Riding Through Summer to Spring Fling - PA to VA

Morton's BMW in Fredericksburg, VA has put on the Spring Fling rally in Natural Bridge, VA for the past six years. I've heard good things about this rally and planned to attend this year on my R1150RT. I was going to meet fellow Forum member Bluehole (Fred) on his R75/5 west of Richmond and ride to the rally with him and share a room at the Natural Bridge Hotel. At least I'd know one person there.

I was to leave this past Thursday and on Monday I thought I'd take one last shakedown ride. I thought the bike seemed a little sluggish when I was moving it around my garage, and discovered a flat rear tire.

&%$#*&!!

I pulled what looked like part of a drill bit out of the rear tire.



I plugged the tire, rode to my local dealer and threw myself on the mercy of their busy service department. A big thanks to Montgomeryville Cycle for getting a new set of tires mounted for me and making my rally trip a go.

Day 1: SE Pennsylvania to Southern MD



I was going to take two days to get to the rally from my home in SE Pennsylvania and take two days to return through West Virginia. For a bit of a change, this would be a hotel-only trip with no camping - packing was certainly easier. The first night would be spent in southern MD at my brother's place.

Thursday morning was sunny and warm. The forecast for the next two days was temps around 90 after being in the 60s and 70s the past week or so. Spring would turn to summer.

I rolled the bike out to the driveway and filled my camelback with plenty of ice water for the hot ride ahead.



My route was to take me down the eastern shore of MD, across the Chesapeake Bay and down the western shore of the bay to just above the Potomac River.

I left around 9am and slowly rode the tail end of rush hour into Delaware. The portion along the Delaware River was actually quite pleasant as the river noticeably cooled the surrounding air. I crossed into MD and got off the interstate.

The eastern shore of MD has a lot of interesting little towns and my first stop was in Chesapeake City on the C&D canal. The bridge over the canal has to be tall enough for large ships to pass as they move from Chesapeake Bay to Delaware Bay.



The bridge really looms over the town.





After walking around a bit, I headed south over the Bohemia River - there are many rivers on the eastern shore, but they're really just tidal arms of the Bay - and stopped at Old Bohemia Church.



The original mission was founded here in 1704 and the church was built in 1797. It's a great location to spend time walking around, even in the heat.

I continued south crossing the Sassafras and Chester Rivers and passing through Galena, Chestertown and Centreville, all towns worth a longer look.

The eastern shore of MD is quite flat, but is still a place I like to spend time.



South of Centreville I turned west to Kent Island. Before crossing the Bay Bridge, I went to Love Point at the northern end of the island hoping for a view of the bay, but it was all private property so I turned back and headed for the Bay Bridge.

The Bay Bridge is about five miles long and joins Kent Island with the western shore of MD just above Annapolis. Many years ago it was a single span bridge and traffic was horrendous. It's now has a second span and westbound traffic does not have to pay a toll.

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/218709174" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/218709174">Crossing the Chesapeake Bay</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user11114127">Terence Hamill</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

I hit heavier traffic and plenty of stoplights as I made my way south. I was always thankful when I got moving again. I stopped for a late, quick lunch and to get a little air conditioning. I soon found myself in Solomons, an interesting little town at the mouth of the Patuxent River. It's a great place to watch the sailboats.



I headed out of town and over the Patuxent River Bridge.



I passed through Lexington Park - home to the impressive Patuxent NAS - and continued south to Dameron. I arrived at my brother's house on St Jeromes Creek around 4 and took a nice long, cold shower.

Sitting creekside sipping a cold beer watching the sun set capped a great day.



My lapsed BMW-riding brother is the one who got me into BMWs many years ago. He has since gone over to the dark side.

I turned in as I had an early start planned for tomorrow.

Great pics

Day 2: Dameron, MD to Natural Bridge, VA



I was up at 5:30, made a light breakfast and watched the osprey and martins do their thing.



The forecast was for another hot day but there was a cool breeze coming off the creek. I had four hours of riding time ahead of me to Dillwyn, VA, where I was to meet Fred and we were meeting at noon. I pushed off at 6:30 before my brother and SIL had gotten up.



