Departs early AM on Thursday June 22nd, returns after sundown on Sunday June 25th

This is a trip for people who live to ride. You will need to be here in West Chester, PA by late Wednesday for orientation and loading. You will B&B at my place so we can start out just before dawn on Thursday. We will ride 100 miles at a shot, stopping to fill the tanks and switch bikes. In this manner, you will get to sample every bike on the trip at least once. Also, the variation in seating positions and pressure points will help prevent soreness, while the different control locations will keep you mentally alert. You will need all the help you can get, because we plan to ride, ride, ride; taking advantage of these, the longest days of the year.

The route from SE Pennsylvania follows back roads south and east, avoiding highways and heavy traffic like the plague. We’ll use every trick in the book to stray far from the beaten track, including obsolete ferry crossings (www.poolesville.com) (www.millersburg.com) and maybe even a few short dirt roads. Once we sneak around the Front Royal, Virginia tourist trap, things get even more interesting. Route 55 crosses over the high passes into West Virginia, meandering west and south through high speed switch backs, following rivers and valleys connecting tiny towns and mountain peaks, climbing and descending via torturous hair pins.

We don’t really know how far we will get this first day, but we have a lot of daylight to burn, and we should cover some 300 or 350 miles, stopping frequently for gas, for meals, for amusement, or just to admire the scenery. At somewhere like Elkins, West Virginia where there is an excellent hot tub waiting, or really wherever or hearts desire, we will seek lodging for the night. We will let the conditions, the motorcycles, and our tired bodies dictate the exact stopping point. There is no schedule, no reservations, only the road.

On Friday, we try for another early departure, but we are not on any fixed schedule, so first order of business is a hearty breakfast. We should make our way to Fayetteville, West Virginia to explore the New River Gorge and the bridge that spans it. At 4/5 mile in length, and nearly 900 feet above the river, it is the second longest single span bridge on the planet, and the second highest bridge in the USA. We can cross it in one minute, and we will, but we will also follow the original narrow road through the gorge which takes 45 minutes. How about a cool swim? This is truly a beautiful part of West Virginia, and there are no roads except beautiful roads for miles and miles, in every direction. Lodging is again left unreserved, we loosely plan to stay near Bluefield before turning back north on Saturday.

The return trip follows the Appalachian Ridge and Shenandoah Valley through Virginia backcountry: surprisingly remote and amazingly beautiful. We will parallel the Blue Ridge Parkway on smaller less used roads, and depending on progress, choose a stopover point in the general vicinity of Harrisonburg, the halfway point. Sunday will bring us home, but not before the thrill of more back roads through northern Virginia and West Virginia which bring us to the fascinating Paw Paw Tunnel.

Finally, we cross Maryland’s panhandle before turning east to follow the remnants of the old Lincoln Highway back to West Chester, where a pleasant hot tub with cold beer and snacks are waiting.

COST FOR TRIP: $1300