CANCELLED: Due to the purchase of my new home in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania I regrettable had to cancel what would have been an awesome ride.
This trip is all about our annual GlideFest road trip and gathering. For 2017 our epicenter will be Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and all points surrounding this historic area. Check back near June 21’st for more on this awesome road trip.
Travels: Sep 09 – 11, 2016
This trip is about our annual excursion to Seneca Rocks, West Virginia for climbing, caving, hiking, camping, fishing.. and other fun as we think of it. These trips are spearheaded and guided by local climbing expert (he wouldn’t admit this) and all-around swell guy Mark “Indy” Kotchte.
Mark is quite a unique and talented individual and I always look forward to spending some time together climbing and catching up on life. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and fun had by all.
Friday, September 9, 2016
Departing for Seneca, WV
It’s been the usual busy week leading up to the Seneca weekend with little time to pack. So I gave myself three hours this morning while getting Samantha ready for school. Thank goodness I waited to take my shower as the humidity is stifling. I plan to leave work early to get a good jump on the 4+ hour ride to the campsite.
Arrived at Seneca around dinner time then made fast work in setting up camp. After a great freeze-dried meal of chicken and mashed potatoes I was right as rain. Speaking of which I was treated to a three minute downpour while enroute to Seneca.. quite refreshing. After some socializing I’m off for some early rest to see what tomorrow offers up.
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Day 1
I woke this morning remembering loud chirping and some other strange sounds as I was lulled to a deep sleep last night. As I stretched myself awake I hurriedly boiled water for my freeze-dried eggs n bacon and French press coffee. It’s hard to explain but I’ll say that being far out in nature breakfast just tastes that much better, so I took my time and savored it.
After breaky I headed over to see what Mark and guests were up to. Lots of discussions about caving, climbing and the swimming hole. It all sounded good to me but by not bringing the bike trailer I had to forego the caving gear. When all was said and done I decided to hit the town to do some blog posts then head out to Blackwater Falls State Park to explore. I’ll hit the swimming hole later to cool off.
It was a “cool” ride for the appx. 40 miles through the mountains and the high elevation to reach Blackwater Falls. After touring through the park I decided to stop at Sirianni’s Restaurant for lunch. Nice place with a history.. The food’s good too ;)).
After heading back to camp I stopped at the store to do some posting and find out where the swimming hole is. Fortunately it’s very close by so onward I went. Great place with VERY COLD water. I was so hot from the past two days though I just jumped right in clothes and all. It took about 10 minutes for me to catch my breath from the cold water but then had a great time swimming and splashing about. After a while I got out to air-dry then headed to the store. While there I met up with some climbers from camp who mentioned they were heading to the swimming hole. I did a quick ride to camp to alert the others in case they wanted to swim. I then headed back for another dip.
More swimming and much-needed exercise with several others from camp then once thoroughly chilled we decided to join some at the Upper Deck for dinner. I partially dried, hopped on the bike and headed over for a tasty BBQ sandwich and comradery. Once finished I rode back to camp then settled into my tent to read and sip some 12 year-old Angostora 1824 rum. A nice ending to a great day.
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Day 2 & Departing for home
After a cooler night of sound sleep I woke up very early to the pitter-patter of some raindrops on the tent. After zipping the tent rainfly closed I was back off to sleep. After waking (to a clear sky) feeling refreshed I ate breakfast and drank my last cup of morning brew as I thought about the day. I decided not to do a morning climb (with a small group that was heading over to the cliffs) as this would put me home way later than I wanted. When I’m tenting it by motorcycle there’s always a lot of post-trip maintenance to do to keep all the gear working right.
After meeting in the pavilion I learned that most were already packing to get a jump on the return trip home. After some talk of the trip, future trips and some goodbyes I went back the break down my camp. After packing my world into two bags I strapped everything onto Dory and said some final thanks and goodbyes. It’d been a fun trip that I enjoyed. I’m thinking of mentioning it to Samantha and the girls next year who may want to come out and give caving a try. Packed and ready off I went to the store to do some blogging. Darn, their wifi is down, so onward I go..
