February 2013

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2012

Volume

19 No. 2

W H A T ’ S MON THLY COLUMN S

I N S I D E FEAT URES

FREE WHEELIN’.................................................................................4

BEST OF BACKROADS..................................................................26

WHATCHATHINKIN’..........................................................................5

BEST OF BACKROADS RIP & RIDES .........................................31

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE .................................................6

HEY, I HAVE A STORY TO TELL..................................................34

ON THE MARK ..................................................................................7

RIDING IDAHO’S SCENIC BYWAYS ...........................................42

THROTTLE BLIPS ..............................................................................8

QUIZ TIME........................................................................................46

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA...............................................................10 THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD....................................................12 BACKLASH .......................................................................................13 BIG CITY GETAWAY........................................................................14 INDUSTRY INFOBITES...................................................................16 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN.........................................18 WE’RE OUTTA HERE .....................................................................20 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .......................................................22 MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE...................................................36 UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ..............................................39 Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil ~ Publishers Contributors: Jeff Bahr, Dan Bisbee, Mark Byers, Pamela Collins, Bill Heald, Mike Stackhouse, Dr. Seymour O’Life

BACKROADS • POB 317, Branchville NJ 07826 Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

Phone 973.948.4176 • Fax 973.948.0823 • email editor@backroadsusa.com • web www.backroadsusa.com

For Advertising Sales Information: 973-948-4176 BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2013. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific written consent from the publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosed sufficient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACKROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are ridden on the sole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

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FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

Page 4

FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJEN

2012 - the NY Mets - the MaYaNs aNd beiNg exiled

I’m not sure how you felt about last year, but I felt it sucked.

Okay. Not totally sucked - as it had its good moments as well.

But this last year - not one of my favorites.

This past September, while riding to the Backroads Fall Fiesta, Shira told me of an article she read about being a Mets fan this past season and asked how I felt about being such.

Since I bleed blue and orange this was an interesting thought.

After 20 or 30 miles of deliberating on this I realized that, for 2012, I was, in my own style, just like the NY Mets.

Like the Metropolitans the first few weeks of my riding season was superb.

We were touring in Colombia and at the end of it I found myself, like many players, on the DL with a broken leg, ankle and foot. I was on this list through the rest of the spring.

During this time I had a friend who rode with me in Colombia look at an MRI scan done earlier of my neck. I had some simple tightness and pain that I attributed to age, and Don, one of the top radiologists in the country, took a look.

He told me most of what I already knew, but that I really should follow up with a CAT scan, which I did – but not right away as I spent the summer touring and riding and basically ignoring the need for the scan. By mid-summer Shira had enough and basically told me I was doing the scan.

Yes, dear.

So one morning we went and had the CAT. Later that day I got a call from my doctor that they found a mass on my

thyroid.

Great. The next stop was the endocrinologist.

Things began to move quickly from there, but I still moved appointments around in order to go riding trying to put off the inevitable. Finally I went for the dreaded fine needle aspiration biopsy.

As she had all year long Shira, who is the absolute greatest woman, wife and friend, was there if only to hold my hand. I was told later that I didn’t want to see what she saw as they searched for tumor samples in my throat.

A few days later the phone rang.

I had a chill as I just looked at the phone, as if I somehow knew what was about to happen. Shira answered and, with a very worried looked, handed me the phone so the doctor could tell me I had cancer.

“What did he say”, she asked.

How do you tell your wife something like this? Well, you take a deep breath and just do. Shira was stunned.

“No way, I totally discounted cancer. Stop it! What did he really say?”

Life, that had been an ‘Endless Summer’ for us for nearly two decades, just got very serious.

Surgery was schedule for mid-October and whilst the wait was on we rode to the Fall Fiesta where I was asked the Mets question.

Yep the season started good, got DL’d, then we were back only to get the news I would need sidelining surgery after to end it.

Like the Mets, sadly, the good times seemed to be only when we got to play with our Dickey – so to speak.

Surgery was surreal, but necessary and I was home the next day with a well-placed scar, but also with the knowledge that the surgeon was unable to remove all the cancer, as it had wrapped itself around the nerve to my vocal chord. My voice forever changed and a treatment of radioactive iodine I-131 in my future.

I was back riding in two weeks, but at this time of the year it was more along the lines of short day trips and lunch meetings with friends – thank you friends.

(Continued on Page 9)

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013

W H ATC H AT H I N K I N ’ SHIRA KAMIL goiNg back to basics With the coming of a new year, many folks make resolutions – some sane and most completely unreachable. I gave them up many moons ago, deciding that if I can’t do the things I want and/or need to do to make myself a better person all year, what makes me think the turning of a calendar page will give me that extra incentive.

Goals are an excellent idea; Brian and I have been setting them from the moment we were a ‘we’ and have tried our best to live up to them and attain them. When one goal is reached, another should be set and, even if it takes a bit of time to reach it, when that pinnacle is accomplished you feel like you’re on the top of the world.

This year my goal is to get to a couple of training classes. I’ve done my share of Keith Code and Reg Pridmore track days, as well as Ride Like a Pro and, of course, the Basic and Advanced MSF courses. These are all great learning experiences and I always come away from them with so much more confidence in my riding, not to mention the bonus knowledge received from those more learned than I. There are many things that I have not attended, and one of them is a women’s only track day. Now I did take RawHyde’s women’s only Intro to Adventure class, which I thoroughly enjoyed for both the dirt riding experience as well as the camaraderie of the other ladies. I’ve always said that I am a motorcyclist, not a female rider. There are both genders on the roads, so I never thought it beneficial to segregate a learning experience. But that time spent in the dirt of California showed me that perhaps being surrounded by ONLY other women during a learning experience just might help me learn better.

That said, I’ll be attending my very first Tony’s Track Days on July 9 at the Thunderbolt Course of the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ. This will be a women’s only event, for riders of all levels and types of bikes. From what I’ve read about Tony’s Track Days (TTD), they have encouraged average street riders, for 15 years, to come to the track to hone their skills and have a blast in an environment void of typical road hazards. They invite all street riders to bring their motorcycles to the track to see just how much fun and learning happens at track days.

Not only am I excited about attending this particular event, I’m quite looking forward to riding this track.

I’ve heard all good things about it and can’t wait to get my wheels on the asphalt.

Page 5 So, if you’ve never taken a track day, why not join me on this one. They will have a ‘first timers’ orientation to make everyone feel safe and comfortable. And if you’re a veteran of the track, come along anyway. I’ve never ridden with you, so it will be a whole new experience. For more information, registration or questions head over to www.tonystrackdays.com or call 413-783-8763. I’ll see you on the 9th of July!

There are a couple of other ‘back to basics’ happening in my closet.

When I first started riding, after I knew that I was in it for the long term, I started wearing an Aerostich Roadcrafter suit. My first one was a one-piece, which I quickly realized was not the right choice so I switched up to the two-piece suit. I wore this red suit until it faded to a nice shade of pink and then passed it along to another lady rider to begin her adventures. With the in(Continued on Page 13)

FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

Page 6

P O S TC A R D S FROM THE HEDGE BILL HEALD

coMiNg out of the code “I don’t write code anymore. I just tell other people it’s impossible.”

-Pieter Hintjens As the years tick by with disturbing speed, I find myself becoming that old codger telling those damn kids to get the hell off my lawn. Or more accurately, as I’ve mentioned before I’m turning into Samuel L. Cogley, Attorney at Law, who in the Star Trek episode Court Martial hates what computers have done to the book reading experience as he still prefers the real thing. No, I’m no Luddite, but I do see myself as not trusting a lot of new technology (a term that actually is misused in my view. A lot of what is being called technology is just smaller and smaller personal computers taking over. . . everything). We as motorcyclists are especially mired in the middle of all these dramatic changes, because there are few ma-

chines out there that have such a large “please tinker” aspect to their personalities as, until recently, our two-wheeled friends.

But can we still futz with our machinery the way we used to? Interesting question. I’m now hearing a lot of the same things from the motorcycle enthusiast community that I used to hear from the automotive enthusiast community, i.e. “It’s all computer chips and black boxes now. You can’t work on the damn motor no more.” OK, back when I started hearing that I was still living in Texas. They talk like that.

Regardless of the regional location, there is certainly some truth to this in that a lot of parts (think about carburetors and their associated micro-plumbing, or distributors and points, condensers etc.) have now been replaced by plug-in electronic modules. In many cases engine functions that were once the job of moving parts are now being done by solid-state processors, and to alter the operation of such miraculous creatures involves hacking into the guts with a laptop and altering the code, as opposed to bending something or sliding something else and then re-tightening the bolt that holds the “setting” in place. Mathematics is replacing physical dexterity, although the mental processes that govern what the human is trying to alter and why he/she wants to change it to effect the combustion process is still fairly intact. Does this mean that you can’t do near as much in terms of tuning as you used to do? If all you have is an adjustable crescent wrench, a slot head screwdriver and copious amounts of bubble gum, yes. This is sad, to be sure, but there are some advantages to this lack of easy tinkerability.

There are a number of reasons why the black box age is creeping into our engines with accelerating frequency, but the ultimate reason is overall they work more accurately and more reliably than the parts/systems they’re replacing. But just like the fact that there’s no such thing as a drug without a side effect, there’s always a tradeoff when you seal up things and go to a plug-and-play way of doing things. The fact is, to mess with a lot of the things that used to be much easier to access you have to have another set of skills that involves the manipulation of computer code. There are certainly plenty of people who possess these skills, but like so many other things that involve hacking into the workings of something that already works, why do it? Are you really going to get a sufficient increase in performance that warrants the risk of bricking whatever electronic device you’re tinkering with?

This is a question that has been asked about messing with a perfectly fine motorcycle well before the microprocessor revolution, and will no doubt be still out there when the next huge engineering breakthrough is revealed. Indeed, it has long been a belief held by many that one reason people like motorcycles to begin with is the ability to tweak their performance and ultimately.

This is part of why people acquire them to begin with.

The hands-on aspect that has been disappearing on automobiles (or so many believe) has still been a big part of motorcycle ownership, and the aftermarket for twowheeled performance goodies has long been a source of excellent resources for backyard tuners. But now with everything from fly-by-wire throttle control systems to really complex ignition and fuel mapping (with rider-adjustable performance modes), not to mention tougher emission standards and associated use of catalysts, the ease at which even the most experienced owners used to dabble with their engines is being replaced with a series of substantial hurdles to overcome. When you consider the engineers that design and build these new engines are able to squeeze amazing amounts of (Continued on Page 9)

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013

ON THE MARK MARK BYERS

iNserts Like most of you, I get several motorcycle magazines. There is one tabloid I particularly enjoy, but I get some regular-sized ones as well, some glossy and one notsomuch. As soon as one comes, I typically find an occasion to park myself in one of a couple “designated reading areas.” I do a quick runthrough to see if anything catches my eye, stopping at a few favorite columns or spectacular photos.

The other thing I do, without fail, is to immediately tear out all of the inserts that litter these magazines like poo at the dog park and send them straight to the recycle bin. This activity is usually accompanied by a smattering of profanity.

I don’t know why inserts exist. Some MadisonAvenue type probably commissioned a study that found the people susceptible to Nigerian email schemes would buy more stuff if cards fell out of their favorite periodicals. When thumbing through a magazine from back to front (as your deity of choice intended for right-handed folks), the pages invariably open only to those places where the infernal, stiff little subscription and offer cards live.

Just like internet pop-ups, they intrude on my paper surfing; unfortunately, there’s no pop-up blocker for insert cards other than taking the time to eviscerate the magazine as I do.

I might give a pass to a magazine for including an insert with a postpaid subscription card, but I found SIX of them in the latest issue of one moto mag. Is the sheer volume supposed to convince us to go over the tipping point? “Oh hell, this is the fifth one, I might as well renew.” Perhaps this is why there are literally hundreds of signs outside those new housing developments in hopes that some couple will say “We better get one of these, look at all the signs!” I hope that most folks smart enough to operate a motorcycle

Page 7 safely are impervious to repeated annoyances, but perhaps there are a few out there who can be hypnotized by sheer repetition. For them “Read Backroads, Read Backroads, Read Backroads…”

Beware magazines that come in shrink-wrapped packages, either in the mailbox or at the airport (get your mind out of the gutter, not THOSE magazines). I get one moto mag from across the pond that comes so wrapped.

The inserts start on the OUTSIDE of the plastic-wrapped ones and even include compact discs for software and the like. At least the CD’s are good for keeping sidestands from scratching the floor paint in the garage. AOL CDs certainly did some fine duty for me in that regard and they also make passable hand-thrown skeet targets and great coasters for large tankards of cold ale.

Also beware of sending in one of those “send more info cards” that come in the back of travel magazines. What you are actually doing is saying, “Prostitute my name and address to every direct-mail advertiser in the world.”

Once your name is in that database, you’ll have a harder time hiding from the advertisers than Lilo does from the paparazzi. Your mailbox will start to look like a Val-Pak coupon club mailer exploded inside. I know, I know: better to light a candle than to curse the darkness, right? But cursing the darkness is just so damn cathartic.

In the interest of lighting a candle, here are some suggestions for useful inserts in the plethora of moto mags I get: 1) Card-sized article summaries with hotel names and other info on travel stories run in that issue. Cards should include a big-picture map and one of those symbols you can scan with a cell phone to get further information. They should be standardized to carry in a tankbag and file in a little box on your desk.

