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Letters From West Virginia
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Cormanus Offline
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Queensland, Australia
Posts: 20,660
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Post: #31
RE: Letters From West Virginia
MTC, that's a fantastic shot of the New River Gorge Bridge. ChipBeck would probably be up for a base jump. I certainly would not. Other memories are triggered by this chapter of the report. Union Carbide—when there was a Union Carbide—had a plant in Tasmania, Australia in a town called Electrona where carbide for manufacturing acetylene gas was produced. It was established in 1909 and ran until the 1980s. The carbide was taken by sea to the port in Hobart on an old gaff-rigged sailing ship called the May Queen which still sits in Hobart in a dry dock.
11-30-2016 03:30 AM
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The ferret Offline
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Ohio
Posts: 31,282
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Post: #32
RE: Letters From West Virginia
Another stellar installment Sea. YOu know some things just tickle me and really help a story, like when you used the term motorbike. A rarely used term that would have been popular in the 30's or 40's maybe, but absolutly charming when used in your modern day story.

It's amazing how many of the exact same pictures, only with different people in them I have in my albums. Lol. The next time you go down and take Cheryl, let me advise you on some other roads to ride and other places to stop, see and eat at while there. The area is rich in good roads to ride, neat attractions and quaint restaurants, like you like. You can base in one place and will only have to load and unload your motorbikes once lol.

.
Defender of the Realm
2014 DLX (the pleasure horse)
2021 NC750X DCT (Angry Bird)
(This post was last modified: 11-30-2016 04:51 AM by The ferret.)
11-30-2016 04:50 AM
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EmptySea Offline
Lives On Two Wheels

Chicagoland, USA
Posts: 7,004
Joined: Jun 2013
Post: #33
RE: Letters From West Virginia
Hi Honey,

Today we said goodbye to Mike G., hello to Mickey, took a side trip down memory lane, and left West Virginia in our mirrors as we began the almost 600 mile, two day trek home. Quite a day.

Mike G. was torn between finishing our week together and missing his mother's annual family Michigan State Football Weekend, but ultimately he decided that family harmony tilted the scales toward Michigan. He left about a half-hour ahead of us, deciding to use his Waze app to guide him on the fastest route possible to Flint. Then he and Jennifer, and, I assume, other family members would drive to East Lansing for the game. We got a text that he arrived safe in Flint at about 5:00. About 500 miles in about 9 hours; not too bad.

So, we headed out in fairly warm temperatures and hopped on the way-too-close-to-our-motel I-64 to hightail it to "memory lane" which, in this case, was Barboursville, WV. Barboursville, as it turns out, is the boyhood home to our very own Dr. Mike A. (it suddenly occurs to me that Mike might prefer "Doc Mike" to "Bump-start Mike". We'll have to noodle that a bit).

I really do not like riding on the interstate in a group during rush hour. Solo, it's just mildly irksome tension, but leading a group multiplies the tension by the number of riders lead. A little too nerve-wracking for my taste, but once we got out of Charleston, it was clear sailing to Barboursville. We exited and Mike jumped into the lead to take us past his old home. It took him a little bit of time to feel his way around, including one side-trip down a steep hill to a dead end, but some of the streets and many of the homes were not there when he was a boy. Eventually, though, he lead us down his little cul-de-sac to a small, post-war, brick ranch. Everything on the street looked a little dated now, but I tried to imagine it as it was 60 years ago, with young veterans starting families, working hard all day while their kids played ball in the street lined with small, shiny-new houses.

Mike and Judy knocked on his old front door and a nice, elderly gentleman greeted them. They talked a bit and learned that one of Mike's original neighbors still lived in the same home. Unfortunately, the neighbor was in ill-health (about to go to hospice, in fact) so Mike did not try to make contact. It was really nice to be part of Mike's re-connection to his past; made me (and all of us, I think) feel closer to him.

Mike, Judy and the current occupant.
İmage

I started to get a little chillier as the morning wore on. I feel that the interstate tends to suck warmth from a rider, both literally and figuratively. Fortunately, our stint on the the interstate would end shortly after Barboursville as we crossed the mighty Ohio in Huntington and hopped on US52 to take us to meet one of my, and I think your, favorite people, Mickey, the Ferret.

Our meet up spot was McDonald's in Ironton, OH. I think we were on time, but of course, Mickey was early or at least earlier than we were. We parked and a few of us immediately went into the restaurant to relieve ourselves and for me to get a small coffee. Like I said, it was chilly.

