how low can you go…

for the past week or so we’ve been checking the weather up in milwaukee. the forecasts predict temps in the upper sixties/lower seventies – about twenty degrees cooler than here…

getting ready to pack today i realized we should probably be less concerned with the highs and focus more on how *cold* it might be getting.  it’s always easier to dress warmed and shed some layers than get cold and have to try to warm up. i want to avoid the situation i had when i came back from maryland…

of course the lows are going to be a bit cooler – in the low/mid fifties. but it’s not as bad as it could be. and if we can avoid the rain it would be even better…

can’t wait to take off tomorrow…

gettin’ ready…

my wife and i have taken a couple rides latest in preparation for a trip we’re taking to milwaukee later this month. since she hasn’t been on a trip this long, we thought it would be a good idea to have her get some miles on the bike…

we also got her a new seat from mustang seats which we thought might make the trip more comfortable. the old seat, which is wider, was pushing her legs into the saddlebag guards and cutting the circulation off in her legs. we figured the smaller seat might alleviate that.

our first ride was to the hog meeting. half way to the destination, we saw nothing but a sea of brake lights. after about ten minutes and only moving about a half a mile the traffic just came to a standstill. we decided to pull a u-turn and take some back roads.

while it wasn’t what we wanted because we were trying to get to the meeting on time, it turned out to be a good thing. we traded the congested main road for some scenic two lane roads. we also got a longer ride – never a bad thing on a motorcycle!! the side trip reminded me of the benefits of a detour…

so my wife navigated us through the back roads to our destination. if you knew how my wife is with directions you’d know this is an accomplishment. she is awesome and amazes me every day. although i was secretly thinking that even is she would have gotten us lost i wouldn’t have cared. it’d just have meant more time together on the bike!!

the ride home that night was something else. not traffic this time but the night skies. the skies were dark until the heat lightening lit up the clouds in a beautiful display of lights and shapes.  we were enjoying the openness of the bike and the light show going on around us…

until… we started getting closer to home. as we got closer to home we started seeing more and more streaks of lightening. and as the miles ticked off, the bolts were getting closer to the ground.

within ten minutes of making it home the skies opened up. note to self: be sure to pack the wife’s rain suit for the next trip…

we also took a ride this weekend to durham. we wanted to catch up with a fellow rider and firm up plans for milwaukee. it wasn’t a long ride, but it was a good ride. except for the fact that, even with the new seat, the guards were still digging into my wife’s legs.

i decided to head to shelton’s to see if i could find the comfort profile saddlebag guards. they didn’t have any at the durham store but ordered them from one of their other shops. i should have them in a day or two. of course once i get them on we’ll have to take a few more trips to determine which seat might be better. you won’t find me complaining about that!!!

these past two rides really make me look forward to the ride to milwaukee. i can’t wait for the adventure with my wife – we’re going to have so much fun…

iba membership…

got an e-mail today informing me i’m now officially a member of the iba… wooooohooooo!!!!

You are receiving this e-mail because of your application for a ride
certification.  This note is to let you know that your ride has been
approved and although your ride documents may take a few more weeks to
arrive,  your membership has also been approved and entered into the
Iron Butt Association's member database.

Welcome to the Iron Butt Association!

gotta figure out where to ride next…

marion…

finally took another ride!!! hard to believe it’s only the second ride i’ve taken this year… i blame that mostly on the weather; although other commitments have played a part.

this ride held the promise of warmer weather – in the fifties. definitely better than my last ride… the problem was that was afternoon temps. and i was leaving at five in the morning. with temps in the twenties.

in preparation, and with memories of the last ride fresh in my mind, i purchased ‘lectric pants and vest. purchasing them the day before the ride, i was a little concerned i wouldn’t have a chance test them out before embarking on a longer ride.