2) Postcards you can send to your friends and relatives showing the new model bike that you want or the new farkle that will make your eyes sparkle when you open the package. Think of them as little letters to Santa you can send all year ‘round.

3) Postcards you can send your elected “representatives” to voice your (Continued on Page 11)

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FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

Page 8

THROT TLE BLIPS JEFF BAHR

sNake bit We live in a country where myriad studies are conducted before construction and engineering jobs are allowed to commence. Characterized as evil, counterproductive “red tape” by naysayers - such diligent attention to detail is occasionally portrayed as a negative, especially by persons or entities that stand to lose cash when projects hang in limbo.

To that I say hogwash.

Personally speaking, I find it reassuring that a builder, say, can’t erect a skyscraper without first testing and proving its robustness, wind deflection, earthquake resistance, etc. I’m also quite happy that load-bearing motorcycle parts are tested and retested before they end up on our machines. History is littered with disasters that occurred when corners were cut so taking the time to get things right is imperative.

If such testing is important, however, it may just be a memo that our highway departments missed.

Recently yours truly was rolling down a two-lane highway with nary a care in the world. It was a morning jaunt on a freakishly warm December day and I was determined to make the most of it before winter’s gloom took hold. On a shaded downhill section of road, still moist with dew, I entered a curve. As I was banked over my tires suddenly lost traction and my machine began to slide out from beneath me.

Before I continue let me assure you that I’m not being melodramatic. This wasn’t some minor loss of grip. Rather, it was a classic “oh s—t!” moment that saw me jabbing my legs furiously at the ground in a last ditch effort to hold the bike upright. Somehow, miraculously, the bike stayed up.

What was this phantom force that upset my wheels and nearly put me in

the hospital? It was a much-dreaded road snake (tar strip) and a humongous one at that. Apparently, both of my tires contacted its ultra-slippery surface while I was leaned over. For the uninitiated, let’s just say that this rain/snake combo represents a perfect storm of motorcycle mayhem where a change of underwear post-encounter is pretty much mandatory.

I’m amazed that this dangerous brand of road “repair” continues when it’s so clearly a menace to motorcyclists. “Pushing” both wheels in a turn is fine for Valentino Rossi and other pro racers but it should never happen unexpectedly to a street rider observing the speed limit. Certainly, the D.O.T. knows of this problem. When I first threw my leg over a motorcycle three decades ago, bike magazines of the day were already warning riders about these slithering slayers. It’s common knowledge.

Look, it doesn’t take a genius to understand why road snakes are so prevalent. Filling cracks and holes with this dastardly goo is a stop-gap measure designed to extend the usable life of a roadway prior to - or in far too many cases - in lieu of repaving. No doubt it represents the cheapest way of doing things – standard procedure these days when state and city coffers are purportedly emptier than my wallet.

Still, I don’t believe there’s any legitimate excuse for skimping on safety. It’s one thing to save taxpayers a few bucks; frugality certainly has its place. But I wouldn’t want to be the one that has to tell a surviving family that their loved one perished after he/she was bitten by a road snake. Motorcycling is risky enough as it is. We certainly don’t need avoidable hazards tossed our way!

Toward that end, I’d welcome feedback and ideas from anyone in the know out there. Here are a few open-ended questions to use as a springboard: Can the consistency of the tar be altered to reduce its slipperiness? Can sand or other abrasives be added into the mix to improve traction? Can the road snake be scuffed up after it dries? Can something entirely different but similarly economical be tried?

(Continued on next page)

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BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013 free WheeliN’

Page 9 (Continued from Page 4)

Preparation for I-131 treatment meant coming off the Synthroid, the replacement hormone I will carry for the rest of my life, and that makes you tired. I had six weeks of this coming until the ‘Endo’ decided on a secondary way – an injectable drug called Thyrogen that would make my body feel starved for iodine and the left over thyroid cancer thirsty for iodine so it would drink right up and kill the remaining cancer. Schedules were made, scratched and made again.

Finally on the week before Christmas I found myself in Morristown Medical Center everyday for almost a week. Injections, blood work, ultra sounds, a small tracer pill and a full body scan as they were greatly concerned that the cancer had spread to my lungs.

Finally I was told that the cancer had not spread (whew- another of life’s bullets dodged) and they were ready to give me the I-131 – a fun cocktail of beta and gamma radiation – that I would ingest.

Up until then I was just doing what I was told. Bend over, give me your arm, lie in this machine, lean your neck back and don’t move…whatever.

But, when you walk into a room and the doctors are behind a lead shield and there is a large steel and lead container labeled multiple times –RADIOACTIVE – you really take notice and the heart begins to race just a bit.

After signing a number of federal government papers, and promising not to get pregnant for a minimum of six months, I was told to open the container, spill out the vile and open it, then to take the horse pill inside and swallow it down with the two large glasses of water nearby.

I was then told to leave…. at once.

I was whisked home by Shira, sitting on the far side of the Suburban for this chase home.

I quickly walked into the guest room and shut the door and thus began my sequestering, banishment and exile for the next number of days, the middle of which was December 21, the Mayan End of the World.

Damn – timing is everything. postcards

(Continued from Page 6)

power out of even small displacement mills (a ride on any of the new 250s and 500s will drive this point home), it’s unlikely most modifications will net any substantial performance gains. Shoot, even the inclusion of platinum spark plugs means routine tune-ups are needed far less often than before, which judging how on some modern bikes you need a snake with a wrench in its mouth to find the plugs that are buried deep in the heads (and below all kinds of plumbing), this is probably a good thing.

So the machines we have today are generally less accessible, but are also less maintenance intensive and deliver exemplary performance and (we hope), greater reliability. You still have to change the oil and filter, though, and maintain tires, chains, and keep an eye on everything to catch problems early should they develop.

This of course will not be enough for some owners who find the constant tuning and upgrading of their ride to be one of the great pleasures of motorcycling. If you are truly determined to fiddle, you certainly can but you have to have a broader range of skills than used to be required. This, thanks to electronic advancements designed to make our lives easier in this case makes life more difficult. It’s called irony. I read about this phenomenon in a book that, sadly, is now out of print.

Weird, that. throttle blips

No contact with anything human or kitty.

Shira would put my food on a tray outside the door and beat it back to the front of the house. Ablutions and the other things requiring lots of water and common sense ruled our home for this bit of time.

Thankfully it was our home and not some plastic-coated hospital room so I had my laptop, television and books. Still, it gets a bit much after a few days of this.

On the evening of the Mayan Mistake I heard some people walk around the corner of the house and approach the window of the room.

Ahh, come to see the Bubble Boy, have ya?

No, it was my neighbors coming to sing Christmas carols to me. Wow. My heart grew three sizes that night. Thank you all.

The next day, the world and I were still there, the planet in its glory and me in my room - but looking to get out of there soon.

At four o’clock I opened the door and walked out a free man.

Free of a lot of things and free to do a lot of things; and with the Winter Solstice now behind and a new year ahead all I could think of was how much I was looking forward to the next great ride.

Thank you to all who showed such great friendship and support during this difficult time in my life.

Shira…. No words can tell, or express in the right way, how much I love you and what you, your friendship and us mean to me.

Okay, enough of all this…. Let’s ride!

(From previous page)

Mind you, I’m just spit-balling here, but there must be something that can be done.

Future motorcyclists should be able to look back at the gnarly road snake era and say, “what in hell were they thinking?” as they roll on the throttle, mid-corner, with confidence and verve.

Ah, perchance to dream…

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FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

Page 10

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s M YST ER IOU S AM ER IC A iNsectropolis – the bugseuM of NeW JerseY 1761 route 9, toMs river, NJ 08755 732-349-7090 • WWW.iNsectropolis.coM Few things give some folks a case of the he-be-ge-bes then running into some wacky and unusual insect.

Where some people just shrug or even take pleasure in finding any such discovery, most humans, especially more urban dwellers, righteously flip out when they encounter such a beast, if you can call something a few hundred times smaller than you a beast.

But insects are all around us. The fact is that insects are the most diverse group of organisms, meaning that the numbers of species of insects are more than any other group. In the world, some 900 thousand different kinds of living insects are known. This representation approximates 80 percent of the world’s species.

Insects also probably have the largest biomass of the terrestrial animals.

At any time, it is estimated that there are some 10 quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) individual insects alive. That’s more zeros than those creepy little millipedes.

In the United States, the number of described species is approximately 91,000. The undescribed species of insects in the United States, however, is estimated at some 73,000. The largest numbers of described species in the U.S. fall into four insect Orders: Coleoptera (beetles) at 23,700, Diptera (flies) at 19,600, Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps) at 17,500, and Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) at 11,500.

Considering there is just one species of humans we are sorely outgunned here.

Down the Jersey Shore, in the town of Toms Rivers – more known for its superb little league baseball teams – you will find a haven for bugs from around the world at the Insectropolis – The Bugseum of New Jersey.

Created like a bug-themed city, the Insectropolis is full of displays showing off the wide diversity of the insect world. Literally thousands of beautiful and bizarre exotic insects from all over the world and, although aimed at the kids, we found the inner-child in us to be fascinated.

You will also learn so much of what so many simply consider pests.

Hey, although some of us are allergic to bees, I wouldn’t trade them for the world. The honeybee is one beneficial insect we should appreciate more.

In fact, we ought to work to stop its disappearing act. Without bees, flies, midges, butterflies, wasps and beetles, your diet would be a rather grim ration of bread and water. About a third of our food supply comes from plants pollinated by insects, and about 80 percent of that total is pollinated by honeybees. Insects pollinate at least 90% of our fruit and vegetable crops.

I think they need a raise.

On the other hand, although a big part of the food chain, the hated mosquito kills hundreds of thousand of humans each year – making it the deadliest creature man kind faces. Other bugs have changed the course of mankind – plagues of locust and the boll-weevil come to mind.

But, here at the Bugseum all is pure fun, as we try to keep it here in the pages of Backroads.

Here you can view thou-

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013 sands of beautiful and bizarre exotic insects from all over the world. Play bug games on their touch-screen computers. If you are limber enough you can pretend you are a termite as you crawl through the mudtube. Watch ants forage for food and build tunnels in the museums live ant nest. Talking about bees, take a close up gander at the hive and see some real busy bees.

Want to get up really close? Of course you do! Your visit is not complete unless you touch a bug. Hold a live tarantula, scorpion, millipede, and a hissing cockroach before you leave. Whether you are a bug enthusiast or just a curious visitor, Insectropolis has over a dozen exhibit areas that are sure to educate and entertain.

The Bugseum of New Jersey is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10

Page 11 am till 3 pm and the quick way there is simply to take the Garden State Parkway South to Exit 88. Then Route 70 West to Route 9 South. Insectropolis is approximately 2 miles on the left hand side behind Ozone Pest Control.

Our Rip & Ride will have a bit more pleasant route, like the tunnels of an ant hill.

O’Life Out!

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STAY ON RTE. 206 SOUTH TO PRINCETON LEFT ON RTE. 27 RIGHT AT CR 571 STAY ON CR 571 ALL THE WAY TO TOM’S RIVER LEFT AT CLAYTON AVE LEFT AT ROUTE 9 MUSEUM ON RIGHT ACROSS FROM HERTZ

oN the Mark

(Continued from Page 7)

concern on issues that affect us as motorcyclists. I guarantee there are enough relevant motorcycling issues to justify six or eight cards in every magazine.

4) Anniversary, Birthday, Mother’s Day, and other “occasion” cards you can send to your spouse or kids because you were too busy riding or reading magazines to remember to buy a card. I see a whole new market for H-D: “Harleymark Cards.”

Meanwhile, keep reading Backroads, which is, and will hopefully remain, blissfully insert-free.

FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

Page 12

THOUGH TS FR OM THE ROAD a keepah Life changes. Sometimes for the bad, sometimes for the good. Either way, you always end up with a new set of challenges. So it was when, after 30 years, I was back dating again. Talk about a challenge. 50 something, graying, (balding) maybe not in touch with the modern dating protocol AND I wanted a motorcycling partner. As I’m not into the bar thing anymore I tried my hand with on-line dating.

The thing about on-line dating is you can be right up front. “Would you be interested in seeing Nova Scotia on a motorcycle?” I’d ask. Surprisingly, a number of women said they’d entertain the thought. Hmmm…. Do you think they realized it involves riding in the rain etc.? Anyhow, through a process of elimination, I met with an interesting woman for a coffee. After an hour or so of chitchat we parted with smiles and a promise to meet again soon.

This was a woman that had been on a motorcycle probably once when she was younger, but had told friends she thought a cross-country motorcycle ride might be fun to do when she retired from teaching.

A few weeks passed before we could arrange our schedules and the weather cooperated for a nice ride. We set up a meeting point; I arrived a little early and proceeded to wait in the hot sun for her to show up. So I waited, and waited, and waited… Did I mention it was like 90 degrees? I was about to give up thinking she’d backed out when she rolled into the parking lot and got out of her car. After she apologized for being late, (an old friend had shown up on her doorstep) I suited her up with a helmet and jacket and explained how to get on, sit and ride. With that done, she settled in behind me on the Wee-Strom.

