RALLY TIME

Rally Time Go West, Young Man - or Woman…

Although we’d like to say life is starting to look more and more normal and like the good old days, we still nd ourselves sometimes staring at the computer screen and television with just a bit of disbelief. It is a wacky world out there kids, so best accept it and get going. With gas prices breaking new ridiculousness every day, we thought be damned with it and just get the side stands up and get rolling. Earlier in the year, we wrote about making plans… we hoped you did and I know we did and that plan was to head west, and eventually to the BMW MOA National Rally – this year to be held in Spring eld, Missouri. Although, like many plans, things got changed and altered as we drew closer, the gist was the same. Head west, incorporate some baseball and Rock & Roll and stir it all with a mix of ne US backroads with the occasional long day mileeating Interstate slog tossed in.

Backroads Central to Cleveland, Ohio

We had plans for the weekend in the Buckeye State and with the need to be in Cleveland by evening we hit the big road west early Friday morning. It was a perfect day for a ride – high in the 60s, with a sunny blue and puffy white clouds sky above.

The day-long shot across Pennsylvania was easy and made better by a serendipitous nd called the Twilight Diner, in Loganton.

We were just looking for a bit of road food, but got two of the best…wait THE BEST… sandwiches we have ever had. Seriously. This diner right off I-80 served us an outstanding lunch – simple, quick but delicious cold cuts and superb homemade bread. When is this area, this is really a place to seek out for a meal.

Still, you would think a big road run would be on the boring side, yet heading west I spied a billboard for “America’s Worst Apple Pie.”

Hey? What?

Following what the billboard said, we exited at #42 and found The Plaza - the restaurant claiming America’s Worst Apple Pie.

Carol Burns is the owner. “Quite a thing to be proud of, right?” she said.

Carol says the idea of promoting America’s Worst Apple Pie came from her father, Ed Yasechko, who founded the Emlenton Travel Plaza in 1972. It was in the year 1989 that he wanted a gimmick to bring people into the restaurant. He took a gamble that a negative campaign about the pie would create curiosity and attract customers.

The gamble worked… on us too.

The apple pie was most excellent (2 scoops of vanilla, please!) and Bigfoot lurking around the attached motel was a bonus; as he seems to follow us everywhere we go.

We crossed into Ohio and then over the huge concrete arched bridge that runs the interstate over the Cuyahoga River. This bridge is quite the sight, with its tall concrete arches; but this is the new bridge.

The ‘old bridge’ was imploded in 2003 – the largest such bridge demolition in the world. YouTube this… it is a truly amazing bit of controlled chaos.

We rolled into Cleveland by early evening and made plans for a weekend of Americana - Rock & Roll and Baseball! Hot in Cleveland

We’d have two days bouncing around this midwestern city, that is still very much there no matter what Chrissy Hynde and The Pretenders sing.

The city was founded in 1796 near the mouth of the Cuyahoga River by General Moses Cleaveland, after whom it was named. It grew into a major manufacturing center due to its location on both the river and the lake shore, as well as numerous canals and railroad lines.

But, the city is spelled missing a vowel. How’s that?

Well, the settlement of “Cleaveland” eventually became known as “Cleveland”. One theory is that Cleaveland’s surveying party misspelled the name on their original map. More than likely though, the story goes back to the Cleveland Advertiser, a local paper in the early 1800s. They could not t the words “Cleaveland Advertiser” on their masthead, so they dropped the extra “a” to make room and the name stuck.

Shira wondered why they just didn’t use a smaller font?

We kept Shira’s Suzuki VStrom 650XT parked at our hotel and twoupped on my BMW R1250GS starting our day with a ride into the heart of the city. The rst stop was to Cleveland’s famed West Side Market and to get there we crossed the Hope Memorial - LorainCarnegie Bridge.

Although this River / Great Lakes city has many bridges, the Hope Memorial -Lorain-Carnegie Bridge stands out for its mighty art deco relief sculptures on both sides of the Cuyahoga River. The 43-foot tall “Guardians of Transportation” are titanic; and these double-sided

pylons carved out of sandstone from nearby Berea, Ohio, represent technological advances made in transit, with each Guardian holding a different kind of vehicle in its massive hands. There’s a hay wagon, a covered wagon, a stagecoach, a passenger car, a dump truck, a concrete mixer, and a pair of two other trucks.