saturday morning i plugged up and headed out. needing gas not too far down the road, i decided to set the controls on medium figuring i would adjust it as necessary when i stopped. turns out it was just about perfect. i could feel the heat in the pants and the vest. i was actually surprised at how well they worked.

the ride was supposed to take three and a half hours – i was figuring closer to four with a gas stop thrown in. i was cruising along nicely, actually starting to warm up a little as the sun was rising, when i passed the city limit sign for winston-salem. within a mile of passing the sign, the temps must have dropped by five degrees.

not that might not sound like much, but remember it’s in the twenties. on a motorcycle. going seventy. it got cold!!! shivering cold!!

deciding how long i could make it like this and how soon i should stop, i was comparing the gps arrival time, eight-thirty, to the clock on my bike, about a quarter to eight.

my first thought was the trip was turning out to be shorter than i thought. planning the trip, i was sure i would need to stop for gas. now, by my estimates, i would be able to make it without stopping.

about fifteen minutes later, after merging to another part of interstate forty, the gps recalculates, now showing me about sixty seven miles to my next turn. holy crap!! what happened to thirty more minutes?? then it dawns on me… my clock is set to summer time - it’s only seven!!!

now i’m trying to figure out when to stop for gas. i like to go as far as i can before fuelling. i’m weighing that against stopping sooner to warm up. i decide the need to stop shivering definitely outweighs squeezing more miles out of the tank.

after the stop, i felt much warmer. which was a great relief as i headed further west and started seeing more and more on the sides of the roads.

despite the cold and the time miscalculation, i was rewarded as i rounded a corner, the road ahead of me opened up and in the distance i saw the snow covered mountains. i was struck by the  beauty of the mountains with all the snow. i was wrapped up in the majesty of the view ahead of me and was instantly taken away from the cold harsh winds of the highway. realizing it was the first time riding in the snow-covered landscape, i was hoping it wouldn’t be the last.

i made it to my destination and took care of business. by the time i was ready to head home, the temps were in the fifties. the ride home would be awesome – finally a ride in some decent weather. as i was leaving, people were commenting on how nice of a ride home it would be, forgetting the cold i endured on the way there.

and it was a good ride home. a comfortable ride under the clear, sunny skies. made even sweeter by the memories of the morning ride.

in hindsight, the morning ride may have been the better one.

check out the 2010 ride map – this one in red…

brrrrrrr…

took the first drive of the year today… wasn’t really planning to, but my wife suggested i head out for a ride. it looked nice outside, blue skies dotted with puffy white clouds. it didn’t take much to convince me to go.

i had originally planned a trip through oxford to danville, looping south back through oxford and back home. i wasn’t out long when i realize it was a bit chillier than i thought.

i arrived in oxford cold, not quite knowing how long the planned route was, thinking i should just turn around and head home. instead, i decided to take the usual lake loop.

about half way through the ride, even colder than i could imagine, i couldn’t wait to get home. i even passed up a photo-op of the high water and flooded tables at the dam.

i made it home with a couple lessons under my belt. check the temps before leaving. if it’s in the twenties, i’d advise electric pants and jacket – jeans and chaps just don’t cut it. my electric gloves work awesome!!!

check out the 2010 ride map to see the route - this one in blue...

reflections…

the past year has been interesting to say the least. didn’t do as much riding as i wanted. it seems i say that every year. i wonder how often or how many miles i’d need to ride in order to feel like i rode as much as i wanted??

some of the journeys i planned didn’t happen. but my biggest goal of the year, the ss1000, did. of course there were several rides with my wife (those are always the best), the yearly trek to the smoke out, a ride with my son and the easyriders rodeo. all-in-all, i’d have to say it was a good year.

i’m sure this next year will bring new adventures, some planned and some not. whatever the case, we’ll make the bet of it…

detours…

haven’t posted in a while –  haven’t ridden in a while…  this has been the longest stretch of time since i’ve had the bike that i’ve gone without riding… after the ss1000 ride, it seemed i had weekend commitments, holidays, questionable weather, classes. after about a month of not riding, i was getting the itch to get back on the bike. then a family crisis hit and put us into a tailspin for a couple weeks.

