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

“..a few thoughts…” January 26, 2025…

Threatening clouds over the Shannondoah Valley

        I am watching a video series on YouTube published by a guy named Joe Ryan. He publishes a new video every Friday. The topic of his current ( ? ) video is a journey through northern Vietnam and it is wonderful He has a series of videos such as  “Roam New Zealand,”  “Roam The Himalayas.” The photography is great and he really gives you a feel for the culture in these areas. In the current episode       ( #6 ) he runs into some rainy and cloudy weather as he rides through mountainous North Vietnam.

On a trip with my college roommates on a damp day on the Blue Ridge Parkway

        As I watched the video I thought about the many times I’ve ridden the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive in the rain and fog. I’ve often said riding in the rain or the fog is not a big deal, just ride “gently.” Riding through both at the same time, rain AND fog, is no fun. I was on the Skyline Drive on my 1988 Goldwing in 2022, which had 195,000 miles on it, and had decided  to get off on US 33 above Harrisonburg VA rather getting off sooner to get to the lowlands and out of the fog. Instead I pressed on. It became so foggy and wet that I was riding along watching the center line because I couldn’t see 30 feet in front of me. There are no shoulders on Skyline Drive so if the bike stopped I couldn’t get off of the road. I realized how dangerous this was, particularly on a bike with so many miles. It was a really dumb thing to do. I made it, but shortly traded my 1988 Wing for a 2000 model with only 26,000 miles on it.

The last trip on my 1988 Goldwing. I should have taken the clouds more seriously.

        When you ride in the high lands it can be much foggier, as you are literally riding in the clouds. Obviously keep your speed down and avoid sudden braking or acceleration. Stay off any painted lines if you can because they are much more slippery than the road. I was on a trip with my daughters to the White Mountains a few  years ago and we hit rain everyday day. Not all day but off and on, along with sunny patches. I simply told them to “ride gently” and eventually they came on the radio saying that if  you had the proper rain gear, and the rain wasn’t too heavy, riding in the rain is no big deal. I would agree, adding that tires with good tread is also a great help.

Our bikes in front of our rental home in the White Mountains.
The lower picture is from our front porch. Beautiful!

        Having good rain gear, and tires, is an essential part of riding safely in the wet. If you are on a trip you might consider waiting until the worst of the rain has passed, but you may have no choice but to get on the bike and ride. My general rule about stopping every 150 mile might change to every 100 miles, or, if the weather is really bad, every hour. It is dependent on the conditions at the time of the ride. 

The Peddler is a restaurant in Boone NC where I’ve stopped for dinner for over 30 years!
If you like steak I highly recommend it.

        On of the best aspects of motorcycling is that rather than watching the scenery go by in a car, you are part of it; you get wet if it rains, cold if its cold, and hot if its hot. You experience the place through all of  your senses, sight, smell, feeling, hearing. It is one of the things I like most about riding. You have to pay attention to all of what is around you and  you are part of it all, 

My Honda Silverwing scooter on the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

        Winter is a tough time for me. I watch PLENTY of YouTube videos and go out when the weather cooperates. This week it is going to be in the mid to upper 40s Monday, Tuesday, and  Wednesday. I will be out on the Spyder Monday, the Interceptor on Tuesday, and on Wednesday I will be out on my new toy, a 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411. We are actually getting past the worse time of the year and we will have more and more days to ride. I have several trips planned for this year including North Carolina, Virginia, and Winnipeg Canada. Hope you have several trips planned this summer also. Until then get out on every nice day you can.

A few thoughts 01/05/25

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

  …A FEW THOUGHTS…

Out for a short ride on the Scram on a chilly winter day

       The next 6 weeks are the most difficult for me. Temperatures freezing or below, wet, frozen or snowy

roads. Few chances to go for a ride. At the end of Fall I take the carbureted bikes and drain the carburetors 

and move them all to the back of the garage, parked close together. My winter regimen is to put a charger on all of the bikes overnight once a month. I have found that this allows bikes to start up easily in the Spring. 

A stop on the Interceptor on a back road in Pennsylvania 

        This leaves me with two legitimate bikes to ride in the cold weather. My scooter has heated grips so it it’s in the mid 40s I can take it out for short rides. I bought a Royal Enfield Interceptor last February and I really like it, so if there is any chance to take it out I do so. Back in mid-December I bought another Royal Enfield, a Scram 411. The name of the bike means that it has a 411 cc engine. Many experienced riders, and the vast majority of younger rides would say the motor is too small and the bike is too slow. When I was younger I thought the same way. The Scram is designed to be a “scrambler.” This means it is capable of mild off roading. The frames of the Royal Enfield’s are designed in England in a facility Royal Enfield purchased to take advantage of English expertise in this area. On of the key reasons for the popularity of Triumph motorcycles of the 60s and 70s was they way they handled. That is the reason Royal Enfield bikes are so much fun to ride. 