The thing I like about this part of MD is that it's a dead end, being hemmed in by the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. It makes for generally light traffic, but to get anywhere you have to backtrack.

Whenever I'm in the area, I always stop at nearby St Marys City, the site of the original MD colony. A replica of the historic town is slowly being constructed. I stopped at the state house.



The St Marys River in front of St Marys College is a popular place to drop anchor.



I headed northwest to cross the Potomac River on the 301 bridge. It was a beautiful morning to be riding through southern MD.



In no time I had crossed into VA and stopped at a wayside rest area.

The early bird was putting his worm to good use.



I continued south and then west towards Fredericksburg. Riding route 17 was great fun. I managed to get through Fredericksburg, stopped for a snack for my second breakfast and continued on.

I briefly stopped at the Chancellorsville Battlefield, but time was short and I moved on. VA 20 south of Gordonsville was especially scenic.

I gassed up near Charlottesville and headed south to Scottsville, on the banks of the James River. Fred had sent me a picture of a flooded Main St after Hurricane Agnes. It looks much different today.



I rode the final stretch of VA 20 into Dillwyn where Fred and his beautiful 1972 R75/5 were waiting for me.



The four hour trip had turned into six hours. I don't know how that happens.

We headed west on US 60. Fred led the way since he rides this area often and has "local knowledge" of the best roads in the area. He chose well!



I think PA has lots of historical markers, but I think VA takes the award for roadside markers. History happens, I guess.

We stopped near the geographic center of VA.



We stopped in Amherst for lunch - $2 hot dogs with free toppings! I'll take two please.

Fred knows every E0 gas station around so we filled up with E0 and pushed on since it looked like it might rain.

I've been sworn to secrecy over which roads we took , but will say VA 130 into Glasgow was the highlight of the day.

We pulled into the Natural Bridge Hotel around 3 and checked in. The skies had cleared and we had a nice view to the east.



Tire kicking was next on the agenda.



Friday night was the brats and beer dinner outside on the lawn of the hotel. It was a great way to wind down the day.

It had been a hot day riding but I had a blast. I usually travel alone but always enjoy having company on the road and enjoy smaller, regional rallies.

I looked forward to riding the local roads tomorrow.

Day 3: Loop Ride



The forecasted overnight rains didn't happen and the morning was still a little warm. We had planned to ride a large loop today with no real destination in mind. We headed out after a pancake breakfast.

We wanted to head over to the Blue Ridge Parkway so headed back to Glasgow and the town's dinosaur.



VA 130 was just as much fun in the opposite direction and took us to the BRP.



We headed south, crossing the James River and starting the climb to Peaks of Otter.



At Thunder Ridge we stopped to admire the view and hike a very, very, very short section of the Appalachian Trail. Thru Hikers we are not.



We stopped at Peaks of Otter for a little bit but Fred was ready to go.



We exited the BRP at VA 43 and rode to Buchanan. Any road leading away from the BRP is downhill and curvy. I find in some stretches the curves come at you fast and it tends to overload my senses. I'm not complaining though!

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/218784175" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/218784175">BRP and VA 43</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user11114127">Terence Hamill</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

We stopped briefly in Buchanan and decided to keep riding VA 43 and headed over to Eagle Rock and stopped at the Iron Furnaces.



Using his local knowledge, Fred led me off the beaten path, and the paved path , to a crossroads church. It was a really nice spot to rest in the shade, since it was getting a bit warm.





We continued north and luckily ended up on Douthat Park Rd. We were looking for a place to eat without much luck, and rode past a restaurant in the State Park. We had a good lunch out of the heat overlooking the lake.

After lunch we continued north through the park. I love this type of road - no center line, little traffic and lots of shade.





Since we didn't want to get back to the hotel too late, we headed back through Lexington and Buena Vista, getting back around 3.

I didn't want to be in Natural Bridge and not see the Natural Bridge, so we walked across the street and paid our $8 to enter. I didn't quite know what to expect, but thought the Natural Bridge was pretty amazing and was bigger than I thought it would be. It was a nice place to spend some time.



