August 2022

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W H AT ’ S I N S I D E

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

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MONTHLY COLUMNS FREE WHEELIN’ ........................................ 4 WHATCHATHINKIN’ ................................... 5 ON THE MARK .......................................... 6 BACKLASH ............................................... 7

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

Publishers

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors

Mark Byers, Pamela Collins, Tony Lisanti, Dr. Seymour O’Life

INDUSTRY INFOBITES............................... 9

Editorial Office BACKROADS, POB 620 Augusta, NJ 07822

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA .......................... 11 BIG CITY GETAWAY................................. 13 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN......... 15 WE’RE OUTTA HERE ............................... 17

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INSIDE SCOOP ....................................... 20

phone

973.948.4176

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .................... 39

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973.948.0823

email

editor@backroadsusa.com

online

www.backroadsusa.com

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FEATURES RALLY TIME ............................................ 22 AMERICADE 2022 ................................... 34 TRIUMPH NATIONAL RALLY .................... 37

PRODUCT REVIEWS SENA SPIDER INTERCOMS ..................... 33

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BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific written consent from the publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosed sufficient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACKROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are ridden on the sole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

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FR E E W H E EL I N’ BRIAN RATHJEN

DECOUPAGE NOT DÉCOLLETAGE… “Show me your luggage and I’ll tell you who you are.”

- Louis Vuitton slogan “Honey…it’s Decoupage not Décolletage…”

Dontcha love it when you get corrected? Again.

Yeah, yeah, whatever.

Somewhere back in time – just a tad over 40 years ago – BMW introduced the GS motorcycle.

A few years later Kawasaki brought the KLR 650 into the fray and with these machines, the beginning of the ‘Adventure Rider’ had begun.

If you look back in time there have been dozens of famed and unfamed motorcycle riders that have ridden over the horizon and down the road less traveled – many before there were even any real roads.

In the late 1800s and the turn of the 20th century those lucky to travel carried their clothing and items in large steamer trunks; named for the shops that carried them. During the Roaring Twenties travel by steamer ships really took off and during that time hotels and trendy destinations began creating elaborate labels and what we now call “stickers.”

According to Mattéoli, a Chilean-born writer who moved to Paris as a girl and spent months running up and down the hallways of the famous Hotel du Louvre, built in 1855; Her book WORLD TOUR opens with a decorative greenand-red label of the Paris hotel, circa 1930.

This is what she said about this style of art:

“Most of the famous designers who drew the hotel labels are attached to the Art Deco period, such as the Italian Mario Borgoni. His hotel labels were like posters. He was a painter and a decorator and his style -- the elegant Liberty lettering, and his shadings of red or orange -- became a sort of a trademark of the printer Richter & Co, and it was widely imitated.

He often did not sign his work and started a new career at 61 years old in the USA as a publicity and fashion illustrator. There was also the Austrian Franz Lenhart, very active during the late 1920s, and the Italian Filippo Romoli, who designed many hotel labels like the one of Hotel Des Bains, in the Art Deco style, and who had the good idea to sign them.”

Today finding an old steamer trunk decorated with original stickers like these is priceless to the collector. But, have not today’s adventure riders begun to follow in this fashion nearly one hundred years later?

When we were at the BMW MOA National rally in Springfield, Missouri this year it only took one lap around the parking lot to get my evidence for this. For some travel and destination stickers are a source of validation - basically, “Look where I went and you did not!”

Far away destinations and places not even on the map, world oddities and the like can all be found on these machines. Some riders simply play the game and sticker their bags with places they have never been, nor never will. They’re just having fun, yet others, and I’ve seen this many times, might pull the ‘P-Word” – making a kerfuffle about this.

Those that make a rumpus about this, to me, are the rider’s version of the woman with 5 cats and no social life.

Seriously, what do you care?

(Continued on Page 8)

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

W H AT C H AT HI NK I N ’ SHIRA KAMIL

YOU GO GIRL! I suppose I am a little late to the game. I did not start riding until age 30, while so many I know were enjoying it almost all their lives. That has happened to me throughout my adult years – movies people mention as iconic which I’ve never seen, songs I hear and fall in love with that have been out for decades, and racers who have set some high standards who I’ve just started following.

Case in point: Ms. Kayla Yaakov. This young woman has been hitting high marks since she threw a leg over her Yamaha 50 at age 4.

Wanting to follow in her father’s tracks, who raced professionally for 13 years, Kayla started racing at age 5 on that same bike. While most young’uns were learning to ride a bicycle without training wheels, Kayla was mastering the art of tight turns, acceleration and dropping a knee to the ground. At age 8 she was invited to participate in a three-lap race, along with 14 other youngster, at the Junior Supercross Challenge in Anaheim, CA. Selection mandated strong academic and riding skills, of which she possessed mightily.

Kayla has experienced many tracks in her short career, but one of her favorites is the Herrin Compound – Herrin as in Josh Herrin, who is now racing in MotoAmerica’s Supersport class. After first seeing Kayla’s talent and potential, he joined a number of other road racing experts on

Page 5 a seven-tenths of a mile long track, Herrin looking to have Kayla chase him to the finish line but instead saw himself being beaten by an eightyear-old by .28 second.

By age 10 she had won 11 national championships as an amateur and the following year took seven more, two of which were amateur AMA Grand National Championships.

She made the move from amateur to race with the experts and won 5 national championships, including the AMA Lightweight Superbike Expert Grand National Championship – quite a long title for a little lady. As of age 13, she had 247 wins and 38 championships under her belt.

And the winning kept on coming, and her competitive nature and determination has made this young woman a force of nature. She has certainly made a name for herself, and has been subject of many interviews.

I’ve watched and listened to many and have found Kayla to be quite articulate and well-spoken, her attitude upbeat and positive. During one she was asked what accomplishment she was most proud of: “Probably my lap records because those are for everyone that has ever raced on these tracks over the years the tracks have been opened.’ In her younger years (funny to say that about a 15-year-old) she even beat her dad’s top lap time on their home course.

That’s when he knew things were getting real.

In 2021 Kayla began her MotoAmerica racing, joining the BARTCON Racing Team on a 400cc motorcycle. She had to wait until June 24, 2021 – her 14th birthday – as that is the minimum age requirement.

Even though entering the series mid-season, she earned a podium as well as ranking eighth in her rookie season.

(Continued on Page 8)

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

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O N T H E MAR K MARK BYERS

MILES BEFORE I SLEEP I had 500 miles to ride before Saturday afternoon meetings at a bicycle race in Knoxville, Tennessee, I was behind in packing, and I needed to find radio cables to work with the promoter’s gear. I was also waiting on stuff being shipped - supposedly by two-day mail - from California that was four days behind schedule. Plus, I wanted to pick up a new helmet.

Between work and delayed trip preparations, I was a stress bucket.

The GPS put my destination nearly 8 hours away, so if I waited for Saturday morning, I’d be pushed to get there in time for my meetings, especially if I waited for Morton’s to open so I could get the helmet. The answer was to leave Friday and get a few miles under my wheels.

Of course, even that plan was complicated: the mailman didn’t come until late and my package still didn’t arrive. Waiting for him caused me to hit Morton’s five minutes before closing time, but full marks to Pat and Seth for having the helmet ready and not giving me the bum’s rush.

So at 6:30 PM, I pulled out of Morton’s BMW in Spotsylvania, Virginia with 435 miles left in my trip and headed roughly southwest.

I didn’t have an intermediate destination, just a notion that I wanted to put in miles. Being July meant I still had plenty of sunlight, although that fact was annoying since I was going to be riding straight into it. I turned right on my go-to Route 208 from the shop and quickly made my way through the commuter traffic to the lightly-travelled backroads I prefer so much that would take me to Charlottesville.

Route 613 didn’t disappoint: there was little traffic and the road undulated through the Virginia farmland that was becoming more goldengreen with every mile thanks to the low sun. At the far end of 613 is the town of Trevilians, site of the largest cavalry engagement of the Civil War. I met Route 22 just beyond the location of an old, quirky museum

at which I always wanted to stop but never did. It’s now gone save for a sign that says to come “by appointment only.” I picture it as having been staffed by an old Civil War buff who’d talk to anyone who’d listen about the big cavalry clash.

Route 22 is an equal pleasure, splitting the Virginia farms as it heads to an intersection with the Interstate just east of Charlottesville. I thought about stopping, but I still had plenty of light and riding had energized me, taking away the stress of the week and giving me a renewed energy, so on I went, inventorying my potential other stops: Waynesboro, Staunton, and Lexington. Having come this way many times, I had places in mind to stay at each.

Sixty-four isn’t much for scenery, but it’s a fast road and I made good time going over the mountain to Waynesboro. It was tempting to stop, but the sun was still annoying in my eyes and the tripmeter was clicking away nicely, so on I went. I-64 and I-81 meet at Staunton, and again there are places to stay (and eat - like Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant), but there was that sun and more miles on the tripmeter.

At Lexington, I-64 leaves I-81 and heads west toward my homeland, but I needed to go south. The sun was now waning and I wanted to be settled before it was gone completely, so I took one of the manholes in the cement pipeline and found an unremarkable chain motel. A quick meal at a nearby truck stop IHOP and I was ready to settle after shortening my trip by 150 miles. A full tank of gas made sure I was ready to roll right after the continental breakfast (although with hotel food, I’m not sure from which continent it comes Prepackaganistan?).

I rose rested with just five hours left in my journey, able to check in and make my meetings in Knoxville with time to spare. Even a little traffic on I-40 outside of the city was no trouble. I’m a big fan of “putting some miles under the wheels” on an evening after work: breaking it up makes the trip so much more palatable and less stressful. Plus an evening on the backroads in the Virginia countryside is the perfect way to de-stress and, to paraphrase Frost, put in some miles to go before I sleep. ,

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

BACKLASH Hello, Hope you guys got out for a ride this weekend. Thanks for the Vics Wayside Inn recommendation. Cool place.

Drew Baskin Good morning Brian, Thank you for sending me the article on Nova Scotia. I am sitting in my cottage in Cape Breton Island as I write this. I received the magazine just before I left and enjoyed reading the article very much.

History is filled with such sweet and then tragic events. The relationships and peacefulness created by the Acadians and the local native tribe is a testament to how humans can exist and coexist together. The Acadiens are still here as well as the Mi’kmaq (pronunciation Mig Mow) tribe which actually has quite a strong presence here thankfully.

So much of the truth of history is buried by the conquerors who tell it how they see it. It’s pretty cool how archaeologists can unbury the past tragedies and bring truthful history to light.

Cheers!

Best, Paul Moulins Dear Backroads Test Rider, I recall Fred Rau’s article on this topic and would love to read it again. His conclusion was none worked as advertised covering all the necessary variables.

Met a guy on a trike last week. Knows Fred and claims the electronic Hornet works. I think Fred tested both passive and active units.

