Ride from New York City to Pittsburgh PA

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Barberry17
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Ride from New York City to Pittsburgh PA

Post by Barberry17 »

UPDATE POSTED AT END

Hey all! While yearning for a great ride, I came up with the idea to drive from my home in New York back to Pittsburgh PA to visit my family. I've taken some good day trips in the past, most miles in a day has been between 150 and 200. This ride is going to be around 400. Will probably stay for a week or so in Pittsburgh, then drive back a different route, to try to see some more sights. I'm pretty psyched, but I need to plan it out, and I am looking for pointers!

- Safety tips or other tips for long rides?
- Places of interest or things to see?
- Better route suggestions?
- Anyone wanting to join for some legs of the ride?
- Any GPS recommendations? (bought one)

Some more details about the plan:

- I want to keep it on as low budget as possible.
- I am thinking to buy a GPS, and also some scooter tools, etc. The flight would cost around $150, so I guess I'm not trying to beat the price of a plane, rather it'll probably cost more than 2 tickets! But this will be a lot more fun than a plane. I hate planes.
- As well, I want to see some great sights, have some stop overs in some awesome state parks, see some water falls, some lakes, go through cool little towns (I drove a car through Lititz PA once before, that's kinda what I want to repeat - something different from New York!). I want to drive miles and miles through farms and fields and forests.
- Maybe will stay at a cheap motel half way in each direction, so I'm not pressed for time and can stop to see things along the way.


GEAR:

- Riding a 2008 Buddy Italia 150, still under warranty I guess (it's 2 years, no?)
- have about 3,200 miles currently
- have roadside assistance and full coverage insurance
- thinking to buy Ride On ( http://www.ride-on.com ) or some kind of tire repair kit incase of any problems
- want to learn of motorcycle / scooter shops along the route in case of unforeseen problems
- thinking to buy MRS fuel bottle


FINAL ROUTE:
Day 1:
<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... "></iframe>


DAY 2:
<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... "></iframe>


Give me your thoughts!

(cross posted on http://nyscooterclub.com/forum/viewtopi ... 19&t=14166)


!!!UPDATE!!!

Bought:

- RAIN GEAR - http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/ ... nsuit.aspx
- GARMIN NUVI 1350 GPS - http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.as ... GarminNuvi
- MSR FUEL BOTTLE, 30 oz. - http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3664373[/u]
Last edited by Barberry17 on Mon Jun 28, 2010 6:02 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Skootz Kabootz
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Post by Skootz Kabootz »

Get an iPod and some good tunes :)

Your Buddy will be fine and you're in for a great time. You're looking at a 1 1/2 maybe 2 day trip. Take your time. Take breaks. Let both you and your bike relax. The frequent fuel stops will kinds of force you to do this. Speaking of, you may want to get a canister for some extra fuel depending on the miles between service stations. You've planned your route in advance but figure out where the gas stations are too. Some basic tools and a tire repair kit would be a good idea...

What else... nothing really. Pack light. Take water and sunscreen... wave at all the girls, they dig guys on scooters :)
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Barberry17
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Post by Barberry17 »

Skootz Kabootz wrote:Get an iPod and some good tunes :)

Your Buddy will be fine and you're in for a great time. You're looking at a 1 1/2 maybe 2 day trip. Take your time. Take breaks. Let both you and your bike relax. The frequent fuel stops will kinds of force you to do this. Speaking of, you may want to get a canister for some extra fuel depending on the miles between service stations. You've planned your route in advance but figure out where the gas stations are too. Some basic tools and a tire repair kit would be a good idea...

What else... nothing really. Pack light. Take water and sunscreen... wave at all the girls, they dig guys on scooters :)

I'm sure it will be an awesome trip! I always ride with 1 ear bud in my helmet and some good music on! I'm sure to take breaks, have to eat or snack at least a few times. And planning to get a fuel container. Have had a few scares with the gas gauge on EMPTY and being in the middle of unknown areas without a town or gas station in sight! Do GPS devices show gas stations? I guess I'll have to learn that from each device. Not sure if I'll see any pretty girls in the country of PA, perhaps some toothless ones, or Amish... I'll give them a wave anyway!
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Post by siobhan »

Awesome, sounds like a great ride!