The architect intended to celebrate the progression of transportation from the simple hay wagon to the then modern automobile and truck.

They have become an iconic reminder of the city’s past and future.

In the 1970s, Cuyahoga County Engineer Albert Porter wanted to tear down the pylons in order to add lanes to the bridge. He did not get his way. So, when the bridge reopened in 1983 after nearly three years of repairs, the Guardians of Transportation were still in place. The bridge was renamed at this time, becoming the Hope Memorial Bridge, in honor of actor Bob Hope and his family - English immigrants who came to Cleveland in 1908. William Henry Hope, Bob’s father, was a stonemason who worked on the construction of the Guardians in the 1930s. They have now taken on much more signi cance as the city’s baseball team, under woke B.S. pressure from no one knows who, felt the need to change the team’s name from the Indians to the Guardians.

Since the bridge is found at the foot of Progressive Field, where the Guardians call home, I have less angst over the team’s knew moniker, and in truth, I think it ts far better than the Indians – since the First People of North America were never Indians, were they? Besides, the stadium is called Progressive… so the name change was easier.

The West Side Market was much like many we have seen around this country and boy, do we wish we had it near us, as these markets are amazing.

The West Side Market has been in operation for more than 100 years and is home to more than 100 locally owned, independent businesses. Rows of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats – lots of meats - are to be found. There was also a small restaurant with outdoor seating that worked for us this sunny Saturday morning in Cleveland. Although Cleveland is a great city and has much to offer today’s traveling motorcyclist, it is also the Birthplace of Rock & Roll and along the northside of the city and Lake Erie’s shore, you will discover the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Hall offers free motorcycle parking, right across the street, and that makes this a perfect riding destination while in Cleveland.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established on April 20, 1983, by Ahmet Ertegun, founder, and chairman of

Atlantic Records. The fantastical glass pyramid building was designed by famed architect I.M. Pei, who also worked on or created, the JFK Library, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Javits Center in Manhattan, and the Grand Louvre in Paris. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opened its doors in September of 1995 and it is an amazing building along the Cleveland shoreline.

The museum’s mission is simple, yet powerful – like the music… “To engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock & roll is important. Learn about our history, building, economic impact, and more.”

It certainly has done this and, if you love Rock & Roll, then like the Barber Museum for motorcyclists, you need to visit Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It took us a good part of the day to explore every display, lm, and feature. Every oor has something different and amazing, touching each part of the plethora of Rock’s wide and diverse roots and deep history. There are several interactive offerings as well and I even got to pick up one of the many “house guitars,” a nice Martin, and jam with the house band on Tears for Fears’ iconic hit Everybody Wants to Rule the World. We all should have a few Rock & Roll moments - this was mine. After the Hall of Fame, we strolled the shoreline a bit and spotted the WWII submarine the USS Cod; now permanently docked here.

Later in the afternoon we rode over to the 4th Street district and had an early dinner at Iron Chef Michael Symon’s BBQ called Mabel’s. Michael did not disappoint.

It was still too early to call it a night so we sought out the Capital Theatre which, at over 100 years old, is one of the oldest movie theatres in the nation. Tonight is was Top Gun Maverick – on the big screen - like movies should be seen and heard. Cleveland to Delaware, Ohio

A big part of our wintertime-made plan was to get a few ball games in and slip a couple more MLB stadiums under our helmets.

The Guardians were hosting the Oakland Athletics for an early start

game – the rst pitch being at 11:35. Perfect for us.

We packed the bikes back up and motored back to Progressive Stadium and when we went to park, we had a very friendly policeman who told us we could take one spot - but, it would be better to just park behind his police SUV. The bikes would be very safe there. Most excellent.

The stadium and the fans were great – especially the deep history that is celebrated down near the right- eld bullpen.

Great players from the Indians franchise. Names like Satchel Paige, Cy Young, Gaylord Perry, and others were memorialized. A wonderful look back at America’s Past Time and the city of Cleveland.