The operative word and phrase are “May” and “Driver awareness is required” (duh ;-) to get to 70% effectiveness…. and cover their butts otherwise lawyers would have a field day.

Chuck Potzer Chuck, I have talked with Fred a number of times about this and, to my knowledge, he has never tested a Hornet.

Wind operated deer whistles…? Feh! We know they are BS. We and many riders we ride with use The Hornet constantly and SO FAR.... SO Good.

We think The Hornet is like an electronic Rabbit’s Foot and we have seen, MANY TIMES, deer and even a moose once move away from the bikes with Hornets operating.

Still, no deer has ever answered my survey, so... our thought...

Better to have it than not.

If you order, order direct from them.... As a Backroads reader they will give you the more manageable MC harness for free. xp3hornet.com/ Brian & Shira, After reading your article on riding 519 we had to do it from the beginning outside Lambertville, what a day – 90 degree sun, 10 hours, 276 miles, did ALL of Route 519 from Lambertville up to Highpoint.

Awesome roads, lunch at Zeeks in Harmony, back down Clove Road to ice cream and a car show at Jumboland and River Road to basement Mexican dinner in Frenchtown and home again! Thanks for the idea Brian. p.s. Them tar snakes are vicious up there.

Anthony Dipietro Shira Kamil, in a recent publication, discussed a reader’s request for advice on a cross country trip. I was hoping you could provide some advice to me as well. I would like to ride from Austin TX to Los Angeles to visit with my daughter, a student at UCLA.

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Letters to the Editor The return trip may be in late summer. Any advice would be appreciated but I am particularly interested in the route, suggested gear, and whether you feel my bike is adequate for the journey over the terrain recommended. I am riding a 2009 Yamaha Vstar 650 Silverado with 9k+ miles that I have at my older daughter’s home in TX. I have ridden that bike a few 500-1000 mile trips in Texas. It has new tires and has been recently tuned. (BTW - I am 76 years old. I have only been riding for the last 4 years.) I have (maybe foolishly) taken long journeys on my NY bike, a 2012 Hyosung GV250. In 2018, I rode from NY to ID and then IA to MT before the chain broke. Last year, I spent 5 days touring the New England states. Thanking you in advance for your consideration & help.

Thomas Thomas, It looks like you have taken some nice long jaunts on your NY bike so assume that you have the proper gear for the trip from TX to CA. We are strong proponents of ATGATT (all the gear all the time) which include full riding suits (textile or leather), full face helmet, at least over the ankle but preferably higher boots and gloves. For warmer riding there is the option of mesh gear, but you’ll have to deal with the rain factor so either liner or rain gear.

Next Page

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As for the capability of your Yamaha, that is up to your inspection. New tires are a must, so you’re good there. But a good going over from top to bottom should be done before you take off, even if it’s by a good mechanic.

Your route is, again, in your hands. How long will you take to get there, how many miles can you ride in a day, sightseeing, visiting, etc. For us, route planning is almost as much fun as the ride itself. We always say that Rand McNally is our favorite author.

As for routes, we have been using a GPS for many years now and find it helpful – almost essential – especially when taking long trips. It can help you route, reroute, find lodging and gas and just be a security blanket when in an unknown area.

From a quick Google route, it seems to be a straight ride of about 1400 miles via highways. There are certainly places along the way that might be interesting for diversions, but again, that is up to your time schedule. If you haven’t ridden through Joshua Tree, we highly recommend it.

There are sites, such as motorcycleroads.com, which highlight some of the better roads through an area.

Butler Maps have a great series for motorcyclists as well.

You have a month until your planned departure: take a gander at the maps, see if anything strikes your fancy, and point your front tire in that direction. Enjoy the ride, be safe and have fun. , FREE WHEELIN’

(Continued from Page 4)

Some, and I include myself, have bikes that are festooned with stickers from various roads and faroff destinations that I have been to, but not necessarily on that bike.

Yes, I am posing as a poser – with a touch of gravitas I hope.

Shira’s top case, which bounces between her Suzuki V-Strom 650XT and her now venerable 2002 Honda 919, has a Heinz 57 amount of stickers.

Some destinations, some serious, some funny, and all something she felt compelled to put on the case.

At the MotoGP in Texas, there was one machine that was completely covered with appliques.

For me, I enjoy studying how creative some riders can be; and a quick lap around the BMW MOA Rally this Spring gave me ample opportunity.

What a rider puts on their bags tells a lot. Who they are, who they think they are, and what is both funny and important to them. I say… sticker away! , WHATCHATHINKIN’ (Continued from Page 5) In addition, she crossed the pond to race in the bLU cRU 300 series out of the World SuperBike paddock. What were her impressions of racing in Europe? “My expectations for the first season are to develop a very good pace, to learn all the new tracks here in Europe and have a lot of fun,” she said.

“My first impressions of the Yamaha R3 is that they look fast, like they handle well, and it looks like they’re a lot of fun to ride.” Quite the busy season for this young lady.

2022 saw Kayla move to Altus Motorsports’ Kawasaki Ninja 400 in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup. She has been consistently giving the boys a run for their money with her confidence, stamina and outbraking in the turns, which has brought her four podium finishes. I believe she was robbed of a first place in Atlanta but that didn’t throw her off one bit.

She came back strong and determined and the weekend of her 15th birthday at Ridge Motorsports Park in Washington, she took the top podium and became the first female to win in MotoAmerica. She now stands just eight points behind the leader, Gus Rodio, and with five rounds left on the calendar, there is every possibility that Ms. Kayla Yaakov will hold the Junior Cup title for 2022.

The best quote after winning… “Obviously, you have Ana Carrasco and Mario Herrera and Melissa Paris and Elena Myers. But for me it’s always been Nicky Hayden. I live by a lot of his mottos.”

Dad Dave will have his hands full, as Kayla has inspired her 5-year-old sister to start racing. Her zest, passion and determination has certainly paid off for her and she has become, at such a tender age, quite the inspiration for women young and old (do I sound just a little star-struck?) I look forward to following her career for many years to come and cheering her on the weekend of September 9-11 at New Jersey Motorsports round of MotoAmerica. Kayla, I’m sure that Nicky would be super proud of what you are doing, we all sure are. ,

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

INDUSTRY INFOBITES VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB HOLDS NATIONAL RALLY The Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club of America (VJMC) recently celebrated its annual national motorcycle rally in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. This year’s event, which took place June 23-25, featured a special celebration, as it marked the club’s 45th anniversary. One hundred sixty members enjoyed three days of riding, bike shows and camaraderie with their vintage Japanese motorcycles.

VJMC is the premier worldwide club dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and enjoyment of vintage Japanese motorcycles (20 years or older) and the promotion of the sport of motorcycling.

For more information visit www.vjmc.org or call (763) 420-7829.

JAPANESE BIG FOUR CUTTING MODELS COMPLY WITH EMISSIONS REGULATIONS

TO

It has been revealed that Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki will discontinue approximately 20 models by the end of this year, representing roughly 10 per cent of the 190 models offered by the four manufacturers.

Nikkei reports that Honda is scrapping approximately 10 of its 80 current models in response to strict emissions standards that will be introduced across Japan in the fall. Among the models going the way of the

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News from the Inside dodo include the CB400 Super Four, the Benly scooter, and the full-size Gold Wing series.

Japan’s new emissions standards are modeled after the Euro 5 laws in effect across the European Union and have applied to all new models from the end of 2020 and will impact all existing models in November.

Complying with the new regulations will necessitate bike manufacturers installing upgraded catalytic converters or redesigning engines. The costs involved in making some models comply are simply too high to justify for Honda, Yamaha , Suzuki, and Kawasaki.

FTC TAKES ACTION AGAINST HARLEY-DAVIDSON AND WESTINGHOUSE The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking action against motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson Motor Co. Group LLC and Westinghouse outdoor generator maker MWE Investments LLC for illegally restricting customers’ right to repair their purchased products. The FTC’s complaints charge that the companies’ warranties included terms that conveyed that the warranty is void if customers use independent dealers for parts or repairs. The FTC is ordering Harley-Davidson and Westinghouse to fix warranties by removing illegal terms and recognizing the right to repair, come clean with customers and ensure that dealers compete fairly with independent third-parties.

AMERICADE ANNOUNCES NEW DATES FOR 2023 Americade 2023 will take place one week earlier than normal, May 30-June 3, starting the Tuesday after Memorial Day. Americade 2023 will celebrate a historic milestone, its 40th event, featuring a number of special additional live music, entertainment and motorcycle attractions.

“Laconia will be celebrating a big milestone too, their 100th, next year,” said Christian Dutcher, Americade’s Director, “and having two major events overlapping during special years doesn’t make any sense.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

Page 10 So, we’re going to slide Americade earlier to give each event a little elbow room.”

Americade 2022 featured the most factory demos of any event in the U.S. and in 2023 Americade will likely feature even more. Kim Knupp, National Events Manager for Yamaha said, “This is exciting news. It’s a great move for Americade and will increase attendance. It opens up opportunities for those who want to go to both events but currently can’t.”

Additionally, national brand vendors fully support the move as well. “I support it 100%,” says Melissa Auclair, of Mustang Motorcycle Seats.

“Not only will it benefit the vendors, but it will also benefit the customers.”

FINALLY, A FLYING VEHICLE Since before The Jetsons, we’ve been promised that someday soon we’d all be tooling about in flying cars, and now that dream may be about to take off. The Japanese company A.L.I. Technologies has been taking their XTurismo flying machine on the road, or over it, premiering their finished object for the Top Marques Monaco 2022 in June, an event that showcases supercars, hypercars, exclusive motorcycles, and other forms of unique transportation.

Whether you call it a hoverbike, a flying car, or some combination of the above, the XTurismo looks like a sportbike ran over a drone. The XTurismo’s claimed curb weight is 300 kilograms, or a hair over 661 pounds. It’s 3.7 meters long by 2.4 meters wide by 1.5 meters high (approximately 12.1 feet by 7.87 feet by 4.9 feet), has a range of approximately 30 to 40 minutes, a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour (just under 50 mph), and has a rated load capacity of 100 kilograms (or 220 pounds). The company is currently accepting preorders for the 200 initial XTurismo Limited Edition units it plans to produce, at a cost of ¥ 77,700,000, or about $610,710.

45 YEARS? IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY Gold Wing Road Riders Association founders Paul Hildebrand and Shirley Stevens-Garcia announced during Wing Ding opening ceremonies that the organization will be closing. American Honda is saddened

by the news and thanks the GWRRA for its dedication to one of Honda’s most iconic models.

Founded in 1977, the GWRRA grew through the heyday of motorcycle touring to the point that it eventually had approximately 80,000 members in 53 countries, and with over 800 active chapters managed by 4,000 volunteer leaders. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, the GWRRA has called itself “the world’s largest single-marque social organization for owners of Honda Gold Wing/Valkyrie motorcycles,” and it adopted the motto “Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge.” A dedicated, family-like group that published its own magazine (Wing World, whose September issue will be the last), the GWRRA worked hard to improve the image of motorcycling and prided itself in being a not-forprofit, nonreligious, non-political organization whose members covered a broad spectrum of backgrounds, but who were unified by a love for owning and riding Honda’s legendary touring model, the Gold Wing.

