FREE WHEELIN
Point Missed
As a constant creator of drivel, bunkum, crock, and overt blatherskite, I still am often flabbergasted when I am reminded that my words were read, digested, but then deserved comment.
Even if 99% of the letters, messages, and discussions were totally off the mark on the point of an article. So as not to confuse this tommyrot as well, I am referring to a Welcome to the Jungle safety column titled Retire
There was a huge mis-read on this article, which was really about changing your tires voluntarily, rather than having the issue forced upon you. If it were just the words we’re discussing now, I might be okay with the lack of interpretation, but for the 3.5 X 4.5 inch image of two Dunlop Mutant tires.
The repeated feedback was “Good for you, Brian. For admitting you are getting older, and dodgier, and maybe a smaller bike, or no bikes would be a good thing for you.”
Hmmm. What? Sorry. Nah, that ain’t happening anytime soon.
What I think was happening here is what people who have diplomas and letters after their names call Confirmation Bias. Basi cally, it means the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs or theories.
Regardless of what an article was really about, you consider it and understand it to be about what has been on your mind, maybe for a good while.
In this case, a good number believed this article was about facing the facts that, as we grow older, our skills, reactions, and overall strength take a whackin’ from Father Time - Dat bastard.
So, for those of you who thought this about that, here is an assignment for you. Go reread it. It was about tires.
But, while we are talking about motorcycles and growing old, let us stick around this chapter in our lives and talk about it a bit. One thing I know, for a fact, is that motorcycles keep us young.
We have all heard the saying “you are only as old as you think.” Which one of you has finished an excellent ride, and then gotten off the bike, not thinking better, more alert, and happier? Younger.
Yup, a good ride can be the road to a great day.
But… there is that gnawing darkness that hovers just beyond all this ‘feel good’ blah blah. Some hidden succubus that stalks us, and slowly drains our riding skills, our youth, and vitality.
Oh, you can put up a fight against this, and you should.
Some of us do.
Better living habits – and focused exercise will let you put up a better defense, but the reality is that even the best of us will eventually falter a bit.
Since so many have thought Retire was about my own motorcycle mortality, I will be honest here and say that I see things changing. Seeing – for one. I have eagle eyes for distance,
Continued on Page 9
BRIAN RATHJEN
WHATCHATHINKIN’
Justin Case
Space and distance. We’ve covered that in these pages and many a safety instructor has preached about the importance of keeping a good distance from the riders around you. Whether you are riding with one other or a group, keeping at least a couple of bike-lengths away from everyone should be the norm. I’ve taken part in quite a few large group rides, usually charity events, where there are all levels of riders – from newbies to veterans – and will almost always try to get in the front of the pack, as one never knows the riding habits of those attending.
close to each other. I always think of the poor soul trying to get home, to work, or anywhere and hoping they are not in any emergency.
As the ride exited the highway, we heard ‘that’ noise and were told that this ‘rider’ had taken the exit badly and crashed the bike. Luckily he, and those around him, were not badly hurt but this shows two things, at least – don’t get on a motorcycle (or horse/ostrich/bull/etc.) without the proper equipment and knowledge, and keep your distance.
Was that a bear cub? A rolling garbage can?
I asked Brian if he had just hit something and realized…… shit, that was his saddlebag which popped off the RT!
One such ride, attracting hundreds of motorcycles which traversed both highway and surface streets, had a family member of the recipient of the charity donation mounting a motorcycle, most likely not theirs, wearing stylish non-riding clothes including a lovely pair of Gucci loafers. You’ve seen these escorted rides blocking traffic, with bunched up riders way too
There are certainly situations which call for keeping a close pack, such as trying to get through a crowded urban area or city without having to stop and wait constantly or, worse, lose one of the pack. On some of our overseas excursions, especially when we are in a country of unknown language (to us) like Japan in 2025 and without a GPS to follow that purple line, we stick like glue to the leader. We certainly don’t want to be ‘that person’ who holds up everyone else by missing lights or making wrong turns.
For the most part, Brian and I ride together and, also for the most part, Brian will be in front, as I am always concerned of my pace and being directionally challenged, even with the aid of the GPS. When we do ride with others, usually on a Backroads’ event, I might take up the rear for these reasons as well or simply because I do have the route and can pick up any wandering souls.
On a recent spring ride, we were heading out on a great loop ride I put together to the Oldwick General Store. Brian, on the BMW R1300RT which still graced our stable and I on my trusty, now classic, Honda 919. It was a lovely day, and the roads we traversed were some of the better ones through New Jersey’s Sussex, Warren and Hunterdon counties. As we rode, we pointed out to each other the budding of nature and other sites one can take in while riding. We passed the Snowmobile Museum, sadly now permanently closed, on a particularly beautiful and twisty stretch of road, and made a right past the very large and lush fields where some equally beautiful horses graze. This is large, open country and I’ve always thought it would be the perfect spot to watch a meteor shower, full moon or be abducted by those not from this earth.
We continued, and the trees grew closer to the road. I was hanging back, breathing in the warm air and just having a wonderful ride, when something large and dark crossed my path. Was that a bear cub? A rolling garbage can? I asked Brian if he had just hit something and realized…… shit, that was his saddlebag which popped off the RT! I urgently told him, which elicited an expected ‘OH SHIT’ back. He made the u-turn back to the slightly dinged but otherwise whole bag and did his stomping and primal scream to release the frustration, then firmly and deliberately reattached it, checking it at least half a dozen times to make sure it truly was sitting properly.
As we continued, we discussed this and both agreed that yes, it truly sucked but…
It was just the bag and nothing else happened to the motorcycle
As one would say, ‘that’ll buff out’
I was behind him and saw that the bag came off I was keeping a good distance back so was not affected by the depth charge
There are many reasons to keep your distance when riding with other, and with this, it was just in case. ,
ON THE MARK
The 200 Beer Bike
Thursdays are bike nights at the Corn Fed Choppers clubhouse. They are supposed to be “shop nights,” where people work on their machines, but more often than not, very little work gets done. Sometimes Chef Carl has the grill or smoker going and he’s preparing something delicious that he’s been marinating all day. “Chopper Daddy” Ryan has done racks of ribs in a device that looks suspiciously like it might have been a 55-gallon oil drum. Sometimes it’s just hotdogs from the roller in the corner, or maybe a pizza delivery. Frequently, there’s nothing to eat, but some of the boys like to have a malt libation or two. Their favorite is currently a product that claims to be “low carb.” I try to contribute to the event, so I’ll text Chopper Daddy and ask if they need any supplies before I go over. Most of the time the message will come back “We’re good” but occasionally he will say the fridge needs a transfusion, so I’ll stop and get a mix of the low-carb brew, some sodas, and a couple of those boxes of assorted chips designed for moms who pack lots of lunches. My favorite of the latter is the 42-pack that includes two kinds of Cheetos. Honey-roasted peanuts are another of our favorites. It’s a small price to pay to share some of Chop Daddy and Chef Carl’s BBQ creations. The other night, I was riding the V-Strom and checking out a new set of riding gear when I made the store run. The guy at the store said I looked like a spaceman in the Gore-tex
getup and flip-front helmet, which is probably true. I run a big, metal top case on the V-Strom and large, soft saddlebags, so I got a 30-pack of suds (we have at least half that many souls at the gathering). It turns out that the 30-pack more than fits in my top case, with room for sodas. The side bags will swallow quite a few sodas, suds, and snacks too.
