June 2021

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W H AT ’ S I N S I D E

MONTHLY COLUMNS FREE WHEELIN’ ........................................ 4

BACKROADS • JUNE 2021

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Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

WHATCHATHINKIN’ ................................... 5 ON THE MARK .......................................... 6 BACKLASH ............................................... 7

Publishers

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors

Mark Byers, Chris Connelly, Brian Jablon, Steven Maichak, Miriam Romais, Dr. Seymour O’Life

Office

BACKROADS, POB 620 Augusta, NJ 07822

phone

973.948.4176

fax

973.948.0823

email

editor@backroadsusa.com

online

www.backroadsusa.com

Advertising

973-948-4176

INDUSTRY INFOBITES ............................... 8 MYSTERIOUS AMERICA .......................... 11 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN ......... 14 BIG CITY GETAWAY ................................. 16 WE’RE OUTTA HERE ............................... 18 INSIDE SCOOP ....................................... 20 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .................... 47 UPCOMING EVENTS ............................... 48

FEATURES OLEY SWAP MEET .................................. 22 MAGICAL HISTORY TOUR ....................... 24

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MY BIKE CAN’T DO THAT ........................ 40

See Us

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OKLAHOMA-A RIDER’S HIDDEN GEM ..... 43

BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2021. 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.

ROAD 10 BORDER RIDE .......................... 37

ON THE COVER: The U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama has the only Saturn V rocket in the U.S. on display in its full glory and enormity, a tremendous piece of our history.

In the May 2021 issue we erroneously listed ‘The Perfect Ride’ as written by Jaime Cruz, not Victor Cruz, in the byline section.

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BACKROADS • JUNE 2021

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F R E E W H E EL I N ’ BRIAN RATHJEN

Going, Going Gone!

There are these places that, for any number of reasons, become motorcycle magnets. Usually, some sort of eatery that attracts riders like a moth to the flame. A place to gather, to kick tires, to be riders.

But sadly, over the last number of years, these local two-wheeled stomping grounds, have been fading away.

Being told not to be socially adaptable last year did not help the atmosphere.

Just a few days back a demolition team hired by Wawa began slowly pulling down The Chatterbox in northwest New Jersey, just a few miles from our

home and Backroads Central. Like a friend in long-term hospice we all knew this was going to happen, but that never meant that riding by this once happy and now empty place did not bring a tinge of sadness.

For so many years we’d ride over to the Chatterbox; sometimes it was Thursday Bike Night and we even were in charge of picking the Motorcycle of the Week for a bit, giving a cheesy t-shirt as a prize. Sometimes it was to meet my mother as she was heading to my brother’s home. It was more or less halfway and I treasure and surely miss each one of those.

Sometimes it was just for a great cheesesteak or fried chicken, at which they excelled.

But no more.

Don Hall, the owner, took an offer he could not refuse from WaWa in 2018, and here we are, all these years later, riding over to watch this unique and, at least in my mind, memorable landmark being torn down to build a Wawa across from the Quick-Check that went up a few years back.

Brilliant.

So, once again we lose a great motorcycle venue. A place to gather, to kick tires, to be riders.

Many of us have been around for a bit of time so the list has gotten longer over the years.

Here in our neck of the woods; The Red Apple Rest in Southfields, New York first comes to mind. For so many years it was the home to the celebrated the northeast two-day rally The Ramapo 500 – where Backroads had its debut.

But years ago…. Faded away.

The Red Apple was closed in September 2006 because, according to signs in the window and a telephone answering machine message, “we went away for a graduation and vacation.” The restaurant never reopened. It was condemned on Jan. 23 of 2007.

For nearly a decade and a half, it has sat there abandoned. A sad reminder of so many happy gatherings each time we ride by.

Is it worse when absolutely Continued on Page 10

BACKROADS • JUNE 2021

W H AT C H AT HI NK I N ’ SHIRA KAMIL

Acceptable Scarlet Letter Each morning, my computer gives me the news of the day. I get a number of e-newsletters from varying sources – motorcycle, travel, commerce, etc. One of the more interesting and fun ones is the Morning Brew which concentrates of industry and finance. Believe me, I am not a high-powered trader nor do I religiously follow the market numbers, but I do find their ‘lighter side’ of these topics more engaging, thus I don’t give in to the random ‘SQUIRREL’ when I’m reading it.

One of the segments, which has been included for a number of months now, is the Vaccine Tracker. In today’s edition, they brought up vaccine incentives that individual states are adopting. West Virginia is offering young adults a $100 savings bond and Maryland will give $100 to state workers to be stuck. My home state of New Jersey cleverly adopted a ‘shot and a beer’ program, including many of the craft breweries throughout the state to hand out a free beer when shown a covid vaccine card. Governor Murphy may also pick up the handing out of cash idea if the rate of vaccinations doesn’t increase.

While the rush was on when the vaccines first became available to sign up for the waiting list, it seems now there may be more vaccine than people who want to receive it. In the U.S., the rate of vaccinations continues to decline, with an average of 2.09 million doses a day, declining 21% from the previous week.

Globally 8.1% of the population have taken their shots, but the wealthier countries are vaccinating citizens 25X faster than lower income countries.

We’ve all seen the news regarding India and their rise in covid cases. It seems a bit ironic, as they are the biggest producers of vaccines globally, yet they are

Page 5 suffering the highest rate of cases and lack of vaccine.

Why do I bring all this up in a motorcycle magazine? Because it is TIME TO RIDE, and it seems that every day there is a new mandate on what you can and cannot do with/without your full vaccination. As has been said many times since last year, both Brian and I went through the difficulties of the virus. Seems to me that once we got past that shit show, we were dosed with antibodies and would be safe to go on with our lives sans vaccination. We did deliberate whether to get it. We listened to others who had received all of the vaccines; those who had had the virus and those who had not. One particular comment made me chuckle: ‘I’m not getting it, and in a couple of years my blood is going to be worth $10,000 because it is pure.’ Scenes from SyFy shows and movies floated through my head: “It’s a cook book!” Or Brazilian president Bolsonaro’s warning that, if those planning to take the covid-19 vaccine in the country turned into alligators or grew beards post-inoculation, then it was their problem.

Before our trip south to ride the new Triumphs, we, being avid baseball fans and trying to hit all the major league ball parks in the U.S, bought tickets to a Mets game at Citifield the day before we went and to a Braves game the next day when we arrived. Totally excited to see live baseball once again as well as ride these terrific Triumphs, we were blown away when BOTH venues pulled our tickets only to resell them to a limited capacity audience very soon after. Of course, we were locked out of repurchasing both as we A) did not have our vaccinations and B) were not among the inner sanctum who could actually get through to purchase them. Both offered us credits to be used before 2023. We explained to the folks in Atlanta that we were only going to be there for that day and a credit would do us no good.

They were understanding and gave us a refund. Our beloved Mets were not so generous and held onto our cash for a game to be named at a later date. Hell, at least we live here and, hopefully, the Mets will continue to play decent ball when we actually do get to see them in person.

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O N T H E MAR K MARK BYERS

I’m A Classic I’m not old, I’m “classic.” After 25 years, you can get historic plates for a motorcycle and I’m over double that, so I must be worthy of a special plate besides a partial from my dentist or the one holding my elbow together. The sad fact is, however, that like a similarly-aged motorcycle, not everything works quite like it used to: there are some squeaks and leaks and things that are just “NKR” - not kwite right.

If you were putting an ad for me in the paper, you’d have to be pretty creative with the description to lure a prospective buyer. “Used, fairly high mileage, doesn’t look like much but still runs pretty good. Reliable and good work/commuter model suitable for fairly long road trips and/or short offroad runs. Kinda heavy, but not bad once underway. Starts reliably, but a little temperamental. Great at hauling cargo. Minor cloudiness in windshields. Likes premium fuels but fairly low maintenance otherwise. Marginal emissions control.

Garage kept.”

You know how it is with machines of a certain age: there are annoying little leaks at times - nothing serious, but you have to put a piece of cardboard down just to make sure we don’t leave spots. For guys or gals, there’s that little drip around the Amal carburetor that just won’t seem to go away after we’ve hit a rest stop.

Sometimes, especially for the gals, a big cough or sneeze can cause a serious float bowl overflow.

The intake and exhaust relationship is also potentially problematic. The fuel from that barbecue joint was good, but sometimes it can cause a serious afterburn that has the intake tract belching fire as if the carb is misadjusted. Sometimes there are “fuel additives” we can use to prevent backfiring through the carburetor, but the side effect is a tendency to then backfire through the ex-

haust, a condition that may not be appreciated by those in close proximity, especially when in an enclosed area or where the muffler isn’t very effective.

Getting started can be a problem, especially on cold mornings. Sometimes a magic starting fluid from Columbia or Sumatra needs to be sprayed down the intake tract in a fairly large quantity to get the grumbling engine to respond in a more calm and energetic way. Those additives can be significantly expensive or unavailable, forcing you to seek lesser brands. Personally, I use a starting fluid comprised mainly of sweet carbon compounds with a side polymer related to a coca plant extract to get my motor going. It has the side benefit of being consistently-mixed and readily available, even from vending machines.

Choice of rubber is always important. At one time, the choices were almost limitless, but older machines tend to be picky when it comes to fitments.

Newer machines can run just about any treads, like sticky Dunlops - nee Nikes, but the older machines prefer Continentals - AKA New Balances. Older, stiffer suspension systems need better grip and more cushion than some of the sportier radials offer, plus style is not nearly as important to the classic machines as it is to the new models.

Price can also be an issue. Whitewalls tend to be preferred.

Posture is very important to classic models: what would have been an all-day position on a newer model will make a classic model need to spend a couple days on an ortho lift being realigned. Things like handlebar risers and peg lowerers and mirror extenders become de rigueur for an older machine. Beaded seats and throttle locks can make a classic more palatable to the whatever-genarian groups.

Classics tend to need big windshields.

Heat. Heat is good, except when it isn’t. For the most part, a classic needs to have as many heated accoutrements as it can: grips, seats, jackets, pants, socks, gloves, trusses, and a removable pad to use when in the garage for the night to stave off the effects of the posture variations discussed above. The only time more heat is undesirable is when the classic is in Arizona, where it retired, in the summertime, in which case you’re usually garaged anyway.

Continued on Page 10

BACKROADS • JUNE 2021

BACKLASH Dear Dr. Seymour, I am the President of the Prison Museum. I really can’t thank you enough for the article in Backroads. I have been involved with the PMA since 1981 and I have never seen a better article. That includes a NY Times piece in 2001. Seymour’s article was wonderful and accurate and the photos were the absolute best.

The magazine is really excellent. The articles are so varied. It’s colorful and interesting. It’s not just for motorcycle enthusiasts. I will include your website in my next newsletter. Attached is a copy of our latest newsletter.

We love to get motorcycle groups. I hope this article brings some from north Jersey.

Thanks again.

Janet Sozio Loved Dan Bisbee’s piece of the Pioneer Valley, especially since I grew up in Northampton. I worked at the Mt. Tom amusement park the summer of 1958, and the owners asked me if I had any thoughts on improving attendance. Build a motorcycle hill-climb, I said, pointing out an appropriate slope, and they did, and ran hill climbs for a few years.

Clem Salvadori • Atascadero CA Shira & Brian, I really enjoy the two travel articles; young Greg Bagen’s ride across America totally unprepared and the Tour to go to a rock concert in Japan. It brought back memories of a Lotus Tour to Japan on Ducatis in 2004.

