TIME OF OUR LIFE TOUR

words + images: Brian Rathjen • images: Backroads’ peeps

As if on schedule the Wizards of the CDC began to lift mask mandates just days before Backroads’ rst big rally, tour, road trip shindiggy thing of the new season was to begin. With the light at the end of the tunnel seemingly getting brighter by the minute, our rst day on the road was greeted with spectacular sun and mild temperatures.

Day One • Joseph Ambler Inn, North Wales, PA Rather than do any sort of group ride this day we simply put out the word that the Spring Break would begin at the Joseph Ambler Inn, just west of the Delaware River and north of Philly in Pennsylvania. We were sure all would nd their way and their own route down, or up, or across to North Wales and the Ambler.

Shira and I, along with our friends Mike and Robyn, met mid-morn and began to amble through the forests and farms of New Jersey to the Joseph Ambler.

We gave a shot at running along some road combinations that were untouched by us before – making for a longer ride than necessary – but far more fun, and lunch at the Sky Manor Airport was right on cue with the various planes ying in and out an added delight.

This was the week of the faux gas crisis, but enough was said for me to decide to mount extra Roto-Pack fuel cells on my bike in case we ran into a French situation (Those people always have gas strikes, like once a month). Of course, mounted up high on my saddlebags, the extra fuel sloshing around made things… a little Koyaanisqatsi. I would take some ribbing from friends about over-doing a non-event, but who knew… we might need them down the line. The Ambler was to be found in a fairly suburban Philly outskirt, but the expansive grounds and century-old buildings made it seem like another world. It was a most excellent rst night destination, and it seemed many of the riders and bikes began rolling down the long circular driveway around the same time that ne sunny Sunday. Motorbikes parked, unpacked, showers taken, and feeling far fresher we strolled around to say hello, and then we settled into some tables and chairs on the lawn to spend a few hours catching up with our Backroads peeps. As usual old friends were met, new friends came to say hi and, unlike last year, there were far more hugs and handshakes and most of all - smiles to be found. Yes, nally real light at the end of the tunnel, and all of us were more than ready to ride to it.

Day Two • George Washington Hotel, Winchester, VA

Another great day met us this Monday and, after a shaky breakfast, riders mounted up and headed south.

For those who rode the entire 250-mile route this day you might have noticed it was a bit full of U.S. Military history; early and the deadly middle. It would seem that the Founding Fathers – mostly Washington and Jefferson - would ride along with us for much of this week-long tour.

The route ran through Valley Forge where Washington camped the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army’s main body during the war. In September 1777, Congress ed Philadelphia to escape the British capture of the city. After failing to retake Philadelphia, Washington led his 12,000-man army into winter quarters at Valley Forge, located approximately 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia. They remained there for six months and the Continentals struggled to manage a disastrous supply crisis while retraining and reorganizing their units. Washington saw men that long brutally hard winter die, (about 1,900 soldiers would die from disease) but so many more become true ghters thanks to the workings of Friedrich Wilhem August Heinrich von Steuben. He turned a bunch of scraggy commoners into a serious ghting force. Valley Forge was and is a huge part of our history. We then ran past Brandywine Creek.

September 11th has been an infamous day for centuries as Washington had one of his biggest defeats on that same fateful day. The forces met near Chadds Ford as British General Howe moved to take back Philadelphia - then the American capital. The British routed the Continental Army and forced them to withdraw, rst, to the City of Chester and then northeast toward Philadelphia. More troops fought at Brandywine than any other battle of the American Revolution. It was also the longest single-day battle of the war, with continuous ghting for 11 hours.

Not long after we rode through the town of Paoli. This was another disaster for our side. After Brandywine, Washington left a force under Brigadier General Anthony Wayne behind to monitor and harass the British as they prepared to move on the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia. On the evening of September 20,

British forces under Major General Charles Grey led a surprise attack on Wayne’s encampment near the Paoli Tavern. Although there were relatively few American casualties, claims were made that the British took no prisoners and granted no quarter, and the engagement became known as the “Paoli Massacre.”

We rocketed past these places of serious American history and never even know it unless we take the time to look for it.

We then crossed into Pretty Boy Park and the beautiful dam. Although the odd name is actually a reference to a horse, it is hard for us to ride through here without thinking Seinfeld….’Nice game Pretty Boy! June 14th, 1987 Mets vs. Phillies…’ I know… sad how our minds work.