i finally managed to get back out on the road. weather was near perfect – considering it’s the end of december. clear skies, fifties, what more could you ask for?? so my wife encouraged me to head out for a couple hours. and i did.

it’d been so long since i’d ridden, i wasn’t even sure my bike would start – pretty sad, huh?? good thing i had it on a battery tender – it started on the first crank. while it was warming up, i gave it a once over. after that, i geared up and headed out.

i planned a short route. north up route 1, east on route 158, south on route 401 through louisburg back to youngsville. rides like these are a great opportunity for personal reflection. it wasn’t long before i was thinking about how fortunate i am to have the wife i have, the kids, my job. while things may not always be great, they certainly can be a lot worse (as my father-in-law is always keen to point out).

while i was really enjoying being on the bike again, i was also looking forward to getting home. i was approaching louisburg when i saw the detour signs. a quick feeling of dread came over me - a detour is not really what i wanted.

i took the turn off 401 and headed for parts unknown, trusting the detour signs would lead me back to where i needed to be. before i knew it, i had a huge grin on my face as i was gliding through the twisty roads. the road turned out to be a lot more fun than i expected – one of the better ones on my ride. maybe the detour was what i needed…

back on 401, i reflected on the detour. the detour was much like the family crisis we faced a couple weeks ago. not really what we were expecting, certainly not what we wanted. we didn’t know what we were getting in to, where we were going. we didn’t have a plan, we were just moving forward, trusting we would get through it.

while i can’t say we’re totally through the crisis, i think some good has already come from it. we’ve learned how strong our family is, how lucky we are to have the friends and neighbors we have. we’ve all come out better for it.

life, like motorcycle rides, can throw detours at you. detours certainly don’t come at the most convenient time. while we may not realize it at the time, they’re actually good and ultimately get us to our destination better than had we followed our original path.

let’s just hope life isn’t filled with too many more detours…

ss1000

got e-mail saying a couple people were riding to daytona. if i was interested, it could be turned into an iron butt ride. i was, so it was… and i completed my first saddlesore 1000 (one thousand miles in twenty four hours) this past weekend.

once a couple more e-mails were sent around, it ended up with three of us going. we had two routes picked out, a northern loop and a southern straight shot. because of predicted snow along the northern route, the night before the ride, we decided to take the southern route. we’ll save the northern route for another time.

saturday morning came, early!! i officially started my trip at sheetz at 4:53am. it was cold morning and i was glad we were heading south. at sheetz, i got my witness form signed and my start receipt. i headed to benson, nc, my first stop and meeting point for the other two riders.

i get to benson, top off my tank and wait for the other riders. i’m glad to get off the bike, move around and warm up a little. after about five minutes, the other riders show up. without wasting time, they top off and we’re off to the next stop.

the plan is to start looking for stations at one hundred fifty miles, stopping before one-eighty. i’m usually good for about one hundred ninety miles. i’ve gone over two-hundred, but was really nervous. i’m good with going one hundred eighty and stopping for gas.

because we were running at slightly higher speeds that i normally drive, my mileage wasn’t quite what i expected. we were at about one hundred fifty miles and i *needed* gas.  that put us in manning, sc for our second stop. i ended up putting a little over five gallons of gas into my advertised five-gallon tank. the new rule is stopping for gas every one-fifty.

stops were long enough to top off the tanks, relieve ourselves and get back on the road. no time wasted. stopped time can really eat into overall time.

with one more stop in midway, ga, we made it to our turn around point in st. augustine, fl around 12:30pm. we were making good time and i was feeling good about the ride. other than a tiny bit of rain on the way down, and being a little cooler than i was expecting, the ride had been great.

