Ride to the sky or did the sky meet us?

“Ride to the Sky” is an annual event at Mt. Washington located in New Hampshire during the Laconia Bike Week. This event is usually held on two separate days during the week where the toll road is only open to motorcycles only. This is definitely worth the trip, the road has many different locations where you can pull over to take a break, rest your brakes  or even take a picture or two. This 6,288 foot mountain is home to the worlds worst weather ever recorded and on June 13th 1934 they recorded a wind speed of 231 mph. The average temperature on the summitis 26.5ºf withthe records being -47ºf and 72ºf. Now withthat being said our “Ride to the Sky” would have to be put off for this year since we headed up with overcast skies and barely 60ºf 250 miles south of the mountain. You definitely have to choose your days wisely here and on this trip it wouldn’t be one of them.

We headed out this year a little earlier and gathered at a rest area on Rte 95 North. The weather was already not looking good but heck that never has changed anything for us. Our ride northwas fairly easy and smooth with a quick stop for coffee 80 miles out and to perform minor surgery on Greg’s tire. Greg must have picked up a screw just before pulling into the gas station because he had a small screw pressed into the meat of the tire but not long enough to make a difference or leak any air out, I actually touched it and it dropped right off the tire. A hearty breakfast at the Tilton Dinerand we were off to ride the “Kanc” and meet up with Rick in North Conway. Although Greg and I were prepared for the rain ahead Ted held out on putting the rain gear on, that was until we hit the wall of water 10 minutes after breakfast. I don’t care what you say these guys have a good time no matter what you throw at them!

Now Rte 112 also known as they Kanc took on another feel in the rain and fog, almost a surreal feeling with the rumble of our exhausts, rain rolling up the windshield and the tires cutting across the wet pavement. This was going to be a nice picture day but the fog has eaten up just about every possible view and my camera lens turned to capturing my friends. We had called Rick when we left the Tilton and told him we’d meet him in an hour and a half, but that was under decent conditions and without us children playing in the rain.

Once all together in North Conway it was official based on the weather report we’d scratch the “Ride to the Sky”; our focus was then on Hurricane Mountain Road. This is a road noted as a steep, technical and twisty seasonal road crossing the mountains from Intervale, NH to almost the Maine border. A short road none the less but definitely one that will get your heart pumping, more can be read in our Hurricane Mountain Road review. Although Ted said he was white knuckled all the way, after reviewing the pictures I took you can see his smile reaches from ear to ear.

As in usual fashion I was able to convert a 30 mile ride into adding another state to the day and 100 plus more miles to Laconia Harley Davidson. We headed north up Glen Hill Road towards Rte 113, Glen Hill Road was a nice quiet road and if it didn’t have so many frost heaves it would be a really nice stretch. I wouldn’t avoid this road but would only choose it if I was heaidng the same way again. Now in North Fryeburg Maine we headed south on Rte 113, a nice two lane country road which if taken north you would head up towards Evans Notch (which I will do later this season). We were headed south down Rte 113 rolling along small rivers, lonesome ponds and rolling farm land through North Fryeburg, Fryeburg  and East Brownfield where we finally picked up Rte 160 West. Rte 160 was another nice piece of asphalt providing much of the same in the seat entertainment. I apologize for not being able to give you a pictorial of this as mostly all of this ride was done in very wet conditions and I wasn’t going to chance taking out the camera to many times.

Now from Rte 160 west in Maine we made our way to Rte 25 west with our sights focused on lunch along Lake Winnipesaukee (largest lake in NH and provided the boating scenes in the 1981 Academy Award winning movie On Golden Pond). Some stretches of Rte 25 are nice and but is mostly a fast moving two lane stretch all the way to the lakes. Town Docks was the place to grab some good food in a friendly atmosphere and will be a Road Food Friday feature coming soon so not much more information other than a worthy place to pull up a chair.

