ESTN 2010 - All That and a Bouquet of Balloons!

[MrsCablebandit]

Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome!

Welcome to my first ever STN ride report!  What follows is my account – my pillion ponderings, if you will – of Cablebandit’s and my trip to and from ESTN 2010 in Sparta, NC from Thursday, September 9, 2010 through Monday, September 13, 2010.  

First, allow me to take you back to June 11 and 12, 2010 when the BMW demo truck was in town…heck…let’s go back four weeks earlier than that to the “First STN Ride to the Rides” led by kendenton.  Cablebandit and Squeezer rode over to join the gaggle of bikes assembling in Gap, PA for the long, circuitous route to Knoebel’s Amusement Park.  I drove over in my car and finally got to meet many of the great folks that Cablebandit has known for years – JamminJere (and Leisa), Smoker (and Andrea), JustCallMeChris, Skee, Squeezer, Punchdude, Gasgauge, Nearlyseventy, SWRiverstone (and Jamie), Jeets, and a few others.   Seeing Leisa and Andrea arriving as passengers while I had my Subaru keys in hand…well, it was disheartening…I felt like a total putz.  

So I started thinking about riding with Cablebandit…we started talking about it…fast forward to June 11 and 12 when the BMW demo truck was here; Cablebandit test rode bikes on Friday.  After a lot of thought, I told him when he got home that night that I would do a demo ride the following afternoon after he did the morning shift as the sweeper for the demo rides.  Long story short (‘cuz we’ve got a ride report to get to!), I rode a BMW K1300GT with Cablebandit and LOVED IT!  After more talk and some research, we decided upon a 2010 Kawasaki Concours 14 with ABS; her birthday is July 17, 2010.  Counting the 45 minute demo ride, I approached ESTN with four outings (approximately 500 miles) under my belt.  

N.B. An alternate title for this ride report was “ESTN 2010 – My Leap from the Frying Pan.”  The reasons for this alternate title should become obvious.

[MrsCablebandit]

DAY ONE – Face Punch, Let’s Do This!

OK, let’s return to last week, shall we?  

We planned to (and did) hit the road NLT 10 AM on Thursday.  From our house, we went out SR 550 to 453 to US 22 to SR 26 to 915 (which was/had been freshly tar and chipped) to 643 to US 522 through Maryland and into West Virginia.  [It should be noted that by the time we reached SR 915, I had already spoken two notable quotes through our new Sena comm system, according to Cablebandit.  1) “I hope there’s a CVS near one of our hotels…I ran out of black eyeliner this morning.” and 2) “So, that ‘fresh oil’ sign…that’s bad for us, right?”]  

Our first stretch/potty break was a Sheetz in Berkley Springs, WV.







Just outside of Berkley Springs, we encountered a traffic delay which was miserable; thankfully, it only lasted about 15 minutes.  We rode past Cacapon State Park (home of the Winter Meet!) and wormed our way into Virginia for a lunch stop in Winchester at McDonald’s.

Following lunch, we made our way to Front Royal to the beginning of Skyline Drive.  





We stopped at the visitor’s center for a stretch/potty break and a quick stroll through the exhibits for an overview of the creation of Shenandoah National Park.  Along Skyline Drive, we encountered two deer (one was a HUGE buck) grazing along the roadside…and five cars stopped in the middle of the road taking in the sight (it’s a deer, people, move along!)…a squirrel with a death wish, and a turkey.  

That was my first time on Skyline Drive and I thought it was gorgeous!  











We left Skyline Drive and took the highway to get to Staunton and our hotel for the evening – the Stonewall Jackson.  Chris left me with the bike while he went to check us in.  









After we got into our room, we changed into our swimsuits and went for a soak in the hot tub.  We racked up about 260 miles on that first day – my most miles and most hours on the bike up to that point.  That hot tub was welcome relief!  We returned to our room and got cleaned up for a late dinner with JamminJere, his wife Leisa, and Dak0716 – they’d left late afternoon and powered down I-81 to reach Staunton.  We went to dinner at Downtown 27 at the Clock Tower.  We arrived at 9:20 and asked if they were still serving dinner.  We were told yes, that they were open until 10 and that they were still serving.  We had a delicious dinner and dessert and shut the place down (and then some!)…we left as the clock was tolling 11 PM!  We agreed to touch base at 8 AM to plan our trek for Friday.

