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Posts Tagged ‘Virginia’

Another Great September Ride…. 10th Annual Battlefield Run

Posted: August 27, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
Tags: Antietam, Army Special Operations Command, ASOC, Battlefield Harley Davidson, battlefield run, Charles Town, Gettysburg, Harley Davidson, Maryland and Pennsylvania, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Ride, Shepherdstown, SOF, SOWF, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Virginia, West Virginia

This is another great ride (I just said that, right)! The Battlefield Run is about 110 miles long and rides through four states (Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania) ending at Battlefield Harley Davidson in Gettysburg.

The name comes from, I think, the fact that it rolls through several Civil War Battlefields including Antietam, Charles Town, Shepherdstown, and Gettysburg. The name is also representative of the charity it supports, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Which provides college scholarships the surviving children of fallen Special Operations Forces.

Debbie and I only discovered this ride two years ago. It is a cause close to our hearts (I spent 10 years in the Army Special Operations Command) and is a great ride (I said that, right?). If you can attend, please do!

Motorcycle Ride to PAW PAW

Posted: August 20, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
Tags: Berkeley Springs, Berkeley Springs state park, blue ridge mountains, cacapon river, Charles Town, eastern panhandle, George Washington, Harley, Harley Davidson, Hillsboro, Martinsburg, mineral spring, mineral spring water, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Ride, organic restaurant, Paeonian Springs, Panorama at the Peak, Paw Paw, shenandoah river, sonic restaurant, table to market, Ultra Classic, ultra limited, VA, VA route 9, VA RT 9, Virginia, Virginia State Route 9, West Virginia, west virginia route 9, Winchester, WV, WV route 9, WV RT 9

Well, Paw Paw, West Virginia was not the intended destination, in fact, we just went out to ride.

We pulled out about ten in the morning (on the Ultra Limited) and head west on Route 7. I noticed the exit for Virginia State Route 9 and decided, what the heck let’s see where Route 9 goes. We knew it went north to Martinsburg, WV but that was about it.

Route 9 in Virginia is also known as Charles Town Pike and passes through rolling farmland and the towns of Paeonian Springs (which has a historic district) and Hillsboro. Hillsboro sets in the middle of a gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A short climb out of Hillsboro and you have a great view of Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

RT 9 at WV/VA boarder

At this point VA Route 9 becomes WV Route 9 and also becomes a four line highway. While we did not take the road, by the looks of the area I can image that “old 9” down the mountain would be full of twistiness! Crossing the Shenandoah River we scooted through Charles Town and Martinsburg, we did not stop to look around, today was just about riding. A little after Martinsburg the road becomes a 2 lane again.

When we reached Berkeley Springs we did stop. Right in the middle of the town is the Berkeley Springs State Park. The town (its real name is Bath) was considered the country’s first spa and resort area because of the mineral spring producing 2,000 gallons a minute. George Washington even visited the springs. Heck the town even has a castle!

Continuing on Route 9, up the mountain out of Berkeley Springs we summited to a spectacular view of the Potomac River in the valley below. We decided to have lunch across the street from the fabulous view at Panorama at the Peak restaurant. This is a farm to table, organic, restaurant and the food was awesome!

Back on the bike we rode down the mountain and into the Cacapon River Valley. This stretch of road from Berkeley Springs to Paw Paw was very lightly traveled, I doubt that we passed a dozen cars. It undulates along the Cacapon River and was just a very nice ride!

Riding in the Cacapon River valley

We reached the end of WV 9 when we hit Paw Paw. It is a very small town at the intersection of WV 9 and 29 and was the point where we began our return trip. We did not retrace our route instead we zigged and zagged through a variety of roads until we reached Route 7 at Winchester, VA. After stopping at the Winchester Sonic restaurant for ice cream (I love there coconut milkshakes) we quickly made it back home.

We put in 198 miles on this trip with only a few stops….it was a great day with the wife and the bike!

: Debbie and me somewhere in WV

: One lane bride in WV

: Welcome to Paw Paw

: Railroad bridge over the Cacapon River

: View of the Potomac River

: A castle, really!

: What?

: Berkeley Springs History

: Berkeley Springs History

: George Washington’s bath tub?!

: Berkeley Springs

: View from RT 9 north of Martinsburg

: Route 9 in WV

: New old school MacDonalds

: WV/VA border

: WV/VA border

: WV/VA border

: View from RT 9 in VA

: Hillsboro, VA

: Hillsboro, VA

: View from RT 9 in VA

: Route 9 in VA

The Bridges of Pennsylvania,,, A motorcycle ride.

Posted: July 29, 2013 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring
Tags: Harley, Harley Davidson, Maryland, MD, meetup.com, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle touring, northern Virginia motorcycle club, NOVA MC, PA, PA Route 75, Pennsylvania, The Old Mountain Stone Inn, US Route 15, VA, Virginia

Foggy start to the day

This past weekend Debbie and I rode with the Northern Virginia Motorcycle Club (NOVA MC) to see and ride through a bunch of covered bridges in Pennsylvania. This was an all-day ride; we left the house on a foggy Saturday morning at a few minutes after six AM to get to the rally point. The club met up outside a Starbucks in Chantilly, VA before rolling out for the day.

