I've Been Everywhere in PA

So I give Cathy the game plan for the trip.  She's never been to PA before and anxiously asks about visiting historic battlefields, Amish country, etc.  "No way, no time" was my reply.  Then how about a cavern, park, or museum?  "We're going everywhere in three days, we don't have time to stop!"  She pulled out the map with the highlighted locations, studied it for a while, and agreed we go.

My ambitions were a bit high, I had 22 locations mapped and somewhat of a route planned for a three day weekend.  A later than planned start on Saturday, rain, and trouble finding verification items slowed us down.  At the end of the first day we only had two locations logged in after traveling for twelve hours and covering 502 miles.  Sunday we did much better, the rain held off for the most part and we managed to put six more names on our list at a cost of ten hours and 380 miles.  Monday was better still.  After twelve an one half hours and 413 miles we nailed down nine more or so we thought. (see Eldorado)

We still were way behind the schedule I planned.  Instead of rolling into the driveway in CT on Monday night, we opted to call it a night around 10 PM in Clarion, PA, still 450 miles from home.  We took our time traveling across I-80 toward home on Tuesday.  Cathy convinced me to pick up Haverstraw NY on the way and take the scenic route over the Bear Mt Bridge.  We pulled into Waterford, CT around 8:15 PM after riding a total of 1756 miles.

We didn't make it to all our planned stops but had a great time and got to see a great deal of PA.  Most of the secondary roads are great for motorcycling and we plan on going back for a more leisurely vacation in the near future.

Just to note, the Concours ran like a watch the whole time.  I averaged 44.2 mpg for the trip and that's two up!  The only glitch was an instrument panel light that went belly up.

Nebraska 2:14 PM

Ottawa!  I couldn't find it!

Vicksburg 7:30 PM

We're Off

After a later than planned start we head out from home.  I-95 to New Haven, Rt. 34 to I-84 westbound.  The sky is threatening rain in NY but it holds off until we cross the Delaware River into PA then it opens up.  The rain is heavy for the next 44 miles until we get off I-84 at exit 4, Mt Cobb.  We wind our way north and as we approach Jermyn the rain stops completely.   My printed out map of Jermyn/Archibald is wet and no longer readable.  I stop into a gas station and ask for info on Nebraska.  No one knows where it is!  We search.  Down the road in Archibald I again stop, this time in an auto parts store.  Again, the guy at the counter doesn't know what I'm talking about!  As I get ready to leave another employee shows up and says that he can tell me how to get to the Nebraska section of Jermyn/Archibald, but he is not aware of any signs.  Off we go.  We follow his directions but can't find a sign.  We stop and ask a mail carrier, who better to know where everything is.  One block over, big green sign.  Snap a picture and we hit the road.

We rode south on 6 to I-81 through Scranton to Wilkes-Barre where we stopped for a quick bite. Crossing the Susquehanna to Forty Fort then south on 11.  Gassed up in Berwick at 4:15 PM and hopped onto I-80 to shoot west 25 miles to Rt. 54 north to Ottawa.

With thunderstorms moving in on us, we searched for a town sign but no luck.  The Team Strange site says Ottawa is a confirmed location so I stop in a local hardware store for directions.  "Right up the road, take a left by the Strick Plant, that's Ottawa".  I find the plant, no sign.  The only evidence I could locate was a small building beside the road with Ottawa painted across the top.  Damn, this doesn't qualify and I've already spent way too much time looking.  It begins to rain, hard.

Leaving without Ottawa was a disappointment, but there were many more to go.  We get back on I-80 and go west.  I wanted to get off just a few miles down the road and head south on 15, but the heavy rain and construction detour screwed me up and we had to run an extra 13 miles west then turn around and come back east.  The rain was coming down in torrents now and going was slow due to low visibility.  We arrived in Vicksburg shortly after the rain subsided.  Got our picture and decided to head south toward Harrisburg to spend the night.  As we passed through Mifflinburg a few miles south, we found the sides of the roads covered with leaves and hail.  Good thing we were delayed, the Concours doesn't provide much protection from hailstorms.

After a stop in New Buffalo for supper we continue south to Carlisle and get a room for the evening.  Instead of having the six locations I wanted and staying in Gettysburg, we settled for the two and hit the sheets around 10:30 PM.

Day Two

Slept late again and then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast so we didn't get on the road until 10:45.  As we left the parking lot it begins to rain lightly.   We head south on I-83 and take exit 2 for Glen Rock.   We find the sign with no problem, however there is little room at the shoulder and we are on somewhat of a curve.  I can't put the Connie on the sidestand so I stay aboard.  Just as Cathy prepares to take the photo, the woman who lives across the street approaches.  She is curious as to why all these motorcyclists are taking photos here.  We explain and she volunteers to take a photo for us.  Thank you very much!

From Glen Rock we continue south into Maryland to Lineboro.  I pull out the info from Rick Millers IBET page and find Black Rock without a hitch.

A quick check of the map and we point ourselves north to Nashville.   I should have picked this location before the other two, but the roads and scenery around this area are great so we don't mind the extra miles.  Everything is going smooth until my Olympus camera refuses to work.  Dead battery is the culprit.   We resort to the backup disposable camera and add Nashville, PA to our log.

Next stop on my list is Monterey, just west of Gettysburg.  While stopped for lunch we decide to skip it and head north.  My information only has this Monterey as a possible location and we can pick up the confirmed one in Mass on a day trip from home.  So out comes the map and we plan the ride to Waterloo.

Glen Rock 11:50 AM

Black Rock 12:30 PM

Nashville 1:15 PM

Waterloo 4:11 PM

Indiana 7:48 PM

Jacksonville 8:01 PM

Back to I-76 then west to I-99 north to Altoona.   Eldorado is a section of Altoona at the southern end of the city.  This is also listed as a possible location but we need to go by there anyway so well check it out.   Nothing.  There is a car wash, laundromat, pizza place, but no sign.  We stop and ask a few folks but they haven't seen one so we're out of there.

We head west on 22 & 422 to Indiana, the hometown of Jimmy Stewart, so the sign says.  I passed this sign three times and didn't see it.  Cathy tried pointing it out to me but... oh well, we stopped and got the picture and that's what counts, right?

I was tired and looking for a place to stay when Cathy pointed out Jacksonville was right down the road 15 miles or so.  I thought it was too dark for a picture, I still had my sunglasses on, but she insisted in bagging another one.  The photo came out fine.  I'm glad she is behind me on this adventure.  Without her checking routes and watching for signs, I would have probably given up earlier in the day.   Back to Indiana for dinner at Ruby Tuesday and then the pillow at the Super 8 motel.