Oops! Another trip to the Honda Store!

DAY 11, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2012

WOW!  My eyes opened and I stretched in bed.  I was rested, refreshed and ready for the day.  I went to the bathroom and returned to the bed and sat down.  I looked to my left to look at the clock and it read, “1:01 AM!”  I couldn’t believe it.  I figured that I had a bonus and another 5 ½ hours of sleep.  I went back to sleep and woke up, again, at 6:26 AM, just before the alarm sounded.  The alarm finally sounded, but I was already up.  Jan got up soon after.  We got dressed, packed and I took a couple of bags downstairs to my Motor.  I took the cover off, folded it and put it away.  The bags were then put in their proper place.  Jan was downstairs with me doing the same with his bags and Motor.  We went to the breakfast room where, again, we were the only ones there from our Group.  As we were eating, Ken and the others arrived, except for J.B.  He is an early riser and had been there for breakfast at 6 AM, and was alone for about 20 minutes.  We were all done eating and all went to finish packing our Motors and checking out.  My Motor was all packed, as was J.B.’s.  J.B. needed to go to Wal-Mart so I rode over with him.  No silly!  I took my own Motor.  I didn’t ride WITH him!  J.B needed to buy some eye drops and I needed to buy some vitamins.  I need them after getting to bed late and getting up early.  We returned to the hotel and the guys and most were ready.  We left at 8:18 AM with Bruce in the lead.

Bruce led us south to the Skyline Drive and we were headed northbound.  It was a clear day with no rain in the forecast.  That is my Dewey Hopper impersonation for the day.  We got on the Skyline Drive and came up to the Guard Shack.  Bruce spoke with the Guard and soon he flagged us to go around him and enter the Drive.  Off we went!  We rode for 34 miles and at 9:02 AM we stopped at the Oak Overlook to check out the view.  There were a few workers there with the mowers.  They were working on them.  We looked at the view and took several pictures.  I saw Bruce walk north of us a ways and jump over the rock wall.  I wonder what he is doing.  Knowing Bruce, I knew!  We left at 9:16 AM.

We didn’t go far.  We only rode for 5 miles and stopped at 9:22 AM at the Big Meadows Visiting Center.  Bruce, Ken, Greg, C.E. and J.B. all parked in front, facing the building.  Jan, Chuck and I parked behind them in another row, facing them with the aisle between us.  The complex had restrooms, coffee and a gift shop.  Chuck had some coffee and later stated that it was “nasty.”  He only drank about half a cup and threw the rest away.  Some bought stuff and then all went to do our pit stop.  As we were getting ready to leave, Greg, C.E., Ken and J.B. backed out without any problem.  Bruce, on the other hand, was a short distance…Hey! I’m not making fun of Bruce’s height for saying, “a short distance!”…from the parking cement block and tried to turn right and get away.  Unfortunately, his front tire touched the block and he was stuck!  He couldn’t back up, nor could he ride over the block.  Jan and J.B. had to get off of their Motors and go and help Bruce back up his Motor so that he could get clear of the cement block and ride away from the parking stall.  Chuck  and I were on our Motors laughing at the situation. That’s how we are. Chuck got his camera out and took a picture of Jan and J.B. pushing Bruce.  After Bruce was unstuck, we left at 11:03 AM. 

We rode the Skyline for a while, riding behind some very slow moving cars.  One car, in particular, slowed to 15 mph at times.  We were motioning him to pull over and to let us pass.  Eventually, he got the hint and moved over.  As we were riding, I was the last in line with Jan in front of me.  I saw Jan run over a 2 to 3 foot snake.  It was alive before it was run over.  I’m sure that it was dead after receiving two Harley tire prints!  We continued on and, later, Chuck told us that he saw two, small deer on the right side a short distance from the roadway.  Soon after Chuck saw the deer, we all slowed almost to a stop.  Everyone in front of me was pointing to the right.  Apparently, they saw a bear cub running up a hill.  I didn’t.  Funny, I told the guys that I saw a giraffe, water buffalo, hippo and a platypus by the side of the road.  Why don’t they believe me!  They were there, AND they were playing cards and drinking coffee!  They still don’t believe me!  We rode for another 47 miles and stopped at 10:46 AM at the Massanutton Overlook.  We took a few pictures and were being bothered by gnats!  We finally left at 11:03 AM, and it wasn’t soon enough!

