Polly's Pancakes and the Kanc

Sept 11, 2010

We have been threatening another trip when the weather turned for the better and it has so here we go.

We agreed to meet at Polly's Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill, NH for breakfast. Dave and Dick came up the river from Vernon and Westminster (Route 5 to Bradford, then River Road, Route 10) and I rode down from Starksboro on the interstate to Barre, then Route 302 to rt10 to rt117. It was 107 miles for those guys and about 92 for me. Famed New England greasy diner critic Dave "Home Fries" Miller had been to and recommended Polly's. It is on Rt 177 and very near Franconia. The place was packed and we got there just as another big group of bikers (BMW types) arrived. We had to wait to get seated but it was worth the wait. We all ordered pancakes (it is a pancake house) and the deal is, you pick the kind of batter (buckwheat, oatmeal, cornmeal, etc) and then pick the "fillings" like blueberry, coconut, tuna (just kidding). The waiter was a young guy who was very nice and he actually made the pancakes, as do all the other waiters.

After leaving we tried a shortcut but ended up going to Franconia and south on 116 to the Kancamagas Highway (Rt 112) to Woodstock. Dave needed gas and John sorta forgot so we pulled into Conway with Dave's motocycle computer hyperventilating about him being out of gas (20 miles left). We still do not know how much more gas was in his tank but it was cutting it a bit too close. Dave has about 5 gallons, John has around 7 and Dick has around 7. This is actually pretty great compared with some of the Harley guys who have a couple gallons and need to stop constantly.

Out of Conway, we found a neat little (RT113, closed in the winter) road that skipped back and forth across the NH-Maine border. There were mostly bikes, but not too many. A little rough but ok. Maine did not spend any stimulus money on that road, if you know what I mean..

We took Rt 2 to Rt 16 then to Berlin where Dick treated us to a double lap around the city just in case we missed something. Stopped in Errol at the L.L. Cote store. There was a nice old Norton Commando outside and lots of Harleys. Actually there are more Harleys on the road than any other bike, by far. Have'nt heard a quiet one yet.

L.L. Cote is your typical "if we ain't got it, you don't need it" store. Our credit cards were over-heating so we left and headed up Rt 26 north to Colbrook. We then headed down the NH side of the river on Rt3 and crossed at Bloomfield, rode the VT side of the river until we got to Rt 2. Then west into Concord. We filled with gas and headed to Dick's favorite local place called MooseLook. Very fancy joint. They had those embossed napkins and everything. Now any place that has liver and onions on the menu as well as tripe, has got to be a great restaurant. And it was packed. We had to sit at the bar as all the tables were full. I sat net to an older guy who retired from the state and used to ride a Harley years ago, so lots to talk about there.

We drove to Dick's camp on Miles Pond to stay the night. Very comfy accommodations, and Gin & Tonics to boot.

Another great day..

Beautiful Vermont

Sunday August 8, 2010

I was the slacker this morning and crawled into the shower to find something unusual in my travels with Dave. Complementary shampoo, conditioner, soap, and 3 different size towels. I must be dreaming. We stayed at the Ramada Inn in Rutland which was pretty posh. They even had a continental breakfast. The waffle maker was having issues, but there was plenty of other goodies. We packed up and Dave took us to see the new 50kW solar system that CVPS (Dave's company) had installed. Very nice system with public information placards and nice landscaping.

We then went up Rt 3 from Rutland to Proctor, got lost on some backroads somewhere around Chittenden, and ended up on Rt 4 up the mountain. We turned up Rt 100, Rt107 to Bethel, Rt 14 to Royalton and left turn up Rt 110 toward Tunbridge. These Vermont roads to a motorcyclist is like non-stop dessert. Nice windy roads with streams splashing beside you, going through tidy little towns that have been sort of lost in time. It is sad to pass all the thrown up dairy farms that supported several past generations of Vermont families. I always wonder what livelihood will replace these to support the future generations of Vermonters.

