now it is mostly gravel. I continue on. The road comes to an end at a road that has lines down the middle. This is progress. I turn right again and ride for a few minutes to a stop sign. I look left and see a sign that says US 119. Eureka! I've found it. I rode 119 until it joined US 33. Then riding towards Weston; its getting to be late afternoon, and it is hot; I'm tired... I decide to ride over to Burnsville and get on I 79 and ride it up to Clarksburg. In about 40 minutes I'm checking into my motel. Another adventurous day has come to an end.

Summer Trip XII

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

A view of Kentucky Lake from the Kentucky Dam.

    "...its about the journey..." The fastest way to Lexington Ky, where I was staying for a few days, was to take the Western Kentucky Parkway to Elizabethtown KY, and the the Blue Grass Parkway into Lexington; but this trip was not about the fastest. This trip was about the journey, the best ride. I decided to take US 62 out of Paducah all the way to Lexington.

Just above the dam.

     US 62 out of Paducah is a great motorcycle road. It has lots of curves, much of the road is tree lined, some of it so that you feel you are riding through a "tree tunnel." In and out of small towns, little traffic, wonderful rolling countryside, and then the Kentucky Dam across the Tennessee River.

The Kentucky Dam is part of the Tennessee Valley Authority providing power, drinking water, and recreational opportunities. 

     I took my mid-morning break in Greenville Kentucky. What a nice town. Well tended houses and lawns, some nice shops downtown that locals frequent, and the requisite town park. I found some picnic tables under a "gazebo" to sit and work on my blog. Peaceful, quiet spot.

Mid-morning break in Greenville Kentucky.

     I continue along US 62 through Beaver Dam KY (no kidding!), towards Leitchfield and then on towards Elizabethtown and Bardstown. Near Bardstown I pass (I did not stop!) the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History and ride on towards Versailles KY.

Old Frankfort Pike, still a wonderful ride.

     About 20 miles from Lexington I turn onto Old Frankfort Pike. This is a road that I often traveled when I lived in Lexington and its as wonderful as ever. The road surface is great, trees line both sides of the road in many places making the late afternoon ride a little cooler. This brings back many memories.

Tree lined roads around Lexington make it easier to deal with  the afternoon heat.

     Once I get close to Lexington it is clear that much has changed in the 35 years since I lived here.
Lexington is much larger, more spread out, and there are many more people, cars, and stop lights. It takes quite a bit of time to get from the western side of Lexington to the eastern side where my motel is. I check in and then decide to go to dinner at a  restaurant I worked in for a few years. The Chevy Chase area has changed a lot also, but there are still some of the old restaurants there, including the one I worked in. After dinner I ride back towards my motel, stopping by some friends house on the way back. We make arrangements to meet for dinner the next night. Then back to the motel for some TV. Tomorrow will be "...a trip down memory lane."