after topping off, we talked about lunch. we’re good on time and it’d probably be a good idea to get off the bikes for a short time. without much argument, it was decided to stop at waffle house. we top off our bellies and head back home.

just after entering georgia, we hit stop-n-go traffic. not looking good. one of the guys starts darting in and out of traffic to get ahead. i do my best to keep up. after a few miles, the traffic lets up and we hit the speeds we need. i’m able to catch up to the leader, but no sign of the third rider. all this at about the time i need gas. i indicate i’m pulling over at the next exit. not sure what’s going to happen from here.

at the next stop, i top off, get my receipt and am documenting the stop when another rider pulls up. no sign of the third rider. he waited at the exit long enough to see riders we had passed earlier. surely the third rider was already past them. we try to reach him on his phone and decide to push ahead.

as we’re driving, i’m scanning ahead and behind, seeing if i can find him. no luck… until right before our next stop. he’s on the side of the road, accompanied by a local police officer. oops… our timing must have been perfect because as we pull off the exit, he’s right there with us.

talking to a local at the gas stop, the local police apparently patrol a short section of 95 north. they do their best to get as many people as they can. ticketed him for doing seventy-nine in a seventy. lesson learned…

our next stop is in benson, where we met in the morning. we top off and say our goodbyes. we’ll ride together for a bit and then split off, heading to our final stop.

my last stop is at sheetz, where i started. i rolled in there around 9:20pm. got my final receipt, witness form signed and headed home.

i ended up riding over 1000 miles in about seventeen  and a half hours. according my my odometer, it was 1049 miles. according to the gps, it was 1031 miles. the trip was actually a lot easier than i expected. i didn’t get tired like i expected and my butt didn’t start to hurt, as i expected.

my wife asked, dreading the answer, “what’s next??” i don’t know what’s next. but i do know there will be more…

check out the 2009 ride map to see the route - this one in green ...

time with the wife…

had a nice ride with the wife last week. recall the earlier post when daughter lost wife’s glove. well, the gloves finally came in and we decided to go pick them up.

being the knucklehead i am, i start heading out the door with car keys in hand. okay, it was early and i was still mentally asleep. mostly due to the fact that i was faced with another day of work and it would be easier to sleep through it!!

we get out to the garage and wife says she thought we were taking the bike. like a deer in headlights, i freeze. hmmmm, bike… it is a pretty day outside, what better way to spend it that riding around with the wife!!! why didn’t i think of that?? suddenly awake, i head inside and change into more appropriate riding attire…

we hop on the bike and head to ray price. but not without a stop at waffle house first. i think that’s going to be a recurring theme here – what’s better than riding and toppin’ off the tummy with some scattered hash browns all the way?? the waitress didn’t think i was serious and was surprised i finished off the whole plate.

with full tummies, we made our way to ray price. when ms. brenda presented the gloves daughter ordered for her, wife wasn’t real keen on them. no surprise there. so i encouraged wife to pick out another pair. ironically, the pair she ended up choosing is one pair we looked at and thought she wouldn’t like. go figure!!! not only that, wife ended up picking up another pair of lighter gloves for summer riding. in the end, wife ended up with two pairs of gloves and daughter got the pair we originally ordered for wife.

after staying at ray price much longer than i expected, we decided to head home. the weather was awesome and i could have spent the whole day riding around with my wife… unfortunately work was calling and i had to get back… with that, i faced the bike north and started riding off…

the thought of work must have put me back to sleep… as we’re approaching a split in the road, i’m in the lane for the most direct route home. wife leans forward and suggested the longer, scenic route home. nice idea… i do a quick head-check and jump over a couple lanes to take the other fork…

once the road slimmed down to two lanes, i rolled off the throttle a little and took my time getting home – enjoying the beautiful scenery and sharing the ride with my wife… it got me thinking about a few years down the road – when the kids are grown (out of the house) and we can spend more time together. just heading out at the spur of the moment. much like we used to do when we were dating. i miss those days. and i look forward to them again…

