A day off.... maybe?

[Particle Man]

(Cross posted from ADVRider)

I tend to not take time off.

It’s not for lack of wanting to take time to get away from the office, rather, it’s more because, apparently, other people with whom I work get very antsy when I’m out of the office and just need to talk to me when I’m not there.

Over the past 6 months, I’ve tried (unsuccessfully) to take several days off. On each of those occasions, some “emergency” (note the quotes) came up and I ended up where I am every other day: staring at my laptop and gritting my teeth or getting on an airplane to go somewhere in a suit and tie rather than wearing riding gear and going somewhere I actually want to be.

As I sat here thinking about why this might be, I finally stumbled on a conclusion: plans. I had made plans to do something or ride somewhere on each attempt at taking a PTO day (or more than one… you know: *gasp* consecutive days off)… maybe without a plan, I’d have more success in actually getting away from the office.

With that in mind, last Tuesday I looked at the extended weather forecast and saw that Monday, November 9, 2009 (ie, today) was predicted to be “Sunny, Warm, High of 65” and marked my territory for that day off. Had I been able to pee on the calendar to seal the deal, I would have. Bad visual, but you get the picture. My work/life “balance” has been in the toilet for the past 16 months so my “filter” is somewhat shot… I did not, however, make any plans to do anything on this hypothetical PTO day (thereby keeping it hypothetical).

Even without plans, I had a loose framework on where I wanted to go…

… little did I know that the framework would be have to change at the last second.



I am off to try to get some sleep (have to get up extra early to try to catch up from today… sick, isn’t it?). I’ll leave you with this for now:

This was a good omen for my last ride:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/DSC08611/708309557_jxFjK-M.jpg

I shot that from my front porch.

I wasn’t sure if it would be a good omen this time.

Stay tuned.

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-011/708315136_jjdoR-M.jpg

[the chi]

Dammit man, finish the story!!

[buzzcutt2]

I'm glad I'm not important at work.

[tommymac]

Dammit man, finish the story!!

He got called into the office :lol:

Tom

[Particle Man]

He got called into the office :lol:

Tom

:lol: you have no idea

:rant:

more to come, honest.

[marko138]

Sick bastard, finish the story.

[HurricaneHeather]

I'm glad I'm not important at work.

Right?! :wtf:

Finish the story and seriously, turn off your phone on your days off. You are only as important as you make yourself at work. :lol:

[karl_1052]

Sick bastard, finish the story.

I think he just did.
:lol

that's what you get for posting ski-doo(redflip) pics.

[pauldun170]

I say we finish his story for him.....

[karl_1052]

I say we finish his story for him.....

Okay


I started out riding towards my ultimate goal for today. The dildo factory in Ohio.

[marko138]

Okay
:lol

[Particle Man]

Patience is a virtue redflip

I'm workin' on it!

[HurricaneHeather]

Patience is a virtue redflip


A virtue we, as a whole, do not possess.

[karl_1052]

You guys suck at the continuing of the story for him.

redflip

[tommymac]

Patience is a virtue redflip

I'm workin' on it!

Working on work or your damn story. I am bored to death at work and need something to look at so its all on you now :lol:

Tom

[Particle Man]

I am not particularly eloquent… either by design or as a result of my upbringing, I am somewhat pragmatic in my use of words (both written and spoken). This tends to make me come across as either flippant or just plain short (which is synonymous with “rude” in the eyes of many). As a result, when I post on Internet forums, I am not known for writing volumes when I believe just an emoticon will express the appropriate thoughts just as well.

I felt it necessary to explain this before going on.

The world around me also tends to be pragmatic in its own distribution of words. Take this sign for example:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-014/708318413_8gn3g-M.jpg

In just 2 small words, “Road” and “Closed” the message is stated in such a manner as to convey the appropriate message: don’t try to drive down this street.

The sign does not say, “We’re sorry, this road is closed because we’ve decided to spend your tax dollars and dig a large hole in the center of the street in order to improve drainage and reduce the amount of time we have to spend listening to you all complain about your basements flooding.”

Back to past tense:

This sign was something of a theme for my morning and became one of the reasons for changing my loose framework (okay, it was a plan) mid-stream.