Halfway through this day’s ride I reached for my inner Phillip Glass and dumped all the extra fuel tanks into my bike. Things got better when there was not a small child scrambling around behind me.

We continued on, into Maryland and then the Virginias – West and, just Virginia.

Rounding into one valley we spotted something I do not believe any of us had seen before – a crop-dusting helicopter. He was a scary good pilot, running a few feet over the crop and missing the surrounding elm trees by what seemed like mere inches.

The last jaunt past Summit Raceway is always a fan favorite (at least to me). By evening we were rolled into Winchester and the George Washington Hotel – which we had used many times before. Usually a most excellent place, but they certainly dropped the ball on all fronts this day. No bar, no restaurant and - worse … no morning coffee. Still, Winchester is a super town with a marvelous pedestrian walkway lined with shops and places to eat. Besides the Southern Contingent is a rolling fête that brings the fun and party with them.

That day we were joined by an old friend, Danny, whom I worked with at Honda back in the day and had not seen in a decade, and by early evening the crowd doubled from the night before and it truly felt we were now riding out of this black tunnel together. Day Three The Mountain Lake Lodge, Pembroke, VA A few years back, while heading north from one of our rallies, we followed along a very twisty backroad up through a valley, with the road shaded with deeply leafy trees. As we came around one bend we spotted a most magni cent building to our right. It was the Mountain Lake Lodge. We made a somewhat quick turn around and four of us sat down to a nice breakfast in a very nice dining room. Very nice.

But, it seemed that this lodge had an unusual history – one involving a girl, a boy, and some Dirty Dancing. Yes, this was the stand-in for Kellerman’s and was where most of the lm was made.

When putting together this comeback rally of 2021 the idea of using historic hotels came about and we quickly booked 40 rooms at the lodge for two nights.

The ride from Winchester to the Mountain Lake Inn was planned out months in advance by two semi-retired riders during the deep snowstorm of the century. Roads were chosen and then deleted, replaced by another.

We really, really tried to avoid the hated gravel – but in the end, we simply made two almost identical routes – with one heading over some excellent paved roads and the other going over the mountain on a glori ed clay path.

Of the 50 or so riders, I am aware of just half a dozen who rode the mountain, which I believe is part of the BDR.

From all accounts, this day’s ride might just have been the best miles Backroads has ever offered up – and we have had some very good days over the years.

Cow Pasture Road was a winner and Route 33 always a delight – especially traf c and LEO-free. “Look, Lean, Roll & Believe!”

We spent some time in Bath County – a riding paradise that does not have a stoplight in the entire county.

Along Route 220 I spied Falling Spring Falls. A quick turnaround brought a few of us back to this marvelous and impressive cascade - a

breathtaking 80-foot waterfall that is one of the most visited and photographed spots in the Alleghany Highlands. This is one of the largest waterfalls in Virginia and cascades from an overhanging ledge that is visible from the roadway.

Thomas Jefferson described Falling Spring as a “remarkable cascade … falling over a rock about 200 feet to the valley below.”

A quick stop at the Paint Bank General Store to refresh and recharge and as some headed for the pavement miles, Mike, Robyn, Andrew Serbinski – the owner of MachineartMoto - and I did the mountain. I have ridden over this peak before, from the other direction, but today it was wet, slick, and just a bit slippery. But, still doable and barely an inconvenience.

Mike, with the very intrepid Robyn sitting pillion, did this with a loaded BMW R1200RT with street tires. Very impressive ride, Mike and you can pick up your new Chrysler Cordoba at Morty’s of ce.

Eventually, we arrived at the lodge, slightly dirty but with a little more street cred, or was that gravel crud under our belts?

The Mountain Lodge was a huge hit and we had others join us that night – and it was especially great to see some who had to take four-wheels instead of two. You are all welcome to any Backroads event.

A special shout out to our friends Jim Gardner and his gal Marilyn along with Glen, Bridget, Dave and Alma. And, especially Lisa - who does not love Lisa!? Day Four • Free Day in the Mountains

We had built several suggested routes around the region and some riders got an early start to break the Back of the Dragon and to lunch in Wytheville, while others did loops around Burkes Garden, and still others rode the Blue Ridge Parkway and explored the tiny town of Floyd.

