East Coast Tour - May 8, 2009

Spartanburg SC - birthplace of my BMWZ3. Today was supposed to be the day that we met my brother Dave and Dad to tour the BMW Zentrum (factory tour) where they made my Z3 and bro's Z4. Long story short we missed it :-(

Dad and Dave drove 2 hour from Duluth GA and really enjoyed the tour :-)!

Cin and Shar on the other hand stayed at a hotel close by and left an hour early to complete the 17 mile journey. Multiple mishaps such as forgetting the printed mapquest page at the hotel and having the GPS in simulation mode left us totally LOST and heading in the wrong direction. Definitely a blonde moment!!!

I must admit we were both very disappointed but in the grand scheme of things, it's not the end of the world.

Dad and Dave did join us for lunch after the tour - it was great to see them!

Evie - exchanged emails with JB and Mike. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. I'll be giving you a call later today.

Cin & Shar

The "Three Amigos in Spartanburg SC!!!






BMW or Harley - which should I ride today?

East Coast Tour – May 7, 2009

Awoke to a absolutely gorgeous day....sun was shining, temps in the low 70's with no humidity.

We headed south on Rt 29 with little traffic. We hit Greenboro NC by 10:30 and were on track to be in Charlotte around noon and then hit our final destination Spartanburg SC by 3ish. We'll that was the plan anyway.

We stopped in Salisbury NC at a local BBQ place, "Wink's King of Barbeque". Now Shar was a little skeptical on whether Wink was really the King but after a tasty lunch (Shar-BBQ Chicken and Cin-Chopped BBQ Pork Sandwich), we both agreed that Wink deserved the title. It is by far the best darn BBQ that we have had in the south. Of course, it also is the only BBQ we have had on this trip! :-)

Headed south to Charlotte...that's when things started to go slightly south (no pun intended). I won't say that we got lost because all are routes are "subject to change" but I will say we spent a lot more time exploring Charlotte than we wanted to. At 3 pm our mood and the heat was rising and we finally stopped at a Charlotte gas station to get directions...and you thought only men were the ones that didn't stop for directions. Three and a half hours later, we finally arrived at the Marriott in Spartanburg SC tired, hungry, and parched.

Why the rush to get to Spartanburg SC? Stay tuned......


"Wink's King of BBQ"

East Coast Tour – May 6, 2009

Hit the road by 9:30 am hoping to get a jump start ahead of the rain. Headed south on Rt 29 and took a quick ride through downtown and the historic areas of Lynchburg VA. We had lunch at a cute deli "Phili Deli". The owner grew up in Phili, went to school in VA and started a deli specializing in authentic Philly Cheesesteaks....go figure!!!

We spent most of the afternoon skirting major downpours on our way to Danville VA (pronounced Danvulle by the locals), a border town to NC. Ended the day by celebrating Cinco De Mayo a day late with a nice dinner at Los Tres Megueyes. Best bargain to date. Three Negro Modelo beers (Shar), three margaritas (Cindy), appetizers and two fajita dinners for $47! Good day for the budget!

Are we having fun yet? Love the rainsuit!

East Coast Tour – May 5, 2009

Happy Cinco De Mayo! Today was the day we finally said "Adios" to Gettysburg. We knew it was time to leave when all the room service servers started calling us by our first names. Actually we really enjoyed Gettysburg but had it not been for the weather we would have hit the road two days ago.

Originally we were headed for Colonial Heights, VA as an interim stop prior to the outer banks. After seeing the weather forecast (yes, more damn rain for the remainder of the week), we opted to head directly south via Rt 15 and then Rt 29 to Charlottesville VA.

This was one of those days that I totally appreciated Sharon's Girl Scout preparedness. Prior to the trip, she insisted that we have the right equipment such as waterproof boots, rain suit, full face helmet etc. She also insisted that this rain gear should be packed on top and easily accessible. So Sharon, I am going to give you your well deserved "I told so" moment. The last hour and a half of our ride was pouring rain but we were smart enough to put gear on before it started raining. Keep in mind this rain gear was on top of four layers of shirts and a leather coat to deal with the cold and the wind. Putting on the rain suit brought back memories of Mom dressing us to play out in the snow...somewhere between the Pillsbury doughboy and the Michelin man. But on the plus side we were both toasty, warm and dry!

Stopped at lunch at Pete’s Park & Eat (interesting place) for a quick sandwich and reserved a room at the Charlottesville Hilton Garden Inn. Good thing we did...only a few rooms left by noon.

When we arrived, we learned that Springsteen ("the Boss") was in town for a "one day only" sold out show. Shar suggested we call the box office since sometimes they release tickets reserved for VIP's last minute. Low and behold ten minutes later we have prime aisle seats no more than twenty feet from the stage. He gave a phenomenal concert playing for 3 hours straight without a break! We wish we had that much energy!!!