Let me set the stage for my arrival at the clubhouse: there I was, riding what may be the only Suzuki V-Strom in the county, pulling up at a place where hardtail Harley choppers are the vast majority of bikes and denim and leather are the uniforms, wearing what to all intents and purposes was a nylon space suit. To say that a few people looked askance at me is putting it mildly. The regulars weren’t all that surprised, but a few of the infrequent visitors gave me the evil eye. I got off and called to one of the more evileyed dudes and said, “Can you help me out here?” He reluctantly sauntered over, whereupon I opened the top case and handed him the 30-pack. Suddenly, the Suzuki Spaceman wasn’t such a bad guy after all!
It was kind of like in “Alice’s Restaurant” when Arlo Guthrie talks about how the guys on the Group W bench moved away from him when he said he was arrested for littering, but buddied up again when he said, “And creating a public nuisance.” That led to some interesting conversations, as none of the hardtails has any luggage, and the crew was curious as to the potential carrying capacity of my machine. I could see the wheels turning in their minds, imagining a high-capacity beer mule at the next big cookout or campout.
Mentally, I was transported back into the movie “Cool Hand Luke,” where Luke declares that he can eat 50 eggs, except my personal claim to insanity was saying “I bet this bike can hold 200 beers.” The reaction to that claim was about the same as the inmates’ reactions to the egg challenge and there was an immediate hubbub and side bets being
Continued on Page 9
INDUSTRY INFOBITES
GOD SPEED CLEMENT SALVADORI
Were there a Moto-Journalist’s Hall of Fame, Clement Salvadori would be a shoo-in. As a veteran, raconteur, author, and beloved columnist, he commanded a writing stage that few could match. Clement passed away on May 1st at his home in Atascadero, California, in his garage with his motorcycles at hand. A towering figure in the motorcycle world, Salvadori’s insightful prose graced numerous magazines, a monthly column in Rider, and occasionally found here in Backroads as well. He also authored several books, most notably travel guides for exploring Baja by motorcycle. His career was underpinned by a remarkable life: a Harvard graduate and a Green Beret who served during the Vietnam era.
He recently had his 86th birthday, and his beloved wife Sue passed somewhat unexpectedly a few months ago. He had been dealing with the usual issues of aging, and seemingly went quickly. Clement was a good friend and supporter of Backroads for many years. We here at Backroads are terribly saddened by this news. Motojournalism will never be the same.
DUCATI GETS STAMPOF APPROVAL
On the occasion of its Centenary, Ducati is being celebrated by the Italian State with a special stamp dedicated to the history, vision and achievements that have made the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer a global benchmark in the motorcycle industry. The issue is part of the thematic series“Excellence of the Production System and Made in Italy”dedicated to companies that have made a significant contribution to the Country’s development and innovation.
The official presentation took place on Thursday 9 April in the Sala degli Arazzi of Palazzo Piacentini, headquarters of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, in the presence of Undersecretary of State for Philately, Fausta Bergamotto.
“2026 represents an extraordinary milestone for Ducati, embodying one
hundred years of history, passion and expertise”saidClaudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati, during the ceremony.“Made in Italy is part of our identity: a way of working that combines tradition and innovation and has enabled us to establish a distinctive vision of technology, design, and performance on the international stage. A journey that today receives further recognition through institutional initiatives such as this one, for which we would like to express our gratitude to Minister Adolfo Urso and the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy.”
CARMICHAELCROWNED HOLESHOT KINGIN NASHVILLE
Supercross GOAT, Ricky Carmichael, delivered an unforgettable moment in the heart of downtown Nashville on Friday, April 10th, as the victor of Jeremy McGrath’s Holeshot King Challenge, which shut down historic Broadway and brought thrilling motocross drag-racing directly to music and racing fans alike. In front of a reported 90,000 plus spectators, legendary motocross racers launched head-to-head down Music City’s main drag, in a high energy bracket-style competition under the neon lights.
Jeff Stanton and Ivan Tedesco also competed
on Triumph motorcycles, further representing the brand in an all-star lineup that included some of the most iconic names in Supercross and Motocross history. Each launch echoed through Broadway as fans packed the sidewalks, balconies, and storefronts to witness pure start speed competition in an unprecedented urban setting.
Closing one of the most famous streets in America for a motorcycle race, Holeshot King delivered a powerful showcase for sport of Supercross, and positioned Triumph squarely in front of dedicated racing fans alongside a massive mainstream audience, experiencing the sights, sounds, and smell of the sport up close.
MORE DUCATI NEWS…BOB’SIS NOWA DUCATI DEALER
Over the past two years, many have already seen the exciting evolution of Bob’s Motorcycles. For those who may be new, Bob’s BMW Motorcycles
Wanamakers General Store presents GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN
oldWiCk General store
57 old turnPike road, oldWiCk, nJ 08858 908-572-7275 • theoldwickgeneralstore.com
The first great World War was not in the early 20th century, but more than 150 years earlier when British troops, under the command of a young colonel named Washington, a commander in the ill-fated Braddock expedition, opened fire on French and native troops; the first shot on what would become a world war, as wherever the French and British ran into each other, mayhem and battle followed.
In the middle of all this, in 1760, just east of what was called the West River, now known as the Delaware, in the rolling farm fields of Tewksbury, the Oldwick General Store began doing business.
It was a gathering place for the locals and farmers, who were spread wide across this part of New Jersey. Here, local residents gathered and bartered farm produce like eggs, butter, and apples for items like sugar, flour, or rice. It still has an historic feel.
Some twenty years ago, a young 4th-grade student named JakeDylan Mitchell Ressler penned an essay called The Most Historic Place in My Town, The Oldwick General Store: When you walk along the worn floorboards of the Oldwick General Store, you are walking through more than two centuries of American history. The store in the Oldwick section of
tasty places to take your
Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, was built in 1750. It is hard to imagine that George Washington might have visited the General Store. The original owner’s name was Godfrey Reinhardt. Mr. Reinhardt lived on one side of the building and sold dry goods on the other. In those days, customers bartered and did not use money. Instead, they used their farm produce like eggs, butter, and apples, and traded them for items like sugar, flour, or rice. All the local farmers listed their products in the General Store Ledger and used them to barter for Mr. Reinhardt’s goods. In the 1700’s, there was no money to pay for things in Oldwick or refrigeration to keep food fresh. That’s why Mr. Reinhardt could only trade dry goods.
In the early days of the General Store, Oldwick was called New Germantown. Immigrants from the Palatine region of Germany settled here. Queen Anne of England was a friend to German Lutherans. In the 1700s, the Queen helped them escape persecution in Germany and come to America. A large community settled here in the hills of Tewksbury and Long Valley. The General Store was the first commercial building in New Germantown on the corner of Church Street (now King Street), where it remains today.
The General Store has gone through many changes over the past 250 years. But you can still see old shoes hanging from the original
BACKROADS • JUNE 2026
ceiling beams and walk along the eighteenth-century floor. Looking at it from the outside, you might easily think you were back in the good old days.
Fine job by a young man.
These days, the Oldwick General Store retains all that charm, and seems to be a magnet for horsepower, as we have always arrived on motorcycles, and there always seems to be a high-end Corvette, Lotus, Porsche, or some such sexy vehicle parked in their lot.
In the front, blanketed by a modern brick walkway, the store still hangs the old wooden general store signage.
Inside the place is still how young Jake described, with wide wooden plank floors and large comfortable wooden tables scattered in a number of rooms and seating areas. Along the walls, large windows let light pour in, allowing for a most comfortable and country-like feel.
Up front, you will find fresh-baked goodies and a coffee station with some wonderful Joe. The open-air kitchen is casually tucked to the side, as a lot of us love to see our meals being created.