Shira, who had plans of relaxing, reading a book and exploring the beauty of the Mountain Lake Lodge, instead headed out with a small cadre of riders to Burkes Garden. We’d been there a few times before and it is always a pleasant ride. However, the roads there and back

are some of the tastiest curves you’ll nd. Shira, known to do a spirited pace, brought her group back with smiles on their faces, in time for some to do a little skeet shooting at the lodge.

Mark Byers and I took the morning to mosey over to the town of Salem, Virginia, and visit our friends at Frontline Eurosports. Time and again Hugh, Chip and Company have come through for us and our group while we have rallied in this region. They have a top-class dealership that sells and services BMW, Ducati, Triumph, and now Indian as well. Their service department is stellar and each of the staff friendly and knowledgeable. If you are passing through this part of the Old Dominion State I highly recommend stopping by – you will be impressed.

By afternoon most riders had returned and set about exploring the lodge and the surrounding – looking for their favorite Dirty Dancing spot. Me? I was just happy to sit in the corner. Day Five • Summit Inn, Farmington, PA

We all knew today’s ride was a long one, with nearly 300 miles of mountain backroads to be covered.

The previous day we had one BMW have a bit of a technical issue so Scott and Andrea rode to Frontline Eurosports to see if they could get it sorted out. We hoped they would catch up to us later.

Shira had created this route that brought us in and out of Virginia and West Virginia multiple times.

Many made the General Store at Paint Bank their rst stop for breakfast while we just did a quick stretch of the legs before the long and sweeping run north, making for an easier and quicker pace and quickly eating up the day’s long miles.

As always, we hit a detour (now seeming to be a daily occurrence), but our heroes trudged on ever forward and re-routed on the go with the

routes heading through both Jefferson and Washington National Forests.

Most riders stopped at the Cass Railroad for lunch and a bit of browsing at their General Store. While there we learned that two of our friends, riding Harleys, were in need of fuel in a dire way.

Tony and Jose thought they’d make it over the mountain to the next fuel station, but Jose’s machine sputtered and ran out a few miles up the mountain.

Remember those extra fuel cells I had brought along? Ta da!

A quick run over the mountain, on Route 66, to the fuel station beneath Snowshoe at Route 215, and back had Jose’s Harley back on the road.

I had told Shira to carry on ahead and I would see her later.

I felt a touch bad to do that, as it was our 31st anniversary, but no need for her to sit in a fuel station on an increasingly warm day. I had hoped to ride just the two of us, as last year’s 30th anniversary, planned to nd us in Portugal, was a complete bust, to say the least. Thankfully, a year later, we were on the road in West Virginia – one of our favorite places to ride. When I got back to Route 215, I fully fueled the GS, took care of business, packed my Camelbak with ice water, and got on the road solo. It was the rst time I had ever ridden solo in West “By God” Virginia and I was looking forward to an easy ride and enjoying the Mountain State. I put on some music and that’s when the plan changed. The opening power chords of Golden Earing’s ‘Radar Love’ came blasting through my headsets. The plan and the pace drastically changed and I got into a charge to see if I could catch up to my bride who was about an hour ahead at this point.

Yes, there was some passing. Actually, a lot of passing and the distinct possibility that I might have bent velocity laws in a dozen counties and three different states.

She beat me to the Historic Summit Inn by just 15 minutes.

All the hotels had been great so far, but the Summit Inn was in a different class. The service and the food were incredible. The deep history – located on the National Road Route

40 – came through in every nook of this place.

It was a phenomenal night, and spending our anniversary with all our friends and so many readers was the best thing for us both. Day Six • Clarion Shippen Place Hotel, Shippensburg, PA

Sadly, this would be the last of cial day of this Spring Break Rally as the following day our diverse group would be scattering throughout the northeast and riding back to their homes. Before taking our leave, we had to take a short hike to the Treehouse we had heard was nestled about a quarter-mile into the woods. In 2014 ‘Treehouse Masters’ built the Black Bear Bungalow which was inspired by the resort’s ski lodge, which burned down in the 1960s. The platform rises 20 feet and is supported by three black oak trees. The suspension bridge leading to the wraparound deck has quite a swing to it, reminding Shira of her muchfeared return walk from our zip line ride in Ecuador. While we couldn’t get inside, it looked very cozy and the perfect place to enjoy an evening sipping cocktails and watching the installed bear cam below.

The Summit Inn was not all that far from Fort Necessity, where a young George Washington, then a 21-year-old British lieutenant, clashed with the French, starting what would become the French & Indian War, and would suffer a humiliating defeat.

