Road Trip 2015

[SteveM]

After a slight delay due to self-inflicted rib injury, a new puppy and painting the front of the house, the 2015 road trip finally started today.

Road trip 2015 - Day 1 – The objective was simple, get out of town and get some distance in to start the trip. Left at 5:42 AM, arrived in Connecticut for stop at about 8:00 AM after 150 miles. It is a beautiful morning and by 11:00 I’ve hundred miles later I'm at the Thomas Edison service plaza on the New Jersey Turnpike. Everything has been smooth except for the tedium of getting over the George Washington Bridge in NYC, which was its usual traffic nightmare plus one lane closed!

New Jersey turnpike took me south and then I headed west and spotted signs for Jenkintown, PA. I just had to go there and represent Boston to the JTP (If you watch The Goldbergs you get it). It was really hot, so I crashed for an hour at the Barnes & Noble in Willow Grove, PA and cooled off with an iced green tea and a cookie. Then it was onto Breezewood, PA, which is really nothing more than a major intersection of N/S and E/W interstates, a giant hole of cheap, semi-murdery motels and fast food.

However, less than ¼ mile off the strip is rolling hill farm country and I labored through a 3.5 mile run to get the blood flowing again. Slogging runs like this after a long day of riding always remind me of Robert Parker’s Spenser pushing himself alng the Charles River to shake out the cobwebs.
Dinner at the only non-chain, a sports bar that initially looked desperately in need of John Taffer’s Bar Rescue, but turned it around with a surprisingly good sirloin, brown rice and green beans. Gotta love a place that adds bacon to the green beans!

Wandering west tomorrow at a slower pace with pictures to come!

[Rosco61]

Awesome!

[carsick]

Keep it comin', sounds good so far!

[SteveM]

Tentative plan for tomorrow, destination is mountain city, tn, with most of the riding in the Monongahela, Washingtin and Jefferson national forests. Should be a good picture day at a more relaxed pace.

[SteveM]

Day 2 – A foggy morning with temps in the low 60’s. On the road by 6:44 and 100 miles to Mt. Storm Lake by 9:15 AM. Great two lane mountain roads, surrounded by forest. By 12 o'clock I've got 195 miles on the clock and I'm in Hustonville, West Virginia heading to Mountain City, Tennessee. A few showers and spectacular scenery ranging from thick forest top open, hilly farm land. A second 500+ mile day, most of it spent in WV.
Although this is a little cheesy, here’s a state count. Day 1 - Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Day 2 – Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee.
Day 3 – After 2 long days, Sunday will be a little more leisurely. I’m headed west through Knoxville, TN to Nashville, TN. After a breakfast of coffee and that southern staple, biscuits & gravy, I left at 8:00. Looking for two lane roads, I cruised along past the stunning Lake Watauga, headed to Johnson City where I passed East Tennessee State University and wondered if they need professors. After a short sting on something that can only be called “the Route 1 of Tennessee” due to its endless string of car dealers and chain restaurants, I ducked south on a few rural roads and ended up as Tusculum College at about 10:15, 75 miles into my day.
This is a beautiful spot, tree lined, old buildings, beautiful campus. I know nothing about it, but am again wondering if they need professors.
I reached Knoxville about noon. The market area / theater district is very nice, as some of the pictures show. I wandered around for about an hour or so and then hit the road for Nashville. The ride on I-40 was uneventful, a three hour, hot push chopped into 50 minute riding / 10 minute rest intervals, just like the “50 minute hour” we use in college. In Nashville I decided to live like a moderately comfortable grown-up, checking into the Sheraton downtown. After a 3.5 mile run around the Titans and Predators stadiums and a dip in the hotel pool, I’m showered and ready for a little country music (which I know NOTHING about).
Three day totals 25:45 rolling seat time, 1367.5 miles.

pictures are too big and a pain to load !!!

[bbhzx10]

Next time you're crossing the Hudson try the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.

[Imbeek]

Sweet, looking forward to the rest of the reports!


I'm totally jealous...

[Jaynnus]

Steve,

Tell Mr. Brooks that LP2015 is following along! Save travels to you both.