Rainy Morning
I was glad I decided to wear my winter riding jacket on this cool, wet morning. It would be mid-afternoon before the temperature rose to the point where I found it necessary to open the jacket vents. And it would also be clear that the ride was a treasure of experience.
Arriving at my friend Paul’s house the plan was to ride south for breakfast. A light rain had me wondering if it wouldn’t be best to go somewhere local to avoid a drastic change in the weather.
Sometimes venturing out under a cloud of uncertainty, weather or destination, just doesn’t feel great.
Still, we rolled out onto the road with only a vague notion of where we were going.
Riding Out the Cobwebs
Fifty-five miles later and I’m in a limber riding state of mind. Nothing is bothering me regarding the weather or destination. Each mile was a quiet exercise in moving meditation. My eyes continually stimulated by the passing scenery and the mind quiet and content.
Riding, and stopping to stretch and look around, has a reliable way of relaxing mind and body.
Buchanan State Forest
At the 90 mile mark I was hungry and ready for breakfast. Buchanan State Forest in south central Pennsylvania is a wonderfully lonely place with quiet winding roads. Another stop to stretch before the final dash to a new place to eat.
Road Kill Cafe
One hundred miles from home we pulled into the Roadkill Cafe. I had heard of the place from other riders but was unprepared for how far and hard to find it was. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. Just the kind of destination that provides a sense of satisfaction for a little riding adventure.
Green Ridge State Forest
Fed and rested, Paul and I continued south across the Mason-Dixon Line into Maryland and the Green Ridge State Forest. We followed a winding dirt road through the spring foliage to the ridge top. Paul asked if he could take the lead at which point I learned how dry and dusty the road was. Dropping back to avoid the dust irritating eyes and lungs we slowly made our way south through the mountains.
Log Roll Overlook
By the time we pulled over for a short break the wind was blowing hard — a sign that the weather might be more intense at some point during the day.
The Maryland forest is a sweeping wilderness area with magnificent views. My more frequent experience with the flatlands along the Chesapeake colored my thoughts about this state. The forests here rivaled what we have in Pennsylvania.
Vespa in the Dirt
The scooter performed well on the dirt and gravel roads. I wish I had more time to explore this part of the country. The Potomac River was somewhere ahead and the end of our dirt road experience. Once on the pavement we turned toward Paw Paw, West Virginia.
Paw Paw Tunnel
Normally riding offers little in the way of exercise. At least the way I ride. As we rode toward West Virginia Paul pulled off at a sign identifying the Paw Paw Tunnel along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Parking the scooter and motorcycle we made the 3/4 mile walk to the tunnel. Standing at the opening provided a clear yet deceptive view of the other end. It didn’t look 3100 feet long. Walking along the narrow towpath in the dark was a bit unsettling. We could hear fish jumping in the canal below but at some point we began wondering if it wasn’t old bricks falling from the ceiling.
By the time we returned to the machines I was tired, hungry and ready to continue on. It’s not often I ride all day AND manage 12 thousand steps.
Berkley Springs, West Virginia
Eventually we arrived in Berkley Springs for a late lunch at the Fairfax Coffee House. While somewhat relaxing, the increasing winds and threat of storms dashed things a bit. With home 130 miles away and the weather changing we had to make some decisions that would chip away at the quiet wandering up to this point.
Traveling north on Interstate 70 through Maryland and into Pennsylvania was miserable on the Vespa as a strong sidewind just beat the scooter around the road. A few times it was necessary to slow to 50mph to stay in my lane while trucks and cars roared by at 70mph.
The wind continued to blow as we traveled west on US30. During a stop for fuel I asked Paul if he was having trouble with the wind. On a 700 pound BMW motorcycle the wind doesn’t cause the same sort of issues. He could tell I was having some trouble though.
Rain
Thirty miles from home the rain started to come down hard. I no longer saw Paul in my rear view mirror and assumed he stopped to put on his rain gear. I pulled over and danced around in the rain to put on my Revit rain suit. Paul roared by with a beep and I didn’t see him again until the next day.
Fortunately there was little traffic as night fell along with the rain. The ride home was a bit challenging in terms of visibility but thankfully the wind had died down. When I pulled in the driveway the Vespa and I had traveled 280 miles — a fine day of riding through some lovely locations.