I love my Garmin StreetPilot 2720. It's a freaking brick. Nothing will kill it and you get 'em cheap. If you know a thing or two about computers, you can update the maps for cheap. And I can use it with gloves on. The downside is it must have AC power. I use it on a bike, not the scoot, so I don't know if it would kill the wimpy Buddy battery.

Get saddlebags to throw over your seat. Don't bring a lot of crap.

Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. The parts that burn on me are my face and neck, and my wrists if the jacket pulls up. It's quite a look!

Water, water, water. The wind is a killer; it dehydrates you and you don't even realize it.

Earplugs, earplugs, earplugs. I use the cheapy silicon Mack's brand in the blue & yellow box that you can get everywhere (grocery store, Target, etc.). Wind noise is fatiguing.

I cannot ride without a neck gaiter, even in really hot weather. The wind just saps my energy. Get a Buff. Love my Buff. I even pull it over my ears sometimes when the wind starts to make me crazy.

Snack as you go. Granola is your friend.

Pull over when you start getting stupid, like thinking, hmmm, how did I get here already? That's when you've been riding too long. The nice thing about the Bud is the little gas tank forces you to stop frequently.

If it's raining, you'll get cold. Bring layers.

Have fun! Take pics! Write it up for all to read!
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BootScootin'FireFighter
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Post by BootScootin'FireFighter »

Go over your projected route to a T. Try to avoid major commercial centers (malls, walmart/sams/home depot row, car dealership strips, etc). The cross traffic, noise, waiting at long light cycles, etc can really drain you. Do however take in the small little forgotten Main Streets, and enjoy the architecture scenery. Usually with googlemaps if you select no highways, it puts you on some of those exhausting strip mall laden routes. Have fun! I'm thinking of a trip to the Burgh from DC before the summer is out.
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Post by Barberry17 »

siobhan wrote:Awesome, sounds like a great ride!

I love my Garmin StreetPilot 2720. It's a freaking brick. Nothing will kill it and you get 'em cheap. If you know a thing or two about computers, you can update the maps for cheap. And I can use it with gloves on. The downside is it must have AC power. I use it on a bike, not the scoot, so I don't know if it would kill the wimpy Buddy battery.

Get saddlebags to throw over your seat. Don't bring a lot of crap.

Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. The parts that burn on me are my face and neck, and my wrists if the jacket pulls up. It's quite a look!

Water, water, water. The wind is a killer; it dehydrates you and you don't even realize it.

Earplugs, earplugs, earplugs. I use the cheapy silicon Mack's brand in the blue & yellow box that you can get everywhere (grocery store, Target, etc.). Wind noise is fatiguing.

I cannot ride without a neck gaiter, even in really hot weather. The wind just saps my energy. Get a Buff. Love my Buff. I even pull it over my ears sometimes when the wind starts to make me crazy.

Snack as you go. Granola is your friend.

Pull over when you start getting stupid, like thinking, hmmm, how did I get here already? That's when you've been riding too long. The nice thing about the Bud is the little gas tank forces you to stop frequently.

If it's raining, you'll get cold. Bring layers.

Have fun! Take pics! Write it up for all to read!
Wow, thanks Siobhan! Lots there, will take that all to mind when planning further. You wear ear plugs, even with a full helmet? I guess since I keep in one little in-ear head phone for my music, perhaps I only get 50% of the wind in, and is why I haven't noticed. =)

I was reading through your blog, I'm so sorry to hear about your cat, that's such a downer. I have a fur ball of a cat who I spoil, and can imagine the loss. My thoughts to you.

I'll check out that GPS. If I chart a map on Google Maps, do you know if there a way to upload it to the GPS? I am looking on motorcycleroads.us and finding a bunch of roads that I would like to take across PA!
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Barberry17
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Post by Barberry17 »

BootScootin'FireFighter wrote:Go over your projected route to a T. Try to avoid major commercial centers (malls, walmart/sams/home depot row, car dealership strips, etc). The cross traffic, noise, waiting at long light cycles, etc can really drain you. Do however take in the small little forgotten Main Streets, and enjoy the architecture scenery. Usually with googlemaps if you select no highways, it puts you on some of those exhausting strip mall laden routes. Have fun! I'm thinking of a trip to the Burgh from DC before the summer is out.
Yes, I'm going over the map now that Google gave to me, because exactly that. Living in New York, I know exactly what it's like to be exhausted by waiting at traffic lights and the noise and the frustration! I'm looking on motorcycleroads.us now and finding long stretches of roads like 40 and more miles long of scenic routes and twisty roads! I plan to take in all the sights, and take lots of pictures!