On a sunny and perfect day, you can take a seat outside, on the large stonefloored deck, and there is also a seasonal ice cream shop, which will necessitate a return for Shira.
The Oldwick General Store, open daily from 7 am till 4 pm (3 pm on Sunday) serves breakfast and lunch – and let us tell you some of the offerings from both.
Earlier in the day, you will find a number of omeletty creations – the Matador, the Smokey Mountain, the Garden, and Fungi. On the breakfast sandwich side of things, pork belly, eggs, pepper
Continued on Page 30
Warren County Tourism presents BIG CITY GETAWAY
JerMyn, Pennsylvania the BirthPlaCeoF First aidin aMeriCa
As caring and responsible riders, we probably all have some sort of first aid kit with us when we ride. Right?
Oh, okay… maybe you don’t. But if you have room, you would be surprised at how even a minimal first aid kit can be helpful if things go sideways. It is not just the things that can happen when we ride, but also in day-to-day life. Having a first aid kit is good. Having practical first aid knowledge can be life-changing. Imagine you’re walking down the street, and someone collapses in front of you. Would you know what to do? If you were trained, you could, hopefully, keep someone alive until professionals arrive, preventing a bad situation from getting worse. Without intervention, many emergencies turn fatal within minutes, but with quick, correct action, survival rates soar. Maybe taking a first aid course is a good idea.
But let us talk about how and where all this started. Let us tell you about a town in the coal belt of Pennsylvania called Jermyn.
Jermyn is a town located on the Lackawanna River, about a dozen miles northeast of Scranton. It was a tiny burg, just another small, old
daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind
coal town, that saw its heyday a century back.
But, as with most places, they have history, and what happened in Jermyn would change the lives of thousands of people. In fact, right now, at this very second somewhere, what happened in Jermyn is changing someone’s story, and life for the better.
In the 18th century, coal fed our nation’s industrial revolution, and was the main fuel to heat homes. The mining of the hundreds of coal mines throughout the United States was a very dangerous business, with an average of 2,000 + deaths each year back then. Many of these fatalities could have been avoided if medical help had been on hand.
One man saw the need for quick and life-saving help, and did something about it… and the rest is life-saving history.
Jermyn is known as “The Birthplace of First Aid in America,” for it was here that the nation’s first training class on first aid took place. On October 25, 1899, Dr. Shields conducted the first training class on First Aid in America at the Windsor Hotel, believing that many lives could be spared with quick, efficient medical care until a physician could reach the mine. In attendance were just 25 miners of the Jermyn Coal Colliery. Money (.25 cents) was collected and set aside for supplies and manuals.
As we said, back in the day, coal was king, and most of the families in the
region had more than a few members down in these dangerous, and many times fatal, mines each day.
Once the course was completed, a first aid team was organized, and each of the miners was prepared to render aid to injured miners. This led to decreases in serious mining injuries and fatalities.
Unfortunately for numerous coal miners, a “silent killer” called black lung disease was caused by inhaling coal dust over time, and this resulted in the untimely deaths of many former miners.
Still, most ‘injuries’ that occurred in these anthracite coal mines were from falls, and that was the case for the first accident to be treat ed by the new first aid manuals and supplies.
The industry, and the nation, took notice, and began creating of laws and guidelines for safer workplaces all over the country.
Dr. Shields authored the original first aid textbook the next year in 1900. The American Red Cross recognized his efforts and selected him to teach industrial first aid under the Red Cross organization from 1910 to 1917, thus launching a national first aid movement.
Accidents still happen, but the number of fatalities has plummeted to around 30 today. This is because today we mine smarter, with more modern techniques and automation.
Yet it was this one man, in one small PA burg, that started it all, and there is even a World First Aid Day, celebrated the second Saturday of Septem-
In 1947, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission placed a historical marker in dedicated to Dr. Matthew Shields, which is located on U. S. Business Route 6 in Jermyn, near the intersection with Pennsylvania Route 107. ,
presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTERIOUS AMERICA
useoF deadly ForCe authorized
There is little doubt that something is going on in the vast deserts outside of Las Vegas, NV. Perhaps our own experimental aircraft, maybe ‘their’ finished, trans-dimensional craft. (pay attention to that, kids…) Whatever… something very cool and cutting-edge flies around in the Nevada air. This month’s Mysterious America is not a museum or historical marker, but rather the story as told to me by publishers Rathjen and Kamil, while they were under deep agave-induced hypnosis. You can believe this or not. Here is their story.
New Years 1999-2000
We had been spending some time with our friends, Cheryl and George Pentz, riding out of Vegas, and having a New Year’s Eve dinner at the Little A’Le’Inn in Alamo. That night, we rode the twenty miles or so to the tiny motel at which we would overnight, under stars that seemed to stretch on forever. Glancing up, we wondered if we were truly alone in this universe. The next day was not just any New Year’s Day – but the beginning of a new millennium, and Y2K Day as well.
Would the world end?
The next day saw that all seemed well with the world, and I had a plan for the morning.
My friend George is an amazing guy, and as brave as they come. The only man I know who has actually faced down a lion. But, George, who is a licensed pilot, wanted nothing to do with my ideas for the morning. He valued his pilot’s license too much and felt that this incursion, as I had planned, would jeopardize that. They’d meet us later back in Sin City.
We pointed our Gold Wing for the desert, along Route 375, the Extraterrestrial Highway, and we pulled up to the infamous “mailbox” where we’d be making a turn onto a long dirt road.
Groom Lake Road to Area 51.
It was early on New Year’s Day – most of the world was on alert for the Y2K Bug, but it seemed that nobody was anywhere near where we were this day in the desert. But we were wrong.
We rode along the narrow dirt road, through a couple of low, silt-filled pockets, which got the Gold Wing very unhappy.
Every ¼ mile or so, we could see a sort of metallic device on shiny metal poles along the road. I remember marveling as Lesser Nighthawks darted in and around us and the posts alongside the road. Knowing where we were supposed to be going, it was a bit surreal. We found out later that they were Qual-Tron magnetic or seismic sensors that detect magnetic signatures, vibrations, and heat, alerting security forces to approaching visitors. They were well aware of us; that, and the
cloud of dust the Honda was raising which could be seen by the Air Force Eyes in the Sky.
About 10 miles in, I began to wonder if we had not made an error in judgment. Wouldn’t be the first time. Then we saw the beat-up trailer along the road.
It seemed to be occupied, so we stopped, and I went to see if we were going in the right direction to the semi-secret, black-ops, don’t talk about it base, called Area 51.
As I walked up, the bashed aluminum door burst open. There was a sharp whistle, and a very large dog lunged out with great wrathfulness and indignation. I stumbled back, cat-like, and landed on my ass. Only a strong chain stopped him from having a New Jersey breakfast.
Right behind him was an equally cheerful man. A onearmed man. (Does anyone feel the Tommy Jones connection here?)
“What the hell do you want?” he queried with great wrathfulness and indignation.
the door.
I looked back at Shira, who was frozen in what I thought was great wrathfulness and indignation of her own, but was really a massive amount of WTF!?
A few miles later, we came up to “THE SIGN.”
“Umm,” I asked, getting up from the sand… “Hi… we’re looking for a semi-secret, black-ops, don’t talk about it base, called Area 51.”
“Down the road a few miles… good f’n luck.” He gave a short whistle, and the dog shot back in the trailer, and he slammed
I pointed him out to Shira. “Uh, oh.”
I had a thought, and told Shira to watch this.