The ride home was cool, crisp and clear and thoroughly enjoyable. The mountain views, valleys, veggie and flower gardens all looked just a bit better in the coolness of the high pressure system that made it’s way in. As me and Dory glided down the backroads then roared onto the highway I felt the twang of not wanting to leave such a beautiful area. As I progressed I thought many things, as usual, while my senses were bathed in the wonders of nature. I must have had a smile on my face the entire way back ;-).
I stopped once for gas and to grab a sandwich at a big Wawa west of Frederick, MD. After a long 30-40 minute break, and some conversations from patrons passing by Dory, I threw a leg over the saddle and made a bee-line for home. After arriving I washed and dried my gear, clothes and dishes then finished some weekend chores. As I drifted towards sleep I recounted the short but fun weekend with friends out in nature… just the way it should be.
Travels: Jul 28 – 31, 2016
This road trip is dedicated to fearless Fred and the hardy bunch of motorcyclists I had the good fortune to meet some years ago in Marietta, Ohio. This well-traveled, experienced group of riders hail from many different parts of North America but come together for an annual ride at some beautiful destination throughout the country.
This year’s excursion will find us centered in Beckley, West Virginia for three days of comradery and riding pleasure in the hills and twisties of one of my favorite states. Stay tuned for more details…
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Day 1 – Heading Out
I was packed and on the road by 6:00am, heading out Rt-70 towards Harper’s Ferry then out to Winchester, WV. I decided to craft a country-roads route on the computer from my home to the hotel in Beckley, WV, then upload it to the GPS.
After a brief time on I-81 I took Rt-48 west then Rt-28 south through the mountains and Seneca Rocks (no stopping to climb Mark, lol) then on to Marlinton, WV for lunch at the Greenbrier Grille. The riding and views were great as there was a lot of twisty mountain roads on Rt-28. Dory just ate up the miles ;-)).
After a tasty lunch by a stream in Marlinton I followed the preset route to explore some more great roads before heading to my hotel In Beckley, WV. I expected nothing but rain and storms on this trip but didn’t get a drop today. I’m looking forward to seeing the guys and Friday’s ride…
After I got to the hotel I met up with some friends to catch up on the past happenings and talk about Friday & Saturday’s ride. The weather will play a big part of our weekend as it looks like storms every day. Not everyone is thrilled with the forecast and some decided to stay home. Although the rides would need to be more conservative I just enjoy getting out, rain or shine, and that’s what my rain gear is for anyway.
After dinner and drinks we decided that we’d reconvene at Friday’s breakfast to decide on Friday’s riding.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Day 2 – Friday’s Ride
After a nice breakfast at our hotel we decided to follow Saturday’s more interesting ride plan for the day. This was prompted by the unpredictability of the weather and the general feeling that Friday would be better than Saturday. While Phil and Nancy headed to the local golf course to play “18” (yes, they strap their golf bag to their motorcycle 🙂 the rest of us mounted up and headed out for the hills.
It felt so good be be out with the group again and being a very experienced group we tend to have spirited rides. While I can’t recount all the roads we were on (some of the group actually can) I will tell you that we were curving left and right, up and down and every conceivable combination of these movements. For a while the air was cool and I had a good time getting better acquainted with Dory up close and personal on some great roads. After a while we decided to stop for lunch at the same Greenbrier Grille that I visited the day before.
At the Grille we sat outside in view of the stream while enjoying some good food and fun conversation. After lunch we headed back to the mountains for more gliding through the hills. Although dark clouds were seen much of the day some ominous rain clouds grew up ahead in the direction we were traveling as we headed back to our hotel. Although my spidy-sense told me to pull over to don the rain gear we collectively decided to race the storm back. We lost and about 10 miles from the hotel it poured. So we all hunkered down behind our windshields and limped back. After a warm shower and some tumbling in the clothes dryer we were good to go (the clothes that is).