Looking forward to more wandering rides like this one. A treasure of experience.
From long past travels (mid 1970’s) in those areas you mention, following quiet inactive railway lines as well as various old unused rights of way once used for logging before areas became state lands. There was no Interstate, then.
You did rack up the miles though, and the rain held off thankfully until 30 miles from home. Was thinking “Steve will want to wash down the Vespa after the dusty road experience; ” Mother Nature helped.
Wind shears and motorcycles can be a deadly combination. Changing lanes while moving when no lane change was intended can be un-nerving.. More so with a physically small machine.
No doubt both Kim and the dogs welcomed you!
BTW how is Kim progressing; did the surgery help?
Was looking at the balance of the month. This is our Victoria Day weekend,, Monday May 21 is a national holiday, except I believe Quebec (subject to correction).
And by the end of June, you shall have been retired one year. Scary thoughts!
The rain certainly washed a lot of dust from the scooter. Riding through the state lands was a dusty experience.
There’s a lot of slightly used, mostly forgotten trails and paths down that way. Makes for some great riding. At freeway speeds the wind can be un-nerving as you say with lane changing a scary experience. Slowing down helps but unfortunately the four-wheeled traffic doesn’t let up. I almost exited the interstate at one point but the coming storm kept me moving. The only part of the ride that was unpleasant.
Kim and the dogs are always glad to see me. Kim is doing well and continuing to recover from the surgery. It definitely helped considering she was well on her way to paralysis and worse and can now get around on her own and walk a half mile albeit with much pain. But even that is slowly easing. How much will take months more until the compressed nerves fully heal and give a final report.
I’ve been retired 322 days now. It’s been an adventure!
Another in a long line of fine motorcycling stories and photos, Steve. Thank-you once again for reminding us all why even a cool and soggy ride is usually better than no ride at all.
Cool and soggy isn’t bad if I can stay dry. And not have to attempt it in heavy traffic. Would not have wanted to brave the interstate highway in rain and wind though!
Road Kill Cafe….cute.
I’ve found wind and rain can make riding a little bit too interesting when on two wheels….on three wheels not so much but getting pushed into the adjoining lane will get your attention regardless!
I really liked the shot of Paul at the picnic table at Log Roll Overlook….such serenity is conveyed.
Yeah — being pushed around does make you sit up straight!
The overlook shot of Paul reflected how peaceful (though windy) the place could be.
Road kill cafe,? Gotta see this place. Great story, great adventure
It’s a long ride down but through some beautiful countryside.
This sounds like a fantastic day. Adventure and exercise seem to be two key ingredients in my own sense of fulfillment and serenity.
Perhaps sometime soon we can go on a similar ride. Weather is great aside from the never ending rain. But soon!
A friend of mine would often meet his son coming up from Virginia and they would do cycle rides through the Berkley Springs area. Great small college town! My wife and I did a car day trip there once – all the way down to Harper’s Ferry; need to go back.
I find that area of Maryland and West Virginia fascinating. The landscape is different enough from here to be mesmerizing and there’s a weight of history there that’s different as well. I want to spend more time there.
Wow, you hit a lot of spots familiar to me. When living and working in Balto/DC, I spent a lot of weekends camping and riding the single track and 4WD trails in Green Ridge State Forest. There are some challenging trails there and great overlooks of the Potomac River valley. I’ve also bicycled through the Paw Paw Tunnel many times on C&O Canal bicycle/camping trips, Cumberland to DC. I was recently at the Road Kill Cafe too, on a Kissell ride. Great riders go to the same places, eh?
Green Ridge was amazing. I only got to see a little sliver of it. Will need to return.
Can’t imagine biking through the tunnel. The towpath was rough and beat up. Luckily we had a flashlight otherwise it would be slow going. We saw a few cyclists ride by so they obviously made it through.
I heard about the Road Kill Cafe because of that Kissell ride. Small world when it comes to riders — great or otherwise!
We do business with Road Kill Café, there are couple of places in that area. Nice ride.
You guys are everywhere Mike. When are you going to buy a Vespa? You know you want one. It will be a fine alternative experience from that big Honda you used to ride.