The GWRRA will officially close on July 31. In the interim, it will offer prorated refunds on prepaid memberships.

“For nearly five decades, the GWRRA has set the powersports standard for a grassroots organization based on a single model, and Honda will be forever grateful for the enthusiasm the club’s members demonstrated and generated for the Gold Wing,” said Bill Savino, American Honda Senior Manager of Customer Engagement. “While the GWRRA’s closure is undeniably the end of an era, we want to make sure their members and all Gold Wing enthusiasts know that Honda remains committed to the Gold Wing model and these customers for years to come.” ,

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

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Morton’s BMW Motorcycles presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA

URANIUM IN NEW JERSEY? GOIN’ FISSION ALONG THE RIVER! If you were in need of a highly dangerous and radioactive ore – say uranium – where would you find it?

Which state in the union has the most uranium ore to be found?

Well, the answer is New Mexico.

But there is another “New” state that also had its hand in the uranium business – at least for a while.

New Jersey! Of, course. New Jersey.

Uranium was first discovered in the Garden State in the mid-1950s and although exact numbers and the quality of Jersey uranium is still debated it is known that Exxon had leased thousands of New Jersey acreage in the hopes of mining the ore.

Tons of uranium were mined in this region. Tons!

At one point it was becoming such a great concern that on May 14, 1981, Governor Brendan Byrne signed into law a 7-year ban on mining uranium in New Jersey.

They had to ban mining?

But, like most New Jersey tales – the story will take some twists and turns, and the road through this part of Mysterious America runs right through the state. But we’d have to go searching for it.

Along Route 29, just south of Frenchtown, New Jersey, in the region called Raven Rock, there is a small and obscure historical marker that simply states: Uranium Ore was found near here in 1956.

I just caught a glance of it as I was heading north on 29 on a late fall day, and a sign like that certainly will grab my attention.

It also alluded to the Cold War, but maybe it was just good ol’ greed that got the u3o8 ball rolling in the state?

According to a report from the United States Geological Survey: “An occurrence of uranium at Clinton, Hunterdon County, N. J. was first brought to the attention of the U.S. Geological Survey when Mr. Thomas L. Eak of Avenel, NJ submitted to the Survey a sample containing 0.068 percent uranium.

Subsequent examinations of the area around Clinton indicated that detailed mapping and study were warranted.

The uranium occurrences at Clinton are in or associated with fault zones in the Kittatinny limestone of Cambro-Ordovician age. The limestone is generally light gray, thick-

Page 12 bedded, and dolomitic; chert is common but not abundant. Regionally and locally, faults are the most significant structural features. The local faults at Clinton are the loci for most of the uranium. The largest fault can be traced for about 700 feet and is radioactive everywhere it crops out. “ Everywhere it crops out? Well, that can’t be good.

But it gets better… or worse.

Jefferson Township, home to the Picatinny Arsenal, was and is thought to have tons of the radioactive ore lining the old iron mines that butterfly beneath the region.

Serious quality uranium. Right now… today!

Finding high-grade uranium on your property is better than striking gold.

A case in point came in the mid-70s when Jefferson resident Joseph Riggio received a letter from Pennzoil saying it had reason to believe there were “good amounts” of uranium on his property. Riggio reacted by getting in touch with Exxon, a Pennzoil rival.

(Nice! I love Jersey mentality!)

Exxon reacted by drilling some test holes on Riggio’s land and two other tracts in the area.

“The results,” said J. Wiley Bragg, a spokesman for Exxon Co. U.S.A., “were not discouraging.”

The town, that already had water pollution issues back then, wanted no part in uranium mining in their town. There was a town meeting in July of 1980 that had nearly 350 angry residents attending wearing yellow & black buttons stating “No Uranium Mining in Jefferson.”

Not far from Backroads Central there are two known uranium mines – the Charlotte Mine, and the Bemco Mine (Byram Exploration & Mining Co.), both near Cranberry Lake.

It seems that New Jersey has a serious radioactive past!

But, back at Raven Rock which, by the way, is the name of the U.S. Government’s not-so-secret hideaways in case of a nuclear issue with the

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 enemy of the day found just outside Gettysburg, the story gets better.

According to a 1956 United Press report, brothers Alvin and Vernon Gatling claimed to have found a rich supply of the mineral element near Route 29, stating that samples from their 400-acre claim contained at least 2 % and as high as 7 % raw uranium. Their lawyer, a former federal prosecutor, said that the brothers were licensed by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, which had confirmed the uranium content.

These brothers were looking for a ‘Uranium Goldmine’ and had just enough brains to know that if there is iron, there is a great possibility of uranium.

They convinced the owner of the property, Anton Schuck, to let them do some drilling. The brothers told Schuck that there was little uranium to be had, but then they snuck back in and began drilling an actual shaft without permission.

The entire debacle ended up in courts – but the truth is there.

The whole thing was finished for good in 1963 after the Gatlings filed a suit against Schuck for damages and mineral rights. As a compromise, the brothers agreed to secure an expert who could confirm the presence of valuable uranium on the land, but they never followed through New Jersey has a serious amount of uranium laced through the northwestern part of the state – so be careful when you pick up that oddlooking rock. It just might be a little hot.

Anyone for a slice of yellow cake? O’Life Out! ,

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

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Warren County NJ Tourism presents

BIG CITY GETAWAY PAOLI BATTLEFIELD HISTORICAL PARK MONUMENT AVE & WAYNE AVE, MALVERN, PA 19355 484-320-7173 • pbpfinc.org When writing about the events and places of our Revolutionary War we tend to stick with the wins, and not the losses.

But Backroads is here to tell the whole story – the good and the bad.

After getting their muskets handed to them at Brandywine by Cornwallis and the British, General Washington made yet one of many tactical retreats.

The British remained in Goshen until the weather cleared, and on September 18th marched to Tredyffrin intending to eventually cross the Schuylkill River. Lord Cornwallis’s Division, about 6000 men, marched on the Lancaster Road past the Paoli Tavern and took up positions on the heights of Tredyffrin about two miles east of Paoli, while the rest of the British force, about 8000 strong, marched on Swedesford Road. Later that same day, Washington detached General Anthony Wayne’s Division of 9 regiments numbering about 2200 men, with four cannons and three troops of dragoons, with orders to get behind the British and, if possible, cut off their baggage train as they crossed the river.

Wayne arrived at the Paoli Tavern, only two miles behind the British, early in the morning of September 19, and wrote to Washington: “Paoli ½ past 7 A.M…On the Enemies Beating the Revillee I ordered the Troops under Arms and began our

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind March for their left flank — But when we Arrived within half a Mile of their Encampment found they had not Stired, but lay too Compact to admit of an Attack with Prudence…if they Attempt to move I shall attack them…There never was, nor never will be a finer opportunity of giving the Enemy a fatal Blow than the Present — for God’s sake push on as fast as possible.”

Later this was received by Washington from Wayne: “The Enemy are very quiet, washing & Cooking — they will Probably Attempt to move towards Evening…I believe he knows nothing of my Situation — as I have taken every precaution to Prevent any intelligence getting to him…I have not heard from you since last night.”

Unbeknownst to Wayne, the courier carrying messages from Washington to him was either captured or deserted, and the British were already aware of his presence behind them.

Shortly after Wayne sent this message, the drums in the British camp beat “to arms”. A British force was being sent quickly over to Valley Forge to help secure the area. Hearing the alarm, Wayne decided to pull his force back from the Paoli Tavern and took up a position about a mile and a half to the west, on top of the South Valley Hill above the Warren Tavern in some fields surrounded on three sides by woods. Here he established camp for the night of September 19 and awaited reinforcements. This spot became the site of the Paoli Battlefield.

Wayne thought his presence was unknown to the British.

Mad Anthony was wrong.

Page 14 British intelligence determined that Wayne’s forces were encamped near the General Paoli Tavern near present-day Malvern, Pennsylvania. Wayne also made the mistake of leaving his camp exposed.

At 10 pm on September 20, 1777, British troops under Major General Charles Grey pounced on the unsuspecting Americans. Grey had ordered his men to unload their muskets and remove their flits, to ensure total surprise. The British would rely solely on the bayonet for their business that night.

Grey’s men took the American camp totally by surprise, emerging from the woods that hid their movements. Americans fled in panic and the encampment was destroyed as the British went about their bloody work. Wayne’s entire division was routed, losing 272 men, most of them taken prisoner. Because the British did not have flints in their muskets, Grey was dubbed, “No Flint” Grey.

Grey repeated this technique at the Battle of Tappan, known as the ‘Baylor’s massacre’ on 27th September 1778. Grey was promoted to lieutenant general and was due to take command of the British forces in America, but the Revolutionary War ended. Grey became the 1st Earl Grey.

‘Earl Grey Tea’ is named after his son, the 2nd Earl Grey.

Wayne was brought up on charges of misconduct but was found not guilty by the first investigation into the event, although he was deemed to have made a tactical error. The mercurial Wayne argued for a full court-martial to exonerate him. The court-martial determined that Wayne had acted with honor.

Eyewitness accounts by Continental soldiers engaged in the surprise attack fanned the fuel of American propagandists, telling tales of how as men tried to surrender they were given no quarter.

“I with my own eyes,” wrote Lt. Colonel Adam Hubley of the 10th Pennsylvania Regiment, “see them, cut and hack some of our poor men to pieces after they had fallen on their hands and scarcely shew the least mercy to any…” “The annals of the age cannot,” reported Major Samuel Hay of the 7th Pennsylvania Regiment, “produce another such scene of butchery…”

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 Wayne would have his revenge later when he stormed the ramparts of Stony Point, New York exhorting his men to “Remember Paoli” and returning the favor on the British.

Today the scene of the Battle of Paoli is a beautifully maintained place – part 40-acre park and part solemn memorial. The Paoli Memorial Association owns the adjoining gravesite, memorials, and 23-acre parade grounds where volunteers trained for the 1812, Mexican, and Civil Wars.

In 1817, a stone monument was erected on the burial mound of 53 American soldiers who lost their lives in the battle by veterans of the War of 1812. It is the 2nd oldest war memorial in the United States – the oldest being The Revolutionary War Monument in Lexington, Massachusetts.

In 1877, a larger granite obelisk was erected on the 100th anniversary of the Battle. The canons flanking the gravesite were recovered a century after they were hidden from the British at nearby Chester County iron forges.

The Battle of Paoli site has been a gathering place to commemorate American veterans, drawing thousands to “Remembrance Day” on the September 20th anniversaries. After the Civil War, the annual celebration’s name and date was changed to coincide with the popular Memorial Day. The Malvern Memorial Parade started in 1868, is the oldest, continuously-held Memorial Parade in America!