I always try to take it easy with someone new on the back, as you never know how they’ll react. For a first timer, she was great. I felt like she was part of the bike and she never did anything to upset my inputs. I’m the King (In my own mind anyway…) of back roads in Maine and set out on some of my favorite paths. As we swooped from one corner to the next, I rode smoothly and, for lack of a better word, maturely. I wanted to make sure she was comfortable and that I didn’t do anything to scare her.

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Mike Stackhouse I could see her face from about the nose down in my rear view and as we rode I noticed her smile kept getting bigger and bigger. Through the pines, over the hills, past the vistas we rode, all the while her smile just beaming.

When we finally stopped for lunch, she said the perfect line. “I always wondered what it was that people liked about motorcycles and now I get it!”

She continued on about how stringing a set of corners together reminded her of downhill skiing and how she could smell the different scents as we passed pines or flowers or fresh cut hay. She felt the change in temperature as we rode over the hills and fell into the valleys. In a nutshell, she just plain got it.

If ever there was a great cornerstone for a relationship, that ride was a big one. We continued our dating and after an evening ride on a cool summer night with the night air and blackness enveloping her, she relayed how wonderful it was. (I think she really liked me too) As we sat on the waterfront that evening, for the first time in about 20 years I felt totally comfortable with this wonderful, dark haired woman with the pretty smile. As our relationship progressed, at times it was her that would ask, “Can we go for a ride?” When she asked, her eyes would light up like a little girl and who was I to say no?

We planned a trip to the Canadian Maritimes and she wanted to shop for some road gear before we departed. We got her fitted with a good set of pants and a nice all-weather jacket. She also picked out a comfortable pair of waterproof Alpinstar boots.

Because she hiked and kayak camped, she knew how to pack light.

Dontcha think I knew I was the lucky guy! Geared up, loaded up and ready to head out we pulled out of the driveway with me wondering if, after five days on the road, would her smile still be there? We’d have to see.

The trip? Let’s just say the weather wasn’t cooperating. The start was so foggy that by the time it started pouring cats and dogs, I welcomed it. At least I could see a bit in the rain… We did a good 2 hours straight in the pouring rain, the girl with the pretty smile never making a peep. When we got to our final destination she got off STILL SMILING! A wonderful evening led to another day of on and off again rain and the following day brought another (Continued onPage 41)

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013

Page 13

BACKLASH

Letters to the Editor

Hey Backroads, We do love Backroads Motorcycle Touring Magazine! Having traveled extensively by motorcycle throughout the Pacific Coastal, Rocky Mountain and Central States and most of the Canadian provinces, Brian & Shira not only remind us of great riding in the Northeast, through their magazine, they share a wealth of resources to use for our own adventures. Thank you Brian, Shira and the rest of your contributors.

Sue & Ginny Hello Brian, Happy New Year. Just wanted to drop you a quick note on the “Exploring the Emerald Isle” story in the January issue. What a spectacular trip, wonderful images, great story. Would love to do this one day.

Best, Russ Hi Shira, Just a note to tell you what an awesome layout job you did with this month’s Mysterious America. The pictures that you used and the places where you used them really amped-up the story.

VaVa-voom!

I’m putting together ideas for a few Mysterious Americas. About that: I bumped into O’Life yesterday.

We haven’t seen each other in a while so I expected a few kind words. But you and I know this egomaniacal mystery man, who, while unquestionably a genius, is not above taking potshots now and again.

“Bahr,” he yelled. “You are nothing - a mere pretender to my throne! And that goes for the rest of the Tanked Bags! Goddamn upstarts! Just remember that as you idiots go about stringing together your silly little words.”

The doctor was rank with the smell of hooch on his person so I let it go. Besides, all great men and women WhatchathiNkiN’

are dopey on some level.

Sincerely, Jeff Backroads, Thanks for the extra copies of the January 2013 issue. I will distribute them at the next meeting of the Long Island Harley Riders and make mention of your generosity in sending them to me. I know they will be well received by the membership. Our club presently is 200 strong and this will get the magazine into some of their hands and what better time to receive a magazine to read then the winter. I hope to say hi at the NY Motorcycle Show in January.

Happy New Year (safe and healthy) to you and your family and the staff at Backroads.

Dom Mazza Please renew Lenny’s subscription, and I am gifting on to my friend Jim (and his wife Maria) who went from his home in NJ to Anchorage, Alaska this year, on a circa 2002 Road King with 88K miles on it. He is our hometown hero, and she is a saint. We lived vicaiously through his pics & emails along the way, hoping he will publish in Backroads someday. Thank you.

Patti West

(Continued from Page 5)

troduction of many other textile garments, I tried a bunch and, like that old blanket you grow up with, I moved away from my roots.

Well, Aerostich has revamped their production department and with that have added women’s sizing for both their one and two-piece Roadcrafter suits. This means that you can get a size 8-14 cut for a woman, with features that are more fitting for the female figure.

I just received mine, right before the snow starting to fly, so I haven’t gotten a chance to give it a good ride yet. Check back in a couple of months for a full review.

If you’d like to check them out for yourself, take a look at www.aerostich.com Another neat piece of equipment that will come in handy once the ice rink disappears from the driveway is my new MotoDRacing Undersuit for cold weather.

Constructed of a soft material with a fleecy feel inside, this is a great base layer under your riding gear designed to keep you warm but not sweaty. The material will wick away any moisture while keeping you toasty warm. The footstraps keep the legs where they are supposed to be without riding up, but are thin enough not to be annoying. Again, this just got to Backroads Central so I haven’t had the opportunity to take it for a spin.

Looks like this will be just the thing for underneath the Roadcrafter. If you’d like to check this out, take a peak at www.motodracing.com.

I don’t know about you, but I am so looking forward to getting on my bike, pointing it in whatever direction inspires me and seeing what new adventures await. I hope to see you on the road, track or one of our rallies.

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FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

Page 14

BIG CIT Y G ETAWAY

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

ladeW topiarY gardeNs 3535 Jarrettsville pike, MoNktoN, MarYlaNd 21111 410-557-9466 • WWW.ladeWgardeNs.coM There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “If you want to be happy forever, make a garden.”

That just might be true as I know we love the time of year and the changing season when all our flowers come into play around Backroads Central.

Over the years we have done numerous articles on different gardens, but this month we have a particularly wonderful place in northern Maryland that you must visit while riding the area - The Ladew Topiary Gardens.

All this is the vision and dream of one man – Harvey Ladew. Few more colorful figures embellish American cultural history than the late Harvey S. Ladew (1887-1976). As traveler, artist, foxhunter and creator of this extraordinary garden, Ladew filled the nearly 90 years of his life richly, creatively, and above all, with great wit.

Born into privilege in NYC, Harvey Ladew spoke French before he spoke English and was treated to boyhood drawing lessons from curators at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1929, at the age of 43, foxhunting drew him to this property in rural Maryland.

Harvey Ladew purchased the 200+ acre Pleasant Valley Farm

from the Scarff family in November 1929, which conveniently bordered The Elkridge-Harford Hunt Club.

The old white farmhouse was in primitive condition.

Ladew said of his ‘new’ house, “It was in shambles and the only garden consisted of a couple of old lilac bushes.” During the 1930s Ladew added wings to the house and renovated outbuildings before beginning work on the gardens. Then, with the help of local farmers, Ladew carved 22 acres of gardens out of fields previously used for crops and livestock and set to work transforming Pleasant Valley Farm into “the most outstanding topiary garden in America,” as described by the Garden Club of America.

Late in life, Ladew determined to find a way of preserving his creation for all to enjoy. The result is Ladew Topiary Gardens, Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is “to maintain and promote the gardens, house and facilities in keeping with the creative spirit of Harvey S. Ladew for the public benefit and for educational, scientific and cultural pursuits.”

We finally got to visit, along with a few dozen others riders all attending our Backroads Fall Fiesta and it was well worth every second we spent there. The grounds are extremely well done and the different areas and gardens are all about as perfect as you could imagine.

We imagine a place like the Ladew Topiary Gardens takes on different flavors as the seasons roll through and we wish we lived a bit closer to just watch. There are some 25 separate gardens to explore on the expansive grounds with clever names like the Keyhole Garden,

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013

Hunt Scene and Tivoli Tea House & Garden. The Temple of Venus in the rear offered a superb view of the grounds and The Great Bowl with its giant pool of clear water was truly phenomenal. The oval pool in the center of this 2-acre bowl-shaped lawn was originally Harvey Ladew’s swimming pool and the Ladew’s Summer Concert Series takes place in this idyllic setting.

The Garden of Eden was nicely created too, with a Belgian fence of apples and pears decorating the entrance to this garden, which erupts with blooming azaleas in spring. Mr. Ladew’s ever-present sense of humor is seen in the statue of Adam and Eve with the apple that Adam is hiding behind his back.

Even with the impressive gardens the Manor house still dominates the property.

When Ladew purchased Pleasant Valley Farm it included a frame farmhouse, which had been built in two sections during the last half of the 1700s and the first half of the 1800s. The house contained an entrance hall, with two rooms on the left and two rooms on the right on the ground floor and four bedrooms upstairs. What it did not contain, however, was plumbing or electricity.

Page 15 Ladew renovated the old and added on the new. With the help of architect, James W. O’Connor, and interior decorators, Billy Baldwin, Jean Levy and Ruby Ross Wood, he converted the rustic farmhouse into a comfortable and luxurious country home. It is important to note here, that although his team was internationally renowned, the house was essentially the creation of Ladew himself.

Ladew traveled extensively and whatever made an impression on him, he remembered. He also was quite fond of searching for “treasure” in antique and second hand stores. On one of his travels he purchased a Chippendale partners’ desk, which is so named because it seats two. When he took delivery of the desk, he discovered it was too large for either his office or drawing room. Upon hearing of his dilemma, a friend said “Why not build a room around it?” And so he did.

The Oval Library is considered by many to be their favorite room in the house. It contains over 2,500 books and visitors are always delighted when the secret door is revealed.

Helen Comstock included the library in her book ‘One Hundred Most Beautiful Rooms in America’.

The house is a living legacy and a wonderful tribute to the style, elegance and wit of the man who created them.

As you can tell we were more than impressed by the Ladew Topiary Gardens and I can already see this wonderful place fitting nicely in the next year’s Best of Backroads.

FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

Page 16

INDUS TRY INFOBITES

News from the Inside

AMERICADE’S TRADESHOW WILL GROW BY 3 DAYS TOUREXPO BEACH WILL NOW SPAN SATURDAY-TO-SATURDAY For the first time ever in its 30 year history, Americade’s largest tradeshow location, TourExpo Beach, will be open for business from Saturday through the following Saturday. TourExpo Beach will now open June 1 and close 8 days later on June 8.

“We’re very excited by this change,” said Christian Dutcher, Americade’s GM. “A sunny weekend is obviously very important to our attendees and our vendors, and we’ve just doubled our chances at having the perfect weekend. We expect our attendees will love this option, and know that our vendors will greatly benefit from an 8 day tradeshow.”

Although TourExpo Beach will open 3 days early, TourExpo Forum will continue to open on the Tuesday of Americade Week. “The vast majority of our vendors are able to arrive 3 days earlier, but some weren’t,” said Debbie Beaudette, TourExpo’s Manager. “So, they’ll be open for business on what has been historically the opening day, Tuesday.”

TourExpo also plans on introducing additional entertainment within the tradeshow, including stunt shows and musical entertainment, though details have yet to be announced.

The rest of Americade Week will proceed on the traditional schedule with demo rides, minitours, boat cruises, bike judging, seminars and all the other dozens of Americade activities starting on Tuesday and ending Saturday afternoon. • www.americade.com

RENT A BMW OR DUCATI MOTORCYCLE DURING DAYTONA BIKE WEEK 2013 Escape the winter to sunny Daytona Beach - Have a like new BMW or Ducati waiting for you there!

MotoVermont will be renting late model BMW and Ducati motorcycles during Daytona Bike Week 2013. Whether you just don’t have the time to ride or your bike is being blocked by 2 feet of snow you can still enjoy riding

in Florida this winter. Take in the festivities of Bike Week or go off exploring the quieter roads and towns of North Florida and beyond. Either way, enjoy the sunshine and warm weather on a pristine European touring motorcycle.

Customers can choose from an extensive selection of the latest BMW and Ducati touring bikes as well as helmets, gear and GPS units. MotoVermont is currently taking reservations for Bike Week. Please call to reserve today.

MotoVermont’s temporary location during Bike Week will be at BMW/Ducati of Daytona Beach 118 E. Fairview Ave. Daytona Beach, FL. (Just West of the Main Street Bridge)

BMW MOTORCYCLE SALES UP 14 PERCENT IN 2012 BMW Motorrad USA reported a 14 percent increase in sales for 2012, nearly double the gain posted the previous year. Retail sales of 12,057 motorcycles were made in 2012 compared to 10,572 sold in 2011. In December, BMW Motorrad USA posted a 2.2 percent increase on sales of 918 motorcycles compared to 898 sold in December 2011.

The double digit increase was fueled by sales of the popular S 1000 RR superbike, which had 20.9 percent increase in sales of 1,934 compared to 1,600 in 2011. Consumer response to the first full year of the award-winning six-cylinder K 1600 GTL and K 1600 GT spurred 1,601 deliveries of the GTL (+58.7 percent) and 697 of the GT (+87.9 percent) in 2012, boosting K-series volumes 40.9 percent to 2,647 units.

