Archive for the ‘Motorcycle Rides’ Category

Weekend Motorcycle Ride To….

Posted: July 9, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
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…nowhere in particular.  We did not start out that way; we had intentions of riding to Camp David (the presidential retreat in Maryland). I know that we would not get in to Camp David but riding up to the gate would have been cool.  But, speaking of cool, it was anything but, by 10AM it was 85 degrees with 95 the high. So we thought better and decided to run around with no particular destination in mind.

115 miles later we had passed through a dozen small towns in Maryland and Virginia including Lovettesville, Point of Rocks, Poolsville, Brunswick, and Frederick.  We stopped at the Monocacy Aqueduct (part of the C&O Canal) and dipped our feet into the cool water of the Monocacy River while sitting in the shade of the aqueduct itself. It was a fascinating notion that we were, basically, setting under what use to be a river that flowed over a river to move goods to and from Washington DC in the 1800’s.

While we were in Frederick we stopped by Frederick Harley Davidson. At the dealership we bought a magnetic tank pouch (part number 76000193) to hold my phone to the tank. I wanted this in order to connect the phone, and its music, to the Aux input with more ease vice pulling the cord to my rear pocket.

The pouch held very tightly to the tank and the neoprene like surface between the tank and the magnets gives me faith that the pouch will not mare the paint. The clear face of the pouch allows the user interact with the device. The only draw back is that in the heat of that day the phone got very hot, which killed the battery quite fast. Now I need to get a USB port to push into the cigarette lighter and a cord to charge the phone while it is playing.

After visiting the dealership we had lunch at the Mariachi restaurant. We have eaten there in the past and the food has been good today, maybe because we were so hot, it was only ok.

In the end Debbie and I had a nice day out on the bike going

nowhere in particular.

A weekend ride…close call!

Posted: July 1, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
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I slipped in two afternoon motorcycle rides in this past weekend. I was hoping for longer rides but the weather was very fickle with strong thunderstorms projected for both days. Counter to what is typical for my rides….we did not get wet.

On Saturday I rode with guys from the neighborhood (Don, Charles, and Don’s brother-in-law Gordon who is visiting from Georgia).  We pulled out of Leesburg, VA about 11AM headed south on US Route 15.  It was not long before we had our first exciting moment of the day!

We were less than five miles south of town when an accident occurred right next to us.  Two motorcycles were stopped to make a left hand turn with a SUV stopped behind them.  A car, whose driver must have not have been paying attention, skidded hard into the SUV, which, luckily, did not hit the motorcycles. The car began skidding as it passed Don (on the lead bike) and hit the SUV as I passed (I was the trail bike).  I pulled hard to the right to distance myself from the shrapnel from the collision.  There had to have been less than two seconds from skid to crash.

The folks on the motorcycles stopped to turn left were very lucky the SUV was behind them it was a close call.  The silver car would have hit and killed them; there is no doubt in my mind!  We thought about stopping to help but the location really prohibited stopping on the right and Route 15 North had dozens of cars backed up immediately so we rode on.

Lunch at Red Horse Tavern

Red Horse Tavern

At the intersection of Route 15 and US Route 50 we turned west and headed to our lunch stop in Middleburg (established in 1787).  This part of Route 50 passes through “serious” horse country, it is nothing to see Polo matches, jumping competitions and such as you ride along. In Middleburg we had lunch at the Red Horse Tavern, which was ok and reasonably priced.

From the Tavern we left Middleburg and traveled through multiple back roads finally ending up on Snickersville Road (a Virginia Byway).  We followed this road to its intersection of Route 7 where we turned east back to Leesburg and Payne’s Biker Bar then back to home.

On Sunday Debbie and I rode one of the local “loop” rides we like to take.  It is a 45 mile ride that essentially begins and ends at Point of Rocks, Md.  I will write about this particular route at a later date.

Lunch at Red Horse Tavern

Red Horse Tavern

Lunch at a Biker Bar!

Posted: June 24, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
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This past weekend was not one for any serious motorcycle riding for us.  Saturday we attended an afternoon wedding and took care of some household chores.  Sunday we oversleep and finished our chores. 