The site has remained as farm fields and woods since the battle, making it our nation’s most pristine Revolutionary War battlefield. A shaded ¾-mile trail takes visitors on a selfguided tour with interpretive panels telling the story of the Battle and its legacy. Sturdy, period-accurate, split rail and “snake” fences illustrate how these obstacles slowed down the Continental Soldiers.

Today, there are additional trails for walking and jogging in the wooded area and the Park has become a favorite for local events, walks, picnics, and other recreational use.

Although they have a sign saying No Motorcycles, we rode in and when a local police car came in a bit later the officer just nodded his head hello and we did the same. So we do not think it’s an issue.

The Paoli Battlefield Historical Park is an amazing look back and a place of remembrance for the men who were butchered by an unforgiving enemy led by a cruel leader. It is both beautiful and solemn and a park well worth seeking out when riding in southeastern Pennsylvania.,

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Thisilldous Eatery presents

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN CORNER PIAZZA 1 ELDRED-YULAN ROAD, ELDRED, NY 12732 845-557-3321 • www.facebook.com/cornerpiazza This month’s stop on the Great All American Diner Run was brought to our attention by sometimes “Cover Girl” Mike Mosca.

Just a month or so earlier, when on an afternoon ride to nowhere with his co-pilot Robyn, they found themselves rolling along County Road 55 in Sullivan County, New York.

After a good bit of miles that morning, with tummies beginning to growl and the day sliding into early afternoon, they passed the crossroads of County Roads 32 and 55 in the hamlet of Eldred.

They stopped in for a bite at the Corner Piazza and were more than a little impressed – which is high praise coming from two kids from Cliffside Park, New Jersey – a town that will defend Vincent’s Pizza to the death.

With this in mind, Shira and I (she is also a CP native) were heading up for a 4th of July weekend concert - going to see The Doobie Brothers at Bethel Woods, the concert venue built on the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

With such high recommendations from two professional pizza aficiondos, we figured on a late lunch or early dinner at the Corner Piazza.

The truth was we had stopped at these crossroads a week earlier to check out the Ice Cream parlor located across the street, and the plan for the Doobie Brothers was hatched then.

First, let’s start with dessert. Always better to start with dessert, right?

The sign above the store reads – The Corner Ice Cream Shop, Food, Gifts, and Liquor Store. Well, that covers a lot of ground.

We sauntered in for ice cream and that’s when the magic began for me.

tasty places to take your bike

Yep, Shira, Robyn, and Mike might all be Cliffside Park, but I hail from Queens, New York - and the plethora of blue & orange we found in the Ice Cream Shop certainly got my attention and made us both smile. Okay, all you Yankee fans… perhaps this is not your place, but you are surely welcome here too.

This little crossroads corner in Sullivan County is Mets territory for sure.

You see the two brothers, born in Brooklyn, who own the Ice Cream Shop, the Piazza, and the Hydrofarm Garden across the street – Lou & Frank Monteleone - are die-hard Metropolitan fans; as are we. But, most of you readers know this, right? Heck, our first date was to Shea and we bleed blue & orange.

This “Amazin!” atmosphere worked well. The garden, which is worth the ride all by itself, is full of great produce and has a very futuristic

Page 16 feel to it and, right across the street, the Perry’s ice cream was excellent as well – but, that is Shira’s gig; not mine.

I’m here to talk about the pizza and talking about two brothers making the most serious pizza in this part of New York state.

This Corner Piazza is a seasonal restaurant with all the seating outside and the facilities across the street at the ice cream shop; and when we rode up the next week for the show, we smiled as both televisions were dialed into the Mets game.

Many pizza places will talk about all-natural ingredients, but here at the Corner Piazza, in the hamlet of Eldred, not only do they say this but their herbs and spices are growing along the restaurant itself.

Basil, peppers, tomatoes, oregano, and the like – all there to be plucked and added to each pie.

Their menu offers 13 styles of pie from Classic Cheese to Meat Lovers and a lot in between. They also have a vegan option, White, Margherita, Pesto, and even one called “The Garbage Pie.” This will come with sausage, pepperoni, meatballs, mushroom, peppers, and onions.

On this day I ordered the Meat Lovers and Shira the White pizza, twelve inches each.

All these pies are created right in front of you and the deep brick oven doing the heavy work is fueled by wood – not gas - and that offers a more unique and, we think, far better flavor.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

Just as important to a great pizza is not just the flavorful ingredients, but the crust. You can have all the flavor in the world, but if your crust is on the wimpy side then all is lost.

The Corner Piazza’s crust had that magic combination of crispy and flakey, yet moist enough to make it manageable without being anywhere near soggy. Easy to say, but hard to do.

To make this all the better they have Boylan’s soda and local brews from the Catskill Brewery.

Between The Corner Piazza’s ingredients, flavor, and crust, and the personalities of the two brothers, Eldred, New York has a real winner.

We’ll give a winner of a ride there as well – this one from Town & Country Cycle Center, in Wantage, New Jersey.

Enjoy the pizza and Let’s Go Mets! ,

www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/s7wwup

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Beach’s Motorcycle Adventures presents

WE’RE OUTTA HERE

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads

ST. SIMON ISLAND ESCAPE ALONG GEORGIA’S COAST Off the coast of Georgia, there are a number of islands. A group of four in the southern part of the state are known as the Golden Isles.

You will find these four tucked away just south of Savannah and north of the Florida state line. Their names are Sea Island, Jekyll Island, St. Simons and Little St. Simons Island, and along with the mainland city of Brunswick make up a most excellent region to explore on two wheels (or four in February).

The four islands and their adjacent mainland port city boast ancient maritime forests, picturesque historic landmarks, restaurants teeming with local seafood, and more and a long shopping list of interesting places to go and experience.

We headed down to this part of the Peach Tree State in mid-February, looking to escape a bit of winter and to revisit this area that we had touched and written about many years back.

Affable live-oak, leaning low, Thus with your favor -soft, with a reverent hand, (Not lightly touching your person, Lord of the land!)

Bending your beauty aside, with a step I stand On the firm-packed sand, Free By a world of marsh that borders a world of sea.

Our home base for the next few days would be St. Simons, the largest of the Golden Isles. St. Simons Island lies across the immortalized Marshes of Glynn, made famous by poet Sidney Lanier.

On these islands moss-draped oaks line the winding island streets, creating a picture-perfect image worthy of a Faulkner tale.

These trees stunned and enthralled us both and we took more images of these trees than just about anything else over the next few days.

Lainer was right, they are the Lords of this Land.

The southern part of the island is dominated by the lighthouse and pier which made for an excellent place to take in the bookends of each day – sunrise and sunset.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE At 104 feet, the St. Simons Island Lighthouse was built in 1872 and is the oldest brick building in Glynn County. Alongside it is the keeper’s dwelling. Exhibits inside the lighthouse keeper’s dwelling highlight local history and tell the stories of the families who operated the light.

Page 18 Climb the 129 steps to the top of the Lighthouse for a breathtaking view of St. Simons Sound and of neighboring Jekyll Island, Brunswick’s mainland, and the south end of St. Simons Island.

WORLD WAR II HOME FRONT MUSEUM On the far side of the island, you will find the World War II Home Front Museum. We found this museum fascinating and the “Storytellers” who were there equally so.

Originally a U.S. Coast Guard Station, this building has been completely restored and renovated to reflect the tremendous efforts by Coastal Georgia during World War II. The Nazis brought World War II to Georgia when a German U-boat sank three ships off the coast on April 8th, 1942.

Prowling the waters off St. Simons island in U-123, German Lt. Commander Reinhard Hardegen spotted the oil tanker Oklahoma silhouetted against the glowing shore off St. Simons Island. His torpedo ran hot and true. The blast sank the ship and shattered windows in Brunswick. He also sank the Esso Baton Rouge and a third ship the next morning before moving south. Twenty-three crewmen were killed, and Georgians panicked

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 as rumors spread of Germans landing on the coast.

Survivors were brought to this very same Coast Guard Station.

Georgia and Georgians quickly answered the call to defend the nation.

Along the coast, German U-Boats reeked constant chaos and you might be surprised to know that more Americans died along the east coast of the United States during the war than we lost at Pearl Harbor.

The museum is filled with interactive exhibits that offer an exciting look at life during wartime in the Golden Isles. They had a variety of hands-on exhibits and activities such as navigating pilot squadrons, joining the crew and building a Liberty ship, and even plane spotting.

FORT FREDERICA Not far from the museum was what we thought was one of the most amazing historic sites we have seen in a long time, Fort Frederica.

In the early 1700s, Georgia was the epicenter of a centuries-old conflict between Spain and Britain. In 1736, three years after the founding of Savannah, James Oglethorpe established Fort Frederica to protect his southern boundary. 44 men and 72 women and children arrived to build the fort and town, and by the 1740s Frederica was a thriving village of about 500 citizens. Colonists from England, Scotland, and the

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 Germanic states came to Frederica to support the endeavor. Georgia’s fate was decided in 1742 when Spanish and British forces clashed on St. Simons Island. Fort Frederica’s troops defeated the Spanish in the Battle of Bloody Marsh, ensuring Georgia’s future as a British colony.

Today, the archeological remnants of Frederica are protected by the National Park Service, open daily 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. There is no longer an entrance fee to enter the park. Ranger-led tours and soldier/colonial life programs throughout the year recall life in Georgia’s second town.

The park visitor center features exhibits and an orientation film, which is shown every 30 minutes.

The grounds are stunning and the Oak Trees truly rule here.

Along the water are the remnants of the old fort. Much of the building materials – mostly a local seashell concrete concoction called Tabby - were pilfered for other buildings. Still, how the park service presents this incredibly important part of Georgia and America’s history is wonderfully done and not to be missed.

Shira spent some time searching out the Tree Spirits on the island, carved by artist Keith Jennings. Each one is special and different.

St. Simons has several great restaurants and ice cream joints and their pool hall Rafters is a fun way to end the evening.

While there a day road trip to Brunswick and Jekyll Island is in order. Brunswick has one of the oldest Oaks in the region called the Lovers Oak – which we visited on Valentine’s Day, how apropos - and lunch at Twin Oaks BBQ is a must.

Really – A MUST! Cross over the long causeway to Jekyll Island. It was on this island that a secret meeting of the richest men in America happened in 1913 and what they covertly created became the first draft of the Federal Reserve Act. The Driftwood Beach is well worth seeking out – especially at dawn or dusk.

Page 19 For us, it was time to revisit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Georgia’s only sea turtle rehabilitation, research, and education facility provides state-of-the-art emergency care to sick and injured sea turtles. Taking in the center and especially the hospital where sea turtles are treated and rehabilitated is very, very special.