Are you from Pittsburgh?
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BootScootin'FireFighter
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Post by BootScootin'FireFighter »

Barberry17 wrote:Are you from Pittsburgh?
No, but it's still a close enough city to take a few days to explore. I'm actually from LI (Suffolk County) originally.
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Post by Elm Creek Smith »

Hey, nothing says that Amish girls aren't cute! I almost drove my Buddy into a ditch once passing an Amish buggy. If I wasn't old enough almost to be her grandfather and married almost twenty years longer than she'd been alive, I could have converted! Her father (I guess) just looked straight ahead, and she looked away with a little smile on her face.

Yeah, she knew!

ECS
Yes, that is my scooter.
Yes, I wear a helmet and a FIRSTGEAR armored jacket.
No, I'm not embarrassed to be seen riding it.
Yes, that is an NRA sticker on the fender.

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Post by TVB »

I hate to break this to you, ECS, but she was probably just laughing (very politely) at the beardless old English man who didn't know how to control his motor-bicycle. :)

Barberry: Another fairly inexpensive option for spending the night along the way would be camping at a state park. If you have (or can borrow) a tent and sleeping bag, just strap it on the scoot, and you'll have the most maneuverable RV in the Alleghenies .
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Barberry17
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Post by Barberry17 »

Elm Creek Smith wrote:Hey, nothing says that Amish girls aren't cute! I almost drove my Buddy into a ditch once passing an Amish buggy. If I wasn't old enough almost to be her grandfather and married almost twenty years longer than she'd been alive, I could have converted! Her father (I guess) just looked straight ahead, and she looked away with a little smile on her face.

Yeah, she knew!

ECS
Many years ago, I was probably around 10 years old, and my uncle lived in Lititz PA, and so I went out there with my Grandparents for a visit. My Grandma is the kind to strike up a conversation with locals, and before you know it, we were invited to an Amish family's farmstead, and their daughter, Fanny, took me for a ride on her buggy. I was horrified, it didn't have seat belts, or suspension, and it felt like sure death! My Grandma wanted me to marry her. Imagine, I'd have a full beard now, and growing crops. I should have done it.
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Post by Barberry17 »

TVB wrote:I hate to break this to you, ECS, but she was probably just laughing (very politely) at the beardless old English man who didn't know how to control his motor-bicycle. :)

Barberry: Another fairly inexpensive option for spending the night along the way would be camping at a state park. If you have (or can borrow) a tent and sleeping bag, just strap it on the scoot, and you'll have the most maneuverable RV in the Alleghenies .
That's an awesome idea! I have a great tent and sleeping bag, used to go camping all the time, but they're back at my family's place in Pittsburgh. I should see if someone can find them and ship them out here! Or maybe I can call up that Amish girl that I just wrote about in the previous reply, and see if she can board me. Oh wait, can't call, they don't have phones. I'll write!
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Post by KABarash »

Barberry17 wrote: My Grandma wanted me to marry her. Imagine, I'd have a full beard now, and growing crops. I should have done it.
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

If you need a place to 'crash' while passing through Lancaster County give me a shout!!
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Post by Barberry17 »

BootScootin'FireFighter wrote:
Barberry17 wrote:Are you from Pittsburgh?
No, but it's still a close enough city to take a few days to explore. I'm actually from LI (Suffolk County) originally.
That's quite a drive to consider "close enough"! I was going through roads yesterday, and I've revised the route to this current point. I found a bunch of great roads for the day 1 part, now have to keep researching for the day 2 leg. Day 1 is going to end up at a winery for a tasting and probably buy a few bottles. All in all, it'll probably go to the tune of 2 days spanning around 450 miles, each way. Still going to find a a few more parks and sights to visit. Maybe pull over somewhere and do some hiking.

<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... "></iframe>
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Post by KABarash »

Nniiiiccee route Man!!!

Having grown up on Long Island, with a brother that lived in Pittsburg I now live near Harrisburg and have worked ALL over the state I LIKE!! Quite senic, good choice!!!
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Barberry17
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Post by Barberry17 »

KABarash wrote:Nniiiiccee route Man!!!

