Pat's Rides

3 Day Trip

2011-06-09T11:04:00.004-04:00

I managed to get out on a 3 day trip to Ky, Va, Tn, and Wv. This blog is going to be short and sweet but with some nice pictures. I rode down to Lexington Ky on the first day. Here are a few pic.

Grant Lake in Mt. Orab Ohio

Bridge heading into Ky

Veterens Memorial just over the bridge

You gotta stop here!

My friend I met while at the park

Day 2 I took a wrong turn and found this cool mural.

Some of the great scenery along the way!

Natural Tunnel near Bristol Va.

Fatz Cafe Bristol Tn.

Sign coming into "The Snake"

Morning of Day 3

Some scenery along the way to the Cass Scenic Railroad.

Cass Railroad

ET Phone home!

3 days 1220 miles what a great trip!

Took a 2 day trip with my Girlfriend

2011-06-02T18:03:00.006-04:00

She had a rare two days off in a row so when I had heard that I made the suggestion we head to southern Ohio and spend the night at her Dad's place and they go ride West Virginia the next day.

I pick her up on the bike and we're on our way by 9am. Our first destination is the Iron Pony. I wanted to check out some gloves and rain over boots. A little over an hour later and we're spending money at the pony. LOL At least I have some summer rain gloves now.

We get back on the road and head for Cantwell Cliffs in the Hocking Hills Recreation Area. Yes we were just in the area on Memorial Day, but how do you get tired of this scenery?

We get to Cantwell and walk back into the cliff area. I snapped some pics of the huge rock formations.

I also set the camera up on a rock and got a picture of us with a nice fall in the background.

Granted the fall isn't magnificent, but it was beautiful and the trees block it from view in that picture. lol But here is a picture of it by its self

After we got done huffing and puffing while we climb our way back out of the cliffs we saddled up and headed to Old Man's Cave. We took the short path to get back to the falls. Couldn't believe all the kids already out of school and in the park.
We stopped and watched a couple sliding down some rocks into a couple deep water pools. Good thing its posted no wading or swimming!

I was surprised how much the water levels have dropped in just over a month since the last time I was here. Took a nice picture of the falls.

We now have two of our three tours complete that I had planned. Only one left is Cedar Falls. A couple miles later and we're there. We walked down the hill and across a bridge, where I snapped a pic of a fish last time I was here. Its amazing what a little time can do. There were fish every where. I get a great pic of one of them.

We could hear quite a ruckus as we got closer to the falls. Kids and young adults everywhere in the pool below the falls. We did find one guy that didn't mind.

I found a way to get a picture without getting any of the people.

All the touring done now its time for lunch. Yes you know.... Obetty's!

Jenni Lynn really like Obetty's. Guess we'll have to do that place again. Anyway now its time to head to her Dad's place on the Ohio river. One wrong turn later we're on 33 south heading to 124. No much after getting on 124 the river comes into view and so do the coal barges.

Waking up to the sun rising over the Ohio river the next morning was beautiful!

Looking down at the fog just hovering over the locks.

We helped her Dad with some chores around the house and it was time to head home. We headed toward Athens on 681. Its a beautiful twisty scenic road! It could be in a little better shape though.

Found a farmer with a good sense of humor along the way.

One of the many beautiful views along 681.

Finding ourselves back in Athens and at Obetty's for lunch again. Just who would you expect to see? That's right, Mike and one of his friends ride up for lunch. That just made a good day that much better! It was good to see him and chat again. After all its been since last Monday. lol

My wonderful girlfriend bought me an Obetty's T shirt while we were there too! Lunch ate it was time to come home. Just stayed on the big roads to make some time. Only had one lovey gentlemen try to kill us so all and all good trip! Can't wait until we can do it again some day!

Memorial Day Group Ride.

2011-05-30T14:57:00.009-04:00

We were able to finally get out as a group this year. It even brought a few new faces to the group. First off my girlfriend Jenni Lynn got to go! That was cool. She was supposed to have to work, but they didn't need her so that was a win win for both of us. Second I got my boss Scott and his wife Jane to come with us on their new Kawasaki Voyager.

We got moving a little before 6am. The weather was just gorgeous. Warm, but yet still cool. We took the hour ride, after getting gas, to Wooster to meet up with Scott and Jane. We got to watch a beautiful sun rise accented by the smells of fresh cut hay. Is there a better smell or way to get going in the morning?

Here is a shot of the sun coming up as we head into Strasburg.

We met up a little late. I was running a bit behind. Seems I didn't think about having to gas up before we left town. Oh well it was only five minutes.

After some mandatory chat we saddled up and headed for Strasburg to meet Alan and Elaine.

We pulled into the Marathon right at 7. How's that for punctual?

I made introductions for everyone, we chatted a bit and headed south to Caldwell to meet Mike.

While cruising down 77S we were being met with a very beautiful day. I was watching the sun get higher in the sky and saw how it was making a cloud glow. So I pointed my camera in that direction and this is the result!

The best picture I took all day!!

I am happy to say we had an uneventful ride and met up with Mike at the McDonalds.

We all went inside and had a quick breakfast and talked about the past, present, and future. We also decided on a start to the ride. We are going to follow 26 to Marietta. A road I have never traveled.

26 turned out to be a great treat! It was a beautiful ride with plenty of twist and turns. We found a few covered bridges along the way too. Here's one of them.

Out of Marietta we got on 550 to Athens and Obetty's Redhots! I know, by now you're sick of hearing about that place. Well in this edition it was close! Its never closed! So we went around the corner at the Union Street Diner. It was hot as, well you know, inside. The side we sat on had a broken air conditioner. We'd been out in the 90's all day it wasn't that bad. Got a great vanilla milkshake while I was there!

Now were are heading out toward Old Man's Cave to enjoy those twisties! We took a couple side routes I had never been on before. We left Athens on 56 and quickly turned off onto 691. We followed that a bit and went to Nelsonville we stopped for another break and for gas. While there we had a cool looking visitor!

After the stop we turned off on 278 to get back on 56. Great roads!

Back on 56 we followed it until we got to 374 and tooled around until we got to Old Man's Cave. We stopped for a much needed water break and cool down. We all also decided how we were going to all head home from here.

We stayed as a group until 374 found its way back to 33. From here we all split up and headed home. Scott, Jane, Jenni and I all took the same way home.

We were gone about 13 hours and made it 440 miles. Hot, tired, a little burned but a great great day!

Going on a Scavenger Hunt!

2011-05-24T06:55:00.006-04:00

The motorcycle forum I belong to http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/ has a scavenger hunt thread going each year. A rider posts a target to have your bike in the picture with. Recently its been a sign with the word highest point or something to that effect. Well this morning I was going to head out and get this target. Its been posted for a couple weeks with no one claiming the prize. Prize he says. The prize is you get to select the next target.

So I log on and check the target because there was talk that he was going to change up the target. Glad I did! He changed the target to an old style diner. For me this is good. This is an easy one. There is a place near where my brother used to live. Minerva Classic 57 Diner. http://minervaclassic57.net/ There is also the Steel Trolley Diner http://www.steeltrolleydiner.com/ is Lisbon Ohio. Its a great place to have a huge hamburger. But I'll go there for breakfast.

I get all geared up and head out the door by 8am. Its turning into a great day. The temperature is cool in the mid 60's and overcast. My favorite riding conditions!

I head out 250 to 30 east for the hour plus ride to Minerva to get my first target picture. I stopped at the Classic 57. It used to be a lot better years ago. It had more of a 50's theme to it on the outside.

That picture taken now on to Lisbon for my next picture. You don't need two pictures, but I know this Diner has the better old time look that is being sought in the Scavenger Hunt.

I just continued east on 30 out of Minerva and found myself seated in the diner for a nice breakfast of coffee, french toast, and bacon! Does it get any better?

Now where to go? I don't know how about we head east and pick up 7 and follow the Ohio River for a while? Haven't done that in a while. I get on 154 east like I was heading to Beavercreek State Park. This road will drop you off on 7 and right outside the park.

Heading south now on 7 around East Liverpool you can see the Ohio River on your left you travel south. I love these old towns like this. Its almost like going back in time. Also the way they carved the road out of the side of the hills makes for nice scenery and pictures.

Rode past a couple huge power plants. This one by First Energy is so big you have to drive under it.

I stayed on 7 enjoying the views and the Ohio River until I made my way down to Martins Ferry. Here I headed west to start going home. I got on 250 west knowing I was about to hit some awesome twisties! But as usual you find that one person that doesn't have a clue how to drive. So after following this lovely gentleman for a while I found a nice spot to pull off for a bit to allow him to go ahead.

Its not like I am some kind of speed demon that needs to fly, but it is nice on a bike when you actually have to lean a bit in the corners. That's half the fun.

Finding my way in to Cadiz I had to snap a picture of their court house.

Before long I was at Tappan Lake. I decided to take the scenic road beside the lake. Glad I did. It was beautiful. Here are a few pictures of the ride.

This road takes you back out to 800. This I followed into Dennison and got back on 250 for the rest of the ride home. I did have to make one more side trip. Right before I come into Wooster is an Ice Cream stand. They have some great soft serve. I got me a cone before the last 35 minutes of the ride.

I only put 287 miles on the bike today but it was great to get out. We haven't had a lot of good riding this spring. Been extremely wet! Hopefully Mother Nature will keep us dry for Memorial Day. Have a group ride scheduled!

Finally the weather breaks!

2011-05-09T17:45:00.007-04:00

Well if you live anywhere near Ohio you know we have had a VERY wet spring. This time last year we had made a few group rides, and I had made several rides on my own. But May is more than a week old and I haven't broken 200 miles in one day yet this year. That changes today!

I decided that my bike and me needed a date! We hadn't enjoyed time together in almost a month now. So I got my self ready around 8am and we headed down the road.

The destination is a very well know area that I have been to numerous times. Especially with the group. Gotta admit it is more fun when all of us are together than just when I go it alone.

I headed into Ashland to get some cash because I have a special spot in mind for lunch. But more on that later. I get to the ATM just to find it closed. Great! So I head for I71 and on to Lexington to pay the bike insurance that is due tomorrow.

Bill payed and back on the road I hit a couple buttons on the Zumo and look for Chase bank to find an ATM. When I am getting hear Polaris Parkway I see there is one only a mile away. So off the interstate I go in search of cash.

While looking for this "ATM" the Zumo says is here. This is what I find.

But I do look more and there is an actual bank just down the road. Cash problems fixed and back on the road.

Coming into Columbus I see 3 yes I said 3 Ohio State Patrol on bikes! One with a customer. Speaking of the Patrol. They were thick all day. But since I am not much of a speed demon I didn't have much to worry about.

I take 270 east to 33 east looking for State Route 374. This will take me back through the Old Man's Cave area. A great set of roads that never get old. Here I am just getting on to 374.

I stopped at Cantwell Cliffs to take a short break and take a Cell Phone pick and send it to some friends to poke fun that I am out enjoying this beautiful day! Kept cruising down 374. Passed by Old Man's Cave and kept going. I saw the sign, as always, for Cedar Falls. I have never stopped here. Well that is going to change today! And am I glad I stopped. The path was easy to walk. Since I was there on a Monday there were few people around.

After a short hike to the bottom I was greeted by these great sites. The rock cliffs looked great with the touch of water still on them!

Then the falls itself was awesome! Here is a still and video for you to enjoy!

On my way back out I stopped on a bridge and saw this little guy just enjoying the day too.

Upon closer investigation he had several friends with him.

Back on the road its time to head for lunch. But first I find a couple deer in my path. I did manage to get a pic of them once they let me pass.

I turned left on 56 on my way to Athens. You guessed it. Obetty's Redhots for lunch! This is the first time I think I have been here while school was in session. The amount of college kids walking around was incredible. It was like a roach infested kitchen when you turn the light on. They're everywhere. LOL

While here I had to send another pic. One of my dear friends called me a dirt bag. LOL I guess I deserve that. LOL

After my nice lunch I decide its time to head home. The kid will be out of school in a few hours.

I take the fast route home. 33 to 270 to 71. All in all I did just over 350 miles. My longest ride of the year. I am sure not in shape for this yet this year. I am worn out and a little on the sore side. LOL But it was great!!!

4 Years, 10 Months, and 12 days

2011-04-06T10:16:00.003-04:00

It took to reach a mile stone.