The introduction of the entry level G 650 GS Sertão contributed to a GSeries sales increase of 31.3 percent with sales of 994 compared to 757 sold in 2011. The product offensive continued with the release of the C 600 Sport and C 650 GT maxi scooters in late Fall with 223 GTs delivered to consumers by year end.

“BMW has gained significant momentum in recent years,” commented Mac McMath, National Sales Manager, BMW Motorrad USA. “Now, with improved market conditions, a strong dealer network, and new and updated models, we are poised for continued success in 2013.”

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BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013

INDONESIA TO BAN WOMEN STRADDLING MOTORCYCLES The central government may step in to stop a city in Aceh province from prohibiting women from wearing pants and “straddling” motorbikes or bicycles, requiring women to instead ride two-wheel vehicles “sidesaddle.”

The mayor of the town of Lhokseumawe told the Jakarta Globe this week that the town planned to submit the new rule because “we’ve seen that people’s behaviors and morals are getting far from Aceh’s Islamic cultural values.”

“We want to save women from things that will cause them to violate Shariah law. We wish to honor women with this ban, because they are delicate creatures,” the Globe quoted Mayor Suaidi Yahya as saying.

Home Affairs Ministry spokesman Reydonnyzar Moenek said “the proposed regulations need to be clarified and evaluated by the home affairs minister before the local government can issue it as a decree.”

“There have been criticisms that the proposed decree is discriminatory and has a gender bias,” said Reydonnyzar. However, he added that local regulations, particularly for Aceh — which has a special autonomy status — need to reflect the local culture, traditions and aspirations of citizens.

POLARIS BUYS KLIM Polaris Industries Inc. today announced the acquisition of Teton Outfitters, LLC, a privately owned, Rigby, Idaho-based company which designs, develops and distributes KLIM Technical Riding Gear.

Calendar year 2012 sales for KLIM are anticipated to approach $30 million. KLIM is an industry leader in technical riding gear. This acquisition adds KLIM to Polaris’ growing parts, garments and accessories (PG&A) business. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“The KLIM acquisition provides yet another growth opportunity for our PG&A business, a key contributor to Polaris’ top-line growth and profitability,” said Steve Eastman, Polaris’ vice president of PG&A. “KLIM is an established leader in the powersports apparel market with a strong track record of providing innovative,

Page 17 premium technical riding gear to a broad range of consumers. Adding an outstanding brand like KLIM, whose strengths complement our existing business, gives us a more complete PG&A product lineup, one which will flourish in the global market. We are excited to welcome KLIM employees into the Polaris family. With our common culture and vision, we believe this will be a mutually beneficial partnership for everyone involved.”

Polaris will maintain the KLIM brand positioning and name while continuing to drive its existing apparel brands. KLIM will continue operations in Rigby with its current staff. Polaris has plans to establish the Rigby facility as its new apparel Center of Excellence, bringing the unmatched capabilities, expertise and knowledge housed in Rigby to all Polaris branded apparel.

E15 ETHANOL-GASOLINE NEWS The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is apparently scrapping its requirement that consumers buy at least four gallons of gasoline from blender gas pumps that dispense the new E15 ethanol-gasoline blend. The EPA had said that the minimum purchase requirement was meant to dilute any residual E15 fuel left in the hose.

On Dec. 17, in response to ongoing AMA concerns, the EPA indicated to the AMA that it would no longer require a minimum purchase of four gallons.

Instead, the EPA will now likely require a label on blender pumps that dispense E10 and E15 through the same hose that states the pump is solely for passenger cars and trucks. In addition, the EPA indicated it will require stations that sell E15 to also have a pump with a dedicated E10 hose for use by motorcycles and other vehicles the EPA has not approved for E15 use.

Ethanol is essentially grain alcohol produced from crops such as corn that is mixed with gasoline to produce an ethanolgasoline blend motor fuel. In October 2010, the EPA approved the use of E15 in model year 2007 and newer light-duty vehicles (cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles). Then, in January 2011, the EPA added model year 2001-06 light-duty vehicles to the approved list.

No motorcycles or ATVs are currently on the list.

FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

Page 18

O’Toole’s Harley-Davidson Presents

G REAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN

tasty places to take your bike

village Market café 125 MaiN st, gardiNer, NY 845-255-1234 • WWW.villageMarketaNdbakerY.coM opeN 7 daYs froM 6aM-4pM Shira Kamil I love spontaneity. Here’s how this particular one worked. During the month of October we stopped by the HarvestFest held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds not too far from Backroads Central. The Fairgrounds has some great festivals and such throughout the year, not to mention their great Farmer’s Market open Spring through Fall. Anyway, during our foraging of literature, one brochure popped to the top of the pile entitled ‘Wallkill River Watershed’. Much interested, Brian put together a ride to take us along this very same Wallkill River. This is a story for another time, so I will not spoil the tale-telling. I will tell you that the ride is terrific.

Along said terrific ride, while listening to my stomach grumble around noon-time, we happened upon the Village Market Café. Nothing that would make you say, ‘Hey, I HAVE to eat here’, but enough to make you say, ‘Hey, it’s lunchtime and they have food, let’s go.’

Entering the picturesque wooden storefront you’ll see a seating area to your left, large enough for a small riding group, and the counter to your right. Once you’ve looked over their extensive selection, get in line, place your order and pay and they will delivery the food to your table. Down the center are the shelves with a nice variety of sauces, pastas, beverages and such. In the coolers you’ll find your milk and eggs, as well as a great assortment of adult beverages and non-alcoholic thirst quenchers.

There are several chalkboards displaying the feast for the day as well as their daily specials. Get there early enough and you can choose from their many egg selections; sandwiches with or without meat (they are very vegan-friendly) or build your own omelette/burrito with ingredients like homemade sausage, half a dozen cheeses and loads of fresh veggies. Trying to stay away from the egg cholesterol? How about some French toast or blueberry or chocolate chip pancakes, short or tall stack. Being billed as a café and bakery, there are some sweet treats that could tempt anyone as well as fresh baked croissants, bread and muffins.

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Had a great morning’s ride and ready for some lunch?

The Village Market has you more than covered. On our stop, we opted for the Workin’ Manwich Sam-ich, a heap of hot meatloaf, caramelized onion, cheddar and horseradish mayo on a hard roll (yes it was as good as it sounds) and the Yes Dear, with their homemade Waldorf chicken salad (cranberries and nuts included), smoked gouda and bacon on grilled rye. You can figure

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013

Page 19

out who ordered what, but we did share a portion of their delicious mac n’ cheese. The sandwiches come with chips on the side as well as the obligatory pickle.

It was a bit difficult to decide from their many hot and cold sandwich offerings such as the Philly cheese steak with house made roast beef grilled with caramelized onions, sautéed peppers, mushrooms and melted cheese or their many salad selections. Yes, Wimpy, you can gladly get a burger as well.

If, after you are done with your main course, you have some room left, they are serving Jane’s Ice Cream, a favorite in this neck of the woods, along with aforementioned home baked sweets and fresh brewed coffees and teas.

Of course, since this little gem is in such a lovely riding area, we’ll give you a lovely ride to get there. We’ll start the 75-mile ride at O’Toole’s HarleyDavidson in Wurtsboro, NY. You can download a GPS route here: www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/ufr8iy

Rip & Ride® • VILLAGE MARKET CAFÉ • 125 MAIN ST, GARDINER, NY • 845-255-1234 START: O’TOOLE’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 4 SULLIVAN ST, WURTSBORO, NY RIGHT OUT OF DRIVEWAY LEFT ONTO MASTEN LAKE CROSSOVER RIGHT ONTO MT. PROSPER RD LEFT ONTO YANKEE LAKE RD LEFT ONTO E RD LEFT ONTO WOLF LAKE RD RIGHT ONTO KATRINA FALLS RD LEFT ONTO HOLIDAY MOUNTAIN TRAIL LEFT ONTO BRIDGEVILLE RD/CR 173 LEFT ONTO SOUTHWOODS DR LEFT ONTO ROSE VALLEY RD BEAR LEFT ONTO COLD SPRING RD LEFT ONTO OAKLAND VALLEY RD/CR 49 RIGHT ONTO US 209 SOUTH

LEFT ONTO CANAL DR LEFT ONTO GUYMARD TPKE LEFT ONTO TALLYHO RD/CR 60 RIGHT ONTO RTE. 211 LEFT ONTO NEW VERNON RD TURNS INTO WINTERTON RD THEN BURLINGHAM RD LEFT ONTO JOHNS ESTATE RD LEFT ONTO RTE 52 RIGHT ONTO OREGON TRAIL LEFT ONTO CHURCH RD BEAR RIGHT – STAY ON CHURCH RD LEFT ONTO AWOSTING RD BEAR LEFT ONTO BRUYNSWICK RD/CR 7 RIGHT ONTO US 44 VILLAGE MARKET ON LEFT, ACROSS FROM P.O.

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Page 20

FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

W E’RE OUT TA HERE bass & baskets bed aNd breakfast 1117 dogWood rd., lake ozark, Mo 65049 573-964-5028 • WWW.bassaNdbaskets.coM Last summer, while touring the Ozarks, we made it a point to spend a few days on the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri.

For those of you who might not have heard of this beautiful body of water in the Midwest let us give you a bit of history.

Back in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s of the last century (are we used to saying that yet?) developers were set on creating a large hydro-electric dam, some 2,543 feet, on the Osage River in central Missouri.

The massive body of water that backed up behind Bagnell Dam became the largest man-made lake in the Midwestern United States.

The Lake of the Ozarks has had a few names, but Ozarks seemed to have stuck – but the locals like to call it The Magic Dragon for its serpentine shape. The Lake of the Ozarks measures more than 90 miles in length and has several tributaries supplying it. In total, it has over 1,100

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads miles of shoreline in four different Missouri counties.

It is as large as it is beautiful.

The Lake of the Ozarks has become one of the most popular holiday and vacationing spots in the nation and when we visited we ignored the large hotels and resorts that dot the shore and looked rather to something more casual, comforting and homey. And, we found it when we called Ed and Deb Franko and booked a room for a few days at the Bass & Baskets B & B. Resting right along the lake Bass & Baskets is simply a wonderful home, and both Deb and Frank could not be nicer hosts.

Deb told us of how they ended up with such a wonderful home.

The idea for the inn first came to them in 1998 while over-nighting in a small bed and breakfast and promptly fell in love with it. The idea of accommodating others and welcoming them into their home was very interesting to us. They soon decided this was something they could do in their retirement – and so the Bass & Baskets was born.

Several months later the couple found themselves holding the key to a small cottage on the shore of the Lake of the Ozarks. The name, Bass & Baskets, came from Frank’s love for fishing and Deb’s affinity for collecting Longaberger Baskets, of which there are many.

Frank’s enjoyment of fishing has become a labor of love for this man and he is regarded as one of the finest fishing guides on the lake.

While there you might want to do a little fishing with him; if you are a fisherman or woman you will not be disappointed.

On the comfort side of Bass & Baskets Deb runs a stunning place. All four rooms are marvelously appointed, yet different in their flavor and nature.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013

Page 21

All the rooms have a private bathroom, wireless internet, cable TV, DVD and CD players.

While there we made ourselves at home in the “Home Sweet Home” room.

Dressed up in classic Americana this particular room is dedicated to the losses of September 11, 2001 – that was the day Deb and Frank were applying the finishing touches to the space.

The other three rooms, which we looked in on, were all just as lovely.

One thing that we really took advantage of, in last summer’s heat, was the Bass & Baskets’ dock.

After spending the day exploring the region’s parks, sites or riding around the lake on high-powered personal watercraft, we were both content on floating off the dock in the lake’s warm waters.

It was our own personal little Margaritaville!

The rooms and the house have ample decks that look out over the Lake of the Ozarks and ending a day on the lake sitting in a rocker made life on the lake very good as well.

Breakfast at the Bass & Baskets was close to over-the-top, with Deb serving up some gourmet offerings and the perfect way to start the day.

Although a bit west of Backroads’ normal stomping grounds the Lake of the Ozarks is a wonderful stop-over for a few days while traveling out west and the Bass & Baskets Bed & Breakfast is the perfect place to park your bike and hang your helmet while doing so.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Check their website for special offering and packages.

Do you have a great motorcycle-friendly place you’d like to share? Send us the information, or better yet, take some great pictures, write it up and send it to us. You’ll get your name in print and some gas money.

Check our website for details: www.backroadsusa.com/writersguideline.html

FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

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Welcome to the Jungle - The Art of Learning to Ride Skillfully A column dedicated to your riding survival

Sunday Drivers? • Part One We have all heard the phrase Sunday Drivers, and for those of us who ride bikes or drive cars or trucks during the rest of the week some of the antics, lack of attention or, sometimes, too much attention can be problematic and, at times, down right life-threatening.

Who doesn’t love a great Sunday? A day of rest, for some a day that is spent with family and friends.

We riders have our own outlook on Sundays, and most good roads are full of riders on Sundays.