Brian’s farkle report about the Denali products was helpful as I had installed a compact air horn in my 2014 Fiat 500 6 years ago that died on Saturday.

I removed it to see if it was repairable: Nyet! Eureka, it came from another source in Italy, but it is the absolute same product as the Denali Sound Bomb, so I ordered another for my assertive (aggressive?) driving.

I also will order a few of the phone easels – great idea. Thanks for another great read!

Burt Richmond

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Letters to the Editor Interesting photo in the May Backroads! I always send these types of photos to my still working friends from time to time!

Bob Binetti

TBR Feedback Gotta say, however you did this, pls keep at it. IMHO this the most interesting BR in your history. Loud pipes test. “Ted” talk. Cool bridges. World music resource. Cherokee recognition.

Thank you.

Kate Hartnett

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INDUSTRY INFOBITES MERT LAWWILL NAMED GRAND MARSHAL OF 2021 AMA VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE DAYS Featuring an On Any Sunday theme, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days will highlight people, machines, and memorabilia from Bruce Brown’s beloved moto documentary AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Mert Lawwill has been named Grand Marshal for the 2021 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days event July 23-25 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

Lawwill, an AMA Grand National Champion (1969), won his first AMA national at the storied Sacramento Mile in 1965, the first of his 15 career wins. In 1969 he was voted the AMA’s Most Popular Rider of the Year, and he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.

Beyond his racing success, Lawwill is perhaps best-known for his featured role in Bruce Brown’s legendary 1971 moto documentary On Any Sunday, which chronicled his bid to defend his AMA Grand National title throughout the 1970 racing season.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the classic movie, and the 2021 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days event will feature an On Any Sunday theme to celebrate the beloved documentary. Along with having one of the movie’s stars, Lawwill, as Grand Marshal, Lawwill’s Harley-Davidson dirt tracker, and a Husqvarna Malcolm Smith rode in the movie will be on display, along with other movie memorabilia.

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days 2021 will also feature a special screening of On Any Sunday in celebration of 50 years, bringing back the excitement and joy of riding to young and old who attend.

“I’m excited to experience all the vintage stuff happening at Mid-Ohio this July,” Lawwill said when invited to attend, “and honored to be chosen as the event’s Grand Marshal — especially since the AMA will be celebrating Bruce Brown’s On Any Sunday moto documentary during VMD weekend!

Being involved in that film was a great experience, and reliving some of it this July will be fantastic.”

News from the Inside The 2021 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days event will also feature all the vintage-oriented happenings classic-bike fans love about the event, including off-road and road racing, Hall of Fame activities, the legendary swap meet, and more.

98 YEARS OF FUN IN LACONIA It was around this time, back in the early 1900’s, a small group of riders finalized their plans for the first ever “gypsy tour” to Weirs Beach, New Hampshire. Now, over a 100 years later, Laconia is getting ready for the onslaught of a quarter of a million riders for a nine day-long event centered in that same spot those pioneer riders first made their mark. The World’s Oldest Motorcycle Rally returns to New Hampshire June 12-20 and after a 2020 full of unrest, uncertainty and the unknown, they couldn’t be more ready!

Make time to catch the action at the races and exhibitions at NH Motor Speedway, including the FIM North American Vintage Championships starting on Saturday, June 12 and ending with the 98th Loudon Classic on Sunday, June 18th. Entertainment will be happening all week at some of your favorite spots, such as the High Octane Saloon (formerly Broken Spoke Saloon), the Sucker Punch Saloon and NASWA Resort. Vendors will be set up throughout Weirs Beach and at NH Motor Speedway and Laconia Harley-Davidson. The spectator-friendly Tower Street Hill Climb Expo WILL be back on Tuesday, June 15 as well as the popular AMATEUR Gunstock Hill Climb, Wednesday, June 16th. Stay tuned for more details on these and many other events and keep checking their events page online: laconiamcweek.com/schedule-of-events

GIVI’S NEW CATALOG FOR 2021 It’s always fun to peruse motorcycle sites to piece together wish lists and ideas for loved ones when birthdays and holidays roll around. Givi’s new 2021 catalogue is just the place to do that, with lots of new products to enhance and farkle your special ride. giviusa.com/pages/2021-givi-usa-catalog

BACKROADS • JUNE 2021

TRIUMPH GOES ELECTRIC Delivering on the objectives announced at the start of the TE-1 project in May 2019, focused on developing specialized electric motorcycle technology and innovative integrated solutions, this unique collaboration between Triumph Motorcycles, Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain Ltd, and WMG at the University of Warwick funded by the Office for ZeroEmission Vehicles, has already achieved significant results.

Including innovation in battery and powertrain design, initial test performance results far exceed the current benchmarks and industry targets. Developments in performance, efficiency, and range is enabling Project TE-1 to fully deliver the partnership’s objectives to enhance the credibility and profile of British industry providing substantial input into future electric motorcycle strategy from Triumph.

The objective of this two-year project is focused on developing electric motorcycle capabilities – providing an input into Triumph’s future electric motorcycle offer, driving innovation, capability, and new intellectual property, enhancing the credibility and profile of British industry and design.

“This important project will provide one of the foundations for our future electric motorcycle strategy, which is ultimately focussed on delivering what riders want from their Triumph.”

“The completion of Phase 2, and the promising results achieved to date, provide an exciting glimpse of the potential electric future and showcase the talent and innovation of this unique British collaboration. Without doubt, the outcome of this project will play a significant part in our future efforts to meet our customer’s ambition and desire to reduce their environmental impact and for more sustainable transportation,” said Nick Bloor, Triumph CEO.

HONDA TO LAUNCH THREE ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES BY 2024 Honda has unveiled its ambitious path to electrification, with three new electric motorcycles released by 2024.

While new, fully petrol-powered cars and vans are to be taken off sale in 2030, no official date has been set to remove petrol-powered motorcycles from sale. Honda doesn’t seem to be waiting for that announcement though, as CEO Mibe has announced an ambitious plan to release three, small-ca-

Page 9 pacity electric motorcycles by 2024, with a possibly larger model following sometime after.

EU THREATENS HARLEY-DAVIDSON WITH 50 PERCENT TARIFF The EU recently announced that it will revoke Harley’s Binding Origin Information (BOI) status and impose a 50% tariff increase on 1 June 2021.

Harley-Davison CEO Jochen Zeitz quickly condemned the move. Now, 88 European and American businesses/associations are joining the bar and shield’s call for a return to mutually beneficial trade relations between the two regions.

The drama began when the US imposed a 10-percent tariff on European aluminum and a 25-percent tax on European steel as of 1 June 2018. In retaliation, the EU levied additional taxes on several American goods, including motorcycles over 500cc. To circumvent those circumstances, Harley started importing units from its international plants, but the new regulations will strip H-D of that privilege.

Coming to Harley-Davidson’s aid, the Association des Constructeurs Européens de Motorcycles (ACEM) and the United States Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (USMMA) are calling upon the EU and the Biden administration to rectify the situation. Stay tuned…

AUSTRALIA GETS TOUGH ON POTHOLES Reporting potholes and other road damage to relevant authorities can pay off, says a long-time advocate for better road maintenance to save the lives of riders.

Rodney Brown says he reported a massive pothole on McGeorge Road, South Gisbourne, to Victorian Roads Minister Ben Carroll and was surprised to find it had then been fixed.

He says the Minister passed the information on to the Macedon Rangers Shire Council who quickly remedied the dangerous road surface.

Rod said “I hope I have educated our road safety decision-makers to promptly fix our roads, especially for motorcyclists”.

“Too many motorcyclists are dying on our roads throughout Victoria due to road damage not being considered,” Rod says. ,

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Free Wheelin’ Continued from Page 4 nothing is done with a piece of local history and it simply lies there, like some economic casualty discarded and ignored on the roadside?

The last time I stopped and looked in at the Red Apple I could still see the “Backroads Available Here!” sticker – now faded and cracked on the glass door behind the chain-link fence.

I often wonder how Pete and Vicky are doing – they were the best!

Just 40 great miles to the west was another landmark getaway - The Hawks Nest. This fantastic restaurant met an unkindly end on Halloween of 2000, with a fire gutting an all-time riding favorite.

Perched on the far end of the Hawks Nest Cliff it offered both superb views and great chow. When we heard it was on fire, we rode up immediately and got there in time to see that the fire department had dragged Ron’s, the owner, Triumph out of the front window along with a now scorched bundle of Back-

roads magazines.

These days along Route 97 there is only the old sign...holding court above the river far below.

In 2011 Marcus Dairy, arguably the most famous northeast riding destination, met the bulldozer making room for another store near the massive mall that already had too many.

How many of us made the ride up to “The Dairy?” Like the state of Jersey – you didn’t even have to say Marcus – most riders knew what “The Dairy” was. Even Kawasaki did a great ad featuring this iconic restaurant.

I am sure there are others that escape me today – just as so many great dealerships and shops have vanished as well.

Today is Thursday and I think it is a good night to head up to Jumboland in Branchville and partake in a good ol’ fashioned “Bike Night.”

We should take them all before they’re gone. ,

Whatchathinkin’ Continued from Page 5 Back to the original premise of this article: with the world slowly opening to those who choose to be stuck, will you? I did, because I want to travel outside of the U.S., I want to have the option to see a baseball game (if I can get the limited tickets), and I want to TAKE OFF MY MASK! In a sense, I see it as an acceptable Scarlet Letter, allowing me free access to travel and entry into the slowly opening venues.

MotoGP is in Valencia in November – sounds like a plan… ,

On The Mark Continued from Page 6 Let’s not forget attire for the classic rider: you don’t see too many plaid, sans-a-belt, armored riding pant selections offered in the shops. New Balance doesn’t have a very large selection of riding boots in their line and it’s hard to get a matching riding belt in white anyway.

Sometimes, it’s hard to be a classic… ,

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

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA

Rockin’ in the Free World A MINI-GUIDE TO CREATIVE ROADSIDE ROCKS The wonderfully painted rock juts up out of the ground along a wooded road in Marlborough, Connecticut. Not only are the roadside wonder’s origins a mystery, but its form remains a question as well: Most call it Snake Rock, but some refer to it as Turtle Rock, insisting that the small clumps of stones on either side are meant to be clawed feet.

No one seems to know the identity of the artist who painted the rock. But a local history website lists it as a landmark, and everyone in town knows it.

Strangely, the rock has been secretly repainted several times. Many believe

it was originally done by Jason Sawyer, the artist who painted Eagle Rock, another animal-shaped site a few miles down the road in Hebron. In 2002, Tara Graham took over the repainting of Eagle Rock. Many believe she also repaints the reptile rock as well, but no one knows for sure.

There is something fascinating about art created not for accolades, but for

the enjoyment and viewing of the general public. These types of art become beloved landmarks that many simply take for granted as permanent, not considering that the paint does need to be renewed over time. It is art such as this that becomes part of the local identity, a constant just like the seasons.

And, they can be found all over the United States – here are just few places that are Rockin’ in the Free World!

Elephant Rock in Adirondacks Route 8, Hague, New York Tarzan called him Tantor – we have always called them magnificent.

Many years ago, way too many years now, I watched a herd of elephant frolic (that was really the only word for it) in a small Sabie River lodge just below our room in what would soon be called the extension of Kruger National Park in South Africa. Truly an amazing thing to see.

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Up along Route 8 in the Adirondacks, there is a nice little homage to the real thing. Maybe just a local artist’s folly – but we like it. Let us trumpet as we ride by! Tantor and Tarzan would like it.

off, with concrete picnic tables and a barbecue pit.