We did get a short ride into town to pick up a few small items and get some lunch.  We decided to eat at Payne’s Biker Bar (aka The Downtown Saloon), one of the few “biker bars” in Northern Virginia.  The “décor” is biker themed and the menu has items named for bikes (Softail, Sportster).  One of the most amusing items is a neon sign in the window (see pic) that states “Better off here than across the street”…well across the street is the county courthouse!

 We have eaten there a few times in the past as well as visited when they have had live music.  Debbie and I both had burgers which were served on cedar boards (different).  The food was good and service was great.

 

Bike Show at Waugh HD

Posted: June 18, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides, Rally
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Debbie and I rode to Waugh Harley Davidson in Orange, VA to participate in their 21st Annual “Big Damn Bike Show”! The ride to the dealership was nearly eighty miles and about ninety minutes long, passing through some of Virginia’s best farm and country land. Getting to and from the show we traveled on the James Madison Highway, the 29th Infantry Division Memorial Highway, the Seminole Trail, and the Zachary Tyler Highway.

We entered our bike, along with about 300 or so other bikes, into the show. There were another 600 to 1000 additional bikes lining the streets around the dealership which made this a bike watchers paradise. Waugh Harley Davidson, it turns out, has its own attached park called “Legends Park”, because of the tents erected in front of it I could not get a good picture of the park sign. The HOG (Harley Owners Group) club for this dealership has a sweet setup!

In addition to the bike show there were more than a dozen vendors and displays, including the ever present bikini bike wash! One of the more interesting displays was by a limo company; they had a stretched Harley Davidson Ford F250 Pickup with bubble bath in the truck bed.  It was quite amusing each time a bunch of soap bubble would come floating across the park.

Musical entertainment was provided by the Zen Daddy band.  They covered most of the hits from the 80’s, 90’s, and the 00’s (is 00 the right way to do that?).  Debbie and I thought the band did a fine job.  Mr. Waugh himself came out and played a couple tunes on the harmonica, for “older” gentlemen I was quite impressed with this talent and lung capacity.  If you have time take a look at Waugh’s Facebook page for more pics and videos of the event.

Our bike finished second in our class and after looking at the winner I have some clear directions on what do for next time.  Of course that means more chrome!

Motorcycle Ride on the George Washington Parkway

Posted: June 6, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
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This past weekend the wife and I took a short ride.  We have several “reoccurring” circuits that we enjoy some go north into Maryland, others west into West Virginia but this ride features the George Washington Parkway.

We left the house and traveled east on Route 7 until we reached the Fairfax County Parkway (for this road “Parkway” is derived from the fact there are over 50 stoplights between where we got on and the end of the road).  Luckily, we hit very few lights and reached US Route 1 quickly.

From the Fairfax County Parkway to the turn for the GW Parkway Route 1 runs though Fort Belvoir.  Ft. Belvoir was the last posting (4 years) my wife and I had before I retired from the Army after 25 years.  The Fort holds a lot of special memories for us.

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Mount Vernon Visitor’s Center

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View from the GW

The GW actually starts at the Washington’s home Mount Vernon and heads north along the Potomac River.  There are many overlooks and scenic stops along way all of which have great views or historic importance.  On this trip we did not stop but I would highly recommend (beside Mount Vernon) a quick look at Fort Hunt.

Shortly past Fort Hunt you will enter the city of Alexandria and the first thing you will notice is the very old cemetery on the right.  The cemetery (St. Paul’s) holds the “Grave of the Female Stranger” which is one of the more interesting stories of old Alexandria.  If you are riding the GW you need to make time to visit “Old Town” Alexandria.  There are lots of small shops, taverns,

Torpedo Factory

Torpedo Factory

restaurants and art galleries.  The largest gallery is the “Torpedo Factory”, named that way because during WWII it was a Torpedo Factory!