I really did not know what I was expecting at the entrance to a semi-secret, black-ops, don’t talk about it base, called Area 51, but the sign did get our attention, and my Spidey-Sense went into overdrive. We were being watched. We got off the Gold Wing and approached the sign. There was a bunch of Government poetry, but it was the “Use of Deadly Force Authorized” verse that stopped us from going any further. Glancing around, my eyes followed up the side, and to the top of a large hill, maybe a 1/3 or a mile away, was a white Bronco and one lone man… armed with some serious binoculars, that could probably see from Pensacola all the way to Manhattan.
In a normal tone, no more than conversational volume, I said, “Good morning, sir…you can hear us, right?”
Continued on Page 30
WE’RE OUTTA HERE
BaBBlinG Brook CottaGes
258 silver lake rd, dinGMans Ferry, Pa 18328 570-828-9175 • babblingbrookcottages.com
According to Einstein, everything is relative, right? Each month, we endeavor to entice you into a little getaway. You could be with your best buddy, your riding friends, or just an escape for yourself – you lone wolf you.
Sometimes there are places that are really not all that far from your home base, and for that, maybe you only see them on your way to and from a more distant destination. What is down the road to us might be a day’s great ride for you. It’s relative. That could be the case here with Babbling Brook Cottages.
Backroads Central is just a long ridge and wide valley away from the Delaware River and one of the unique crossings that run across this historic waterway – Dingmans Ferry.
This crossing can trace its origins to 1735, when Dutch settler Andrew Dingman established a flat-boat ferry across the Delaware River, connecting what is now Bethany Pike (Route 739) in Pennsylvania to the Old Mine Road in New Jersey. The current three-span Baltimore truss bridge, constructed in1900, opened for traffic and remains in operation today. The bridge is privately owned, with owner-
a
ship passing through generations of the Perkins and Shook families. It is one of the last remaining privately owned toll bridges in the U.S., charging $2 per crossing; with toll-free passage for churchgoers, school children, and funeral processions. Some riders love it, some riders do not. We do.
On the Pennsylvania side of the river, as the road heads up towards the Appalachian Plateau and gains altitude, there are a number of wonderful roads to explore, and most offer a very sweet ride. Not far from the bridge, you can bear left onto Silver Lake Road, which truly snakes upward towards George Childs Park, with its magnificent waterfalls and hiking trails.
Not far from where you pick up Silver Lake Road, you will find our choice for this month’s We’re Outta Here… Babbling Brook Cottages.
This is a romantic place indeed – so maybe this month is more for you and your best buddy. Okay, maybe your riding friends (we are a judgment-free mag. Here, hidden along the edge of the Delaware River, surrounded by 80-foot pine trees, you will find five historic private cabins.
All five are designed as cozy, thoughtfully appointed cottages—offering a timeless retreat in the Pocono Mountains.
Open year-round, Babbling Brook Cottages is ideal for couples seeking a quiet escape, a romantic getaway, or simply a break from everyday life.
Exactly what this column is about, right? These cottages, some that date back to the 1930’s, have names like The Stargazer, Snugglers Notch, Fireside Pines, Bear Claw, and Toasted Marshmallow. Here you will find a superb hideaway, with cozy charm and modern accommodations with a happy rustic feel.
All cottages have AC/Heat with programmable thermostats, wi-fi over the entire property, cable for Smart TV, either full or kitchenette with microwave, coffee maker and other appliances at the ready to prepare your country meal. Your four-legged furry canine friend is welcome in four of the five cottages, but smoking and vaping are a no-go. That means you will have to forgo that after-dinner cigar – thank you. We all thank you..
The owners, Lamar & Terri, and Stella (160 lbs. of happy Great Dane), are “Certified Pocono Tourism Ambassadors” and will happily point you in the direction of some of the more natural and wonderful things to find in this still pristine region of the river valley. The northeast Poconos are steeped in deep history, have superb restaurants, and some of the best eagle watching in the nation. There are three waterfalls just a short walk from your cottage door in the spectacular George Childs Park. At night, simply sit back and watch the stars come out to play. There is a two-night minimum at Babbling Brook Cottages, which makes for a nice long weekend escape or, even better, mid-week, with weekdays starting at $195 a night, and weekends at $245 a night
Babbling Brook Cottages is an amazing getaway and well worth booking in advance, so plan your BBC escape now. ,
PierMont CreaMery
10 roundhouse rd, PierMont, ny 10968 • 85 s BroadWay, nyaCk, ny 10960
FindtheMon FaCeBookand instaGraM
As much as we all want to never hear the word ‘pandemic’ again, it still pops up relating to businesses that were brave enough to go through with their openings at that time. It was hard enough for established and prosperous shops to make it through this time, but to open your doors with no customer base, counting on a wing and a prayer besides all the hard work, determination and belief in your product that go along with that, one must have strong shoulders and sticktoitness.
Such was the case with Lorraine Li, who opened Piermont Creamery in October, 2019 in Piermont, NY. As I always say, there is no season for ice cream, it is always, but many shops do close down for the winter months, as did Piermont Creamery. When the doors reopened in March, 2020, they did not stay that way for very long. Lorraine’s mantra at this time was ‘one day at a time, one scoop at a time. Just stay in the present’. Having put her life savings into this shop, she initially survived by selling takeout orders and slowly opening to customers, giving them an opportunity to socialize. As the weather grew warmer, more and more people came out and, with luck, courage and vision, Piermont Creamery thrived and grew into the success it is today.
Born in Guangdong province in China, Lorraine immigrated to the United States with her family when she was 12. She grew up spending time in her family’s restaurants and, as an adult, decided to channel that knowledge into ice cream, a simpler option than a full-scale restaurant.
In 2021, Lorraine opened a second shop in Nyack and, in 2022, moved to the current location across from Flywheel Park, a perfect spot for ice cream as you walk the park or along the Hudson. Piermont is somewhat of a foodie town, and Lorraine saw the need for an ice cream shop, especially one that makes its own ice cream.
Lorraine has carved a niche in Piermont and Nyack with artisanal small-batch ice cream, churning up some exceptional flavors. Keeping things simple has worked well – starting with a base formula, changing the flavor and adding in the mixins. In addition, as you will smell when you enter the shop, she makes fresh waffle cones.
We discovered Piermont Creamery after a day of research and a stop at the 1776 House in Tappan, NY.
While enjoying the meal and surrounding history, I figured I’d see if there was any great ice cream nearby. As it happened, Piermont was a mere 2.5 miles to the east. It being one of the nicer days we’ve seen this spring, off we went for dessert.
Flywheel Park is so named, as you will see, for the flywheel prominently displayed. This flywheel was part of the Piermont Paper Company which operated in the early 1900s. Long story short (you can read the full story there) – when they demolished the factory to begin revitalization for Piermont Landing, the wrecking ball kept bouncing off the flywheel. It was finally decided to just leave it as a monument to Piermont’s industrial past.
In addition to the patrons of the park and the Hudson boardwalk, Piermont Creamery is frequented by hikers, bikers (of the peddle type) and daytrippers and now by Backroads’ readers. Lorraine has developed very loyal customers, many of whom scoop up pints at the end of her season (Lorraine – there is no ‘season’) to last them until reopening in spring.
The shop is bright, with a few seats right outside. We perused the blackboard outside to see what flavors were available this day – there are 20 offered daily on rotation – and I was immediately taken with Honey Fresh Ginger. Lorraine will happily give you a taste of whichever you’d like before making your decision. I did taste the Rum Raisin but ultimately opted for Honey Fresh Ginger and Butter Pecan. Brian was drawn to Strong Coffee and Irish Cream Chocolate Chip (not for kids).