[MrsCablebandit]

DAY TWO – I Shouldn’t Be Alive!

JJ called at 8 AM and he and Leisa were just about ready to set out.  We were close to being ready to put the bags back on the bike and check out, so while we did that, JJ said he would check in with Dak0716.  We rode up to the HoJo to meet the JJ, Leisa, and Dak0716; after a long and winding ride around Staunton (poor signage!), we stopped for breakfast at Kathy’s before gassing up and heading east on US 250 to Waynesboro and the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Just as we were making our way through Waynesboro, Smoker called to say that he and Andrea were with Mustang and were gassing up in Waynesboro.  Mustang left his house at 4:45 AM to meet Smoker and Andrea at 6 AM; like JJ, Leisa, and DAK0716, they powered down I-81 to get to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We agreed to pull over at the first overlook on the BRP to wait for them.  

Little did any of us know that we were about to step into an episode of “I Shouldn’t Be Alive.”  Because they could, Cablebandit and JamminJere decided to make use of the nearby trees.  As Cablebandit was walking off into the woods, he was unknowingly walking on top of a rock wall that had been overgrown with vegetation.  Without any notice, he took his next step and dropped over 8 feet straight down.  How he didn’t sprain an ankle, crack his head open, or otherwise injure, maim, or dismember himself is beyond me!  Of course, Leisa, Dak0716, and I had no idea this was happening.  We were standing around talking and taking pictures.  Next thing we know, JamminJere says, “I’ve got to go over this wall to get Chris!”  The three of us looked at each other like, “WHAT?!?”  Cablebandit was rescued and no worse for the wear.  In fact, we were hard pressed to find even a hint of a grass stain on his riding gear!  We chalked it up to good turtle karma left over from Cablebandit, Dak0716, and HappyRiding’s venture to STN Nationals back in June.  

While waiting for Smoker, Andrea, and Mustang, I snapped a few pictures at the overlook.









The scenery along the Blue Ridge Parkway (again, this was my first visit) was stunning and more than once, the music on my iPod seemed to sync up with the scenery perfectly.  

Once we were all together, we set out down the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Our first stop (to allow some slower traffic ahead of us a chance to move along) was at the Otter Creek Flats.  We made sure to send Cablebandit off into the woods with a buddy this time!  











We geared up and got rolling again, only to decide to stop for lunch at the Otter Creek Restaurant just down the road.  Word to the wise…do not order the fried cinnamon apples as your side dish.  You will be disappointed.  





We stopped for another stretch break at Poor Mountain.  Somehow, Cablebandit was allowed into the woods on his own!  Who approved this?!?









After a gas stop in Floyd, our last stop along the BRP on Friday was Mabry Mill.  











We arrived at the Alleghany Inn around 6 PM.  After checking in and some quick hellos, we got cleaned up for dinner at JB’s, which we promptly overtook/overwhelmed/swamped with customers.













After dinner, we hung out outside of JustCallMeChris’ room listening to him and Dak0716 riff off of each other with the occasional HappyRiding out-of-nowhere hilarious comment.  Between them and JamminJere’s stories, I laughed so much I was convinced my sides would hurt in the morning.  We returned to our room shortly before midnight with plans for a “not super early” ride Saturday morning.  

[MrsCablebandit]

DAY THREE – Snakes in the Rain

After overwhelming JB’s for yet another meal, we returned to get geared up for our Saturday ride.  We set out just after 10 AM; I know this because I got to see the first few minutes of College Gameday on ESPN before I walked out of the room.  I believe our route was 221 to 88 to 421 (JJ, can you confirm/correct this for me?).  Cablebandit and I left the hotel with rain pants on, and after a quick potty/gas break for a few in our group, we opted for our rain jackets and rain gloves.  Not two minutes down the road, those proved to be wise choices as the skies opened up.  And thus began my first ride in the rain!

