steve.foote Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 First leg was hot - hot - hot! 95 in Columbia SC and almost as hot in Charlotte NC. After crossing into Virginia the temps dropped twenty degrees as I climbed the mountains. Made Wytheville VA in good time and managed to get the tent setup with no help at all. Waiting on Ids_Ok to make it up from Birmingham. We're on our way to the UN! 5 Link to comment
ltljohn Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 If you are coming through PA Sunday morning, I am meeting Hammock Mike at the Bob Evans here 920 Schechter Dr, Wilkes-Barre Township, PA 18702 at 8A.M. For you GS riders there is a Starbucks across the road. 3 Link to comment
RandyShields Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Ride back to Charlotte and we can feed you. And after a dip in the pool, we have paid our electricity bill so there is AC in the house. 3 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted June 20, 2019 Author Share Posted June 20, 2019 16 minutes ago, RandyShields said: Ride back to Charlotte and we can feed you. And after a dip in the pool, we have paid our electricity bill so there is AC in the house. Might just take you up on that Randy! 3 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted June 20, 2019 Author Share Posted June 20, 2019 1 hour ago, ltljohn said: If you are coming through PA Sunday morning, I am meeting Hammock Mike at the Bob Evans here 920 Schechter Dr, Wilkes-Barre Township, PA 18702 at 8A.M. For you GS riders there is a Starbucks across the road. John, we're staying in Pittsburgh tomorrow night . Then it's off to Allegany National park to ride the demon highway (hwy 666) lol. And hwy 6 across N PA to a friend's home in upstate NY for Saturday night. I think we'll be too far West to link up with you. But, we will see you Sunday at Dunham's. Link to comment
ltljohn Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Thought I would throw it out there. See you at Dunhams 1 Link to comment
MikeB60 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 4 hours ago, RightSpin said: Made Wytheville VA in good time and managed to get the tent setup with no help at all. That's my kind of tent! 5 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 Dinner was most excellent at Log House 1776 restaurant in town. Great atmosphere and pretty good vittles, too. Would definitely go back for another round. 5 Link to comment
Bill_Walker Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Nice tent! I'd be interested in a photo showing how it packs on your bike. 1 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 16 hours ago, Bill_Walker said: Nice tent! I'd be interested in a photo showing how it packs on your bike. Here you go Bill... 2 3 Link to comment
Id's_OK Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Pennsylvania, State of Independence and our last state of the day. Started in Wytheville, VA , through WV, and OH to Pittsburgh for the evening. 8 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted June 22, 2019 Author Share Posted June 22, 2019 BEST...ROAD...EVER!!! 4 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Friday was Christopher and my first day on the road. We left Wytheville VA headed for Pittsburgh PA and decided the New River Gorge Bridge was a needed stop. It's hard to do it justice with a picture, but keep in mind that this bridge carries a 4-laned interstate-like highway across almost 3/4 a mile of air 875 feet above the river below. Let's just say, "It's a big-ass bridge!" Later, while backroading up through WV, we found a nice little place to eat called "The Barn". Food was pretty good, and it was apparent that they didn't see a lot of out-of-towners at this particular restaurant. Later we toured the Ohio river industrial capacity on both the OH and WV sides before popping by Moundsville WV to check out the haunted penitentiary that could be found there. It's a pretty spooky place. The dead, demented and haunted would feature prominently during our travels this time. Across the street from the penitentiary was the namesake for Moundsville. It's one of the many Adena Indian burial mounds scattered all across the area. Our Friday journey ended at our next campground in Pittsburgh PA. 4 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Pittsburgh was a first for both me and Christopher. We 'Ubered' our way into the downtown for a nice dinner at Ten Penny Table & Tap before retiring for the night in our Double Tree tent. This particular campsite was more difficult than the Wythville campsite since it was much bigger and we had to walk all the way to the end of the corridor on the top floor. It was a particularly large campsite, with lots of...campers. 4 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Saturday was a loooooong day in the saddle. We left Pittsburgh at about 8am and arrived at a former neighbor of mine's home in upstate NY via a nice rural route through the Allegheny Forest and across northern PA before we slid up into upstate NY just east of Ithaca NY near the little town of Guilford where we arrived 10 1/2 hours later. Our first destination was Demon's highway 666 which took us through the Allegheny Forest to Highway 6. I have to say, aside from the demonic nature of the roads nomenclature, this was easily the best road I've ever ridden. It was superbly rural and windy, but added in a bunch of hops to make it interesting. it was like riding a roller coaster and the longer we rode it, the more I giggled like a school child and didn't want it to end. It was so much fun, we almost went back for a second helping. But, alas, the road ahead was going to be a long one. Below, Christopher is taunting the demons... When we finally arrived at our next campsite, we were treated to a nice steak dinner and a long overdue reconnecting with good friends. Unfortunately, I failed to take picture of dinner as I was fully engaged in the process of filling my belly at the time. That last picture is the sign which used to be in front of the Taylor's home two doors down from ours in Richmond Hill GA. It was parked deep in the 60 acres of woods behind their home. I thought that was a really cool touch! 4 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Unfortunately, Sunday sucked. I had a great route planned out, but told my GPS to route to Dunham's Bay instead of starting at the Taylor's house. This had the effect of dragging us up the interstate and through tourist hell just south of Lake George. To add to the misery, it was actually hotter there than it was in Savannah Georgia. Talk about sucking! Bad Steve!! 