…

The night before my potential day off, I had plugged in my iPhone, camera, and GPS to charge since I had not yet gotten around to wiring in my auxiliary power port. Unfortunately, my brain was not quite firing correctly at the time because, although I had plugged the GPS and iPhone into a power strip, I had apparently neglected to plug said power strip into a wall socket.

Since I would be dropping my daughter off at day care and because I am the emergency contact in the event something is needed, my phone was something of a requirement (the GPS, not so much since I wasn’t planning on getting into any unfamiliar territory).

I discovered this little snag only after putting all my gear on and rolling the bike out of the garage but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from getting away. So, I did what any half crazed rider would do: I improvised. I spied a couple alligator clips hanging on the wall and hooked them to the aux port… the positive I clipped to the positive terminal of the battery and the ground I clipped to a convenient piece of exposed metal:

(I only grabbed a photo of the ground)

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-007/708312972_Svu6m-M.jpg

I then zip-tied the assembly to the frame:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-009/708314082_MUUVc-M.jpg

GPS secure:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-006/708312527_HkuNM-M.jpg

A quick check to make sure power was flowing:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-012/708315612_kdgv2-M.jpg

Tire pressure check just in case:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-008/708313536_dJRRb-M.jpg

Finally ready to roll:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-010/708314622_EmcWU-M.jpg

A quick check of the weather revealed no clouds but a bit of haze (who needs weather.com :D ):

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-003/708310892_Ddhuq-M.jpg

At this point, I should actually outline my plan (not calling it a framework anymore because at this point, it had become something of a plan)… I had decided to roll down US Route 20 toward Albany with a plan to end up in Cooperstown, NY. After heading in that direction, I kept hitting signs saying “Road Closed.” One did lead to this:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-013/708316226_nXx7H-M.jpg

… not a bad thing but this was a fairly isolated incident. In addition, I kept running into some fairly annoying traffic (30 in a 55 stuff). Okay, there was a message buried in there. My plan wasn’t going to work out. I listened.

New plan: I remembered that in the other direction on Rt. 20 there’s a nice little town called Skaneateles. I also remembered from a thread on ADV by GSBones that there’s a great burger place called Johnny Angel’s Heavenly Burgers… and I was a bit hungry by this point. Hmmmmm….

After turning around and heading in the direction of Skaneateles on US Route 20, it had become clear that I was a tad bit overdressed for the unseasonably warm temperatures (I was sweating my ass off). I decided that a pitstop in Cazenovia, NY would be a good idea:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-015/708318696_MMhSQ-M.jpg

I then changed from this:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-017/708319830_gGNvV-M.jpg

… to this:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-024/708325391_GH7Go-M.jpg

Much better. I also took this opportunity to open the vents on my Joe Rocket Alter Ego jacket and pants.

Some more information on Cazenovia:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-019/708322487_NZG9G-M.jpg

These guys were certainly enjoying the lake and the weather:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-021/708323715_8qj8m-M.jpg

I love my bike…

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-022/708324245_HVrwe-M.jpg

Onward:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-023/708324857_5EzSU-M.jpg

(notice the “Bike Route” sign… this becomes significant in a bit)

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-025/708325929_KvBYi-M.jpg

Take the “Bike Route” sign and relate it to this picture:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-026/708326506_DQhYn-M.jpg

All will become clear soon.

[karl_1052]

How flipantly rude.


redflip

[Tmall]

You made me love MY bike again.. Sigh.

[Particle Man]

As I crested the first hill, the “Bike Route” sign gained a whole new meaning…

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-027/708327080_ytm57-M.jpg

Yikes… it wouldn’t be so bad going this direction, but the other direction would be hell. And it just kept going:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-028/708327609_U32a7-M.jpg

And up the other side in the distance:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-029/708328091_bj3Aw-M.jpg

In case it hasn’t already become clear, I live in an area of hills. Lots of hills. The same forces that carved out the Finger Lakes also helped sculpt the other features in this part of New York State.

While I was heading up the hill in the distance, I thought about how much thought the highway designers had put into Route 20 in this area. Every time the road headed up, a second lane appeared for the slower traffic:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-030/708328542_KRPbN-M.jpg

That came in handy more than once on this trip.