The protection the wind shield gives me on my R1150 GS is surprising…
The heated grips work well.

        The way you sit on my R1150 GS provides good protection due to the shape of the wind shield, the gas tank, and the motor. I have a heated vest if needed but generally my Kilimanjaro jacket and wind proof riding pants allow relatively short rides.

My Spyder on a wonderful road in PA.

        My main winter bike, and long distance touring bike is my Can Am Spyder. The wind shield is adjustable electronically, and the “fairing” really protects you lower body and feet. It also has heated seats and heated grips. Generally I don’t like riding in temperatures below 40 degrees, buy I can be fairly comfortable on colder days on the Spyder.

These are my warm weather bikes “retired” for the winter.

        My bikes with little or no protection sit at the back of the garage. To get them ready for the months long period of sitting I empty the carburators either by draining the gas from the bike or run the bike with the peacock off until the bikes stops running. Once a month during the winter I attach a battery charger to the bikes over night. My experience is that in the spring the bikes start right up.

The Scram “snuggled” up against the GS.

        Often during the winter the temps here get up into the mid 40s or lower 50s. I celebrate days like this by going out for a decent ride. Next week here on one day the high temperature is going to be 17! 😖 I’ll probably spend lots of time watching YOUTUBE motorcycle videos. Keep warm!

SHORT TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS ON THE INTERCEPTOR

 "...it's about the journey, not the destination..."

On the way to the old part of town in Harpers Ferry WV.

Harpers Ferry was a key location for more than the famous raid by John Brown.

    The focus today was getting home, so there would be little opportunities for scenic pictures. As I have said I prefer to stay off of Interstate highways if possible. Today, combining time and distance, I would start out the day on Interstate 81. Up at 6 am out at 7:15 and right onto I 81. The good news is that this would be the only Interstate I would ride today. The better news is that I would only be on it for an hour or so. 

The Harpers Ferry bandstand, originally one of the structures on Island Park
 amusement park was created and operated by the B&O railroad.

    I rode up I 81 for 61 miles getting off at  Stephens City onto VA 277 east to US 340. Then I took US 340 towards Frederick MD. As I was riding I was thinking about opportunities for pictures on my route. After Charles Town WV I realized my route would take me past Harpers Ferry. What a great opportunity to visit a significant historic site, and get some pictures. 

The site of the Small Arsenal building in 1861.

John Brown attacked Harpers Ferry to get weapons for his fight against slavery.

    In the morning hours on a Wednesday morning I hade the place almost to myself. I rode down the hill to the oldest part of town, the site of the attack by John Brown and his followers. A number of the buildings were very old, giving the area a special historical feeling. As is often the case this area seemed so small for such an important event to have taken place.

The fire house where John Brown was captured after a bloody confrontation.

The Union solders who rushed to Harpers Ferry were commanded by a Colonel who
would later become a famous general, Robert E. Lee. 

    The leader of the Union troops that responded to John Brown’s attack was Robert E. Lee. A young  1st Lt. named James Ewell Brown Stuart was part of the force. Jeb Stuart would become critical to General Lee’s successes during the Civil War. 

A look up the street in Harpers Ferry.

    After my time in Harpers Ferry it was back on US 340 to Frederick MD where I began a route I’ve developed over the many trips I’ve taken through this area over the years. MD 26 east out of Frederick to Eldersburg, then a left turn, navigating around Baltimore. This route typically takes longer that the Interstate around Baltimore ( depending, of course, on traffic and accidents on the beltway around Baltimore! ) but it takes me through some of the Maryland horse country and features some interesting, curvey roads. In Jennersville I turn off of MD 23 onto MD 165 that goes north towards Pennsylvania. When this road crosses the border it becomes PA 74. Shortly thereafter I came to a circle, on which sits the Delta Family Restaurant. Dubbed the “Delta Diner” by my good friend and riding buddy Jimmy, now deceased. This is one of my normal stops when I go out riding. I was almost home. 

My bike in front of the “Delta Diner,” one of my usual stops. 

    I arrived at the Delta Diner around noon, and had my usual lunch. From there a pleasant trip through the PA and MD countryside to US 1, then over the Conowingo Dam to Rising Sun MD. From there country roads towards my home in Newark De. I had a great 5 day trip, visiting with on old colleague, riding many back roads, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. LOTS of fun motorcycling on an excellent bike. The next trip is with my daughters to the finger lake region of New York in the first week of September. Many great journeys ahead!

The site of one of the nation’s first industrial complexes.

SHORT TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS ON THE INTERCPETOR

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

8:32 AM on the Skyline Drive.