With all these additional riders and drivers on the road the chance of confrontation becomes much greater. I have found that things seem a bit more hectic during the weekends, and although Saturday sees a lot of local and town activity, for me Sundays are when the whack-jobs come out to play.

All it takes is one bad or unstable driver in traffic and things can go dire quickly.

Let me make my case.

We were returning from our Fall Fiesta Rally in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Along with us this day were our two friends, brothers Billy and Bobby, whom we rode with in Greece a few years back. “The Greeks” as I like to call them, as it sounds very ancient and formidable, are both seasoned riders and ride their machines with confidence and skill in every situation.

We had just stopped for breakfast in the city of Reading and were making our way through the center of the town through a few small streets with really annoying turning lanes. Straight here, turn left only there. We just wanted to get out and back on the tiny farm roads that wind through this part of the Keystone State. As we neared one stop light Shira and I were ahead of a white beat up Oldsmobile. The Greeks slid around him and got behind us.

The guy in the Olds, a fat bearded fellow with a torn up wife-beater laid on his horn and starting screaming at the Greeks; obviously upset that they simply went around him.

The light turned green and we proceeded only to have this whack-job literally force his car between us, and the brothers.

He then proceeded to lay on the horn once more and berated us with screaming and hand gestures telling us we were #1 in his eyes.

This did not sit well with me.

The light turned green and I sat there in front of him.

I could feel his blood pressure rise as the screaming got turned up a notch, especially when the Greeks and Shira rode off, with just one block to go before the road opened up to a larger and more crowded multi-lane highway, and I waited till our group was well under way and then accelerated through the intersection leaving him at the light.

Well, it only took a minute or two before this guy was back on our tail and then drove by us waving a fist out the window. Once or twice he drove his car into our lane trying to tie us up and take us out.

We got on the brakes and let him get ahead of us.

As far as I was concerned he had just attempted murder or manslaughter in the least.

Once ahead of us Shira rode up close to memorize his plate and then, with a lot of encouragement from me on the radio, got far behind and away from this guy.

In situations like this it is best to keep the crazies in front of you at all times.

If we’d seen a state trooper or local police we surely would have pulled

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013 over and explained this situation them.

As it was, Bobby rode up to me and simply said to “Let him go, there are assholes everywhere!”

He was right and in a few blocks this guy made a right, spinning his wheels as he did, and we continued out of Reading – with me vigilantly watching

Page 23

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the mirrors to see if the driver made his turn simply to get behind us once again. He never did and we arrived home safely a few hours later.

Yes, you’re right, I didn’t need to exacerbate the situation by holding Mr. Imgonnaclimbatower at the light; but I wanted my friends, and especially my wife, with a good lead out of the small town streets and onto the larger roadway.

In these instances it is best to keep cool, don’t go Alpha and, if possible, let the angry one get ahead of you. When you can go the other way, putting as much distance between you and the car as possible.

If you really feel you’re in mortal danger and see local law officers, stop and tell them what is happening. But, truth is, where is a cop when you need them? At least this day that was what I was thinking.

Point is in this age of “Road Rage” and all the other PC/BS excuses for

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BRP reserves the right, at any time, to discontinue or change specifications, prices, designs, features, models or equipment without incurring any obligation. Always ride responsibly and safely. Follow all instructional and safety materials. BRP recommends a minimum operator age of 16 years old. Always observe applicable laws and regulations. Respect the rights of shoreline residents, and keep a safe distance from other recreationists. Always wear appropriate protective clothing, including a Coast Guard-approved PFD that is suitable for PWC use. Always remember that riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix.

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O

The Best of Backroads 2012

nce again this magazine has made yet another trip around the sun and we find ourselves at the beginning of a new riding year.

Last year’s ride was a bit bumpy for many of us; but the annual ritual of creating the “Best of Backroads” continues. Heald driving down from his Connecticut hideaway in a new Tesla sports car. Byers flying in with something that looked a bit like an X-47 with a cockpit. Jeff Bahr simply strolling in with no visible means of transport and our various other contributors Skyped into this annual gathering of the clan at Monkey With a Gun to go over the very finest of last year’s articles. Even O’Life was able to log in from Thailand where he was riding with Doctor Greg Frazier. After much food, adult beverages and just a few games of ‘Hook’ the choices were settled upon and the decisions rendered.

Ladies and gentlemen… we give you the Best of Backroads 2012…

The Great All American Diner Run As we do each year we’ll start of with arguably the most popular column (we wonder why) the Great All American Diner Run. Always on the lookout for a great place with scrumptious offerings this year we rode far and wide and came up with a number of superb restaurants to sate your hunger. Throw into that recipe some great roads and wonderful scenery and you have the perfect GAADR. These were our top-three for 2012…

2nd Runner Up • harry’s place 104 broadway, colchester, ct • 860-537-2410 • www.harrysplacect.com This stop on the Great All American Diner Run was brought to us by our friend Steve Smith, from the Nutmeg state.

Harry’s Place is the quintessential roadside burger haven. Started back in the 1920s, nearly 100 years ago, this place has been packing them in for a long time and are known throughout New England for consistently serving up great regional favorites like whole fried clams, scallops, fried oysters, and freshly battered fish sandwich – but they are know for their burgers that, when served, look like a large, thick and incredibly juicy sliders. While tooling through central Connecticut you can’t go wrong with a stop at Harry’s Place.

1st Runner Up • earth dog café 398 s. Washington street, berkeley springs, Wv 25411 • 304-258-0500 There is no secret how we feel about West ‘By God’ Virginia. It truly is one of the excellent states to spend time riding about. But, all those miles make a rider hungry and we have a truly fantastic place to vector to when the hunger becomes too much.

The Earth Dog Café.

We had found this funky place a few years back during one of our many sojourns to the Mountain state, but it finally made it into the Great All American Diner Run this past December after making it a stop during our Spring Break rally down south.

Riders raved about everything the Earth Dog Café had to offer, expecially the superior home-made potato chips. But it is all good here at Earth Dog from the burgers to the skewers of steak and shrimp, not to mention their number of dogs done every which way. All their BBQ is smoked in-house by their chefs and the ribs, chicken, beef brisket and pork all have a scrumptious smoky hickory flavor to them; and we’ll swear to that.

The owners Susie and Paul Allen have created quite the following in the region and the Earth Dog Café is a second home to many of its customers. One stop by this great eatery and you will know why.

1st Place Great All American Diner Run 2012 skippers pier restaurant 6158 drum point road, deale, Maryland 20751 410-867-7110 • www.skipperspier.com • N 38°46.367’ W076°33.604 Some of the best things are found by chance and this was how we found this year’s #1 Great All American Diner Run, Skippers Pier Restaurant.

We were riding along The Bay on a beautiful sunny afternoon and what better to look for but a table by the water with some serious Chesapeake food?

Skippers has that perfect combination of delicious seafood, ambiance and just enough Jimmy Buffet to make us happy.

Starters included fried oysters, a crab crusted clam and oyster plate, bacon wrapped crab and crawfish jalapenos (which were delicious) and something called a cheesy Maryland crab pretzel that looked to be a long soft pretzel topped with a creamy crab, cheddar dip, topped with crab seasoning.

On the menu are seafood soups, wonderful crab cakes and plenty of locally seasoned blue crabs too. On cold winter days we still think of Skipper’s Waterman’s Steamer with a tasty mix of shrimp, clams, mussels, snow crab clusters with baby red potatoes all soaking in a tasty lemon butter seafood broth.

For us when you are sitting back, in the warm summer sun, along a town on the Chesapeake Bay after a great ride and you have your friends and all this superb seafood – well it is hard to beat it and that is why we love Skippers Pier Restaurant and why it is the #1 choice in this years Best of Backroads.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013

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Big City Getaway It’s always a good thing to get on a motorcycle and just ride, but sometimes it is even better that the destination is worth every miles; thus the Big City Getaway was born. Whether it is simply a great ride or an equally wonderful jaunt to an excellent destination this column is here to give you possibilities.

2nd Runner Up • eldred World War ii Museum 201 Main street, eldred, pa 16731 • 814-225-2220 • www.eldredwwiimuseum.com Tucked away in the north central part of Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains, right at the New York border, you will find the tiny town of Eldred.

Smack dab in the middle you will find one of the most impressive museums dedicated to World War II in the nation - The Eldred World War II Museum.

We stopped by just for a quick look and spent a good part of the afternoon exploring one of the greatest museums dedicated to the Second World War we have yet encountered.

Why is this awesome museum in a small town in western New York, you ask?

December 7, 1941.

Approximately 1,500 people worked in this facility and once our boys went off to war, 95% of National Munitions Company’s employees were women.

During peak production the plant stretched across 1,800 acres with proving grounds in New York State. Types of munitions assembled at the plant were British 3 inch trench mortars, 2 inch smoke projectiles, incendiary bombs, bomb fuses, and thermite hand grenades. Operations ceased once the war ended and the plant was later dismantled.

With such a history this town was the perfect place for such a great museum.

And, thus it is and if riding in the region make it a point to stop by the Eldred World War II Museum – you just might learn something.

1st Runner Up • 7 bridges the easy Way If there was ever a guy that serves up the best stories and the juiciest rides it is our man Jeff Bahr. In our June issue he took us on a seriously good day trip visiting seven different covered bridges. Pennsylvania has boodles of covered bridges and Jeff did a great job of linking them all together. Great old water crossings with names like Schlicher, Wehr, Bogert and Guth… and each one with their own story and bit of history. Romping around the Keystone state has never been so much fun and thus this story’s inclusion in the Best of Backroads.

1st Place Big City Getaway 2012 • grounds for sculpture 18 fairgrounds road , hamilton, NJ 08619 • 609-586-0616 • www.groundsforsculpture.org This was a no-brainer for us all at MWAG that weekend. Everyone agreed that Grounds for Sculpture was simply the coolest place in New Jersey. The excellent combination of art, sculptures, fauna and one serious restaurant, Rats, made this the perfect Big City Getaway.

The ‘Grounds’ were exactly what we expected. Large and open, with wellgroomed paths winding in and around the hundreds of sculptures and pieces of art along the way. The Grounds for Sculpture has done a superb job of mixing the natural lay of the land, local and exotic fauna, bamboo, water and all the statues to create a peaceful and harmonious setting.

The lotus flowers were enormous and, if you are a photographer, this is certainly the place to be on a sunny day.

We cannot rave about Grounds for Sculpture enough. If you have never been, then consider this an invitation. This is truly one wonderful hidden jewel in the Garden state and one well worth visiting during any season.

As we said, this was an easy decision making Grounds for Sculpture the #1 destination for Big City Getaway 2012.

We’re Outta Here As much as we love to ride, we all need a place to lay our heads come the evening. We’re Outta Here has brought us to some very, very nice places, all riderfriendly and many now part of the Backroads Moto-Inn program. This past year we were fortunate to find a full dozen exceptional inns, B & Bs and hotels. But, it did have to come down to just three. And, like they say on Chopped we know who the winner is. So, let us take a journey around the regions… ‘cause We’re Outta Here.

2nd Runner Up • friends lake inn 963 friends lake road , chestertown, NY 12817 • 518-494-4751 • www.friendslake.com Nestled deep in the Adirondacks of New York you will find the most remarkable Inn. We could have easily swung this into a GAADR, but the rooms were too perfect to ignore. The Friends Lake Inn has to be one of the most striking places we have spent time around in years. The region, the roads, their restaurant and the inn itself all add up to a tasty mix of wonderfulness.

Friends Lake Inn offers luxury accommodations in a rustic country setting. This charming and intimate inn offers 17

FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

Page 28

guest rooms, many with Jacuzzis, lake views and fireplaces. The highly acclaimed restaurant tantalizes with innovative New-American cuisine complemented by a superior wine collection, served in the rustic elegance and warmth of a 19th century dining room.

The Friends Lake Inn has thirteen traditional guest rooms and four Adirondack lodge rooms individually decorated with your comfort in mind. The rooms range from the warmth of a classic country inn retreat to the rustic luxury of an ”Adirondack” setting.

We thought they ran from wonderful to outstanding.

We sometimes say “when riding through the region,” well this time we are saying make some time and take a journey to the Friends Lake Inn – you will find one of the finest inns in these United States.

1st Runner Up • ocean point inn & resort 191 shore rd., east booth bay, Maine 04544 • 207-633-4200 • www.oceanpointinn.com Although Maine is a huge state with most of it being miles and miles of unfettered wilderness the state is renowned for its rocky and jagged coast line.

Back in 2011 we held our Spring Break Rally at a very cool place situated along one of the gazzilion bays and inlets you will find along Maine’s coast.

The Ocean Point Inn & Resort had all that we needed. Nice rooms, decent bar, great restaurant, but it was the sunsets over the water that sealed the deal for so many riders that joined us that weekend.

The Ocean Point Inn & Resort is an excellent Inn to make as a base camp to go explore the Maine coast, inland and every other corner.

Heck, simply riding around the point you will see some superb properties and some of the most stunning views on the Maine coast. It is everything you would think of when the Maine coast comes to mind.

Taking a seat on one of the many Adirondack-style chairs at sunset is a treat all by itself. Toss in some friends and a bottle or two of good wine and like the tee shirt says – “Life is Good!”

We can see ourselves returning to the Ocean Point for many years to come and that is why it easily made it into the Best of Backroads 2012.