Since Mike G. bailed (or is that "baled"... I need to look that up...OK "bailed" is correct), Mickey knew all of us and he held court for a bit while we stretched and warmed ourselves.

İmage

I'm watching the webcast of Justin's concert right now. Was that him to the left in the balcony? The fanfare sounded great, but I couldn't tell if it was him for sure. It's so dark up there. Haydn is next. I can't recall if he likes playing Haydn or not. It amazes me how much he knows about these ancient composers. Pretty cool. When did you let him know you were there? Did you wait until after the concert? I wish I was there live -- the internet sucks at the Hampton Cincinnati.

Well, Mickey sure knows and loves southern Ohio. He took us on quite a tour. First stop was in Portsmouth for lunch at The Scioto Ribber. That's the steak place that I told you that Mickey loves. He knows how much I love me a steak so he made sure that we timed it right to get there for lunch.

It was a straight shot west on 52 and then just a couple of left turns and into the parking lot. Smoke from the massive grills filled the air and had me drooling. They cook everything outdoors and it's quite an amazing production with dozens of steaks and chops grilling at once and the cooks making sure that each one is cooked to order. I asked one of them what cut I should order and he immediately said "rib-eye". You now how I love me a rib-eye, so I wound up ordering that. I did not regret my decision one bit. No one did. The cash register freaked out and delayed our departure, but that was the only glitch in what was otherwise a fantastic lunch.

I think I would title this one "Road-weary and Ravenous"
İmage

Mickey and Me
İmage

Want to make a guy smile? Put him in close proximity to meat and flames.
İmage

Grillmaster General
İmage

The finished product
İmage

Immediately after lunch, Mickey took us just a few blocks from the restaurant toward the Ohio River. In the 1930s, the City of Portsmouth felt it necessary to build a flood wall. It's quite a structure in its own right, but in the 90s, the city commissioned an artist to paint a series of murals depicting significant events in Portsmouth history on the 20-foot high walls. Mickey says that one guy did all the painting, but I don't know if he meant that the artist did the designs and had a crew to do the painting or if he literally painted every stroke on the walls. Either way, it's a half mile long, 20-foot high masterpiece that needs to be seen to be fully enjoyed. We should come back to Portsmouth for the mural and the meat.

I hope this gives you a little perspective of the magnitude of this installation.
İmage

"Riding" my retro motorcycle down the streets of a retro Portsmouth
İmage

The Nation's Oldest Motorcycling Club as backdrop for one of the nation's oldest motorcyclists. (would have been pretty cool to hang with these guys, I think). LOL
İmage

We could have easily spent hours learning of the local history and appreciating these wonderful art pieces, but Mickey wanted to show us the beauty of the roads leading to and surrounding his home. Because we had a large (and delicious) lunch, he felt that it was important that we work up an appetite for our dinner. Did I mention to you that he invited us to dinner? All 6 of us? To his house? Just like when we first met him, he's just a genuinely nice guy.

I forgot to ask Judy if she grabbed any pictures from today's roads and we've all said our "good nights" so I'll just describe my impressions now in the hopes that I can show you more pictures when I get home:

Great roads, but nothing crazy. I felt like he took us up and down, away and toward, north and south, from the Ohio River, using US52 as a westbound connection from one twisted loop to the next. I may be wrong about this, but that's how it felt. I recall being on the US Highway at least twice during our roundabout trip west. I have to tell you that you probably would never see me in the hours after work and before dark if we lived as close to so many enjoyable roads as does Mickey.

On one of our drop-downs to the river and US52, we stopped for fuel. I fumbled my credit card and, when I bent over to pick it up, I spied this view and thought it was compelling enough to snap a picture.
İmage

By the way, it looks like a cooling tower for a nuclear power plant, but the plant is coal-fired. It was designed to be nuclear, but they had regulatory (shocking) and some structural issues so they canned the nuclear deal and went with coal. At least that's what Wikipedia tells me. LOL

One of the good/not-so-good things about following Mickey on this section is that I had no idea where I was or where I was going. Good, because I didn't have to worry about time or direction. Bad because I cannot relay where exactly I was. I remember being in (or near) Georgetown and Bethel and a town called Higginsport. I don't recall if we actually rode through those towns, but I remember seeing signs announcing their proximity. Mickey once, well more than once, posted about "His Road" which is his 'go-to' road to ride close to his house; as an example, Sheridan Road through the Ravines is MY road. Well, we rode his road, too, but I don't know its name, either.