We pass the Tunbridge Fairgrounds (sorry World Fairgrounds) which will not open until September and wiggled up through lots of paved (mostly) roads until we got to Chelsea about lunch time. Had a nice lunch next to some twenty-somethings that were recovering from a bachelor party the night before. They seemed fine. We rode another hour or so stopping briefly in West Topsham with it's 8' x 10' post office. When we hit 302, we stopped and decided to split up. Dave and Dick were going back south via New Hampshire and down the Connecticut River. I decided to head north and do one last loop before heading home. I went up a brand new paved Rt232, up Rt2 a bit until I turned north on Rt15 toward Hardwick. Rt 15 through Wolcott, Morrisville, Johnson, Hyde Park and Jeffersonville. I turned up 108 and stopped by my grandfathers farm site. All that is left is the barn foundation and the shuffleboard court I remember him building when I was 4 or 5 years old. I am always amazed at how beautiful this spot is. What a place to grow up as my mother did. I turned off the bike and just listened to the wind blowing through the trees. Beautiful..

So over Smugglers Notch, shortcut past Trapp Family Lodge, down to Waterbury, Jonesville and over the hill to home.

We packed quite a bit into 3 days and travelling with both my brothers is a treat. We don't see each other much and it is nice to get together for a few days at a time. I think there will be more trips coming up before snow flies...

I am a Lumberjack and I'm OK

Saturday Aug 7, 2010

Woke up with a start with an American Bald Eagle staring me in the face. It was the fake one that made up the bedside table lamp at the Eagles Nest motel, sports bar, restaurant and juvenile delinquent work site that we called home last night. Actually the boys working on the motel were probably not JD's at all but I am getting old and cranky. Sorry boys. After surgically removing the cot springs from Dave's back we packed up and loaded the bikes. It is more efficient in these kinds of motels to pack up since you don't waste all that time stealing the little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, hair nets and soap since there are none.

I had an epiphany last night laying there listening to the buzz brothers doing their chain saw impersonations. Hotels like these offer a much needed safety net for people with low standards like ours. That woman last night that refused to stay here was proof of this new revelation. If bad motels didn't exist, there would be no rooms left anywhere. These keepers of low end motels are providing a much needed service. They are not money hungry opportunists gouging customers for smelly rooms during the busy season. No. They are offering rooms far enough below the norm that 99% of the people who look at them refuse to stay in them. This allows the other 1% (that would be us) the comfort of knowing that there will always be a place to stay, a safe haven so to speak.

So we rode to Old Forge to find breakfast, noticing that the air was cool but nice and dry from yesterdays north wind. We found a place called Walt's Diner and it was early enough in Old Forge that nobody was really out and about yet. By the time we finished our eggs and left, the place was packed and the tourist traffic was substantial. We walked down the street to what has to be one of the neatest hardware stores around. They have an entire building 2 stories high with just about anything you could want, or as the sign in the store read, "If we don't have it, you don't need it". The usual hardware store stuff and fly rods, furniture, washboards, toys, a bookstore, you name it. If you read the previous blog you may remember I never did get a pair of waterproof gloves, and the Old Forge Hardware Store had them. I bought a nice pair with long cuffs so I will not whine about that any more, I will whine about something else.

So on to the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mt Lake which I had been to 15 years earlier. We arrived to discover that we were in for a special treat. It was "dog day" where everybody (but us) brought their dog and they had special activities for the dogs and owners. It was actually kind of fun having dogs all over. Those poor dogs must have all gone home with worn out sniffers and collapsed at end of the day.

The museum has some of the most beautiful Adirondack guide boats I have ever seen. Those are those boats that have layers and layers of varnish on them so they look too beautiful to sit in.

They also had an amazing map of New York and New Hampshire before Vermont was even a state. The date we think was 1779 and it shows the towns along the Connecticut River, some with names long since gone. Dummerston was there, which would have been 9 years after our Miller ancestors moved there (in 1770). And there was no Burlington on the map at all??

The exhibit I remember from coming here years ago was the history of logging section. Those loggers were some tough guys. They worked 5am to 8pm, ate like horses, smelled bad, and when they got their week off every year, spent the 3-400 bucks they had saved on booze and women, and then went back to work for another year. For anyone in the logging business, this is a must see. We saw a great movie about the history of New England from the 1600s thru the 1700's which explained the French, Indian and English roles and relationships (or lack thereof).

We saw a bunch of other exhibits, but we were ready to get back on the road. So we decided we would head back to Vermont since, while we like the lakes over here, the roads were kinda straight (no offense NY). So if we were going back to Vermont, and it was Saturday night, we should go to....

Yep, the rodeo in Castleton, VT.