We made our way to “The Snake” and did our first run north to the Shady Valley Country Store.  We stopped for a break, beverage, snack, potty break, phone calls home, etc.  While we were stopped, it rained pretty hard briefly.  It was when we stopped at the Shady Valley Country Store that I realized that everyone on the ride – except for HappyRiding – was from Pennsylvania!  JamminJere and Leisa, Smoker and Andrea, Mustang, Dak0716, JustCallMeChris, 4power, and Cablebandit and me!  We have to bestow honorary PA citizenship upon HappyRiding!  

The ride down “The Snake” was AWESOME!  I was grinning from ear to ear the whole way down.  When we got off the bikes at the Shady Valley Country Store, JJ asked me what I thought and I immediately told him I wanted to do it again!  

I snapped a few pictures while we were stopped at the Shady Valley Country Store.













We discussed our return route and decided to head back up “The Snake” again and then take SR 91 to US 58 to get back to Sparta.  Easy-peasy, right?  Not so much.  SR 91 and US 58 were great!  Fun roads with beautiful scenery…especially US 58 through Jefferson National Forest.  It was when we missed/skipped/otherwise ignored the turnoff for SR 93 which would have taken us back to Sparta that things literally went downhill, washboard-style!  We wound up on some dirt road that was all sorts of sloppy thanks to the rain…and it really did have a washboard downhill that I was sure was going to loosen my fillings!  This was the first time our Concours 14 has been on a dirt road, two-up or otherwise.  Needless to say, I had a death grip on my handles and began repeating the mantra, “It has to get better…it has to get better.”  It did…but only after we fell so far behind that we took a wrong turn and JustCallMeChris had to come rescue us!  On our way back to the hotel (once we’d reached some fresh macadam and were able to talk to each other again), Cablebandit said to me, “You know, just before we turned onto that dirt road, I was thinking that it wouldn’t really be a JamminJere ride without a dirt road…and then there was one!”  Once we arrived at the hotel, I de-helmeted and walked over to JJ.  At that point, I wasn’t sure whether I was going to slug him (lovingly, of course!) or hug him; it would be a spur of the moment decision!  LOL!  I hugged him and thanked him saying, “You’re bound and determined to make sure I do it all on this trip, aren’t you?!?”  Our Saturday “Snakes in the Rain, Dirt Doesn’t Hurt” ride lasted about 6 hours and was approximately 150 miles.  

Everyone split off to their rooms to clean up and it was decided we would walk down the hill to The Pines Restaurant for dinner.  As we waited for everyone to return to the parking lot, Cablebandit and I snapped a few pictures.

































Dinner at The Pines Restaurant was hit-or-miss.  My salmon cakes were delicious, Cablebandit’s chicken alfredo was good, and Dak0716’s T-bone steak was “awful.”  Desserts seemed to run the gamut, too, with the cheesecake being the favorite and the pies being “OK.”  









After dinner, it was back to sitting/standing/hanging around the parking lot entertaining each other, checking the weather for the rides home the next day, and your general STN meet revelry.  Folks who anticipated an early departure – JamminJere and Leisa, Smoker and Andrea, Dak0716, JustCallMeChris, to name a few – said their goodbyes that evening.

[MrsCablebandit]

DAY FOUR – The Gap is Fancy and the Deli is Pretty Swank, Too!

Cablebandit and I were up around 7 AM just in time to peek out our window and see JamminJere and Leisa and Smoker and Andrea gearing up for their ride home.  We got cleaned and packed up and decided to walk down to The Pines for breakfast with HappyRiding.  Just after we ordered our beverages, we saw 4power walking into the restaurant, so I went to invite him to join us.  We talked about our plans to get home.  HappyRiding didn’t have that far of a ride home compared to the rest of us, and 4power was planning a two-day trip home like we were.  We decided we would ride down to the Linn Cove Viaduct (approximately 75 miles further south on the BRP from Sparta) and then turn around and make our way up the BRP to Roanoke for the night.  HappyRiding would leave us at the Linn Cove Viaduct.  

After breakfast, we gathered our gear and prepared to leave…but not before making friends with the hotel cat.

