1 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Monday was mucho better since I transferred navigation duties back over to Christopher. He led six of us on a fantastic trip through Vermont and New Hampshire hitting really great roads along the way and winding up at a superb deli in Lebanon NH called Marsh Brothers Deli. It was really good! It was super hot again Monday afternoon and all of us except Christopher abandoned ship and headed back to the resort via fastest means available. Here are a the few pictures I took this day... 4 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Tuesday I planned to take off as a rest day until, during breakfast, Chris Oudekerk used kryptonite on me. After explaining to him, several times I might add, that this was to be a day of rest for me, he uttered the "D" word. "There will be dirt along the way." I stood there like a wet spaghetti noodle and meekly muttered, "Ok." Let's face it, I'm a sucker for a little dirt. So, off we went up to visit Heid's Hodaka BMW shop and lunch somewhere in top of a mountain...in the pouring rain. We left in the rain. We rode in the rain. We waited for Tweks in the Garnet Mine gift shop parking lot...in the pouring rain. And, we arrived at lunch at the Log Cabin restaurant...in the rain. The only time it didn't rain on the way up was during our stop at Heid's. Here are some random pictures of that day... 5 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 The pictures at lunch. We arrived just as the rain was starting to let up. Bob was expressing his affection for Pat while we waited for the kitchen staff to arrive. Pat, I warned you I was going to post this! Dining atmosphere galore! And, not a bad view out the window... 3 2 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Tuesday night was Dinner Cruise time! This turned out to be really fun. The food was pretty good, but the conversation and camaraderie was superb! It really was a lot of fun. Nothing beats a free T-shirt. 6 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Wednesday I did make good on my threat to take the day off. So, I got to watch seven guys open a top case... And had a nice lunch in town with Whip and the other-other Chris. I was also talked into taking a freeeeezing swim at the resort "beach" where we managed to get in trouble with the local constable. 5 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Thursday, Christopher and I one upped our "what is the dumbest thing we can do today" competition and decided to go to Canada (not such a dumb idea) but do both Quebec AND Ontario. It turned out to be a really cool trip and the route took us up I87 (which was really pretty) to our first border crossing where we were asked all kinds of silly questions before foolishly being let in. The juxtaposition between Quebec and Ontario was stunning! Quebec was so much more European in appearance, and EVERYTHING was in french. It was like visiting another country! Oh, yeah, it was another country. But, Ontario was like visiting Kansas. In fact, if one were parachuted into Ontario with a blind fold, they might not even know they were no longer in the US. Quite the contrast! We did have a nice lunch in Cornwall ON prior to returning to the US and being asked all kinds of silly questions before foolishly being let back in. The ride back through the Adirondacks and Lake Placid was spectacular! It's unimaginable how beautiful it is up there. 7 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Friday launched our trip back to our normal lives. We said goodbyes and headed towards our next to last campsite in Hagerstown MD. Unfortunately, I took no pictures of our tent in the Country Inn there. Saturday was another slabbing day which ended at Randy and Laura Shield's home for a superb dinner and great conversation. That hospitality was greatly appreciated Randy! Here is a picture of Christopher chatting on the phone by the pool... 4 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Sunday for me was a nice and easy 4-hour trek through South Carolina and the end of my 3,222 mile journey. South went North and back South once again. This was the longest trip I've made on the bike so far, and the first time I've taken 11 consecutive days off in at least thirty years. It was a welcome break from my trading regimen this year. I'm going to post separate topics on some of the gear I tried out this time, but the big surprises were the Aerostitch RC3 suit and the Bead Rider seat cover thingy. Peace! Out! 8 Link to comment
RandyShields Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 2 hours ago, RightSpin said: Pittsburgh was a first for both me and Christopher. We 'Ubered' our way into the downtown for a nice dinner at Ten Penny Table & Tap before retiring for the night in our Double Tree tent. This particular campsite was more difficult than the Wythville campsite since it was much bigger and we had to walk all the way to the end of the corridor on the top floor. It was a particularly large campsite, with lots of...campers. Ten Penny was about 2 blocks from my office in Pittsburgh when I worked there, and the location of many an after work quaff! 2 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted July 2, 2019 Author Share Posted July 2, 2019 That is so cool, Randy! Pittsburgh was a really cool city. Link to comment
Ron-M Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 Great write up and pictures Steve. Looks like you and Chris had a fantastic time. 1 Link to comment
Bill_Walker Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 On 7/1/2019 at 3:09 PM, RightSpin said: We left Wytheville VA headed for Pittsburgh PA and decided the New River Gorge Bridge was a needed stop. It's hard to do it justice with a picture, but keep in mind that this bridge carries a 4-laned interstate-like highway across almost 3/4 a mile of air 875 feet above the river below. Let's just say, "It's a big-ass bridge!" Just around the corner from the site of the 2007 UN! I took pretty much the same picture: 2 Link to comment
Indy Dave Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 On 6/22/2019 at 1:07 PM, RightSpin said: BEST...ROAD...EVER!!! Jerry and I rode that road both ways on our way out to Vermont/Maine. Enjoyed it muchly. 2 Link to comment
steve.foote Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 Dave, I would go way out of my way to ride it again. It was so much fun. Like being on a roller coaster . Link to comment
LBump Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Enjoyed the write up and the ride along! 1 Link to comment
Norm 88 Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Great ride report and pictures thanks for sharing.. 1 Link to comment
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