The Guardians took an early lead and we rode away with the home team winning 7 to 3.

Our route would bring us through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and then south and west towards Mans eld.

In 1982 Stephen King wrote ‘Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption’ and in 1994 the lm was shot and the prison used for the lm was the Ohio State Reformatory, just north of the small city.

Who did not see or love this lm?

You’d have to be obtuse not to know why.

A quick stop there was a must.

The city of Mans eld has another jewel to see. Riding through the town we saw a sign for the Carousel District and followed along. We love these happy relics of the past, and the Richland Carrousel Park is a true wonder. The small park opened in 1991 as the rst new, hand-carved carrousel to be built and operated in the United States since the 1930s. The Carrousel gures were carved in the style of G.A. Dentzel, one of the most revered carvers of the early 1900s. The Richland Carrousel is home to 30 horses and 22 menagerie gures, including 4 bears, 4 ostriches,

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 4 cats, 4 rabbits, a goat, giraffe, lion, tiger, zebra, and a mythical hippocampus. All 52 gures were designed, carved, and painted by Carousel Works in Mans eld, Ohio.

Just outside Mans eld, we stopped by the sports car track at MidOhio. I had ridden this venue years back, and it would have been great to run a few laps this day – but the track was buttoned up this late Sunday afternoon and they wouldn’t let me on it anyway.

Do I look like Mario Andretti?

We dodged a few showers and early evening found us north of Columbus, in the small town of Delaware – the birthplace of our 19th President - Rutherford B Hayes. Delaware, Ohio to Liberty, Indiana

On this day we’d tackle another bunch of morning miles before riding up to another “Hall of Fame” of sorts… at least in our book – The United States Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, just outside Dayton, home to the Wright Brothers and birthplace of aviation.

I have long since forgiven the Air Force for that last-second yank off a planned hop with the Thunderbirds a decade ago, and beside… the USAF controls the StarGate and I have to hand it to them for that.

As the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, there is far too much to see and write about in this travelogue – so the Air Force Museum deserves its own stand-alone piece. But if you love air power, history, and stories of breakthroughs, wonderment and valor then a trip to this museum is to be put to the top of your list.

From World War One and Two to Korea and Vietnam, Space Exploration, and pushing the boundaries of ight and avionics, this museum will take your breath away.

The hangar with the missiles was like nothing I have ever seen before.

We knew we’d be here all day and we were but got back on the road as

the museum was closing for the day and headed towards the Indiana border.

I was in search of one of O’Life’s requests – a school that sits astride both Ohio and Indiana, but as we neared the border town of West College Corner the air took that moist and deeper feel. Up in front of us, the sky began to darken and then went almost to black.

To steal from Han Solo… I had a very bad feeling about this.

The rains came and increased with intensity with every mile. Soon we were simply trying to nd “shelter in the storm.”

As if God heard my prayer and was not all that busy that afternoon, a wonderful and large covered bridge appeared ahead of us. We got in there just as the meanest part of this supercell ran us over. Winds tore at the bridge, the rain came in sideways and trees began to fall about the area.

It took about an hour for the tempest to roll east and past us. Some locals pulled up and told us the route ahead was shut down, as were a few others, as trees had gone down like ninepins.

We had to vector around Hueston Woods State Park, but eventually got to the town Seymour had told us about – yet were unable to nd the school and the deep and long-lasting bolts of lightning in our mirrors gave us the impetus to keep going west, into Indiana and towards the just setting sun.

The town of Liberty had a small, ‘rustic’ motel. This time, when I say rustic, I mean the place was a long, umm, work in progress yet clean and comfortable, even if the shower was one of those that had a certain and exact combination to turn off. Make a wrong move and you could scald or freeze yourself at the same time. It was a ummoxing moment for both Shira and me.

The motel was well appreciated that night, and watching the local news we found just how powerful and damaging this storm was – nding the covered bridge in the middle of all this seemed even more amazing. Liberty Indiana to the Washaw River

We were looking to make miles west, but a solid heat wave, the same that created the nasty beast of a storm the previous day, returned to put us in a sweltering stew, only made bearable by the surprisingly fun backroads we found that ran parallel to the bigger, more commercial roads that cross the Hoosier State.