easter ride…

participated in the ray price easter basket ride saturday… first time i’ve joined in and it was quite an experience…

daughter and i headed out in the morning, starting the morning off right by filling out bellies with bo’s… after that, it was too the dealership to line up for the ride…

when we got to the dealership, i was informed by daughter that she needed to spend some of her hard earned money to buy mom a new set of gloves… she wanted to take a picture of a fellow rider that followed us for a short period of time. she took the glove off to get her camera out of her pocket and it went flying… oops... now mom has a new set of gloves… mom was kinda fond of her old gloves, which of course were a seasonal item. so we couldn’t get her those again. and picking out something mom likes is definitely no easy task.

after ordering the gloves, we cruised around the dealership killing time, waiting for departure…

ray price on his trike, posing for a short press conference…

 

some of the over one hundred bikes that rode along…

 

the national guard convoy that escorted us around. it was reported they collect over 600 baskets to be distributed…

bob, of bob and the showgram, lead the ride…

first stop… when you’re on a ride like this, you don’t really get a feel for how many bikes and riders there are until you make a stop and see the place packed with bikes…

i was a little surprised by the (lack of) turnout at the first stop. not sure why, but i was expecting more kids. especially with about six hundred baskets to deliver.

the activities started out with an entertaining lesson about easter, god and jesus from bob fowler of the child evangelism fellowship. after his talk, the baskets were passed out to the kids…

then it was time to head to the second stop, where the number of kids definitely made up for the lack of kids at the first stop… i had no doubt we’d be able to pass out all the baskets at this stop…

this little kid was so cute. the basket was a big as he was. i think the joy he was feeling in receiving the basket overcame any difficultly he may have had with the size of the basket.

this ride was a really special ride… i enjoyed being able to pass out baskets to underprivileged kids. but there was a dark side to giving. or more rightfully, the receiving. and i really saw it when we got to the second, larger stop.

as we were passing out baskets, i saw several children refuse certain baskets, asking, no almost demanding a basket with something else in it. i can fully understand requesting a basket specific for a boy or girl. but to turn down a basket with one toy in favor of another?? isn’t it satisfying enough just to be receiving something??

and then there were the kids that would grab a basket, hand it off to mom and go get another. and another. and another. again, isn’t it satisfying enough just to get a basket??

but it’s not for me to judge. all i can do is learn from the lesson and try not to make the same mistake. to be grateful when someone is there to help. not greedy, asking or taking more than what’s being offered. maybe it’s the place i am in my life right now. i’m grateful for where i am, the people that are in my life, for what i have. would it be nice to have more?? of course!! but the other side of the coin is it could always be worse. a lot worse.

so the ride was a good one. i really enjoyed it. it’s really about the joy you can bring to the many who are appreciative you’re there, appreciative that you care enough to think of them.

peace…

sunday loop…

had a chance to take a short ride today… pretty much unexpected since i wasn’t really planning to ride today.

i decided to make some guacamole today and needed to go to the store to pick up the necessary ingredients. it was in the 40s, sun was shining, so i decided to take the bike… while i was gearing up, my wife suggested i stretch it out a little and take a longer ride. sounds good to me…

i needed to gas up the bike first, which ended up being a good thing. when i geared up, i decided, against common sense, to put on my chaps and wire up the ‘letrics. while i was okay making a short trip to the gas station or grocery, i have never made it on a longer ride.

after putting gas in the bike, i threw on the chaps and decided not to mess with the ‘letrics. that was a semi-good choice. definitely needed the chaps and would have been more comfortable with the gloves wired up. note to self, when in doubt, opt to stay warmer.

the tank was topped off and i was ready to roll… question was where?? i didn’t necessarily want to do the lake loop that seems to have become a ritual first ride of the year, but i didn’t want to just putz around town either… i decide to head up to the lake, but through louisburg.