Time was slipping by and we finally ended up at Laconia Harley Davidson in Meredith, NH, which is one of the major rally locations where all the big name vendors were set-up. Although it was fairly quiet on this rainy day we were not the only riders making the most of it. Rick ended up picking something up that he was interested in from Kuryakyn and we made the rounds. Summing this all up,  a few more gas stops, coffee, more rain and lots of laughs we made the rest of the trip in the same fashion. It was definitely a memorable trip and a day in the rain was far better than a good day at work.

Hurricane Mountain Rd. Intervale, NH

So you are looking to add a little spice to your life? This road could not only add some spice but could increase your heart rate and possibly if you grip the bars to tight lose circulation in your fingers too. Hurricane Mountain Road intersects Rte 16 in Intervale New Hampshire and crosses over towards Rte 113 and the Maine border.

This road is really no joke and I’ve read some hype on the internet about how awesome this road is; I’ve also read some of the stories that it was very technical, steep and narrow. There are also riders who have said been there, done that and if they could would have bought the t-shirt but wouldn’t do it again. I’d say I would fit into the last category and it probably wouldn’t make it my short list of roads that I must ride.

For starters the road is incredibly steep, some say the  grade is 15% but at the beginning its more like climbing the head-wall of Tuckermans Ravine. The pavement is new and fairly smooth to a point but that ’s not noting the rocks that pop through here and there. Thenyou have those monster bumps which are probably rocks making their way up; oy yeah and those whoop-de-doos that would make the Supercross proud. I can almost bet a few trailer hitches and oil pans have made their marks over the years.

The speed limit is set for 20mph and I was able to do that and then some but you have to be on your game and hope you don’t meet any oncoming traffic. The road is narrow and on some of the corners you could be inches away if you were to meet any vehicle; there’s not a lot of wiggle room and you have to pick your line wisely and have a plan.

For a talented sport bike rider this road could be a lot of fun, for this cruiser give me twisties with room and long gentle sweepers.

You should check it out yourself and form your own opinion – ride safe and enjoy the ride

The New Look

Well those who know me will laugh because I am always looking to improve on things. Most would say “if it works why change it?”. Now I am far from a web wizard but I do enjoy learning and tweaking blogs / web sites, especially if its about riding and for myself or friends.

The original web site was built by myself using Expressions Web; now to be honest I love working on the site but I don’t enjoy it when it takes more time to update than it does for me to complete a full day of riding. I decided I would merge my personal blog into the site but never really found a blog theme that fit.

The site will be a little more organized and I added another category called “Brainwork”. Brainwork will be the area we can post thoughts on anything and give a little more insight on what makes me and any future TWNE blogger’s tick.

I think I have a keeper for now anway and I hope you enjoy the new site….

The Brown Cow Cafe / Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm Sterling CT

The Brown Cow Cafeis located at the Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm, a local New England farm raising free range turkeys. This cafe is family owned and operated and it shows; quality products, excellent food and some delicious home made ice cream & treats are in store with your visit. Now I can rave about the location, ice cream and all the other goodies but it’s the turkey sandwiches which are a big hit with me.

The Brown Cow Cafe just proves turkey is not just for thanksgiving! I’m telling you, you will taste the difference, moist turkey topped with the fixings while sitting outside watching the hummingbirds dance around the hanging flower baskets and the sounds of other riders enjoying the area just screams perfection.

The Brown Cow Cafe is situated along Rte 49 which also happens to be one of my favorite roads and there are plenty more just like it in the area.

The Brown Cow Cafe
227 Ekonk Hill Road
Sterling, CT
The Brown Cow Cafe A Two Wheel New England Favorite

www.ekonkhillturkeyfarm.com/

Destination Wednesday – Grays General Store Adamsville, RI

Adamsville, Rhode Island is home to America’s oldest and continously run general store, Grays General Store has been around since 1788. The store is not what it once was where towns people would buy their groceries and general merchandise; it’s more of a stop over for tourists on the way to the beaches or others interested in this slice of Americana.