Having grown up on Long Island, with a brother that lived in Pittsburg I now live near Harrisburg and have worked ALL over the state I LIKE!! Quite senic, good choice!!!
Thanks! I can't wait for the trip, though I don't want it to be July already, I want this Summer to last forever! (I just wrote about how this summer will be eternal... http://studiorivera.wordpress.com/2010/ ... ly-summer/).

I found most of the roads on Motorcycleroads.us , and am hitting Bethlehem and Nazareth because I'm sure there are signs to those towns, and they'll look great behind the scoot in a road trip picture! Do you know any other great roads that are along that route near Harrisburg? I have two sections before and two after Harrisburg that I found on MotorcycleRoads.
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Post by KABarash »

Barberry17 wrote: and am hitting Bethlehem and Nazareth because I'm sure there are signs to those towns, and they'll look great behind the scoot in a road trip picture!
I was wondering about that detour.... Kinda weird in my mind as I don't think those citys have anything too special. (Ooooopss)
Barberry17 wrote:Do you know any other great roads that are along that route near Harrisburg? .
Hmmm....... After droping south out of Fort Indiantown Gap (loveingly refered to as Fig) why don't you go through Hershey?
Rt 322 will then take you back towards your mapped route.
There's 'Indian Echo Caverns' near Hummelstown to stop at.
Of corse we have a couple of pretty nice Micro-Brewerys in Harrisburg, 'Troegs' has free tours on Saturdays(!) and a couple pretty nice stops right in Lancaster.....
Hmmmm........ I gotta think...... (ouch)
Ephrata Cloister....?
Lititz is a nice ride through, but you've already been there!!

Anywho..... I'll meet up with you somewhere and ride with you for a while....
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Post by Barberry17 »

KABarash wrote:
Barberry17 wrote: and am hitting Bethlehem and Nazareth because I'm sure there are signs to those towns, and they'll look great behind the scoot in a road trip picture!
I was wondering about that detour.... Kinda weird in my mind as I don't think those citys have anything too special. (Ooooopss)
Barberry17 wrote:Do you know any other great roads that are along that route near Harrisburg? .
Hmmm....... After droping south out of Fort Indiantown Gap (loveingly refered to as Fig) why don't you go through Hershey?
Rt 322 will then take you back towards your mapped route.
There's 'Indian Echo Caverns' near Hummelstown to stop at.
Of corse we have a couple of pretty nice Micro-Brewerys in Harrisburg, 'Troegs' has free tours on Saturdays(!) and a couple pretty nice stops right in Lancaster.....
Hmmmm........ I gotta think...... (ouch)
Ephrata Cloister....?
Lititz is a nice ride through, but you've already been there!!

Anywho..... I'll meet up with you somewhere and ride with you for a while....
Yeah, those towns are just for the sign purpose. Not really any other reason... not worth it do you think? I mean, that's going to be a bit out of the way, and perhaps it's pointless.

Hershey, I've been twice, for the park. Air smells good there, haha, I'm nuts about chocolate... The Indian Echo Caverns looks like it would be a cool rest stop! And yeah, see the 322... maybe that's a cool idea! Ephrata Cloister seems cool also! Lititz, I'd like to check it out again, it's been since that time with the Horse and Buddy and Fanny and my Grandparents so many years ago that I was last there, maybe I'll make it through again.

The route back from Pittsburgh to New York, I intend to find a different route, so I will be able to see more things. I surely want to make it through the Laurel Highlands! Keep your eye on the post, and I'll be updating as things go along.

I should try to get sponsorships for this, make it something big! Get camping stores to provide me with camping gear, perhaps some clothes, get some shoes out of it for hiking, get BP to give me gas (if they can skim any off the top... too early for that joke?), Red Bull can follow behind in one of their Mini coopers ( http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... ushing.jpg ) keeping me stocked with energy, a backpack full of cliff bars, a scooter shop can give me a good tune up and inspection before I head out, I'll get stickers all over my scoot with other companies providing sponsorships...
TVB

Post by TVB »

Barberry17 wrote:Or maybe I can call up that Amish girl that I just wrote about in the previous reply, and see if she can board me.
I'm guessing that Fanny's husband wouldn't be too keen on the idea. ;)
Oh wait, can't call, they don't have phones. I'll write!
No phones?! How do they text each other without phones? That's impossible!
:clown:
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Post by siobhan »

I use freeware to convert Google Maps data to a .gpx file, something like this: [url[=http://www.takitwithme.com/[/url]

I just found this. Part of my problem is I'm an old-skool UNIX geek so when there's an easy GUI way to do things, I'm always sorta surprised. AOL ruined the Innerwebs.