We headed back to the hotel to get ready for the Saturday night dinner. The skies were getting darker and there were flashes of lightning around. Several groups of riders came in and were positively giddy to have just beaten the rain. A pretty heavy rain hit.



The dinner was a sit down buffet and quite nice. Keith Thye talked about his two "adventure" rides from Oregon to Chile. The two rides were 50 years apart. I don't have any desire to do that kind of traveling but really enjoy hearing from those that have done it. Fred's evening was capped off with him winning a very nice battery charger that was one of the many door prizes.



We took one more tour around the parking lot to check out the bikes and turned in.

Sunday was Starting For Home Day.

Very nice Terence, as usual.

Did you meet any Jersey Boys ? I know there were at least a few attending.

There were a few Jersey Shore Riders there and lots of Jersey plates. I guess you guys were busy with your own rally.

Saturday evening the wind was blowing and the sky was dark. A group on New Jersey riders returned minutes before the rain arrived. I remember one guy on a K1300S being particularly exuberant over beating the rain. That was one happy group of guys.

Day 4: Natural Bridge, VA to Elkins, WV



With yesterday's rains had come much cooler temperatures. After eating breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we headed out. Our plan was to ride the BRP north to Waynesboro, have lunch and then go our separate ways.

I had all my layers on as we headed out. I was thankful I had ordered a rally tee shirt, since I was now wearing it as an extra layer. We headed back to Glasgow and picked up VA 130 for the climb up and over the mountain ridge.



We picked up the BRP where we had yesterday but headed north rather than south. It was even chillier at the higher elevation. Traffic was very light and if we ran into slower traffic, we'd pull into an overlook and wait a few minutes. The BRP is one of my favorite roads with no traffic lights, few intersections, nice scenery and a reasonable speed limit (45 MPH). From time to time we stopped to admire the views.





As we neared the end of the Parkway, we swapped bikes. I have a 1971 R75/5 at home and Fred used to have a Piedmont Red R1150RT.



It was a blast riding a short wheel base /5 through the curves. I think it was better in the curves than the RT. I was a bit chillier without any wind protection, but really enjoyed the ride.

In too short a time we arrived at the end of the Parkway and rode into Waynesboro. We had an early lunch at a Panera. I warmed up with soup and coffee.



After lunch Fred headed east towards Richmond and I headed west towards West Virginia. I've ridden with Fred a couple of times before and really enjoyed this trip with him. I'm sure we'll ride together again.

bluehole said:

Saturday evening the wind was blowing and the sky was dark. A group on New Jersey riders returned minutes before the rain arrived. I remember one guy on a K1300S being particularly exuberant over beating the rain. That was one happy group of guys.

Click to expand...

And then there was the VA couple at our table who had NOT made it back in time.

I always find it a little odd setting off alone after having ridden with company for a few days. It takes a little time for me to adjust to "solo mode".

I worked my way around to the west side of Staunton and picked up US 250. I had ridden this road a couple of years ago with Fred and wanted to do it again. Just about any road heading west in this part of VA is a good road to ride. US 250 is no exception with the road going up and over a series of ridges and down into the valleys between.

In no time I reached the first climb.





In this part of VA, the roads aren't really "as the crow flies".



As you can see, the heavy rains of the previous evening had washed a lot of debris onto the roads. I treated blind corners with much respect.

There are a series of towns along 250 and most are pretty small.



I stopped on one of the ridge tops to admire the view west of Monterey.



While I was there, a young guy in a truck pulled up and told me he had grown up in that valley and pointed out his grandfather's farm. He suggested I ride up Bluegrass Valley to Bluegrass. It sounded like a good idea to me.

I rode down into the valley and just as promised, there was sign at the intersection pointing to Bluegrass.



I had the time so took the detour. I love this kind of road with no traffic and nice scenery. I learned a long time ago to listen to the locals when they make a suggestion.



I turned around before reaching Bluegrass and returned to 250. It wasn't long before I reached West Virginia and Thornwood, where I turned north on WV 28. I was headed for Spruce Knob, the highest point in WV.