With their superb combination of scenic location, deep history, delicious restaurants, and easy-going feel these islands make for a wonderful two-wheel adventure and are well worth the visit. , www.goldenisles.com/discover/st-simons-island/

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GRANNIE’S COOKIE JAR AND ICE CREAM PARLOR 19041 LOVERS LANE, METAMORA, IN 47030 • 765-647-1966 For many, many years during our US travels, Brian has been using an app on his phone to locate some of the sights that Dr. O’Life has sent us after, and those that may have been off his radar. It is Roadside America, and it will point you in the direction of those wacky things that make you scratch your head when you pass them by.

On our recent trip to the BMW Rally in Missouri, we were in search of a bite to eat in an area that didn’t offer much. We did find a terrific breakfast spot and, while waiting for our eggs, we poked around Roadside America and found this month’s Inside Scoop.

Grannie’s Cookie Jar and Ice Cream Parlor is located in the quaint village of Metamora, along the Whitewater Canal. As settlers moved into the old Northwest Territory, transportation routes became an important priority. The Whitewater Canal, built from 1836-1847 was used until 1860 for pioneer commerce.

Although the canal is no longer used for commerce, you can still see pleasure boats making their way to and fro, traversing under the Duck Creek Aqueduct, built in 1846, which is the only surviving wood aqueduct in the United States. It’s structure closely resembles that of a covered bridge. In addition, Metamora’s Grist Mill is still in operation, producing corn meal for over 100 years. Metamora is a great place to stop for a stretch of the legs, a bite to eat and, of course, ice cream.

The stone building that houses Grannies, built of rock from Duck Creek, dates back to the canal era. The Old Faulkner-Pierce building was in a drug store from 1840-1916 and a hardware store from 1926-1961, as well as various other business throughout the years.

Today, as you walk through the tall, narrow double doors, you will be greeted with a jingle of a bell and the sweet smell of freshly-made waffle cones. Once you envelop that, you can begin to take in the thousands cookie jars that line the shelves.

Eva Fuchs, better known to everyone in town as Grannie, has been collecting cookie jars since 1988. Her husband Paul had been in a car accident and was ‘driving everyone crazy’, according to Grannie, so the family decided to attend flea markets and auctions, where the collection began. Their first cookie jar was a white lamb which she sold for $25.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 The small 20x20 space that was occupied for over a decade was outgrown and Grannie and her collection moved to the local ice cream parlor in 2000. As the collection grew, it occurred to her that she may be able to leave something besides cookie jars to her children and grandchildren. After five months of applications and processing, in 2013 the cookie jars were listed in the Guinness World Records. The entry reads: ‘The largest collection of cookie jars belongs to Edith Eva Fuchs (USA) and consists of 2,653 as of 20 August 2012, in Metamora, Indiana, USA.’ When we made our visit to Grannies, the collection was at or over 3,000 and they encompass every genre and many different styles. To our great dismay, we learned from her daughter Connie that Eva ‘Grannie’ Fuchs had passed just recently, but she was happy to share some stories and facts about Grannie’s collection. Her favorite cookie jar was of Roy Rogers on Trigger. She didn’t care much for the cookies the jars held, she just loved the jars. It takes two months to do inventory (they do close the shop to do this). In addition to what we saw, there are far more in a storage room on the second

Page 21 floor as well as two full rooms downstairs.

Shelving spans floor to ceiling throughout the front and back rooms. Perusing the shelves you are most likely to find one that will trigger a memory to your childhood and, lucky for you, every jar in the shop is for sale. One of the most expensive ($800) is a Hopalong Cassidy, made with real gold, as it is one of only 250 made. But most are extremely reasonable and, if we had more room on the bikes, I’m sure that we would have a few cookie jars lining our shelves at home now.

Getting to the ice cream portion of the shop’s name, they are handdipping Ashby’s ice cream which is a family-owned and operated company in Michigan since 1984. They use their original 14% butterfat recipe to which they add the finest, freshest and most delicious ingredients. They offer over 70 flavors of ice cream, sherbet, sorbet and yogurt and, thankfully, Grannie’s is one of their parlors. There are not 70 to choose from, but no doubt you’ll still have a hard time selecting from such flavors as Carolina Peach, Jacked Up Tennessee Toffee, Michigan Pot Hole (thick, black-tar fudge in chocolate ice cream with chunks of chocolate asphalt), Rush Hour! (Coffee ice cream with caramel swirl and chocolate-coffee candy chips) and, of course Cookie Jar (Oreo ice cream with chocolate chips cookie dough and oatmeal M&M cookies).

To add to the deliciousness, Connie bakes waffle cones with a secret chocolate kiss hiding at the bottom. Outside there is some seating to enjoy your ice cream, or take a stroll through Metamora and enjoy the oldtime quiet on the canal before heading back out for your next adventure.

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Rally Time Go West, Young Man - or Woman…

A

lthough we’d like to say life is starting to look more and more normal and like the good old days, we still find ourselves sometimes staring at the computer screen and television with just a bit of disbelief. It is a wacky world out there kids, so best accept it and get going. With gas prices breaking new ridiculousness every day, we thought be damned with it and just get the side stands up and get rolling.

Earlier in the year, we wrote about making plans… we hoped you did and I know we did and that plan was to head west, and eventually to the BMW MOA National Rally – this year to be held in Springfield, Missouri.

Although, like many plans, things got changed and altered as we drew closer, the gist was the same. Head west, incorporate some baseball and Rock & Roll and stir it all with a mix of fine US backroads with the occasional long day mileeating Interstate slog tossed in.

Backroads Central to Cleveland, Ohio We had plans for the weekend in the Buckeye State and with the need to be in Cleveland by evening we hit the big road west early Friday morning. It was a perfect day for a ride – high in the 60s, with a sunny blue and puffy white clouds sky above.

The day-long shot across Pennsylvania was easy and made better by a serendipitous find called the Twilight Diner, in Loganton.

We were just looking for a bit of road food, but got two of the best…wait THE BEST… sandwiches we have ever had. Seriously. This diner right off I-80 served us an outstanding lunch – simple, quick but delicious cold cuts and superb homemade bread.

When is this area, this is really a place to seek out for a meal.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 Still, you would think a big road run would be on the boring side, yet heading west I spied a billboard for “America’s Worst Apple Pie.” Hey? What?

Following what the billboard said, we exited at #42 and found The Plaza - the restaurant claiming America’s Worst Apple Pie. Carol Burns is the owner. “Quite a thing to be proud of, right?” she said.

Carol says the idea of promoting America’s Worst Apple Pie came from her father, Ed Yasechko, who founded the Emlenton Travel Plaza in 1972. It was in the year 1989 that he wanted a gimmick to bring people into the restaurant. He took a gamble that a negative campaign about the pie would create curiosity and attract customers.

The gamble worked… on us too.

The apple pie was most excellent (2 scoops of vanilla, please!) and Bigfoot lurking around the attached motel was a bonus; as he seems to follow us everywhere we go.

We crossed into Ohio and then over the huge concrete arched bridge that runs the interstate over the Cuyahoga River. This bridge is quite the sight, with its tall concrete arches; but this is the new bridge.

The ‘old bridge’ was imploded in 2003 – the largest such bridge demolition in the world. YouTube this… it is a truly amazing bit of controlled chaos.

We rolled into Cleveland by early evening and made plans for a weekend of Americana - Rock & Roll and Baseball!

Hot in Cleveland We’d have two days bouncing around this midwestern city, that is still very much there no matter what Chrissy Hynde and The Pretenders sing.

The city was founded in 1796 near the mouth of the Cuyahoga River by General Moses Cleaveland, after whom it was named. It grew into a major manufacturing center due to its location on both the river and the lake shore, as well as numerous canals and railroad lines.

But, the city is spelled missing a vowel. How’s that?

Well, the settlement of “Cleaveland” eventually became known as “Cleveland”. One theory is that Cleaveland’s surveying party misspelled the name on

Page 23 their original map. More than likely though, the story goes back to the Cleveland Advertiser, a local paper in the early 1800s. They could not fit the words “Cleaveland Advertiser” on their masthead, so they dropped the extra “a” to make room and the name stuck.

Shira wondered why they just didn’t use a smaller font?

We kept Shira’s Suzuki VStrom 650XT parked at our hotel and twoupped on my BMW R1250GS starting our day with a ride into the heart of the city. The first stop was to Cleveland’s famed West Side Market and to get there we crossed the Hope Memorial - LorainCarnegie Bridge.

Although this River / Great Lakes city has many bridges, the Hope Memorial -Lorain-Carnegie Bridge stands out for its mighty art deco relief sculptures on both sides of the Cuyahoga River. The 43-foot tall “Guardians of Transportation” are titanic; and these double-sided

Page 24 pylons carved out of sandstone from nearby Berea, Ohio, represent technological advances made in transit, with each Guardian holding a different kind of vehicle in its massive hands. There’s a hay wagon, a covered wagon, a stagecoach, a passenger car, a dump truck, a concrete mixer, and a pair of two other trucks.

The architect intended to celebrate the progression of transportation from the simple hay wagon to the then modern automobile and truck.

They have become an iconic reminder of the city’s past and future.

In the 1970s, Cuyahoga County Engineer Albert Porter wanted to tear down the pylons in order to add lanes to the bridge. He did not get his way. So, when the bridge reopened in 1983 after nearly three years of repairs, the Guardians of Transportation were still in place. The bridge was renamed at this time, becoming the Hope Memorial Bridge, in honor of actor Bob Hope and his family - English immigrants who came to Cleveland in 1908. William Henry Hope, Bob’s father, was a stonemason who worked on the construction of the Guardians in the 1930s.

They have now taken on much more significance as the city’s baseball team, under woke B.S. pressure from no one knows who, felt the need to change the team’s name from the Indians to the Guardians.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 Since the bridge is found at the foot of Progressive Field, where the Guardians call home, I have less angst over the team’s knew moniker, and in truth, I think it fits far better than the Indians – since the First People of North America were never Indians, were they? Besides, the stadium is called Progressive… so the name change was easier.

The West Side Market was much like many we have seen around this country and boy, do we wish we had it near us, as these markets are amazing.

The West Side Market has been in operation for more than 100 years and is home to more than 100 locally owned, independent businesses. Rows of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats – lots of meats - are to be found.

There was also a small restaurant with outdoor seating that worked for us this sunny Saturday morning in Cleveland.

Although Cleveland is a great city and has much to offer today’s traveling motorcyclist, it is also the Birthplace of Rock & Roll and along the northside of the city and Lake Erie’s shore, you will discover the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The Hall offers free motorcycle parking, right across the street, and that makes this a perfect riding destination while in Cleveland.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established on April 20, 1983, by Ahmet Ertegun, founder, and chairman of

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

Atlantic Records. The fantastical glass pyramid building was designed by famed architect I.M. Pei, who also worked on or created, the JFK Library, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Javits Center in Manhattan, and the Grand Louvre in Paris. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opened its doors in September of 1995 and it is an amazing building along the Cleveland shoreline.

The museum’s mission is simple, yet powerful – like the music… “To engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock & roll is important.

Learn about our history, building, economic impact, and more.”