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N_p1x-fL2zc&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N_p1x-fL2zc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

As for the earplugs, I find the wind really bothers me. My ears tingle and I can't think straight. The plugs block out the wind but I can still hear the bike, traffic around me, sirens, etc. And that's with a full-face.

And thanks for your kind words about O'Malley. Losing two in less than 6 months sucks.
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Post by peabody99 »

soundslike a fun trip. If you don't have some kind of data phone, I would locate scooter or motorcycle shops along the route (may not be any) that could provide service if needed. Although even if you have a data phone it may not have coverage the whole trip- that is some pretty rural territory.

Most scooter shops are closed Sunday and Monday so your trip could be really delayed if you ran into problems those days. Road side assist may only go a certain amount of miles before they start charging.

Drink plenty of water and stretch plenty.

GPS is a great idea, as it can map gas stations which is great. I also recommend a traditional paper map. Most people that take road trips end up liking both as the GPS can be stupid sometimes.

the PVSC Band Camp rally is highly recommended if you are in the area at this time (mid June).
http://thepvsc.ning.com/
TVB

Post by TVB »

peabody99 wrote:GPS is a great idea, as it can map gas stations which is great. I also recommend a traditional paper map. Most people that take road trips end up liking both as the GPS can be stupid sometimes.
And sometimes both will be useless: the paper out of date, and the online inaccessible. Include the ability to ask directions, as a backup.
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Post by KABarash »

So when is this trip going to commence?? I'll meet up with you when you get near Harrisburg and ride with you a while..
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Post by Barberry17 »

KABarash wrote:So when is this trip going to commence?? I'll meet up with you when you get near Harrisburg and ride with you a while..
Awesome! I'm really looking forward to the routes before and after Harrisburg! Route 850 after Harrisburg, going up mountains and back down the other side, through valleys with mountains in front and behind... it's going to be the highlight of my summer!

I am planning now to leave on Wednesday, June 30, probably leave NYC early in the morning, maybe around 6. I plan to stop to check anything which might grab my attention along the way, perhaps a scenic picture spot, or something advertised along the road, etc, so not sure what time exactly I will arrive to Harrisburg, but I need to get to the end of the day 1 route hopefully by 4 or 5 PM, because I want to stop at a winery in Altoona, so I have to keep somewhat to a schedule.

Would you be able to ride mid week like that / not working?

Here's the route for day 1:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... 6&t=h&z=10
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Post by slowhand »

Its not Oak Spring Winery is it? Cab tastes of leather. If you plan on taking a trip through the Laurel Highlands on the way back you should pass through Ohio Pyle and check out Fallingwater ( possibly the most beautiful house ever built.) There is also a great winery between there and Somerset (Glades Pike Winery.) There is plenty of camping, hiking, climbing, and rafting in this area too. I could possibly meet up for a while and show you some sights.

Chris
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Post by Skootz Kabootz »

Jealous! I am dying to go an an extended scooter adventure. Have a great
time!
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Post by squash1978 »

Any trip to Pittsburgh has gotta be good :wink:
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Post by Barberry17 »

slowhand wrote:Its not Oak Spring Winery is it? Cab tastes of leather. If you plan on taking a trip through the Laurel Highlands on the way back you should pass through Ohio Pyle and check out Fallingwater ( possibly the most beautiful house ever built.) There is also a great winery between there and Somerset (Glades Pike Winery.) There is plenty of camping, hiking, climbing, and rafting in this area too. I could possibly meet up for a while and show you some sights.

Chris
Haha, it IS Oak Spring Winery, why, not good? The website says of so many awards, and they have so many strange berry wines, it might be interesting, since I already do imagine less classic wines when I think of PA wines... I just made a list now of the ones I want to try, their Pinot Gris, Chamburcin, Harvest Red, Concord, Peach, Cranberry, and Bluesberry.

