April 29, 2023
Hello Friends,
We rode a 400 km long roller coaster today!
We boarded the ride in New York State, rolled through Pennsylvania and didn't get off until we were in Virginia. Join us!
Welcome to day two of the Tail of the Dragon Tour.
Muzzy, Spike and I woke up in our warm hotel room this morning and watched the rain fall outside in a chilly 8°, Corning morning.
Without delay, we headed to the complimentary breakfast. The powdered eggs, meat like sausage and gravy grits were just awful! What a First World Problem, eh? Nevertheless, with the bad weather, and this breakfast, it wasn't a great start to the day. Then it got worse. A fella claiming to be an ex-Army Ranger, and Green beret, lectured us on the virtues of American foreign policy. He got so worked up that he was shaking and then he stormed out of the hotel. It was very sad. I really hoped the day would improve soon.
Normally, we are early birds but today we delayed our departure until 9:00, in the hopes of better weather. But no luck for us this morning with Mother Nature. At 9:00, it was only 9° and still raining, but as always, the day was dramatically better once we were on the bikes.We were riding in a light rain and some fog, but all of that went unnoticed because we were quickly on some of the most beautiful roads ever. The Pennsylvania state line was not far and the road and scenery were remarkable across that border. We followed brilliant roads all morning before stopping for lunch. We rode through the beautiful towns, like Lock Haven and traversed the Tioga State Forest. It was so beautiful that I could cry.
Some time around mid-day, we stopped somewhere and had a great lunch at some diner. I don't do the diner, or the town, justice. It was nice there but the 3 of us were so mesmerized by the amazing roads that we didn't notice the town or restaurant name. When we left the diner the weather had improved . The rain had stopped, and the temperature was already 15°.
Then we discovered Pennsylvania Route 655. It may be shocking for you to hear, but PA655 may be the greatest route that I have ever experienced. I know that I say that every trip but this time I mean it. Seriously! We rode for hours up and down mountains, followed rushing rivers and rolled through hilly farmland. It was so great that I couldn't stop smiling in my helmet. In fact, I smiled so much that my cheeks actually got sore. Truly brilliant!
Beautiful towns and villages rolled by all day until we reached the prettiest of them all, Front Royal, Virginia. Front Royal is a gorgeous town and it is the north gate to the Shenandoah National Park and the Skyline Drive. We were basking in the glow of the afternoon sunshine and the experiences of a great day when we picked up some salad, rice, beans and sausage meat to cook up a feast at the campsite. The day kept getting better as we checked the Shenandoah River State Park website and found that there were campsites available and no reservations were necessary. That's a WIN!
Unfortunately, when we got to the park, there was a sign that said the campsite was full and reservations were required! WTF Bureau of State Parks! Dudes, update your website!
It was late, already approaching 8:00 and we were tired, hungry and in the middle of nowhere!
But today was not a day for misfortune, only positivity. We had passed a small sign for a private campground, so we circled back 10km to look for a place to sleep. The campground was called Gooney's Campground. The place was a bit of a HillBilly mess but it was right on a river and importantly mostly empty. We set up camp and cooked a great dinner and then watched the Leaf's historic victory on Spike's phone!
Today we rode a 400 km rollercoaster from New York to Virginia, discovered the beauty of Pennsylvania and the Leafs erased two decades of playoff futility! What an amazing day!
We were off to bed with smiles and in no way put off by the forecast for rain soon and to continue all night and into the morning. Nothing could dampen my spirits after the combinations of the Leafs moving onto the second round and the best day of riding ever.
Tomorrow we will ride the renowned Skyline drive. Join us!
Goodnight from the Shenandoah Valley.
I love you all. Tonight, I especially love the Toronto Maple Leafs!
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10 сен 2024