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-037/708332552_2JDSb-M.jpg

In some areas, it was clear that some adjustment to the landscape were necessary when the road was built:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-031/708329174_QZKU5-M.jpg

There was no shortage of hills:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-035/708331346_dXQZj-M.jpg

I passed by Pratts Falls Park and briefly considered heading in (it’s quite scenic) but I was on a mission and I was getting hungry :D

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-033/708330299_X6Tja-M.jpg

Besides, I had established a rhythm and didn’t feel like pulling over.

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-039/708333491_wsKG6-M.jpg

This big fella managed to find the one area where there wasn’t another lane going up hill but I didn’t care… I was riding.

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-049/708338563_PQUj8-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-048/708338073_wgmmj-M.jpg

Caution: tractors may jump out without notice:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-042/708334992_yP2xg-M.jpg

There was a ton of horse farms along the way:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-041/708334418_PTFg5-M.jpg

Thankfully, this was a rare sight along the way:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-038/708333009_LpYUa-M.jpg

More hills coming up:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-050/708339044_x7MWA-M.jpg

Going dowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwn:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-043/708335592_ZAG3d-M.jpg

(What’s interesting about the above picture is that this road in the middle of nowhere had granite curbs…)

As I crossed into the area around Lafayette, NY, it became clear that I was entering Apple Orchard territory… every other farm had rows and rows of apple trees:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-053/708341175_fBfKC-M.jpg

Oh look… another closed road:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-058/708344020_4ibjP-M.jpg

…

[Particle Man]

...

I was getting close and I was getting hungry:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-059/708344604_khKUu-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-045/708336676_y7y82-M.jpg

… bet you don’t see these in Florida :D

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-054/708341800_xNYoX-M.jpg

Lots of nice, flat, open land for snowmobiling:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-057/708343476_J6whz-M.jpg

With plenty of views…

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-052/708340675_QHVDv-M.jpg

What you can’t see in this picture is that the hill beyond this sign went up for about a mile:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-055/708342473_TFdvy-M.jpg

I’m particularly fond of windmills. I’m not exactly sure why, but I’ve always held a certain fascination with the concept and the form of windmills. I think it has something to do with the basic form that’s determined by functionality (kind of like motorcycles).

A classic-style windmill:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-056/708342993_h7j46-M.jpg

I had almost reached my destination when my phone rang...

[derf]

Looks like fun.

I Pm'd you about your GPS

[Particle Man]

Looks like fun.

I Pm'd you about your GPS

PM repiled :)

[derf]

PM repiled :)

Pm replied to your PM reply

[Particle Man]

Pm replied to your PM reply

:lol: ok

[Particle Man]

A glance down at my phone revealed an unlisted number. Fearing the worst (an emergency with my 19 month old) I answered… to be greeted by a Director from work.

Ugh.

The conversation went something like this:

Prtcl: “Hello?”

Caller: “Hi – this is X. Can you jump on a conference call right now? We have an issue… what’s that noise?”

Prtcl: “That would be my motorcycle; you’re on my Blue Tooth in my helmet. I’m doing 70 and probably shouldn’t get on a call with a customer right now, especially since I’m on PTO.”

Caller: “Well can you pull over and talk?”

Prtcl: “No, I’m sorry but I’m not in a safe place where I can pull over right now.” (Got my ass reamed for this one today incidentally)

Caller: “But this is important!” (Blah blah explanation followed… the long and short of it was that something came up that was someone else’s job but they had no freakin’ clue how to do it and they wanted ME to do it instead. Um, no.”

Prtcl: “I’m sorry but you need to contact X. If they can’t do this, then you need to talk to their manager.” (kids, don’t try this at home… I piss Directors off all the time :lol:)

Caller: “Ok. I’ll call you tomorrow.” (Good call)

*sigh*

About this time, I rolled into Skaneateles.