I've been through Ohiopyle many times, I love it there, along with Fallingwater. I can't recall exactly how many times I have been there, probably around 8 or so. On a trip last fall through Pittsburgh, I took a friend there who had been wanting to go for about a decade!

The Laurel Highlands are great, so from Altoona, I'm going south to Somerset, and then heading past Hidden Valley and the areas, en route to return to PGH. Link to Day 2 driving route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... 6&t=h&z=13
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Post by Barberry17 »

BootScootin'FireFighter wrote:Go over your projected route to a T. Try to avoid major commercial centers (malls, walmart/sams/home depot row, car dealership strips, etc). The cross traffic, noise, waiting at long light cycles, etc can really drain you. Do however take in the small little forgotten Main Streets, and enjoy the architecture scenery. Usually with googlemaps if you select no highways, it puts you on some of those exhausting strip mall laden routes. Have fun! I'm thinking of a trip to the Burgh from DC before the summer is out.
Leaving in 2 days, think you may want to meet up with me for the ride??
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Post by Barberry17 »

peabody99 wrote:soundslike a fun trip. If you don't have some kind of data phone, I would locate scooter or motorcycle shops along the route (may not be any) that could provide service if needed. Although even if you have a data phone it may not have coverage the whole trip- that is some pretty rural territory.

Most scooter shops are closed Sunday and Monday so your trip could be really delayed if you ran into problems those days. Road side assist may only go a certain amount of miles before they start charging.

Drink plenty of water and stretch plenty.

GPS is a great idea, as it can map gas stations which is great. I also recommend a traditional paper map. Most people that take road trips end up liking both as the GPS can be stupid sometimes.

the PVSC Band Camp rally is highly recommended if you are in the area at this time (mid June).
http://thepvsc.ning.com/
Thanks for the tips. Got the GPS and tried it out twice now, once just going around the city but knowing where I was going, so I could see how it works out, and then this past weekend took it out on a longer ride, about 100 miles, and it was awesome! At one point, was getting low on fuel, and I didn't have to think, just told it to find me gas, and there was gas, 1 1/2 miles away. This is going to be so much fun!

And the trip will be a Wednesday and Thursday, so that works out perfectly with the shops being open. I'll be passing right in front of a shop called Motor-Vation Motorcycles around the 1/2 way point, so that should be cool.
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Barberry17
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Post by Barberry17 »

squash1978 wrote:Any trip to Pittsburgh has gotta be good :wink:
=) Looking forward to it! Probably renting a car once I arrive though, so I can take along my friends. Which sucks, would be fun to ride around on the scoot! Can't wait to get to the wave pool, that was the #1 reason of thinking behind this trip - driving 1,000 miles, so I can go to the pool for a few hours in the afternoon.
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Post by peabody99 »

make sure and hit Fatheads if you can.
Sandwichs and beer selections are the bomb, plus the neighborhood is cool.

http://www.fatheads.com/
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Barberry17
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Post by Barberry17 »

peabody99 wrote:make sure and hit Fatheads if you can.
Sandwichs and beer selections are the bomb, plus the neighborhood is cool.

http://www.fatheads.com/
Of course that's on the list! I always get a great burger there, and then later down the street to PGH Steak Co for the Pgh Steak Salad... mmmmm. Pittsburgh is so full of great greasy food! And also have to get a Primanti's sandwich!
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Post by slowhand »

Haha, it IS Oak Spring Winery, why, not good? The website says of so many awards, and they have so many strange berry wines, it might be interesting, since I already do imagine less classic wines when I think of PA wines... I just made a list now of the ones I want to try, their Pinot Gris, Chamburcin, Harvest Red, Concord, Peach, Cranberry, and Bluesberry.

I've been through Ohiopyle many times, I love it there, along with Fallingwater. I can't recall exactly how many times I have been there, probably around 8 or so. On a trip last fall through Pittsburgh, I took a friend there who had been wanting to go for about a decade!