There is never a time we pass this that we do not slow down and appreciate its grandeur.

Lord’s Prayer Rock • Route 116 Bristol, VT The first time we passed this we had to do a double-take and then a quick U-turn to take it all in.

The huge glacial erratic has one of the most famous gathering of words on the planet – The Lord’s Prayer.

Like most things like this, there are a few tales for the telling.

A 19th-century physician, Joseph C. Greene, of Buffalo, NY, thought of hieroglyphs when planning a way to commemorate his boyhood in the Bristol, Vermont area. He’d grown up in South Starksboro, and one of his jobs had been to deliver logs to the Bristol sawmill. The journey down the mountain, via 9 Bridges Road or the Drake Woods Road was fraught with difficult switchbacks and stream crossings. When Greene reached the big slab of rock and a level byway, he’d always say a silent prayer, knowing the worst of the trek was behind him.

It became known as Bristol Rock. In 1891, Greene paid a carver to engrave the Lord’s Prayer (full version, not the Roman Catholic abridged version) on the slab. He had his name added as well.

There is another story. In this version, Greene was upset by the cursing and swearing of passing logging wagon drivers. So, he had the prayer carved to make them think twice before taking the Lord’s name in vain.

Greene’s long gone, but his slab endures, like an onramp to Heaven.

If you’re heading east on Rt. 17 from Bristol, watch carefully or you may miss it since it’s angled eastward on this narrow road. There is a small pull-

Ringing Rock State Park Holy cow… These rocks have earned a place as an actual state park.

Back in 1890, J.J. Ott (Ottsville) gave a remarkable concert for the Buckwampum Historical Society. What made the concert remarkable wasn’t the music being played but the instrument Ott was playing. The instrument was made of stones that made “clear, bell-like tones” when struck by a hammer.

You might say it was the first rock concert.

Ott procured the musical rocks from a nearby boulder field in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania. Known today as Ringing Rocks Park, the rock field occupies seven acres of an otherwise wooded area, and is over ten feet deep with boulders. Ten friggin’ feet!

Only about a third of the rocks ring, and for a long time why the rocks rang at all was unclear. However, in 1965 a group of scientists crushed, broke, and sliced the rocks. After performing numerous tests, they found that while all the rocks do in fact ring, they often do so at tones lower than the human ear can perceive. Furthermore, the exact mechanism by which they ring still remains elusive.

BACKROADS • JUNE 2021 We have brought countless friends here and they all ride away amazed.

So shall you…

Balanced Rock, Salem, New York We think this is simply a big rock that somehow got hung up on some other smaller rocks when the ice age faded. It stuck. It looks cools. Done. But, no…

We have to have fun and wackiness should prevail. We love this stuff.

North Salem, New York is a picturesque town. The east town line is the border of Connecticut, and the northern town line is the border of Putnam County.

Just off to the side of Titicus Road in North Salem is a rock that weighs an estimated 60 tons. The Giant chunk of granite is called Balanced Rock and some believe it’s responsible for a rash of UFO sightings in the 1980s.

In the 1980s, there were more than 5,000 reported UFO sightings in the Hudson Valley and the border towns and cities of Connecticut. Ancient Alien theorists believe that Balanced Rock created an energy or a vortex that drew them in.

Surrounding towns like Brewtser, New York have structures that mainstream historians insist were “root shelters” built by farmers. Ancient Alien theorists believe that these structures have celestial alignments that would indicate otherwise. Instead, they say these megalithic huts have an unmistakable construction style, that of the Druids.

These theorists believe the Druids made it to America long before Christopher Columbus and built these sites.

They think the structures had a power that acted in conjunction with and as an accessory to Balanced Rock.

Is Balanced Rock an energy source that drew UFOs to the region?

Or, is it just one of many “Earratics” left behind from 10,000 years ago?

We’ll leave that up to you.

In the meantime - Rock On! O’Life Out! ,

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BACKROADS • JUNE 2021

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Thisilldous Eatery presents

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN Port Clinton Hotel 231 Center Street, Port Clinton, PA 19549 610-562-3354 • www.facebook.com/ThePortClintonHotel In these days of chain restaurants that fill almost every exit of the Interstates, it is refreshing to come across something that still serves up a welcoming bygone flavor as well as some great and tasty food.

When we had a few glorious late winter days a lot of riders came down with a mid-week illness and the only real vaccination was to get on your motorcycle and go for a sunny and warm ride.

We did just that, with the plan of meeting up with friends out in Port Clinton, Pennsylvania at Hermy’s, a very neat BMW and Triumph motorcycle shop.

For us, we love walking around bike shops and Herm and his crew are always friendly, open, and very easy with us spending time just browsing and taking all that they offer.

They have been big supporters of Backroads for years and we always enjoy heading out this way. Drop by – it is a great shop and, with this month’s Great All American Diner Run, an even more delicious destination.

The Port Clinton Hotel served as a stagecoach stop between Sunbury and Philadelphia in the early 1800s. Stagecoaches stopped at the Port Clinton Hotel, which was a great social center where news from other states and even foreign countries was exchanged. In fact, it became customary when signing

tasty places to take your bike

the hotel register to add any news that they thought might be of common interest. The hotelkeeper and his family cared for the driver and passengers stabled the horses and entertained with a fiddler and dances.

The hotel’s birth name was the “Gately Hotel” and is now named the “Port Clinton Hotel”. Situated in southern Schuylkill County, the unique little town clings on the hillside and embraces the peninsula between the Little Schuylkill and the main river. Port Clinton takes its name from De-Witt Clinton on the Erie Canal and was laid out in 1829.

A thriving community for many years, for large shipments of coal was brought to Port Clinton by the primitive railroads and was loaded on canal boats for shipment. The Schuylkill Canal passed through Port Clinton and many of the residents of the little borough received employment on the rail-

BACKROADS • JUNE 2021 road and the canal. The Schuylkill Canal centered around two major terminals, Port Clinton on the north side of the Schuylkill Gap and Kernsville on the south side. The last boat to leave Port Clinton’s once crowded basin was the Mary Rose, which took a load of coal to the state sanatorium at Hamburg just before the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

Today Route 61 can be a very busy road as, although the canal is not in operation anymore, this road still sees major commerce passing through.

Just north of Hermy’s shop, you will find the Port Clinton Hotel that boasts “a unique casual dining experience, serving lunch and dinner six days a week and known for “the biggest and best portions in the area!” We will attest to this.

Our group entered through the bar, and into the main dining hall. The hotel plays its age and history well and many times you might hear it is like walking back into history – The Port Clinton Hotel is the real deal.

The hotel is really a hotel, not just in name only, and they do have rooms for the night, but these have been shut down by the quickly fading virus.

Still, the bar and restaurant are open and doing a brisk business.

The menu was far bigger than we imagined and there were choices to be made.

You’ll find all the sandwiches that you are used to – think not only delicious but big.

If you are there with a small group probably one order of their addicting fries will work – we ordered two servings for five hungry adults, and it was too much!

But, nothing wrong with that.

We’ll start with some appetizers as they

Page 15 have a few that you might not see often – Deep Fried Perogies, House Crab Balls and, being right along the Appalachian Trail, we have heard their Hikers Supreme Nachos are just that.

The hotel does serve fine dinners as well, but we thought we’d stick with their sandwiches - which are extraordinary. The Cheese Steak is served in all sorts of combinations and the burgers that were ordered truly did the Keystone State proud, and they offer it all from naked to fully dressed – they even have a Coney Burger.

A what, you ask? Coney Burger.

If you do not know what Coney is you still have many more miles to ride, my friend. If you want the real deal then grab a Coney Island Hot Dog – two Jumbo Dogs topped with Coney Sauce, Mustard, and Onions.

The Hawk Mountain, named for the world’s first refuge for birds of prey, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, is ironically a giant hunk of Chicken with a Mild Hot Wing Sauce, Blue Cheese, and Provolone.

As we sat down our friend Chris touted the Trophy Fish Sandwich. He said he remembered it being huge and delicious. He was right – it was so big I half expected Jonah to walk out of its mouth. The Appalachian Trail rib eye sandwich is their priciest item at $16.95. You could consider splitting it – but on the other hand…

As we said the Port Clinton is almost easy to miss, along Route 61, especially with the big I-78 intersection just down the road. But it is well worth taking a table at a classic bit of Americana, right up the road from a great bike shop. ,

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Frontline Eurosports presents

BIG CITY GETAWAY

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre 4540 Shankweiler Road, Orefield, PA 18069 610-481-0800 • www.shankweilers.com

The Oldest Drive in the USA! A few years back we did a story on the Fairlee Drive-In and Motel up in Fairlee, Vermont along the river bordering New Hampshire. It is a bit rare to see motorcycles frequenting drive-ins, but the Fairlee had not only a giant screen and the huge field for the cars, but a row of small motel rooms as well.

We brought in dinner for the show.

The Fairlee came up in a discussion one morning over coffee and it reminded me that those who took our route down to Winchester, Virginia, and the Fall Fiesta several years ago had passed by a real piece of Americana – the oldest drive-in in continuous operation in the United States - Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre.

Just to give you a brief background on the history of the drive-in you will have to look at its very first beginnings. The first cinema of this type was opened on June 11, 1914, with the advent of the Airdome Theater in Las Cruces, New Mexico. This was more an outdoor theater for folks to stand and watch a film, but it did have room for parking 10 cars too.

The first open-aired theatre that was opened for automobile use was in Camden, New Jersey; Hollingshead’s Drive-In opened on June 6, 1933.

One year later, on April 15, 1934, saw the opening of Shankweiler’s Auto Park in Orefield, Pennsylvania – the second in the nation.

Hundreds of others followed and the drive-ins peak popularity came in the late 1950s and early 1960s, particularly in rural areas, with some 4,000 drive-ins spread across the United States.

One of the largest drive-in theaters was Johnny AllWeather Drive-In on Long Island’s Sunrise Highway in Copiague, New York that was 29 acres in size and could handle 2,500 cars. It ran from 1957 till 1984. The site remained untouched for years until it was demolished; making room for another ‘much needed’ shopping plaza with Home Depot and Target. A Red Lobster now sits where the giant outdoor screen used to stand.

Time marches on and a few things began to pile up and add to the decline of the drive-ins around the United States. Home entertainment systems, the fuel crisis of the 70s, and the back and forth about Daylight Saving Time (which made the shows start an hour later) in the ‘70s.

Another thing that ended a few drive-ins was radical weather. On July 16, 1980, in Taylor, Michigan, a freak derecho storm with straight-line winds of 150 miles per hour swept the drive-in away leaving only the

BACKROADS • JUNE 2021 “now-showing” sign with the letters “Now Playing Gone with the Wind.” They left it that way. Now, that is funny!

In late May of 1985, an F3 tornado blew away a drive-in turned flea market called Spotlight 88 in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

As you can see the weather and changing seasons limit many drive-ins from operating year-round.

Johnny Rockets Burgers recently announced that they would be teaming up with USA Drive-Ins to open 200 drive-ins soon - serving Johnny Rocket’s food at the concession stands. Progress? Not in our book, but it will be better than watching Star Wars on your iPhone.

The disappearance of classic Americana is always of great concern to those of us who love these sorts of places and things.

Shankweiler’s is the only one from that original early 30’s era that is still operational. Being as classic as it is, Shankweiler’s

Page 17 had a bunch of milestones and we thought we’d mention a few.