It was a cool and rainy day, but I had to get out. Best part was I rode in the snow this day too. I rode down to Iron Pony in Columbus, Ohio and rode home in snow flurries. LOL Better than some of the guys I work with that actually had snow on the road after work.

First Ride of the Season!

2011-03-03T14:56:00.003-05:00

Well its not much of a ride, but I did get out today for about 20 miles. The temperature is in the mid 30's. Had to try out a few new things.

First my new First Gear Rainier Jacket. It seemed to work well for the short trip. Kept me warm.

Second some new First Gear TPG Element Gloves. They did well too. Kept my hands comfortable and I didn't use the heated grips.

Third the new Garmin Zumo 665. It did its job. Have to do some tweaking on the placement of items on the screen. It has the speed limit display on it. Don't like it that it turns red when you're speeding. Makes it very hard to see. LOL The display doesn't show up as well in the sun light as my 550 did. But the weather radar is gonna be huge on my vacation in July!

The 2011 Riding Season is here!

2011-03-01T12:37:00.004-05:00

Here is it March first finally and now my bike insurance is turned on so I can ride any day now that the weather cooperates. Still need to put a few covers and things back on the bike from a few winter projects.

I didn't do much this year. Mainly sold off my Zumo 550 and bought the Zumo 665. Had to run new wiring for it.

The only maintenance I did over the winter was change the oil.

I'll be starting this year with 49210 on the odometer. If Mother Nature is nice to me I should see 50000 before the end of March.

Me and the kid have a huge westwardly trip planned this year. We won't stop until we see the Pacific Ocean. Spend the better part of the day riding down the coast. We'll mainly be staying north in the states and see a lot of the Rockies. Make a stop for a couple days in Red Lodge Montana for the BTK gathering. Counting Ohio we should hit 20 states on this trip. We should get close to 7k miles on this one trip. Almost three times what we did last year!

As for mileage goals. I would like to see 65K on the clock before the season is over. Shouldn't be too hard if I get to do the big west vacation this year.

Now just waiting for the first ride of the year!

It had to happen didn't it?

2010-11-11T16:55:00.002-05:00

Its that time of year again that Biker's don't like to talk about. It time to park the ride for the season.

Granted I don't have to park it until December 1st, but next week I head to Chicago for school and when I get back I'll only have a week left. Plus my back has been bothering me for the last couple weeks. It kept me from getting to 50,000 this week. The weather was beautiful!

I made my preseson prediction. I predicted I would hit 45,000 by the end of the season. I beat that by over 4000 miles. I ended with 49210 on the clock. This gives me 14599 for the season! Best season ever.

Not much to do for the winter maintenance list. Just some cleaning and some wire clean up for my accessories. Might try to relocate the cruise control to under the trunk to clean up the look.

Well until next year!!

Babcock State Park Revisited

2010-10-20T15:09:00.007-04:00

For those of you that actually read my ramblings, if you remember from the last post on Babcock I said I might need to return in the fall. Well I managed to make it! It was cold for a while but as usual with West Virginia trips any discomfort is more than worth it!!

I started off at 5am and 38 degrees in Ashland. Not bad really. I was all bundled up in all my gear, heavy wool socks, and my grip heaters maxed out! I was pretty comfortable for the most part. My feet did suffer the worst. Managed to get pretty numb on me.

I got down by the Ohio river in Marietta and it was very foggy! With the cold air and nice warm river it was almost like riding in the rain! But shortly after I turned on 16 south in Wv the skys started to clear.

I am not sure but somehow I missed the school buses too.

Cruising down 16 I did have the misfortune to get behind people that just wanted to creep down the road. Kinda hard to enjoy the scenery and twisties when you're on the brakes all the time. So I decide to pull off on the side of the road where there happened to be a small area to park. It was real pretty with the sun coming up over the trees. Can't say the pictures turned out due to the lighting conditions. But then I noticed a brown spot way down the field. It was a deer! I used the zoom lens and got a good picture of the little fork horn. Then I started looking around. I could see his tracks in the fresh dew. This is very recent! I didn't notice any arrows or mangling from a car impact so I am not sure what got him. I am just glad it wasn't me and the bike!

Speaking of deer. I had to brake for three of them not long after that shot. I did manage to snap a pic of them as I creeped by. Look how well they blend in. The deer down here are sure ugly compared to the Ohio deer. They have a blotchy coat compared to the nice smooth brown of the Ohio deer. But I bet they'll mess your day up just as fast as the Ohio deer if you hit one on the bike!

As I rode past a little church I noticed it had a thermometer on it. Its now down to 32 degrees and its almost 9am now. A little later I had to stop and get some coffee in me and get the feet thawed out.

I probably shouldn't put this in here, but the lady behind the counter had the most beautiful bright blue eyes!! And a rock on her finger bigger than my house. LOL Anyways lets get back on track shall we?

I followed 16 into Gauley Bridge where I usually stop for gas and lunch. Today was no different. Had a nice break and ate in this wonderful scenery. The temperature was really becoming perfect now. It had to be in the mid 50's!

With lunch ate and the thought of 60 thru Hawks Nest I was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning! For once I made it thru all those twisties without a hold up! Man this is living!! I didn't stop at Hawks Nest for pictures like usual. I just wanted to get down to Babcock.

Made it to Babcock about noon. The place was pretty full on a Wednesday afternoon I thought.

I rode up a road I hadn't explored last time there and found Boley Lake. Man were the red in the trees pretty! It was only spoiled by a couple on one of the benches talking very loudly. The picture doesn't do it justice!

Then I headed back down for more pictures and a video of the Mill and River.

Now its time to start heading home. I decide to stop by the Summersville Lake and Dam this time though. I didn't do it last time I was down this way. I can't get over how low the water is, but look at the color!!

Heading up 19 to I79 I stopped at the same pull off I had lunch at last time I was here. Just took a pic of it from a different angle.

I stayed on the interstates the rest of the way home. I made the trip in about 14 hours and get this. The mileage was 666.2 for all you superstitious people. LOL I got a good chuckle out of it.

Less than 1000 miles to go now to hit 50,000 on the bike! Can he do it? Tune in next week...

Beavercreek State Park

2010-10-19T15:21:00.004-04:00

On a spur of the moment today I decided to get a short ride into Beavercreek State Park. You may remember this from a previous blog entry early in the riding season. My Daughter made a day of it. At least it wasn't foggy today like last time, but it was a bit nippy! It did warm up fast though.

I did manage to get one good shot on the way today. My one set of rechargeables are toast. Not bad I did manage to get almost a year out of them. Not bad for 6 bucks.

Not really much to talk about on the trip up there. Just followed 30 to 172 back to 30. Through Lisbon and onto 7 then travel off road. Well not really but the tar and chip road is in such bad shape it really feels that way.

Here is the bridge at Beavercreek.

Shots of the river.

The small pond there.

The road leaving the park.

I think this is the court house in Lisbon but I won't swear to it. Either way its a cool building.

I also stopped by the Steel Trolley Diner while I was in Lisbon for lunch. They are pricey but the food is good.

Stopped by this lake on the way home.

Only a little over 200 miles today but it was a great ride. I love these cool temps like this! Tomorrow I am going to go back to Babcock State Park in West Virginia. The colors should be incredible!!!!

Old Man's Cave Fall Run

2010-10-13T18:21:00.005-04:00

Fall is here and the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder. I only have about six weeks of riding left this season. I am soooo close to hitting 50K on the bike so I had to get out today. It was a cool start at 39 degrees but it warmed up nicely into the 70's. By the time I got to Columbus it had gained 20 degrees.

Thought I would start the day with a nice picture of my street. Its always so pretty this time of year.

Hopped on the interstate at first and made some time until I got to St Rt 374. Always a great and scenic road!

One of the sharper corners on 374. I remember it taking me by surprise the first time I rode through here a few years ago. Didn't realize it was as sharp as it is.

Back on the road I pulled off at Cantwell Cliffs where we usually stop for a mandatory bull session when I am down here with the group. This is the first time I had been down here alone. So I decided to take a little tour of the area.

This is called Fat Woman Squeeze. LOL Honest that is what the chart said.

I couldn't believe how croweded the area was today. A lot of leaf viewers out. Then when I got to the parking lot for Old Man's Cave. The place was packed. Some kind of field trip going on. Damn those brats were loud. Luckily though they were hanging out at the top and those of us at the bottom had the place to ourselves!

The Falls, or lack there of!

Now time to get on the road and head to Obetty's Redhots! A mandatory trip if you're going to be in the area! But one more stop first.

After a good lunch with plenty of college eye candy walking by it was time to start heading home. I decided to take 550 to 377 to 78 and make a quick stop at the Big Muskie Bucket. From there I took 83 to 284 toward Zanesville. This USED TO BE a great route. The scenery was awesome but it someones bright mind they decided to tar and chip the road and it was still pretty loose! Not a fun ride.

A pic off 284

All in all it was another great ride! Put over 360 miles on the bike and no one tried to kill me so how can you complain?

Seneca Rocks and Spruce Knob.

2010-09-26T08:55:00.007-04:00

Its been a while since I have been sick. Today though I was feeling quite ill. I think I have a case of two wheel fever! So I took the day off work to seek a cure.

Met up with Alan at our usual spot in Strasburg at 6am and we headed south for Marietta where we fueled the bikes and our bellies. We got on I77 heading to Parkersburg WV to Route 50 East.

50 going to Clarksburg is a pretty road, but not much to talk about. Its 4 lane and not challenging. We did have a couple deer in the median making us nervous for a bit. We also had a State Trooper pass us as we were doing 10 over the speed limit. So I thought I would wave at him as he passed me in thanks for leaving us alone. He waved back and was out of sight in no time.

Saw this cool place as we were cruising along.

We stopped in Clarksburg for gas and a break. At this point in the day I had already racked up 230 miles. I figured today would be another 600 miler. We continued east on 50 and were getting to the good spots where it came down to 2 lanes and some great curves. Then it happened. I was in a tight right hander and as I am hitting apex I hear this grinding sound. I drug a floor board. LOL That doesn't happen often. But with these Pirelli tires and now a new monoshock on the bike its handling better than it ever has!

Cruising through the hills I see movement up ahead. Not sure at first what I see. A huge bird coming up off the road right in front of Alan. Oh my its a Turkey!!

Can't say I have ever had a turkey on the road before in all the miles I have put on. Well at least not one that had to fly to keep from getting run over. Its just left and above Alan's head. Hard to see. Blends in well.

Later on as we approach route 24 I see a sign for Blackwater Falls. I say to my self lets go there, especially if there is really some falls there. About that time Alan takes a turn on 24 and stops. I pull up beside him and he asks if I had ever been. Then I tell him what I had just said to myself. We laugh and our off for Blackwater Falls.

Here we are getting close as we enter the Monongahela National Forrest.

A few miles more and we pull into the Blackwater Falls Park. We pull up next to a trio of other bikers. Two women and a man. Nice! More women need to ride their own scoot!

Here is a glamour shot of the falls.

Back on the road and heading toward Seneca Rocks. We pass a blight on the land scape. No not the grave yard. Look beyond to the horizon. Sure they might be "clean" but the landscape really needs to be destroyed to put this ugly monsters up!

Here we are at Seneca Rocks. We took a short break and I got some much needed grub.

Now off to Spruce Knob. I didn't know about this last time I was here. The small road leading to the highest point in West Virginia was awesome! I about ground my floorboards off again. I didn't think I was leaning that much.

As we apporached the top of the mountain the rain that was forecast finally found us. It started a steady light rain. By the time we reached the top it was time to don the rain gear. Look at the only dry spot. Under our bikes.

A few shots from the top of the observation tower. You can really see the low clouds.

We decided it was time to take the quick way home. We had planned on riding 250 with its twists and turns, but those aren't much fun in the rain. We spend the better part of the next 4 hours in and out of a light, but steady rain. It finally cleared off about the time we got back to I77 north.

Cruising north and dry finally we stop for our last gas stop in Cambridge Ohio. I look at my trip odometer. Its sitting at 601 miles on the day. I look at Alan and laugh and say we ain't right. He laughed and agreed. I still have close to 100 miles to go to get home.

We shook hands and said until next time. I peeled off a few miles later on 250 to head home. I got home a little before 9pm and had 699.4 miles for the trip. My second longest one day ride. Only beaten by my 1000 mile Iron Butt Ride of 08. Still it was a great trip. Can't believe how well the bike handles!! Now to put my new fork springs in tomorrow.

Babcock State Park West Virginia!

