September Harley Trip

September 13 Rose jumped on a plane in TC and flew to Charleston, SC where Maeve met her and took Rose home to Lexington. Bob left later that morning from TC. A huge weather front was moving across Michigan just ahead of the other front created by Hurricane Ike. It rained hard from Kalkaska to Lansing and despite 4 stops in between to dry off the helmet visor it was raining too hard to keep the moisture out and the visor kept fogging over and the helmet lining was pretty much soaked. Visibility became a major problem and I stopped at the first place I could see just off Jolly Road in East Lansing at the Red Roof Inn. For traveler info...I don't recommend it!!

I feared the worst with Ike's front bearing down but the next morning the rain eased off and I made a run for LeighAnne's home in Plymouth. They had left for church and I planned to stay there until the front passed but it was not raining. I checked the radar and it looked like I could head east to Cleveland and go south from there and avoid the weather. It was a good decision. By Toledo the sun was out and it was hot so I shed the rain gear and never had rain after that for the next 2500 miles!

Much of the trip was spent on 2-lane highways going through small towns and interesting places. Most of the time I did not stop but logged them in memory to check on when I got home. I'll scatter some of the observations along the blog with internet links highlighting some information about the location. I was struck several times by the tough times that small towns are obviously having and the pockets of enormous wealth scattered along the way.

I stayed with Maeve and Aaron in Lexington Sept 15-18 and, as you can see from the following photos, we relaxed a bit.

"I'm exhausted!"

"Aren't you gone yet?"
September 19 I headed towards the Blue Ridge Parkway. Rose, Maeve and Aaron headed to Charleston for Rose's plane back to Michigan and a nice weekend for Maeve and Aaron. I planned to ride from Asheville, NC but about 20 miles of the parkway was closed due to repairs so I headed east and got on just beyond the repairs at Little Switzerland, NC and stayed at the Switzerland Inn. They had several buildings and it is literally a couple hundred yards off the parkway. One building was dedicated to motorcyclists. As you can see from the next 3 photos it is a pretty nice spot.
The Smokies were smokey with clouds all the time
A hard right just after this curve was the entrance to the Switzerland Inn.
Sept 20 was cool, foggy and very low clouds. This is as good as it got until mid-afternoon and 80 miles east on the Parkway.
Lots of history along the way.

I wanted to get a photo of this bridge but it was very, very foggy so I settled for the info. I met a group of 6 bicyclists who were on a "short little daytrip of 40 miles."

One of the 3 things I wanted to stop and see on this segment of the Blueridge was the Blowing Rock (Grandfather Mountain and the swinging bridge were a bust due to the weather as was any chance to see the Linn Cove Viaduct). To the right is a beautiful valley but you get the idea of the weather conditions. The little village of Blowing Rock is quite the tourist town and obviously pricey but very picturesque.

Boone, NC is just a few miles from Blowing Rock and the home of Applachian State University. I had a class several years ago with a professor who worked there and he raved about the town and the location. Although the post office needs some work as you can see, the town was pretty nice and reminded me of Athens, Ohio and Ohio University where Maeve did her master's.

Late afternoon on the 21st the sun was out and the lower elevations revealed the beautiful rolling hills of this section of the Blueridge.

It may be a 20 minute walk but it was one that had me winded but the view was worth the walk. This sign refers to the geological feature known as the "Alligator Back" formation of rock.

Taken from the overlook noted above. It's a neat view of how the Blueridge Parkway literally follows the ridgeline in many places.

Had to prove I was there!

An unplanned stop but very glad I did. Harper's Ferry and the John Brown incident did much to start the Civil War. It's also a very beautiful place.

A living example of a Civil War encampment.

Potomac and Shenandoah rivers converge

History abounds in this area

A cannon ball was found in this wall of the original tavern structure. Of course I had to sample a locally made brew!

Original steps at Harper's Ferry where so many famous historical figures of our country walked.