Yahoo – crossed the Potomac in MD and hit VA all in one day!!! Total mileage was 196 for the day.


TTFN


Cin & Shar

East Coast Tour – May 3, 2009

We spent the last two days in Gettysburg relaxing, being a tourist and exploring many historic sites. Since it was pouring rain on Friday we decided to rent a car. Checked out downtown Gettysburg, the Civil War Museum in the house General Lee took over for his headquarters and drove through some of the battlefield areas. Nice lunch at Herr Publick House and Tavern...the Battle of Gettysburg began in the fields around the tavern.

Saturday morning we stopped by Battlefield Harley Davidson. They were having an open house event with demo rides, food etc.

After lunch we took a three hour guided tour of the battlefields on Segways! What a blast!!!

Originally we were planning on hitting the road Monday morning but Mother Nature is not cooperating. The forecast for today and tomorrow is heavy thunderstorms, lightning, and up to 3" of rain.

So...we've decided to stay one more day and head to Virginia early Tuesday (really). We're just taking one day at a time!!!

Safe travels for brother Dave and Dad who are on there way to Georgia. Bro Steve & Carol I hope you had a great visit with Julie & Ryan. Enjoy your Hawaiian cruise!!!

Editorial revision - we may have been too harsh in judging the Choice hotel chain as a whole. The Mt Pocono place left a lot to be desired...bad sign when Shar went to open the curtain and the entire curtain and rod (including screws) fell from the wall. With that said, we have driven by many of the Choice Hotels in Gettysburg and they looks nice. :-)

Cin & Shar

Gettysburg Battlefields - C&S show off the latest fashion in Segway helmets!

East Coast Tour – April 30, 2009

We were up bright and early. One advantage to staying at the Quality Inn, we didn't dilly dally in the morning. We couldn't wait to leave!

It was overcast and a little on the nippy side (55) when we left. The forecast for Friday was rain so we wanted to get to Gettysberg by the end of the day so we could spend a few days there.

We took mostly highways today but got off on 209 to eat lunch and met a very friendly gentleman, Bill. He and his wife are planning a trip around the U.S. next June on their Gold Wing. He suggested taking Rt 325 on our way to Gettysberg. What a hidden gem! He also told us about a website that highlights great roads for motorcycle riding in each state.

www.motorcycleroads.us.com

After our experience in Mt. Pocono we opted to call ahead and make reservations at the Wyndham Resort in Gettysberg for the next two days.

Upon arriving, huge smiles came across our faces. This is more like what we were looking for. The valet (Jordan) was very eager to valet park our bikes but we told him we had it covered. He was very sweet and allowed us to park our bikes under the portico knowing that rain was forecasted for Friday.

We really like this place, full restaurant and lounge, room service, massage services etc. Decided to extend our stay through the weekend so we can take in some of the local attractions.

Ended the day with dinner at the 1863 Restaurant followed by a couple of drinks in the lounge.

Life is good again!

Total Trip Miles So Far – 835 (Definitely NOT Iron Butts)

Cin & Shar



Safe and Dry!!!!

East Coast Tour – April 29, 2009

After a great visit with Marie, we were rested and ready to resume our journey south, aiming to get the hell out of NY before the end of the day. Paul - guess we'll have to meet up with you in Providence on our way back! :-)

We had a great day of riding logging about 210 miles. Took a very scenic route...Rt 22, hopping on 90 for a couple exits until we reached the Taconic Parkway which ran parallel to the Catskills. Gorgeous mountain views! Added bonus - this road is closed to commercial vehicles and we went miles without any other vehicles in sight. We picked up Rt 44 crossing the Hudson river in Poughkeepsie NY. Once over the bridge, Rt 44 had a lot of twistees. Ron - you were right, when we hit the twistees, Shar hit her stride and I was a blur in her mirrors. Upon entering PA, we rode along the Delaware Water Gap (Rt 209) - another great riding road.

We ended our day in Mt. Pocono PA. It was late, it was cold, and we were tired, hungry, and thirsty. We knew the moment we walked into the lobby of the first hotel, we weren't staying. Ultimately we landed at the Quality Inn (NOT!), part of the Choice Hotel chain. We think the reason they chose the name "Choice Hotels" is because they put them in areas where there are no other choices. ;-)

Luckily the hotel was located right next door to the only really nice restaurant in town - Bailey's Steakhouse.

Thanks for posting comments – we’re getting a kick out of them. Marie mentioned that some folks have been having trouble posting comments. Paul/Mary/Amie/Jim – any guidance or suggestions on how to post comments?

TTFN

Cin & Shar