But, not wanting to miss out on something, nor wanting to come back to O’Life empty-handed, we backtracked to College Corners and this time we found the Union High School.

Indeed, the school lies in both Ohio and Indiana, and has two separate state entrances; and the gym has one basket in one state and the other in another. Just a bit of geographical oddity that is part of Mysterious America. Back heading west, we rode along long tracks of forests, lled in with a gentle and winding pavement – and the bikes did far more shifting and trail braking than I anticipated. Our route brought us along the old White Wa-

ter Canal and made a stop in the small tourist town of Metamora – empty on this Tuesday morning.

On a busy day, they run a canal boat and have the only existing wooden aqueduct in operation in the United States; but we were there for a mix of ice cream and cookies. Actually cookie jars - as Grannie’s Cookie Jars & Ice Cream Parlor boasts more than 2,500 cookie jars along the walls and shelves of this little shop and hundreds of salt and pepper shakers. There is also some serious ice cream, and you can read all about her in Shira’s Inside Scoop on page 20.

From there we continued west to Seymour, and not for O’Life, but to stop by The Old Guitar Music Shop and John Mellencamp’s real “small” hometown.

Along the outside wall is a huge mural of the town’s Rock & Roll hero, and the owner of the store was more than gracious and I got to play a nice 6-string Takamine – touching some Mellencamp, of course, but tossing in a little of The Boss’ Rosalita for good measure.

Hey, we’re from Jersey, okay?

The high temperatures, oating at the century mark, had us calling it an early day – and the hotel’s pool and AC did wonders and were much needed at this day’s end. Wabash River to St. Louis

When great rivers of the United States come into conversation the Wabash rarely has the spotlight shines on it but, in truth, the Wabash, like many rivers in this part of the nation, was vital for this region’s economic growth.

The Wabash River has served as a vital conduit for trade, travel, and settlement in the Midwest for more than two centuries. It is inextricably linked to Indiana’s economy and well-being.

We crossed the river at Vincennes and ran across Illinois on the straight, fairly boring Route 50, that passed through towns like Olney – Home of the White Squirrels.

These white critters are celebrated and you’ll nd white squirrel crossing signs, squirrel logos on police and municipal vehicles, and squirrels on business storefronts.

According to O’Life’s sources: The City Park is Olney’s albino Ground Zero. A granite slab on the park’s White Squirrel Drive tells of how, in 1902, local farmers William Yates Stroup and George Ridgeley each caught white squirrels and brought them to one of Olney’s saloons. Apparently a love match was consummated, and the squirrels were released into a local wood, “and so populates the city of Olney.” The slab was placed in 2002 to mark the centennial of this town-changing event.

That is not this small Illinois town’s only claim to fame - an Historic Sign claims it was also the Birthplace of Solar Power stating ‘In 1902, the rst experimental solar power plant was built in Olney, Illinois by H.E. Willsie and John Boyle Jr., two American engineers. Their solar power plant was based on an 1885 design developed by the French engineer Tellier. Between 1892 and 1908 Willsie and Boyle experimented with their low-temperature solar plants that utilized “hot boxes” to heat

water. Their “hot box” solar power plant was patented in 1903. The results were published on May 13th, 1909 in the issue of Engineering News.’ So far along this journey, we had visited several great places and pieces of Americana – but right below St. Louis, on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, we made time to explore one of the greatest manmade structures and one of the most mysterious – Cahokia. For those who study and immerse themselves in the deeper mysteries of North America this name might be familiar. But, for those who have never heard of this Cahokia was, and is still, one of the greatest historical and archeological sites in all of the Western Hemisphere.

Cahokia was the largest city ever built north of Mexico before Columbus and boasted 120 earthen mounds. Many were massive, square-bottomed, at-topped pyramids -- great pedestals atop which civic leaders lived. At the vast plaza in the city’s center rose the largest earthwork in the Americas, the 100-foot Monks Mound.

From atop the Monks Mound you can clearly see the Gateway Arch of St. Louis. Reading the history of Cahokia and what and why, and the mystery of what became of these people that built such massive earthworks is an amazing puzzle.