2010-09-21T09:53:00.003-04:00

Today I am finally going to make it to Babcock State Park. I have seen pictures and heard accounts of how nice it is. Its supposed to be a beautiful day so here we go. According to my mapping software its 300 miles one way. So it will be a long day.

I got up a little after 4am with a 5am departure time. I left just a little after 5. I took 250 east to I77 south like normal for my WV trips. Made it to Marietta in about 7:30 and made my first fuel stop. The sun was finally up and the temps starting to rise.

Made my way across the river into WV.

Traffic was heavier than usual, but then again I am on a weekday and not a weekend like normal when I come this way. Cops were pretty heavy too. I maintained the 70mphs speed limit so I had no worries. It's amazing though just how many people I passed by just doing the speed limit. I love this cruise control!!

Turned off on 60 east and made a slow journey to Kanawha Falls for breakfast. There were a lot of slow drivers on the road today! Took some pictures and ate my breakfast I brought with me.

Stopped at the Sunoco to top off the fuel tank and make my own pit stop. Got to talking to a couple gentlemen that were there on thier 4 wheelers. While there a local cop setup shop looking for speeders. In all my times thru Gauley Bridge this is the first time I saw a cop.

Back on the road I pulled off at Cathedral Falls. To my shock there was absolutely no water! Last time here it was the heaviest I had ever seen. As a matter of fact I had a picture printed out I took and its on my living room wall now.

Back on the road enjoying the twisties and my new tires. These Pirelli's seem to hold the road better than my Metslers did. They aren't as smooth though.

After a mandatory stop at Hawks Nest for pictures I am now heading for 41 South to make it to Babcock.

I made it to Babcock State Park just before noon. So 300 miles with stops in just under 7 hours. Not bad.

The mill and other scenery at the park.

Now for the journey home. I decided to take 41 North and see where I end up. I ended up in Summerville on St Rt19. Found a nice place to pull off for lunch.

From here I decided to hit the go home button on the GPS and see where it would lead me. It took me up 19 to I79 to && north and home. All in all I did 645 miles in about 13 hours. Fast trip yeah, but I needed it. Hadn't been out in a month! Hopefully make it back down that way when the leave change colors.

Old Man's Cave Ride

2010-08-22T12:43:00.005-04:00

After yesterdays ride in the rain I didn't think I would make this ride. But I was up early thanks to the fall allergies setting in already. So why not go. I broke out my spare helmet, jacket, and boots so I would have some dry cloths to wear and I headed out to the meeting point at Iron Pony.

According to the "always accurate" weather man it was supposed to be a nice day. Sure didn't look that way when I got on the road.

I managed to get there first and had to wait on Alan, Dan, and Ed. But that is ok it was starting out to be a nice day! We all went in and spent our money. I got out cheap by only buying some more cleaner.

We got back on the superslab and headed out toward Hocking Hills. We took 270 east to 33 and turned off on 374. To my surprise 374 had been paved since I was down here last in the spring. Made for a great ride.

Saw some signs saying look out for bikes. I was dumb enough to think it was for us, but noooo. There was some kind of bicycle race going on. We saw tons. They also had our usual bull session spot so crammed full we just kept going.

We did stop for a bit at Old Man's cave for a little rest and talk.

As you would expect we decided to head out to Athens and Obetty's Redhots! Love that place!!

We took the faster route today and ended back on 33. We stopped for gas and if Alan hadn't told me I would have missed it. There was a tourist train going by. I did manage to get a pic of the caboose.

After another great lunch at Obettys we were all talking about another forum member that hook us on this place. Then guess who rides by. Yep. It was Mike. That was great to see him again and catch up on things.

We got on 13 north for the trip home. I was finally able to get a good shot of this mural. Wish I could remember what town it was in.

We stopped again just before we reached I70. From here Dan and Ed split off and heading west toward home and Alan and I headed east.

Alan and I decided to head up 93 north. I went with him because I had never ridden that road.

We reach the exit just to find out the road is closed. So back on the interstate to follow the detour. It took us to 83 north which I have ridden many times. But the two roads do cross eventually.

Finally on 93 and some new road and scenery for me we had a great time. The scenery was awesome and the road plenty twisty. One of the twists though about got me. I am just riding along really enjoying the turns when I hear the sound of gravel under my tires and the bike shook. Luckily I was able to just keep going and nothing bad happened. There was a pucker mark in my seat thought. LOL

We reached 250 and this is where Alan and I went our separate ways toward home. I got home with 400 miles on the odometer for 700 miles total over the last 2 days. Not a bad weekend if I do say so my self.

But my riding days with the guys are probably over for the year. Now I am back on my weekend shift and will be working every weekend.

Lake Erie Lighthouse Ride

2010-08-21T12:04:00.010-04:00

Well after almost a month of not being able to ride thanks the incompetence of Mid Ohio Honda's Motorcycle technicians. I go in with a simple failed stator and it takes 2 trips and me doing the troubleshooting in order to get the bike fixed. The only reason I let them work on it was it was covered under my extended warranty.

Now that I am back on two wheels Elaine and I make plans to ride the coast of Lake Erie and check out some lighthouses. We made plans to meet at the IHOP in Akron and have a nice breakfast before we hit the road.

I wake the kid up a little after 6am and ask her if she's going. Once I said IHOP she "hopped" outta bed and was ready to go.

We ran into Ashland first to get a little cash out of the ATM and then get on 71 North to 76. Heading into Ashland we were greeted with a nice sunrise.

Running up 71 right before we turned east onto I76 we saw this little rainbow. I was hoping it was a good sign for the day. There was the chance of rain latter on in the day and I didn't want to see any rain!

We met Elaine and for the first time ever she beat us there. But in our defense we were still early and IHOP is very near to her home.

After a nice breakfast we headed to our first lighthouse of the day in Fairport Harbor. We stayed on the back roads most of they way up there to enjoy the day a little better.

We arrived in Fairport nice and dry and made good time. Unfortunately it was closed so we couldn't go inside the museum or into the light house. All we could do was get some pictures.

We left Fairport and decided to follow the Coastal Route to Vermilion to some more lighthouses. I can say one thing. They could have marked the trail a little better. There were spots where it was up to an educated guess. Most of the time we made good choices.

Here is Elaine taking the lead once we decided on what route to follow.

We even got to see a little wild life on our trip.

Cruising along we saw a couple signs that said "Boulevard of 500 Flags". Neither of us knew what it was talking about, until we came across it.

So we pulled off to check it out. All the flags had a Veteran's name and service attached to it. They also had flags from all branches of the Military too. Of course I couldn't pass up the photo op with the bike and Navy flag!

They had memorials of all kinds there. Including some from the Twin Towers from New York City. Then we happened to see the tree planted in memory of the Desert Storm Vets of which I happen to be one.

Following along the coastal road some more we just stumbled into Gordon park. They had some really cool stone bridges. Just so happened we were real close to Elaine's old stomping grounds as a kid.

We were looking for some place for lunch when it started to sprinkle on us. We stopped under some trees to don the rain gear. I brought some of my extra for Elaine just in case. Good thing I did.

We found a Subway for lunch to wait out what we thought was just going to be a light passing rain. Afterall it was only supposed to be a 30 percent chance of rain. After an hour of rain we decided to continue on. We just barely got back on the road and it opened up on us.

We found a Shell Station to hide out in for a bit. At this point we called it a day and started our trek back home.

I escorted Elaine most of the way to her home stopping many times under many bridges so she could clear off her glasses. She didn't bring her full face helmet and the rain was just horrible at times.

Thankfully she made it back home soaked, but safe and sound. Savannah and I weren't soaked but we were wet and made it home safely too.

I still managed to rack up 300 miles on this day. The worst rain I had ever ridden in to date. Now should I got on the Old Man's Cave ride tomorrow? We'll see.

Day 7 the final day.

2010-07-04T08:16:00.006-04:00

I decided last night that it was time to head home. A week on the road is plenty and after spending all that money on a new tube it was the same as a whole days expenses on the road.

I got the kid up about 7am to her grumpy moaning of not wanting to get up. We got our gear packed and were heading out for breakfast.

I didn't even make it to the end of the road and we had our first mishap. The bungee holding my riding pants down somehow came undone and they fell off. If it had to happen good time for it. So I stopped and put it back on.

Now I am getting worried that the bad luck of the last 2 days isn't over yet. Back on the road we pull into the Double T Diner. Its a nice looking place but the food wasn't very good at all. I think they had it mostly premade in the back before we even got there. How else can you come out with french toast and bacon in under 5 minutes.

Breakfast eaten it was time to get moving. We are just gonna ride the interstate home. Its supposed to be a hot one so the air moving by will help. We leave the diner fuel up and are gone!

I just hit the go home button on the GPS instead of planning a way home. We got on I 97 north toward Baltimore. The road was empty and in great shape. If you have to ride the interstate it doesn't get any better. Then we got off on 100 to 70 west.

Cruising down the road my Daughter yells Dad stop. I ask why she said your pants came off again. So I hit the brakes and pull off. I have not idea how this bungee keeps coming off. Luckily traffic is still light so no one runs them or me over.

I get them back and strap them down a different way this time and we were good the rest of the trip. Funny thing is I strapped them down the way I had been doing it all week.

70 West will take me all the way to Columbus Ohio if I stay on it, but that would be out of the way so I thought we would head to Breezewood Pa and take the 76 west into Ohio.

When we got to the area where 70 and 68 come together the GPS had me turn on 68 West instead of going into Breezewood like I thought. Cool. Get to go a way I have never been before so that was fine with me.

I 68 was very scenic so it was a great choice by the GPS. Glad we went this way.

I love the look of these old towns!

Funny thing about this part of Maryland. They had electronic signs asking us American Citizens to spy on each other. These signs were saying report suspicious activity with an 800 number and keep a look out for terrorists. All I could think of was the Gestapo! Here comes the police state! This country is heading down hill fast, but I will keep the rest of my views out of this.

Cruising down the road my Daughter says over the intercom ouch I am getting stung. I said still or did. She said still so on the brakes and pull off the road. I told her to get her jacket off and shake it out.

Didn't see anything come out of the jacket but it looks like a sweat bee got her on her arm. Then I asked did you have your sleeve cuffs closed? She said no and I said this is how the bee got up your arm.

We had just had this discussion when we were leaving from breakfast. I told her to cinch her sleeves down on her wrists so nothing could get up them as we rode. Maybe this was Mother Nature trying to teach my Daughter Dad isn't as dumb as she thinks. LOL

Anyway no real harm done back on the road. We follow I 68 until it ends on I79 and we turn north. At this point I have the GPS's route figured out and I am really surprised on the time we have been making coming this way. Seems like its out of the way but not really.

I 79 wasn't in very good shape at all compared to I 70 and I 68 we have spent the day on. But we didn't need to be on it very long. We got back on 70 West for the run to the Ohio border.

Coming into Ohio there was a nice speed trap set up for the holiday travelers. I saw 3 State Patrol at one location. The one on the bridge getting speeds and the other 2 had customers at the time. I had kept my speed down all week so a ticket was the last thing I was worried about.

After an hour of 70 west we turned north on 77 near Cambridge Ohio where we stopped for gas for the last time. I told the kid, next stop home! We were both tired and ready to be home. Even though she told me earlier in the day she would like to be gone another day or two. I think I created a monster. LOL Which is a good thing!

We stayed on 77 until we reached Strasburg and got on 250 west. 250 all but gets me to my drive way. But the traffic is always bad between Strasburg and Wooster so I really despise coming this way. Today was no exception.

Savannah was getting really tired so just outside of Wooster, with about 30 miles left before we get home, is a great little ice cream stand. I pull off and we get a couple of cones. This brought her back to life!

Ice Cream eaten we are back on the road and I take a short cut on a tar and chip road that takes me to 302. This road is fun. Its in good shape with some nice twists to it and it dead ends into my town of Savannah.

We pull in the drive way a little before 4:30 in the after noon. So not counting the stop for ice cream we made it in about 8 hours from Annapolis MD to home in Savannah Ohio. Not bad!

We did 12 states if you count Ohio. 2297.8 miles in 7 days. What an incredible trip it was. I couldn't have asked for better behaviour out of my kid.

Hopefully next month when I change shifts again at work we can head to my Brothers place in Missouri.

I thought we would end the trip on a big bang so we went to Ashland to watch the fire works! What an incredible trip we had!!!! The first of many I hope.