In addition to being just the second drive-in to open in the nation, it was one of the first to have those classic pole-mounted speakers that would attach to your car’s window, decades before they switched to micro-AM radio in 1982 and then Shankweiler’s became the first drivein to feature audio in FM broadcast stereo.

These days the old film projectors are gone, replaced, just a few years back, by a fully digital system.

And the food is much better than the normal stale popcorn, hocky puck hamburgers and flat soda. At Shankweiler’s you find Dietz + Watson hot dogs, several different bbq sandwiches and freshly popped popcorn in addition to a great selection of ice creams and candy – all at reasonable prices.

When we first began to pen this article it was New Year’s weekend and any thought of visiting a drive-in was not going to happen till the summer, as Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre is open only on weekends from mid-April through May, but they operate 7 days a week through the summer.

So, with the idea to head west and the tiny burg of Orefield, PA firmly set in our minds we had to save and close this article until an open and free 2021 rolls around.

Since starting this article, all movie theaters had been shuttered during 2020, with just a handful reopening slowly. It seemed that drive-ins were to make a comeback as being the perfect social distancing form of movie going.

Our first visit to the movies was to the Warwick, NY, drive-in to see (and we HIGHLY recommend that you don’t) Godzilla vs. Kong. We are certainly looking forward to our visit to Shankweiler’s and hope that their movie selection is far better. Couldn’t be any worse. ,

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WE’RE OUTTA HERE Walterboro, South Carolina When Daytona time rolls our way we know so many of you are eager to return to the old normal and open up your riding season with Bike Week.

If you are hauling your machines, or better, riding down south, we have a fantastic overnight, well worth a two-night stay. Down in the low country of South Carolina is the quaint town of Walterboro.

The city boasts fine examples of 19th-century architecture including many beautiful historic churches. The South Carolina Artisans Center is located in Walterboro and provides a retail outlet for the state’s finest folk art and crafts.

There is plenty of nature to be found in this region and the town Wildlife Sanctuary is comprised of over 800 acres of braided creek and hardwood flats. The sanctuary offers boardwalks, bridges, bike, and walking trails for viewing natural lowcountry wildlife and beauty. Spanish moss drips from Cypress trees and wildflowers abound as you pass a beaver pond, duck pond, butterfly garden. Best of all – it is free.

If you are looking for a real nature experience and want to overnight in a very

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads special way then get ready to paddle. The largest Private Wildlife Refuge on the Edisto River, accessible only by canoe, offers guests unparalleled privacy and stunning views from world-class treehouses. Treehouses!

This stretch of the longest, free-flowing blackwater river in the southeastern United States has sandy banks and a shallow, sandy bottom - perfect for swimming and picnicking. When water is higher, as in the winter months, you can paddle right into forests of cypress trees. The river’s winding, undeveloped shoreline offers you the perfect and real escape. At the end of your paddle, you can stay in the most marvelous treehouses like Tarzan & Jane.

If you would like a slightly easier and very nice place for the night, Waltersboro offers several B & Bs – one standout is the Old Academy on Hampton Street. The Old Academy was originally built and used as Walterboro’s first schoolhouse. Owners Don and Jean Sterling bought it in 1990 and opened it as a bed and breakfast in 1996. In 1998 they were presented with the William Lowndes Award by the Colleton County Historical Society for the preservation of a historic building. Don and Jean offer superior rooms at very reasonable prices.

The truth is we discovered Waltersboro while on a mission for Dr. Seymour O’Life. As Tom Jones would say… “It’s not unusual” for O’Life to request a little side-trip from us when he knows we are passing something odd and

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this trip was no exception. In our research, we asked our friends at Atlas Obscura for the lowdown.

Here’s what they said: ‘The center of the town is dominated by the Walterboro Water Tower: a standpipe that is not only the jewel of the city’s water supply system but which also once held lockups for the county jail.’

It took a Boston engineering firm a couple of years to build the tower, which was completed in 1915, and it employs what’s known as a standpipe system.

100,000 gallons of water is stored in the top and, using plain old gravity to pressurize the water up above (with a little help from hydro pumps), the water is pushed down through the pipe system and out to homes and businesses.

Constructed of reinforced concrete and standing 133 feet tall, the Walterboro Water Tower is one of only three standpipe systems in the state of South Carolina.

There is a small door at the base of the tower that leads to a space that was once used as a county jail. Long since out of penal service, there are six small cells and just a couple of windows. Some say that these cells later served as

sleeping quarters for stranded travelers who needed a place to stay for a night.

Not exactly five-star accommodations – or any-star accommodations. Unless you count the star on the sheriff’s jacket that may have locked you up back in the day.

Worth a stop for sure.

But the town also has a fine and wonderful bit of World War II history in its. During World War II, the Walterboro Army Airfield served as a training ground for Army airmen including the famed Tuskegee Airmen. These were the first black airmen and the tails of their planes were painted red for identification purposes, earning them the enduring nickname “Red Tails. Allied pilots called them Red Winged Angels as the Tuskegee Airmen were fearless in their protection of our bombers.

The German Luftwaffe called them Schwartze Vogelmenschen – the Black Bird Men. As we learned the Germans both feared and respected the Red Tail flyers.

In May 1997, a monument honoring their bravery was placed at the site.

This was also the site of a POW camp and base hospital.

If you spend time in Waltersboro you must take a quick ride to the airport to see the monuments and take in this great bit of American history.

We hope, on your way south or back north, you make some time for this little South Carolina low country town. You will not be disappointed. ,

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Talk of the Town Ice Cream 1019 Northampton St, Easton, PA 18042 610-438-5830 • totticecream.com • Open 7 days a week 12 – 9pm Remember when the Good Humor truck would come around your neighborhood, ringing its bell and playing that earworm-inspiring tune? I grew up on a dead end street, and it was a rare treat to have it come. Those small town neighborhood memories are what keep us happy as we get older.

Not too long ago I discovered another small town ice cream spot that brought as much joy to my heart as the Good Humor truck. Nestled in an out-of-the-way part of Easton, PA sits Talk of the Town. This unassuming corner store would be otherwise overlook unless you had the head’s up, which I am now giving you.

Actually, with its bright pink façade, you really can’t miss it.

Faouzi and Georgette, the mom and pop team who lovingly scoop out their homemade hard ice cream and Italian ices, have been in the service industry in Easton for a long time. Over 30 years ago, there was his famous pizza shop, catering to all and serving Wilson High School, directly across the street. Sadly, this shop was taken by fire but, not to be stopped, Faouzi opened a new location with the same famous pizza. After a few years, he and Georgette moved once again, a few blocks up the road, to their present location. Faouzi’s Talk of the Town served up fresh sandwiches (hoagies and grinders in this part of the U.S.), and incredible Lebanese specialties.

As times changed, so did their menu and today, you can find them scooping up their homemade ice cream and serving out some incredible soft-serve in over 60 flavors such as licorice, cheesecake, green tea and kiwi.

One warm Saturday in March we spun our wheels to Faouzi’s Talk of the Town. Maneuvering through downtown Easton can sometimes be a bit of a bear, but the end game was certainly worth it. Parking was found right in front of their shop, which has a bench and small table to enjoy your treats. Choosing from the extensive flavor menu was difficult, but I have always had a soft spot for pistachio. Brian, with his large sweet tooth to satisfy, opted for a waffle cone and double scoop of coconut and chocolate oreo. I really wanted to give some of their soft serve flavors and homemade Italian ices a whirl, but that’s what second, third and

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fourth visits are made for. We took a seat in the sunshine and clinked ice creams to toast the start of what we know will be a great riding season.

As you can see, the servings are ample, the prices are more than reasonable and you are ALWAYS served by Georgette and Faouzi with a large smile (you can tell by their eyes). Their Tornadoes are of the good variety, with your choice of ice cream, candy topping, whipped cream and a cherry on top. You can have a milkshake with any one of their 60+ flavors, as well as sundaes, smoothies and more. Should you arrive a bit more peckish, Faouzi is still making his delicious Lebanese pies in a variety of flavors, along with chicken pitas, garlic sauce (toum) and creamy rice pudding.

If you find yourself in the Easton area, whether on a ride or some event, save room for Faouzi’s Talk of the Town homemade ice cream.

You’ll always be served with a smile. ,

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April can be a fickle month, but sometimes you have to have a bit of faith that the weather folks have got the day right. Even with the mid-30s starting the day off we hit the electrics and motored west and a bit south into Pennsylvania to meet up with some friends at an event we have wanted to attend for many years - the Antique Motorcycle Club of America’s Perkiomen Chapter National Oley Swap Meet. Hosted in conjunction with the Reading Motorcycle Club, one of the oldest in the nation, this swap meet, running both Friday and Saturday, offers up one of the greatest selections of parts from the dawn of the motorcycle in the 1900s through the 1970s. For those deeply involved there are awards to be earned. The Charles L. Wolverton Memorial Award for the most impressive restoration as well as awards for the Youngest Rider in attendance (so important to get young ones involved and interested in these historic beauties) and the Ben Chesney Award for the Longest Distance Indian Scout ridden to the meet sponsored by the 101 Association.

By the time we reach the Oley Fairgrounds the spring day had blossomed into a sunny and slightly warmish morning.

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Page 23 cases were billet aluminum and that much of the machine was hand-crafted by the owner. That was impressive.

One gentleman was photographing a Vincent Black Lightning... with a Hasselblad. A 2 1/4 film Hasselblad. Now I was truly envious.

The passion that these riders have for these old and classic machines is apparent and enviable and we were so glad we finally made the ride to Oley, but it certainly will not be the last. , ~Brian Rathjen

We met up with our friends, all Backroads rally alumni (shouldn’t you be too?) and began to slowly maneuver the many aisle and sections of the swap meet.

I like to call it the way I see it and like many swap meets there were tables and tables of old and rusted parts. Wheels, primary covers, boxes of spark plugs that had stopped being manufactured a decade before mom met dad.

But, even though we tended to pass by these, there will always be somebody that sees gold where we see rust.

That is the beauty of these things.

In addition to the seemingly unlimited supply of vendors, there are two other things that the Oley Swap meet has. First up is the incredible camaraderie that is found throughout the event. Many of these riders, collectors and vendors have known each other for years and it shows. Yet, the newbies like us were always met with a smile, and even the dumbest questions were answered without a roll of the eyes or smirk (well, at least to our faces).

Without a doubt, the best thing to see was the wide and varied older machines that had been restored or semirestored. Watching one fellow start up a Brough Superior and ride it away was a treat, as was the old Curtiss that looked stock until you got up close and realized the

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Sweet Home Last year we, like everyone, had plans dashed, one of them being a small baseball tour of the south, starting in Atlanta and heading south to Miami, catching games at the three pro MLB stadiums along the way.

Never happened.

This year we thought the return of baseball was right on deck so we made an abbreviated plan of catching the Mets in New York on Saturday and hitting a Braves game with our friend Jim in Atlanta on Sunday. We’d then pick up two Triumphs, the new Trident 660 and Tiger 850 Sport at Triumph’s U.S. Corporate Headquarters and do a spontaneous tour of the southeast for a week or so.

But, once again the world laughed at baseball plans – so being Plan B people we flew to Atlanta anyway and spent a few day’s with Jim and his friend Marilyn, grabbed the bikes and got on the road for a bit this mid-April.