Heading north on US Route 15 we crossed into Maryland at Point of Rocks passed through Frederick and quite soon entered Pennsylvania and the first stop. This bridge was literally just across the state line off of Route 15. I am not sure where we stopped or the name of the bridge but the picture is below. From that point on we attempted to capture a picture of the name or historical marker.

After a bit we rolled out to see the other bridges. About one o’clock we stopped for lunch at The Old Mountain Stone Inn in Bloomfield, PA. The food was good, the company better but the show was the best (LOL). About half way through our lunch a poker run arrived and they were having a lot of fun which made it a lot of fun for us to watch!!

Pennsylvania Amish country.

During lunch we also noticed that the incoming weather was getting much worse and decided to cut the ride a “bit” short. We decided to visit the longest covered bridge (271 feet) in PA, the Academia Bridge. From there we jumped on PA Route 75, which passed through the Pennsylvania Amish country.

Storm Chaser Powers ACTIVATE!

It was on Route 75 were we got the wettest! While we had experienced sprinkles and light rain we got a downpour, and of course nowhere to really pull over. We finally reached a gas station where Debbie and I did the group a big favor; we put on our rain suits, which normally guarantees the rain will stop. We split off from the main group to head home shortly after that stop and we might have had ten rain drops from that point on! I hope the others fared as well!

About Northern Virginia Motorcycle Club

NOVA MC is a “Meetup.com” group that “is for motorcycle enthusiasts who are interested in taking short jaunts, usually on weekends, around Virginia’s highways and byways.” Debbie and I discovered them about a year ago and this was our second ride with the club. I have to say that we have tried to ride more with them but life, schedules and other events have conspired to limit our experience with the club. BUT, I can say that without hesitation, if your live in Northern Virginia and want to ride in a motorcycle agnostic environment and want to have a good time, check them out!

: Setting out for the ride

: On the road!

: Covered Bridge #1

: Covered Bridge #1

: Covered Bridge #1

: Hanging around

: Children of the Corn

: Covered Bridge

: Covered Bridge

: Covered Bridge #2

: Covered Bridge #2

: Debbie and me at Covered Bridge #2

: Covered Bridge #2

: Covered Bridge #2

: Covered Bridge #2

: Covered Bridge #2

: Farm Country

: Covered Bridge #3

: Covered Bridge #4

: Covered Bridge #4

: Covered Bridge #4

: Covered Bridge #4

: Covered Bridge #4

: Covered Bridge #4

: Covered Bridge #5

: Covered Bridge #5

: Covered Bridge #5

: Covered Bridge #5

: Covered Bridge #5

: Covered Bridge #5

: Poker Run Bike

: Poker Run Motorcycle

: Poker Run Leaving

: Covered Bridge #6

: Covered Bridge #6

: Mill next to bridge #6

: Mill next to bridge #6

: Covered Bridge #7

: Me riding across Covered Bridge #7

: Motorcycle rest stop

: Not a covered bridge

: Covered Bridge #8

: Covered Bridge #8

: Covered Bridge #8

: PA Route 75 before the rain

: Amish Country

: Amish Country

: Amish Country

: Amish Country

: Amish Country

: Amish Country

: Amish Country

: Amish Country

: Bloomfield, PA

A weekend ride…close call!

Posted: July 1, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
Tags: Downtown Saloon, Georgia, Leesburg, Maryland, MD, middleburg, Motorcycle, motorcycle rides, motorcycle riding, Payne’s Biker Bar, point of rocks, red horse tavern, Route 7, snickersville road, US Route 15, US route 50, VA, Virginia, Virginia byway

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.

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.

Red Horse Tavern

Lunch at a Biker Bar!

Posted: June 24, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
Tags: biker bar, Bikers, Downtown Saloon, Harley Davidson, Leesburg, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, motorcycle riding, Northern Virginia, Payne’s Biker Bar, Virginia

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.

: The county court is across the street!

: A reflection on Debbie and me

: Inside the Downtown Saloon

: We beat the after church crowd!

Bike Show at Waugh HD

Posted: June 18, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides, Rally
Tags: 21st Annual Big Damn Bike Show, 29th Infantry Division Memorial Highway, Bagger, Big Damn Bike Show, bike, Bike Show, bikini bike wash, Cam-Am Spyder, Can-Am, Custom Bagger, custom bike, custom motorcycle, Harley, Harley Davidson, Harley Owners Group, HOG, James Madison Highway, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, motorcycle riding, Orange, Road King, Seminole Trail, Softail, Sportster, Street Glide, VA, Virginia, Waugh Harley Davidson, Zachary Tyler Highway, Zen Daddy

Debbie and I rode to Waugh Harley Davidson in Orange, VA to participate in their 21^st 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 29^th 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!