Day 6

2010-07-03T19:35:00.005-04:00

Its Saturday already. The day is starting out later than usual. Couldn't sleep last night so I broke down and took one of my Excedrin Pm pills. I jerked awake a little after 7am. No big deal still had plenty of time to get done what I wanted to do.

We got on the road about 8am and the weather was awesome. Best part was light traffic. We cruised out 1 to catch 95 south again! No 2 hour traffic jams!!! But they tolled us to death.

We were heading to Willow Grove Pa where I spent my last year in the navy. Had to reminise about the glory days. LOL. I wanted to show my Daughter where the old man spent part of his life.

Man how things have changed in the 16 years since I had been there last. The Ford Dealership was still there. Found my old barber shop but it was closed up. Memories. Thankfully all good ones came back. Heck even ran across the old driving range where I took my first golf lessons.

Here are the picturs from around the base.

Memory lane finished now we head to the Philly ship yards to try and see my old Carrier the Kennedy. I was meeting a guy that was supposed to be able to get me on the base to see her.

Long story short we couldn't get on the base on a Saturday. So he told me where to go to see it.

So we get back on 95 north now. I am just getting up to speed when the bike starts shaking really bad. Savannah says man this road is bumpy. I said its not the road I am getting a flat. Insert F bombs here.

So I called MoTow that I get free through the AMA. Let me say it was well worth it. Its part of my membership now and it saved me over 100 dollars in tow bill. They took us to a Kawi dealer and they put in a new tube. 116 dollars later and 4 hours later we were back on the road.

Needless to say it killed the day so now all there was left to do was to head to my sisters house in Maryland. We took 95 south and eneded up on 301 to come in to Annapolis. It was a nice road once you got past the 10 miles of strip malls.

We made it to her house about 6:30 with no more incidents!!! Might head home tomorow. This really killed my spirit.

Day 5

2010-07-02T20:14:00.002-04:00

Friday is here. Its really flying by. We left Maine about 7am for our trip to Boston to see the USS Constitution. I figure since its the holiday weekend we wouldn't be able to get on the ship.

We got on the interstate heading to Boston. I kept waiting for traffic to get bad but it never did. We had smooth sailing the whole way in! We got to the ship yards a little after 9.

The real squids were in port for the holiday weekend just like I was on the Kennedy back in 1990.

We took a quick tour through the museum then walked over to the Constitution. This was as good as we could get.

So we left and started heading toward New Jersey. This is when traffic got bad. the traffic leaving Boston was crappy! But it wasn't too bad. We probably lost a half our in the slow down. Which really sucked because it was getting hot!

I saw this sign called Pawtucket and I got a good laugh out of that so we pulled off for a little detour. Glad we did it was a cool little town.

Cruising down 95 we got back Groton Connecicut. I saw a sign for the Submarine Museum so we pulled off to see some of it. It happened to be right beside the Navy's sub base. We didn't tour the Museum but did look around a bit and got a few pictures taken.

This is one of the midget subs from the attack on pearl harbor.

Then I saw a sign for a WW2 Sub Memorial so we had to check that out too. Turns out its the Conning tower off the most successful sub during the war. It also had all the subs that were lost during the war listed. Kinda sad to think of all those guys on eternal patrol.

We hit the road again still heading south on 95. Major mistake!!! I didn't know that we were going THRU New York. I thought we were by passing it. We hit a 2 hour jam in the Bronx of all places. We finally made it over the George Washington bridge then we had smooth sailing to New Jersey.

We finally got into our hotel a little after 6pm. I called Debbie an Internet friend so we could meet finally. She and her husband came over and visited for a while. It was great to finally meet the lady behind the words.

Day 4

2010-07-01T18:33:00.011-04:00

Its hard to believe its Thursday already! I knew it would fly by. We have 3 new states on our schedule today. Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. And of course there is spotty rain in the forecast today.

We got an early start today pulling out just after 6:30am. As you can see from the picture the sky wasn't looking too good to start the day.

The radar made it look like if I can get a little south by Montpelier it should clear up. Remember this statement.

We crossed into Vermont and it was trying to be a beautiful day. It was still chilly though. I broke down and turned on the grip heaters. We stopped for a couple pictures of Lake Champlain right after we crossed the border. In case you don't know there is a lake monster in Lake Champlain, he's call Champ. Maybe we'll get to see it.

Don't know what this old fort was called but I thought it was cool. It was on the New York border looking back from Vermont.

We followed State Route 2 most of the way through Vermont. Vermont is a beautiful state. It was hard to pay attention because of all the great views we have around us. Had to keep one eye on the clouds and one on the road. The closer we got to the mountains the more ominous it started to look.

Holy crap I think I caught Champ on film. The rumors are true. He does exist.

In case you can't see him look at the right edge of the picture. I never saw him when I snapped the picture but it turned out pretty cool!

We got on I89 to bypass some towns. Normally its no fun to be on the slab but I only did 60mph most of the time and the scenery was awesome. And you could see 2 on most of the time too. It was paralleling the interstate.

By this time we had been playing hide and seek with the rain. So far we have stayed out of the rain but we are getting there just after it quit. The roads were soaked in spots and the bike was getting just as soaked. At one point we had to pull off so I could get the rain boots on. Found this when we pulled off.

We got on I 93 to head into New Hampshire to ride the White Mountains. We could finally get a state sign to take a picture of.

The stupid GPS pulled one of its tricks again. It had me get off the interstate and then told me to get back on. It was lunch time so I said the heck with it and made a right into Littleton for lunch. I found another cool little diner.

I didn't get a picture of the inside but it was set up a lot like the Red Rose Diner from Tuesday. Not as rustic as the Red Rose, but it was still diner car like. The food was good too. While we were there is rained some too.

Back on the road we turned on 3 for a short jaunt to 112 to ride the White Mountains. As we cruised 112 the clouds were coming down to cover some of the highest peaks, but so far nothing more than sprinkles directly on us. A lot of wet roads though. Its a shame because these roads could be a lot of fun!

We pulled off on several sight seeing turn outs. Started to see more bikes on the roads now. The temperature is dropping as we climb up the mountains. Kind of wish we could have brought the liners to the jackets.

At one pull off the rain was coming in on us. Since this on had a covered area I thought we would hang out a bit and let it pass over us. It felt like it might be in the mid 40s now and the winds were blowing pretty good adding to the wind chill factor!

After the rain moved through we headed back out. We crested the peak of the mountains and started back down. It seemed like we crossed an invisible line and the temperature jumped 10 degrees it felt and the rain clouds disappeared. The rest of the ride down the mountain was really comfortable. Except for the road went to crap. It was in rough shape. Still had plenty of scenery to look at.

We got on 302 to start our trek toward Maine. New state 3 of the day! When we crossed into Maine there was this tiny little blue sign to let you know you crossed the border. If you weren't looking for it you'd miss it.

This part of Maine was kind of disappointing. It reminded me of Ohio a lot. LOL We stayed on 302 until we got to Portland Maine. Then let the GPS take me through the back roads of town to get us to the Motel.

We clocked about 300 miles on the day! Over all the weather wasn't too bad. Not much rain actually fell on us. The kid is holding up pretty well!! Not bad for a 12 year old.

Day 3

2010-06-30T15:29:00.005-04:00

To describe the day in a word, burr! It was barely 50 degrees when we pulled out this morning. Today is going to be a short milage day but a beautiful sight seeing day! We are cruising the Adironacks today!

Right before we pulled out.

We started out on on HWY 10. It wasn't in great shape at first but the scenery was great!

The Amish have the right side of the road all screwed up just like around my area in Ohio.

See I told you the roads were rough. LOL

We sayed on 10 for a while then we turned off on Cr 112 and then it turned in to 125 shortly later. These roads were in decent shape.

It seemed like every road was following a river. The rivers and lakes were around every corner all day long.

My Daughter said to me eagle. Sure enough I look up and there is a Bald Eagle soaring above us! How cool! I have never seen one in the wild like that before. I hit the brakes and got off the road to try and get a picture. But then he disappeared. Bummer. But wait... he came back!

Not the best picture in the world but he was way up there and it was the best my 10X zoom could do.

We came to 30 north and got on it. This road was in great shape. We just cruised along all day around 40 miles an hour and just let the people by that were in a hurry. We have all day! 30 eventually ran into 28 north so we turned on that and then it turned back into 30 again.

One of the many sights along the way!

Stopped for gas in Tupper Lake. This was across the street.

We say a sign in town that said tourist train. So we turned to investicage. We just missed the train but we did get a picture of the building.

What a shame. I could use a good train ride. LOL

We turned on 3 and followed it for the next hour or so until we ran into 374. We followed that into Plattburg for our stop for the night. We only did about 200 miles on the day but it took 8 hours to do it. I hit 5th gear once all day and that was right before we got to the hotel just to keep up with traffic. It was a great day!

Tomorrow we get some new states!!

Day 2

2010-06-29T18:34:00.014-04:00

Day 2 sure looked better outside than day 1 did. At least there is sun shine in the forecast. There is a down side. High wind. Makes for a challenging ride.

My day started out with a can of Honda Polish and a couple rags to make the bike presentable after the rain yesterday. We had a nice breakfast at the Motel before we left today. Told the kid to pig out. LOL

Today we are heading for the PA Grand Canyon. Thought about stopping yesterday on the way by but decided to wait. And I am glad we did. The hiking can really burn some calories. LOL

We had to back track some over the ground we covered yesterday. That's ok because its beautiful! We took I86 to 15S to 287S. Then we got to take a new road. We took 362 to then just followed the signs to the PA Grand Canyon.

Cruising up 15 yesterday we passed a Veterans Memorial but I didn't see it until it was too late and I didn't want to turn around. So today we were going right by it again, but this time I was able to pull off and see it.

The Canyon is located in the Leonard Harrison State Park. We got there about 8:30am and had the place to ourselves. There were maybe 4 other people we saw. So we stopped to take some pictures from the top.

I thought I kept hearing a water fall. So after looking around and seeing some signs down the Turkey Foot Trail I think that is what it was called. It had plenty of warnings of a steep path. They weren't kidding. I can feel it in my knee. But the scenery was great!

This is one of the mini falls that would cross the walking paths.

We only made it half way down and I decided these tired legs need to go back up to the top.

Now that we were done with the Grand Canyon it was time to hit the road again. I had a route all layed out that would take us back up through Elmira and continue east from there. But as we left the park I said the heck with it lets get lost.

We followed 660 to 6 east. My Daughter asked me if I knew where we were and I said nope. That's part of the fun. 6 was a great trip! Lots of small towns and beautiful mountains. I did find one blight on the mountains. A grove of windmills.

We stopped in Towanda for lunch. We really scored here! We stumbled on the Red Rose Diner. Talk about a step back in time. They even had an old phone from the 20 still hanging on the wall! The lunch was good too.

We lunch eaten we explored the town a little more. I must say this is a beautiful old town. A lot of historic buildings. A must stop place if you're in the area.

We continued on 6 east out of Towanda slowly climbing up the mountain. I saw a scenic over look sign so off we pulled. All I can say is WOW. I am glad we pulled off here. The views were breathtaking. Over looking the valley below and even had some French Historic meaning to it.

And I had to get another picture of us together. Notice her hair sticking up? LOL

I thought it may be time to start finding some roads to the north. Since we need to be in Palantine Bridge New York tonight. Not having any idea where we are we found 409 north and turned on it.

It took us through Camptown where its believed the Camptown Races Song had come from. That was a cool find.

409 ended in Camptown so we just kept going on 706. Might as well see where it goes. Seems to be the theme of the day. We followed it until we saw 287 north and got on it.

We stayed on 287 until we reached the New York state boarder. Then it changed to 26 north. We came in to Endicott New York and I found another Veterans Memorial. We stopped to see it and I got the laptop out to see where we were and how to get to Palatine Bridge. Yes I said laptop because I don't have any paper maps. LOL

Found out we were only 115 miles away from my intended target. Not bad for guessing. So I got the address of our next hotel plugged into the GPS and we were off on I88 north. It was in great shape and nice to kinda just set the cruise control and roll on.

60 miles later we get off on 28 north. Time to get gas too. We stopped and filled up and had about an hour of travel time left. We stayed on 28 until we got to 166 and turned on it.

These roads have all been in really good shape and takes you through some great old towns that really make you remember this part of the cf country has a history.

