Met several other members of the Red Knights for a ride and outing to Knoebels Park in Elysburg. Knoebels is a family friendly amusement park which has free admission. It includes a campground, swimming pool, rides, picnic areas, shops, and several food pavilions.
On the ride up we took, for the most part, state highways. A few back roads were included. The most significant was our final leg of the ride, Pine Swamp Road. You can pick up Pine Swamp off of Middle Road. From Numidia, it is 3.4 miles to the intersection. Pine Swamp Road is in good condition and very narrow. It is barely wide enough for two cars but has plenty of shade and it ends at the parking lot of the park.
We spent several hours at Knoebels enjoying the rides and food. Before we left a strong rain storm came through the area which lasted over an hour. It even knocked out the power which stopped some of the rides. A few cars were stranded in the middle of the 'Flume' ride. The people in the cars could do nothing but sit in the pouring rain and wait for the power to return. While waiting for the storm to pass, we spent the time under one of the food pavilions and had a bite to eat.
When we left Knoebels it was still raining, so rain suits were in order. The rain continued until we got to the Frackville area and, as a result, it took much longer to return back to Lehighton. We presented quite a sight with the rain suits, bandannas covering our face to protect from the stinging raindrops, and anything else in our saddle bags we could find to stay as comfortable as possible. We laughed at ourselves along with the people driving by.
An eventful day to say the least, but one we'll remember for a long time.
Total mileage for the day was 113 miles.
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Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
In Search of Parts
My other ride, which I just purchased, is a 1985 Kawasaki 454LTD. Being 25 years old, OEM parts are difficult to find.A friend told me about a motorcycle repair shop in Richlandtown, PA that has parts for older Japanese motorcycles. However, he did not know the name of the shop. So my goal for the day is to search for the shop and explore some roads in the area.
On a bright, sunny day my wife and I left after breakfast for Richlandtown. We took some familiar roads to get to the Easton area. From there I tried a new route, Morgan Hill and Old Well Roads (Markers B to C on map). Wow what a find! Only a couple of miles in length, the numerous curves made up for it. One of those great motorcycle roads you'll ride and turn around and do it again. From there I took SR 611 and SR 212 to get to Richlandtown.
In Richlandtown it wasn't difficult to find what I was looking for. Right on Main Street was Larry's Service Center with an older Kawasaki parked outside, so we pulled in. The owner of the Kawasaki was one of the employees who was early for work. However, soon the owner and other employees showed up and opened the shop. As it turned out, most of their business is with used OEM parts for Japanese bikes rather then motorcycle service repair. The shop is crammed with all types of parts. I found one of the parts I was looking for and they were going to look in their warehouse for others that I needed. Not a fully successful mission, but at least I know where to go for parts for my Kawasaki.
Leaving Richlandtown, we took Union and Richlandtown Roads. Union Road is a nice back road in very good shape. Richlandtown Road had more curves and shade then Union, but the road was rough in places. From there we took SR 563 and SR 63 to get to Green Lane.
In Green Lane we stopped at Rockwell's Restaurant for lunch. The food was very good and the service was excellent.
Right outside of Green Lane is Green Lane Park, which is administered by Montgomery County. I grew up about 20 miles away and a trip to the park was a 'big deal'. We looked froward to swimming, fishing, picnics, and other summer activites. I haven't been there for many years, so we took a ride over to the park and stopped to walk around. There were still many of the features I remember from my visits as a kid. One thing missing was swimming and the beach along the lake. There is still some good fishing in the lake and a new amphitheater.
Leaving the park, we picked up SR 29 for a couple of miles and then took Knight and Kutztown Roads (Markers G to H). Knight Road goes through an area where there are equestrian trails, another feature of Green Lane Park. Very scenic along with some elevation changes. Once you cross SR 663, Knight Road becomes Kutztown Road, another good route with little traffic.
Kutztown Road brings you to SR 100. I took it north for a short distance and turned onto Huff Church Road. From there I took a route of back roads to get me to US 222 and SR 863. Again, it was a return to back roads for the leg of our trip back home.
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On a bright, sunny day my wife and I left after breakfast for Richlandtown. We took some familiar roads to get to the Easton area. From there I tried a new route, Morgan Hill and Old Well Roads (Markers B to C on map). Wow what a find! Only a couple of miles in length, the numerous curves made up for it. One of those great motorcycle roads you'll ride and turn around and do it again. From there I took SR 611 and SR 212 to get to Richlandtown.