It certainly has done this and, if you love Rock & Roll, then like the Barber Museum for motorcyclists, you need to visit Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It took us a good part of the day to explore every display, film, and feature. Every floor has something different and amazing, touching each part of the plethora of Rock’s wide and diverse roots and deep history.

Page 25 There are several interactive offerings as well and I even got to pick up one of the many “house guitars,” a nice Martin, and jam with the house band on Tears for Fears’ iconic hit Everybody Wants to Rule the World.

We all should have a few Rock & Roll moments - this was mine.

After the Hall of Fame, we strolled the shoreline a bit and spotted the WWII submarine the USS Cod; now permanently docked here.

Later in the afternoon we rode over to the 4th Street district and had an early dinner at Iron Chef Michael Symon’s BBQ called Mabel’s. Michael did not disappoint.

It was still too early to call it a night so we sought out the Capital Theatre which, at over 100 years old, is one of the oldest movie theatres in the nation. Tonight is was Top Gun Maverick – on the big screen - like movies should be seen and heard.

Cleveland to Delaware, Ohio A big part of our wintertime-made plan was to get a few ball games in and slip a couple more MLB stadiums under our helmets.

The Guardians were hosting the Oakland Athletics for an early start

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game – the first pitch being at 11:35. Perfect for us.

We packed the bikes back up and motored back to Progressive Stadium and when we went to park, we had a very friendly policeman who told us we could take one spot - but, it would be better to just park behind his police SUV. The bikes would be very safe there. Most excellent.

The stadium and the fans were great – especially the deep history that is celebrated down near the right-field bullpen.

Great players from the Indians franchise. Names like Satchel Paige, Cy Young, Gaylord Perry, and others were memorialized. A wonderful look back at America’s Past Time and the city of Cleveland.

The Guardians took an early lead and we rode away with the home team winning 7 to 3.

Our route would bring us through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park

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and then south and west towards Mansfield.

In 1982 Stephen King wrote ‘Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption’ and in 1994 the film was shot and the prison used for the film was the Ohio State Reformatory, just north of the small city.

Who did not see or love this film?

You’d have to be obtuse not to know why.

A quick stop there was a must.

The city of Mansfield has another jewel to see. Riding through the town we saw a sign for the Carousel District and followed along. We love these happy relics of the past, and the Richland Carrousel Park is a true wonder. The small park opened in 1991 as the first new, hand-carved carrousel to be built and operated in the United States since the 1930s.

The Carrousel figures were carved in the style of G.A. Dentzel, one of the most revered carvers of the early 1900s.

The Richland Carrousel is home to 30 horses and 22 menagerie figures, including 4 bears, 4 ostriches,

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 4 cats, 4 rabbits, a goat, giraffe, lion, tiger, zebra, and a mythical hippocampus. All 52 figures were designed, carved, and painted by Carousel Works in Mansfield, Ohio.

Just outside Mansfield, we stopped by the sports car track at MidOhio. I had ridden this venue years back, and it would have been great to run a few laps this day – but the track was buttoned up this late Sunday afternoon and they wouldn’t let me on it anyway.

Do I look like Mario Andretti?

We dodged a few showers and early evening found us north of Columbus, in the small town of Delaware – the birthplace of our 19th President - Rutherford B Hayes.

Delaware, Ohio to Liberty, Indiana On this day we’d tackle another bunch of morning miles before riding up to another “Hall of Fame” of sorts… at least in our book – The United States Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, just outside Dayton, home to the Wright Brothers and birthplace of aviation.

I have long since forgiven the Air Force for that last-second yank off a planned hop with the Thunderbirds a decade ago, and beside… the USAF controls the StarGate and I have to hand it to them for that.

Page 27 As the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, there is far too much to see and write about in this travelogue – so the Air Force Museum deserves its own stand-alone piece. But if you love air power, history, and stories of breakthroughs, wonderment and valor then a trip to this museum is to be put to the top of your list.

From World War One and Two to Korea and Vietnam, Space Exploration, and pushing the boundaries of flight and avionics, this museum will take your breath away.

The hangar with the missiles was like nothing I have ever seen before.

We knew we’d be here all day and we were but got back on the road as

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 gave us the impetus to keep going west, into Indiana and towards the just setting sun.

The town of Liberty had a small, ‘rustic’ motel. This time, when I say rustic, I mean the place was a long, umm, work in progress yet clean and comfortable, even if the shower was one of those that had a certain and exact combination to turn off. Make a wrong move and you could scald or freeze yourself at the same time. It was a flummoxing moment for both Shira and me.

The motel was well appreciated that night, and watching the local news we found just how powerful and damaging this storm was – finding the covered bridge in the middle of all this seemed even more amazing.

Liberty Indiana to the Washaw River

the museum was closing for the day and headed towards the Indiana border.

I was in search of one of O’Life’s requests – a school that sits astride both Ohio and Indiana, but as we neared the border town of West College Corner the air took that moist and deeper feel. Up in front of us, the sky began to darken and then went almost to black.

To steal from Han Solo… I had a very bad feeling about this.

The rains came and increased with intensity with every mile. Soon we were simply trying to find “shelter in the storm.”

As if God heard my prayer and was not all that busy that afternoon, a wonderful and large covered bridge appeared ahead of us. We got in there just as the meanest part of this supercell ran us over. Winds tore at the bridge, the rain came in sideways and trees began to fall about the area.

It took about an hour for the tempest to roll east and past us. Some locals pulled up and told us the route ahead was shut down, as were a few others, as trees had gone down like ninepins.

We had to vector around Hueston Woods State Park, but eventually got to the town Seymour had told us about – yet were unable to find the school and the deep and long-lasting bolts of lightning in our mirrors

We were looking to make miles west, but a solid heat wave, the same that created the nasty beast of a storm the previous day, returned to put us in a sweltering stew, only made bearable by the surprisingly fun backroads we found that ran parallel to the bigger, more commercial roads that cross the Hoosier State.

But, not wanting to miss out on something, nor wanting to come back to O’Life empty-handed, we backtracked to College Corners and this time we found the Union High School.

Indeed, the school lies in both Ohio and Indiana, and has two separate state entrances; and the gym has one basket in one state and the other in another. Just a bit of geographical oddity that is part of Mysterious America.

Back heading west, we rode along long tracks of forests, filled in with a gentle and winding pavement – and the bikes did far more shifting and trail braking than I anticipated.

Our route brought us along the old White Wa-

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ter Canal and made a stop in the small tourist town of Metamora – empty on this Tuesday morning.

On a busy day, they run a canal boat and have the only existing wooden aqueduct in operation in the United States; but we were there for a mix of ice cream and cookies. Actually cookie jars - as Grannie’s Cookie Jars & Ice Cream Parlor boasts more than 2,500 cookie jars along the walls and shelves of this little shop and hundreds of salt and pepper shakers. There is also some serious ice cream, and you can read all about her in Shira’s Inside Scoop on page 20.

From there we continued west to Seymour, and not for O’Life, but to stop by The Old Guitar Music Shop and John Mellencamp’s real “small” hometown.

Along the outside wall is a huge mural of the town’s Rock & Roll hero, and the owner of the store was more than gracious and I got to play a nice 6-string Takamine – touching some Mellencamp, of course, but tossing in a little of The Boss’ Rosalita for good measure.

Hey, we’re from Jersey, okay?

The high temperatures, floating at the century mark, had us calling it an early day – and the hotel’s pool and AC did wonders and were much needed at this day’s end.

Wabash River to St. Louis When great rivers of the United States come into conversation the Wabash rarely has the spotlight shines on it but, in truth, the Wabash, like many rivers in this part of the nation, was vital for this region’s economic growth.

The Wabash River has served as a vital conduit for trade, travel, and settlement in the Midwest for more than two centuries. It is inextricably linked to Indiana’s economy and well-being.

We crossed the river at Vincennes and ran across Illinois on the straight, fairly boring Route 50, that passed through towns like Olney – Home of the White Squirrels.

These white critters are celebrated and you’ll find white squirrel crossing signs, squirrel logos on police and municipal vehicles, and squirrels on business storefronts.

According to O’Life’s sources: The City Park is Olney’s albino Ground Zero. A granite slab on the park’s White Squirrel Drive tells of how, in 1902, local farmers William Yates Stroup and George Ridgeley each caught white squirrels and brought them to one of Olney’s saloons. Apparently a love match was consummated, and the squirrels were released into

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a local wood, “and so populates the city of Olney.” The slab was placed in 2002 to mark the centennial of this town-changing event.

That is not this small Illinois town’s only claim to fame - an Historic Sign claims it was also the Birthplace of Solar Power stating ‘In 1902, the first experimental solar power plant was built in Olney, Illinois by H.E. Willsie and John Boyle Jr., two American engineers. Their solar power plant was based on an 1885 design developed by the French engineer Tellier. Between 1892 and 1908 Willsie and Boyle experimented with their low-temperature solar plants that utilized “hot boxes” to heat

Page 30 water. Their “hot box” solar power plant was patented in 1903. The results were published on May 13th, 1909 in the issue of Engineering News.’

So far along this journey, we had visited several great places and pieces of Americana – but right below St. Louis, on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, we made time to explore one of the greatest manmade structures and one of the most mysterious – Cahokia.

For those who study and immerse themselves in the deeper mysteries of North America this name might be familiar. But, for those who have never heard of this Cahokia was, and is still, one of the greatest historical and archeological sites in all of the Western Hemisphere.

Cahokia was the largest city ever built north of Mexico before Columbus and boasted 120 earthen mounds. Many were massive, square-bottomed, flat-topped pyramids -- great pedestals atop which civic leaders

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lived. At the vast plaza in the city’s center rose the largest earthwork in the Americas, the 100-foot Monks Mound.

From atop the Monks Mound you can clearly see the Gateway Arch of St. Louis. Reading the history of Cahokia and what and why, and the mystery of what became of these people that built such massive earthworks is an amazing puzzle.

We scooted through downtown and took a room for the night at the Cheshire Hotel, right next to a fuel station with the largest Amoco sign

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 on the planet. The Cheshire is a well-done hotel that fancies itself very British and very well read – with each room named and themed after different famous authors of the past. Robert Burns, to Shakespeare to H.G. Wells to Ian Fleming and Edmund Spenser (Spelled with an ‘S’ like the detective and the cat!).

Very neat place and, with the bikes parked safely away in the underground garage, we Ubered to town and spent some time at the aquarium, the famed Gateway Arch, and then Star Wars night at Busch Stadium where the St. Louis Cardinals would take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The hometown did not win - and it was a shame

Into the Ozark and the BMW MOA Rally Shira had put together a route that would run around and about Route 44 and Old Route 66, in generally the same direction, but with miles of rolling, roller-coaster pavement. Occasionally we’d touch back on the bigger road, and while doing so saw a most unusual billboard - Uranus Fudge Factory. Hmmm… right.