Then we turned on 163 for the final few miles. We came into another cool little town called Canajoharie. Don't ask me how to say it. LOL Saw Tony's Pizzeria as we rolled through. Thought that sounded good. But we kept going on to the motel. What I didn't know is we could almost see our stop from here.

We turned east on 5 and a couple tenths of a mile later we were at the Rodeway Inn. We checked in and dropped off our stuff and headed back for the pizza. It was a small place but the food was good.

Dinner ate we explored the town a little. Down by the river was some nice boats.

We managed just over 300 miles on the day. It was a great day that is for sure. Tomorrow is the Adirondacks!

Epic Vacation Day 1

2010-06-28T17:30:00.008-04:00

Its finally here a much anticipated vacation on the bike with my Daughter. I have been looking forward to this all winter and spring. I was even counting down the hours at work this weekend.

I got up about 20 after 5 this morning to get the last minute things done. Like drink my coffee. LOL Got the bike packed up. Woke the kid up at 6am.

I was watching the weather because we were supposed to get rain. The radar made it look like everything was just south of my intended route. So that was promising.

Right before we left.

We got on the bike about 6:30am and headed north. 3 miles later it started raining. Not just a light rain, no. It was heavy. It rained all the way until we got gas 30 miles later. I had to keep the tank covered even though I was under an awning to make sure no rain got in the tank. We hung out for a few minutes and it eased up some. So we left the gas station.

Then I started to realize that my four year old jacket was letting me get wet. Guess its not water proof any more. Then on top of it all the new gloves I bought that were supposed to be water proof aren't either.

But it kept on raining. We stayed in the rain until we got into Pennsylvania. Then it finally eased up and quit. We pulled off in the first rest stop to dry off a little.

The rain was supposed to be moving off to the south, but as I was watching the clouds move north I knew we were in trouble for the day. At least Savannah's rain gear worked.

We managed to make almost 100 miles on the interstate dry. But a few miles before we got to 144 it started to rain again and hard this time. We got off the interstate and found a place to pull off for a bit.

We pulled out once it let up a little and started our trek north on 144. This road was awesome. The scenery was incredible and the road was in really good shape.

We started to finally get some clearing and could start to dry out a little. What a relief!

With the rain gone but sky's still looking threatening we found some scenic places to stop.

The one down side to the road was there really wasn't any place to stop and eat. We finally found a little shack to stop and get a bite to eat.

The people inside were real nice and chatty. They asked about us and our trip and we had a good time chatting while we had lunch.

Back on the road we continued north on 144 and were really enjoying the trip now that the weather was cooperating.

Thought about stopping for the day at this motel. LOL

We made it to route 6 and headed a little more easterly now and followed it to 287 north. Right after we got on 287 I saw some trains off to our right so I had to hit the brakes and turn to see them.

At this point we are almost to Elmira New York for our first stop. We got on 15 north to I68 and that got us to our first motel.

At least my coat was dry now. We got 400 miles in today. Tomorrow we head to the PA Grand Canyon and then to the south side of the Adorondacks.

Reservation trip.

2010-06-17T15:53:00.007-04:00

My Daughter and I met up with a Friend to take a tour of a couple local reservations. All part of Cleveland Metro Parks. We met in Copley at 7:30am and after a cup of coffee the three of us were ready to hit the road.

Elaine took the lead to take us to Hinckley Reservation to take a short hike through the rocks. I have never been to Hinckley so I was all for it. We headed out east on 162 then north on State Street. That took us right to the Res.

It didn't take long to get there from our meeting point. Right away we walked up this very steep incline to get to the rocks. I could really feel it in the ole hamstrings. LOL

Some of the rock formations.

My Daughter looking at some of the carvings that date back to the late 1800's.

One of many of the local inhabitants we ran across.

Back on the bikes we head across the street to continue the tour of Hinckley. We circled Hinckley Lake. We stopped by a spillway where there is a swimming area.

When you get on top of the spill way there is a nice warning to stay back from the drop off. Some bird brained people just sleep by the danger zone. LOL

Some more of the locals.

We found a sign showing more of the Metro Parks to visit. Unfortunately they didn't get good road directions so we had to wing it.

We went out on 303 west to Brunswick trying to figure out how to get to Mill Stream Run Reservation is. We stopped by McDonalds for lunch, ew. Made the kid happy though. I asked one of the ladies working in there if she knew how to get there. She suggested going to the gas station and asking. We did and got out a map they had there and some good directions from the lady working the counter.

We back tracked a little to West 130th street and headed north. This took us right to Mill Stream.

The roads in the park basically followed the Rocky River. The roads were in horrible shape. You had everything from pot holes, gravel and sand to dodge. Sitting at a 4 way stop we stumbled on this covered bridge.

We exited the Metro Parks and started heading south. We found 42 and decided to follow it to Medina. Elaine wanted to get back there after she stumbled on the town a week ago.

42 turned out to be quite the adventure. They had a lot of it torn up to the point we had to go off road in the gravel to get past the construction. They the geniuses had 2 huge hose dumping large amounts of water on the road way half flooding it. Just great when you're on two wheels! Then some moron that couldn't make a turn into his own land without crossing over the yellow line into our road.

We did make it to Medina safely finally. We did a little walking around and Elaine found more places to spend all her money. I sense another trip to Medina in her future. LOL At this point we parted ways and headed for home.

It was a fun day. Not much in the mileage department but we did get to see a lot of new things I had no idea was so close to home.

Day trip with my Daughter

2010-06-10T06:16:00.008-04:00

Finally got a break in work and the weather to take a short trip with my daughter to go see some more sights. Our first destination is the first oil well.

The weather was just perfect for us. Sunny and very little wind! Stayed fairly cool all day too, which was another plus.

We pulled out about 8am and took the fast route to get to southern Ohio. We ran out 250 to I77 south. The traffic stayed light for us making for a more enjoyable ride on the interstate.

We got off the interstate on StRte 78 east for the short trip to Caldwell. We just skirted the edge of town to the junction of 78 and 564 where the site is for the first oil well. If you're not looking hard you'll miss it. What makes it stand out is the old caboose there.

Turns out the oil was an unwanted by product at first. The well was actually for salt production.

While we were there I saw this small flock of birds. Had no idea what they are.

Turns out they are an African bird called Guinea Hens. I guess they are great for eating ticks.

Now we are off to the crash site of the USS Shenandoah a lighter than air ship. Seems she was fighting a storm back in the early 20's and lost the battle.

We back tracked into Caldwell to pick up 821 North. This could be a great road if they would ever repave it. A lot of nice scenery but the road isn't in very good shape to enjoy the twists.

The crash site is in Ava Ohio. Not even a spec on the map. We were disappointed when we got there. Just a tiny sign below the speed limit sign pointing to a field that says crash site 1 and 2. Just a historical marker letting you know something happened here.

We got back on 821 heading south not sure where I was going next. These two places were the main focus of the trip today. As we approached Hwy 340 west I decided to turn. Might as well see where this goes.

The road was in good shape and nice scenery. Not much in the way of twists to deal with. We took this road into Cumberland. Ok now where do we go?

I decided to turn on 83 North to start the trek home. Since I have to be at work tomorrow I don't want to be out too late. 83 is a good road with plenty to see and a fair amount of twisties to do too.

Coming into New Concord the fuel gage was saying we need to stop. Since there happens to be a gas station there at the intersection of 83 and 20 we fuel up.

After getting the tank full and some stretching we need lunch. Knowing there isn't much of anything if I stay on 83 we take 20 west toward Zanesville.

We no sooner get on 20 and out of town and there is this really cool looking bridge just off to the north. So I go up to the next driveway and turn out so we can check it out.

Its part of the original road that was built back in the 1800's. Built in the shape of an S because for them at the time it was easier than trying to build one at an angle across the stream.

A little history.

A lady there walking her dog told us that there was a family of ducks on the far side of the bridge. We walked down the foot path there and I managed to get a good picture of them. You can see momma was keeping an eye on me.

Back on 20 I get on I70 west. I deceded to make some time so we can do lunch. We get off in Zanesville on US 60 a road I am more than familiar with. Right at the exit is Bob Evans so we pull in for lunch.

After lunch we stay on 60 but I decide to get off 60 and go to the Dillon Dam. We get on 146 to make our way to the Dam and Dillon State Park.

I haven't been to the Dam itself in a few years. It used to be all gravel. To my surprise it was all fresh smooth pavement now!

Here is a picture of the dam.

After milling around for a while and checking out some more of the sights we get back on 146 to 586. I have never taken these roads north. Only ever brought them south before so it will be a nice change of pace.

We follow 586 into Martinsburg and get on 62 until we get to Danville, where we lived for about a year. I take us past the house we used to live in becasue I know Savannah won't remember it.

We get on 205 just outside Danville to pick up rte 3 into Loundonville. Where we just have to stop for ice cream. We both pig out on a large cone.

Then we get on an old tar and chip road called Honey Creek to Hayesville. From there we get on 60 again and follow it the rest of the way home.

We got home about 4 in the afternoon. We did about 270 miles. Anohter great trip and day spent with the Kid.

Be looking for our epic adventure coming up in just a couple weeks. We are going to be riding all of New England for at least a week!!!

Panama Rocks New York

2010-05-30T18:45:00.015-04:00

Today we are heading to a place called Panama Rocks. I will steal one of their headlines describing the park.

"The Park consists of 12 acres of an Erupted Paleozoic Seashore originating over 300 million years ago. It is a Ridge of Quartz Conglomerate Rock, which was carved and shaped by a glacier, and is all set amid an ancient forest."

http://www.panamarocks.com/

All that really says is the place was cool! Literally in some places. I'll explain that later.

I tried to get a few people together to go with Savannah and I. Alan was the only one that could make it. So it was just a 2 bike group ride. Since I GPS'ed the place I got to lead most of the day. Which is something I normally don't do but it's ok I got to use the cruise control. LOL

We couldn't have asked for a much better weather day. It was completely clear. Barely a wisp of a cloud here and there. The winds were calm. The only thing to complain about was it did get pretty hot later in the evening!

Savannah and I got on the bike and headed out at 7am to meet Alan near his house 45 minutes later. We were 2 minutes late. LOL That's ok. Its not like any of us had meetings to attend or appointments to keep.

I love these kinds of sights! Of course what smells better in the early morning than fresh cut hay? Nothing!!

We head out on 76 east to pick up St Rt 5. The route is pretty straight and unchallenging but that wasn't the idea I had in mind when I picked it. I was looking to enjoy the scenery more that carve the canyons. Besides you can't really play on the corners when you have a passenger. We were riding and that was what is was all about.

One of the sights along the way was this Military Base. The fencing stretched on for miles. Its one huge base! I had to look it up. Its the Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant.

Then we run across a National Landmark, sort of. He must be doing a good business to afford something like this!

Traffic most of the day was a nightmare. Every once in while we would see some. LOL The roads were empty, it was hard to believe.

We stayed on 5 until it came to 88. We followed 88 into Pennsylvania. At the border it changed names to 398. It was in great shape with tons of beautiful scenery to look at while cruising down the road.

We cut off on a side chip and seal road. This was the part of the trip I was worried about, but it turned out to be a nice route. The road was nice and scenery was great. We followed this up to Jamestown Pa.

We stopped in Jamestown to top off the gas tanks, not that we really needed to, and to take a rest break for us.

Savannah was complaining of her butt getting sore already and Alan to the rescue. He just happened to have an extra gel pad in his trunk. So he let her use it the rest of the day. Problem solved no more sore butt. But I think that is going to cost me some more money. LOL Thanks buddy!! LOL Oh well I have been thinking hard of getting one myself. Because after 300 miles your butt does feel it.

On the road again we picked up 58 in Jamestown to 322 to start a more northerly track. We stayed on 322 to Meadville. This is where the GPS and me got a little confused. We had several roads all coming together at once. Between the GPS not updating fast enough and me not remembering which road we were picking up I got a little off track. Oh well hit the recalculate button and we get ourselves on 77 like we are supposed to be.

I was watching the GPS for the New York border so we could stop and Alan could get his helmet on since they are a Helmet Law state. I stopped along side the road because I thought the border was just around the corner. Turns out what I thought was the state line approaching on the GPS was just a road with no name. LOL Oh well.

We were coming into Correy Pa when we spotted this mural. I just had to stop for a picture!! This is at the intersection of 77 and 426.

While in Correy we stopped for lunch and had another rider on a long trek himself stop and talk to us for a while. We killed a good half hour or more just talking. But we needed to get back on the road.