1st Place We’re Outta Here 2012 iron horse Motorcycle lodge 1755 lower stecoah road , robbinsville, Nc 28771 828-479-3864 • www.ironhorsenc.com When you are fortunate enough to combine some of the best riding on the planet, a giant lodge that is oh-so-rider friendly situated on some of the sweetest property south of the Mason-Dixon Line then you end up with the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge.

With the Dragon at Deals Gap and the Cherohala Skyway just minutes ride away, how could you not want to stay here?

The grounds that would be the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge were purchased by

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013

Page 29

John and Charlene Powell after they spent some post-retirement time looking for a place to throw down roots and enjoy life – and a big part of that was riding motorcycles. They had been vacationing from Atlanta at the Little Switzerland Inn in North Carolina and discovered this piece of property in the heart of the Smoky Mountains; the rest is history. From July 4th, 2003 to the present, they have expanded from a quagmire of mud during the building to 13 buildings and thousands of smiles and laughter.

The Iron Horse seems to have it all. Breakfast and dinner, a wonderful stream down the middle, very, very comfortable accomodations ranging from cabins to bunkhouse to camping and the great camaraderie of fellow riders who have also discovered the best thing for motorcyclists in the United States. Their large pavilion is an excellent place to relax, watch some motorcycle racing on the large screen TV, play a little pool or just kick some tires with old or new friends (don’t forget to pick up your adult beverages before parking the bikes, as the Iron Horse is in a dry county). John and Charlene are constantly improving, adding to and otherwise sprucing up the Iron Horse and it just keeps getting better.

Our only fault we have found with the Iron Horse is that John and Charlene and the Iron Horse are in North Carolina and not closer to us. Well, that might be a good thing as we would probably be permanent residents of the #1 We’re Outta Here for 2012.

Mysterious America It is an odd world out there kiddies and each month Doctor Seymour O’Life fills us in on some of the more off-beat things to be found, seen and ridden to in these United States.

After all these years we’re not surprised to see that the good Doctor and his cohorts still come through with things that make us go ‘Huh’. This year the crew did not let us down and here are our choices for the top three Mysterious Americas for 2012.

2nd Runner Up • the haskell free library & opera house 93 caswell avenue, derby line,vt 05830 • 802- 873-3022 or 1 church street, stanstead, Qc J0b 3e2, canada This just as well could have been called Mysterious Canada, as the Haskell Free Library is the only library that crosses international boundaries. Yep, back in November we told you about this very cool building and we love the idea that it has a line drawn down the center of the library floor.

A thick black line runs beneath the seats of the opera house and diagonally across the center of the library’s reading room to mark the international boundary. The stage and half of the seats are in Canada, the remainder of the opera hall is in the United States.

The library has a collection of more than 20,000 books in French and English, and is

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open to the public 38 hours a week.

The building is recognized as a historic site in both countries. In the United States, it has been registered in the National Register of Historic Places since 1976. In Canada, it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1985 and has been a provincial heritage site since 1977.

The Haskell Free Library & Opera House is a true oddity and a great place to visit on its own, but be careful where you park or stand outside the building.

Things are friendly inside the library but outside border patrols would just love something to do on a sleepy day and crossing the border with your motorcycle on Caswell or Church Street just might cause an international incident; and we don’t want that!

1st Runner Up • linesville spillway Where ducks walk on the fish If the spectacle on the spillway on Lake Pymatuning in western Pennsylvania does not make your head spin then probably nothing else will.

Here is an exhibition of nature, while not grand and magnificent, it surely is comical and furious.

Even with no advertising and happening on word of mouth alone the Linesville Spillway gets over 300,000 visitors to this phenomenon, making it the second most visited place in Pennsylvania, coming in right behind the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.

Here thousands of carp are in a continual feeding frenzy and the local water fowl – ducks, geese or whatever - try their best to get in on the action by walking atop the carp and stealing the food tossed in by the hundreds of humans who visit the spillway each day.

We kid you not – this place is hoppin’!

Another minor point of interest is at the main intersection of the town, at its sole traffic light, on the Maclaine Building at the northwest corner is a sign reading “<==CHICAGO: 500 miles / NEW YORK: 500 miles==>.” Worth it all by itself.

The Linesville Spillway is a true Mysterious America and easily found the 1st runner up position in this year’s Best of Backroads.

1st Place Mysterious America 2012 • international cryptozoology Museum 11 avon street , portland, Maine • 207- 518-9496 • cryptozoologymuseum.com Cryptozoology – noun – the search for and study of animals whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated such as Sasquatch, Yeti or the Loch Ness monster.

Some of you might scoff at this but the truth is that there is far more to this planet than we know – well, just look at the coelacanth – a fish believed extinct for millions of years before it was brought up in the Indian Ocean last century.

They call the study of such things Cryptozoology and the leader in this field is a gentleman named Loren Coleman.

We have read many of Loren’s books and there is even a superb one entitled Mysterious America (we like that title a lot). Loren has brought together the greatest collection of Cryptozoologic specimens and artifacts in the nation – perhaps the world.

When we visited, the museum was located around the block, but has now found a home in a far larger and more well deserved location.

Even during our visit we were totally wowed by what the museum held. Even more impressive was Loren Coleman.

We were not all that sure what to expect from the nation’s leading cryptozoologist; half expecting Loren to be slightly out there, which was a terrible bit of prejudging on my part…. and who am I to call the kettle black?

Mr. Coleman proved himself to be sensible, down to earth, qualified and very, very believable.

The museum itself was phenomenal; from the giant Sasquatch up front at the entrance to the replicas of the Fiji Mermaid and the Coelacanth, which I have seen for myself in South Africa, to the Thunderbird prop used for the bogus Civil War shot, Loren’s International Cryptozoology Museum was very impressive.

Now that it is in bigger digs we will make it a point to get back to the International Cryptozoology Museum to see what Loren has put together these days.

If you love the truly odd, strange and mysterious things that roam this planet then you will understand why the International Cryptozoology Museum, in Portland, is our #1 choice for Mysterious America 2012.

As the good doctor is want to say – O’Life out!

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013

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FRENCHTOWN, NJ • CROSS BRIDGE INTO PENNSYLVANIA LEFT AT RTE. 32 SOUTH THROUGH NEW HOPE, PA PICKUP I-95 SOUTH AROUND PHILLY (75-MILE NECESSARY EVIL) IN MARYLAND LOOK FOR RTE. 279 ELKTON RD. OFF I-95 LEFT TO 213 SOUTH RIGHT AT RTE. 301 CROSS BAY BRIDGE FOLLOW SIGNS FOR RTE. 2 SOUTH LEFT AT RTE. 214 BECOMES RTE. 468 MUDDY CREEK RD. RIGHT AT RTE. 256 DEALE CHURCHTON RD. THROUGH TRAFFIC CIRCLE RIGHT AT DEALE RD. LEFT AT DRUM POINT RD. FOLLOW DRUM POINT TO WATER AND SKIPPERS AT END OF POINT

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LEFT ONTO CT-82 W/SALEM TURNPIKE RIGHT ONTO HOPYARD RD LEFT TO STAY ON HOPYARD RD RIGHT ONTO HAYWARDVILLE RD RIGHT ONTO ALEXANDER RD 1ST LEFT ONTO OLD SALEM RD/SALEM RD CONTINUE ONTO ALEXANDER RD RIGHT ONTO WITCH MEADOW RD LEFT ONTO CT-85 N/HARTFORD RD CONTINUE ONTO BROADWAY, HARRY’S PLACE ON THE RIGHT Rip & Ride® • FRIENDS LAKE INN 963 FRIENDS LAKE RD, CHESTERTOWN, NY • 518-494-4751 • WWW.FRIENDSLAKE.COM

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See us at the International Motorcycle Show January 18-20

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START: Chatterbox Drive-In, Rtes. 15/206, Augusta, NJ SIGN-IN: Starts @ 8:30am END: Sprinkle Shack, 640 Rte. 15, Sparta, NJ

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013

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START: CHATTERBOX DRIVE IN, AUGUSTA, NJ EXIT CHATTERBOX FROM REAR EXIT LEFT AT RTE. 206 SOUTH RIGHT AT PRICE RD (STATE TROOPER BARRACKS) LEFT AT AUGUSTA HILL RD. RIGHT AT CR 519 LEFT AT CR 627 STRAIGHT AT CR 626 LEFT AT CR 521 SOUTH LEFT AT FRANK CHANDLER RD. RIGHT AT CR 622 LEFT AT CR 619 LEFT AT DOVE ISLAND RD. RIGHT AT DUCK POND RD. LEFT AT WEST END RD. CR 614 RIGHT AT RTE. 94 SOUTH LEFT AT PHIL HARDIN RD. RIGHT AT CR 519 SOUTH LEFT AT CR 608 RIGHT AT CR 611 RIGHT AT QUAKER RD. CR 669 LEFT AT CR 621 IMMEDIATE RIGHT AT QUAKER CHURCH RD. STRAIGHT ON CR 615 RIGHT AT CR 613 BEAR RIGHT AT ALPHANO RD. LEFT AT RTE. 46 RIGHT AT BARKERS MILL RD. RIGHT AT MT. BETHEL RD. CROSS CR 628 BEAR RIGHT TO CR 629 CROSS US 57 STRAIGHT TO PT MOUNTAIN / MT. LEBANON RD. RIGHT AT ANTHONY RD.

RIGHT AT GUNTER GAP RD (LOOK FOR IRONHORSE SIGNS) BEAR RIGHT TO LOWER STECOAH RD IRONHORSE MOTORCYCLE LODGE IS ON LEFT LEFT AT RTE. 706 RIGHT AT RTE. 409 RIGHT AT US 6 LEFT AT T IN TOWANDA P/U RTE. 220 SOUTH RIGHT ON RTE. 414 STRAIGHT ON RTE. 287 RIGHT ON RTE. 660 WELLSBORO WEST ON RTE. 6 BEAR RIGHT IN PORT ALLEGANY TO RTE. 155 BEAR RIGHT AT RTE. 446 TAKE INTO ELDRED MUSEUM ON LEFT LEFT AT WOOD GLEN RD. AT STOP CROSS AND STRAIGHT AT CR 628 LEFT AT CR 513 RIGHT AT HOFFMAN CROSSING RD. LEFT AT MT. GROVE RD. RIGHT AT CALIFON-COKESBURY RD. BEA LEFT AT CR 639 LEFT AT MAIN ST. RIGHT AT CHERRY ST. BECOMES CR 629 AROUND ROUND VALLEY RESERVOIR BEAR LEFT CR 269 RIGHT AT BARLEY SHEAF RD. LEFT AT ROCKAFELLOW MI RIGHT AT RIVER RD. LEFT AT CASE BLVD. CROSS RTE. 202 LEFT AT CR 650 RIGHT AT BARLEY SHEAF RD. LEFT AT CR 514 IMMEDIATE RIGHT AT CR 609 LEFT AT CR 602 FIRST RIGHT AT LINDBERGH RD. RIGHT AT HOLLOW RD. RIGHT AT CR 518 LEFT AT HOPEWELL PRINCETON RD. STRAIGHT AT CARTER RD. BEAR LEFT AT LAWRENCEVILLE RD. BEAR IMMEDIATE RIGHT AT FACKLER RD. RIGHT AT PRINCETON PIKE LEFT AT FRANKLIN CORNER RD. RIGHT AT US 1 EXIT AT WHITEHEAD RD STAY TO RIGHT BEAR TO EAST STATE ST. FOLLOW SIGNS TO GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE

FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

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Hey, I have a story to tell!

A Backroads Readers Guide to Actually Getting Printed…

Okay, so you have just finished the most phenomenal motorcycle tour. You and your friends have seen sights and experienced things that have you totally enraptured.

And now, being the sort of rider you are, you want to share it with as many other riders as possible.

You would like to get your adventure printed in Backroads.

That’s great, as we are always looking for a great yarn, different destinations and wonderful words to fill these pages.

But, there is more to it than just throwing some words together in an email and sending a picture you shot with your phone; a lot more.

The first thing is having some sort of plan.

Is this story idea of yours a special destination? Maybe a Great All American Diner Run or the perfect little inn that would be excellent as a We’re Outta Here? Well, we look for these places all the time and really enjoy when readers make the jump to contributor. It both makes our life a bit easier and allows for a bit more diversity in these pages.

Make notes on the places you are interested in writing about. Take plenty of pictures, something that I’ll get into in more serious detail a little later, but I use pictures as reminders to myself all the time – they’re like high-tech post-its for the moto-journalist. Going back over a few days worth of photographs will always remind me of some of the little details that can get woven into a story to add more flavor and flair to the piece. Historical references and a little bit of fact checking can go a long way.

We’d all be surprised at how much history we ride by each day.

We cover a lot of ground and information here at Backroads each month and to get a good idea of what we are looking for in each of our monthly columns you can log onto our Writers Guidelines here: www.backroadsusa.com/writersguideline.

Pictures Rule!

Now onto the one thing that most would-be- writers do not seem to be able to grasp - what we need when it comes to photographs.

We rarely get slides of images these days. Most everyone on the planet –

except for Shira’s Mom, shoots digital.

We love digital.

Now here is the magic number, okay?

300 dpi, people…300 dpi!