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-070/708350289_YGdDi-M.jpg

After parking the bike and feeding the meter, I walked toward the lake:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-064/708347388_oFH4Y-M.jpg

Someone else parked their ride too:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-063/708346892_urcj9-M.jpg

(Corner carving machine right there :D )

If you ever in this lovely town and need a place to stay, I’d recommend this place (right across the street from the lake). My wife and I stayed here at the beginning of the summer (my phone rang then too and I spent more time than I’d like to admit on my laptop):

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-062/708346340_i7F8S-M.jpg

My camera batteries were about dead by this point… thankfully, my camera can also take regular AA batteries (though they don’t last nearly as long as the rechargeable batteries from Sony). The closest store in which to buy batteries was a drug store that had been faced in order to fit in to the houses around the area:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-065/708347822_V7gE9-M.jpg

On the way back from the store:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-066/708348294_uyA7p-M.jpg

The main drag and a local LEO eyeing the guy wearing ATGATT (me :D) :

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-072/708351516_hBQpH-M.jpg

Doug’s Fish Fry. If you dig seafood, go here:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-068/708349333_7Tjik-M.jpg

How’s this for convenient: a garage for your boat right on the water:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-081/708356809_pvV2n-M.jpg

Just a little house…

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-082/708357452_kRHYb-M.jpg

Stairway to water:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-086/708360012_4QcMk-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-083/708358145_xNJH9-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-085/708359372_vvfzQ-M.jpg

Dark but still worth posting:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-080/708356116_T6AuQ-M.jpg

The local architecture is very pleasant:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-076/708353729_GJEyF-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-098/708367411_R9nZd-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-096/708366092_Eg69F-M.jpg

[Particle Man]

An alley that leads somewhere:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-078/708354767_P8o3r-M.jpg

Right on the water:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-094/708364753_d2gM5-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-095/708365441_g3yij-M.jpg


Unfortunately, Route 20 is a Truck Route so there is a lot of this:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-079/708355425_2cKvn-M.jpg

And it goes right through the main drag… but there’s also a lot of this:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-075/708353171_DvDMA-M.jpg

… and this:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-106/708371990_SFvDa-M.jpg

… and this:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-102/708369751_Vutf5-M.jpg

If you’re a bird, Skaneateles is the place to be:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-090/708362305_dSERh-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-091/708362837_iaSPp-M.jpg

Unless you’re a duck… then it sucks to be you:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-087/708360487_cQop8-M.jpg

More stone work and a church with a view:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-089/708361680_kZF3s-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-093/708364151_kF4xz-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-092/708363511_RXbJC-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-088/708361064_AoJHq-M.jpg

This can be found at the head of the pier:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-105/708371334_FPJtU-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-103/708370248_RVn9E-M.jpg

Sometimes, it’s the little details that make all the difference. It’s unfortunate, but there are times when the noise from the rest of the world drowns out the important things. It’s only upon closer inspection that we really see important details.

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-108/708373348_95v3E-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-107/708372656_NpXg6-M.jpg

This guy had the right idea:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-101/708369204_L8F8x-M.jpg

A little bit of history:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-099/708368078_wGk4K-M.jpg

By this point in the trip, I was really looking forward to a burger at Johnny Angel’s. After that, I had planned a special stop in honor of Veteran’s Day.

Stay tuned.

[Particle Man]

With my stomach grumbling, I moved the bike from its waterfront parking space to a space in front of Johnny Angel’s Heavenly Burgers (which is right next to Doug’s Fish Fry).

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-143/708395438_vM3RD-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-141/708394420_6Kydq-M.jpg

A very welcome sight indeed:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-139/708393180_wcDMD-M.jpg

After placing my order, I played with the camera for a bit:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-130/708386383_2io8P-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-132/708387594_bigWd-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-131/708386993_YL7nc-M.jpg

(shot through the window)

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-129/708385757_FYgyV-M.jpg

I love a place with a sense of humor:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-126/708384166_k5P2m-M.jpg

This particular camera was one that I purchased specifically for riding. I got it on ebay for 50 bucks since I didn’t want something I’d worry too much about breaking or losing along the way. This was my maiden voyage with it and I was fairly happy with its performance thus far.

It’s nothing special – a Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 (I was going to claim ignorance and not post a picture, however, I have the Smugmug iPhone app and this seemed like a good opportunity to test it out)... the tape over the shutter release is temporary until I get a replacement button from Sony:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Other/SmugShots/-/709790903_NqPk2-M.jpg

I ordered the Bison burger. Naturally, I added bacon (mmmm):

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-134/708390379_8wsyy-M.jpg

If you’ve never had bison before, you have to try it. It’s awesome!