In Richlandtown it wasn't difficult to find what I was looking for. Right on Main Street was Larry's Service Center with an older Kawasaki parked outside, so we pulled in. The owner of the Kawasaki was one of the employees who was early for work. However, soon the owner and other employees showed up and opened the shop. As it turned out, most of their business is with used OEM parts for Japanese bikes rather then motorcycle service repair. The shop is crammed with all types of parts. I found one of the parts I was looking for and they were going to look in their warehouse for others that I needed. Not a fully successful mission, but at least I know where to go for parts for my Kawasaki.
Leaving Richlandtown, we took Union and Richlandtown Roads. Union Road is a nice back road in very good shape. Richlandtown Road had more curves and shade then Union, but the road was rough in places. From there we took SR 563 and SR 63 to get to Green Lane.
In Green Lane we stopped at Rockwell's Restaurant for lunch. The food was very good and the service was excellent.
Right outside of Green Lane is Green Lane Park, which is administered by Montgomery County. I grew up about 20 miles away and a trip to the park was a 'big deal'. We looked froward to swimming, fishing, picnics, and other summer activites. I haven't been there for many years, so we took a ride over to the park and stopped to walk around. There were still many of the features I remember from my visits as a kid. One thing missing was swimming and the beach along the lake. There is still some good fishing in the lake and a new amphitheater.
Leaving the park, we picked up SR 29 for a couple of miles and then took Knight and Kutztown Roads (Markers G to H). Knight Road goes through an area where there are equestrian trails, another feature of Green Lane Park. Very scenic along with some elevation changes. Once you cross SR 663, Knight Road becomes Kutztown Road, another good route with little traffic.
Kutztown Road brings you to SR 100. I took it north for a short distance and turned onto Huff Church Road. From there I took a route of back roads to get me to US 222 and SR 863. Again, it was a return to back roads for the leg of our trip back home.
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Saturday, July 3, 2010
Columbia County Covered Bridge Tour
Columbia County is home to over 20 nineteenth century covered bridges. No two covered bridges are alike and this reflects the antiqued craftsmanship used to construct these spans.
On a perfect day for motorcycling, sunny with a forecast high of 75 degrees, I planned an itinerary to visit several covered bridges in southern Columbia County. Most of the thoroughfares on the route were back roads, some not much wider then a country lane. The back roads and covered bridges provided a one of a kind experience.
The spans visited include the Hollingshead, Davis, Ester Furnace, Richards, and Krickbaum Covered Bridges. Each had their own character. For more information on the Columbia County Covered Bridge Tour, download their brochure.
Following are some photos of the Hollingshead and Richards bridges.
After a stop for gas and a rest in Elysburg it was still before noon, so I decided to take ‘the long way home’ and head west instead of directly home. As they say, “Never ask a biker for directions if you’re in a hurry to get somewhere.” On the way home we stopped for lunch at the Red Lion Cafe on SR 443 just east of Pine Grove. Food and service was very good and they have delicious homemade baked goods. Off the beaten track but worth the time.
Some of the roads on the route that are listed on MotorcycleRoads.US include SR 93, SR 225, and SR 125.
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On a perfect day for motorcycling, sunny with a forecast high of 75 degrees, I planned an itinerary to visit several covered bridges in southern Columbia County. Most of the thoroughfares on the route were back roads, some not much wider then a country lane. The back roads and covered bridges provided a one of a kind experience.
The spans visited include the Hollingshead, Davis, Ester Furnace, Richards, and Krickbaum Covered Bridges. Each had their own character. For more information on the Columbia County Covered Bridge Tour, download their brochure.
Following are some photos of the Hollingshead and Richards bridges.
After a stop for gas and a rest in Elysburg it was still before noon, so I decided to take ‘the long way home’ and head west instead of directly home. As they say, “Never ask a biker for directions if you’re in a hurry to get somewhere.” On the way home we stopped for lunch at the Red Lion Cafe on SR 443 just east of Pine Grove. Food and service was very good and they have delicious homemade baked goods. Off the beaten track but worth the time.
Some of the roads on the route that are listed on MotorcycleRoads.US include SR 93, SR 225, and SR 125.
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