I heard about this a few years back on a camping trip with some other families and went and was astounded that I had never heard of it before. It is a place called Pond Hill Ranch in Castleton, and every Saturday night all summer, they put on a real live rodeo. There is bull riding, bucking bronco riding, calf roping, barrel racing, the whole thing, right here in Vermont. We popped over to Rutland, got a room, got some chow and then headed back to catch the opening of the rodeo. There were 3-500 (or more, men can't do math) spectators that completely filled the bleachers. There lots of cowboy hats, pickup trucks, country music and pretty girls (Dave and Dick looked, but I abstained), fried dough, and one rodeo clown (he was pretty bury). We got a kick (pun intended) out of the novice class bull riders. You are supposed to stay on the bull for 8 seconds and their times were more in the range of zero to 2 seconds. Absolutely no criticism here as I wouldn't go near those things, say nothing of riding one. It was a great way to spend a few hours on a Saturday night under a beautiful summer sky. Back to the hotel and collapse in bed.

Wind Turbines

Friday Aug 6, 2010

Dick and I got up early while Dave slept in til at least 6:30 (Can't fault him his much needed beauty sleep). Coffee with Hannah and Deb and then I packed my bike, Hannah snapped a couple pics of us on the bikes, and off we went down the brook-bed driveway.

Dick wanted me to correct something I said yesterday in the Blog. He did not wrestle his 600 pound motorcycle up my driveway last night, but rather he wrestled his 800 pound motorcycle up my driveway last night.

We stopped at Papa Nicks about 8 miles up the road for a light breakfast, and then stopped by one of my company's latest solar tracker projects to show my bro's what it is I have been working on the last year or 2.

We bypassed the Burlington mess and took the interstate up to the Champlain Islands exit and rode up through Sand Bar, South Hero, Grand isle, etc, etc. I thought Dicks big 1800 needed at least a little highway time to clean it it out since we were going to spend the rest of the day on little roads.

It was a beautiful morning and cooling off compared to yesterday and the weather man said to expect gorgeous weather all weekend.......

So of course when we hit the bridge to Rousse's Point, dark clouds gathered and it started to pour. We stopped and put on rain gear and crossed the bridge with rain hitting us from the side as the wind roared down from the north. Fortunately, it thinned out after 30 minutes or so and we made our way west toward Malone, New York. We were looking for wind turbines and as we got further west, I got a glimpse to the south of them far off. As we pulled into Altona they loomed in the distance ahead of us, slowly, majestically turning, (or ugly industrial blight, depending on your viewpoint).

These turbines are 1.5 megawatt (maybe a bit bigger, Blittersdorf would know down to the watt) General Electric turbines. They are white and beautiful. It is like being in a sci-fi movie when you start driving in amongst them. We pulled up a side road and then down a side-side road and parked the bikes directly underneath one. The wind was cooking along from the north so these things were cranking. I had been here before on a light wind day and could barely hear them, but I could hear the gearbox today, not too loud, but I could here it standing underneath. A Noble Energy truck spotted us and sort of politely told us to leave (one side road too many). So back on the road west to Malone. The winds were pounding us here and there from the north and it got fairly cold. We had lunch in Malone and then headed south on Rt 30 toward the Adirondack Park.

When we got near Tupper Lake we turned on Dave's "MotelVision" and started scanning. He got a couple false positives when we found the motels in questions were out of business, but they sure did look deserving of the "5 roach" rank . We sensed trouble when we saw the familiar "Vacancy" signs with a "No" in front of them. Many were more polite and just said "Sorry". Tourist season is in full swing and things are packed here. Not good. In cases like this, there are usually only 2 kinds of rooms left. The really expensive ones and the really hideous ones, also called "Dave's Picks".

We saw a vacancy sign east of Inlet and dove into the driveway, ran inside and discovered another woman was grabbing the last room ("I was here first"). I asked if they knew of any others and the woman that just scored the room smiled and said she had just passed on 2 rooms 4 miles down the road because they were attached to a rowdy bar, and they were not very clean. Dave gave his grin of approval and off we went, 4 miles west to the Eagle's Nest, and scored the last room he had left. And a lovely room it is. That scent of Lemon Pledge mixed with Roach Spray, all too familiar from the trip down south. The rusty shower stall, 6 ft ceiling and a new touch, a bed that falls off it's base when you sit on it. There is no place like home.

We unloaded, made a reservation at a nice restaurant (that as it turned out did not need a reservation, but was actually very nice), and had a good meal.

Back to the "Nest" and a Red Sox vs Yankees game on the TV to end the day.