We are on 426 heading north and the New York border rapidly approaching. Its a new state for me and the kid both. Neither of us has ever ridden here! Its always good when we can hit a new state.

Once into New York the road really turned crappy for a while. We turned onto 474 for our final leg into Panama Rocks.

When you pay your admission fees you have to sign a liability wavier. They left everything natural so there isn't anything to keep you from falling off the rocks if you aren't careful. Even after you sign off they warn you one more time. Some people have no fear. LOL

It was awesome in the park. The rock formations are really cool. Both figuratively and literally. There were some areas where the air had to be at least 10 degrees cooler coming through some of the rock formations. We all stood there at times just enjoying the cool air.

Here are a few pictures of the rock formations.

They had a little snack bar there too. When we saw the sign for ice cream we just had to go inside! It was a cool old building. I asked if it used to be a barn and she told me it was a dance hall.

She told us that this place used to be a major hotel back at the turn of the 20th century. Had its own stage coach stop and was more popular than near by Jamestown.

We then headed south on route 958 to 27. No sense going home the same way we got here! We were going to follow it to 277 and then to Oil City but we hit a road closure in Pleasantville. So we stayed on 27 to Titusville and then 8 south into Oil City. I have to admit it was a great detour. The scenery was great!

There were a lot of reminders through out the day that Pennsylvania was once an oil boom state. Here is one from Titusville.

Thankfully there was a bypass around Oil City so we took it. It was a 4 lane road that hugged the edge of the cliffs. We were getting blown off the road by people flying by us as we were the only ones doing the speed limit. Funny thing is there was huge sign saying "target enforcement area". Guess that was just for the out of towners that didn't know any better.

Saw this old tunnel while we were on the bypass. I would love to know the story behind it.

Now on 62 heading west. We were planning on following it all the way to Youngstown Ohio. The road was in good shape and enjoyable. We spotted this building off in the distance. Sure looked grand. I wish I knew what it was.

It was getting late in the day and we came up on the intersection of 62 and I79. We stopped and decided to go ahead and hit the slab for the rest of the ride home.

We stopped for gas in Akron and Savannah had to finally give up the nice seat cushion for the last hour home. When we got home she said her butt hurt again. So I can see that gel pad is in our future.

We did 436 miles on the day and it was awesome! Other than getting hot it was a perfect day. No one tried to kill us for once and we had some great company.

We are just shy of 6000 miles for the year now. She gets a bath and oil change next!

Marblehead

2010-05-29T17:48:00.007-04:00

Haven't been to Marblehead in a few years so I thought it was time to head back for a short visit. There isn't much to talk about in the trip up there. Its right off route 2 near Cedar Point

We did get to see a few sights along the way. Stopping by a friends house before we made our way up to Marblehead I got to pace a train for a bit.

Just before I pulled into my friends drive I just missed getting a shot of an airplane pulling a glider into the sky. But several minutes later I did manage to get a shot of the glider.

Along the way to Marblehead I passed a mile stone that I had hoped to hit 4 days earlier. I have had the bike 4 years and 4 days now but I finally hit the 40,000 mile mark.

Coming into Marblehead we get to cross part of Lake Erie.

My Daughter and I took along a little picnic lunch to have while we were there. For a holiday weekend the place was pretty empty. What surprised me the most is they didn't have the lighthouse or the home open to visitors. I was kind of disappointed over that.

The light house at Marblehead.

The madatory history lesson!

Lake Erie at its finest.

On the way home we passed a VFW post with the biggest flag I think I have ever seen!

By our normal standards today was just a run in the park. We only went about 170 miles but we had a great day together!

Day trip with my Daughter

2010-05-23T05:51:00.009-04:00

Things are finally working out for my Daughter and I to make another road trip together. Today we are going to Beaver Creek State Park after a friend and fellow rider suggested it would be a good place to visit.

The weather was supposed to be beautiful with a litle moring patchy fog. Those last two words were a major understatement! I made sure we both had our rain gear on to start the day just incase the fog got thick.

I woke her up about 6:30am and she looked at the clock and said, 6:30, are you serious. LOL I thought it was funny. That's only 10 minutes later than when she gets up for school. I told her either get up and come with me or stay home and sleep all day. She got up.

The weather when we left the house was beautiful! It was in the low 60's and just some tiny patches of fog, which made for some beautiful scenery.

We took 250 east toward Canton. A route which I have been on hundreds of times. Not much to see but there just isn't a better way to head towards Canton from where I live. Also its the same way to where my Brother used to live.

As we got close to Wooster the fog really started to get thick. Good thing we were wearing our rain gear. The bike, which was just polished yesterday, was getting soaked. Almost as bad as if it had been raining. The one good thing is the fog was light enough that it wasn't messing with my visor or getting realy thick on the windshield. When we approached Canton the fog came to stay! It stayed thick for the next several hour and miles.

As we pulled off the main road and into the park the road went to crap! It was very bumpy and a lot of broken asphault and pot holes. The worst entrance to a State Park I have ever experienced. But, the scenery was awesome!

The park was all but empty when we got there. I think the morning fog kept a lot of people home this morning. We got in the park about 9am. It was great having the place almost to our selves.

We stopped to pose for a picture and get the bridge into the background.

A little history lesson.

A lock from when this was an important water way.

Some of the buildings and the old mill.

Heading out of the park I spotted some deer ahead. So I stopped the bike hoping to get a picture. Two of the three took off into the woods but one wanted her picture taken. So I zoomed in and snapped a few shots.

We were pretty close to the Pennsylvania and West Virginia borders so I decided to take a short trip so she could cross 2 more states off the states she's ridden in. We got back on 30 for the trip east. We crossed into West Virginia and then just a few miles later into Pennsylvania. We then turned south on 168 to start heading home.

Not sure why but in this part of Pennsylvania they keep the speed limits down to 45 on the open State Routes. Makes for slow going but at least it was pretty enough of an area to keep you happy.

We picked up 22 to bring back into Ohio. One more short trip through West Virginia and we were back in Ohio. Here is a picture of the cool looking bridge as we came back into the State.

We turned off 22 onto 43. This is a road in good shape with enough scenery and twists to keep you focused and entertained. As it was approaching lunch time and I was getting hungry we stopped at this little ice cream stand in the middle of no where and got some hot dogs and ice cream. Does it get any better? LOL The fog had finally started to burn off while we were here and the sun and heat were coming on strong!

After our short break we were back on the road and heading into Carrolton. I was going to stay on 43 and head back to Canton, but as I came up on 39 I decide at the last minute to go that way. I had never been down this part of 39 before and today seemed like a good day for it.

The road was in good shape and had plenty to look at as we traveled. Can't remember what town we were in but I thought this old building's paint job was pretty cool!

We got into New Philadelpia on 39 and cruised through town. Came across this old truck.

We hopped on the express way and made it back to 250. Just outside of Strasburg is the Beach City Dam. I had always meant to stop and look around so why not?

After our short stop we got back on 250 and finished the ride home. All and all we did 277 miles on the day and had a great time!

West Virgnia here I come!

2010-05-15T18:37:00.002-04:00

Mother Nature hasn’t been very friendly here lately. It’s been over a month since our last group ride and it’s been raining almost nonstop on the weekends. She finally decides to cooperate with us so we were able to get a West Virginia ride in on Saturday.

We are to meet at the usual place in Strasburg. The Marathon at the intersection of US250 and I77 at 7am. So I set the alarm for 4:20am so I have time to get awake and get the important coffee drank before heading out just before 6am.

I headed into Ashland to get some cash out of the ATM. Go figure its down. So I set my sights on Wooster and hope that one is open. The sun was just coming up and making for a beautiful sunrise.

Luckily the ATM in Wooster was open and I could get some much needed cash for the day ahead.

For a change the ride into Strasburg up 250 was uneventful. Usually I get stuck behind people that have no clue how to drive.

I was getting to the gas station about 10 minutes early so I started looking to see if the others beat me there. Yep, as I make the turn I see the 3 other bikes. Alan finally beat me to the meeting spot. LOL. I could see Elaine and Bobby, new to the group, were there too.

After fueling up I rode over and we all greeted each other and let the stories begin. LOL. It was great seeing everyone again and I knew we were going on a great trip!

I took the lead for a change since Alan called tail gunner. The spot I usually like. Get better pictures that way I think. I set kind of a fast pace but noticed I was getting too far ahead so I backed off to the speed limit.

The trip down 77 was nice and peaceful. We made good time to southern Ohio where we stopped for gas. As I teased Alan about how little gas my bike took to fill up, a nice gentleman there fueling up his dual tank pickup was kind enough to offer to switch bills with me. I thanked him and said no I couldn’t do that to you. We both got a good laugh out of that.

It amazes me how friendly complete strangers can be when we are out riding like this. I mean we try to present a positive image of bikers in general. It must work because several times during the day we had people stop to talk with us about our trip.

After our fuel stop Alan takes the lead and I get to be tail gunner now. We cross the river for my first time in West Virginia this season. We are tooling along and we see some black smoke on the horizon. I didn’t think much about it because it’s not that uncommon. Until a couple miles later I see a car coming north flashing their lights. I figure ok cop ahead. We round the next corner and traffic is coming to a stop. That is when I notice that the black smoke was coming from the middle of our lane.

There was a red Ford F-150 all but broke in half on fire. We must have gotten there just a couple minutes after the crash. I guess what happened, from a news report I read a few days later, was he blew a tire and went airborne across the median into the south bound lane and a van then t boned him. The truck driver was fine. The van driver broke both legs.

So here we are stuck on the interstate. After some deliberation we decide to chance it through the median, which was pretty wet and muddy. We all made it ok and we headed north to find a way around the wreck.

We got off at the next exit and turned up a side road that we thought paralleled the interstate. After several miles of nice scenery but crappy roads we stop to decide what to do. A truck stops beside us coming from the other way. He tells us that this road doesn’t go the way we wanted. He made the same mistake and got directions and we need to go down 21. So we turn around and back track. Getting lost sometimes can be fun. But today wasn’t the day for it. We wanted to get to the New River Gorge Bridge.

We get on 21 and head back on the interstate. Talk about weird. We four were the only people in the southbound lane. It was kinda cool and creepy at the same time. So I zipped up beside everyone and snapped a few pictures. As we continued south traffic started to reappear. The rest of our trip on 77 was thankfully peaceful!

We get off the interstate on rte 60 to Gauley Bridge. When we encounter the moron of the year. He is flying up from behind us just as we are over taking a very slow car. Two of us get around the car and this idiot decides he is going to pass the slow car on the shoulder. Then as Elaine is trying to get back in the right lane this idiot comes flying up on her right side. Luckily she was able to see that he was doing this to her and she held her lane and stayed out of trouble. Then this idiot goes a couple tenths of a mile more max and turns off into a parking lot. The moron put everyone in jeopardy to save what, 30 seconds max! Needless to say we were all a little upset and it was a topic of discussion at our next stop.

With all the rains they had gotten in the last couple days in the area there was little waterfalls everywhere along our route. I had never seen this kind of water in my previous trips down here. It was really pretty.

We pull off into a parking area to get some good shots of the falls at Gauley Bridge. I took a few videos too. The camera does full HD video might as well take advantage of it.

About a mile down the road we pull off for gas and lunch at our normal stop at the Sunoco.

Then we head out for the falls. I have never seen this much water here either. This gets to be a common theme of the day. It’s as pretty as I have ever seen it.

Back on the road we pull off again at Hawks Nest for more sights.

Now we get back on 60 for the short ride to the New River Gorge Bridge. We get to 19 and head south. We ride across the bridge, turn around and ride back. We pull off onto County Road 82 for the trip to the bottom of the gorge.

This was a downhill ridiculous sharp right hand turn. Can’t say I had ever experienced anything like it before. But after the turn it because an awesome ride.

The road wasn’t very wide at all. Good thing its one way most of the time. We flew down the road at hair raising speeds approaching 20mph at times. There were little streams and waterfalls all over the place. When we finally got to ride under the bridge for the first time you can really get a sense of just how big it is.

Reaching the bottom of the gorge there is a pull off so we stopped to enjoy the sights. We walked out on the bridge and there were rafters coming. So we watched them take some of the rapids.

Now for the journey back to the top and civilization. It was just as twisty as the way down. Again many streams and mini waterfalls. Just simply awesome!