WV 28 is my kinda road - little traffic, tree-lined with straightaways joined by sweeping curves and not very technical. I love to get in a rhythm riding this type of road.

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/218829694" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/218829694">Riding WV 28</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user11114127">Terence Hamill</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

West Virginia is a great place to ride!



Just past Judy Gap I followed the signs to Spruce Knob.

It's all uphill to get there.



I finally made it to the top and there were only a few other people there.



I like when a state's highest peak is accompanied by the state's highest parking lot! The walk to the observation tower was not too far.



What a view!



You can pay top dollar for this hairstyle or just wear a motorcycle helmet all day.



The ride down was just as much fun.



I still had a little ways to go, so headed for Elkins. I passed Seneca Rocks but didn't stop, knowing I'd be back tomorrow.

The ride from Seneca Rocks to Elkins on US 33 was a great way to end the day. I pulled into my hotel around 5 just as it started to sprinkle. Good timing on my part.

There isn't much open on a Sunday evening in Elkins, but I found a Subway for dinner within walking distance of the hotel.



Tomorrow would be a long day so I turned in.

Day 5: Elkins, WV to Home



The forecast for the ride home called for rain, but I awoke to dry skies. From the radar it looked like the bulk of the rain was to the east, so I figured I'd catch up to it at some point. Since it was "going-home day", I didn't really care if I got wet.

I packed up and left around 7, just as it started to sprinkle.

A damp US 219 was my route north out of town.

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/218833601" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/218833601">Riding US 219 in WV</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user11114127">Terence Hamill</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

I was grateful to the driver who flashed his headlights at me as I soon came upon a cruiser hiding in the weeds.

There are times when I route myself mainly to get from point A to point B and I don't really know anything about the route I've chosen and all I can say is it got me from point A to point B. Then there are times I have blind luck and end up picking a gem of a road that turns out to be a fantastic road.

Not knowing anything about WV 72, I picked a winner.



I soon saw signs that the road narrowed ahead, there was loose gravel on the road and that the road was not appropriate for trucks. They had my interest!



Further on the road became quite twisty as it followed the river bed below the road.



I didn't think it'd get much better and then I ended up on this road.



Not a bad way to start my day.

The rain became heavier around Canaan Valley so I stopped to put on my rain jacket and continued over the Seneca Rocks.



By this time, the rain had stopped and it was starting to warm up a little so I took off my rain jacket and headed north to Petersburg on a different section of WV 28 than I had been on yesterday.





Past Moorefield I picked up WV 55 and headed east. I like to see how mountainsides can be cut away for a road.



I was soon back into VA and took backroads to cut north to US 50.



Skirting Winchester, I stopped for a quick bite and headed north to Martinsburg in the WV Panhandle. When I exited the highway I stopped at an auto parts store to buy another quart of oil. I've owned the RT for a year and don't really know its previous history, but it sure seems to consume a lot of oil. I took a quart with me on this trip and had to stop for more.

I was on my way to Antietam Battlefield and stopped in Sheperdstown, WV to look around a little. Many of the wounded from Antietam were treated in this town. It's a pretty town on the banks of the Potomac River.





I crossed the Potomac and stopped on the Maryland side of the river.



From there it was a short ride through Sharpsburg to the Antietam Battlefield.



The rain was holding off, so I decided to spend some time there. I always find it a bit sobering to wander around Civil War battle sites. It's hard to imagine what occurred here since the rolling hills look so peaceful. The battlefield is fairly compact and I followed the auto tour starting at Dunker Church, stopping along the way.

Poffenberger Farm.



Mumma Farm.



Sunken Road (Bloody Lane).



Burnside Bridge.



I would've liked to have stayed longer but I was still several hours from home. The final three hours was interstate riding. I thought I would get caught in the rain but was lucky to keep missing the showers. I rode damp roads that clearly had had a recent rain. Around 6:30 I pulled into my garage. Before unpacking I had a celebratory cold beer.



I had a great trip but was happy to be home. I'm headed to Salt Lake City in July for the National but won't start thinking about that for a while.

Time to rest.

Nice ride! Thanks for sharing.