First Night Planning

So we are all here in Starksboro. Dick and Dave received their first test of motorcycling prowess on my driveway. We have had a couple of good thunder-boomers and my road is uphill-steep and washed pretty good. So it takes some skill to navigate a 600 lb bike up through that. They both made it.

So to celebrate, Dave brought a special treat. After dinner libation in the form of King Cobra. Rare in these parts but popular in the south lands among the track side crowds, rail-road tracks that is.. And $1.89 for a 40 oz bottle. Hard to believe.

So as usual we have to re-tell the old remember when stories and then planning. Looks like head up through the islands, cross over into New York, stop and plan again. Looks like there is plenty to see in New York, and I was wrong about muffler-men, there are a few scattered here and there in the empire state.

A cold front is due in tonight which should clear the humidity out and cool it down a bit, and tomorrow is supposed to be absolutely gorgeous.

We will see...

Here we go again..

So three of Ellwyn's boys (Dave, John and Dick) have decided to take a three day jaunt somewhere on their motorcycles. This blog has been revived for a few more days because well, it is just too confusing to start another one. Dave and Dick are meeting Thursday and driving up to Starksboro, staying over night and then we are all going.... somewhere, kinda toward the west to New York state, but maybe north then east to New Hampshire, or possible to Quebec (better bring passports and an appetite for poutine).

OK, so we don't exactly know where we are going, but the weather looks good and we are going somewhere.

I checked Google and found no Muffler Men anywhere nearby so that theme will not work (sorry Dave). So I guess the plan is to make a plan over breakfast on Friday.

Actually, if I don't get my bike inspected this week, we better go out of state.

The ideas so far are, windmills in northern New York, the Adirondak Museum in Blue Mountain Lake NY and/or the White mountains.

Summer is short so we better make the most of it.

So the trip comes to an end. Two great weeks and 3000 miles of riding with no particular destination or schedule. This was somehow a very relaxing 2 weeks. Dave is way too easy to travel with, I hope I was the same (except my lack of navigational prowess..).

High point: The Amish hands down. Their work ethic, the increased control they have over their lives, and the simplicity of their lives (maybe seemingly) is inspirational. Their rules are a little wacky (no bikes, no inflatable tires, etc) but they seem to have a good handle on quality of life. Someone has to remember how to work the land without fossil fuels (well kinda).

Low point: Without question Floyds barber shop being closed the one day I was in Mayberry. The psychological scars will be long in healing.

Best stop: The motorcycle museum. The guy running that place is living out his passionate pursuit (and there were 350 restored motorcycles in one building).

Best road: Hands down the Blue Ridge Parkway. Skyline Drive is much the same but the 35 mph speed limit is tough on a motorcycle. This is a smooth road through undeveloped woods sprinkled with panoramic views on both sides of the road (just to balance the neck muscles).

Technology: Motels with no wi-fi, or trying to charge extra for wi-fi was annoying. McDonalds has free wi-fi in every store and $1.00 coffee (just stay away from the cherry pies). Having the netbook was great for googling what we saw that day, getting the weather, or planning the next day (actually planning today) with Google Maps.

Fun people we met: The Kiwis who were travelling around for 6 weeks on beemers added some perspective on our own country. The woman at the motel in Kentucky was a hoot. The guy with "f--k you" tatooed on his neck was enthusiastic.

Motels: The worst was a 13 way tie. The nicest was Blakeslee. Dave has an uncanny way of picking motels. He is gifted that way.

Stuff: Camp stuff didn't work out. As the Kiwi's said, you end up paying almost the same for a campground with hot water as a cheap motel, and no ants. Clothes were about right (one to wash, one to wear). The bike jackets and pants worked great. The Frog Toggs are fantastic. Dave had visibility issues with rain and my hands got soaked without waterproof gloves. The motorcycles performed flawlessly and after 2 weeks my beemer felt like an extension of my body.

Anyway, a great trip. This has been a much needed 2 weeks for me after a long year without a break. There is indeed something magical in riding a motorcycle. Being out in the elements makes it more genuine for some reason. Travelling helps you put home in perspective, how some things are different and yet some are the same. Travelling away from the tourist attractions, getting lost, gives you a snapshot of how normal people live, and when you show up in their small isolated towns, people are interested in you. My faith in people is always restored after a trip and 99.9 percent of the people you meet are good people who would help you out if you needed it.

I am sure Dave is already thinking about the next trip. So am I.