We arrived at the Linn Cove Viaduct where we all bought stickers and/or signs of the famous BRP airborne motorcyclist.  Remember, “enjoy the view; watch the road!”  We also snacked on granola bars and snapped a few pictures.











As I said, we parted ways with HappyRiding at the Linn Cove Viaduct.  Cablebandit and 4power decided we would each “ride our own rides” back up the BRP – each stopping for pictures and breaks as needed – until we reached Fancy Gap where we would gas up and have a late lunch.  We did just that, leapfrogging 4power the 105 miles north to Fancy Gap.  We made several stops along the way for pictures.







































After gassing up in Fancy Gap, we followed 4power to The Gap Deli, which he had discovered on his way down on Friday.  What a gem!  It was a quaint, little deli with delicious (and ample) food, friendly staff, even friendlier customers (we were thanked for having “bikes without those loud pipes”), and gorgeous gardens.  The next time you are in Fancy Gap, you would be doing yourself a HUGE favor if you stop there for something to eat.  The turkey and Swiss sandwich I had may have been the best turkey and Swiss I’ve ever had and 4power’s grilled chicken salad looked amazing!







With our gas tanks and bellies full, we continued north on the BRP another 80 miles to Roanoke, but not before we stopped for a few last pictures of the BRP scenery.











We caught back up to 4power and exited the Blue Ridge Parkway at Roanoke and made our way to the Colony House Motor Lodge (HappyRiding’s recommendation) for the evening.  We got checked in, cleaned up, and then ventured out individually for a late dinner.  4power was culinarily-adventurous (my made-up term) and opted for Thai takeout.  Cablebandit isn’t so adventurous and, quite honestly, we were both wooed by the Sonic directly across the street (we don’t have Sonic where we live).  

[MrsCablebandit]

DAY FIVE – All Good Things Must Come to an End

Before we went our separate ways for dinner the previous night, we agreed with 4power to set out at 8 AM for home.  The plan was to take US 220 up through VA, WV, MD, and into PA where we would continue north and 4power would head east.  Before we put the side cases back on the C14, I thought it was important to document the fact that I was able to put five days’ worth of clothes and toiletries into my one allotted side case.  Sixteen years ago, when I went on my first vacation with Cablebandit and his family (a camping trip), I took five bags of stuff for five days.  I had my curling iron, my hair dryer, multiple outfits (because I wasn’t sure just what I’d want to wear on any given day), etc.  Cablebandit’s dad was flabbergasted as we unloaded all of my bags on that first trip.  I think I’ve come a LONG way since then!  Heck, I even realized that I overpacked for this trip by a few shirts!



Our trip up US 220 was incredible once we were outside of Roanoke and it became a two-lane highway again.  US 220 through the George Washington National Forest – through Covington and Hot Springs – up to Monterey was just fabulous riding.  One of these days when I have more money than I know what to do with, I wouldn’t mind spending a few days at The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA (“Virginia’s Premiere Resort”).  4power and Cablebandit both managed to eek out their first 200+ miles on a tank of gas as we arrived in Monterey, VA at the Fast Break Food Mart where the smell of fried chicken is intoxicating!





It was here in Monterey that we parted ways with 4power once Cablebandit had given him a suggested route home that included the Old Town Bridge.  We continued up 220 to Moorefield, WV where we stopped for lunch at Subway (eat fresh).  About 45 minutes later, Mountaineer Mart #1 in Ridgely, WV was my savior (and I’ll just leave it at that) and our last gas stop of the trip (we got 51 mpg at that fill-up!).  





Once US 220 merged with I-68 in Cumberland, things got a wee bit hairy…or windy, as the case may be.  HOLY WIND GUSTS, BATMAN!  Just when I thought I’d done it all, I realized I hadn’t ridden in a mighty wind yet.  Several times, I really thought the wind was going to sweep the bike from under us.  ‘Twas a bit unnerving, to say the very least.  I respectfully requested that we remain on Business 220 once we got back into PA rather than hop on I-99 to power home.  Thankfully my request was granted and we stayed in Business 220 until we got to Hollidaysburg when it became miserable being in afternoon traffic.  We decided to chance it on I-99 from Altoona to Bald Eagle, which worked out just fine.  We rolled into our garage at 4:45 PM and after an enthusiastic greeting from our dog, Oscar (German Shorthaired Pointer Extraordinaire!), I snapped this one, last picture to summarize the trip.