The next major landmark on the GW is Regan National Airport, while not a tourist destination for bikers, it does make for interesting views as large jetliners fly just a couple hundred feet

View from the GW

View from the GW

overhead!  Almost as soon as you see the airport you will catch a glimpse of the Washington Monument over the trees. A few moments and a left hand curve later you will see not only the Washington Monument but the Jefferson and Lincoln monuments across the Potomac.  But, because your eyes will be drawn to those major attractions, you will miss the Navy and Marine Memorial,

Another GW Pic

Another GW Pic

LBJ Memorial Grove, and Lady Bird Johnson Park!

Now is the time to decide if you want to go downtown DC or not, if you get in the left lane you will be directed towards the Arlington Memorial Bridge and the back of the Lincoln Memorial.  Stay in the right lane and you will pass under the bridge and continue upriver along the parkway. As I mentioned

Arlington Memorial Bridge

Arlington Memorial Bridge

earlier we were out for a scoot and did not stop very often nor did we go into the city on this trip.

One of the most invisible but one of the most powerful presidential monuments is the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial on Roosevelt Island.  This is my favorite monument in the National Capitol Region but it is a bit of a hike from the parking lot (which is right off the GW), to the park at the center of the island.  If you have the time I think this is well worth the stop.

While there are several minor attractions and overlooks the remainder of the GW is just a smooth tree lined ride…..until it ends on I495 exit 14!  The GW basically throws you out on 5 lanes of beltway traffic that is normally bumper to bumper at any time of day.

Luckily our route leaves us in the right hand lane and exits within a ½ mile onto the Clara Barton Parkway. We normally turn left and continue to follow the river upstream but there is good reason to head down river and visit the home of Clara Barton (founder of the Red Cross) and take in parts of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal.

Debbie at the Old Angler's Inn

Debbie at the Old Angler’s Inn

Rolling past the US Nave Surface Warfare the parkway soon ends and we decided to have a light lunch at the Old Anglers Inn.  The Inn is Zaggat rated and the service was spectacular!

Old Angler's Inn

Old Angler’s Inn

After our meal we followed several different roads ending up at White’s Ferry.  White’s Ferry is the only ferry currently operating on the Potomac River, having started in the early 1800’s.  One of the interesting parts to note about the ferry is how deep the flood waters have been over the years. With different flood stages marked on the building, it is remarkable sight to realize you are a dozen or more feet below the surface!

Taking the Ferry across the Potomac to VA puts us about four miles from home and is a fun way to cap this ride. As we were nearing home I got an idea for another ride…tracing the route of the C&O Canal, maybe we will be able to slip this one in sometime in the near future.

Memorial Day Poker Run and Motorcycle Ride

Posted: May 28, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
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Over the Memorial Day weekend we put a bunch of miles down on a long motorcycle ride.  This year we made a decision to forgo Rolling Thunder and decided to ride in a poker run supporting the 1st Battalion 201st Field Artillery.

We left Leesburg, VA Thursday afternoon and traveled across I-70 (which was, interestingly, the first interstate project) and I-68 to Morgantown, WV.  The 187 mile trip to Morgantown was uneventful except for the rain storm we hit about 30 minutes from our destination, we don’t have the nickname of “storm chasers” for nothing! Once we reached Morgantown, home of WVU, we stayed with our close friends Tim and Karma (Tim is the Battalion Commander of the 1/201st FA).

Friday was quite cool so we chose to just hang out.  We visited Triple S Harley Davidson (I bought highway pegs) and then went to the movies.  We watched the Hangover 3, it was the weakest of the three but I laughed so hard at the end I cried. Make sure you stay through the credits or you will miss the best part of the movie!

Saturday morning at 6:30 AM and 33 degrees we pulled out for the poker run.  The poker run began and ended at the National Guard Armory, Belington, WV. 137 miles long, the run passed through Buckhannon, Fairmont, Elkins.  I did not draw my cards well, ending up with a pair of aces and Debbie ended up with less than that, so obviously neither of us won any prizes.

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Debbie at start of poker run

The ride for the poker run itself was nice, even if it was very cool, rolling through the back country roads of WV.  One of many interesting spots was the covered bridge of Philippi built in 1852 and still used as a main road (US Route 250).  We threw in some side trips during the event going to B&B Harley Davidson and Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch. By the time we made it back to Morgantown we had put exactly 300.0 miles on the bikes, and it was 46 degrees.