At dinner we talked about the day’s events and what’s on tap for Saturday. Due to the worsening weather part of the group decided to head back home Saturday. A handful of us decided to stay and give Saturday a try. Good thing we did as Saturday turned out to be another good riding day.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Day 3 – Saturday’s Ride
After a hearty breakfast and some weather talk those of us that stayed headed to New River Harley Davidson for coffee and “stuff”, taking the scenic way. We happened to catch an antique car show going on at the dealership which was a nice touch. After spending some time here we took the long route back to the hotel.
As we headed back we came to a strange stretch of great twisty road with fresh blacktop that appeared to be carved into the mountains. It had some steep walls and actually reminded me of roads out in the mid-west. It was the strangest road I’d seen in a good while. Good thing it hadn’t rained as fresh asphalt tends to be slippery when wet. I’ll have to ask one of the guys what that stretch of mountain was called to put it on my redo list. Scott may remember.
Continuing on we negotiated more twisties before arriving back at our hotel. After some cleanup we decided to hit the local Pizza Hut. After some great veggie pizza we walked back to the hotel and landed in the lounge for our evening recap of events and boy has it been eventful. After drinks and conversation I headed to my room to pack some things for an early Sunday return trip. I decided to head back with Bill, Leroy and Scott who were all heading north to points in PA and NY State.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Day 4 – Returning Home
After a 6:00am breakfast we did our final bike packing, fueled up and were off. It was a foggy, cool morning and I really enjoyed it. We generally headed up Rt19 and made our way to Rt79 heading towards Morgantown, WV. I enjoyed the leisurely pace and the great sweepers of Rt79. Eventually we stopped at the Pilot station near Morgantown to fuel up and say our goodbyes. We decided it’d been a good trip and looked forward to maybe taking a Fall ride.
As the group of three headed north up Rt79 I headed east on Rt68 back towards Baltimore. The heat started going up the further east I went, which is typical. As I made my way home I thought about the trip and how nice it was to get away. I thought about my daughters and how much they would enjoy trips like this. Although it drizzled a little on and off it never really rained on me. Amazing how much it rained everywhere but not much on me.
As I pulled into my home part of me wished I was still out there exploring in the hills. Ah well, I guess that’s what planning future trips is all about. Until the next ride… ~Dan
Join us to experience the greatest race on earth! The Race of Gentlemen is an automotive carnival that celebrates American racing heritage. A true homage to automobile and motorcycle history, hosted by the Oilers CC/MC. Spectators and racers alike will experience a simplier time of when guys were gentlemen and cars were king! Stultz & Green Productions will exhibit their hand-selected group of gentlemen, who will showcase their pre-war machines at the water’s edge on the beach of Wildwood, New Jersey. Commonly referred to as TROG for short, the carefully curated event will give you a history lesson and an unforgettable weekend, all rolled into one.
Race fans, hold onto your seats while vintage motorcycles and automobiles battle it out on the shore against the rising tides for your viewing pleasure. Indian, Harley Davidson, Excelcior, Ford, Dodge Brothers and more! An extraordinary display of why America’s love for vintage automotive will never fade. Do not miss your chance to see these fine men flog their jaw dropping machines on the sand, just like in days gone by. Come one, come all to watch in awe as they roar at the shore!
Friday, October 9, 2015
Depart for TROG in Wildwood, NJ
Friday, October 9, 2015
Arrived at our base hotel
This was an awesome motel right in the heart of Wildwood.
This was my first time for this event but I was intrigued by its old-time ambiance so here I am with friend Yu to check it out. One of the cool features in attending the TROG is the beach bonfire on Friday evening and this is a fun time to get to know some of the participants and spectators alike. I can honestly say that there were some very interesting folks here to race and enjoy the festivities. Oh… the bonfire was very nice too as they burned some large wood pallets and created quite the large fire. Fortunately there were some firefighters on hand in case things got out of control. It was a fun time.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
TROG
After a good breakfast we walked down to the official TROG location. There was a good coffee vendor on hand for some tasty brew then we were down to the beach for the races. There were car to car races, car to bike races and bike to bike races. The basic criteria though is that the cars be American made from 1934 or older. The bikes must be from 1947 or older, be American made and be hand shifted. There are other rules which you can find here: TROG Race Rules.