See?

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-135/708390887_PNFoV-M.jpg

Playing around:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-136/708391409_DJhBY-M.jpg

I then took a walk back toward the water. There was a place where I wanted to grab some photos in honor of Veteran’s Day.

[Particle Man]

Just past this place:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-125/708383620_PCmpy-M.jpg

… is this place:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-122/708381882_e8UeK-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-123/708382507_LUymA-M.jpg

Even with trucks roaring past on Route 20, it always seems to become silent when I pass by this plaque which sits under this:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-121/708381269_N8hcK-M.jpg

This is because of the memorials set up just beyond. I’d try to put it in to words, but I’ll let the pictures do the talking:

A memorial to those who served in the Spanish-American War:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-113/708376520_n4Eeb-M.jpg

WWI “The World War”

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-115/708377680_6axXx-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-114/708377112_k3qLg-M.jpg

WWII:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-110/708374636_Asvwx-M.jpg

(I apologize but the panned out shot apparently didn’t make it)

Korea:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-119/708380037_QLWEy-M.jpg

Vietnam:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-112/708375918_yKzix-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-111/708375252_Wiwzv-M.jpg

Also in the park:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-116/708378299_fjAHe-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-117/708378847_aBsUU-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-120/708380659_K9kjz-M.jpg

To all those who have served or are currently serving:

Thank You.

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-124/708383030_Xog8W-M.jpg

More to come….

[marko138]

Good report. Great pics.

[tommymac]

Good stuff, how far from NYC is all this, I would def consider it as a long day trip in hte spring.

Tom

[Cutty72]

Awesome pics man, looks like a sweet ride.

Bison is good, but beef is better. Bison is too dry.

[tommymac]

Awesome pics man, looks like a sweet ride.

Bison is good, but beef is better. Bison is too dry.

Ostrich is quite good as well, and not too dry.

Tom

[HurricaneHeather]

Great little write up Prtcl!! :dthumb:

Makes me miss riding. :( I love little day trips like this.

[the chi]

Outstanding, I love it. Looks like a place I may need to add to my list.

[azoomm]

Great write up! It seems like you need to not answer your phone, or might I recommend a trac phone for daycare..... That way you know who's calling.

[the chi]

Or let them leave a message and call back immediately if necessary?

[Particle Man]

Sorry for the delay… life got in the way in the form of a conference room with no windows and a lot of contract stuff and reporting.

Back to the story…

… after grabbing lunch and visiting the Veterans park, it was time to head toward home.

(I did manage to goof around before leaving Johnny Angel’s):

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-138/708392601_kTt6u-M.jpg

While heading out, it was clear that the art of building castles was not lost in this area:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-145/708396423_QBww6-M.jpg

(though the art of mowing the lawn apparently is lost…)

From the saddle:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-158/708402404_vmx24-M.jpg

Heading along down the road:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-157/708401969_RXzo7-M.jpg

Hills off in the distance and the road curving and heading down:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-163/708404499_iw2Eb-M.jpg

Testing to make sure the mirror still works (yeah, that’s it):

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-161/708403676_KFANt-M.jpg

Getting closer to the hills:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-155/708400934_kxFCc-M.jpg

More sled trail crossing (saw quite a few of these so I think I’ll be coming down with the sled in a couple months):

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-150/708398680_fNbVA-M.jpg

Apple orchards are something of a recurring theme in this area… if you ever get the chance to try apple wine I’d recommend it:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-156/708401390_mwxgo-M.jpg

If your ears are sensitive to pressure changes due to changes in altitude, don’t come here :D

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-170/708407708_wgjqP-M.jpg

Along with apples, old manure spreaders being used as decorations is apparently fairly popular:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-172/708408745_trKxR-M.jpg

Salt on the roads from recent snowfall tended to make things a bit squirrelly in corners… that made the decision on whether or not I would be hitting side roads on the way back fairly simple since I had no intention of ending up lowsiding:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-184/708415361_2mD8o-M.jpg

Even so, the scenery was quite good just staying on Route 20:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-179/708412416_wSYDR-M.jpg

Even completely in the middle of nowhere there’s drainage and granite curbs:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-175/708410253_4Xia5-M.jpg

If you look on the left side of the next few pictures, you can just see the road snaking back to the left and going up that hill you see in the distance:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-176/708410765_Lahgs-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-177/708411271_4imZN-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-178/708411809_qTZ7S-M.jpg

Once up that hill, it again became apparent the amount of effort it took to carve Route 20 into the rock:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-174/708409742_LJHiX-M.jpg

...