Back at the top we get on 19 again and head back across the bridge. Our next destination is the Summerville Lake and Dam. We turn off onto 129 and stop by the lake. What an awesome sight.

Then just a short distance later we stop by the dam.

They had one of the 20 foot pipes opened up and draining some of the water from the reservoir. This is a zoomed in shot. We discussed whether to go to the bottom or not. We decided next time.

We continued on 129 until we got to 39. Made a short stop there to top off the tanks and get some refreshments. 39 was a nice road. Lots of twisties. Some tighter than others but fun overall. We stayed on 39 until we got to 16 then turned north heading home.

We followed 16 until we got to 4. Like most roads in West Virginia 4 is another great twisty road. We followed 4 until we got to 36 and started heading west until we got to Spencer.

We stopped in Spencer to rest and some needed gas again. After that we got on 33 for the trek to the interstate.

Back on I77 north we crossed back over the river and stopped in Marietta to fuel up. I parted ways with the group because it was getting late and I was tired and ready to get home. So they headed to McDonalds and I headed north.

A few miles south of I70 I started to see rain drops. At no time were there any rain drops in the weekend forecast that I had seen. But it was only a couple then it quit. Whew!

As I was nearing Strasburg where I would turn off on 250 for my final leg home it started to rain again. I pulled off at the marathon where we all met at earlier in the day to stretch and put on my sweater under my jacket. I was starting to get a little cold.

I had an hour to go and now it was in the rain. Just lovely! So I get one of my towels out so I can keep my face shield wiped off and make the slow trip home.
I got home about midnight. Did 661.5 miles on the day. It was a great day over all but the last 130 miles really sucked. I was too tired and then the rain just had to come.

Group Ride!

2010-04-18T05:37:00.032-04:00

Here we go again the boys are getting together to burn some fossil fuel and terrorize the neighbor hoods. Today was a cold one. It was in the mid
30's when I pulled out to meet Alan in Ashland.

We are meeting as a group at the Iron Pony today. We have one new guy we haven't ridden with before coming up from West Virginia to ride with us. So that will be cool. Plus last time there I am the only one that didn't buy anything and did I ever catch hell for it from the others. LOL I will today. If nothing else I need another can of Plexus. I am getting low. Might get some new gloves if I can find a good deal.

The day started off pretty chilly! I put my rain boots on to help block some of the wind and I cranked the grip heaters all the way up. Made for a nice toasty ride into Ashland. Once I got to the gas station I was greeted by this.

Alan showed up early so we started out ahead of schedule to meet up at 10am. I picked a route to stay off the interstates again. We headed out 60 to Loudonville. We got to Loudonville and turned down 3 South. I warned Alan I quit coming this way to work because its deer central. Especially in the Mohican State Forrest. So we are cruising along and I look to the left and am greeted with this site!

Unfortunately you can't see them that well due to lighting conditions but there were nine of them running towards the woods. Thankfully they didn't come toward the road.

Not too long after this I come up on a Fox squirrel sitting in the middle of the road. I point it out to Alan and I think I am going to hit it. But he runs to the other lane away from me. I go by him so close I could have grabbed him I think. I watch him in my mirror. He heads straight for Alan. Ran right under his bike. Nomad 1. Squirrel squished. LOL

The rest of the trip to Mt Vernon went without incident. We continued on 3 out of town and followed in on the long boring flat sections into Columbus.

We got to the Iron Pony about 20 minutes early. Just to find Dan and John already there waiting on us. The place wasn't open yet so we had to hang outside and tell stories. We are expecting Jay from West Virginia to be meeting us here today. But when the store opened at 10 he hadn't made it yet. So inside we go!

Jay, well really John we come to find out later, shows up and finds us in the store. So it was good to meet another forum member. I am sure we made their payroll today. 1 helmet and 2 pair of riding pants were the high ticket purchases by the group. I bought some Honda polish and wheel bearings for the front wheel.

Here we are getting geared up to leave the Pony.

Now we are off to ride the Hocking Hills area again. We head out and go down 33 to 374. Along the way we get near the Airport. I got this shot.

Enjoying the twisties of 374 we have another member of wildlife to deal with. We had a Turkey crossing. Can you see her?

Shortly there after we pull off in our usual spot for a little bull session. Its hard to believe in just 3 weeks how much greener things have become!

We head back out continuing our trip toward Old Man's Cave. I was surprised how busy the place was as we rode past. It was still pretty cool out, but the sun was shining. We stayed on 374 until it dead ends into 56. So we stop to figure out where to next. There was a woman there selling purses. So of course Dan and I at the same time asked Alan if he stopped here to buy himself a new purse to go with the new helmet. LOL

We decide to head back to Athens for lunch at, wait for it..... Obetty's Redhot. I love that place!

Since I have it saved in the GPS at a favorite I take the lead. We head east on 56 for the 23 mile ride to Obetty's. 56 is a good road with nice scenery and a few good twists to it.

After lunch its 3pm already. Where do these days go? They just fly by!! We all gear up and decide to part ways here and start heading home. Jay is fairly close to his house in West Virginia at this point so he'll be the first home. Here we are gearing up for our rides home.

Alan and I decide to run 83 most of the way home. I bring up the Big Muskie site on the GPS, since we have to go right by it to get to 83, to help us get there. It takes us out on 550 and then off onto 377.

What a great surprise 377 was. It was in good shape without a straight stretch of road I think. Other than the fact it was a well worn in tar and chip road it was awesome.

I hate tar and chip roads. I never feel completely stable on them in a corner. They should be illegal! But I still had fun playing on the corners, well until we got behind grandma. LOL

377 brought us back out on 78 just a few miles short of Big Muskie. We cruise on up through and turn off on 83 north. 83 is in great shape all the was up to Millersburg! Plenty of great scenery and twists to keep any biker happy! Coming into Coshocton we cross some tracks and see some Engines sitting there.

I am a train buff so I can't resist a picture.

We pull off for gas in Millersburg. This is where Alan and I go our seperate ways to head home. I peel off onto 39 into Nashville then take the twisties (179) back to Hayeville. Then I get on 60 for the rest of the ride back to Savannah.

I did 360 miles on the day. Stayed fairly warm and completely dry. No rain this time!!

We are planning a West Virginia run now in 2 weeks!! Can't wait!

Yet another group ride!!

2010-04-11T18:42:00.024-04:00

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away.... Ok this may not be star wars but some of the tales we tell are out there.

So today's destination was a meeting place in Zanesville. I talked the guys into meeting an hour earlier at 10am. Hey its rough having to get up at 3am for work. So I wake up a little after 5 not being able to get back to sleep so I get up and start getting ready for the ride. I am to meet Alan in Ashland at 8am. I have a nice set of roads planned to take to Zanesville he probably hasn't ridden yet.

Can you imagine that. A road Alan hasn't ridden? Most who know the man knows he's a traveling atlas. LOL You want the best roads to ride he's the one you call.

I hop on the message board http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/ to see if there have been any changes I need to know and a quick chat with Alan.

Checking the weather report for the day and I see there is a real slight early chance for rain. But I felt safe. Steve wasn't coming with us. The last 2 times I have ridden with Steve there has been a low chance of rain. I got wet both times. LOL

Its coming up on 7am. Belly growling and Bob Evans is calling me. So I suit up and head out an hour early.

Breakfast eaten and its only 7:30 and I am already at the gas station. Filled the tank and bored so why not take a quick shot of the bike? Anyways I promised you all a pic of my trunk when I got it back and installed.

And here comes "the man" LOL.

After fuel for Alan and a little bull we head out down route 60 to Hayesville. Here we make a left on 179. A nice country road with a few twisties for fun! We come back out on 60 just west of Nashville. At the stop Alan was pleased with my choice of roads. Yeah beats the interstate.

Left turn again and we're on 60 for about a mile then we are in Nashville. No not the home of country music but the home of a couple dozen residents. Here in Nashville we turn down 514 to DANville. Its a scenic road that could use a good repaving.

Now entering the town of Danville where the men are men and the sheep are nervous. I actually lived there for a year. When I refused to buy velcro gloves they kicked me out. LOL

Now a little boring part of road. We are on 62 heading to Martinsburg and go figure, Alan has been here before. LOL

Does it sound like I am picking on Alan? Yeah well maybe a little.

Once in Martinsburg we turn left, hmmm seems to be a lot of lefts in this story. We take 586 thru Farm and Amish country. This will take us down to 146 right into the Dillon State Park.

Making ANOTHER left, lol, I pull off the road before we get to 146 and ask if Alan wants to take a detour. We have plenty of time. So we head off into the State Park. I meant to ride to the dam but turned on the wrong road. Still found some nice scenery and time for some more glamour shots!

Alan's ride.

Me again.

We finally make it to our meeting spot with Dan, Ed, and John. We win. They aren't here yet. Funny thing is most head across the street from the Marathon we stopped at and head to Shell for the premium grade of gas.

Here's our little group. Poor Ed is missing from the photo op.

Here is Dan posing with his bike trying to talk Alan into taking his picture. He's saying "your camera does too work when your bike's not moving." Alan is thinking I don't know about that. I think it only works while I am riding. LOL

We are heading out to stop by the Big Muskie Bucket. I know you have already seen that in a previous post. But who cares. We're riding!

We head out of Zanesville on 146. Its a nice winding road with lots of good scenery. Before long we are making a RIGHT turn on 284 south. Also known as Big Muskie Drive. It takes you to close to the bucket site. 284 skirts The Winds, a wild life area from Ohio Power.

I rode this area late last year when the leaves were gone. I gotta make it down that way this fall. It will be incredible!

Making another right onto 78 we are at the bucket in less than a mile. Pulling into the anything but bike friendly gravel drive we arrive at Big Muskie Bucket.

Look familiar?

Ok lets eat! Now the really good part of the trip. We are heading to Obetty's Redhot in Athens. A great little hot dog stand.

We continue on 78 west to Glouster. There we head south on 13. Coming through Trimble. I snapped this pic in the center of town.

With the war monument and the design of the building I thought it was quite picturesque!

Now in Athens its time for lunch! A fellow forum member hook us on this little hot dog stand. This is my second time there. Its a must stop if you're in the area. I'll be making at least one more trip with the kid this year!

Between the good eats, good stories, and great eye candy it was a good time! After all it is a College town.

We decide to head out on 550 east to pick up the famed 555 or triple nickel. It was a good ride. Nice scenery and some nice twists to it. But soon we reach the holy grail of Ohio roads!

Turning north on 555 Alan hits the after burners. He left Dan, me, Ed, and John like we were sitting still. We all rode our ride and after a few miles we all grouped back up in Chesterhill.

We got spread out again as we all took the turns at our comfort levels. We find a nice pull off and I get the opportunity to snap a couple more pics.

Here is Ed just as he crests the hill.

Here is John on the same hill.

More stories told we all saddled back up and stayed together for the ride north back to Zanesville. We fueled up and all parted ways for our homes.

After a hundered miles of boring interstate I made it home. On the day I did about 380 miles. Another great ride with a great group!!

Group ride!!

2010-04-03T18:43:00.014-04:00

Well we were lucky enough to have good weather for another group ride. My Daughter Savannah and I were to ride to Akron to meet up with Alan and his boy! Then we were going on to meet up with the group. The weather forecast was for partly cloudy skies with just a minuscule chance of rain, but the wind was supposed to really blow later in the day. Yuck I hate wind.

She and I geared up about 8:15 to meet up with Alan. It was already in the low sixty's heading for the 80's. The sky was slightly over cast, which I happen to love for bike riding! Since we are the gear wearing type of riders it keeps you cooler and more comfortable.

We took off up 250 to CR1275 to 224 to get gas at the interchange of I71 and I76. Then we took I76 on to Wooster Rd to meet up with Alan and his boy Dakota. Once there I bummed some Allen wrenches to readjust my handle bars because I set them too high. Trying to find a more comfortable position. This setting didn't work. So I lowered them back to where I had them before.

Had to snap a picture of Alan and Dakota riding together!

Back on I76 we continued east until 76 and 224 split and we stayed on 224 to our meeting place at 224 and 44 at a Sunoco station. Along the way we passed one of the goodyear blimp hangars. Those things are huge. I hear they generate their own weather at times and sometimes it rains inside. LOL

Then a short while later we saw this church off in the distance.

Why is it that churches seem to be some of the neatest looking buildings?

We finally made it to our meeting spot. There were a lot of bikes there. I thought we were going to have a huge group. Here it turns out another group were meeting here too. It was the Sons of God if I remember correctly. So we took the time to shoot the breeze with them.