As luck would have it, and as it has happened time and again, the town of Uranus (yes, pronounced ‘that’ way) was on our route and, for the most part, it was the All-American Tourist Trap. Think South of the Border, but less corporate, and more fun – if more than a tad crude.

Largest Belt Buckle in the World. A Side-Show, complete with twoheaded snakes, monkeys and pigs and a sword swallower. They even had

Page 31 the Uranus Ice Cream Factory. Holy squatty-potty, Batman.

We spent a bit of time there, well more than a bit, but then followed Shira’s lead west, making a quick stop in Marshfield – the birthplace of Edwin Hubble. This man played a crucial role in establishing the fields of extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology. Hubble proved that many objects previously thought to be clouds of dust and gas and

Page 32 classified as “nebulae” were actually galaxies beyond the Milky Way. The famed space telescope is named after him and a replica of it can be found in the town’s square. – The perfect way to cap off a morning in Uranus – don’t you think?

By early afternoon we rode into the BMW MOA National Rally.

When we can we always try to get to this annual event, now touching its 50th year. That is an amazing run for a single club-sponsored event.

This event always has the most and best vendors for riders, explorers, and those afflicted with two-wheel wanderlust. Three days full of events, seminars, and all that the surrounding area of Springfield, Missouri had to offer.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 We made the best of it – catching up with old friends, folks in the industry and just taking in the spectacle that is the BMW MOA big rally!

Two huge air-conditioned rooms were full of a wide and interesting array of vendors. From helmets to luggage to protective riding gear.

If you are an avid motorcyclist then you can surely find something of interest at the BMWMOA National Rally - no matter what make or style of motorcycle you ride.

For us it was great to catch up with friends like Rich and Kathy from RKA Luggage, Scott Moreno from Iberian Motorcycle Tours and hanging with the good folk from Aerostich.

Outside there were vendors, like our pals at Twisted Throttle and SHAD, installing gear and product – a hard thing to do as it was very, very hot this week in Missouri.

In the much, much cooler indoors we took in a few seminars. One with Scott on visiting Portugal – which is on our 2023 To Do List, as well as Erik Stephens, the owner of Twisted throttle, talk about additional lighting and conspicuity while riding.

Shira sat in on BMW Brand Expert Louise Powers’ seminar aimed at riders who are vertically challenged, male and female. Her presentation was informative, inspiring and amusing.

Friday evening we headed back to the fairgrounds to sample some of the fine musical entertainment the rally offers. This time ‘round it was Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys and The Reverend Horton Heat. Their rockabilly/psychobilly tunes had people up and dancing – especially one couple who truly put on a show to match the fantastic tunes.

This rally marked 50 years for the BMW Motorcycle Owners Association and we think, as usual, they did an outstanding job and really set a high bar for other such rallies and gatherings to follow.

Thank you to all at the MOA for such hard work.

Saturday night ended with the rally’s closing ceremonies and you might want to make note that the BMW MOA 50th rally will be held outside Richmond, Virginia at the Meadow Event Park on June 8 thru 11th of 2023.

We are pretty sure Backroads will be there… perhaps this might be a chance for our Spring Break to circle around this grand event as well.

Our journey was at its apex and from here we would start pointing our wheels towards home, with more sights to see and roads to ride. ,

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PRODUCT REVIEW

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SENA SPIDER ST1 AND RT1 WIRELESS MESS INTERCOMS • CAUGHT IN THE SPIDER’S MESH

Mark Byers As frequent two-up riders, Betsy and I have used a number of intercoms, from a cheap wired model to a more expensive, but effective wired one. Our first wireless model used Bluetooth technology, was not a common brand, and worked well except it wasn’t loud enough to use with earplugs at highway speeds. Then came the Sena Spider wireless mesh intercoms.

The Spiders are not classic Bluetooth units - in fact, they won’t communicate with legacy Bluetooth intercoms. Yes, they will still connect to your phone, GPS, and other devices using Bluetooth; however, they do not communicate with each other over Bluetooth. The Sena Spiders use a military-derived “mesh radio network” to talk to each other.

As you may be painfully aware, Bluetooth devices must be “paired” with each other, whereas mesh systems all talk freely with anyone on their mesh frequency.

Think about it like this: with Bluetooth, only the people with a special invitation (pairing) can come to the party. With mesh, everyone can come to the party - no pairing required! But what if you don’t WANT everyone to talk to everyone else? Well, you can set up closed talk groups from among the participants in the mesh party line. We weren’t able to test that feature because no one else at the Backroads Spring Break had mesh systems, but as they become more prevalent, we will.

What we DID test was the ability of the systems to pair with our phones and to communicate not only through them, but with each other. I called Betsy on my phone using the Spider ST1 system in my helmet and she reported the audio was “clear as a bell.” I received a call on the way to the Spring Break and pulled over to take it. The lady on the other end was shocked at the clarity coming through a helmet microphone and Bluetooth link to my iPhone 13.

The real thing we needed to hear, however, was the pilot-to-pillion comms with earplugs installed while riding at highway speeds. And hear we did, as the volume settings were loud enough to work under those conditions! Voice communications using the Sena “HD” speaker systems were excellent and one night I sat around listening to music from my phone via the helmet speakers and they proved very good in that regime, on a par with ear buds.

The two systems are slightly different: the ST1 has 3 buttons plus a circular “jog-dial” for volume control and some functions, while the RT1 has a simpler, 4-button control scheme. Both worked well for our purposes. Both systems come with a mounting clamp or adhesive pads to attach them to the helmet. Using the clamp on our Shoei Neotec helmets, only the ST1 is readily removable for charging and storage, while the RT1 is adhesively mounted to the clamp and doesn’t come off. It’s a minor inconvenience.

Otherwise, mounting was a snap, with the HD speakers fitting exactly into the holes Shoei provided in the Neotec. Two mics are included, one for flipfronts like the Neotec and one for solid chin bar helmets. The boom mic fit perfectly into the groove provided in the Neotec. Charging was quick and easy with an included, 90-degree USB C cable and the charging ports were capped by a rubber plug when

not in use to keep things waterproof. The units are small and unnoticeable on the left, bottom side of the helmets, just aft of center.

Battery life was very good - enough for us to use them all day on our way to/from the Spring Break, a travel time of six hours each way. We deliberately left them on when we sat down for lunch and we still had power when we reached our destination. I did learn that if you have them paired with your phone and take the phone out of range of the helmet, it will burn power as the Spider tries to re-pair with the phone.

There’s an easy fix to that: turn it off when you’re not using it! Or, you can shut off phone pairing with the touch of a button.

After four days of use between pilot and passenger, I can say that we believe Sena has a real hit on their hands with both the Spider ST1 and RT1 mesh intercoms. They are now our go-to systems. We look forward to the ability to try them with more mesh users, so go get one! ,

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And I feel like I’ve been here before Feel like I’ve been here before And you know it makes me wonder What’s going on under the ground, hmm -C,S,&N Americade in Lake George had been scheduled for its traditional time of the year - the first full week of June. Would the event be the great Phoenix rising from the Pandemic era, or would it be a continuation of the slow pre-pandemic contraction? I was packed and ready to find out.

Departure from Northern NJ was on Tuesday morning. Cruising up the Hudson Valley under partly sunny skies in the mid 70’s made for a perfect travel day. Arrival in Lake George was by mid-afternoon with plenty of time and daylight left. The skies started to cloud up, the precursor of some wet weather due to arrive overnight. Rain after all, is also an Americade tradition. Preregistration check-in was in the Holiday Inn right where it should be. I pulled in and surprisingly found the parking lot virtually empty. On the bright side, check in was easy and efficient with no lines. Wrist band on, parking pass purchased - it was officially Americade!

With a bit of time available before heading to the motel, a quick trip through Tour Expo was in order. I was on the hunt for a new cover as mine had seen better days. In no time I found the Nelson Rigg/Rigg Gear

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 booth and met Deb Drinan, Director of Business Development. More than cordial and helpful, she helped pick out the correct cover and made the transaction easy breezy. After a walk around the rest of the Expo in Charles R. Woods Park (formerly Gaslight Village) it was clear the event would be light on vendors. Some familiar companies were on hand, but over all about half the vendors from a decade ago.

A ride up through the center of town on Canada Street brought me to The Heritage Motel, where I was greeted like family.

The Heritage has been our Americade home for over 30 years! The grounds and rooms are clean and neat. Located within easy walking distance to town, and amenities including heated pool, covered porches outside the rooms, fire pit and bike cleaning towels if needed. I could not ask for more with all the essentials.

My Brother Ed was already settled in. After a quick chat to catch up, it was off to Warrensburg for an Oscar’s Smokehouse run, another Americade tradition. A walk through town that evening for dinner was next. A light rain began to fall which seemed to keep the crowd away. Only a few dozen people with their bikes were out. Many venues had yet to open.

The weather report called for rain to linger into the morning. We woke to clearing skies and cool temperatures. Brother Ed and I decided to

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 take a ride to Queensbury, then take a ride around the lake itself. Under partly sunny skies there was a slight chill in the air which was enough to make the heated jacket earn its place in my saddle bag. Plugged in and grip heaters on we continued up to Crown Point. Just before crossing the Champlain Bridge, we decided to go separate directions. Ed headed back to town, not wanting to press his luck with an ailing FJR, I continued to Vermont. Over the gaps and down Route 100 past Killington, Rutland and down to Fort Anne then back to Lake George. I was able to get back in time to check out the Demo fleet.

This year Harley Davidson, Indian, Yamaha, Triumph, KTM, BMW, ZERO and Honda were all on hand with full compliments of their respective lines. I was able to schedule a ride on a Yamaha Tenere’ 700 which got me thinking. It was interesting to see ZERO present with many people lined up, and I predict we’ll see more E-Cycle manufactures on hand in the future. KTM had a sample of their electric E-ride offroad trainer present as well.

Page 35 We regrouped at the motel and agreed we were glad to get a ride in as the next day’s forecast was not looking good. Grab the ride while you can. That evening Paul and Diane Donoghue graciously invited me to join them for dinner at the Boathouse in Diamond Point. Having accepted, I took a quick ride through town and was pleased to see the nice weather attracting a decent crowd to line the streets. It was starting to look more like Americade of old. With a gorgeous lake front view at The Boathouse, setting sun, good conversation, food and drink provided a pleasant ending to the day.

It rained overnight and most of the morning. Being this is vacation time, it was nice to sleep a bit late and catch

up with Brother Ed while eyeing the weather forecast. Later in the morning it was still cool and raining so I took a walk to Tour Expo to spend some time looking around. The rain was providing some issues for the vendors, but most were in attendance and eager to show their products.

A new addition was Cycle Gear with a semi-truck display with all types of street and dirt gear. Glad to see them join the event. The skies cleared in the early afternoon, so we managed to get in a short ride on some local twisties around Stony Creek and Lake Luzerne. The rain returned for a short time in late afternoon just before we arrived back at The Heritage.