We took a seat on the bench and struck up a conversation with a gentleman who rode in on a tandem bicycle – which we found out he used to take the blind for rides. It was a very snazzy bicycle indeed and used for a noble cause.
The ice cream was delicious; the honey ginger subtle, not overly sweet and a perfect consistency. The coffee was probably the best I have ever tasted – strong, creamy and just about perfect. I’m sure that any of Lorraine’s flavors would be just as satisfying, whether in a cup, cone or spun up into a milkshake.
Should you find yourself spinning up the Hudson on a beautiful summer’s day, make a point of vectoring towards Piermont, or Nyack, and have a taste for yourself. ,
I find it interesting that in such a short time, those with an open-mind about what has been an almost taboo subject, might finally be seeing themselves as the most unlikely folks saying… “See? I told you so!”
For me it has never been about wanting to believe, but rather to understand. Perhaps that day is coming sooner than we thought.
On June 12th, Steven Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day, will open around the planet. This sci-fi thriller explores a global crisis sparked by undeniable proof of extraterrestrial life. Starring Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor, the film focuses on characters uncovering an alien conspiracy while fighting against a government cover-up led by Colin Firth, which aims to keep the truth secret to prevent societal collapse.
Wait, the government trying to hide something?
In Rob Reiner’s A Few Good Men, Colonel Jessup loudly stated to Kaffee “You can’t handle the truth!”
I think we can, and we will. But what exactly is the truth?
In this special LP version of Mysterious America, we’ll try to see what it is we need to know, and if we can actually handle it.
Strange flying aircraft and visits from unusual, and different, creatures have been scattered through our history; take the book of Ezekiel, the stories of angels, demons and Nephilim. The ancient Indian stories of Vimanas, or the Aztec mythology of Quetzalcoatl – the modern age of what is now called The UAP, or Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, began soon after we lit off the first atomic bomb.
Maybe not a coincidence?
On June 24, 1947 a civilian pilot name Ken Arnold was flying near Mount Rainier in Washington state, when he had something a bit strange and a whole lot different cross his flight path. Nine objects, glowing bright bluewhite, flying in a “V” formation the mountain. He estimated the objects’ flight speed at 1700 mph and compared their motion to “a saucer if you skip it across water.” In newspaper reports of Arnold’s sighting, this description was mistakenly taken to mean that the objects were shaped like saucers, sadly leading to the popularization of the term “flying saucers.”
We know all the stories, and for decades they were just that…stories… but maybe not anymore.
The U.S. government said they would look into it and they started Project Sign, which was succeeded in 1949 by Project Grudge, which in 1952 became Project Blue Book, the longest running of the U.S. government’s official inquiries and equivocation into UFOs. Project Blue Book compiled reports of more than 12,000 UFO sightings or related events from 1952 to 1969. Of these, more than 90 percent were eventually classified as “identified,” meaning they were caused by a known astronomical, atmospheric or
artificial (man-made) phenomenon. Right.
The remaining number, approximately 6 percent, were “unidentified,” and included cases in which there was insufficient information to assign the event a known cause. Yup.
“I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.”
President Reagan said that… he was also the president who stated to the United Nations, “I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world.”
This was probably about as close as a sitting president has come to admitting what many already believe, until this X Post earlier this year:
“Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs)...” - President Donald J. Trump
Looking back at Arnold’s description today, “glowing bright blue-white, flying in a “V” formation,” it was spot on to what our U.S. Navy pilots are running into on an almost daily basis – the Tic Tac style craft that flies with a trans-medium capability. No wake. No boom. Air or ocean seems the same to these craft. They have different names… GoFast, FLIR or GIMBAL. They all out perform our very best.
Many in various world governments believe that “glow” is part of the field of energy that allows these objects to fly. Are they crafts, drones, something else – we officially do not know.
But, it is hardly a reach to say there are many who do know – and the overwhelming consensus from the high ranking officials is that it is “wild!”
Scattered around the northeast are places that highlight the UAP story. Some are known, some are waiting for you to discover.
Let’s take a ride down Mysterious America and see what, or who, we find.
The Shag Harbour Incident • Nova Scotia
On the night of October 4th, 1967 there were multitude sightings of strange orange lights in the sky. Most witnesses agreed that there were four orange lights that evening. The reports said that these lights suddenly dove at a 45-degree angle toward the water’s surface. The witnesses were surprised that the lights did not dive into the water, but seemed to float on the water, approximately one-half mile from the shore. Witnesses at first thought they were watching a tragic airplane crash, and quickly reported as much to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which was located at Barrington Pas-
sage. Coincidently, RCMP Constable Ron Pound had already witnessed the strange lights himself as he drove down Highway 3 in route to Shag Harbor. Pound felt that he was seeing 4 lights, all attached to one flying craft. He estimated the craft to be about 60 feet long. While being observed the craft submerge, and clearly saw a yellow light slowly moving through the water, leaving a yellowish foam in its wake. Coast Guard Cutter #101 and other local boats rushed to the spot of the sighting, but by the time they arrived, the light itself was gone. However, the crewmen could still see the yellow foam, indicating that something had possibly submerged. Nothing else could be found that night, and the search was called off at 3:00 AM.
The RCMP ran a traffic check with the Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax, and NORAD radar at Baccaro, Nova Scotia. They were told that there were no missing aircraft reported that evening, either civilian or military.
The object that dove into the waters of the harbor had soon left the Shag area, traveling underwater for about 25 miles to a place called Government
Point, which was near a submarine detection base. The object was spotted on sonar there, and Naval vessels were positioned over it. After a couple of days, the military was planning a salvage operation, when a second UFO joined the first. The common belief at the time was that the second craft had arrived to render aid to the first.
At this time, the Navy decided to wait and watch. After about a week of monitoring the two UFOs, some of the vessels were called to investigate a Russian submarine that had entered Canadian waters. At this point, the
A week after Dennis Sant claimed to have seen what he called ‘a city of lights’ in the sky, the Hudson Valley UFO sightings came back thick and fast. Hundreds of witnesses reported a gigantic object drifting low over the Hudson Valley, sometimes circling back as if it was looking for something (or someone). Eyewitnesses all spoke of more or less the same thing – a huge shape outlined by bright white lights, moving too slowly and too smoothly to match any familiar aircraft. On the Taconic Parkway in the town of New Castle, computer engineer Ed Burns pulled onto the hard shoulder, joining other bemused motorists as he saw what seemed to him to resemble a huge ‘triangular ship’. In living rooms, diners, and newspaper offices across the valley, quiet suburbia suddenly found itself at the center of one of the most dramatic UFO stories in American history, and it soon became known as the Hudson Valley Boomerang.
two underwater craft made their move. They made their way to the Gulf of Maine and putting distance between themselves and the chasing Navy boats, they broke the surface and shot away into the skies. These extraordinary events were corroborated by many witnesses, both civilian and military. Unfortunately, the reports were given “off the record.” Ex-military personnel feared the loss of their pensions, and civilian witnesses feared ridicule, and their privacy being invaded. The unusual events of Shag Harbor command an important place in the study of UFOs. There is little doubt that something “unknown” crashed into the waters of Shag Harbour on October 4, 1967.
Today you can visit the small UFO Interpretive Center at Shag Harbor. You read the story, view television documentaries, peruse newspaper articles, other memorabilia, and an exhibit on outer space, and then you can decide for yourself. Our thought is if the Canadians said something happened at Shag Harbour we take it as Gospel.