We had a splendid afternoon of riding through forest and field, serpentining our way west along the north (or sometimes west) bank of the Ohio River. Our destination was Mickey's home where we would meet his wife, his grandson, and son and daughter-in-law. Grandson stayed for dinner.

You would like their house and would love Dianne. She was ready for us when we arrived and we had a delightful half-hour or so of visiting before our When-in-Rome dinner of Skyline Chili (any of 5 ways) and Coneys ("Chili Dogs" to you and me). Absolutely delicious and a perfect meal to end a cool fall riding day.

Dianne is a potter. She has a mantleful of vases and other pots that she has thrown and fired. Out of the blue, she says "Each of you can take one with you". What? Who does that? She had to have spent hours on each one and here she's giving them to virtual strangers. I picked one that I thought would go well with the watercolor of Horicon Marsh that Megan made for you. Two art pieces from two riders' wives --the beginning of a collection, perhaps?

I'm sure you'd have rather seen a picture of their deck or the front of their house, but this is what made their home beautiful, I think....LOL
İmage

Actually....THIS is what made their home beautiful
İmage

Our well-fed crew
İmage

Mickey led us back out of his sub-division and all the way to our motel. I saw more deer in his sub-division today than in the entirety of our last three big motorcycle trips. Just a tiny bit disconcerting.

This is my only roommate-free night of the trip. We all miss Mike and I know he would have loved to meet Mickey and Dianne (and the steak). Since you're in Appleton, I will be roommate-free tomorrow night when I return home. I'll miss you just a bit more than I miss Mike....just a bit.

Well, J's concert is over. Another awesome performance. I think it's time for me to hit the hay. I'm not going to write to you tomorrow because I'll be home by dinner time (alas, you will not be). We're going to stop at Thirty-Six Saloon in Rockville, IN. That's where we stopped on the way back from North Carolina in 2014 and Mike wants to pick up some of their amazing bbq sauce. I'm a little nervous because the "Covered Bridge Festival" is happening in Rockville this weekend and we've heard it draws huge crowds. I just hope we can park without a hassle.

Aside from stopping at Thirty-Six, we're taking my usual avoid-I65 (US 41 North) route straight home. I should turn over 26,000 miles before we get back and we should have about 2,000 miles total for this tour. 2,000 miles of beautiful roads, colors, rivers, and mountains, 2,000 miles of cementing relationships and establishing new ones. 2,000 miles of loving this motorcycle. It's been an amazing 2,000 miles despite it also being 2,000 miles of missing you.

We will be careful on our ride home. Enjoy your stay in Appleton and give Justin a hug from his old man. I can't wait to see you again, sweetheart. What's for dinner Sunday?? ROFL

Until Sunday,

Matt

P.S. -- Good thing that I forgot to send this to you last night because Laura took this sad picture of me eating breakfast without my "partner", Mike this morning.
İmage

See you in about 32 hours. Love you.

MTC

MTC

"If you can’t go home again, at least you can enjoy the ride” — Peter Egan


2013 CB1100 non-abs
2013 CB1100 abs
(This post was last modified: 12-05-2016 10:00 PM by EmptySea.)
12-05-2016 09:59 PM
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Cormanus Offline
Moderator

Queensland, Australia
Posts: 20,660
Joined: Dec 2013
Post: #34
RE: Letters From West Virginia
EmptySea, there is so much about this thread to admire. First, the conceit of the letters. I love them as a device and I'm annoyed you thought of it before me.

Secondl, I always enjoy your prose and storytelling. These letters are no expception.

Thirdly, I like the way you've described the fun of Mickey's roads without giving away where they are. I'm sure it was an act of generosity and that there was no coercion!

Then there's the great shot of the Ferret and grandson.

But to cap it all, there's the team photo at Ferret's where his legs are glowing in a supernatural kind of way.

Brilliant.

Thank you for the thoughtfulness and trouble you've taken.
(This post was last modified: 12-06-2016 04:50 AM by Cormanus.)
12-06-2016 04:49 AM
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The ferret Offline
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Ohio
Posts: 31,282
Joined: Apr 2013
Post: #35
RE: Letters From West Virginia
First off, let me say what a pleasure this has been to read. I assume we have one more installment?

Secondly: Cormanus is right…brilliant concept for a seat time report, and wonderfully written. The strength of your relationship is so evident as to be inspiring.