Maeve and Aaron...you can really see the Confederate Roots!

I've always wanted to visit Gettysburg. Very humbling to think over 50,000 died in this single battle!

One of dozens of monuments and markers on the battlefield near Cemetery Hill that commemorated specific regiments who made their stand.

Imagine foot soldiers charging up this hill under canon and rifle fire.

Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at or near this very spot.

The only photo I could take of the York, PA Harley Davidson assembly plant. I went on the tour and was very impressed.

After leaving York, PA I traveled north through Harrisburg and then got on US 15 north that followed the Susquehanna River for about 25 miles. The river was wide and rocky all the way. Again what struck me was how run down the area was in general.

I passed through Williamsport on the way to my stay for the night in Mansfield, PA. (Williamsport was incorporated as a city on January 15, 1866. The city is the original home of Little League Baseball, founded in 1939 as a three-team league. The Little League Museum was just recently completed in the city.
In the late 1800s Williamsport was known as "The Lumber Capital of the World" because of its thriving lumber industry. It also was the birthplace of the national newspaper Grit in 1882. Williamsport once had more millionaires per-capita than anywhere in the world. The area's local high school, the Williamsport Area High School, uses The Millionaires as its mascot.)

One part of the trip in Pennsylvania was to traverse part of US 6 known as "The Grand Army of the Republic Highway." It crosses PA east/west in the north and is absolutely beautiful country. One of the spots I want to visit was just west of Wellsboro, the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania

This trail, called the Turkey Path, was indeed a bit strenuous!

This was actually a pretty easy trail.

The incinerator built by CCC's in the 1930's

Imagine the colors in another two weeks

The steep trail mentioned earlier takes you down to this river.

Here is the river that is at the bottom of the photo above.

Typical rock formations on the trail down At the bottom. This trail goes through the canyon for about 40 miles.

On the way west through Pennsylvania I stayed in Bradford just before entering New York state. While riding around town I noticed a sign atop a building that said, "Zippo lighters" and learned that Zippos were manufactured there.

On the way through New York state I passed through Ellicottville. I had come through quite a bit of farm country and areas that looked pretty poor. Then came this booming little town with new condos being built everywhere. The contrast struck me and it also hit me that this would be a real snowbelt just east of Buffalo.

Ever since Mom and Dad visited Niagara Falls, Canada when I was a little boy I wanted to see the place. Dad had taken lots of pictures and I remembered them telling stories about it. I actually came at the area from the wrong bridge but the route took me along the Niagara River and I saw the Floral Clock that Dad took a photo of so long ago. A smile spred across my face and I stopped to take a picture but then decided, "No picture will be the same as Dad's," and rode on by.

Niagara Falls, Ontario. I had no idea it was this developed! After viewing the falls I stopped under the tower you see and visited the casino. I actually came away with about $20 more!

Horseshoe Falls

Niagara Falls

One of my goals this summer was to place Dad's ashes in all of the Great Lakes. What follows is a recap of where his spirit and body now reside.

Lake Superior literally at the tip of the Keewenaw Peninsula

Lake Michigan just south of Sleeping Bear Dunes

Lake Ontario at Hamilton, Ontario

Lake Erie at Port Stanley, Ontario

Lake Huron at Harbor Beach where he so enjoyed fishing for salmon.

It was a great trip! I stopped in Harbor Beach as my last stop before returning home. Debbie and Steve Oglenski graciously agreed to house and feed me with a one night notice by my call from Ontario. I was also able to have a visit with our friends John and Juli Mausolf and got to meet their grandchildren and daughter Beth who was a classmate of our oldest daughter LeighAnne. Memories came swarming back as our experience in Harbor Beach will always remain one of my fondest.

A patient and giving wife who got me started back on the motorcycle and agrees to these trips is wonderful! This trip of 2,888 miles through 9 states and Ontario with one day of rain and not even one close call on the bike makes me think, and know, I'm a lucky man.