The National Battle eld is extremely well done and the lm about the happening and the birth of the National Road - now called Route 40 - is well

worth the watch. Along this road, you will also nd the grave of General Edward Braddock who was a British of cer and commander-in-chief for the Thirteen Colonies during the start of the French and Indian War. His life, death, and hidden burial site is a story all in its own. Our route would spend a good part of the morning returning to the National Road several times and in Grantsville, Maryland we stopped at the Casselman Inn, a small yet neat old inn that has been serving travelers for centuries. The food was outstanding, the in-house bakery a wonder and what we found in the gift shop was like nothing we had ever seen before. Stay tuned for a feature in ‘We’re Outta Here!’ Although some of the route had to slog through the town of Cumberland, the reward of Route 26 heading north and returning into Pennsylvania was well worth it as Route 26 is a long-time favorite of Backroads and a true roller coaster of a road. Things went along swimmingly until, well, they didn’t. I had heard of roads being dropped into a farm, but never a farm being dropped onto a road. We rounded a sharp uphill right-hander and the quick left we were to make… it wasn’t there. Just a farm. Uh oh. This did cause a great deal of confusion and concern with riders rescued and maps consulted but all gured it out and made their own detour back to the purple line of the route – although a few miles of gravel road were suddenly sprinkled into the day’s ride. Arriving at the hotel, in the town’s center, the lot was completely lled with motorcycles and even more friends had arrived. Not able to come on this return of the Spring Break on motorcycles – they had driven to Shippensburg simply to say hello. This night found our people all about the town; the brewpub, the local barbeque, and the outside decks close to the hotel’s ample bar. It was one of the best nights of the trip – and unfortunately the last for this Spring Break. Day Seven • Home

Happy ‘cause I’m going home. Take me home country roads. Homeward bound…Home is wherever I’m with you!

So many songs about home and going there.

With extended hugs and goodbyes, bikes were packed, GPSs activated and our group scattered to the winds, disappearing like Scottish mist, along the backroads headed to wherever they call home. My music played Cast your Fate to the Wind by Vince Guaraldi. How perfect.

Shira and I, along with another local rider Bill Denton, followed a superb route given to us last year by John Mawhinney.

Last year John had linked together a delicious mix of pavement with us ending at one of the neatest lunch stops in the eastern Keystone state.

Along the way we crossed Amish land, with the horse & buggies, but then came upon something I had never seen on the roads before – an ancient steamdriven automobile, and then another one. How marvelous, it must be a gang! 120 or so miles later we sat down at the Wannamaker’s Store for lunch – simple, easy and delicious.

We then continued east, eventually into the Pocono region and then over the Delaware River and back into Jersey – the only “New” state that doesn’t need the friggin’ “New” to know where you are.

Wow… I type “Final Thoughts” like it is easy. This time it should not be. We have all been through so much. We did what we were asked, we helped each other over and over again. I remember the Chai Riders coming to Shira’s side when they knew she might be ill – simply to spend an hour of Shiva with her after her mom passed. Riders driving for miles in the winter just to have lunch and say hello. Shira and I gave blood repeatably, as we had anti-bodies, and then like so many took the vaccinations – which time will tell on that.

Yet, through it all we, as riders, as Backroads readers, stayed in touch, supported, and stood by each other.

This week in mid-May we nally got out in a big way…

No! In a huge way!

For those who rode with us again - thank you! For those who were on their rst Backroads adventure – welcome to the club.

It’s only gonna get better.

It was an amazing week – and sorry, as I have to say this …

It might have been the time of our lives! , Hotel Resources

At the intersection of 521 and 626 Bill went right and we went left.

We rolled into the drive and, getting off the bike, I could see Spenser T. Cat banging his head at the window – the cat’s version of “Oh, thank Bastet your home, and I am so pissed at you!”

We all have our routines when we get home from a long trip.

For us it is to check on the pond, WATER the garden and plants, and then spend time with Spenser and LG – our furry feline kids.

Joseph Ambler Inn • 1005 Horsham Rd, North Wales, PA • josephamblerinn.com George Washington Hotel • 103 E Piccadilly St, Winchester, VA • 540-431-2498 Mountain Lake Lodge • 115 Hotel Circle, Pembroke, VA • mtnlakelodge.com Historic Summit Inn • 101 Skyline Dr, Farmington, PA • summitinnresort.com Clarion Shippen Place Hotel • 32 E King St, Shippensburg, PA • 717-312-3933