Today the store is filled with photography, nick nacks, johnny cake meal, empty tins and other trinkets. You can still grab a snack, cold soda and sit on the front steps to visualize in your mind of the days gone by. Grays was opened by Samuel Church and for some time doubled as the Adamsville Post Office which is still preserved in a corner of the store. There are no tour guides to walk you around nor are you required to purchase anything but visiting this location will surely make you want to support this family owned and operated local business. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adamsville,_Rhode_Island

Gray’s General Store 4 Main Street Adamsville, Rhode Island

While in the area you might be interested in a few other points of interest. Just around the corner is a commerative sculpture of the Rhode Island state bird the Rhode Island Red. The sculpture is listed on the national register of historic places and was completed in 1925, this is a fitting sculpture for the area since the Rhode Island Red was first developed in Little Compton in the 1850’s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island_Red_Monument

Gray’s Grist Mill – http://www.graysgristmill.com/

Another site of reference Route 77 listed as a Scenic Drive of America http://www.travelguideofamerica.com/scenicdrives/route77.html

Enjoy The Ride ~

reflection, journey and remembrance

Like most Americans it seems like I can remember every minute of September 11^th 2001; my wife calling me at work upset and standing by the radio with my co-workers for as much information we could get. The day seemed to go on forever and we were all hurt, shocked and then mourned the lives of our fellow Americans. 

A few months later I made a pact with myself that I would pay my respects to all those who lost their lives that day and I would ride out on my bike to each site which ended up taking me several years. I visited the Pentagon combined with a trip to Rolling Thunder, my son who was no more than 14 at the time made that trip with me. Then the both of us took a road trip together to New York City and the World Trade Center; personally I can’t express how it felt to visit both those locations; in the midst of Manhattan it was noisy but yet some how you could read into the faces pressed against the fence that this was sacred ground. In the parking lot of the Pentagon when we visited we could only visualize in our minds, but again even with the energy of all the bikes at Rolling Thunder there was just something you could feel. 

Last year I finished my journey in Shanksville, PA just a few days before the anniversary of September 11^th. Again I felt the same feeling as standing in Manhattan or surrounded by roaring bikes in front of the Pentagon; I didn’t know anyone who lost their life that day but I will never forget them or that day.

These pictures of my reflection, journey and remembrance do not need words to describe them but each picture speaks for itself.

Plymouth Mass with Two Wheel New England

I always look forward to riding with the crew from Two Wheel New England; it’s a nice blend of riding experience and different riding styles that balances everything out nicely. Today’s ride was extra special because I had invited my youngest daughter to ride along with me; now she hasn’t been on a ride longer than 20 miles so this would be a test for her comfort and the amount of time she could spend on the bike.Ted had the suggestion of riding to Plymouth Massachusetts which would be a fairly local ride for us compared to some of the marathons we usually set off on. Plymouth is rich in history dating back to 1620 when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and being situated along the coast its restaurants offer some authentic New England cuisine or should I say seafood galore.

Our ride started in Rhode Island and even though we were heading into a very touristy area Ted picked a great route keeping us on the quiet back roads with some great scenery. Long tree covered straights mixed with gentle sweepers kept us entertained. You would never know there were several major roads within miles of us as we rolled past working farms and horse stables in Seekonk, Rehoboth, Freetown, Dighton and Lakeville to name a few towns. A question came up when we took a brief break wondering was what the appropriate hand signal is for a turtle in the road? A small turtle almost met his maker as he made his way across the road, thankfully Don scooted around him but I think the wind knocked him around a bit.

I can always tell when I am getting close to Plymouth because of the look of the soil on the side of the road, the rich smell of pine trees and all the cranberry bogs. Massachusetts is one of the top producing states of the cranberry and during the fall you can really see some incredible colors with the foliage changing color and the vibrant red cranberries. The cranberry harvest actually starts mid-September and continues until early November. Cranberry harvesting has evolved over time. They were first harvested by hand. Some time later, pickers used wooden scoops to comb through the vines and lift off the berries. Today’s growers use two methods for harvesting: dry harvesting and wet harvesting.

