Holiday Inn Express Too Far

We left home at 5:30am to a pink sunrise, and 16 1/2 hours later pulled into a Holiday Inn Express in Charleston, WV just after sunset. It was the longest day we've ever had on the BMW but we wanted to put a lot of miles behind us on the first day of our trip to Sedalia, MO for the BMW rally. 750 miles, to be exact. States:  Vermont, New York, Pennsylvannia and West Virginia. Mountains:  Taconics, Catskills, Poconos, Allegheny. Temperature:  68 at home in Vermont; 101.4 on the Interstate in West Virgina, 86 degrees in Charleston. 4 stops for gas, 1 stop for lunch, 1 stop for ice cream.

FDR Bridge over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, NY

Our goal is the 40th BMW MOA International Rally, about 1600 miles from our home in southwestern Vermont. We have 3 days to get as close to Sedalia as we can, planning to arrive at the rally mid-morning on Friday.

Putting in a lot of miles today sounded like a good idea when we did our initial planning. We were frustrated with plotting a route primarily on smaller roads, trying to stay off the Interstate system as much as possible. I tried several websites, Mike attempted to load the final version into the Garmin but ended up having to plot it all over again, and we finally relied on a huge fold-out map of the US. We learned along the road that the Garmin has a mind of its own, routing us onto 87, the busy Northway. We got off at Exit 16, only to find ourselves in Kiryas Joel, a community of Hasidic Jews near Woodbury Common outlets. We rode past broken-down three and four-story apartment buildings; groups of men wearing black suits and white shirts waiting at the bus stops; and women dressed in long skirts and brightly-colored head scarves outside with their children. Unlike other towns, none of the children smiled or waved as we rode past. It was depressing and eerie, and a wholly unexpected detour.

We finally rode into Scranton, PA and stumbled upon the Moosic Diner. I love stopping at local restaurants, and when we saw four motorcycles parked out front, we knew we found a special place.

Two of the guys live north of Philly and were headed to Ohio for a classic bike show. The other two live in the area, and gave us tips on the next section of our journey. Good thing, because by this time we had no idea what route the Garmin chose for us. After exchanging stories about favorite roads and scary things that happen while riding a motorcycle, we set off for a hot afternoon riding through Pennsylvania and into West Virginia.

We were ready for the heat, but weren't expecting the twisting roads through the mountains. I told Mike the scenery reminded me of Vermont, and the guy we met at dinner agreed. He has relatives in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, and the first time he visited he told them it looked just like West Virginia. We traveled 750 miles and the scenery at the beginning of the trip was almost exactly the same as the scenery at the end of the day. Small world.

Our goal for this trip is to have fun and experience new adventures. We accomplished both today.

Two days in New Hampshire's White Mountains

New Hampshire is less than 40 miles away from our home in Manchester, Vermont, so we often cross the Connecticut River which marks the border between the two states on our BMW F800GS. This past weekend we met Mike's brother Wayne, and his wife Colleen who both ride BMWs, in North Conway, NH. Vermont and New Hampshire may once have been part of the New Hampshire Grants before the Revolutionary War, but there are many differences today in the landscape and the riding.

Mike and I take the scenic route whenever possible, but the threat of rain and thunderstorms sent us onto the 91 interstate for about 30 fast and windy miles before we crossed the Connecticut River in Fairlee and rode through beautiful Orford, NH. We headed east onto Route 112, which in Lincoln becomes the 34.5 mile Kancamagus scenic byway. 

The "Kank" winds through the 800,000 acre White Mountain National Forest with the motto 'Land of Many Uses'. It seemed like there was a scenic overlook, camp ground, hiking trail, or spot to access one of the rock and boulder-filled streams that ran along the highway at least every mile. We saw cars with kayaks and canoes loaded on top, pick-up trucks pulling boats and campers, people on bicycles, hikers - and lots of motorcycles. What we didn't see were hotels, motels, touristy stores, restaurants, gas stations, or even an ice cream stand. The Kank is all about the scenery, mountains, and forests without any modern trappings.

I caught glimpses of the mountains through the dense pine forests as we rode along the highway, but to truly enjoy the views we needed to pull over and stop at a scenic overlook. The Kank's eastern end is at the junction of route 16, and then it was just a few miles to traffic-snarled, family vacation fun-packed North Conway. We live in a mountain tourist town, but Manchester is a quiet backwater compared to North Conway. We stayed at a Comfort Inn that also boasted a large mini-golf course and indoor pool. The room was amazingly quiet considering the printed warning in our room that encouraged parents to prevent their children from using the hallways as a playground, a strict 10pm quiet time, and patience at the complementary breakfast which typically draws large crowds. We walked 1/2 mile to a local steakhouse for dinner, and managed to meet the 10pm curfew without any problems. We planned a 9am start in the morning for an all-day circular ride that would take us past the high points - visually and elevation-wise - in the heart of the White Mountains.

leaving North Conway 

We headed toward Mt. Washington, at 6,288' the highest point in the White Mountain Presidential Range as well as New England. The tallest mountain is named for the first president, the second tallest for the second president, etc. We skipped riding up the auto road to the top of Mt. Washington because the windchill at the summit was 30 degrees, with winds blasting between 30 and 40 mph. Not my type of motorcycle weather!