The races on the beach were fun to watch. The start-girl jumping up and down constantly was a sight to see too. Not sure how she could do all that jumping but she did. Besides the photos I posted I took a little video as well to give a sense of the races. It was very unique and a great break from the norm. There’s talk of some changes to the event and some input from the Harley Davidson MoCo itself. We’ll see how this all shakes out but if possible I’ll be back again.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Heading for home
This was a great place to spend a weekend at. As I ride towards home I have many thoughts and visions of such a unique event swimming through my mind. I’m looking forward to the next TROG.
This blog chronicles a ride with the Road King Riders to Murphy, NC (near the Tennessee border) for their 12th rendezvous. With about 100 riders listed this wonderful journey should take us to the Cherohala Skyway, the Tail of the Dragon and various points through the Great Smokey Mountains. I’m headed south to our base of operations hotel in Murphy, North Carolina.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Left home heading South
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Cherohala Skyway
The Cherohala Skyway is a 43-mile National Scenic Byway and National Forest Scenic Byway that connects Tellico Plains, Tennessee, to Robbinsville, North Carolina in the southeastern United States. It offered gentle cruising and some brisk paces as well. As always it will be a great, fun ride.
The ride was great! We cruised some as well as stepped up occasionally to a more brisk pace. The views were spectacular and I secretly wished that I had various members of my family to experience gliding through these endlessly gorgeous views with the aroma of honeysuckle dancing in my nose. I could ride this stretch of road forever.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Tail of the Dragon
Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap with 318 curves in 11 miles, is America’s number one motorcycle and sports car road.
Designated “US 129”, the road is bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest, with no intersecting roads or driveways to hamper your travel. It is considered “the destination” for thousands of motorcycle and sports car fans throughout the spring, summer, and fall. It’s best to be cautious as the turns are tight, but the Tail of the Dragon is guaranteed to be the ride of your life!
Deals Gap is a mountain pass along the North Carolina–Tennessee state line, bordering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and near the Little Tennessee River and is partly in Robbinsville, NC.
Our ride on this technical road was awesome as usual. Feeling extra fresh, after a good night sleep and hearty breakfast, I decided to ride The Dragon out and back instead of the “one way” ride that most do. With so many hair-pin turns in such a short area you must keep your whits about you in steering, clutching and braking as well as keep abreast of who’s around you. Every day riders go over the embankments, some of which drop 100 feet to the floor below and there have been deaths on The Dragon.
After a spirited ride going out I decided to grab a quick lunch then head back on The Dragon. While this trip in the opposite direction wasn’t all that different one of the local yellow-jackets decided to spice up my return trip with a kiss on my neck. Now, for those of you who don’t ride, picture handling a half-ton bike while clutching, shifting and braking on a narrow road with shear dropoffs. Suffice it to say there’s very little you can do while being stung without risk of serious injury or death. Those of us with decades riding experience know that besides a few swats on the offending bee handling the bike until you reach a safe area to pull over in “critical mission 1”.
After reaching the end of this leg of The Dragon I quickly parked the bike, pulled my jacket and shirt off and inspected the stings inflicted upon my neck. Fortunately I’m not allergic to bee stings and a local woman was nice enough to come over (to see what the ruckus was about) and help apply some medicine to the area. I had some nice thoughts buzzing in my head as I entered the Dragon store to purchase some important memorabilia. After my purchases I was off to meet the group for a BBQ lunch.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Parting Goodbyes
It was an awesome trip with a great group of friends. Now I’m packing and planning to shove off towards home right after breakfast tomorrow. As usual, I’m sure I’ll have a lot to think about on the 650 mile journey home.
Dan's Harley Travels 