i’m absorbing the scenery as i’m riding along the back roads. while the countryside is beautiful, i take notice of the run down houses, the old farms that are now for sale… i wonder how much of this is progress setting in?? how much of it is a reflection of our economy?? when will it get better?? will it get better??

as i approach louisburg, there’s a bit of new construction. housing, retail, new ground being broken. now i’m thinking maybe there is hope. maybe things aren’t really that bad… who knows??

all i really know is that i’ve been fortunate so far… it’s times like these i realize i should focus less on what i don’t have and be thankful for what i do have… i’m able to top off the tank and head out for the afternoon; i' have a roof over my head; i’m able to provide for my family; i have a wonderful family; i have an awesome wife…

about now, i’m heading into henderson, i’m missing my wife. i blow off the lake and point the bike back home. with a short stop, of course, at the grocery for ingredients.

it wasn’t a long ride, less then a hundred miles. but it was enough.

you can check out the 2009 ride map to see the route - this one in blue...

chili today…

finally got around to taking my first ride of the year… ray price was having their polar bear run and chili cook-off today, so i decided to head down there…

the problem with the polar bear run, and it seems to happen each year, is the weather doesn’t turn out to be polar bear weather. which really isn’t a bad thing. it got into the 60s today, which made for some really great riding. and in hindsight, i probably should have taken a longer ride through the country rather than head downtown…

although, with the chili cook-off, i can’t say it was the wrong choice. we got to taste from eleven different entries, some really good and, well, some not so good. two or three were really bad, i couldn’t finish the small helping i had. most were average with three really standing out. i did manage to get seconds of those so i could do a final run off to make my choice. all three had great flavor, but i think it was the versatility of the one chili i liked the most. i could see myself eating it by itself as a meal or throwing it on top of a couple hot dogs…

i tried to get a couple pictures… unfortunately it was my first day with a different camera and i was having problems taking pictures. turns out i was in video mode and have a lot of footage of the ground. here’s what i was able to get…

so after filly my belly with chili, it was time to head home… wife needed me to pick up some stuff for dinner and on the way to the store, i passed one of the most beautiful (inanimate) sites i’ve ever seen…

first, some background… there’s been some new construction around one of the nearby gas stations… i’ve been trying to figure out what it could be. the footprint is very similar to bojangles, but too narrow in my opinion. so for a couple weeks i’ve been trying to figure out what it could be… of course they won’t put a sign in front to help anyone out…

and today, the mystery was revealed!!! a good ol waffle house!!

what a great day for riding it turned out to be…

reunion ride...

26 October 2008

i think this will 'bout bring me up to date on the rides so far this year. and with only about two weeks left, don't know if i'll be able to squeeze any more in...

back in october, i had a chance to ride with my wife and about fifty of our closest friends... actually, didn't know too many people on the ride!! most of the riders were fairly new riders with little experience - some with no group riding experience. it was put together by one of the motorcycle instructors and was a "reunion" of students he had taught over the years. the cool thing is he's also a member of the blue knights so we kinda got an escorted ride...

the day started out a little chilly and i was a little worried about my wife getting cold, so i hooked up the 'lectric gloves before we took off. we headed off to shelton's in durham to meet up with everyone...

when we got to shelton's we were surprised by the number of people already there. and more showed up as we waited for departure. right before we left, we got a pre-ride brief...

we rode up to clarksville to have lunch at the lamplighter. good food and it seems to be a popular place to stop for two wheelers... while eating lunch, we made a couple new friends. after lunch, it was time for a group photo and the scenic ride back.

on the way back, the weather warmed up and my wife decided to try her hand at taking some pictures while we were riding... since she would have to ride without gloves to take the pictures, i was worried about her hands getting cold. thankfully it had warmed up enough that it didn't turn out to be an issue... she got tons of great pictures of people riding their bikes and some scenery...

one final stop at the dam to enjoy the view and reflect on the wonderful ride...

it turned out to be an awesome day for a ride. no incidents (other than the ol' man tipping over his bike as we were leaving the last stop).

it was great to spend another afternoon riding with my wife. i can't wait to be able to take more rides like this with her - just heading off, grabbing some lunch somewhere and sharing each others company. what a great day we had...

a final shot from the day...