Birmingham Bound Plan B worked fine and after a few days in and around Atlanta, visiting the Braves new stadium even if they would not sell us tickets, we bid Jim and Marilyn adieu and headed west. We made our way along a combination of roads through the Peach Tree State and, somewhere along the line, slid out of the Peach Tree State and into Heart of Dixie – Alabama. On this tiny backroad there was no sign or marking – we just suddenly realized we were in a different time zone and state.

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Dixie itself is a nickname for the American South. It started when Louisiana printed notes with the French word for “ten” on them. Dix, pronounced Deece, led to “Dixie.”

Well known for the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement it is a state with a diverse and deep history.

We had hoped to cover a good bit of it over just a few days. Just west of the Coosa River, as we shot past that unseen border, our noses caught a whiff of some serious barbeque at a neat place called Local Joe’s Trading Post. We were instantly hooked and pulled a U-turn in the wide driveway with the lawn full of tanks and military vehicles (don’t ask – it’s Alabama) and sat down to the first of several great meals on this trip.

I was just thinking that Lynyrd Skynyrd was right, as the day was perfect and the skies were so blue - then they were not. Black and ominous and bearing in from the west, the storm gave us a good hour of heavy soaking as we puddled through to our hotel for the night – right outside Barber Motorsports.

Hot and welcome showers and suddenly clearing skies made for a nice evening and the next morning, as the doors opened at the world’s greatest motorcycle museum, we were there.

This was also the week leading up to the Indy Racing Series at Barber, back on their stunning 16-turn 2.38-mile road course after a Covid year off. Road course? Yes, the world’s greatest motorcycle museum has its own road course. Should not we all?

The entire Barber Motorsports complex is found on 880-acres of pure heaven for the motorhead. We spent the entire day here and Barber will get a major article of its own in these pages.

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If you have never been, you must go to Barber. Read that again… you must go to Barber!

We rode into Birmingham proper with Shira picking out a few must-see stops along the way – the first being Vulcan.

Created by sculptor Giuseppe Moretti, and sitting high atop Red Mountain overlooking the city, the Vulcan statue is the largest cast-iron statue in the world, and is the city symbol of Birmingham, Alabama, reflecting its roots in the iron and steel industry. The 56-foot tall statue depicts the Roman god Vulcan, god of the fire and forges with ironworker tools. It was created as Birmingham’s entry for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition - 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. While it is the world’s largest made of iron ore, it is also among the nation’s tallest statue of any kind.

Vulcan is massive! The Vulcan statue consists of 29 cast-iron components with connecting flanges that are bolted together internally. The heaviest section is his head, which weighs 11,000 pounds alone. Iron Forgemen designed and executed the connection details for the statue, which originally had no internal framework and was self-supporting. The grey iron castings were made in Birmingham entirely from locally produced iron. The completed weight of the god Vulcan’s figure is over 50 tons. When Vulcan’s anvil, block, hammer,

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and spear point are added, the statue weighs a total of 120,000 pounds and it stands on a 123-foot tall pedestal. The statue has a chest circumference of 22 feet 6 inches and a waist circumference of 18 feet 3 inches.

He’s in great shape and Shira liked his butt.

The view from the top of the pedestal was impressive but just as remarkable as the city is the history of this valley that has seen humans living here for thousands of years. Indian Mound Builders had their own city here and this is a bit of Mysterious America’s history we should all know about.

Birmingham, Alabama also has had its share of history.

Birmingham is known as the Magic City, for its phenomenal growth in its earliest days, and again at the turn of the 20th century when the city’s downtown area developed from a collection of small houses and businesses to one of the most impressive downtown areas in the country. It is also the founding city for the recognition of Veterans Day and hosts the nation’s oldest and largest Veterans Day celebration. Birmingham is the only place in the world where all the ingredients for making iron are present—coal, iron ore, and limestone, all within a ten-mile radius.

It also was key in the Civil Rights Movement that changed the US for the better in the ‘60s.

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Continuing on our history tour today, if the Major League would not give us baseball, we would ride back in time and find it ourselves. Seventyfour years in the past, Jackie Robinson broke the ‘Color Barrier’ when he became a Brooklyn Dodger on April 15, 1947. Today was April 15 too, and I followed Shira’s lead to Rickwood Field – America’s Oldest Baseball Park.

Indeed, it opened two years before that place in Boston.

Rickwood Field was the passionate pursuit of a young Birmingham, Alabama industrialist, Rick Woodward. While still in his 20s, Woodward bought a controlling interest in the city’s professional baseball team, the Coal Barons. He then sought help from the legendary Connie Mack in designing “The Finest Minor League Ballpark Ever” in this booming iron-andsteel town, the fastest growing city in the nation at that time. Woodward’s passion was contagious. Fueled by fervent publicity, the entire city of Birmingham was closed for business in honor of the park’s opening day, August 18, 1910.

Although the stadium could use some help, the grounds were stunning, stunning, perfect… and the young groundskeeper, Jabreil, has every right to be proud.

He took us on a small tour of his stadium as two local high school teams got ready for the final game of the year – the winner moving onto the state championships.

It was an incredible way to spend a bit of Jackie Robinson Day!

That night we stayed in downtown Birmingham and strolled through the city a bit, finding a local hot chicken joint called Eugene’s and planning our next move.

Space… the Final Frontier

Early the next day we had to bundle a bit as the warmth that had given us such wonderful spring weather took a step back as a cool front dove in from the north.

Like so many, we grew up with the Space Program and to the north of Birmingham, the city of Huntsville was key - front and center in making our Space Program

Page 27 work. The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center is the U.S. government’s civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. As the largest NASA center, MSFC’s first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo program.

Marshall has been the lead center for the Space Shuttle main propulsion, payloads and related crew training, International Space Station design and assembly, computers, networks, and information management, and the Space Launch System.

Located on the Redstone Arsenal outside of Huntsville, MSFC is named in honor of General George Marshall.

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Today, on the north part of the base, you will find the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, which has more than 1,500 permanent rocketry and space exploration artifacts, as well as many rotating rocketry and space-related exhibits.

The museum showcases the achievements, and artifacts of the U.S. space program. Sometimes billed as ‘Earth’s largest space museum’, astronaut Owen Garriott described the place as, “a great way to learn about space in a town that has embraced the space program from the very beginning.”

The idea for the museum was first proposed by Dr. Wernher von Braun who led the efforts of the United States to land the first man on the Moon.

Von Braun, understanding the dominance of football in the Alabama culture, persuaded rival Alabama and Auburn coaches Bear Bryant and Shug Jordan to appear in a television commercial supporting a $1.9 million statewide bond

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referendum to finance museum construction.

To help draw tourists from far afield, the center needed a crown jewel. The Huntsville Times reported, Center director “Edward O. Buckbee is the type of guy with the tenacity to ‘arrange’ for this planet’s largest, most complex mechanical beast to become a part of the Alabama Space and Rocket Center at Huntsville.”

Pulling off the coup – getting a Saturn V moon rocket here which cost 90 times the center itself – was ‘a little difficult,’ admits Buckbee in a galloping understatement.

The center opened in 1970, just after the Apollo 12 Moon landing, the second crewed mission to the lunar surface, and today has the only Saturn V rocket on the planet.

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Like Barber the previous day, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is amazing in so many ways. And, like Barber, plan to take your time to explore it – maybe you will find yourself in astronaut training.

We were burning daylight and our plans to get north and into Tennessee to spend some time with our friend Rob Mitchell that day were fading, but we did manage to make a stop and do a little exploring for Dr. O’Life.

Have you ever wondered what happens to all the unclaimed and lost luggage? Not only airlines, but busses and trains lose luggage as well. In truth, luggage rarely disappears for a long time as airline passengers waiting for their bags upon arrival are almost certain to see them riding atop the bag carousel. That’s because airlines use sophisticated tracking technology to reunite over 99.5% of bags with their owners right away. If a bag is truly lost, airlines pay out a claim to the passenger. It’s only after an extensive three-month search that an unclaimed bag is deemed truly orphaned, a fate realized by less than 0.03% of all checked luggage!

But where do they and those lost socks go? Well, not the socks – but much of it ends up in Scottsboro, Alabama at the Unclaimed Baggage Center.

Yes indeed – there is such a place. Think of it as a very weird worldwide

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Goodwill Store. Most of it is run-of-the-mill but they have had some incredible finds over the years.

A ceremonial Dung Chen Horn from Tibet and a camera from the Space Shuttle. Once they found a bear hide packed in salt and even a live Rattlesnake. Neal Diamond’s Xylophone and a real Shrunken Head?

Although the buildings are full of clothes, electronics, books, household goods and other stuff, walking around and seeing the “treasures” on the wall is worth the visit. Today, Unclaimed Baggage hosts more than one million store visitors each year from every state and more than 40 countries, making it one of Alabama’s top tourist attractions.

We found a chain hotel, near a chain restaurant, in Scottsboro and called it a good long day.

Our plans to visit our friend Rob were pushed back with the long day but our route would have us north of Chattanooga along the Watts Barr Lake by early afternoon. We crossed over the Tennessee River and then rode along Route 40 a bit, especially enjoyable when it followed along the river.

At over 650 miles long, this river is the largest tributary of the Ohio River and then the Mississippi. It would be an on and off companion for most of the day.

Soon we crossed over Lookout Mountain with its superb view of Chattanooga and down along the valley flanked by the Cumberland Ridge.

In the town of Dayton, we were riding past the Rhea County Court House when I slowed to take a gander at the Historical Sign along the lawn. I do this often as sometimes you see the most amazing bits of history. But this one?

Holy smokes! Scopes Trial.

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They prosecuted some poor sucker in these United States For teaching that man descended from the apes They coulda settled that case without a fuss or fight If they’d seen me chasin’ you, sugar, through the jungle last night They’da called in that jury and a one two three said Part man, part monkey, definitely!

Bruce Springsteen The Scopes Trial, also known as the Scopes Monkey Trial, was the 1925 prosecution of science teacher John Scopes for teaching evolution in a Tennessee public school, which the recent Butler Act had made illegal. The trial featured two of the best-known orators of the era, William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow, as opposing attorneys. The trial was viewed as an opportunity to challenge the constitutionality of the bill, to publicly advocate for the legitimacy of Darwin’s theory of evolution, and to enhance the profile of the American Civil Liberties Union, who had offered to defend anyone accused of teaching the theory of evolution in defiance of the Butler Act. John Scopes was found guilty and was fined one hundred dollars.

But, the trial has become an odd part of the state and the nation’s history and it has been told in both song (Part Man, Part Monkey) and film (Inherit the Wind).

We arrived at Rob’s and enjoyed a superb day, meal and evening outdoors with a fireplace overlooking one of the largest lakes in the southeast – the Watts Bar Reservoir.

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The Watts Bar Dam, located about midway between Knoxville and Chattanooga, is one of nine TVA dams on the Tennessee River. Construction of Watts Bar Dam began in 1939. It was completed in January 1942, three weeks after Pearl Harbor, and provided urgently needed electricity for the war effort—including the Manhattan Project at nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratories. Watts Bar Reservoir is on the Tennessee River in east Tennessee. It extends 72.4 miles northeast from the dam to Fort Loudoun Dam. The dam has five generating units with a net dependable capacity of 182 megawatts.

Just downriver is the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant. Do you think this region makes some power?

The reservoir is popular for boating, fishing, swimming, camping, and other outdoor activities. A scenic overlook near the dam provides visitors with a panoramic view of the reservoir and surrounding countryside. Before TVA created Watts Bar and other reservoirs above Chattanooga, the city had one of the most serious flooding problems in the nation. Now the river that often threatened the city contributes to its economy as a major artery for barge traffic—thanks in large part to large reservoirs like Watts Bar and adjacent Chickamauga.