    Today’s  plan is to ride the Skyline Drive up to Front Royal VA and then navigate back to Harrisonburg. It took about half an hour to ride up to Skyline Drive from Harrisonburg. As I rode up I discovered that it was going to be a chilly ride, at least for the first part of the morning. As I rode I realized that I only had my rain jacket, a buff, and leather vest. I’d left my fleece back in my room. On my trip to Montana and Wyoming last summer I’d not taken my fleece, and during a very wet and cold ride across South Dakota I really missed it! Would I miss my fleece again today?

The view from the overlooks are usually terrific. Today it was hazy, probably due to humidity.

    My rain jacket is a great wind breaker, and my leather vest and buff kept me warm. As I rode north I realized the big difference today was it wasn’t raining. I was comfortable as I rode looking for an overlook that faced east. A key component of riding Skyline Drive is that you can’t go fast. This is a national park with Park Rangers. I’ve found that I could ride at 45 mph or so and enjoy the scenery. The Drive is 103 miles long in total, but I started out at mile marker 67. I figured it would be around 2 hours riding time, plus a stop to read for a while. My goal was to get to Front Royal around 11:30.

I stopped at this overlook to set up my chair and read for awhile. 

        After reading for an hour or so I got back on the bike to finish the final 37 miles to the end of the Drive. Again, taking my time, enjoying the scenery, it took me about an hour to get to the end around 11:30. I topped off the tank and had lunch. The plan now is to take VA 55 west away from Front Royal.

Yet another attempt on my part to show the beauty of the country. 
Generally this was frustrated due to a haze from the humidity in the air.

    Once I came down off of the Drive it became clear it was going to be a hot day. I kept my long sleve shirt on as long as I could. Wearing long sleeves reduces dehydration and exposure to the sun. Around 1 PM I pulled over and took off that shirt and put on sun tan lotion. The rest of the ride would be very hot!

An advantage to being on Skyline Drive was that it was cooler.
When I came down things changed.

    The rest of the ride was through the countryside of Virginia and West Virginia. In West Virginia the road ran through the valley with farms on either side. When I headed east once again towards Harrisburg the road went up and over a mountain. Lots of curves. Simply a very  pleasant ride. I got to the hotel by 3 PM. Later dinner, a movie, some Bushmills…then to sleep. Tomorrow home.

SHORT TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS ON THE INTERCPETOR

 “…it’s about the journey, not the

                                                                                                                                                                                   

I stopped along US 33 to take off my jacket. Notice all of the traffic.

    I was excited about today’s ride on US 33 out of Harrisonburg VA west into West Virginia. It only took 12 miles to cross the valley and enter the forest on the other side. The trip out of Harrisonburg featured a ride through its center, and then west through “suburbs”. Once in the forest riding became excellent. There were lots of curves, and as I continued west more and more elevation changes. Simply really good motorcycling.

The elevation changes and curves were lots of fun.

    US 33 became REALLY curvey as I climbed up a mountain towards West Virginia. A blemish on the morning was that there was construction in a challenging section of the route. I had to sit about 15 minutes waiting for the “Follow Me” truck, but, to be fair, this section of road had been in bad shape, and the work they had done so far provided a gloriously smooth road. It was a little frustrating following the truck at 10 to 15 mph, but the work was really necessary. After the section of construction I could really pick up the pace and enjoy the road, and the wonderful motorcycle I was riding.

Along US 33 riding towards Elkins West Virginia.

This historical marker was not about the Civil War ( although another one at this same location did ), instead it concerned the struggle against the Native Americans in the valley in the background. 

    I stayed on US 33 to Elkins WV where I had lunch, after which I left town on US 219/250 to Huttonsville where US 250 split off and then headed back towards Virginia. As I rode along I had the road mainly to myself. There were wonderful tight turns, elevation up and down, 15, 25, 30, 40 mph curves causing to downshift often. The transmission of the Interceptor is excellent and I was shifting up and down often, powering out of corners the down shifting for the next turn. Great fun!

I pulled over for pictures, this one giving you an idea of how curvey the road is.

     I realized that I had about 135 miles on the tank, and was riding to an area with few towns, and therefore few gas stations. I came across gas in the town of Thornwood and gassed up. The Interceptor hot 62.3 MPG on that tank. Shortly I passed back into Virginia on some of the best roads of the day. I freely admit that there might have been a few instances where I exceeded the speed limit. This bike is too much fun.

Beautiful view of this valley with a beautiful road in the background. 

    The route now was down US 250 to the town of Churchville where I took a left onto VA 42 towards Harrisburg. I rode this through the rolling Virginia country side to the town of Bridgewater where I made a right, rode over to I 81 and then rode this to the exit for US 33 and the hotel. Then dinner and an evening enjoying a movie…..and a little Irish Whiskey. Tomorrow north on the Skylilne Drive to Front Royal, and then navigating back to Harrisonburg. Can’t wait.