(i know what all you are asking - how to the ugly guys get the hot chicks??)

sunday ride...

yesterday started out crappy and put me in a bad mood - hard to believe, huh?? it turned around when wife came home after running some errands and said let's go for a ride...

having a couple hours, we decided to head up to virgilina and grab something to eat at gatrell's... it was a beautiful day for a ride - sunny and cooler temps. and it was made all the better since i got to spend it with the wife...

we make it up to gatrell's and call the kids. between fumbling around with the phone calls and text messages before heading in, since you can't get reception inside the building, it took us a couple minutes to get inside. as we approached the door, a big guy in a yellow shirt and cowboy hat opens the door. i'm sure he was wondering what was taking us so long and came to investigate. we exchange pleasantries and head in...

i usher my wife through a couple rooms and a small hallway to the 'dining' room in the back. we pick our seat and order. realizing i left my wallet in the bike, i head out to get it.

on my way back in, i reach to open the door when i noticed it has a simplex lock. i also start noticing the 'private club' signs. hmmmm, maybe that's why we got a slightly strange look as we blew past the guy on our way in...

i ring the bell and wait, reading the signs and trying not to stare at the security camera. funny how times slows when you're in a situation like this.

the door finally cracks open and the guys in the yellow shirt and cowboy hat peers out, "can i help you?" looking through a three in crack in the door, i quickly respond with, "uhhh, i think i left my wife inside." he laughs, opens the door and invites me back in.

on the way back to the table, i ask him about the 'private club' status and what it takes to join. simple as filling out some paperwork and five bucks for a family for a year. now that's hard to beat...

we introduce ourselves and learn our new friend is alan, owner and namesake of gatrell's. he tells us that the changes were made recently to help keep some undesirables out of the place. he figured even if he had to sit in there all by himself, it would be worth it. turns out that in the three weeks he's been doing this, he's already garnered a thousand memberships.

what really adds to this place are the events he has going on and the family-friendly atmosphere. every weekend all the way through june they have bands scheduled friday and saturday nights. once a month they have a car and motorcycle show. during the week they have dinner specials. quite a place. we're going to have to get up there a little more often.

after enjoying some of their good food, we decide to head back. as we're gearing up, we decide to take the long way home, heading around the kerr lake and over the dam.

it was a great afternoon, a beautiful day to ride. certainly a lot better than the way the day started. made even better because i got to share it with my wife. i can't wait to take more rides like this with her...

york trip...

day one - june 8

packed up the bike in the morning and made our way up to manassas. as instructed we called father-in-law to let him know we were leaving. he would be leaving soon as well and call us when he was in position - where ever and when ever that might be...



i had daughter on the back of the bike with wife and left over kids in the chase vehicle... it was a hot day which made for a longer ride. still, i would prefer to be on the bike in the heat than in a cage...



trying to catch up to father-in-law was interesting to say the least. between crappy/non-existent cell phone reception, father-in-law moving locations and no communication between the bike and chase vehicle, it was an adventure. he was in at least two different locations, trying to find the perfect location.



it ended up being at a burger king in orange. luckily before we passed it. after grabbing some grub, we headed the rest of the way up to maanssas.

day two - june 9

the final leg up to york... we decided to leave mid-morning, between the morning rush hour and the heat of the day. if all goes well, we could miss traffic in the larger cities and get to york around noon, before the heat of the day hits.



we loaded up the bikes and headed out...

trip went pretty good, mostly back roads and not too much traffic... until we got to leesburg. unfortunately our timing was off a little and we managed to spend about thirty minutes in stop and go traffic. might not sound like much, but when it's already warm outside and you're sitting on an idling engine, it's not what you might call comfortable.