Third: Dianne and I feel so privileged to be a small part in the great trip you guys had. It was such a pleasure spending the day riding, visiting and eating with the group. You (as in the group) are always welcome in our home. Glad you enjoyed my family. Dianne is a special person, far more than I deserve. She is pretty, intelligent, kind,sincere, generous and has given me a family any man would be proud to be a part of. Plus she puts up with my insane motorcycling, and even enjoys riding nearly as much as I do. I am so blessed. BTW Riley, my grandson in that pic is just a great kid. open heart surgery at 31 days old. It was touch and go for awhile, but what he lacked in physical strength he has made up for in intellegence. Smart kid, and already riding a Yamaha dirt bike at 4 years old. He's my little buddy.

Fourth: I sure missed Cheryl

Fifth: West Virginia is a special place to ride and you guys just scratched the surface, so I’d say when Cheryl is up for it, a return visit should be planned. I may even be convinced to lead you on a couple of great roads down there. If you thought 33 was great, wait until you ride 16 from 33 to the Ohio river.

Siixth: I always talk about being a munchkin and it was never more evident than the pic of you and I standing beside the Ribber wall. Holy cow that almost looks like an optical illusion lol

Anyhow, here are a few pics from that day I took

early morning fog over the Ohio river

İmage

Sea's group arriving at meeting place in Ironton Ohio

İmage

Lunch at Ribber's in Portsmouth Ohio

İmage

Visiting the 1/2 mile long mural wall

İmage

riding

İmage

İmage

İmage

.
Defender of the Realm
2014 DLX (the pleasure horse)
2021 NC750X DCT (Angry Bird)
(This post was last modified: 12-06-2016 07:14 AM by The ferret.)
12-06-2016 07:11 AM
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Rocky Offline
Been There

Nova Scotia, Canada
Posts: 3,397
Joined: Apr 2014
Post: #36
RE: Letters From West Virginia
Great stories and great pictures Thumbs Up Thumbs Up

Still rockin', rollin', and ridin' after all these years
'67 BSA 441 VR, '70 Triumph Tiger 100, '02 Honda CB900F, '06 Triumph T100 Bonneville, '14 Honda CB1100A
12-06-2016 07:24 AM
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The ferret Offline
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Ohio
Posts: 31,282
Joined: Apr 2013
Post: #37
RE: Letters From West Virginia
Oh and Sea your internal compass was correct we were basically winding our way west then south then west then north then west then south etc in a series of trips toward and away from the Ohio River. In this part of Ohio it is dominated by a series of hills and ridges and all roads running toward or away from the river are curvy around the hills. These maps show the route and the roads are much curvier than the yellow lines make them appear.

from Portsmouth we took 52 west to Rt 125 west thru the Shawnee State Forest to Georgetown Ohio to "old Rt 68" south to the river 52 west to 133 north to Felicity Ohio

İmage

From Felicity we took 222 over to 743 ("My Road") south to 52 west to a little road called Laurel-Moscow Road, north over to 756. 756 west to 232 and 232 north to 222 and 222 west to Bethel-New Richmond Road which we took south to Laurel-Lindale Rd which we took north/west over toward my house

İmage

.
Defender of the Realm
2014 DLX (the pleasure horse)
2021 NC750X DCT (Angry Bird)
(This post was last modified: 12-06-2016 07:46 AM by The ferret.)
12-06-2016 07:40 AM
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EmptySea Offline
Lives On Two Wheels

Chicagoland, USA
Posts: 7,004
Joined: Jun 2013
Post: #38
RE: Letters From West Virginia
Mickey - Thanks for posting the extra pics and the maps. I "stole" one of your pictures (the one with your effulgent trousers) for my report. I really did not recall the specific roads on which we rode to your home, but I like the idea that I was being creatively covert by not mentioning them, so I'm going to let Cormanus go on thinking that. Ssshhh. Also, you are only slightly shorter than I am; the picture at Ribber's is deceiving. Truth be told, though, we did take one where I squatted down a bit to make us look about the same height. However, I looked washed out in that one and I didn't like my smile, so I went with the one that made me look better. My rodeo, my bull. Smile

I do not prepared another installment of this story because to provide one in the same format would be an obvious continuity break. However, there is a bit more to report about our ride home from Cincinnati, how pleased I was with my CB1100, and a few comments about roads I discovered after my online swoon over US33. I will noodle on how to present that information as an epilogue to my bundle of letters.

MTC

"If you can’t go home again, at least you can enjoy the ride” — Peter Egan


2013 CB1100 non-abs
2013 CB1100 abs
12-06-2016 10:05 AM
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EmptySea Offline
Lives On Two Wheels

Chicagoland, USA
Posts: 7,004
Joined: Jun 2013
Post: #39
RE: Letters From West Virginia
Last Day

14 December 2016

Dear Forum,

I just thought I'd send you a note with a description of our last travel day on this wonderful trip and a summary of highlights from that week.