Pine Bush UFO Museum
The Hudson Valley area, specifically Pine Bush, has a long history of intense, strange aerial sightings reported over several decades. In the mid-1980s, residents across New York’s Hudson Valley reported seeing enormous V-shaped lights silently gliding through the night sky. It began on March 17th, when local Brewster resident Dennis Sant, one of the first witnesses of the UFO sightings in the Hudson Valley, described seeing a very large, dark grey object with bright, iridescent lights. Minutes later on Interstate 84, curious onlookers pulled over to look up, mesmerized by what they saw. The Hudson River Valley UFO wave was just getting started.
When these appeared above the Indian Point Nuclear Plants, on the Hudson River, scrutiny and fear grew even larger.
The sightings in the Hudson Valley remain one of the most fascinating and well-documented UFO phenomena in American history. Despite extensive investigations and plenty of theories, the true nature of the sightings remains tantalizingly out of reach. The mystery of what truly occurred in the skies over this quiet corner of New York in the 1980s endures, a reminder that not all cosmic questions have easy answers.
Today on Route 52 along the southern Catskills you can visit the Pine Bush UFO & Paranormal Museum. Working with MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) who has generously provided the museum gallery with displays, data and real-time statis tics, the museum has a wide over view and displays on local UFO/UAP
lore, as well as additional exhibits on the odd, different and paranormal.
The Pine Bush MUFO Museum holds monthly group meeting of U.F.O.S. (United Friends Observer Society) on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 pm, and the museum and town also hold a yearly UFO Fair – being held on June 6th this time around the sun – or at least in this dimension. In addition to all the off-world (or is it, intra-world) stuff, there will be speakers, vendors and even a Best in Show Alien Beauty Pageant. Some of you might consider this.
Not far from the museum you can grab a bite to eat at the Cup & Saucer – a UAP-themed diner that claims its food is out of this world.
International UFO Museum and Research Center • Roswell, New Mexico
In 2003 the New Mexico State Legislature declared the second Tuesday in February each year to be Extraterrestrial Culture Day. Why New Mexico? Do we have to say the name Roswell?
In the middle of downtown Roswell, you will discover the International UFO Museum and Research Center. Founded in 1991 by UFO researcher Glenn Dennis, the catalyst for the museum was the 1947 Roswell UFO in-
cident, in which a rancher, W. W. “Mack” Brazel, discovered metal debris outside of Roswell, near a giant trench that spanned hundreds of feet. Most of us know the story from that point.
The International UFO Museum and Research Center shares theories about the Roswell incident and other extraterrestrial life… or is that cryptoterestrial life?
Oh, you know I am going somewhere with this…
This is one of the largest museums of its kind on the planet ( I heard they have a doozy of one on their planet about us, though).
Thom Reed UFO Monument Park Sheffield, Massachusetts
It was more than a decade ago when Rathjen and Kamil covered a small memorial park, dedicated to a reported UFO incident, then a granite marker
on the far side of a covered bridge off Route 7.
The story goes that on September 1st of 1969 Thom Reed, his mother, grandmother, and brother saw a bright light rise out of the water of the Housatonic River. They were taken, mysteriously, from their car to what appeared to be an airplane hangar, where they saw creatures that resembled large insects. He was separated from his mother and grandmother and taken to a strange room, though he could hear them calling for him. Then, just as suddenly, they were all back in the car.
Forty people reported strange lights and a saucer-like object in the sky to a local radio station that night, and when Reed took a polygraph test he was found to be 99.1% truthful. For this reason, the Great Barrington Historical Society voted 6-3 to recognize the encounter as “historically significant and
true.” It was the first time a UFO encounter has had this kind of recognition, and they have the certificate to prove it.
Interestingly, Reed is one of the few people with this sort of tale not to embrace the sensationalism that seems to follow these folks, rather trying to underplay it all to this day.
The monument itself has had its own encounters, and abductions. It has been defiled, abused, and then removed by the town in the midst of a battle with the family. In July of 2021 it was replaced with a sign from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, signed in by Governor Charlie Baker. Zeta Reticuli Incident
The Abduction of Barney & Betty Hill
Just a couple states to the north, in New Hampshire, you will find another marker for UAP Hokey Pokey.
The Hills were a respectable, middle-class couple who lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Barney worked for several years at the South Boston Postal Annex before transferring to Portsmouth and was an active member of the New Hampshire NAACP. Betty was a social worker for the New Hampshire Health and Welfare Department
On Sept. 19, 1961, the couple, along with their dachshund Delsey, encountered a strange aircraft on U.S. Route 3, near Franconia. What they saw that night left the couple shaken and confused.
Months after the trip, Betty and Barney struggled with unexplained anxiety, nightmares, and health issues. Strangest of all, neither could recall what occurred in the moments after they spotted the aircraft. Two hours of their trip seemed like a blank page in their memory. This led the Hills to consult with Air Force officials, scientists, and eventually a psychiatrist who specialized in hypnosis therapy, all to uncover what really happened during those lost hours.
The story became known as the Zeta Reticuli Incident, for a star map that matched the stars that the Hill’s recalled under hypnosis. It also sounds very sci-fi-ific.
Although some simply said the two were making up their story, I wonder why an interracial couple, in the early 60s, would feel the need to draw such attention to them… especially of such an unworldly tale?
Today the spot where this incident took place has a historical marker. It’s located along the Daniel Webster Highway (Route 3), north of Lincoln, New Hampshire. Not far down the road is a local gas station that has become a part time museum and souvenir shop, and is worth the stop (unless you are a stodgy and unbelieving Naval Flight Engineer).
The Skies Over Kecksburg
The skies over Kecksburg lit up that night
In the skies over Kecksburg there was such a sight
Somethin’ came crashin’, from up above
Was it the “Others” or was it just love? Johnny Rocket Dec 9th, 1965
NORAD Radar installations all light up, as a fireball streaks across the sky above northeastern North America. Sightings as far apart as Indiana, New York, Virginia, and Ontario are reported in newspapers across the country. The falling object even touches off many small fires throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania as flaming debris falls from it, the Associated Press reports. It shot, silently, over the town, and then attempted some acute course correc-
tion before crashing into the forest just outside the western Pennsylvanian town. The town folk, police and local fire department all responded, as good Keystoners do, to what they believed was a downed aircraft. They were kinda, sorta, right.
What the firefighters who were the first ‘authorities’ at the crash site found was a mysterious metal object, almost acorn-shaped, buried in the ground and covered in hieroglyphics. It shimmered, glowed and sparked. This was not good.
They began to rope off the crash, but within hours the real ‘AUTHORITIES’ showed up - the U.S. Army, who took immediate control.
A short time later a large flat-bed truck rolled in, and early that next morning the truck left the area, with a large, tarp-covered, cargo strapped to the
bed – heading to the west, towards Ohio, home of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Theories abound on what sort of craft came down in the woods that night. UAP? Nazi Wunderwaffe Die Glocke or, was it a downed Russian satellite, as reported in 2003, after a lawsuit was filed against NASA to release the documents from the military investigation. Of course the town of Kecksburg will be holding its annual festival this summer - July 22-24, 2026, and here you will get to see for yourself the giant Kecksburg UAP that stands outside the local volunteer fire department.
What did light up the skies over Kecksburg in 1965?
The Crash of Captain Thomas Mantell
Along a small backroad outside Franklin, Kentucky, you will find an Historical Marker – the ONLY one in the nation that says one of our pilots was lost in pursuit of a UFO. But not just any pilot.