Personally I don’t think I could have picked a better route, Ted lead us all the way to Plymouth with no trouble at all and the only traffic we encountered was when we actually arrived into the center of town. One of the things we were contemplating once we arrived in Plymouth was going to be the parking situation, to our surprise the town had blocked off Main Street which runs along the waterfront this day for motorcycles only. They did this in anticipation of the many bikes expected to attend the Moving Wall which had been placed in a local park.

Our first order of business once we arrived was to have lunch so we made our way over to the Cabby Shack. The Cabby Shack offers a wide range of food to suit everyone’s appetite and the atmosphere would make Jimmy Buffet proud. We had lunch outside on the deck overlooking the breakwater, a few lobster rolls, chowder and other delights were scattered across the table. Now with our first order of business done it was off to visit the Mayflower and the world’s most famous rock. Looking at the size of the Mayflower my daughter was fascinated they even made it across the Atlantic Ocean, now don’t get me wrong it’s a good size ship just not what we think in this modern day for a transatlantic crossing. Plymouth Rock is not actually in the water and well protected by a large stone shelter which looks like it could be placed on the White House lawn. We all look down and agree it’s a rock, but this is not just any rock, it’s a rock with incredible history when talking about the “New World” and the “Pilgrims”.

Now we were running a little later than we expected at this point and Ted still had an excellent adventure ahead of us, but for my daughters first long ride I was going to keep it less than 150 miles and it was time for us to head back. We stayed with the group to one of Ted’s OSJ Rally points, as stated before Ted is working on a bragging rights scavenger hunt on the New England Riders forum and the 42nd Parallel marker in Kingston, MA was one of them. A quick picture and we said our goodbyes our route home was a little more direct but it had the same look and feel of the ride up. Greg and Don had some early evening plans so they also made the trek back home with us. I mentioned to my daughter no ride would be complete without the mandatory ice-cream stop and Eskimo King in Swansea, MA fit the bill.

I had another great day of riding again with friends and a spectacular day sharing the road with my daughter.

Some day I will figure our this formatting but you can check for more pictures in our gallery soon -

Enjoy the ride

Road Food Friday – Jim’s Dock Wakefield, RI

Jim’s Dock Wakefield, Rhode Island So the plans are to tour the Rhode Island coast by motorcycle why eat in some stuffy place 6 miles from the ocean? Jim’s Dock is all about atmosphere and you will get plenty of it sitting on the deck watching the boats cruise by. Well, that is if you can get your head out of that bowl of chowda long enough to enjoy the view.

The food is your typical “chowda house” aka clam shack cuisine; lobster rolls, clam cakes & chowder, you get the hint. Also, for your land locked carnivorous friends they’ll be happy to know they can get a burger if they so choose. Jim’s Dock makes a great place to head to if you’re looking to cool off on a hot summer afternoon or to enjoy dinner with some friends after a long day of riding. The last I knew they didn’t accept credit cards so make sure you carry cash with you.

There is plenty to do and see in the area, I highly recommend parking along the sea wall down in Narragansett where you will find bikes and classic cars either parked or cruising by on hot summer evenings not to mention the views of Rhode Island Sound are outstanding… you also might run into some Two Wheel New England riders.

Definitely get some ice cream at Brickley’s in Narragansett… I can smell those waffle cones now

Jim’s Dock – 1175 Succotash Road Wakefield, RI

 Brickley’s Ice Cream – 921 Boston Neck Road Narragansett, RI

Destination Wednesday – Littleton Grist Mill Littleton,NH

THE LITTLETON GRIST MILL-  New Hampshire has been for a long time a motorcycle Mecca with the gorgeous White Mountains, wild flower filled valleys and typical New England towns dotted all across the state; this is not to mention some of the best riding in New England. 

The typical tourist will head for North Conway, NH and its factory outlet stores; we know riders are looking for something different that is why this “Destination Wednesday” takes you out to Littleton NH and the Littleton Grist Mill. 