[Particle Man]

Back at the beginning of my journey, I had stopped in Cazenovia, NY to change gloves. On my way back through, I decided to stop on the main drag and catch a few pictures. Cazenovia is another little town that has quite a bit of history and charm:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-190/708419705_JMvu8-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-187/708417484_BX9pX-M.jpg

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-189/708419008_yxKFA-M.jpg

The locals on the way home appeared friendly too:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-215/708435102_mAegq-M.jpg

… though there were signs warning about people with funny looking shovels up ahead:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-197/708423965_FwhWG-M.jpg

I didn’t see any funny looking shovels, but I did see some old farm equipment:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-208/708430604_nHxuD-M.jpg

… along with some new farm equipment:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-194/708422204_QwioS-M.jpg

One last down-hill run and then the next up hill road would take me to my house:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-212/708433075_fhwuL-M.jpg

After getting home, I realized that I hadn’t really ridden all that far:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-214/708434467_qBgos-M.jpg

And apparently, I hadn’t been gone long enough to warrant a happy greeting upon my return:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-222/708439375_7vgh6-M.jpg

“Oh… it’s you.”

The next time I ride any real distance, it will probably be on this:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-216/708435718_b44jN-M.jpg

But that’s okay.

[Particle Man]

So after I returned home, I glanced down at my phone and saw that I had missed 3 more calls from the office… unreal… but on to better thoughts:

A lot of these photos wouldn’t have been possible without the Vista Motorcycle Cruise Control:

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-148/708397825_tUgUP-M.jpg

This thing worked wonderfully!

Anyhow, thanks for reading. I know this isn’t an epic ride by any stretch of the imagination, but to me it was priceless. I think I’ve proven that I’m not particularly eloquent but I took a lot of pictures ;)

In the spirit of Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary….


This ride report was brought to you by the letter “S”

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-220/708438136_B7DgL-M.jpg

And the number “20”

http://prtclmn001.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Trips/Picture-084/708358769_ZMCJP-M.jpg

Thank you. :D

[Trip]

Very cool report, I would like to explore that area.

[tached1000rr]

enjoyed every bit of it thanks for sharing

[Particle Man]

Very cool report, I would like to explore that area.

Come on up - there's a ton of places like that around here.

Lunch'll be on me.

[tommymac]

Come on up - there's a ton of places like that around here.

Lunch'll be on me.

Would that be the case for me too :lol:

Tom

[Particle Man]

Would that be the case for me too :lol:

Tom

Depends on what kind of beer you bring up with you. :)

[tommymac]

Depends on what kind of beer you bring up with you. :)

I have learned I can fit quite a bit in the hard bags and tail bag :rockwoot:

Tom

[HurricaneHeather]

Hey thanks for the ride report and all the pics!

[Particle Man]

Good stuff, how far from NYC is all this, I would def consider it as a long day trip in hte spring.

Tom

it's just about 4 hours from NYC to Skaneateles

[tommymac]

it's just about 4 hours from NYC to Skaneateles

Hmm thats doable, woudl just get a mad early start so I can do/see more durring the day.

Tom

[Avatard]

Thanks for "taking me along for the ride" through pics, ptcl. I do so miss it.

[Particle Man]

Hmm thats doable, woudl just get a mad early start so I can do/see more durring the day.

Tom

let me know ahead of time if you'd like a guide to the area and I can put in for a day off!

[karl_1052]

let me know ahead of time if you'd like a guide to the area and I can put in for a day off!

Until you get a cell phone call, and you leave Tommy stranded all alone in banjo country.

redflip

[Particle Man]

Until you get a cell phone call, and you leave Tommy stranded all alone in banjo country.

redflip

if it's in the summer my wife will be home (she's a teacher) so I won't have to worry about calls from daycare so the cell phone goes off.

screw that.