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a rare medal to receive. One must “Exhibit Heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight.” The first flyer to publicly receive this was Charles Lindbergh. It
is a big deal. Captain Thomas Francis Mantell, Jr., was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
On D-Day, Mantell’s Douglas C-47 Skytrain,Vulture’s Delight, was assigned to tow a Waco CG-4A glider into the invasion zone. The Skytrain was heavily damaged by anti-aircraft fire. He successfully completed his mission and flew the incredibly damaged airplane back to England. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for this mission and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters (four awards) by the end of the war. He was a pilot’s pilot.
On January 7th, 1948, Captain Mantell, Jr., now of the 165th Fighter Squadron, Kentucky Air National Guard, received a request from the control tower at Godman Army Air Field, Fort Knox, Kentucky, to investigate an Unidentified Object visible in the sky to the southwest.
The object was observed by four members of the control tower staff for approximately 35 minutes, from 2:20–2:55 p.m.
Prior to the sighting by Godman Tower personnel, there had been several telephone calls to the tower from the Kentucky Highway Patrol, reporting numerous sightings by people in two towns that were 147 miles apart. The reported sightings were of a large, circular craft, moving at high speed.
Captain Mantell led C Flight, four North American Aviation F-51D Mustang fighters, in pursuit. Two pilots broke off because of low fuel, and Mantell became separated from his wingman. According to the transcripts from Godman Airfield, Mantell spotted the object and said, “The object is directly ahead of and above me now, moving at about half my speed. It appears to be a metallic object or possibly a reflection of the sun from a metallic
object, and it is of tremendous size. I’m still climbing. I’m trying to close in for a better look.”
Where have I heard almost those exact words? Does anyone remember Star Trek TOS’s Tomorrow is Yesterday? It has also now been reported that another transmission said he was going to his .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns. Interesting.
The wreckage of his fighter was found 5 miles southwest of Franklin, Kentucky – his hometown. (Just 7 miles from the hospital where he was born), which is about 90 miles south-southwest of Godman Field.
Captain Mantell was dead. His wristwatch was stopped at 3:18.
The Air Force claimed that Mantell was either chasing Venus or a top-secret Project Skyhook balloon, passed out from lack of oxygen above 25,000 ft, and lost control of his plane.
Occurring exactly 6 months after “The Roswell Incident” in New Mexico, “The Mantell Incident” was one of the most publicized “UFO” reports of the late 1940s. Whatever happened that January day in 1948, let us remember that Captain Thomas Mantell needs to be given the honor and respect that is his due.
With all this in the news on an almost daily basis, we wondered what the truth really is. At one time, I would have said we might never know – but I think the real Disclosure Day is coming sooner than we think. Disclosure Day…not First Contact. ‘They’ have been around for a long, long time… and some people have known about it for a long, long time.
My final thought is that if ‘they’ turn out to be extraterrestrial… I hope they are Vulcans and not Klingons. O’Life Out! ,
THE UNVEILING
For decades, bringing up Flying Saucers, UFOs, or anything that hinted of this was met with rolled eyes, mockery, and laughter. It was all a big yuck until Luis Elizondo, Christopher Mellon, and a small group of brave Americans felt the need to bring the known facts to light.
On December 16, 2017, The New York Times published a groundbreaking front-page article titled ‘Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program,” which revealed the existence of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). This previously undisclosed Department of Defense initiative, funded with $22 million, primarily at the behest of Senator Harry Reid, operated from 2007 to 2012 to investigate unidentified aerial phenomena. The report, authored by Helene Cooper, Leslie Kean, and Michael S. Schmidt, was accompanied by declassified Navy videos (FLIR1, GIMBAL, GOFAST) and marked a pivotal shift in public discourse, moving UAP discussions from fringe speculation to serious institutional inquiry. Since then, Congress has had numerous hearings on what are now called UAPs. Numerous U.S. Navy pilots and videos were brought forth. Those paying attention grasp the enormity of all this. Elizondo’s book Imminent tells the full story.
A little over a year ago, a documentary was released called Age of Disclosure, an American UFO documentary film directed and produced by Dan Farah, where former United States government officials and people associated with the disclosure movement claim that alien intelligence is present on Earth, and has been subject to a decades-long government cover-up. Farah described “disclosure” as when governments could reveal withheld information about alien life, as described in UFO conspiracy theory claims. The film advances conspiracy theories concerning recovered alien materials, secret programs, and insti tutional secrecy by highlighting interviews with a wide-ranging selection of participants, including former and current US government officials and employees from the US military, the US intelligence community, and the US Congress. This list of high-rank ing and seriously believable people is sobering.
It is the most viewed film of its type on Amazon.
We don’t claim to say who or what they are – but it is clear that they are really here… and it seems for far longer than we would like to believe.
As Greg Pasden, retired U.S. fighter pilot, recently posted on Academia… “The word ‘Apocalypse’ has been hijacked and weaponized for centuries. It does NOT mean fiery doom, zombies, or the end of the world. It comes from the Greek apokálypsis — UNVEILING. A revelation. The lifting of the veil. The exposure of hidden truths.
Indigenous non-human intelligences (the Residents), lineages that evolved here on Earth long before us, fractured into rival factions. They clashed in shadow wars across domains (sky, sea, subsurface) over hidden refugia.
Global myths aren’t fantasy; they’re compressed historical data of those conflicts — thunderbolts as weapons, serpentine entities, floods as containment resets, a long truce of watchful non-interference.
Today’s UAP? Red-line responses to human encroachment: nuclear saber-rattling, deep digs, space militarization.
No need for interstellar travelers. The intelligence was here all along.
The apocalypse isn’t destruction. It’s disclosure — the unveiling of who (and what) has shared this planet with us. The end of the deception. The dawn of a reality where humanity steps into its next chapter with eyes wide open.
We aren’t alone on Earth. We never were.”
You do not need to be scared. But you do need to be aware of what may be coming. O’Life Out ,
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
WELLINGTON WATERPROOF STEEL-TOED BOOTSFROM RIDGECUT
Costco has Kirkland. ShopRite has Bowl & Basket. Tractor Supply has Ridgecut, a rebranding of their old C.E. Schmidt line of workwear.
I was looking for a pair of decent water-proof workboot, more for snow than anything else, and came across these boots at our local Tractor Supply store.
The Wellington Water-Proof Steel-Toed Boots from Ridgecut have a soft semi-brushed leather upper, and are totally waterproof. They have fairly large pull-on handles – so easy on and off - and a very cushy insole. They seem, so far, to offer great grip on questionable surfaces The steel-toe is always a good thing and they are stylish as well. Why do I mention these…?
Because they are not too far off in design and feel from my Sidi Gavia Gore-Tex Boot that cost three times as much, and that I had to wait three weeks for.
Just sayin’.
I am not trading out my Sidi Boots just yet – but if you are on the road, have a terminal boot failure, and need something
that will work for a a few days, or for the rest of the season – ride over to any Tractor Supply Store. –There are almost 2,400 of them through the United States – and take a look at the Wellington Boots. They just might save your tour or even your riding season.
$119 at Tractor Supply • www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/ product/ridgecut-mens-wellington-boot-rct006ts
Mysterious aMeriCa
He responded with a wave. He clearly heard Shira’s “Holy Shit!”
Continued from Page 13
“Ummm - Happy New Year, can I take a picture of the sign?” He gave a thumbs-up. Shira asked… “Can I take a picture behind the sign?” He adamantly flagged us off with a definite, “NO!”
“Okay… we’re gonna take a picture, and then we are going to go…right?”
I was truly expecting the cavalry to come charging around the bend, and a quick, authoritative-like ending to our ‘incursion.’ I wondered if George would bail us out.