Back in 1797 Solomon Mann built this state of the art grist mill & saw mill; ownership of the mill changed hands several times and operated until in 1890 when it was converted to use Hercules water turbines. The mill was used in various commercial applications till about 1930. 

 Unfortunately as with many historic places they fall into disrepair until someone recognizes the value and history within. In 1997 two local families did just that and the mill was restored with 3 other buildings, this was all done with private funds. This complex is said to now be the oldest commercial building north of Concord, NH.

The details and features of this piece of history are outlined on their website which I recommend visiting and be sure to stop by and check out his working museum Free of charge.

 http://www.littletongristmill.com 

A couple of roads worth trying Rte 2, Rte 16, Rte 135

A day to remember – A day to honor – A day to never forget

Rick (another TWNE rider) and myself participated in the PGR mission for the Garden of Heroes ceremony. The garden is located on the grounds of the Rhode Island State House where there is also a monument listing the names of the fallen service members who were killed participating in the “Global War on Terror”.

This is the third year the Rhode Island Patriot Guard Riders have participated in this ceremony. Unfortunately the word on the street was a group known for protesting the funerals services of United States service members would also be in attendance. This would have no effect on the Patriot Guards presence due to the fact they are there whether or not protestors demonstrate and the Patriot Guards strict non-confrontational policy, the Patriot Guard is not an ant-protest group.

When we arrived at the staging area bikes were already lined up and its riders included both veterans and patriotic citizens; you will restore your faith in your fellow American when you attend a PGR mission to say the least. The ceremony kicked off with an honor ride in which riders rode by the steps of the state house while all the Gold Star families looked on, some waved or cheered but you could see in all their faces the sense of pride knowing this group was there to honor their loved one and provide patriotic support in remembering all our heroes.

Yes the WBC (Westboro Baptist Church) did show but they were not even a blip on the radar screen. These incredible men and women of the PGR turned their backs to them, held their American flags high and did what they had come to do which is Stand for those who Stood for us. Of course there were several people from the general public holding signs against the WBC but it was a peaceful group who gathered.

Just prior to the actual ceremony the members of the Patriot Guard formed a corridor of flags in which the families walked through to the Garden. Once in the Garden this corridor silently changed its position to completely circle the Garden and all those in attendance. The speaking program consisted of both military and local political leaders, most all spoke along the lines of thanks, honor, pride and remembrance.  The hardest part for all was the reading of the names with the addition of two new service members; as the 21 gun salute sounded I looked off in the distance to see the rifle detail and a contingent of PGR members and flags standing silently by.

A day to remember – A day to honor – A day to never forget

SGT. GREGORY BELANGER- ARMY RESERVE  

SSG JOSEPH CAMARA- ARMY NATIONAL GUARD 

SGT CHARLES T. CALDWELL- ARMY NATIONAL GUARD 

SPC MICHAEL ANDRADE- ARMY NATIONAL GUARD 

CW5 SHARON T. SWARTWORTH- US ARMY 

CPT MATTHEW J. AUGUST- US ARMY 

SFC CURTIS MANCINI- ARMY RESERVE 

MSG RICHARD L. FERGUSON- US ARMY 

L/CPL MATTHEW K. SERIO- US MARINE CORPS 

CPT CHRISTOPHER S. CASH- US ARMY 

L/CPL JOHN J. VAN GYZEN IV- US MARINE CORPS 

SSG CHRISTOPHER S. POTTS- ARMY NATIONAL GUARD 

L/CPL HOLLY A. CHARETTE- US MARINE CORPS 

2LT MATTHEW S. COUTU- US ARMY 

SGT DENNIS J. FLANAGAN- US ARMY 

SGT BRIAN R. ST. GERMAIN- US MARINE CORPS 

SSG DALE JAMES KELLY JR.- ARMY NATIONAL GUARD 

SGT MOISES JAZMIN- US ARMY 

SGT MICHAEL J. WEIDEMANN- US ARMY 

PS3 RONALD A. GILL JR. – US COAST GUARD  

LT. JG FRANIS L. TONER IV- US