The story of the end of the Civil War in Pendleton County WV.

SHORT TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS ON THE INTERCPETOR

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

A beautiful motorcycle in front of beautiful scenery on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

    The route today will be US 60 West out of Richmond until it crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway. As I rode out of Richmond it was a 4 lane highway with lots of businesses and a fair amount of traffic. One of the benefits of the Interceptor is that it handles really well and it is easy to ride in traffic. Once you get about 10 miles west of Richmond businesses and traffic thinned out. 5 minutes more and it became a 2 lane highway with wonderful views of Virginia farmland.

A stop along US 60 to shed my jacket as the day was warming up.

    As the morning warmed up I shed my jacket, and then my leather vest. I kept my long sleeved shirt on to reduce my exposure to the sun, and also reduce dehydration. By this time traffic had really thinned out and I had the road pretty much to my self. Rolling along at a steady 60 mph I was covering ground but I could still enjoy the scenery.

Monument in the center of the historic town of Buckingham VA.

People in the North do not fell a strong tie to the Civil War. Southern people do.

    Rolling through Buckingham I saw this large monument in the center of this small town. As I’ve seen in many other towns in the south this is a memorial to residents of this area who died in the Civil War. In the South these people are remembered. In the North citizens who fought in the war are forgotten. 

Along the road as I got close to the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

    I stopped for lunch in Amherst and filled the bike with gas. I don’t know of any gas facilities on the Blue Ridge Parkway so you have to fill up before you get on it. It was quite warm and humid in the lower elevations but as I went up it was cool and comfortable. It was Sunday and there were quite a few people on bikes on the Parkway, from many different makes. I even saw another Interceptor.

Another picture of how much traffic there was on US 60 once you got far enough west.

    The ride along the Parkway was wonderful, as it usually is. The speed limit is 45 but generally you can run 55 or even 60 if you are not near any national parks or campgrounds. The bike seems to come alive in the curves, down shifting one or two gears for the corners, which there are plenty of. The Blue Ridge Parkway from Buena Vista to Waynesboro is pretty much a series of S curves with an occasional straight thrown in. Great fun. 

Looking back at the road as I stop an an overlook.

    In contrast the speed limit on Skyline Drive is 35mph. This entire thing ( 103 miles! ) is a national park which means you can run into a ranger at any time. When I ride this I keep to 5 or 10 mph over the speed  limit. If  you’re smart there is no “Ricky Roadracer” stuff. Just relax enjoy the views and the curves, but pay attention to the road. There are often deer on the Drive and running into one would ruin your day. i rode around 35 miles north on Skyline Drive to where it intersects US 33, and then took that down into Harrisonburg VA, where I will be staying the next three nights. Checked into the hotel, then dinner, then settling back watching a movie while enjoying a  little Irish Whiskey. Tomorrow into West Virginia. 

SHORT TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS ON THE INTERCPETOR

"...it's about the journey, not the destination..."

The Interceptor ready to go on the trip.

    This trip started as an opportunity to ride the Interceptor on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A few days before I was supposed to leave I got a call from a colleague, Gene Thompson, who taught me how to coach. He lives near Petersburg VA and still coaches Women’s basketball for Virginia State University. I decided to add a day to the trip and ride down to Petersburg and have dinner with Gene. So I left on Saturday morning. 

One of several markers along the way on US 301 in Virginia.

    The early part of the ride was on US 301 south until it merged with US 50. Then along US 50 and 301 until 301 split off and headed south for Richmond VA. The next 30 miles featured a large amount of traffic until south of La Plata VA. Then traffic thinned out and was very enjoyable. 

US 301 south of LaPlata VA. Notice all of the traffic!

    The ride south led to the historic town of Hanover VA. Mostly a two lane road with little traffic, through the beautiful Virginia countryside. The Interceptor was perfect for this trip. Purring along at 60 or 65 mph, while getting over 60 mpg, with plenty of power to pass slower traffic. AND it’s beautiful to look at!

A historical marker in Hanover VA.

      My hotel was just after where I 95 and I 295 merge south of Petersburg. US 301 runs directly to I 295, which I took south. I rode the Interstate for around 30 miles or so until it merged with I 95, and then took the first exit onto 301 where my hotel was. I pulled into the parking lot and was in my room by 3 PM. Then I called Gene and went out to dinner with him and his friend Karen. Then back to the hotel to type this up and get some sleep. Tomorrow US 60 west to the Blue Ridge Parkway by Buena Vista, and then up to Harrisonburg VA.

Monument in Hanover VA to Confederate soldiers from Hanover who served in the Civil War.