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Debbie and Karma at Mount Summit Overlook

The next day, about noon, we set out again this time we linked up with Karma’s sister Kelly, her boyfriend Buba and their friends Jim and Joe. Riding though Fayette County, PA we had our first stop half way up Mount Summit at the lookout on Route 40.  From the lookout you have a great view of the valley below and Uniontown, PA in particular.  From the lookout we rode to lunch at Dogwood Acres Bar and Grill the atmosphere was biker friendly

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Dogwood Acres Bar and Grill

(about 40 bikes in the lot), the food was good and the stories, while not repeatable on line, told by Joe were priceless.

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Fried Goodness!

From the bar we rode on to Ohiopyle and took a look at the water falls.  The area is a local meca for whitewater enthusiast and the roads were lined with cars carrying kayaks, rafts and canoes.  One of our funnier moments happened at the Ohiopyle General Store, Tim wanted to try a fried Oreo and order three of the batter dipped cookies. Well, apparently Tim and the cook misunderstood each other and he got three orders of four cookies each!  Everyone had a good laugh and then tried to help him out!

Kelly and Buba next took us to another local landmark, one I still have no real idea how to pronounce, the Youghiogheny Dam.  The dam is an earthen structure built in 1944 with the intent to allow folks to drive across the top to the public access areas.   At over 180 feet in height the view from the road on top of the dam was spectacular.  From the dam we rolled to the National Pike Bar and Grill for some refreshments and then back to Tim and Karma’s house.

The next morning it was time to head back to VA.  Tim and Karma rode with us from their home to Cumberland, PA where we had lunch and said our good byes.  The traffic back to the DC Metro area was HEAVY with lots of stop, and go fast and stop again moments on I70.  Eventually we made it back with 804 total miles for the holiday weekend, all in all a great time with friends!

Rain, Rain Go Away

Posted: May 21, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
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The weather in Northern Virginia has not been conducive to riding motorcycles of late.  Today was the first day, in about the last ten, which I have had a chance to ride, and it was just commuting to work.  But hey, any day riding is a good day! 

One of things about becoming a good blogger, I have read, is that you need to post frequently. Due to the fact that we have not been “out and about” over the last few weeks I thought I would write about something related to riding.  

We collect bike related stick pins.  Mostly Harley Davidson Dealer Pins, but rally and event pins as well.  We have nearly 100 different pins so have I nearly 100 days’ worth of material to post/discuss, LOL. 

The pin displayed today is from Roanoke Valley HD near Roanoke, VA.  I stopped at this dealership (off Interstate 81) during a business trip to Oak Ridge, TN.  I don’t remember much about the shop itself but the pin is cool!

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Where have we ridden…so far

Posted: April 19, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
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Where have we ridden…so far

So far…. We have the intention of putting a bunch of miles down this riding season. Neither my wife nor I have been to Nigeria Falls and that is on the schedule this summer. From the “Falls” we want to cut across Canada to Michigan and Wisconsin with a stop at the Harley Davidson Museum. After that we will either head back to VA or visit our daughter in Kanas.

That is my plan for at least one long  motorcycle ride…let’s hope it happens.

Short motorcycle ride to Harpers Ferry

Posted: April 16, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
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Short ride to Harpers Ferry

My wife, Debbie, and I rode our longest ride, to date, on our new bike. We rode the long way to and from Harpers Ferry, WV on our 2011 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic Limited (FLHTK). From our home outside Leesburg, VA we put on just under 100 miles to and from Harpers Ferry.

Harpers Ferry is a very historic little town. The armed struggle for the abolition of slavery started here. Check out Wikipedia for the detail

The bike rode well but we are still trying to figure out the intercom system. At first we could hear nothing but music, then I could hear Debbie but she could not hear me (although she said that was the way it should be). In the end we could hear the music and each other but our voices did not turn of the music and sounded like we were talking through tin cans connected with string.

Also, we should get a round of thanks from everyone as we must have put a serious dent in the bug population based on the number of splats on the windshield fairing. Had I not had a windshield….it would have been a mess.

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