Page 36 By that time Brother Dave arrived and good friend Ed Straub shortly thereafter. We had dinner at the Barnsider and settled in by the motel fire pit, drinks and cigars in hand. We spent the evening reminiscing about our many years at Americade and, of course, our friend Jose. As a group the five of us had been together for Americade for no other reason than tradition for 3 decades. Even with a man down, the familiar feeling was present.

We were greeted Friday morning with sun and temperatures in the mid 60’s. We took advantage of the opportunity by spending time on demos and perusing Tour Expo. There we found the MotoMotion stunt show This all-star team is led by professional trials rider Jordi Trey, who put on a fantastic stunt show. Part trials, part freestyle including a backflip on a Beta 2-stroke trials machine!

By the afternoon Americade was in full swing with tours departing, boat cruises, seminars and demos all day long. Despite the crowds being significantly reduced, all the elements of Americade were present.

The volunteer staff was well organized, and the event had a laid-back feel to it.

Never crowded enough to be a hinderance- just the right amount to navigate all the venues but get a good rally vibe.

The evening provided several entertainment options including Alonso Bodden, moto-celebrity and podcaster, headlining a comedy show. Triumph motorcycles even sponsored an adventure ride led by none other than Jeff Stanton. Stanton is a three-time AMA 250cc Motocross, and three-time Supercross, Champion. Having seen him race - he didn’t just win, he

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dominated - simply one of the best champions in the history of the sport.

This day we had some somber duties to attend to. Ed Straub and I were asked by Jose’s family to spread some of his ashes in and around Lake George and Americade as was his wish.

We were more than happy to oblige visiting many of the familiar haunts he enjoyed and leaving a bit of him in all the right places.

We spent the evening walking up and down Canada Street checking out the variety of machines on display. The weekend crowd was filling in the town and it was about 75% of what a peak Americade crowd was. Bikes were lining both sides of the street; music was playing in the park and in many of the bars.

A warm and familiar scene indeed. The crowd was large but not enough to snarl traffic in and out of town or impede getting a bite to eat. A welcome end to the evening were the fireworks over the Lake. Glad to see many of the mainstay events and highlights back on the schedule.

Saturday weather was also pleasant, so we put some miles on our own bikes meandering up around Ticonderoga, Brant (Continued on Next Page)

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

Page 37 seat and engines wearing the patina of age, acted like two-wheeled fashion models exhibiting the latest in retro motorcycle chic, proving good motorcycle design never feels out of style.

Castrol oil scented the air and the Triumph exhaust notes provided the soundtrack as owners rode some of their old machines around the fairground. The rally also featured an extensive swap meet for riders

Summertime kicks off family reunion time, and that tradition holds true for Triumph motorcyclists, too. June marks family get-together time for Triumph brand riders when the annual Triumph National Rally rolls into the Fire Company Fairgrounds in Oley, Pennsylvania.

This year’s event, held June 24th through the 26th, drew crowds once again, as riders came to ogle, compete, socialize, and reconnect, enjoying the common bond forged by an appreciation of the British motorcycle marque. In its highlighted Concours d’Elegance motorcycle show, old and new Triumphs, as well as Nortons, BSAs, Vincents, and more, vied for judging in categories ranging from new bikes to classic, racing, custom, and more, as well as best in show and people’s choice categories.

Green, berry, red, creamsicle orange, and sky blue…the multi- and candy-colored motorcycles, dressed in Triumph’s iconic and famous single- and two-toned paint schemes, sporting that iconic bench AMERICADE 2022 Lake and Schroon Lake. We made a stop at the Star Trek Original Series Set tour in Ticonderoga as Brother Dave and Ed Straub had not been there.

Well worth the visit if you are in any way a series fan. It now has William Shatner’s stamp of approval having made annual visits the past few years.

That evening we had dinner in Glens Falls and took our last stroll through Canada Street. The crowd was large but not enough to clog sidewalks.

All manner of custom, vintage, sport, touring and ADV motorcycles were on hand with a few hot rods and muscle cars thrown in to make it more interesting. A robust crowd, but much smaller than peak years of a decade or so ago. Everyone we saw seemed to be in good spirits and having a good time.

All in all, Americade had to be deemed a success despite the lower turn out and lighter vendor presence. The crowds grew towards the weekend as they usually does. If you measure the event simply by what it was 10-15 years ago, you may have been disappointed. If you measure it by the yard stick of where things were two years ago, you would be more than satisfied. The event had all the essential Americade elements we know and look forward to each year plus a few new events. Will it ever be the same as it was in the mid 2000’s? Who knows, but like the song says, “it feels like I’ve been here before”. And that familiar late spring feeling we experience at our annual get together we know and love as Americade is still alive and has nowhere to go but up. See you on Canada Street next year. , ~ Tony Lisanti

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looking for hard to find parts and other memorabilia, and several speakers offered technical and educational programs. The fairgrounds, set amidst the charming town of Oley (near Reading, PA), provided paved parking and walking for guests and shady spots to escape the seasonal summer temperatures and enjoy the breezes of a perfect-weather weekend. Riders looking to camp can pitch a tent at the fairgrounds as well.

This year marked the rally’s 28th anniversary, according to organizer Al Hartman, who describes the event as “really about the people, the interesting people and the family-friendly camaraderie. Mostly everybody knows everybody.”

Triumph Motorcycles of America doesn’t offer support or have a presence at the event, but the rally does have sponsorships from throughout the United States and Canada. Hartman says the show usually receives about 120 motorcycle entries and about 1,500 people attend the rally every year, including riders from England and Canada.

Oley sits amidst lush, rolling farmland, off the beaten path, in the middle of some beautiful riding roads and scenic countryside, making getting there another reason to ride to the rally.

Hartman says the Triumph National Rally occurs every year during the last full weekend in June. For more information visit the website at www. triumphnationalrally.com. , ~ Pamela Collins

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The Law Office of Paul Gargiulo, P.C. presents

Welcome to the Jungle - The Art of Learning to Ride Skillfully A column dedicated to your riding survival

What the Frack Was That?

Part One • The Critters of the Northeast Shira and I were out for a stolen ride. We have spoken of them often – it seems to happen a bit more during the winter. Perhaps it feels a far more rarity to cop 100 good miles in the middle of February than in June.

But the warmer weather of this odd day had other things on the move as well.

We were scootin’ down County Road 519, not far south of Route 94, a few miles north of Interstate 80. The creature that came from the left, just a few hundred feet ahead, was long, thick, and feline. In milli-seconds my brain ran through a litany of impulses…

Critter: Big and Long – Cat - Short Stub Tail – Holy Crap!... a Bobcat!

Although not unheard of in the northwest part of New Jersey there was a time when they were extinct in this region – before being re-introduced in the early ‘80s with 24 bobcats that were brought down from Maine.

In 2019 15 bobcats were struck by vehicles – a record high for New Jersey. These cats were mostly young and didn’t truly realize the threat the hard black dirt and Hrududu made.

But bobcats are just one of many of the creatures of the universe that can cause mayhem as we ride along the rural backroads.

The Nature Conservancy has been working on creating what they call “The Bobcat Alley” which runs, more or less from Johnsonburg to the Delaware River over the Kittatinny Mountains and from Blairstown to the south to just above Stillwater.

Much of this is now protected land and many of the people who live here like it this way; but although few of us throw a party when an old farm is divided up and “cookie-cutter McMansions” take their place – the deeper forests and woods that now dominate this region have allowed all sorts of critters to make a comeback, if not flourish.

What we want to talk about, over the next few months, is just what is out there and their potential to take a motorcycle and rider out.

But, before we get to the biologicals that can cause serious damage to ourselves and our machines let us quickly talk about the smaller creatures of the forest… and homes.

Here is the deal.

If a critter runs across your path and it is smaller or (most important) lower than your axle then you can probably hit it, bounce over it and

keep going.

For you mechanically challenged this is the middle of your wheel that allows it to spin.

In this genre’ of critters, I’ll include the insane squirrels, the stinking skunk, chipmunks, peeping frogs, and the like.

As much as you would like to NOT hit a critter, if you see it and can safely vector around, great. But if it does run out directly in front of you DO NOT TAKE ANY AVOIDANCE MOVES! More riders (and drivers) have been hurt or killed trying to save Rocket J than you can imagine.

So, suck it up and say you are sorry to the universe, and continue down the road.

I will say that you might try to avoid a house cat or dog – especially big in “Hunting-Mode” dogs.

We have found the best way to avoid an unchained Direwolf is to slow down, let the pooch alter its attack, and then use your machine’s quick acceleration to, well accelerate!

But, if you hit a domestic animal, you might, if you are human, want to go and tell the owners of the nearby house. I know – scary, horrible, sucky as it is. But, the right thing to do. That said – look at the home, the cars, and the entire situation and make your own call on this. The last thing you need is to come up to the door and see ‘Welcome to Spahn Ranch!’

The other little creature that should be spared and saved if at all possible are turtles. Especially in the spring and early summer when they all seem to feel the need to cross the roads – usual after a blind crest.

Again, use your brain.

Don’t stop on a busy road where you will put not only yourself in danger, but other motorists on the road as well.

There are stories of people stopping their vehicles, usually at the crest of a hill, to allow a turtle to pass

only to be rear-ended and cause unnecessary chaos. No doubt Tubby Turtle arrived at the side of the road without any knowledge of said carnage.

Also, if you do have the space and time – pull over. If you are riding with others perhaps they can control traffic for the minute it will take you to lift Cecil the Turtle up and help it across the road. ALWAYS in the

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022 direction the turtle was headed. In the northeast you will come across Bog, Eastern Box (always so pretty), and painted turtles along with others.

Most are docile and are easy to move along.

But there is one that needs a bit of precaution, knowledge, and intrepidness. The Snapping Turtle is the Gamera of these shells with legs. These look prehistoric – ‘cause they are.

This prehistoric-looking Snapping Turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America and among the largest in the world. With its spiked shell, beaklike jaws, and thick, scaled tail, this species is often referred to as the “dinosaur of the turtle world” and can live up to 70 years.

If you think, ”Hey, this might be a Snapper?” you are probably right.

Snappers are the only land turtle that cannot retract its head. Most turtles just hunker down when you pick them up, a Snapping Turtle is going to try to hurt you and it can, as their head and neck have really good reach. It’ll swing back and grab your hand in that dino-like beak and then…pow! YOU ARE FRACKED! But, that doesn’t mean you cannot move a Snapper off the road and away from danger.

Ready - Keep your gear on. All of your gear – helmet too. Grasp the Snapper from behind – just in front of the rear legs.

DO NOT grab it by the tail – you can break its backbones by doing this. Again, do not put your hands anywhere near the front of the turtle… YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Brace yourself, as they can be heavy and volatile. Lift and quickly move to where it was headed and, as gently as possible, place Gamera down and back away. Take some iPhone images of the now totally pissed-off turtle, and brag to your friends and children later that you are the brave Snapper Saver!

Next Month…The critters that can kill you!