Monday, September 05, 2011

Riding double with Don means he has to ride lead because I am leading the group to the rally. He is not comfortable riding lead but Ken is a fantastic drag; in fact the two make a good team. Pulled out of the hotel at 8AM under dry skies but weatherman is calling for rain and winds from a tropical storm in the gulf. Halfway down the Blue Ridge Parkway the rain started and the fog developed on several of the mountain tops and the hollers. We passed at least 2 dozen deer including a 5 point buck; several turkey and 5 or 6 groundhogs. Due to the low visibility several in our group pulled back and didn’t see us turn at Fancy Gap. I reached Bernie on the phone and told him he was lost! Well he knew that! In just a few minutes the whole group was back together and eating lunch in the Fancy Gap restaurant and creating more noise than most of the other patrons wanted I think. We arrived at the Quality Inn by 2 PM and are very pleased with the rooms.

In the pouring rain Bernie taxied 3 people at a time down the hill to Shoney’s for dinner but the rain had let up enough for us to gather outside our room on the sidewalk and tell stories, joke and work on Roger’s bike.

Just how many UTR men does it take to replace a headlight anyway? And why is George Curlett’s nickname Chief Brown Bottom?

Sunday, September 04, 2011

Dwayne and Sherry arrived at the hotel around 7:45 and we made the introductions all around. So happy we were going to be able to spend the day with them. Soon we were all heading north on 29 to find Walton’s Mountain. I have always been in love with this wonderful TV series and in the 1970s while the show was on the air I gathered clues to the exact location in Virginia. Then we took a road trip and low and behold we found the mountain and the childhood home of Earl Hamner which is what the show was based on. His mother still lived there – there was no museum or gift shops just a very proud mother who served lemonade and cookies to strangers. Today the school has been turned into a museum and the house is open for tours. The Baptist church they attended is still serving the small community. After a couple of hours we visited Ike Godsey’s General Store less than a mile down the road and ate lunch under the shade trees in the yard.

Next stop would be 120 miles over mountain roads to The Home Place for a wonderful family style dinner. We climbed to the top of mountains through twists and turns and raced down the other side into the hollers. We spent 2 or 3 hours playing in the most beautiful corner of God’s garden. Off to the left I spotted a deer munching on the tall grasses; a hawk sat on the wires watching for his lunch in the field below and we had to slow down to allow the flock of wild turkey to cross the road. After eating our fill we wondered out to the bikes; said our goodbyes to Dwayne and Sherry and headed the 60 miles back to Lynchburg.

Saturday, September 03, 2011

Not a good start.

Got a half mile down the road and the GPS was not working correctly. Thinking it might be the plug we turned around and went home to get the one from the car. Okay ready off we go to meet Bernie and Shirley at 6:30AM and everyone else at the McDonalds on Kent Narrows. It’s cool and clear a beautiful morning to be riding. We pull into the McDonalds parking lot just seconds before the others and dismount. Suddenly several people notice Abigail is pouring oil from under her belly. Not just a few drops like in NY two weeks ago – oh no this is a steady stream. No way can I ride this bike another 50 feet. What to do! First thing in my mind is call my shop but it’s 7:30 and L&D Suzuki doesn’t open until 10. I’m sick; my stomach begins to churn. Out comes the laptop to find the last name of some of the guys. Then try superpages for phone numbers. Boy has this site gone downhill- no help. So I begin calling 411 and trying several different names and finally this poor operator has the name of one person – the general manager. Is it the same person? We’re going to find out. I call and a sweet lady answers the phone. I ask if her husband, Jim works for L&D. A hesitant yes. I explained my problem and told her I needed to talk to him right away. Bless her heart, I don’t know if she rides but she was so sympathetic she called him right away to the phone. Jim made some calls and in very short order assured me they would come and get Abigail. Now I had no choice but to clean out my saddlebags and prepare to ride two up on Bessie with Don. Tossing everything in the trailer we managed to leave the McDonalds an hour later than planned but at least I left with the group while my bike sat lonely in the parking lot. I tried to tell myself everything happens for a reason; at least this didn’t happen 400 miles from home where I would have had to find a shop or worse had an accident. Did it help? No I still cried for the next 50 miles but no matter how you are riding you cannot feel blue too long with the sun and the wind in your face so I’m better now. So this rally will not be exactly what I had in mind but it is going to be fun because I’ll be with my UTR family and friends and I’ll be on the road. By lunch time I had a call from the shop Abigail was on the lift. Stopped in Lynchburg for the night and the off to Walton’s Mountain tomorrow.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Heading for home - departed the campgrounds at 7AM taking 15 south around Harrisburg then over to Lancaster by 9AM where we took 896 and 301 home. Stopped by Bernie's to check in on Shirley and we were so happy to learn she is not going to require surgery and they plan to begin physical therapy in 2 weeks. Bernie is making noise about not riding anymore but Shirley is saying oh yes they will. Now to get the laundry done and the bikes cleaned. In all we traveled a total of 1214 miles. What a great way to spend a birthday!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