We scooted through downtown and took a room for the night at the Cheshire Hotel, right next to a fuel station with the largest Amoco sign

on the planet. The Cheshire is a well-done hotel that fancies itself very British and very well read – with each room named and themed after different famous authors of the past. Robert Burns, to Shakespeare to H.G. Wells to Ian Fleming and Edmund Spenser (Spelled with an ‘S’ like the detective and the cat!).

Very neat place and, with the bikes parked safely away in the underground garage, we Ubered to town and spent some time at the aquarium, the famed Gateway Arch, and then Star Wars night at Busch Stadium where the St. Louis Cardinals would take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The hometown did not win - and it was a shame Into the Ozark and the BMW MOA Rally

Shira had put together a route that would run around and about Route 44 and Old Route 66, in generally the same direction, but with miles of rolling, roller-coaster pavement. Occasionally we’d touch back on the bigger road, and while doing so saw a most unusual billboard - Uranus Fudge Factory. Hmmm… right.

As luck would have it, and as it has happened time and again, the town of Uranus (yes, pronounced ‘that’ way) was on our route and, for the most part, it was the All-American Tourist Trap. Think South of the Border, but less corporate, and more fun – if more than a tad crude.

Largest Belt Buckle in the World. A Side-Show, complete with twoheaded snakes, monkeys and pigs and a sword swallower. They even had the Uranus Ice Cream Factory. Holy squatty-potty, Batman.

We spent a bit of time there, well more than a bit, but then followed Shira’s lead west, making a quick stop in Marsh eld – the birthplace of Edwin Hubble. This man played a crucial role in establishing the elds of extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology. Hubble proved that many objects previously thought to be clouds of dust and gas and

classi ed as “nebulae” were actually galaxies beyond the Milky Way.

The famed space telescope is named after him and a replica of it can be found in the town’s square. – The perfect way to cap off a morning in Uranus – don’t you think?

By early afternoon we rode into the BMW MOA National Rally.

When we can we always try to get to this annual event, now touching its 50th year. That is an amazing run for a single club-sponsored event.

This event always has the most and best vendors for riders, explorers, and those af icted with two-wheel wanderlust. Three days full of events, seminars, and all that the surrounding area of Spring eld, Missouri had to offer. We made the best of it – catching up with old friends, folks in the industry and just taking in the spectacle that is the BMW MOA big rally! Two huge air-conditioned rooms were full of a wide and interesting array of vendors. From helmets to luggage to protective riding gear. If you are an avid motorcyclist then you can surely nd something of interest at the BMWMOA National Rally - no matter what make or style of motorcycle you ride. For us it was great to catch up with friends like Rich and Kathy from RKA Luggage, Scott Moreno from Iberian Motorcycle Tours and hanging with the good folk from Aerostich. Outside there were vendors, like our pals at Twisted Throttle and SHAD, installing gear and product – a hard thing to do as it was very, very hot this week in Missouri. In the much, much cooler indoors we took in a few seminars. One with Scott on visiting Portugal – which is on our 2023 To Do List, as well as Erik Stephens, the owner of Twisted throttle, talk about additional lighting and conspicuity while riding. Shira sat in on BMW Brand Expert Louise Powers’ seminar aimed at riders who are vertically challenged, male and female. Her presentation was informative, inspiring and amusing. Friday evening we headed back to the fairgrounds to sample some of the ne musical entertainment the rally offers. This time ‘round it was Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys and The Reverend Horton Heat. Their rockabilly/psychobilly tunes had people up and dancing – especially one couple who truly put on a show to match the fantastic tunes. This rally marked 50 years for the BMW Motorcycle Owners Association and we think, as usual, they did an outstanding job and really set a high bar for other such rallies and gatherings to follow.

Thank you to all at the MOA for such hard work.

Saturday night ended with the rally’s closing ceremonies and you might want to make note that the BMW MOA 50th rally will be held outside Richmond, Virginia at the Meadow Event Park on June 8 thru 11th of 2023.

We are pretty sure Backroads will be there… perhaps this might be a chance for our Spring Break to circle around this grand event as well.

Our journey was at its apex and from here we would start pointing our wheels towards home, with more sights to see and roads to ride. ,