You got that? 300 dpi!

Those tiny files that you’re so proud of when you Facebook, blog, or post to any website just won’t cut it in the real publishing world.

The devil is in the details and 300 dpi has much more detail than 72 could ever dream of.

If your camera comes out with a 72 dpi shot, but it is a whopping 30 X 40 inches in size, that’ll work too, just DO NOT RESIZE IT – send it to us just like that.

If your picture is 72 dpi and just 4 x 6 it is useless to us.

Set your high end DSLR or point and shoot to photograph at the highest setting.

Yes, you will take up more space on the SD Card, but that really shouldn’t be a problem. You used to have to change film, simply change cards if you have to. We carry a lot of them while on the road.

We also download our cameras nightly and always have a back-up memory stick just in case.

As far as cameras go we have some high end Nikons and some new point and shoot Nikons as well. Truthfully you will be surprised at how many excellent and print worthy shots have been taken with my Nikon Coolpix S6000. At 14.2 megapixels it does a great job and I always have it in my pocket, unlike the bigger Nikons that have to be taken from the tail case when needed, it is always accessible for UFOs, Bigfoot or ‘52 Vincent Black Lightnings.

Remember, if your story is not perfect- but pretty much there - and you have great, high-res, pictures to go with it, it can be saved, edited and published.

On the other hand even if you are Christopher Moore but your photographs are lacking in quality or are too small – we have nothing.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2013

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Pictures are key.

What is that number? 300 dpi – right!

Another photographic point that we can’t stress enough is to practice with your camera and photography. We don’t expect our regular readers to be top professionals with perfectly artistic eyes – but we do expect a little effort to be used when photographing and submitting photographs to Backroads.

Point and shoot is not a rule. Setting up your shots with the thought that they might someday be published is an excellent way to shoot all the time.

A tree in the middle of a field means nothing. But, a motorcycle under a tree in the field makes the photograph far more interesting.

alize it might not run for a few months.

One thing that really gets to be bothersome is when a person sends us a story and then emails, calls and contacts us every couple of days asking when their story is going to be in Backroads.

We have returned stories because of this. So how can I say this nicely; don’t be a pest, okay? If you become trying You won’t get published.

Also, we pay for articles printed, but not the day we receive an article.

Normal turnaround is about 30 days after publication, more or less. Please be patient, you’re gas money will come. But if you are a pest and get persnickety you will get your check but in the future You won’t get published.

COMPARISON Both of these shots were taken in the mountains of Norway.

The one on the left is simply showing the peaks, while the one on the right has people, depth and composure.

A little planning changes a lot.

Today’s newer cameras really can handle much of the once technical voodoo for you; taking some of the brain workout of the equation.

Photographs must be able to tell part of the story all by themselves. If they don’t something is not quite right.

Composition, use of light and other factors go into all the ingredients for a superb picture and you want to use them all.

I really don’t want to go into Photo 101, but read up on photography, sit in on a motorcycle photo seminar at rallies when they have them and, most of all, get out and shoot your ass off. It’s digital, so who cares; it’s not like your burning Kodachrome anymore.

One thing that Shira and I do here frequently is to take two identical cameras and walk around the property and forest that surrounds Backroads Central.

We’ll choose maybe half a dozen objects, things or scenes and then each of us will do his or her interpretation of that subject.

Later on we’ll compare and look to see what worked for some shot and didn’t work for others.

Practice, practice, practice - both writing and photography.

That magical combination of a well thought out story, historical references, great roads, superb photography and passion will help get you into the pages of Backroads.

So now you know how to get published – let me tell you how “Not to get Published” in Backroads.

Each month we get a few dozen inquiries from riders who have stories to be told and they are interested in telling them in our pages.

Sometimes they just show up unannounced. Some of these submissions seem like afterthoughts from the writer.

A few hundred words tossed together with web shots at 72 dpi just won’t do. You won’t get published.

When considering submitting a piece, take some time to actually think it through. Is it something you might have already seen in Backroads in the last few months? If we just did an article on touring Nova Scotia chances are we would not do another for a good spell of time.

You won’t get published.

Another sure way to be rejected is to submit a story with no motorcycle shots at all or, as happens often, you’re a writer who doesn’t ride at all, but assures us that their destination has lots of “bikers” coming by.

If it is not a motorcycle specific article then You won’t get published.

Be patient.

Many times, even with our own travel articles, we might hold a story for months until we find that the article fits in a particular issue and is finally run.

If you submit a story do not expect to see it in the very next issue. That most likely will not happen. If we say we are going to accept an article, re-

Please don’t think we do not want to publish your travel articles. We here at Backroads really do want your adventures and we think it is most excellent that you wish to share them with others. All I am trying to do here is let you know what you should and should not do. Be as professional as you can, follow a few of the rules and we hope to see your next motorcycle article in the pages of Backroads. ~Brian Rathjen

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FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

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UPCOM IN G EVENTS CAL ENDAR FEBRUARY 2013 2 • Motorcyclepedia Museum 1st annual Benefit Dinner. 6-10pm. Celebrate Kamikaze Pit Lengner’s 60th birthday. Live entertainment, cocktail hour with cash bar and h’orderves 6-7pm; buffet at 7pm, 50/50 raffle, silent auction and more. $40/pp • $75/couple • $50/pp at door • www.motorcyclepediamuseum.org 6 • Harley Davidson Long Branch York Factory Tour. Meet at dealership and carpool to the Harley-Davidso Factory in York, PA. Pre-registration required • 732-229-8518 • www.hdlongbranch.com • Long Branch, NJ 7 • Morton’s BMW Motorcycles New Owner’s Seminar - 6:30-8pm • FREE. If you’ve recently bought a BMW, join us to learn how to check fluid levels and other routine maintenance. Info at www.mortonsbmw.com • 540-891-9844 • Fredericksburg, VA 8-9 • Montgomeryville Cycle Center BMW Club Weekend • Hatfield, PA • 215-7127433 • www.montgomeryvillecc.com 9 • Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Chili Fest and Gerbing’s Sale Day. Got a great chili recipe? Cook up a batch and try your hand at our annual chili competition. Great prices on Gerbing Heated Gear and other stock. Info at www.mortonsbmw.com • 540-8919844 • Fredericksburg, VA 9 • Bergen County HD/BMW Health Awareness Day. 10am-2pm. FREE screenings, tons of info and seminars - ALL FREE • More info • www.bergenharleydavidson.com • 201-843-6930 • Rochelle Park, NJ 9 • Liberty Harley-Davidson Blood Drive • Rahway, NJ • 732-381-2400 • www.libertyharley.com

What’s Happening complete issue of Backroads’ columns in one weekend - Great All-American Diner Run, Big City Getaway, and, of course, Mysterious America. Our home base will be the Lake Front Motel, sitting right on Lake Otsego and walking distance from downtown Cooperstown. www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html 16-19 • Concours Owners Group Northeast Spring Fling. Bedford, PA. For details please contact Jason 814-535-8669 • www.tinyurl.com/COGSpringFling2013 17-19 • Mothers for Daughters Weekend. Join hundreds of riders for a weekend of riding and fun in beautiful scenic Vermont and help raise money for breast and ovarian cancer research. See website for full details: www.mothersfordaughters.com

JUNE 2013 1-8 • Americade • www.americade.com • World’s largest motorcycle touring rally. Join with thousands of motorcyclist for a week of riding, fun, seminars and commaraderie.

8-16 • 90th Anniversay Laconia Bike Week • www.laconiamcweek.com • Join thousands of bikers for a week of music, parties and great events.

POLAR BEAR GRAND TOUR 2012-13 To check on Polar Bear cancellations & updates call A.M.A. Dis. #2 • 908-722-0128 Feb. 3 • THE FRANKLIN HOUSE TAVERN, 101 North Market Street, Schaefferstown, PA 17088 Ph. # 717 949-2122 • franklinhousetavern.com Feb. 10 • PIC-A-LILLI INN 866 Route 206 Shamong NJ Ph. # 609 268-2066 • picalilli.com

16 • Harley Davidson Long Branch Accident Scene Mngmt Semiar. Pre-registration required. More details • www.hdlongbranch.com • 732-229-8518 • Long Branch, NJ

Feb. 17 • HOOTERS, 25 Rte 23 South, Wayne, NJ 07470 Ph# 973-837-1876 • www.hootersnj.com

17 • Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Tech Day with BMW Bikers of Metro Washington 8am-2pm. If you’ve got some work to do on your bike, this is the time and place to do it. Service Dept. will be open to assist with advice and suggestions. Special emphasis on suspension setup and adjustment. Get ready for Spring Riding. Info at www.mortonsbmw.com • 540-891-9844 • Fredericksburg, VA

Feb. 24 • BAHRS LANDING, 2 Bay Ave., Highlands, NJ 07732 PH# 732-872-1245 • www.bahrs.com March 3 • FIREHOUSE EATERY, 455 Saint Georges Ave. Rahway, NJ 07065 Ph# 732 382-9500 • www.firehouseeatery.com March 10 • LONG VALLEY PUB & BREWERY, 1 Fairmount Rd., Long Valley, NJ 07853 Ph #908-876-1122 • www.restaurantvillageatlongvalley.com

23 • Ramapo Motorcycle Club 95th Crotona Midnight Run. Sat., Feb. 23-Sun., Feb. 24. Sign in: 10:30pm • Key Time: Midnight - 12:00am. Location: Nathan's parking lot, Central Park Ave, Yonkers, NY. This is the longest running motorcycle event in the USA. Be part of History. More info at www.ramapomc.org

March 17 • THE CHATTERBOX, #1 Rte 15 South, Augusta, NJ 07822 Ph#973-300-2300 • www.chatterboxdrivein.com

23 • Harley Davidson Long Branch Chili Cookoff. Sign up to enter your chili recipe in our annual contest. More details • www.hdlongbranch.com • 732-229-8518

March 24 • BRIAN'S HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 600 S. Flowers Mill Rd., Langhorne PA Ph# 215 752-9400 • www.brianshd.com

MAY 2013

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thoughts froM the road

(Continued from Page 12)

2 plus hour stint in a sideways rain. Still she stepped off smiling. Smiling…

I take no credit as the gear worked wonderfully and she was pretty much dry in the evenings despite the weather. She also liked the way she felt comfortable between the side cases and the top box. Still, it was a challenge for anyone to put in that kind of seat time in that weather. Even our bladders seemed to be on the same schedule!

We’ve been on various rides since and she never complains. (The back seat of the Bonneville isn’t really her cuppa tea and I think I’m going to have to get her a Gerbings electric jacket liner but that’s nothin’). We’ve seen some fantastic places together and it’s a treat to have someone around that is as connected to the surroundings as I am. Just the other night the girl with the pretty smile was asking when we were going to be able to ride to Newfoundland or do a motorcycle trip in Scotland. You know what? I think she just might be a Keepah.

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ROAD TRIP

A Two-Wheeled Tour of the Spud State Riding Idaho’s Scenic Byways Pamela Collins

Not a potato in sight.

We saw mountains whose jagged, pointy peaks cut the sky and forests so lushly thick you’d swear day turned to night. We saw arid deserts that seemed from another continent and an otherworldly, black and pockmarked landscape that seemed misplaced by the moon. We saw the United States’ first sunfilled ski resort and a river canyon that literally lured a motorcyclist to jump.

But not one potato did we see.

Which just goes to show Idaho’s allure and gifts extend well beyond its famous spud. Not to diminish the tuber’s importance to the state’s identity and economy, but those motorcyclists who only associate Idaho with the potato miss the bigger, grander, more beautiful and varied picture of this lovely place.

A Mash-Up of Flavors

Imagine blending some True Grit wild west with a little bit of Grizzly Adams mountain-man, a splash of Deliverance high-water hi-jinx, the glitz of a movie-star getaway, and a dash of savvy cosmopolitan flair to smooth the mix and only then do you begin to get the flavor of modern Idaho. Old and new collide and coexist in the state, creating motorcycling adventures throughout its length and breadth. Helping guide us two-wheeled types is a superb network of designated, well-signed scenic and historic byways that point us toward journeys of varying but always picturesque beauty.

A nice several day 1000-mile jaunt begins in Boise, the capital city, and utilizes seven connecting scenic byways. But before riding toward yonder take some time to wander through the downtown streets of this city that has no “z” in its name (pronounced Boy-see, thank you kindly). It may be a large

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urban area, and yes, it’s the state’s political hub, but this big city has a small-town feel reminiscent of an old-time Frank Capra movie. It embraces its heritage and protects its historic structures, giving the downtown a homey, settled attitude while offering cutting edge nightlife and cuisine that celebrates its local roots.

An introductory afternoon ride near this area leads you about twenty minutes north on I-84 where you’ll turn south onto Route 69 to pick up the Western Heritage Historic Byway. For 47 miles you ride back in time to when “there’s gold in them thar’ hills” echoed throughout these dusty Owyhee Mountains. On your way you’ll pass the Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, home to the largest population of nesting raptors in the world. Some twists and turns through this relatively flat, brown valley of western Idaho eventually winds you down to the Snake River Canyon…the same Snake River we’ll visit in eastern Idaho later this trip. This ride ends at Swan Falls Dam, home to the first powerhouse on the Snake River. Practices begun here years ago to generate power still work in today’s environment, earning this region the moniker “birthplace of modern electricity.” The sparse, craggy landscape, punctuated by rolling tumbleweeds and surrounded by jagged peaks easily conjures images of old forty-niners, mules, and Clementine.

