Part 1 - New Jersey to Grayson Lake, KY 630 Miles

Got all packed the night before: tent, sleeping bag/pad, clothes, toiletries, camera, film, tools, chain wax, raingear, etc.

Woke up on Saturday at 6 (ever notice how much easier it is to wake up when you want to go someplace, as opposed to waking up for work?) to a chilly 51 degrees, some 20 degrees cooler than it's been lately. Better bring a sweatshirt and some thermals, just in case. Packed up the bike (a '91 Zephyr 750), bungied what needed bungiing, and took off around 7. A spectacularly uninteresting ride down I-95/I-695/I-70 brought me to Frederick, MD by 9:30. Stopped in McDonald's for some hot tea and a bathroom break. Originally, I was going to continue on I-70/I- 68, but a check of the map showed Rt 340 and 50 through Harper's Ferry to be a possible way to go, so I headed in that direction. Harper's Ferry seemed to be a popular place for tubing/rafting, similar to Delaware Water Gap. I know there's a lot of historical importance to the place, but none that I could see at speed.

I met Bob at intersection of 50 and 29 in West Virginia. He looked like me - interesting standard bike (SRX-6), good helmet, jacket, gloves, boots and tank bag - checking out his map. Obviously not a squid. I pulled in and we chatted for a bit, he was doing his usual weekend tour of WVa's twisties. He said he was going to head down 29, and I joined him. 29 is a nice route, some good twists and turns, but nothing extra-special. He rode well, not too fast but at a good corner speed for me. It's nice to have someone in the lead to help set corner speed. Also a good confidence builder - if his bike can make that, so can mine, hold on. We were going to cut over on 55 to 220, but got mixed up and ended up back at 50 and 29. We rode on 50 until we reached 220, and then headed south. Now 220 is a nice road. Very nice. A bit of traffic, but this was a Saturday afternoon. Chatted a bit in Moorefield, and his AAA map of the area was much better than my Official State Map. The twisties actually looked like twisties on his map. We split up there, he headed for Goshen Gap (my personal favorite road of all time), and me for Huntington.

I took 55 and 28 through the Dolly Sods area. Seneca Rocks are very interesting, just jutting out of the top of the hill. Saw a sign for Blackwater Falls SP, someplace I've wanted to visit for some time now. Maybe on the next trip, as the day was beginning to slip away. 33 though Elkins and Buckhannon then on I-79 slab. Damn pretty slab, though. The twisting highway through the mountains makes for an interesting ride. Using the mileage markers and my newly purchased $2.19 stick-on clock I noted that the Zephyr's speedo registers about 10% fast - 80 is really 72. Cruised about 80-85 (indicated) through to Huntington. Got a little lost on Rt 60 trying to find Camden Park, not a very nice area.

By the way, the other purpose of this trip, beside seeing the Rockies, was to visit some amusement parks along the way and ride some roller coasters. I chose Denver, CO as my destination because Elitch's Gardens, one of the two parks in the area, is moving at the end of this season, and razing the two classic wooden coasters at the current location. I wanted to get in a ride on those before they're lost forever.

Finally found Camden Park, paid my $.25 admission(!), bought ride tickets and rode the 3 coasters that were running.Left at dusk, and crossed over to Kentucky. I had started to collect state sign pictures back in Virginia (goofy shots with my bike in the foreground, sign in the background, 'proof' that I was there). Kentucky's sign is on the middle of a bridge, preventing my getting a shot of it. I'll have to remember to get one on the way out the other side then. Made my way to Grayson Lake SP, and set up camp for the night (cost $10.50). There was a guy playing a guitar a few sites over, and that was a very pleasant way to while away the evening.