No particular place to go today just ride. After breakfast we headed north on 405 taking 44 north at Milton and then 414 from 44. Wow what a wonderful road 414 is! It climbs through the mountains running beside Pine Creek and many places the road is just a narrow ledge jutting out from the mountainside. Speckled throughout the woods you see a few houses and even original log cabins here and there. Route 414 eventually intersects with 287 to Wellsboro where we gassed up and then headed east on route 6 which is indentified as one of PA’s most scenic routes. Turning south on 220 we continue on until it becomes 405 south which leads us directly to the campgrounds. Total miles today 227. Temps were in the high 90’s and thunderstorms were forecasted. Returning to the campgrounds we settled up the bill and packed the trailers before heading back to Water Street for dinner. The plan for tomorrow is to have breakfast around 8 as usual and then follow 15 south to Thurmont MD and then home from there.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

We headed up route 15 for Williamsport today to take the Trolley tour of the historic district and to take the cruise on the Susquehanna River aboard a paddle boat, The Hiawatha. The day was informative and very enjoyable even though the temps reached 97 or more. Returning to camp around 5PM Don and Glenn built the fire in preparation for roasting hot dogs and I mixed up the ice cream for freezing. The night was still very warm with a gentle breeze blowing off the river as the guys pulled out the cards. One more day to ride and then we head home.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011 - Another Birthday

Another birthday on the road; three years ago Don asked what I wanted for my birthday and my reply was to be on the bike any place but home and he has tried to make that come true every year. We all watched Bernie and Shirley leave and we each wiped a tear from our eyes. We certainly will miss them. The destination today was Penn’s Cave which turned out to be a great ride and a very interesting attraction. Found a great little local restaurant in Centre Hall, Brody’s Diner, where the food was good and the prices right. A quick search in the GPS and we selected the Piper Aviation Museum in Lock Haven as our next destination. We were now in some of the most beautiful parts of PA riding what seemed to be a level road but we were really on a mountain ridge with higher mountains to the left and right and a valley between us and the far mountains. Below were farms with fields displayed as patchwork quilts with brown squares of plowed fields, or light green harvested hay baled and waiting to be stored or dark green fields of corn. Large farms with red and white barns, silos and white houses.

With still a lot of daylight remaining we headed north to Renovo for no particular reason other than a very dear person I once knew came from that town and I wanted to see it. The ride up was magnificent as we began to climb mountains rider and bike becoming one as we dance around each curve in the road. Forests of dark green creating a shelter for our ribbon of black suddenly open to reveal the Susquehanna River and allow the cool air to reach us. Reaching Renovo we gas up, take a look around and turn the bikes towards the campground 79 miles away where we plan to have dinner at The Fence Drive-In. This little place doesn’t look like much and you eat outside on picnic tables or in your car but it is packed every night. We were not disappointed – the food was very good. Just proves the point if you want good food follow the locals to their favorite spots.