It has also made the region one of the nicest in the state and it and the city of Chattanooga are truly worth the visit.

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Heading Into the Twisties We started the day in Portugal.

Well, logged onto MotoGP in Algarve which we watched during a breakfast of Rob’s Aretha Frankenstein’s Pancakes and Bacon.

Trusty Rolo the Wonder Dog kept one eye steady on our plates and the other on his newly-acquired bone treat. Marquez returned, Rossi and friends crashed and Quatararo made it two in a row.

The greatest way to start a beautiful Sunday in April.

Packed up and ready to go we said goodbyes to the dynamic duo of Rob & Rolo and took off up and over the Watt Barr Dam with its massive nuclear power plant, making short work of some of the smaller backroads towards Tellico Plains – the beginning of the Cherohala Skyway.

Certainly, this region is known for so many great roads, with the famed Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap. But for our money, the Cherohala is, by far, the best ride around here! Well at least for this day – who knew it would only get better?

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The Cherohala Skyway was completed in the fall of 1996 after planning and construction for some thirty-four years. It was North Carolina’s most expensive scenic highway carrying a price tag of $100,000,000. It winds up and over 5,400-foot mountains for 18 miles in North Carolina and descends another 23 miles into the deeply forested backcountry of Tennessee. The road crosses through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests thus the name “Chero…hala”.

We have taken to calling it the Shira-Hauler… for obvious reasons.

We ran into very little traffic on this fine day and were all smiles as we came

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to the end of the Skyway and headed towards the phenomenal Tapoco Lodge.

Built in 1930, the lodge was originally used as an exclusive resort for ALCOA executives and was all part of the building of local power dams and the electrification of the region.

Today Tapoco Lodge is very much open to the public with several lodge rooms and cabins. Located right along the Cheoah River, with its impressive white water this day as they released dam waters earlier that weekend, it is a stunning and relaxing place.

We arrived for a late lunch and, as it was already later in the day, decided to splurge and take a cabin for the night. With our plans made and bed acquired, we fired up the bikes and spun over to Deals Gap to wind up this stunning day.

Not jammed, but still having a good number of motorcycles of all sizes and shapes along with some serious cars as well, the Tail of the Dragon was hopping.

We browsed the General Store and crossed the road to the newish (for us) Tail of the Dragon Shop – with its massive steel dragon guarding the entrance.

We bought the required stickers (Cherohala, not Dragon) and then, ‘cause we were there, did run up and down The Dragon with its 318 turns in 11 miles.

I only counted around 290 something, but I was also sorta busy at the time and might have missed a few.

BACKROADS • JUNE 2021 At the overlook, high above the dam and reservoir, we chatted up with a number of the other riders, a great group of Miata drives from the mid-west, and some Porsche drivers as well.

It seems that everyone there had the same thing in common – love of the road - even if we all attacked The Dragon with different steeds.

We ran back through the… okay, 318 turns, and then bore back over the Little Tennessee River and past the Cheoah Dam to Tapoco Lodge and the cabin.

Lunch still had us full but not enough to forgo dessert, had by a blazing firepit alongside the Cheoah River.

Strolling back to the room we stopped by the reserved parking that the lodge has for motorcycles to see a small fleet of BMW R18 machines and a van from the BMW Performance School – all there to do some filming in the region over the next few days. Nice!

Riding, Compassion + Strength

Readying up for the next day Shira walked down to where she had parked the night before with her gear. I had the Tiger up on the hill next to the cabin.

Page 33 As I rode down to the lot, I could see Shira laughing and hugging a tall woman of dubious looks.

“Okay” I thought, “What’s all this then?”

Hey, that’s not a woman… that’s a guy and look at that nose. Dear God… we have a Neale Bayly sighting!

Indeed, our friend and fellow moto-journalist Neale Bayly was part of the BMW group.

What a superb surprise and the most excellent way to start off a great day of riding. The BMW contingent was patient while the three of us quickly caught up, but Neale had to go to work and so did we and, with big hugs all around, they went that way and we went the other.

We took Route 28, once called the Hellbender and now called The Moonshiner. I have no idea who comes up with the names or, more importantly, we decided… “Nope – Hellbender is out and Moonshiner is in!” One wonders if there a High Council of Road Names somewhere in the Smoky Mountains?

Whatever you wish to call it Route 28, like so many miles of pavement here, is simply amazing.

Surely this part of the nation has an incredibly high percentage of delectable pavement. Thus the reason so many moto-enthusiasts made the trek to the region.

Our ride this day had a bit of a mission to it. Back in 2006, we did a GAADR on a soul food restaurant in Toccoa, Georgia called Shirley’s. Since then, we have been back a few times and will keep coming back as long as Shirley Combs keeps her doors open. You see, this is a special place and a very special woman. Each day, when Shirley’s Soul Food closes its door to the public, they open them to the local homeless and troubled and all of the food that is left from the day is given to the needy. She was doing this a decade and a half

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BACKROADS • JUNE 2021 ago and she is doing it today. Shirley and her crew are stellar human beings and we know we’ll never ride away here not humbled by what she does, nor will we be hungry, as the food is amazing as well.

God Bless you, Miss Shirley.

Toccoa seems to have the corner on strength and determination and the desire to lift life up for so many as it was also home to the World’s Strongest Man – Paul Anderson.

In the 1950s this Toccoa native crushed world records and dominated the sport and the Olympics, and amazed the world with his incredible strength. He also spent much of his life selflessly helping others – especially the young and those in trouble. This man not only lifted incredible weights, but many humans as well.

In the middle of Toccoa there is a small park in his honor and in this park a life-size bronze statue of Paul Anderson … truly the strongest man in the world - in more than many ways.

Heading back into the twisty parts of northern Georgia we swapped bikes for the afternoon - Shira taking the Tiger and me the Trident.

Wow! What a fun bike. Nimble, nice power, super brakes, and sim-

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ply a blast to ride. Mount a small fairing to cut through the wind a bit and this could be the perfect Sunday ride! The Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway and Route 180, known as Wolf Pen Gap, were amazing and the Trident seemed to simply gobble up the tight twisty roads of the Peach Tree State.

At the bottom of Route 180, you’ll find the town of Suches and, more importantly, the famed motorcycle Mecca called Two Wheels of Suches. We had been here many years back, and for a bit it was closed but now has found new life as Bill Johnston, who is the proprietor, has brought new life to the campground. Two Wheels was great before, but it is now better than ever – with lodge rooms, restaurant, and a bunch of comfortable cabins along the Canada Creek.

We have been pining to get back for a while now and today was the day. Bill took some time to show us around, and he and his people have truly made this a perfect getaway for motorcyclists both near and far, as the fellow we spoke with from Florida illustrated. He has been coming to Two Wheels for quite some time, always camping in the same spot, and enjoying the on and offroad riding this area has to offer. We took a cabin for the night and then followed Bill to the town of Dahlonega for, taking notice of the museum in the town’s old courthouse.

A return trip the next day would be in order.

Thar’ be gold in dem dar hills….

Suches is at a good altitude, at over 2,700 feet, and the morning was brisk, clear, and clean.

We strolled the grounds, took in the waterfall, and then set out on a morning full of some of the named loops and great local roads.

It seems every time we ride a great region we think it is the best in the nation. But, this part of Georgia and the roads to the north – the Cherohala, the Dragon, and Route 28 must be one of the best regions by far.

If you can get down here do – you will not regret it.

After spotting the museum the night before we vectored the bikes back to Dahlonega. Now this town has a very interesting history.

When you think Gold Rush you most likely think California or maybe Alaska. But did you know the first true gold rush was in the mountains of Georgia – in and around Dahlonega specifically?

After a local farmer named Benjamin Parks serendipitously found a large nugget of almost pure gold, word spread quickly and within weeks gold-rushers came pouring in. The locals who lived here at the time – both white and Cherokee - called it The Great Intrusion.

One of the largest gold deposits ever found was from the nearby Black Mountain. It was found in a quartz vein and was mined deep into the ground. It was soon called the “Richest Acre in the World” and the resulting shaft was called the Glory Hole.

So now you know.

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The Dahlonega Gold Museum is an impressive museum that studies and showcases this deep gold history of the region and the good and the bad of it.

If we didn’t know about the Georgian Gold Rush, we certainly did not know that the Cherokee ousting and the Trail of Tears were really about the gold discovered in their backyard. But, we were not surprised.

Gold ruled for a decade or so and then, as it began to putter out, and with gold discovered at Sutter’s Mill in California, the miners looked west and The Great Intrusion ended almost as quickly as it had begun.

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BACKROADS • JUNE 2021 Still today there is gold being mined in the region and, if a big strike hits, it might all start again.

As is her way and ever in search of something cold, sweet, and creamy we pushed along for a stop at one of Shira’s ice cream finds and then began to head south toward our friend Jim’s home just north of Atlanta.

As we rode through Dawsonville we spied a sign that said “Georgia Racing Museum.”

Being it was Georgia and not Kentucky we thought car racing and not the ponies.

A few miles down the road we spotted a couple of NASCAR cars down below the grade of the road on a large checkered flag rotunda. We bore to the right and made our way to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Museum.

We had started this Magical History Tour with racing and it seemed we would end with the same – even if a different genre’.

What a find! The Elliott family are from this town and Georgia has had more than its share of incredible racing heroes over the decades.

Here at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Museum, they all are celebrated. We spent a good hour (we did need to get to Jim’s for dinner), but you’d really need twice that to take in all that this excellent museum has to offer. If you love NASCAR the Georgia Hall Racing Hall of Fame needs to be on your bucket list.

We lucked out for the next twenty or so miles with the last set of twists and turns of the week before pulling the trigger on the big roads to get us into Marietta by five.

Once again Jim and Marilyn made us a dinner that could not be beat and the next day they were kind enough to follow us to Triumph to return the bikes and then spin us over to the airport for the short flight back to the Garden State.

This part of the United States has so much to offer today’s rider. Great people, superb roads, and very deep and varied history.

Perhaps you should plan a ride down here and have your own Magical History Tour. ,

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Page 37 mountains, and perfect motorcycle riding as the narrow road winds its way south through several nature reserves. The IDF announced that this year over the Passover holidays, the road would be open from March 24 - April 4.

Depending on current border conditions and weather, the road is opened from 0800 - 1700 during the Jewish holidays of Chanukah (winter), Passover (spring), and Sukkot (fall) remaining shuttered the rest of the year. Tourists can enter only through one of several military checkpoints along the way: Nitzana, Mount Harif, and Eilat. There are no gas stations, food trucks, or services along the way. Riders must carefully monitor their

Brian Jablon Every year the Israeli public waits in anticipation for the announcement of the opening of Road 10, a normally closed route controlled by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that parallels the border between Egypt and Israel. The road runs south from Kerem Shalom, at the border with the Gaza Strip, to the outskirts of Eilat, a distance of 182 kilometers (113 miles). When open to civilians, travel is allowed from Nitzana, a small village 38 kilometers (23 miles) south of Kerem Shalom to Eilat. It offers spectacular desert scenery,

gas usage and may need to carry spare fuel especially if they are travelling all the way to the end as there are no gas stations for quite some time after arriving at the last checkpoint unless the rider plans to travel to Eilat.