First the trek home.
İmage

And it was a bit of a trek, but with a pretty cool little break in the middle.

In 2013, our group ride was to Robbinsville, NC and on our way home, we stopped in Rockville, Indiana to have lunch at The Thirty-six Saloon, conveniently located on US36. It's a biker-themed bar (as opposed to a "biker bar") with a large patio area, live music, and good house-made barbeque. Mike A., quite the barbequist in his own right, enjoyed it enough to ride (or drive) back down to Rockville with Judy on at least one other occasion. As an aside, I also stopped in at The Thirty-Six later in 2013 on my solo ride to Chattanooga to attend my best friend's funeral.

Mike is keen on the saloon's barbeque sauces which, as it happens, are available for purchase. He had mentioned stopping here to buy sauce on more than one occasion throughout the trip-planning process and even a couple of times during the trip itself. It was apparent that he wanted to make a stop there, but he was apprehensive because Rockville is ground-zero for Indiana's Covered Bridge Festival which would be in full glory on the Saturday we would pass through. He said that half of Indiana shows up for this festival and that it may be hard to park, crowded on the streets, and we may not even get in to The Thirty-Six Saloon. Mike began planning our October trip sometime in January, planned all the stops, all the routes, all the special attractions, including meeting up and riding with TheFerret. This is no small feat and all his planning resulted in one of the best trips, motorcycle or otherwise, on which I have ever been. If the man wanted us to weave through crowds in the middle of Indiana so he could get a couple of bottles of barbeque sauce, we were going to make sure we did that for him.

There was a huge construction delay on I-74 and then more traffic going west on US36. If you look at the map you can see that we detoured to IN-236 to try to avoid some of the traffic. 236 was a very pleasant road, by the way, much nicer than the section of US36 that runs parallel to it.

At any rate, we eventually arrived in Rockville, which was at least as crowded as Mike had feared. Vendors of various trinkets and food stuffs lined both sides of Ohio Street (which is what US36 is called through Rockville) and parking was best described as limited. Laura and I found a nice spot on the main drag next to a nice looking Indian (motorcycle, not Native American). The others found spots on a side street behind the saloon.

Note the traffic in the background
İmage

Not only were we lucky enough to get inside Thirty-Six, but a group was leaving as we entered so we were able to grab a seat immediately (thanks to Judy's advance scouting).

İmage

Us
İmage

The food is definitely good and the barbeque sauce is worth transporting home. I recommend a stop at The Thirty-Six Saloon if you're on a ride in the area.

Since I hate me a trip on I-65, we took US41 north along the Illinois/Indiana border all the way into Cedar Lake. Having gassed up near Rockville, Cedar Lake seemed like a great place to fill up again for the last 60 or so miles, most of which would be interstate. In a fortuitous coordination of events, I completed my fueling at the BP in Cedar Lake at exactly 5:00pm and attempted to reset the Trip odometer, but wound up clicking to the main odometer which was reading exactly 26,000 miles.

İmage

The trip on I-294 North was as stressful as it always is. Four, sometimes more, lanes of trucks and cars make it thus, but it was an uneventful 30 miles or so.

I arrived home, after a stop to top off my tank, at 7:19pm. My Trip B was keeping track of the total miles for the trip and it showed 980.6 which of course was actually 1980.6 since it rolled over someplace in West Virginia four or five days earlier.

İmage

I got home in time to catch Justin's concert on webcast while eating a large spicy pork fried rice I picked up at my favorite local carry-out place. A nice little postscript to my 10-day adventure.

Well friends, that's it for now. I will write another note tomorrow to recap some of my highlights of the trip.

Ride on,

MTC

MTC

"If you can’t go home again, at least you can enjoy the ride” — Peter Egan


2013 CB1100 non-abs
2013 CB1100 abs
(This post was last modified: 12-15-2016 07:12 AM by EmptySea.)
12-14-2016 10:34 PM
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Cormanus Offline
Moderator

Queensland, Australia
Posts: 20,660
Joined: Dec 2013
Post: #40
RE: Letters From West Virginia
Nice, MTC. Thanks again for a great report.

I once held the office of State Chief Pedant—awarded to me cruelly by a senior officer after I found a minor but important mistake in something or other. That will help you understand why it is I feel obliged to point out the obvious discrepancy between your report and the final photo.

Thanks again.
12-14-2016 11:56 PM
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