The next journey strings together several sections of varying scenic byways like beads on a necklace, each byway like a precious stone possessing its own singular beauty. Heading north, Route 55 out of Boise twists you upward over languid rolling foothills, around the locally famous Horseshoe Bend, till it gracefully places you alongside the Payette River for this portion of the Payette River Scenic Byway. The river boasts renowned whitewater rafting

experiences between its narrow, forestlined, boulder-strewn shores.

Though this byway can take you more than 100 gorgeous and curvy miles north to the mountain towns of Cascade and McCall—a worthwhile trip in its own right—instead, turn right a short distance north of Banks where a sign indicates the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway. Highway 17, also called the Banks-Lowman Road, travels 33 miles alongside the South Fork of the Payette River with its famous, Class IV rapids that can surge and boil above the roadway in springtime. At times you ride the river’s edge feeling ant-like as the mountains’ tips loom way, way above.

Other moments the valley expands in breadth, offering viewing areas where you might glimpse elk, mule deer, bear, wolves and other residents that call this valley home.

Soon comes the turn for Route 21 North, the Ponderosa Pine Scenic byway which offers a breathtaking dance of its own. The pavement beckons a rider to follow its beauty, sometimes wallpapered with the dark, pine green of its namesake trees, sometimes rising to greet the open-armed welcoming sky, such as at Banner Summit, one of Idaho’s highest peaks at 7,056 feet. Unfortunately, nature and humankind did battle prior to our visit, and recent forest fires left a portion of the road scarred like a burn victim. Even though smoke cloaked the air, this section of the Sawtooth Wilderness still couldn’t hide its brightness and beauty as we rode through its wilderness.

At a gas stop in the wild-west feeling town of Stanley, elevation 6,200 feet, the haze cleared enough to barely make out the zigs and zags of the famed and aptly named Sawtooth Mountain Range, whose sharp, jagged spine looms giant-like over this portion of the ride. From Stanley, turn south onto

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FEBRUARY 2013 • BACKROADS

Page 44 the Sawtooth Scenic Byway (Route 75), when the Redfish Lake Recreation Area appears. A sandy beach and marina ring one end of this watery blue gem while the Sawtooths ominously rise from the opposing shore of this alpine lake.

A concession area offers boat rentals and tours in season.

Traveling southward on 75 again, the wheels will roll skyward as you make the climb to Galena summit. Take advantage of the large paved pull-off area here and the 8,701 foot-high vista encircling it.

From the Sun to the Moon

Now the ride leads toward the valley and the western-chic cowboy town of Ketchum, familiar to literary types as the adopted home of Ernest Hemingway. Much more upscale now than in the famed author’s day, Ketchum boasts an array of shopping and fine dining in this semi-rugged western setting.

Just several miles down the road lies a piece of living history as America’s first ski resort still welcomes visitors the way it has since 1936. Sun Valley began as the brainchild of Union Pacific Railroad owner Averill Harriman, who developed the resort as a convenient destination along his railroad’s route.

Known for fabulous skiing and namesake sunny days, early stars and politicos soon made Sun Valley a place to see and be seen. Today summertime activities of golf, fly- fishing, and the obligatory spa services join the menu of winter offerings, making Sun Valley a year-round destination. Photographs along the

historic lodge’s hallway detail a history of famous visitors—Carey Grant, Lucille Ball, presidents, statesmen, and Hemingway again, who had a regular room and favorite restaurant on the property.

About 80 miles southwest of Sun Valley lies another historical site as polar opposite from Sun Valley as possible. Continue south on 75 (Sawtooth Scenic Byway) then turn east onto Peaks to Craters Scenic Byway (Route 20). The desert-like landscape soon adopts an ominous, spooky aura as the ground turns black and the trees diminish. A real-life horror movie played here, beginning 15,000 years ago and ending about 2,100 years ago.

Lava and ash decimated these 750,000 acres as volcanos stewed and spewed, churned and burned away all remnants of life. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared this region—aptly and descriptively named Craters of the Moon— a national monument, Idaho’s first. NASA actually sent four Apollo astronauts here in 1969 to prepare for their missions.

A visitor’s center details all the sci-fi like geology here—-the black sand, lava tubes, spatter cones, cinder cones, the Devil’s Orchard and other features, but a seven-mile paved loop within the monument lets you ride, walk through and experience these eerie, almost alien-feeling features first-hand.

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Wrestling the Snake

Backtracking to Route 75, turn southward where you’ll travel miles through some land that’s farmed, some that’s barren. The mountains melt away and the look becomes decidedly more desert. Destination: Twin Falls, along Route 93, itself a place of history holding a special spot in the heart of motorcyclists.

The Snake River writhes and wriggles its way across the southern expanse of Idaho…the same Snake River mentioned at this story’s beginning. But here at Twin Falls it cleaves the earth, creating an enormous ¾mile long canyon. In 1974, Evil Knieval, using a steam-powered “skycycle” tried to jump the expanse, but a faulty parachute that opened too soon doomed the daredevil’s stunt. The dirt ramp he leapt from sits on private property, but remains visible from a public viewing area.

Knievel’s failure hasn’t deterred other thrill seekers though, as the Perrine Bridge that spans the river here is the only place in the United States permitting BASE (Buildings, Antennas, Spans, and Earth) jumping year round.

The last byway of the trip, the Thousand Springs Scenic Byway (Route 30) leads westward toward Boise. At Shoshone Falls, along the byway’s eastern end in Twin Falls, you’ll see the Snake River crashing down 215-foot high rocky walls—52 feet higher than Niagara Falls. Along this ride you’ll pass through several Americana-typical Main Street towns until the Snake

Page 45 River Canyon once more claims prominence. The Snake River Plains Aquifer is one of the largest ground water systems in the world. At one viewing point the river literally pours out a series of tunnels in the canyon’s, escaping from what seems like large holes poked into the gorge’s side. In this 30-mile stretch of oxygen-enriched water grow nearly 70 percent of the trout raised in the United States.

The remainder of the ride partly follows the Snake River and its gorge on its westward trek, until Route 30 intersects with Interstate 84, which leads to the journey’s end over a flat expanse of tumbleweed-lined territory to Boise.

Riders will find scenic byways decorating the entire state of Idaho and undulating roadways that seemed paved especially for us. Whether seeking a Wild West adventure, the solitude of the mountains, or a sunshine-filled resort, Idaho offers so many ways, reasons, and directions to keep those wheels rolling, you’ll forget all about any potatoes.

For more information visit these websites: Idaho Division of Tourism • www.visitIdaho.org Idaho Scenic, Historic and Backcountry Byways www.idahobyways.gov Sun Valley Resorts • www.sunvalley.com Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve www.nps.gov/crmo Twin Falls Idaho • www.twinfallschamber.com Motorcycle Rentals are available just outside of Boise at High Desert Harley Davidson in Meridian (www.highdeserthd.com, 800-666-4644) or Birds of Prey Motorsports in Caldwell (www.birdsofpreymotorsports.com, 208-455-8049).

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Page 46

Quiz Time!

Dan Bisbee

I’ve been traveling around the United States for work and by motorcycle for the past 25 years. Traveling has made the places on the map real. Bogalusa, Louisiana is a real place with real people. Wallula, Washington is close to Walla Walla but very different. I can spend a thoroughly enjoyable evening with a cold beer or two and a good old fashioned paper road atlas; retracing trips past, plotting trips future and discovering (and remembering!) useless bits of trivia nobody but me finds the least bit interesting. As motorcyclists, we are travelers and we should have a good grasp of geography.

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite geography brain teasers. Without consulting a map or GPS, see how you do.

1) Which state borders exactly one other state? (5 points) 2) Which city is farther West: Reno, Nevada or Los Angeles, California? (5 points) 3) Which city is farther North: Portland Maine or Portland, Oregon?

(5 points) 4) Is New York City closer to Los Angeles or Seattle? (5 points) 5) Which state borders the most other states? (Hint: there are two) (5 points each)

East Coast and called a friend in a state on the West Coast. Surprisingly, it was the same time. Where were we? (Hint: it was 1:30 AM.) (5 points) 9) I was standing at the highest point in the continental US. Where was I? (5 points) 9a) I hiked down to my bike from the place in question 9 and rode to the lowest point in the continental US Where was I? (5 Points) 9b) How far apart are the two places in Question 9 and 10? (Within 300 miles). (5 points) 10) In terms of latitude and longitude, where are the farthest points East, West, North and South in the United States? (2.5 points each) 11) How about the Continental U.S? (Hint: they’re all different from number 10) (2.5 points each) 12) I was riding Interstate 10 from Houston, Texas to San Diego, California and stopped halfway. What state was I in? (5 points) 13) I was riding in Chicago and headed due south until I hit the ocean.

Which city was I closest to: Houston, Texas, New Orleans, Louisiana or Pensacola, Florida? (5 points) Bonus Question: In which state was this photo taken?

(Hint: It’s in New England) (5 points)

Answers

6) There are three places in the United States where I must ride through Canada to get there. Where are they? (Hint: you can’t ride to Hawaii.) (5 points each)

1) Maine. It borders only New Hampshire. It also borders the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick as well as the Atlantic Ocean.

7) I was riding on Interstate 70 from Columbus, Ohio to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When I left Ohio the sign said Welcome to ________.

(5 points)

2) Reno. At 119.81 degrees West longitude, Reno is farther west than L.A.at 118.2 degrees West longitude.

8) In general, there is a three hour time difference between the East Coast of the U.S. and the West Coast. I was riding in a state on the

3) Portland Oregon. Portland Maine is at 43.66 degrees North latitude while Port-

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Page 47

land, Oregon is at 45.31 degrees. This puts Portland Oregon nearly 100 miles farther north that Portland, Maine

Coast and a section of Oregon, on the West Coast will have their clocks reading the same time.

4) Los Angeles. According to the mileage chart in the back of my Atlas, the distance from New York City to Seattle is 2858 miles while the distance to Los Angeles is 2787 miles making New York closer to L.A. than Seattle (Rand McNally 2011). Curiously my 2005 National Geographic Atlas with MapQuest maps lists the distances as 2820 to Seattle and 2864 to LA.

9) The highest point in the Continental U.S. is Mount Whitney, California at 14,494 feet above sea level (Those of you who said Mt Rainier will find that mountain is “only” 14,410 feet high). The lowest point is Badwater Basin in Death Valley at 282 feet below sea level.

These points are about 100 miles apart, as the crow flies. As the biker rides, it’s about 200 miles (and 3 of those miles are vertical). (Anything from 0 to 500 counts).

5) Missouri borders Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Tennessee borders Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri.

6) Alaska, Point Roberts, Washington and the Northwest Angle, Minnesota. The Border between the U.S. and Canada from Lake of the Woods in Minnesota to the Pacific Ocean is the 49th parallel. The town Point Roberts, in northwestern Washington State is on a peninsula extending south from British Columbia and falls just below this demarcation. It is in the U.S. despite the fact that one must travel through British Columbia, Canada to reach the rest of the U.S. The third place is a section of Minnesota that juts out into Lake of the Woods called the Northwest Angle. It is north of the line of demarcation but nevertheless, it part of the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

7) West Virginia. I’ve always thought that the shape of West Virginia looked like a fist with its thumb sticking out to the East and an extended middle finger flipping off the rest of the country. This middle finger sticks up between Ohio and Pennsylvania and I-70 crosses about 10 miles of the state between Columbus and Pittsburgh.

8) Florida is on the East Coast. Pensacola, on the panhandle, is in the Central time zone. Oregon is on the West Coast. A section of the state around Ontario is on Mountain Time. That makes the time difference between Pensacola and Ontario one hour. During the autumn time change, Pensacola falls back to Standard time before Ontario.

Therefore, for one hour each year, a section of Florida, on the East

10) Farthest North is Alaska. Point Barrow to be more precise. The farthest point South is Hawaii. Ka Lae on the Island of Hawai’i to be more exact. Farthest West? That would be Alaska again, Tanaga Island in the Aleutians. And, now to win your bet or start your fight, the farthest point east in terms of Longitude is Alaska yet again. Semisopochnoi Island, one of the Rat Islands in the Aleutian Islands is just over the 180th longitude, putting it technically in the Eastern hemisphere along with Attu and the Near Islands.

11) The continental U.S. is a little easier because of the way we usually see it on maps. Farthest west is Neah Bay Washington. South is Key West, Florida. East is Maine at the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse near South Lubec. North is the Northwest Angle in Minnesota.

12) Believe it or not, you’re still in Texas. El Paso, Texas is 758 miles from Houston and 730 miles from San Diego, California 13) Chicago is at 87.degrees, 50 minutes West longitude Pensacola 87 degrees,13 minutes putting it virtually due south of Chicago.

Bonus - Maine. More specifically the town of Lynchville at the intersection of Routes 5 and 35.and yes, those are all the names of towns in Maine.

Scoring: 90-105: Geographic Genius 70-89: You know your way around an Atlas 50-69: Be careful giving other people directions 30-49: Be careful getting off the Interstate <30: Don’t leave for work without your GPS

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