Sharly, Eli, and I met on a cold morning at 0900 near Ashdod, approximately an hour south of our homes near Tel Aviv. Sharly rides a Honda CB500X, Eli a KTM Adventure 790, and I have a Honda CBR650F. Rather than the highway, we decided to take the long way riding through beautiful agricultural land with several kibbutzim dotted throughout the area, many with active vineyards producing world-class wines. We stopped at an outstanding viewpoint off of Road 211 a few kilometers from Nitzana overlooking the impressive 121 Megawatt Ashalim solar thermal farm. This power plant can power 120,000

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homes and is part of Israel’s goal to have 10% of its electricity usage provided by solar power.

By the time we gassed up at the sole gas station in Nitzana with two pumps and a line of ATVs, motorcycles, and cars we passed the checkpoint at 1:30PM. Immediately after entering Road 10, the scenery is spectacular as we travel through the western Negev desert. At places, the border fence is literally only a few meters away and we can spot Egyptian soldiers on the other side of the fence looking at us. Huge signs warn us that “….crossing the border is prohibited and that trespassing or touching the fence can endanger your life.” On both the Egyptian and Israeli sides, there are border observation towers and military posts. We keep our distance but cannot resist a picture with the bikes.

We continued our ride winding our way up to the spectacular Kadesh-Barnea Observation Point, one of the highlights of Road 10. After their Exodus from Egypt and wandering through the desert, the Israelites stayed in Kadesh-Barnea as mentioned in the Bible. From this point, the winding road and border fence is clearly visible for many miles. We met several other riders taking their lunch and coffee break over the view. Rather than join them, we opt to ride on and take a quieter break several miles further down the road.

Sharly and Eli are in charge of lunch preparation and after taking out their gas camping equipment prepare a delicious lunch of sliced hot dogs, Spanish rice, and beans on the side of the road. Since it’s the middle of the Passover holiday, leavened bread is not an option and I break out a Passover cake, (melted) chocolate bars, and oranges for dessert. Eli prepares the traditional Yemenite black coffee using hawaij (a spice mixture made from cumin, black pepper, turmeric, and cardamom) to end

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Page 39 We ride past more stunning views of this rocky landscape eventually arriving at the next military checkpoint, Mount Harif, and our exit to Road 171 which leads to Road 40 in another half-hour. Turn right at Road 40 and it’s ten minutes to Mitzpe Ramon, the largest desert town in this area but we make a left for the long three hour ride home. Enjoying the sunset on our return, the desert temperature dramatically drops soon after the sun sets and we make a stop to add another layer of clothing. In the future we’ll return and ride south to Eilat but that’s saved for next time the road is opened. ,

the meal. We notice that the Egyptians on the other side of the fence must be getting a bit curious as a vehicle is spotted observing us. We shout “hello” to them in Arabic, finish our meal, pack up, and move on.

Next stop - Mount Horsha - offering another beautiful view of the area and where the Israeli Defense Forces have set up a small encampment to watch over the tourists. Leaving the bikes parked on the side of the road, we climb up to the top of the viewpoint and drink in the surrounding views. According to a marker at the viewpoint, cairns (tombs) from the Bronze Age (2900 BCE) are located in the valley below.

In addition, it states that there has been archaeological evidence found indicating that this area was settled 90,000 years ago during the Paleolithic Era.

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BACKROADS • JUNE 2021 Words: Chris Connelly Photos: ©Miriam Romais (Instagram: @2wheelmoxie) Here at our home, just a few miles south of the Adirondack Park, the weather teased us with some beautiful sunny days in the 50’s. Not bad for a “third winter” season in Upstate NY. The week before, we had made an innocent stop at our local dealership, Max BMW of Troy. What started as a trip to look at some new riding gear, turned into… well, two new bikes. We scheduled the pickup for the following Friday, but as the day approached the weather was calling for drizzle and 35F. Not our idea of a great way to start our new bike adventure so we bumped the pickup date to Saturday. Our salesperson mentioned there was an event that day at the dealer and suggested we arrive early. What we didn’t know was that event was Chris “Teach” McNeil doing his seemingly superhuman stunt show right in the front parking lot of the dealership. Awfully nice of the dealership to put on a stunt show for us to celebrate getting our new rides!

We arrived early, around 9:30am, and the sun was shining (a definite improvement), but the temperature was still 35F. My son and I headed directly inside to look at the new bikes that Miriam and I were picking up, while she went over to find Teach. Miriam and I had photographed Teach’s stunt show a few years back on assignment as two of the staff photographers for the Americade Rally in Lake George, NY. Having photographed him before, Miriam was eager to say hi before he became surrounded by admirers, and to make sure she could have “press” access to photograph the show today. Press access for Miriam means that she wants to literally sit in the middle of the riding area and capture images while he rides within inches (sometimes millimeters) of where he is rapidly accelerating, decelerating and maneuvering four to seven hundred pounds of motorcycle. Teach remembered her and granted permission to be right in the middle of the show with the camera.

“Just don’t move unless I ask you to” he reminded her, but not like she’d forget.

Teach has such precise control of those machines, he knows exactly where every part is relative to his environment 99.9% of the time. Miriam has photographed dozens of motorcycle events including many stunt shows including Tommy Ahvala, world champion trials riding

BACKROADS • JUNE 2021 champion, and the Smage Brothers, Pat and Phil, also multinational world trials champions. I have seen her under jumps, being jumped over, sitting criss-cross on the pavement as riders donut around her, even standing on the back seat of a moving Goldwing, facing backwards while photographing a motorcycle drill team exhibition. I have grown used to it, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me need to look away a few times over the years.

It was so cold that morning that Teach had to push the show back an hour just to get some more heat on the tires and pavement. He started out with tire warmers, MotoGP style, on his BMW S1000RR, as the nimble BMW G310R and the behemoth BMW K1600B stood aside. Yes, he did part of the stunt show on a full-dress bagger. Once underway, Teach had to spend some extra warm up time to get the tires sticky enough to really get into it. It didn’t take long to feel the bits of rubber hit you as he drifted by. If you have never seen Teach perform, make a point to find a way to cross paths with him. You might never look at motorcycle control and finesse the same way again.

The show consisted of dramatic wheelies, stoppies, riding with his feet over the windscreen, “look ma, no hands” moments, and donuts. He can be perfectly in control, while making the motorcycling look chaotically out of control. He did high speed maneuvers and insanely slow-speed precision on all three bikes. Full on tail-dragging wheelies on a touring bike on multiple passes! Seeing that on the 200+hp S1000RR was cool, but watching him hop off that onto a G310R, and then directly onto the K1600B was awe-inspiring.

The only thing we did not see him do on that giant bagger was a stoppie! He did throw the tire warmer on the bagger for a couple minutes before he gave it a go to help out. At least the air temp was up over 50F at that point.

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As a former MSF RiderCoach for both the Basic RiderCourse and the Advanced RiderCourse, I have heard countless times students proclaim “my bike can’t do that” when riders are attempting an exercise or maneuver with which they were struggling. Yeah, sorry folks - it’s not the bike and Teach McNeil is the proof. Watching the spectacular stunts was fun for sure, while Miriam sat directly in Teach’s path of travel, my son Keenan and I observed from the sidelines in awe. Some of the skills that really impressed me may not have been the most show-worthy. In fact, they may have been easy to miss if you weren’t looking. For example, when warming up the bagger for the first couple passes, Teach repeatedly locked the front wheel up,

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holding the front tire skid for five or more feet at a time. I’m sorry but even for a skilled rider, a front tire lockup for even a few inches, is typically followed by an expensive collaboration between plastic and metal parts of the bike and the pavement.

Following the show, we had a chance to thank him and talk shop a bit before heading out on our new rides. Miriam noted that on one pass while doing a power donut right next to her, he actually tapped the lens of her camera with the saddle bag. I think with practice, he could change one of the settings on her camera. Interestingly, he doesn’t really ride on the road, just track days and dirt.

If you have a chance check out the video linked in his Instagram profile @teachmcneil, it’s an impressive short production that really captures his passion.

He’ll also be at DirtDaze in NH on August 19. dirtdazerally.com ,

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Page 43 “Ugh, you mean that place like Kansas? Like Texas’ little brother? Like tornadoes and … well, you know, that place like Kansas?”

Nope! I’m talking about Oklahoma, that place where the willing wanderer finds solitude, warm hospitality, and a surprising diversity of landscapes. At just over 400 miles wide, adventure riders traveling through Oklahoma can experience a microcosm of America’s diverse geography in one fell swoop.

Of course, Oklahoma has an assortment of prairies and plains, but there’s much more than just an endless sea of waving grasses and wildflowers. Visitors can find blindingly white salt flats in the northwest portion of the state along with the rolling sand dunes of Little Sahara in the west-central region.

Red rock canyon country bleeds into the panhandle from Colorado while swamp lands bleed up from Louisiana and Texas into the southeast corner of the state.

Steven Maichak Alaska, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming. These seven states encompass America’s pinnacle of adventure riding destinations.

California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and New Mexico round out the second-tier states. In short, the west is the best.

These 12 states all rank in the top 18 in terms of total land area and offer massive swaths of public land for your riding enjoyment. The 11 of them found in the lower 48 combine for a contiguous area of more than 1.17 million square miles. To say there’s adventure lurking out there would be an understatement.

But that’s not what this article is about. Instead, this article is aimed at identifying a state often overlooked and less appreciated for its ability to incite a sense of adventure. What state is it? Oklahoma! Yep, I’ll say it again more slowly in case you thought I misspoke. O-kla-ho-ma.

I already know what you’re thinking:

Unbeknownst to many, Oklahoma actually houses four distinct mountain ranges. The ambitious traveler would do well to visit all of them as they are all unique.

The ancient Arbuckle range in the south-central portion of the state is one of the oldest ranges in the world. The Ozark range in the northeast offers more clear and cold spring-fed streams than can be counted. The rugged terrain of the Wichita range in the southwest boasts some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the state. And the densely wooded Ouachitas in the southeast emulate the endless rolling landscape of Appalachia.

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Water, water everywhere! A member of the ‘prairie pothole’ region, Oklahoma boasts of thousands of miles of freshwater shoreline. Ponds, rivers, and reservoirs abound, so you’ll be hard pressed to find yourself in a place without a water source at your disposal.

Though public land is not nearly as contiguous as those states west of the Great Plains, Oklahoma does have 85 wildlife management areas, 50 state parks, 1 national historic site, 1 national wildlife area, 2 national recreation areas, and 5 national wildlife refuges. In other words, you’ll have no problem piecing together a travel route to fit your fancy.

Naturalists will be overjoyed with the diversity of wildlife available for viewing. Oklahoma sits at the intersection of the central flyway; the convergence of cold fronts descending off the Rockies from the northwest and the warm, moist winds drifting up from the gulf coast; and the transition from the high precipitation climate of the eastern U.S. to the drier climate of the western states. With enough topography to lend way to a wide assortment of ecoregions, Oklahoma is rich with flora and fauna from both halves of the lower 48. No other state has the potential for you to see wild alligators, bison, and bull sharks. That’s right, I said bull sharks. Look it up.

Generally speaking, Oklahomans are a hospitable bunch, so there’s no need to be shy. If you’re not careful you might just get roped into a backyard barbecue for much longer than you’d prefer. Just be prepared to “Thunder Up” and talk about college football.