We quickly took a few pictures on our side of the “Use of Deadly Force Authorized” sign, and waved goodbye to our friend on the hill, rode the dozen miles or so back to 375, and then vectored toward Vegas, Baby, with a story better than anyone else in that yarn-filled town.
Area 51… at dawn, of the Y2K new millennium New Year’s Day.
Seymour? Nobody is ever going to believe this one. ,
Great all aMeriCan diner run
Continued from Page 11 jack, and Guajillo chili might only be topped by The Hangover – Taylor ham, bacon, sausage, potato, egg and cheese.
Yes – Taylor Ham, as Oldwick is just a few miles above I-78; the official line of demarcation for the battle between Taylor ham and pork roll.
Later in the day, the lunch menu impresses as well, with nine different sandwiches - with names like the Greek Freak, Poppin Pastrami, the Deviled Egg, and the Hog. If you are both persnickety and creative, you can build your own sandwich. There is the soup of the day, as well as a bunch of tasty salads that will even delight hard-core carnivores.
We really enjoyed the Oldwick General – it has everything that we need for the perfect great All-American Diner Run – history, ambiance, a great staff, superb food… and great roads – as this part of the Garden State has some truly magnificent pavement. So good, that this month will be Ladies Month – and we will offer two rides. One from the north, one from the south, created by Shira and our good friend Lisa. These gals have this area down, and you will enjoy the ride from whatever direction you vector. ,
Washington Crossing to Oldwick General 50 miles
backroadsmagazine.transfernow.net/ dl/OldwickSouthRoute
Oldwick General Loop from Branchville NJ 115 miles
backroadsmagazine.transfernow.net/ dl/OldwickNorth
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
re-FindinG your edGe
Exploring Fear, Experience, and the Pursuit of Safe Riding words + images: Miriam Romais
Ever wonder if you’ve lost your edge? That energy and impulse to push past barriers, take the bend a little faster because you knew you could, and ride like the road was yours alone? If you’ve lived long enough you’ve likely felt the shift: the one where you traded boldness for caution, possibly without realizing it. I seem to ask myself that question at the start of every riding season.
The ride changes as we evolve (isn’t that a better word for aging?). We know that pain hits harder, bodies don’t bounce back like they used to, and recovery takes longer. Careers, relationships, and responsibilities compete for time and attention in infinite new ways. Mistakes and inattention become costly lessons. The comfort of routine, the appeal of early nights, and the reality of declining eyesight replace the desire to chase adrenaline. Nine pm? Yup, I want to be in PJs cuddling on the couch with a blankie. The world feels like a place filled with expectations that are not always our own, and limits––many of which self-imposed—because fear has set in. Not as a full stop, but as another setting on the throttle.
Fear is certainly not about age— but there is a strong tie related to lived experience. After all, we’ve seen time and again what can go wrong, and that knowledge becomes a brake. Sometimes it’s just a hesitancy that’s simply good common sense; sometimes, it’s a drag on our spirit. From the racetrack to the daily commute, riders learn the hard way how the stakes became higher. Yet, there are ways to keep the throttle open without losing control. I think about racers, the ones who crave fast miles like oxygen. Are they just built differently, or have they learned to tame their fears? Maybe it’s both. These riders, whether young or seasoned, have mastered the art of balancing caution with courage. Their technique—especially through highspeed curves—comes from years of practice and a mindset that embraces challenge. Watching them take every corner with precision, it’s more than a polished skill: it’s a lot of self-trust with a helping of stubborn refusal to let fear win.
Years ago, there was an extremely cautious rider in the advanced Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCourse I was teaching. For as hard she tried to hide it, you could read the hesitation in her face at the beginning of each exercise. The kicker was – she was doing fine and meeting the objective of each exercise. As she rode past me, the clear sign of overthinking was apparent. Not that analyzing is a bad thing on a bike – but for experienced riders, you need to translate the thought into a physical action quickly, to execute whatever maneuver. As this wasn’t happening quickly, she became frustrated. Then, more tense, more stressed, and ended up fighting the bike’s movements through every turn. It was hard to not feel that I was failing her. As the day progressed, she had given up trying to improve – but then, something clicked.
During the next break, she pulled me aside and thanked me for an earlier discussion about motorcycling being mostly a ‘mental’ activity. She started noticing how, each time doubt sprung up, she lost the ability to execute whatever skill she was trying to improve. Sharing her vulnerability gave us a chance to talk about a frequent missing ingredient to retrain the brain to think and act in a new way: intentional practice. After all, new skills do not
What I learned in my first official off-road course: Once you fall in the mud, you realize it’s not all that bad and everything beyond it seems more doable. BMW US Rider Academy’s Off-Road course, 2025 BMW MOA National, Lebanon, KY.
function like a light switch you can turn on with a flick. It’s the discipline, hard work on the proper technique, and not giving up that makes the lasting change. Being able to somatically feel it in your body, rather than just intellectually “knowing” what to
do. Challenging the fear and adding trust. In the process, in the stickiness of the tires, in yourself. Face it until you make it, they say. There are times I deeply relate to that rider. One of my deepest aha moments and hard reset happened during my very first track day. Hell of a way to face my cornering fears, I thought. I was extremely nervous and my progress felt nonexistent. By my third run on the track, I knew I had reached the same point my student had. Riders were zooming past me as if I were out on a Sunday jaunt. I was
overthinking every move. Brain meltdown. Overload. Then, one of the instructors pulled up alongside with a hand signal to watch his movements, and I had to fight back tears of gratitude. I followed his line to get a better sense of what to do where. There is a different level of understanding when you experience something with your whole body, and I could feel this difference in my bones.
I soon started noticing that the same people who intimidated me by screaming past had consistently awkward lines, some of which made no sense. I mentioned this later to the instructor, and he smiled knowingly. The experience made me realize the similarities between martial arts or playing an instrument: if you want to know how to do it well fast, you need to learn the technique properly first, which is slow. Then, the opportunity to ride on the back of Reg Pridmore’s bike came along (I believe he was doing this as a fundraiser for charity). Judy was the first of us to hop on, and we watched her & Reg zip by with awe and giggles. As Anne Marie and I walked over to ask how it was, our dear friend said with a big grin, “whatever you do, don’t look down!” So naturally, it was one of the first things I did on my turn – and in amazement, watched the pavement blur by unexpectedly close to my face. The soundtrack of that engine provided a most surreal out of body experience, one I’ll never forget. I got to feel the true grace of smooth, skilled cornering at speed, along with the proof of how a rider’s ability gives out way before the bike does. How we let fear dictate and distract us.
Back on my bike, I kept thinking about quality over quantity (of speed). Pondering if we spend enough time facing and unlearning our fears. How slow is smooth. I was feeling the bike’s movements and responses instead of trying to think my way through it. I began to trust myself in a new way and in that mindful state, I began to relax. A whole new world was waiting for me, and I could sense how this would change my riding for years to come.
Understanding what changed lets us choose how to ride going forward. Every revolution, every curve, is a chance to balance wisdom and skill with joy and
boldness. Think back to when something clicked for you. Take a class. Question your fears and challenge your assumptions. And remember your edge: slow is fast, fast is relative, and safety comes first. ,
Kevin Schwantz School at Barber Motorsports Park, 2009. Partway through the day I became so intimidated and overwhelmed, I was having a hard time calming my nervous system; once fear set in I couldn’t focus, and I remember feeling like a failure. Thankfully, an instructor noticed and tapped their tail so I could learn by following their line. Their guidance helped me relax, and in the end, I even won the “most improved rider” award that day. In my mind, I was leaned over so much more than this.