[MrsCablebandit]

FINAL THOUGHTS – Just Like Jerry Springer

What an amazing trip!  What fantastic friends (new and old)!  What beautiful scenery!  What a great set of memories!  What a long-ass ride report!  What is our next adventure?!?

Thanks to the following:
•   JamminJere and Leisa – for making sure I experienced a little bit of everything on our Saturday ride (JJ) and for all of the pre-trip, sage advice (Leisa)
•   Smoker and Andrea – it was great seeing you again, riding together, and hanging out
•   Dak0716 and JustCallMeChris – for keeping me thoroughly entertained throughout the weekend…you’re both HIGH-larious!!!
•   HappyRiding – for all of the “ride with Cablebandit” encouragement, the gear suggestions, accompanying us to the viaduct, the hotel recommendation in Roanoke, and especially for my very own STN sticker!
•   Mustang – for riding with us and putting up with our high jinx at dinner on Saturday
•   4power -  for riding with us Saturday and most of the way home Sunday/Monday, for having VA/WV maps, and for introducing us to The Gap Deli

It was great to meet others during the weekend, including Maddjack, Max Wedge, Garry, Big Bird (and Gail!), and Mike-H.  

Special thanks to Cablebandit   for sharing his passion and penchant for sport touring with me.  I now know what all of the fuss is about; I can see why he loves riding so much.  And I’m hooked, so we’d better keep a house/dog sitter on speed dial!  

And thanks to YOU for making it THIS FAR in this ride report.  Your thoughts, comments, concerns, questions, emotional outbursts, and the like are encouraged and appreciated!

[R Doug]

Great report.  

Welcome to the addiction.

[kendenton]

How nice to hear a trip report from a fresh perspective!  Glad I played some small part in igniting this desire in you.  Hope to see you on a future ride soon.  

[MK96xj]

First long ride and trip report.... Great on both accounts.

It is nice to see the prettier halves joining in. One of these days my wife will come along.

[Smoker]

Great report Beth, I'm glad you enjoyed your time, even in the rain and mud!

[Max Wedge]

Excellent report. I'm surprised I didn't run into you earlier, I was in Waynesboro and most of the place you were.  

[Spanky]

Awesome report! Just for the record, I wasn't checking out the waitress, I was looking at the nice light fixture....

[Cablebandit]

Excellent report. I'm surprised I didn't run into you earlier, I was in Waynesboro and most of the place you were.  

After reading your report I was shocked we didn't cross paths either prior to Sparta.  I did find it amusing that you ran into iDave though.  That guy gets around.

[JamminJere]

Great Job Beth!  Both on all your "firsts" and taking them all in stride like a trooper... and second for a very good first ride report!  Is Denton giving you lessons?  

Leisa and I really enjoyed the weekend, and we are looking forward to having you two alongside more often!

KUDOS to you!

JJ

[Mastros2]

I really enjoy reading your report! Thanks for the share.  ESTN sounded like a great time.  Too bad I couldn't attend.  

[napper]

Great report and pictures from a fresh perspective.  It sounds like you are looking forward to more trips and I hope we can look forward to more reports.

Thanks for sharing.

[HappyRiding]

Awesome ride report Beth!!! I look forward to reading many more of your RRs in the future. I don't remember enjoying a weekend any more than this one. Excellent company and good roads make for a memorable adventure.

I hope the Keystone Mafia takes me up on my offer to ride down to the Hotel Happy and ride with me next year. The beer is cold, the WiFi is high speed and animals are friendly. Y'all are always welcome.

  Thanks for the ride report!

[dsmith41]

Great report!  But a 297 mph max speed?  I knew Connies were fast but jeez!  Did I miss something?  

[Blunder]

What a great report from a perspective we don't normally see around here. Excellent writing accompanied by fantastic pics.  

Looking forward to more of the same. You've set a high bar but I'm sure you can do it again.