WE’RE OUTTA HERE

Beach’s Motorcycle Adventures presents

WE’RE OUTTA HERE

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads

RALLY REDO TIME

We all like to get away every now and again, right? A few days on the road, a break from the norm – ROAD TRIP! There are few things better than snapping your machine into rst gear, easing out the clutch, rolling down the road, and seeing humdrum fade in the mirrors.

As time has been rolling on too, some other things have faded, and except for a few good club rides - New Sweden’s Romps or John Bossolt’s MotoMarathon come to mind - there are few multi-day events to be had that actually involve riding being the main part of the experience; and absolutely none that are offered for free. Well, except for one…. any Backroads Rally. For decades now we’ve been eagerly inviting readers to join us on our little multi-day soirees, and many of you have done just that. Are all of our events winners? Well, we’re the rst to admit we have had some events far outshine others; but that is how life goes. We try and, in truth, if we were professional baseball players we think would be on the way to Cooperstown – that’s not bragging – just a fact of which we are aware. But, as we have always said – the rallies might bring us to different places and along strange new roads, and to seek out new laughs and new crazy adventures – to boldly go…. Sorry, we Kirked out there. What we wanted to say it is, and always has been, the riders and friends who many feel like extended family that makes these weekends so special.

We thought with this October Chasing the Colors we’d take a look back at some of the Backroads’ Rallies that we have held. Most places are still there, but even if the hotels and towns have changed a bit the roads and scenery are still there to be ridden. So let’s go back in time so you can plan an escape for the future!

LONG VIEW INN, LONG LAKE, NY • 2000

GPX Route 102 Miles • www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/tpz8r9 Some rallies stick in your mind, for good and for bad. What was bad this autumn trip up into the Adirondacks was a strong Canadian cold front that had dropped down from our friend up north and with it a decent frost and freeze to start the day’s exploration of the largest park in New York state. Some of the better things were a fantastic evening at the bar and a surprise ight courtesy of our friend Rudy in a small seaplane and getting the big picture of just how wild the Adirondack State Park is from above. Since then the Long View shuttered its doors for several years, but has recently re-opened. If that place does not oat your seaplane, there are plenty of other hotels and inns throughout the region. We’ll give you a picturesque romp from Lake George – another town that has more hotels than stoplights.

THE COASTOF MAINE • 2020

GPX Route 50 miles • www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/t2km7a Two decades later Backroads raised a one- ngered salute at covid and the shutdowns and carried on - with the mantra “You do you & I’ll do me.” Many riders agreed and that fall we rode up to the coast of Maine for a few days of well-deserved and most appreciated salt air. Some explored the coastal roads in and around Boothbay Harbor, while others headed to an authentic Clam Bake on a little island in the bay. This is a most excellent way to spend a few days this fall – especially mid-week if you can swing that. Our home base was the Ocean Point Inn – with one of the most beautiful sunsets to be found in the northeast. You know… we think we’ll book this one again. But, during this Summer’s Sojourn, Shira brought us to Harraseeket Lobster for the real deal – fresh outta the watta! We’ll have a nice lunch run right to the wharf… enjoy!

THE MIMSLYM INN, LURAY VIRGINIA • 2012

GPX Route 146 Miles • www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/6m6kbd We’re stealing from a Spring Break Rally here, but we can do that. This part of Virginia is superb in so many ways. Luray is in the northern part of the Dominion State and just a few miles from Skyline Drive

THE ENDLESS MOUNTAINSOF PENNSYLVANIA • 2018

that oats atop the long Appalachian mountain range along the Shenandoah National Forest. Just down the road from the Mimslym is the wellworth-visiting Luray Caverns. The mountains along Skyline Drive are stunning and the view is about as grand as they come, but the park road here costs $25 and we think that money is better spent on fuel, so when we are in the region, we much prefer the tiny forest road that runs north and south called Fort Valley. We were forced onto this road one time during a foggy and rain-swept rally to the Blue Ridge – and we have taken it almost every time since. On the south end, right along Route 211, you will nd Cooter’s, a Dukes of Hazard Museum that has a small diner along with it. The riding here is sublime and it is easy enough to make a huge loop with some serious foliage to be seen in early October. We’ll swing through Strasburg which has a museum and train story well worth the visit. There are some wonderfully good roads to be found – so get going!

This central part of the Keystone State offers some very tasty roads indeed and we started this rally in the Electric City of Scranton, Pennsylvania at a very large and very historic hotel, right in downtown Scranton – the Lackawanna Station. Built in 1908, this former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad passenger depot is an amazing sight. Its Beaux-Arts design was created by renowned New York architect Kenneth Murchison in 1906 and took 14 months to complete. It is constructed

of brick and steel, with concrete oors and partitions. The exterior is faced with Indiana limestone and an 8-foot bronze clock on the façade. The main entrance leading to the former waiting room is furnished in Formosa, a soft, pinkish-yellow Italian marble. Other areas of the former waiting area and halls are decorated with imported marble, and the barrel-vaulted ceiling is Tiffany glass. Originally constructed as a 5-story structure at a cost of approximately $600,000, we could only imagine what this is worth today. But, one of the most precious parts of this hotel is that it opens up the rest of the middle of Pennsylvania for our riding pleasure, and like Horace Greely – we will go west, young man… along the famed Route 6 to the Allegheny National Forest, with over a half million acres of pristine mountains, plateau, and forest. Here, in the heart of the Keystone State, you will nd hundreds of miles of paved and wellgroomed gravel roads. If you and your bike are up to it – some of these gravel roads that go up and over the mountains will offer you scenery and vistas that those sticking to the paved roads will never experience.

One highlight we made mention of several times before is the remains of the Kinzua Bridge. Why do we keep coming back to this? Because it is an awesome place and a wild story. Here in the forest, Mother Nature is at its best – but we all know how ckle she can be... and on July 21, 2003, construction workers had packed up and were starting to leave for the day when a storm arrived. A tornado spawned by the storm struck the Kinzua Bridge, snapping and uprooting nearby trees, as well as causing 11 of the 20 bridge towers to collapse. Making the best of a very bad situation you can now visit the bridge, which offers a spectacular view of nature’s reworks. Our cross-PA Route will end in Bradford and a visit to the Zippo Lighter Museum.

Zippo. Just hearing one open you will know exactly what it is. If you have a group and are looking for a great place for the night do not discount staying at the chain motels. Some are better than others and the Best Western Plus, Bradford is excellent; and while there, make your way to the Rimrock Overlook. Pennsylvania has some of the most picturesque overlooks in the nation and we think Rimrock is one of its best. The view, from high above the Allegheny Lake (a dammed part of the river), is simply awesome – especially during this time of the year. Just south of Bradford, in the town of Kane, we’d recommend the

Kane Manor Inn B & B. The home was built in 1896 and it is a National Historic Mansion. Not only is the Kane Manor Inn beautiful, but it has a deep history. When it was built it was called Anoatok – which is Aleutian for The Wind Loved Spot. Why? Well, you can visit and nd out for yourself or wait for it to pop up in an upcoming

Backroads.

The Kane Manor Inn is a perfect escape; and, that is what this column is all about… right? Side stands up; cause We’re Outta Here! ,