: Bike Show Award

: Harley Davidson Limo

: Harley Davidson Limo

: Harley Davidson Limo

: Royal Enfield

: Royal Enfield

: Custom Harley Davidson

: Custom Harley Davidson

: Scooter Trike

: Custom Harley Davidson

: Hula Girl Sidecar Harley

: Custom Softails

: Chrome Fender

: Custom Bagger

: Rock n Roll Bagger

: Rock n Roll Bagger

: Custom Harley Davidson

: Skull Sportster

: Skull Sportster

: Skull Sportster

: Custom Harley

: Custom Harley

: Custom Harley

: Spider or a Spyder

Motorcycle Ride on the George Washington Parkway

Posted: June 6, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
Tags: Alexandria, Arlington Memorial Bridge, Army, C&O Canal, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, Clara Barton Parkway, DC, Fairfax County Parkway, Fort Belvoir, Fort Hunt, Ft. Belvoir, Ft. Hunt, George Washington Parkway, Harley, Harley Davidson, HD, I-495, I495, Jefferson Monument, LBJ Memorial Grove, Lincoln Memorial, Maryland, MD, Motorcycle, motorcycle blog, motorcycle rides, Mount Vernon, Navy and Marine Memorial, Old Anglers Inn, Old Town, Old Town Alexandria, Potomac River, Regan National Airport, Riding, Roosevelt Island, Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, Torpedo Factory, US Army, VA, Virginia, Washington DC, Washington Monument, White’s Ferry

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.

Mount Vernon Visitor’s Center

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

: The ferryman is coming for us!

: White’s Ferry History

: White’s Ferry Flood Stages

: White’s Ferry Flood Stages Closeup

: Me on White’s Ferry

Memorial Day Poker Run and Motorcycle Ride

Posted: May 28, 2013 in Motorcycle Rides
Tags: 201st Field Artillery, B & B Harley Davidson, Covered bridge, Dogwood acres bar, fried Oreo, Harley, Harley Davidson, HD, I68, I70, interstate 68, interstate 70, Memorial Day, Morgantown, Motorcycle, Ohiopyle, Philippi, Poker Run, Triple S Harley Davidson, Uniontown, VA, Virginia, West Virginia, West Virginia National Guard, WV, WVU, youghiogheny dam

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.

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.

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

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.

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
Tags: bike, dealer pin, event pin, Harley, Harley Davidson, I-81, I81, Interstate 81, Motorcycle, Northern Virginia, NOVA, Oak Ridge, rally pin, Roanoke, Roanoke Valley Harley Davidson, Virginia

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!

New Market Civil War Battlefield via Dinosaur Land!

Posted: May 7, 2013 in Motorcycle news
Tags: Dinosaur Land, Front Royal, Grove's Harley Davidson, I-81, Interstate 81, Luray, New Market Civil War Battlefield, Secret Blue Ridge Mountain Northern Stretch, Shenandoah Valley, Skyline Drive, Stonewall Jackson Memorial Highway, to Luray Caverns, US Route 340, US Route 7, Virginia, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Museum of the Civil war and New Market Battlefield, VMI, Winchester

This past weekend my wife and I rode from our home in Leesburg to the New Market Civil War Battlefield. We rode west on US Route 7 then took Route 340 south to Luray, VA. On the way we passed the interesting roadside attraction of Dinosaur Land. The place was not open when we stopped for a photo op but it looked very cool for small kids!

After posing a few minutes with T-Rex we contained south on 340 passing through rolling farm county and small towns of the Shenandoah Valley. The largest town we passed through was Front Royal, which is also the northern entrance to Skyline Drive. We have done the Skyline Drive before but I am sure we will do it again this summer, it is just a too nice a ride not to do it as often as possible. (Route 340 south of Front Royal is also known as the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Highway to honor the Civil War General.)

Rolling past Front Royal we soon arrived in Luray, VA and our next intersection. Taking Route 211 west we passed the entrance to Luray Caverns, a US National Landmark. We did not stop at the caverns on this trip but I am sure we will sometime in the future.

Crossing under I-81 on 211 we were immediately at the entrance to the Virginia Museum of the Civil War and New Market Battlefield. From the website “The Virginia Museum of the Civil War (VMCW) interprets the 1864 Battle of New Market with emphasis on the role of Virginia Military Institute Cadets and the Civil War in Virginia.” The museum was quite nice with small displays on most of the major engagements of the war which occurred in Virginia. They also have a

A couple of hours later we hopped back on the bike and traced our route back north. We deviated a bit by riding to Grove’s Harley Davidson in Winchester, VA. We arrived at the dealership about 15 minutes from closing and did not stay too long. I was hoping to look at their helmets as I am in the market for a new one. 30 minute video “The Field of Lost Shoes” that focused mainly on the boy soldiers of the Virginia Military Institute role in the battle.

Turing right out of the dealership we took US 50 east to State route 601 also called the “Secret Blue Ridge Mountain Northern Stretch”. This is a twisty section of road that connects US 50 and US 7. This is a great short ride and well worth the side trip. The views from the mountain are limited by the forest but you should be concentrating on the road anyway, right!

Our trip was 166 miles round trip and lasted a bit more than 7 hours. Debbie and I had a nice motorcycle ride together but we still need to figure out the intercom system!

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