The Laurel Highlands are great, so from Altoona, I'm going south to Somerset, and then heading past Hidden Valley and the areas, en route to return to PGH. Link to Day 2 driving route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source= ... 6&t=h&z=13[/quote]


I've never tried their sweet wines. Just do not like their dry's. If you get a chance you will be passing Glades Pike Winery on rt. 31 (maybe a 1/4 mile before Hidden Valley.) If you like sweet wines they make a Mead there which is a honey wine. Their Reisling (semi-dry) is great and the Cab Franc and Norton are great dry wines. I am becoming obsessed with Norton's which were pretty much invented in the Eastern US.
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Post by Barberry17 »

I've never tried their sweet wines. Just do not like their dry's. If you get a chance you will be passing Glades Pike Winery on rt. 31 (maybe a 1/4 mile before Hidden Valley.) If you like sweet wines they make a Mead there which is a honey wine. Their Reisling (semi-dry) is great and the Cab Franc and Norton are great dry wines. I am becoming obsessed with Norton's which were pretty much invented in the Eastern US.
Ahh, cool! Thanks, I will be passing right by Hidden Valley, so I will stop there. I don't know of Nortons, I will be sure to check it out when I stop at that winery. Do you live near there?
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Post by KABarash »

Pm sent....

Maybe I'll ride with you all the waw to 'Toona'! :?

Oh yeah, when you're 'on Post' at FtIG, Fort Indiantown Gap, civilian rider or not, the MPs can be arse holes sometimes, you NEED to have some sort of 'high vis' garment on. A 'PT' belt accross your shoulder in sash fashion will surfice however.....
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Post by Barberry17 »

KABarash wrote:Pm sent....

Maybe I'll ride with you all the waw to 'Toona'! :?

Oh yeah, when you're 'on Post' at FtIG, Fort Indiantown Gap, civilian rider or not, the MPs can be arse holes sometimes, you NEED to have some sort of 'high vis' garment on. A 'PT' belt accross your shoulder in sash fashion will surfice however.....
Just got your PM, will be in touch when I get home, I have to run out right now to pick up the scooter from being serviced before the shop closes. But in the mean time, what is a PT belt?
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Post by slowhand »

Barberry17 wrote:
I've never tried their sweet wines. Just do not like their dry's. If you get a chance you will be passing Glades Pike Winery on rt. 31 (maybe a 1/4 mile before Hidden Valley.) If you like sweet wines they make a Mead there which is a honey wine. Their Reisling (semi-dry) is great and the Cab Franc and Norton are great dry wines. I am becoming obsessed with Norton's which were pretty much invented in the Eastern US.
Ahh, cool! Thanks, I will be passing right by Hidden Valley, so I will stop there. I don't know of Nortons, I will be sure to check it out when I stop at that winery. Do you live near there?
I live about 20 minutes north of Somerset. I got a couple of friends who make the wine at Glades Pike and I'm obsessed with good wine and good beer.

You should really bypass Altoona an stay in Johnstown. We got a great Import and Craft style bar here ( like Fatheads but smaller, cheaper, and less crowded.) Last week there was a huge bike rally here and there were actually alot of scooters here. That would have been the perfect time to pass through this area.
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Post by KABarash »

Barberry17 wrote:
KABarash wrote:Pm sent....

Maybe I'll ride with you all the waw to 'Toona'! :?

Oh yeah, when you're 'on Post' at FtIG, Fort Indiantown Gap, civilian rider or not, the MPs can be arse holes sometimes, you NEED to have some sort of 'high vis' garment on. A 'PT' belt accross your shoulder in sash fashion will surfice however.....
Just got your PM, will be in touch when I get home, I have to run out right now to pick up the scooter from being serviced before the shop closes. But in the mean time, what is a PT belt?
Physical Training Belt
It's sort of a geeky looking thing that's high vis and reflective that you have to wear while jogging/running on military posts.
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Post by BootScootin'FireFighter »

Barberry17 wrote:
BootScootin'FireFighter wrote:Go over your projected route to a T. Try to avoid major commercial centers (malls, walmart/sams/home depot row, car dealership strips, etc). The cross traffic, noise, waiting at long light cycles, etc can really drain you. Do however take in the small little forgotten Main Streets, and enjoy the architecture scenery. Usually with googlemaps if you select no highways, it puts you on some of those exhausting strip mall laden routes. Have fun! I'm thinking of a trip to the Burgh from DC before the summer is out.
Leaving in 2 days, think you may want to meet up with me for the ride??
Thanks anyway dude, be safe. I gotta work on the 4th, otherwise I'm so itching to go to IDX in Philadelphia. Sorry Polinarchy, Julebox and I won't make it to this one. I love my job, but sometimes I hate it.
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