after getting out of traffic and up the road a little, we decided to make our first stop for refreshments. a welcome break...

second half of the trip was uneventful. we arrived at the best western in york. i think we were all happy to get there, out of the heat and into some air conditioning...

after checking in and unloading, we wandered out for some food. leaving the bikes parked and opting to walk, figuring it might be a tad cooler than riding...



a recommendation from the check-in girls lead us to the westgate restaurant and lounge.

unfortunately the 'free' and 'beer' weren't associated other than being on the same pane of glass...

a nice looking diner that i wanted to try - apparently no one else was interested...

in the evening, daughter and i decided to go for a ride. i think the others were still a bit worn out from the ride up. besides, this would give daughter and i a chance to hang out - it was her trip anyway...



not sure where to go, we decided to head to laugerman's, the nearest hd dealer. i plug the location into my gps and off we go...



while a gps is a great too and very handy to have, it's not perfect. and for some reason, the gps decided to route us around every back alley street between us and the dealership. using a conventional paper map, i could have plotted a direct route to the dealership taking us all of maybe three miles. but the gps chose a route for us that was no less than ten miles.



most of the time, this would have been less than ideal. and i was getting kind of frustrated because i knew there was a shorter route. but sometimes taking the wrong turn can lead to greater benefits. in our case, we stumbled upon prospect hill cemetary and quite a site it was...

we finally made it to laugerman's about thirty minutes before they closed - one of the few dealerships that are actually open late. i imagine it has something to do with the proximity to the factory.

we wandered around the dealership, looking at t-shirts and talking them out of a screw-it bandanna. we discovered the dealership has little collection, museum as they like to call it, of vintage and collector bikes. an impressive collection...

after leaving the dealership, we took a little ride around york, looking for the twisty little roads we didn't find on the ride up. or at least a cooler ride we could enjoy. it was a nice ride and a great way to end the day...

day three - june 10

got up, grabbed some breakfast, packed up the bikes and headed to the factory to take on a tour. reading the literature, it sounded like we needed to get there very early in order to have a chance at taking a tour. i wasn't about to miss my opportunity and planned to be pulling the bike into the parking lot as they opened the doors.

once the doors opened, we got our tickets for the first available tour. we wandered around the visitor center, checking out displays and just had some fun...

all the pieces needed to assemble a 2008 road king classic

part of the manufacturing process - from sheet metal to final product...

a couple other artifacts from the museum/visitor center. this is the bike vaughn l. beals was given when harley was purchased from amf.

waiting for the movie to begin before the tour... no picture taking on the tour...

after the factory tour, a quick stop by laugerman's for father-in-law and son to check out... always making memories...

then the trip home... despite the heat, we decided to take the longer route home, figuring heading through the mountains might make for a cooler ride. as well as the fact we'd hit slightly more twisty roads.



the ride longer ride through the mountains were certainly welcome. but we did pay the price when we had to stop on the hot asphalt for about fifteen minutes for road construction. even shutting the bikes off wasn't much relief.



once we got moving again, twisting through the mountains, the misery of sitting in the heat was quickly forgotten.



we made what we thought was our final stop in berkeley springs for an icy treat.

once we got moving again, the skies got dark and the rain clouds rolled in. one final stop to put on the rain gear. we decided to press on in the rain, as long as we could safely see in front of us.



the rain never did get bad enough to stop us. and as i've been discovering in the last few journeys in the rain, i actually like riding in the rain. not that i would chose it over riding on a sunny day, but i wouldn't not ride simply because it's raining...



we finally pulled back into manassas. another great end to a great ride.



looking back, i really enjoy riding with my father-in-law. i'm glad we can share these adventures and journeys. i hope we are able to put on many more miles together. and having the kids with us made the trip that much more special...



check out the 2008 ride map to see the route - this one in  green ...