Roadkill Cafe. It sounds like an interesting place and a good destination. Especially since it was well off the beaten path. 280 miles of winding, PA roads must be a great ride and definitely would make for a long day. You’re going to be needing new tires again in no time…
I was happy to find that I can still handle a long ride physically. As the years roll by my body complains more and more. But this ride was fine. And slept well too!
The downside of riding a lot — tires wear fast on scooters…
Steve: Yes, was about to say…it sounds like you have recovered a good deal to be able to cover the better part of 300 miles in a day! All the better to hear about.
I’m good to go!
Great day….thanks for sharing….
Buzz kill question…navigation…?
U plan a route? Or just poke ur way to a “cafe”/destination…??
My experience has been…a bit of a plan…based on some prior info…BUT…then with an oops…or 2…Along the way…
That “lost” feeling helps Cement the memory…and adds to a great experience…you?
Plan is probably too strong a word for how I manage navigation. Mostly I think about a ride — a destination or a generalized route in my head based on past travels. I may look at maps while at home but I don’t plan carefully. Often I’m looking for little roads I’ve not been on before.
Like you, I appreciate the lost feeling. Doesn’t happen often but when it does it’s special. Hard to get lost very long in the East I guess.
I had breakfast with a rider last week who was navigating north on the Mid-Atlantic BRP trail. The only way to stay on course for that is with a GPS device. I have stayed away from that technology save for the occasional peek at a map on my iPhone to figure out how to get somewhere specific.
Mostly though, I am a pokey, casual rider who isn’t too concerned about staying on course. I’ll get where I”m going eventually.
I think you should submit this story, along with all of the photos, to Rider Magazine. If I was a betting woman, I’d bet they’ll publish it. Seriously Steve, this is an excellent day ride story.
Thanks for the kind words Kitty. I’ll have to look into that. Never considered submitting things to a magazine.
Just looked at their submission requirements — they’re looking for previously unpublished pieces. I suspect because the story appeared online that would preclude it. I would have to rewrite another version. I’ll inquire about those rules.
280 miles. Simply golden.
Alas, Melody has spent the better part of two weeks idled by weather…I swear, I haven’t seen this much rain, nearly nonstop, in quite some time. But your post was something of a tonic to me, so I’m hoping to make a little trip trips week someplace I haven’t traveled just yet – I think it’ll be the Pine Barrens this time, finally. At some point, I’ll be in your neck o’ the woods, with advance notice, of course.
It’s rained a bunch here too though the past couple days have seen only a sprinkle of rain. I can judge the amount of rainfall by the intensity of the green everywhere and the height of the grass in the neighborhood.
This is the season for trips on the scooter. Even though I may ride more in the cold weather, I take longer trips when it’s warm. the Pine Barrens sounds like a fine trip.
Let me know if you’re ever riding this way. We can meet somewhere on the road — Vespa to Vespa!
You got some good pictures. I like the Paw Paw tunnel photo and the one of me sitting at the picnic table. I guess you have no lack of inventory for photos for you exhibit. The hard part is narrowing 1000 good photos down to 35 exhibit photos. I’d like to ride on the fire road dirt trail above Philipsburg this week if you can make it.
The one of you at the picnic table is “strongly serene.” I have plenty of pictures. Choosing is the challenge I’m working through right now.
I’ll talk to you about the trail near Philipsburg. It’s a good trail.
I have ridden both a bike and a scooter in cross winds and the bike is best. Years ago I read story from a man who toured on a 600 pound Suzuki 650 Burgman. He described the difficulty he had in the wind. With the full coverings and engine placement a scooter is a sail in the wind. My 250 Nighthawk is much more secure than my Helix copy even with the Scooter weighing sixty pounds more.
My experience is similar to yours. Most motorcycles have been more stable in crosswinds. But even they are banged around at times. I was riding a Triumph America and had so much trouble in crosswinds that I had to turn off the main road to get to something I could travel a lot slower and had more protection from the wind. Thankfully, I don’t often have to deal with winds like that.
I remember reading that Mike Hermens on his Vespa ride across the country and back, had to wait in a motel a few days in Nevada before he could venture out on the highway because the wind was so bad.