Didn't manage to get everyone in this shot. There were still a couple riders missing, but its most of our group.

We had 7 bikes total with 11 riders since 4 of us had passengers.

We headed out on 44 south. We had decided we were going to Lisbon for lunch. Some little hole in the wall diner. Those seem to be the best.

We followed 44 until we came to 172 in East Canton. Took that west into Lisbon. This road I was real familiar with since this is the way I used to go to my brothers house until he moved to Missouri.

Coming into Lisbon there were some cool sights. This was a cool looking church in Lisbon on StRt 45.

We stopped at Taste of Country. It was a good little place. For some reason they put us in the back away from the general crowed. LOL Well truth be told it was the only place they could get all 11 of us together.

Here we are all gathered in the parking lot.

Lunch had and stories told we hit the road again. We headed out of town on 164. Passing this old clock tower. I love these old clock towers. Its amazing how many old towns have these in Ohio.

164 was a really cool road. The scenery will be outstanding once the trees are filled out. Of course fall is gonna be awesome on this road too. It had plenty of twisties to make it fun too. A few places in the road were in crappy shape, but over all it was a nice ride!

We followed 164 to 212 to 250 to head to Tappan Lake. The wind at this point in the day was getting pretty bad. There were times that it was making it hard to ride a semi straight line.

After some rest and more mandatory bull we headed back out to get ice cream. Who doesn't like ice cream? So we headed down 250 south and turned off on this tiny tar and chip road called Deersville Ridge road. We turned off in the tiny forgotten town of Deersville onto Mallarnee Rd or Cr21 if you prefer.

Here is a shot of us crossing Tappan Lake.

We got to the ice cream stand just to find out it doesn't open for another 3 days. Bummer. So we just turned on 800 and headed to Dennison for fuel and more bull. LOL

Once fueled up in Dennison and some more good stories told we all started our trip home. The wind now was really blowing! We went our seperate ways at this point. Going up 800/250 to New Philadelphia the wind tried and almost succeeded in blowing us off the road.

Getting off the big 4 lane and onto 250 heading home it didn't get any better. Had to keep the speeds down to be a little more stable.

Coming out of Wooster it looked like rain ahead, but I thought no its just dust. Then the rain drops started hitting the windshield. So me and the kid stopped on the side of the road and donned our rain gear. Then what happened? Yeah the rain quit. LOL That's ok we did get sprinkled on before we made it home so it wasn't a total waste.

We finally got home about 5:30 and 280 miles later. That wind was by far the worst I have ever ridden in and am in no hurry to repeat. Other than that it was another great day of riding! Can't wait until next time!!!

First ride of the year with my Daughter!

2010-04-02T19:54:00.007-04:00

Its good Friday and we are both off so a bike trip is in order! We do have a group ride planned for tomorrow too!

Today I set out with no real destination in mind. Wasn't sure if I wanted to run north and take her to Michigan or west into Indiana or east to Pa or Wv. See she has a states ridden in patch to color in like I do. So far she only has Ohio and Kentucky colored in. I thought it would be a cool way to get her a little more interested in longer day trips with me. Seems like its working!

Anyways back on topic. I decided we would just stay fairly local and make a trip south and go see Big Muskie.

Big Muskie was the largest Drag Line ever made. She was used to help uncover coal in Southeastern Ohio. In her working lifetime, the Big Muskie removed over 608,000,000 cubic yards of overburden (twice the earth moved during the construction of the Panama Canal), uncovering over 20,000,000 tons of clean coal. She cost $25 million in 1969.

But back to the trip report. We took StRt 60 south out of Ashland thru farm country to Loudonville. Once in Loudonville we turned off onto 39, its really both 39 and 60 most of the way, to go into Millersburg.

If you have a thing for anything Amish then Millersburg is the place for you. I think the name Millersburg screams Amish. Really though there is a very large Amish community in the area. If you want the REAL touristy type stuff then just continue east on 39 into Berlin. Don't pronounce it like its in Germany. Then they will know you're an out of towner. Ber is the focus of the word and the lin just kind of trails off. Just the opposite of the Capital of Germany.

Once in Millersburg we turned off onto 83 south towards Coshocton. 83 is a nice road for Motorcycles. Its in good shape with some beautiful scenery, when there's leaves, and enough twisties to make the average cruiser rider very happy.

We followed 83 for better than an hour before we neared our destination. Then 83 interstecs with 78 just east of McConnelsville. Turning west on 78 you're at the bucket in just seconds.

Its a small park but the bucket is anything but small. Here is a picture of her massive bucket.

Here is the State Historal Marker

The scenery would have been awesome again had the trees been filled out. But that always givea a reason to come back right?

Its a little after 12 and we are both getting hungry so we load back up on the bike and head west on 78 towards McConnelsville to see if we can find something. We weren't really seeing much on the main drag. I saw a McDonalds and said no we aren't stopping there. She knows I hate the place. But right before it was a nice little diner so we pulled in.

It was the Old Corral. The place was old that was for sure. But it was empty and the food was good. A little pricey though. We picked a window seat and watched a ton on bikes go by. Also watched the McDonalds drive through back up into the street. What are people thinking!

The Muskingum River follows StRt 60 for our ride from McConnelsville up to Zansville. It was sure high compared to last year when I was down this way. Makes for a nice sight too while cruising. One of the many bridges that crosses the river.

We fueled up for the last time on the north side of Zanesville. We needed a short break anyways after that nice lunch. Getting hot from all the city riding and a little sleepy.

We were staying on 60 for the rest of the trip. Going thru farm country and small towns everywhere. Then as we were nearing Killbuck there is a covered bridge I have been too before and taken pictures. Well my Daughter hadn't ever seen it other than in pictures so we cut off onto this back tar and chip road. Even though I think it was made of pot holes more than anything. Its only a mile or so down the road so we can put up with the poor road conditions.

Here is a glamour shot of the bike at the bridge. Those are mandatory you know! LOL

We had been riding the better part of an hour and the break was welcome!

So pictures taken, legs and backs stretched it was time to get home. Back to 60 we go. We follow it through Killbuck and farm country back toward Loundonville where we had come through earlier in the day. Some days its a good day to be a cow I think!

We had to stop in Ashland at the Home Depot to buy some nuts and bolts I needed for the new trunk on the bike. Then we stop by the parents house to show off the new additon then home.

We went just over 250 miles and were gone about 7 hours. Not a long trip by our standards but this early in the season it was a good long trip. LOL We were both pretty tired by the time we came home.

Now to the get the camrea batteries recharged and the bodies too. For tomorrow is my second group ride of the year and her first! Gotta love this!!!!

First Group Ride of the Year!

2010-03-21T07:57:00.013-04:00

After a long winter break a small group of us were able to get together on Saturday and enjoy the road, sun, and great company.

The day was to start off cool. Morning temps around 40 degrees at 8:30 when Alan and I were to meet up in Ashland. But after a nice winter upgrade of heated grips it made the cool morning air much more enjoyable!

Here is the great and almighty ride guru Alan himself coming into our meeting spot. The Goasis at the interchange of 250 and I71.

After mandatory hand shakes and fueling up it was time to hit the road to meet up with our other 2 riding partners for the day. So we take off on I71 south for about a 70 mile trip to exit 116 to the Sunoco to meet Dan and Ed.

I took the lead for a change. It gave me a chance to test out another of my winter upgrades. My electronic cruise control. I have done some short run tests to this point but not an hours worth of interstate.

Once up to speed on the interstate I set the cruise on a slow but comfortable speed of 65. Hey we have 2 hours before we are to meet Dan and Ed so why fly. LOL I was really impressed with just how well the cruise control worked. It maintained a constant 65 the whole trip. The worst error I saw was 66.

Once at our destination at the Sunoco and after fueling up Dan and Ed showed up and we were able to start our group ride.

Dan and Ed wanted to visit the Iron Pony before the day was done. Since we were so close we decided to head there first.

I managed to get out of the Pony with just as much money in my pocket as I went in with. But I was the only one. LOL

After a short lunch breat at Subway we hit the road.

We decided to ride the Old Mans Cave area. We ran down 33 to Rockridge and turn off on 374. Its normally a great ride but this early in the year with the lack of greenery it was a bit drab. The roads in the area were still heavily coated with sand from our snowy winter.

374 takes you through the heart of the Hocking Hills area. For early spring the place was pretty busy with tourists.

Here is a shot of us riding along on 374. Alan in the lead followed by Dan and then myself taking the picture. Ed riding tail gunner.

We took a liesurely pace through the forrest enjoying what was truning into a beautiful and warm day. Here we stop for a mandatory bull session and to decide where we are going next.

While we were there Dan, the great friend to John that he is, had to take another video, with narration of course, and send it to John and rubbing it in while John was at work. Of course the encouragement from the rest of us probably had nothing to do with it. LOL

We road 374 until it dead ended with 56. We decided to start our trek towards home. Here is a shot of us and one of many other bikers we saw that day.

We steyed on 56 until we got to London. This is where we turned off on 42 to start heading north. I also decided to test out my new Scala Rider Q2 and try a phone call. I tell you I could hear the converstaion better than when I am holding the phone to my ear. I kept it brief and we continued down the avenue.

I can't remember what town we were in, but I thought this was an interesting looking building.

Continuing on 42 Dan and Ed peeled off on 33 to head home while Alan and I kept on 42. I took the lead again in Mt Gilead since I was more familiar with the area. I took us into Lexingon where I by passed all the stop and go on 42 and took us into Ontairo so we could pick up 30.

Once on 30 I peeled off on 545 for the last 16 miles of my journey and Alan continued on so he could pick up I71 and head home.

After the day was done I managed 330 miles. Not bad for the first group ride of the year. Sure not used to the helmet weight any more. By the end of the day my neck and shoulders were feeling it.

I left the house about 10 after 8 in the morning and got home about 20 after 7. Good day! Can't wait for the next one!!

First Ride of the Year!!!

2010-03-09T15:21:00.003-05:00

Finally!! Did about 90 miles in muliple trips. Got to test some of my new goodies. The heated grips are nice!! Granted didn't really need them, but hey had to use em!

The electronic cruise control is awesome! Once I got it working. Had a dip switch in the wrong spot. lol It isn't immediate like a car but it does work. I do need to make an adjustment to the cable. I have it too far in and it limits the throttle from being wide open. Easy fix.

Need to tighten up the front end a bit still. Replaced all the steering bearings this winter.

Got my first wave and my first snub. LOL

Now its gonna rain the next 5 days. Oh well the roads are a mess. It'll help.

Almost forgot. I decided to load some music onto my GPS to try it out since I never have. I am a purist I guess. The sound of the wind and bike is music to me. Anyways back to what I was saying. I am cruising into town listening to classical music. Probably not the best choice, but I was listening to Chopin's Funeral March LOL.

Its finally here. The 2010 Riding Season!

2010-03-01T15:20:00.000-05:00

Well here it is, March! Finally! The 2010 riding season is now here. After a long winter full of upgrades, maintenance, and snow. I am as ready as ever to get out there and take some more trips and make more memories! Now that my Daugther is getting older those memories will be more special. She'll be coming with me on some of my longer out of state rides. She did a couple 400 mile days with me last year and she liked it.

As for the winter upgrades and maintenance. Lets see, well there is the new rear tire. New steering stem bearings. New Battery. New battery tender. New electronic cruise control. Heated grips. New, to me, trunk off an 85 Kawasaki Voyager. Flushed all the brake lines. Replace the clutch and throttle cables. Rewired the spot lights. Had an intermittent wire somewhere in it. Relocated the handle bars back just a little bit. Of course new plugs and oil. Replaced the chrome trim that was coming off. Lots of cleaning. And some new decals.

We, the motorcycle and I, are starting the year out with 34611 miles on the odometer. I predict I will end with about 45000 when winter rolls around again. Some other goals this year are to add some new states that I have never ridden in. I am hoping to do a New England ride. If I can do it this year that alone will add 8 new states for me.

Another thing I am thinking of doing is the 1500 miles in 24hrs or less Iron Butt ride. I know crazy right? When I did the 1000 mile Saddle Sore back in 08 it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. But the 1500 mile ride will be a chore. You have to pretty much ride without breaks other than fuel to make it. Hey you only live once so why let things go that are attainable right?

I'll add some pics of the bike once my trunk comes back from the painter. Shoulda had it a week ago...