July 20, no miles, but covering multiple states at a single bound

I got on the road about 8:30 a.m., heading to Winchester, Virginia. I had two Harley shop routes written down, and hoped to get a 10,000-mile check up. I called and told them I was about 90 miles out, and asked if I could get the service done today? Yep, come on down.

As I rode, I started to follow the wrong route. One was written on one side of the note paper, and the other on the reverse side. And you wonder why my friends call me directionally-challenged??? Ha!!!

I stopped to take a look, made a correction, it was only minor, and headed on to Winchester. Then my thought was that maybe I was heading to the wrong Harley shop. Perhaps I'd called the one in Williamsport. So rather than stop and check the phone number I'd used, I just bulled on ahead. Voila!!! It was the right one, and in I went.

What's nice about many shops is that they have an Internet connection, so I'm sitting here right now working on my blog. However, my camera is on the bike, along with the memory card with yesterday's photos. Maybe I'll go get it. Done. But I didn't get finished … they completed the service, and I was on the road again. It had rained pretty heavily, so I was geared up, including using duck tape to tape my pants to my boots so road water wouldn't get up inside and get my pants wet. However, it was a mere sprinkle at this point.

I headed to Front Royal, Virginia, where Skyline Drive begins and runs through Shenandoah National Park. I knew it was about 100 miles long, so I figured 3-4 hours … putting me in Waynesboro about 6:30 or 7 most likely. And, I have a senior pass so I get in free for the rest of my life. You can get them when you turn 62. Well worth the few dollars it costs if you're going to go to any of the national parks.

There was beauty everywhere I looked, and greenery that didn't look real..

The road is surrounded by nothing but beauty.

It seems like there are flowers everywhere.

The ride was awesome. I soon peeled the tape loose and took off my rainpants, but kept on the jacket for warmth. The road was pretty deserted, so I'd ride for miles without ever seeing another car. If one came up behind me, I'd wait for a straight stretch and motion them on so I could once again have the road to myself.

Mary's Rock Tunnel.  The fog was rolling in as I was parked reading about the tunnel.  Workers drilled, blasted and cleared for three months through 600 feet of solid granite to complete the tunnel, considered the greatest construction challenge of Skyline Drive.  Twice each day workers drilled 40 holes, each 12 feet deep, filled them with a total of 500 pounds of dynamite and detonated them.  Three 8-hour shifts of 15 men worked daily to blast and clear by rolling the rocks and debris over the edge.   In January 1932 the men saw daylight at the other end.  Almost immediately adventurous sightseers drove through.

At one point I passed a sign that said 3,680 foot elevation … the high point in the park. Wow. I come from the land of the Great One – McKinley. I know elevation and 3,680 ain't!! But the Shenandoah is beautiful and I was happy to be riding in its splendor.

I stopped here and there, but there was heavy fog and really nothing much could be seen from the pullouts. But that didn't matter. The air was cool, fresh and clean-smelling. I relished the beautiful road which appeared to be newly paved and painted, and the greenery and rolling hills. I was no longer running the slabs, breathing in the exhaust fumes of hundreds of cars and trucks traveling the same Interstate I was. Well, maybe I missed the smells of delicious food just a little.

Even with fog, it's beautiful country.

At one point a white car came racing up behind me, so I let it by. It pulled into the very next overlook and I was wondering when I saw the driver get out with his son and take him into the weeds. Then I understood why he was in such a hurry. Except when I went to pull out, he was also leaving so I let him go first. He took off down the road like he was on a Grand Prix course. If you want to drive 20 mph or better over the speed limit in a park, why are you in the park? Why not just take the Interstate? It's not as though you're going to see anything racing through as fast as you can.

Imagine, flowers growing right up to the roadway. 

There are a lot of mountains around here with some history to them.

Like Brown's Gap, a piece of impressive history.

Brown's Gap.

In fact, I saw two deer. One I got no photos of because it took off. The other I got a couple of crappy photos. I was trying to balance my bike without putting down the kickstand and take a photo around the windshield.

The best deer photo isn't great.  But I love deer so posting it anyway.

I thought of my trip on this same road in 1993, with Hobbs. I so enjoyed it today, and wonder if back then, being a pretty new rider, if the curves intimidated and scared me. Probably. But a lot of miles and experience can take some of the fear away, while leaving behind an awe of the road along with a healthy caution of what may lie ahead … curves, cars on the wrong side of the road, animals. But nothing even came close to a hazard of any kind. Yes, it was a great riding day.

Of course I had to have a photo of this sign.

Richard from New York's lady, Kim, had a birthday.  She doesn't eat cake so I told her I'd take care of it.  Actually, spotted this little pecan pie and I used to like them, so that's what I had to celebrate her birthday.  Happy birthday, Kim.  Hope it was absolutely the best one ever.

Waynesboro, Virginia was my final resting place for the day, with a Cracker Barrel calling my name. Once again, even Skyline Drive leads to food, spicy grilled catfish.