We continued on Route 16 along the Androscoggin River with views of mountains, trees, an occasional kayak or raft; but very few cars or motorcycles. It's the height of tourist season, right after the 4th of July, but once we left the most popular tourist areas we had the road to ourselves.

Androscoggin River

We continued on Route 26 heading west, riding through Dixville Notch which is the site of the magnificent The Balsalms Grand Resort. It looks like the castles we saw next to lakes in the Italian Alps, and seemed completely out of place in the North Country, where ATVs, signs warning about moose crossing the road, and hikers are abundant
.

The Balsalms

Dixville Notch

My stomach growling, I was beginning to think lunch was out of the question since we rarely saw even a gas station, much less a restaurant. We were thrilled to find the North Country Restaurant in Groveton, NH at the intersection of Route 16 and Route 3. This was family dining at it's best:  Mike ate every bit of a hot turkey sandwich with homemade mashed potatoes and gravy before he dove into a large slice of lemon meringue pie with a good three inches of fluffy meringue floating above the lemon filling.

Stuffed and happy, we stayed on Route 3 heading for Franconia Notch and the site of the famous Old Man of the Mountain. The granite rock face on Cannon Mountain that is the inspiration for the profile seen throughout New Hampshire actually fell off the mountain in 2003. Even without the famous face in the rocks, it's a beautiful area with hiking and waterfalls.

the Old Man of the Mountain was at the top of the granite in the background

NH state road sign with the Old Man's profile

We had one last stretch of road to take us back to North Conway:  the Kank. We took a detour over Bear Notch Road, closed to everything except snowmobiles and cross-country skiers in the winter, but fun for motorcycles in the summer.

We rode about 180 miles over a seven hour period that gave us views of the highest mountain in New England, a majestic hotel, and tiny towns in the middle of a forested wilderness. Exactly what we were looking for!

Rip Van Winkle slept here

Our youngest son registered for a longboard race in Windham, NY and the weekend forecast was for sunny skies. Time for a motorcycle trip! We always choose to take the scenic route, skipping interstate highways and hoping to stumble upon something unexpected. We weren't disappointed.

We headed south down familiar 7A to Bennington, VT, then just over the New York border turned left onto Route 22 through small towns separated by wide expanses of farmland. It was a warm, sunny day with a clear blue sky that made for a gorgeous ride on the bike. When we crossed over the Mass Pike, I was really glad that we chose lightly traveled, 2-lane roads instead of the faster interstate. After about 1 hour on 22, we turned west onto Route 23. This was our first time on these roads, and we enjoyed the views of the Catskills in the distance.

Traffic increased as we neared the Rip Van Winkle bridge over the Hudson River. Built in 1933-35, the bridge is just over 5000 feet long and is the only river crossing for several miles. Every time we cross the Hudson, I think about Henry Hudson sailing into Hudson Bay in Canada in 1609. His trip was financed by the Dutch East India Company, and many of the towns and rivers reflect the Dutch heritage:  Amsterdam, Cauterskill, Watervliet.



Rip Van Winkle bridge on Route 23

view over the Hudson River to the Catskills

As soon as we crossed the bridge, references to Rip Van Winkle popped up on billboards and businesses. Washington Irving wrote the stor, set in the Catskills in the time around the Revolutionary War, in 1819. The Catskills became a popular vacation spot for New York City dwellers, and tourism remains strong today. The Catskills are a beautiful location for travel by motorcycle, with smooth paved roads that wind up and around the mountains and lots of options for food and lodging.

In just a few miles the divided highway narrowed back down to comfortable, winding two lanes. We crossed numerous creeks and streams, but were surprised by the red color of this one in the town of Jewett.

We used the GPS to find our hotel in Tannersville, a town of around 500 people that caters to Orthodox Jewish families in the summer and skiers in the winter. We stayed at the Villa Vosilla resort located within walking distance of several restaurants, shops, and bars in downtown Tannersville. You know you're in a small, rural town in the middle of the mountains when you see a mother deer and her frolicking fawn walking around the lawn on your way to dinner.

 Villa Vosilla

The resort owners were kind enough to let us check in at noon and leave much of our gear so we could ride the 12 miles to the Windham Mountain ski resort and the site of the longboard race.

A longboard is basically a longer skateboard, designed for fast travel. There were 170 amateur and professional skateboarders and street luge riders in the two-day competition, and Nate took first place in the amateur division.

Watch several of the skateboarders as they scream through the final turn heading into the finish. Nate shows off his winning form in this video; he's the first rider in the bright green leathers.