We continued on and, soon, we were riding out of the Skyline Drive.  We drove past the Guard Shack and into the city of Front Royal, VA.  We had ridden for 6 miles and at 11:12 AM, we stopped at the parking lot of a Super 8 Motel.  Bruce needed direction from Chuck.  We left at 11:17 AM.

Bruce led us through West Virginia on I-81.  As we were on I-81, northbound, Ken’s package on the passenger seat was coming unraveled.  The cover was flapping in the wind.  Just before we got to Exit 309, Ken started to slow, put his right turn signal on and started moving to the right to stop by the side of the road to fix his package.  NOT THAT PACKAGE!  The package on the passenger seat!  As he was slowing, Bruce was in the lead, then Ken, Greg applied his brakes hard and C.E. went one step further.  C.E. locked his front brake.  J.B., Chuck, Jan and I came to a controlled stop.  As we were slowing, I was watching C.E.’s front tire from behind and under his Motor.  There was a lot of smoke coming from his tire.  I first thought that his front tire had blown; however, it was just the braking.  I got to admit, C.E. did a great job controlling his Motor.  After we were all stopped, it was 11:38 AM and we had ridden for 25 miles, Ken fixed the…I’m not going to say it again.  I know how you people are thinking…bundle on the passenger seat.  We left at 11:42 AM.

We rode for another 48 miles and stopped in Hagerstown, MD at 12:20 PM for gas.  After we got gas, C.E. checked his tire and saw a “flat” spot, because of the braking.  Jan asked the clerk at the gas station for a Subway close by and she told Jan that there was a Quiznos about 2 traffic lights south, on the left side.  C.E. led us to the Quiznos and we had lunch.  Chuck checked his phone for the nearest Honda Dealer and found one not too far.  He spoke with the Honda people and made an appointment for C.E.  We finished lunch and went to our Motors.  Chuck had given C.E. the address to the Honda store; however, C.E. told Chuck that he couldn’t get it on the Navigation System. Greg and I were able to get it on our Navigation Systems.  Chuck asked me to lead and I did.  We left at 1:31 PM.

We arrived at Twigg Cycles in Hagerstown at 1:46 PM after riding 7 miles through downtown Hagerstown.  They took C.E.’s Motor in right away.  We all toured the store and looked at all of the “toys.”  It took about 1 ½ hours to fix the Motor and we were ready to go.  Chuck asked one of the salesmen as to how we could get back on I-81 to go north.  The salesman gave Chuck the directions and Chuck gave them to C.E.  We left at 3:15 PM with C.E. in the lead…with a new front tire!

C.E. got us back on I-81northbound and we were going at a good speed.  We rode for 80 miles and at 4:37 PM, we stopped at a gas station/mini-mart in Enola, PA, just outside of Harrisburg.  A local resident told us that there was a problem with the road that we wanted to take to get further north.  He told us that a tanker truck exploded two weeks ago and the damage was still there and has not been repaired as of yet.  I-81 was closed to one lane.  We were riding in “rush hour traffic” and the resident told us that we probably would have a couple hours wait.  He showed us an alternative route.  It wasn’t that far out of our way and we took that route.  We wanted to get to Allentown, PA for the night.  We left at 5:13 PM.

C.E. led us onto I-81 and then onto I-78.  We rode for 93 miles and at 6:46 PM, we arrived in Dorney Park, PA, just outside of Allentown.  We stopped at a Best Western.  I went in and “made the deal.”  It was a good rate and dinner was across the street.  We checked in, took our bags into our rooms and “tucked” the Motors in for the night.

Today, we rode for 345 miles.  We are trying to make up some time to get to Maine.  Hopefully, we will ride into Maine after a long day of riding tomorrow.  We shall see…