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The best times to ride through the state are in late spring and late fall. Winter is known to produce sleet storms with the type of coldness that bites your bones whereas the high humidity during summer can be suffocating. Spring time is often very rainy, making many roads prone to flooding. The summer heat can occasionally persist through Halloween, but more often than not it’s comfortable riding weather around then. I recommend timing your travels for mid-May through the end of June or early October through early November. Your odds of comfortable and predictable riding weather will be best during those periods.

My top tips for enjoyment: Accept y’all as a proper contraction. We might be country, but we ain’t hicks.

Bring a wind-breaker. You’ll be glad you did.

Pray you get to experience a proper thunderstorm if you come in the spring.

There’s no natural spectacle quite like feeling the reverberations of a booming thunder clap.

BACKROADS • JUNE 2021 Bring your insect repellent if visiting during the spring or summer. The mosquitoes, ticks, and chiggers can be overwhelming.

Pack a travel size fishing pole. Catch-and-cook camping opportunities await you around every bend.

Get up early for the sunrises and stay up late for the sunsets. The flat terrain across most of the state means they both last seemingly forever and produce the most brilliant pinks, reds, and oranges you’ll ever see.

Get your kicks on historic Route 66. Specifically, Pops is an iconic diner to get a bite to eat and piece together your own custom six pack of…pops.

All things considered, I’m confident you’ll be calling adventure riding’s hidden gem, the Sooner State, Oklahome-a by the end of your travels. The diversity of landscapes, experiences, and riding opportunities means all riders can find something they’ll enjoy. There’s really only one thing to know: the sooner you get there, the sooner the fun can begin. ,

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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 Suddenly there was a gravity storm.

Dressed for Winter?

During the summer of last year, I had a comment passed to me from another rider at a local motorcycle gathering. As we walked from the counter, after ordering a goodly portion of burgers, fries, and shakes (always keeping an eye on our figures) I heard one other rider comment on our Aerostich suits, as they surely look like they might have been made from JPL or NASA. For sure it was a hot and humid evening, like what will be coming our way in a few weeks.

What he said was, more or less, “Wow, why are you guys dressed for winter?” I have gotten tired of riders who pass comments like this – while they are dressed in a black t-shirt, chaps, and fingerless gloves. I am certainly not one to judge, but…I have this column so I can and I will.

Riding with proper gear is not just smart… it is smarter.

This is a big conversation that I have had many, many times with riders who actually ride and think about the pros and cons, compared to motorcycle owners who ride if it is only sunny, warm, and a happy Sunday afternoon.

Case in point #1 Several years ago I was part of a massive crash in Romania. Well, not me - but worse – Shira, who was bluetoothed to my helmet.

Nothing was as scary as hearing her suddenly slide on a wet spot and hit the ground and yowls of pain and, as she high-sided… luckily to one side and her bike stopped just a yard from a 200-foot drop.

In five decades of motorcycle riding, I have never seen a street-rider high-side – this is usually reserved for MotoGP rides and the like.

It is violent, crazy, and very, very damaging.

But, no – she had to prove she could do this.

No suit could protect the injury she ended up with – a torn inner tendon to her thigh and a bruise on her leg that looked like a piece of charcoal. She was on crutches or a cane for 10 days, through Greece and Turkey.

Years later she stated at Monkey with a Gun, that she never hit her face in this incident.

It was easy for me to reach up and pull the shield off the deer antlers in the Tiki Bar and say… ‘Really?’ The gouge on the lexan ran down the entire front of the shield and helmet.

When things like this happen – they happened very quickly.

Case in point #2 Heck, I was not even on the motorcycle, but walking along the western shore of the Mississippi River.

We had just parked and I scooted across the River Road to get a nice image of both Honda machines – the Gold Wing and NC 750X – but as I went to hop the rocks back to the hotel, 62-year old BS happened and I caught a bit of rock at the top.

The trip and fall were not graceful, by any means. But my Aerostich saved my sorry butt from, at the very least, cuts and bruises and, at the worst, journey-ending bone breakage.

Thank you, Andy!

These days many riders I know have added another tool in their defensive wear - Inflatable vests and jackets.

There are several brands and styles out there, but these all basically work in the same way. When an incident happens, these jackets deploy in 0.25 seconds and their job is to shield the neck, chest, back, sides, and hips from a violent impact. We did a Product Spotlight on Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 which is considered the bench-mark by many riders and professional racers.

Tech-Air 5 is a slim, self-contained wearable airbag vest that can be worn under any proper fitting textile jacket, Tech-Air compatible jacket or any leather jacket with 4 cm of space around the circumference of the rider’s chest. Alpinestars’ algorithm has been developed by using MotoGP race data and data from over 2,000 lab-simulated crash scenarios to determine when and how the system deploys. The Tech-Air 5 System has six integrated sensors (3 gyroscopes and 3 accelerometers) that continuously monitor the rider’s position.

The Tech-Air 5 system has Bluetooth connectivity to pair with the Tech-Air App, which uses the rider’s phone to display the system’s operational status, battery status and provide a detailed analysis of a ride. Firmware updates are also provided through the Tech-Air App. Other inflatable vests and jackets, like Helite, work on a tethered system with a coiled cord attached to the bike and deploy instantly when you and your machine part ways. The Helite is worn over your riding jacket so space cushioning is not a consideration.

None of these jackets and gear come cheap. But you never know when ‘your day’ is arriving. Don’t dress for the winter, but always dress for the fall. ,

BACKROADS • JUNE 2021

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UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR JUNE 2021 12-20 • Laconia Motorcycle Week, Laconia, NH • Often referred to as the Oldest National Motorcycle Rally, these roots reach back to the summer of 1916, when a Gypsy Tour gathered for several days at Weirs Beach on the southern shores of Lake Winnipesaukee • www.LaconiaMCWeek.com 13 • BACKROADS 120 to benefit Benny’s Bodega. Join us as we help stock the shelves of Benny’s Bodega. Their mission is to offer an alternative solution to the ongoing issue of famileis not having their basic needs met. We have a 120-mile ride through scenic Sussex and Warren counties in NJ. Start/Drop Off donations: R&T Nautilus Fitness, 190 Halsey Rd, Newton, NJ. Donuts and coffee available. Endsite; Jumboland, 438 Route 206, Branchville, NJ. Some items on the wish list include: Hygiene Items (deodorant, body wash/soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc) Cleaning Items (laundry detergent, dish soap, sponges, garbage bags, etc) Non-perishable Food (cereal, mac n’ cheese, snack packs, canned goods, etc) Baby Supplies (diapers, wipes, baby food, etc) • Of course, cash is always accepted. You can find out more @ BennysBodega.com. Downloads available here: GPX download: www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/dk46vh • Printed route: www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/yg02nc 16 • Rutt’s Hut ‘Ripper’ Old Bike Night Ride-In Show sponsored by Bergen HarleyDavidson. All calssics 1996 and older welcome. Entries arrive between 5-6:30pm. Rain 24-27 • Thunder in the Valley Motorcycle Rally, Johnstown, PA. All Bikes Welcome! For full details visit: johnstownthunder.com • 800-237-8590 24-27 • BMW MOA International Rally, Great Falls, Montana • www.BMWMOA.org

JULY 2021

What’s Happening lean into the unknown, to slay dragons and snakes, and to play the Game of Roads. • Visit BMWRA.org for info and to register.

16-18 • BACKROADS SUMMER SQUEEZE. We’re heading back to West Dover, VT for a few days of kickin’ back and riding new and old familiar roads. Watch for details on our rally site: www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html and Facebook page 20-22 • Progressive IMS Outdoors • Goebbert’s Farm, Pingree Grove, IL. The newly rebranded tour, previously known as the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows (IMS), will provide exciting hands-on experiences. Tickets go on sale April 22 and more details will be available then • motorcycleshows.com

SEPTEMBER 2021 3-5 • Progressive IMS Outdoors • Brooklyn Army Terminal, Brooklyn, NY. The newly rebranded tour, previously known as the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows (IMS), will provide exciting hands-on experiences. Tickets go on sale May 13 and more details will be available then • motorcycleshows.com 6-16 • SheADV/Women’s Motorcyclist Foundation Inc. DIRTY for GOOD Adventure Rider Training/Fundraising Tour with Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route.

For further details visit womensmotorcyclistfoundation.org • email Sue.Slate@ womensmotorcyclistfoundation.org or text Sue @ 585-415-8230 for a return call.

10-12 • Progressive IMS Outdoors • Carlisle Fairgrounds, Carlisle, PA. The newly rebranded tour, previously known as the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows (IMS), will provide exciting hands-on experiences. Tickets go on sale May 13 and more details will be available then • motorcycleshows.com 17-19 • BMW MOA Getaway at Sugarbush, Warren, VT • BMWMOA.org

24 • 24th Annuyal Kids and Cancer Motorcycle Benefit Run. Sign in: Zippo/Case Visitors Center • 9-11:45am. 120 mile mapped route through the beautiful mountains of scenic northwestern Pennsylvania and the Allegheny National Forest, event pins to first 500 participants, awards + door prizes, raffle tickets available for purchase. $25/ pp. More info and registration form: kidsandcancerbenefitrun.com

20-21 • CLASS returns to Virginia International Raceway, VA and BACKROADS will be heading back once again. Plan to improve your skill with some of the best instructors in the business at one of the nicest facilities around. Follow us on Facebook or check our Rally webpage for more details on travel to and from the track. To book your space visit CLASSRides.com • Reservations at VIR virnow.com/lodging.

23-25 • 5th Annual Soggy Bottom MotoFest, Port Matilda, PA. 3-Day Adventure and Dual Sport Rally. Registration includes 4 ADV/Dual Sport rides with GPS files, 5 meals (beer included), live music, event t-shirt, vendors. On-site camping available with hot water showers. Registration available online now: www.kissellmotorsports.com

21-25 • NEW AMERICADE DATES. America’s Largest Touring Rally brings the 38th Annual Americade to the Fall, with the great Adirondack foliage and cooler temps.

Make your plans to join the gathering of the annual ride to Lake George • Questions?

518-798-7888 • www.americade.com

30-8/1 • BMW MOA Getaway at Skytop, PA • BMWMOA.org • 864-438-0962

25-26 • 2nd Annual Fall Foliage Tour of the Mountains sponsored by Bradford County Tourism and Canton Lions Club. Enjoy a weekend of beautiful riding in the Pennsylvania mountains to benefit local charities. 200+ miles over two days includes great scenery, historic stops, lunch and a poker run. See full details @ tourarmeniapa.org

AUGUST 2021 12-15 • BMW RA ‘Game of Roads’ National Rally, Waynesville, NC • They come to this quiet valley nestled in smoky mountains to learn from sages and magicians, to outfit their steeds with glistening new farkles, to renew bonds with old compatriots, and to make new ones. But most of all, they come to ride, to feel the curvature of the earth, to

30-10/3 • Horizons Unlimited Virginia Travellers Meeting, Holiday Lake 4-H Camp, Appomattox, VA. For seasoned travellers or complete novices. For full details and registration, visit www.horizonsunlimited.com/events/virginia-2021

OCTOBER 2021 8-10 • Progressive IMS Outdoors • James L. Ward Agriculture Ctr, Lebanon, TN. The newly rebranded tour, previously known as the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows (IMS), will provide exciting hands-on experiences. Tickets go on sale April 22 and more details will be available then • motorcycleshows.com 29-31 • Progressive IMS Outdoors • Georgia Int’l Horse Park, Conyers, GA. The newly rebranded tour, previously known as the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows (IMS), will provide exciting hands-on experiences. Tickets go on sale May 13 and more details will be available then • motorcycleshows.com