The race ended at 6:30pm, far later than we anticipated. We had a 3-hour ride home in front of us with the weatherman calling for rain starting around 9pm. Riding at twilight along the hilly, winding roads through the Catskills was a completely different experience from the sunny and bright drive the day before. The rain started just as darkness completely enveloped us, but instead of a steady downpour it would rain for 5 minutes, stop for 10-20 minutes, and then start raining again. We opted to keep going instead of stopping to put on rain gear and pulled into the driveway before the worst of the rain hit.

A trip on the bike close to home yet in an area new to us, two sun-filled days watching Nate longboard down a mountain, crossing the wide Hudson River on a famous bridge and stopping to admire a clay-red stream in a remote section of the Catskills, heading west at night with the dark Taconic Mountains guiding us home.

Is a motorcycle ride on your bucket list?

My friend Marie is an amazing woman. A few months ago we were talking about our bucket lists, and she mentioned that riding on a motorcycle is on her list. Today was the day, and here you can see Marie suiting up and getting ready for her first ride.

I wanted a picture before she put on the helmet so we could see the big smile!

I barely remember my first motorcycle ride, since I was about 6 years old when an uncle took all the kids at the family reunion for a short ride around the field. Fast forward to college, when Mike borrowed his friend Duncan's motorcycle a few times to take me for rides around Burlington. I remember sitting on the second story porch over the front door of the sorority house, hearing the motorcycle coming down South Willard Street, and the excitement of hopping on behind Mike and getting away from studying for an hour.

Marie's friends and neighbors were thrilled that she was on a motorcycle, and she had a lot of fun telling them about the experience. It's not often a 70-something woman has the gumption and spirit to get on the back of a motorcycle, but Marie has a zest for living that won't be stopped. Next on her bucket list:  a ride in a hot air balloon.

I'm not sure who had more fun today - Marie or Mike!

First time at Americade

Americade, an annual motorcycle extravaganza in neaby Lake George, NY, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Mike and I cleared our Friday afternoon schedule so we could ride over, weather forecast for severe storms be damned. The motorcycle weather gods were with us today as we only walked through a light sprinkle at the Expo even though menacing storm clouds were looming on the horizon.

The closer we came to Lake George, the more bikes we saw until bikes seemed to take over the road almost completely.

I love to go to expos at marathons, talking with the vendors and searching for the latest running gear. Today was Mike's day to wander among the vendors selling leather clothing and gear, helmets, gloves, sunglasses, custom artwork for your motorcycle, tires, jewelery, and anything else 'motorcycle' that you can imagine. He specifically wanted to find a waterproof bag to fit on top of our tailbag, giving us a bit more baggage space for our trip next month to Missouri for the BMW motorcycle rally. He settled on a bag from Twisted Throttle that we tied onto the tailbag with bungee cords. Perfect! The only downside is that I no longer can get on or off the bike by swinging my right leg up and over the tailbag - a tricky maneuver on the best of days and made more difficult after a couple of hours on the bike when my legs get a bit cramped. Now I have to hang onto Mike's shoulder and carefully slide my right leg through the space between Mike's back and the tailbag. As long as we're parked on a level surface, I can manage. When the bike is parked on a bit of a slope, Mike has to help haul me onto the bike. It may not be ladylike, but then I guess riding pillion on a motorcycle isn't really ladylike anyway!

We took the back roads home, deciding that Route 4 southeast in Ft. Ann looked like it might head back toward Vermont and home. We wound through hilly, rural Washington County for miles, surrounded by open pastures, farmers mowing hay, and fields full of corn just starting to sprout. The Adirondacks towered over the farmland to the west, and we periodically glimpsed the Vermont Green Mountains to our east. Names of the towns started to sound familiar:  West Hebron, Argyle, Belcher. As we swept around a tight curve we saw a sign for the Bedlam Corners store and thought about John Katz, a local author who lives in this area. We couldn't pinpoint our location on a map, or even tell you the way to get back home to Manchester. But we were familiar with the general area and knew that by continuing to head south and east we'd eventually stumble onto roads we knew. Sure enough, a few hilly, curvy miles from Bedlam Corners we saw a turn for Salem, a New York town not far from Manchester.

We stopped for an early dinner at Kevin and Mike's Place II , a combination local bar and fantastic family restaurant in the middle of North Bennington, VT. There was the usual Friday night line at the door for seating in the restaurant, so we sat at the bar. Wearing motorycle pants and carrying high-visibility yellow motorcycle jackets is a great way to start up conversation with people who start off as strangers and end up as someone we hope to meet again.

The weather gods stayed on our side on the way home. The roads and fields were filled with puddles from a recent hard rain, but the only wet that hit us came from the spray kicked up by a pick-up truck on the road in front of us. Mike solved that problem by passing the truck, and we rode home under clearing skies.

Today was my first experience with a motorcycle rally, and we're looking forward to the BMW rally in Missouri. First we need to plan our route to get there!