NBR - Travel Advisory Board

DanteG · Post by **DanteG** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 4:43 pm

As I sit here in the typical Northeast riders' winter funk, I find myself thinking of destinations for the next riding season. With the plethora of mapping and travel sites available, I find that the planning part isn't difficult. I do, however, wonder how safe the routes and destinations are. Does the road I'm going to use run through an unsafe neighborhood ? Does the hotel/motel I'm planning to use double as the local crank distribution center ? Will my route place me square in the middle of Deliverence country ? The adventure of the road is one thing ... going straight into a bad situation out of ignorance is another.

I don't think that I'm the only one with these worries. I'd like to suggest an informal exchange of local knowledge. For example, I'm planning a Baltimore stay-over, and would love to get information from those local to the area about safe areas to stay, fun sites that may not be in the tourism board's guide, etc etc . Anyone ?

I can offer info re Philly and the surrounding burbs, if anyone's interested.

Anyone else palnning a trip and looking for info from the locals ?

LunaP · Post by **LunaP** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 5:35 pm

Bahahaha safe areas to stay in Baltimore: Inner Harbor.

I'm (slightly) kidding. We take a trip every year to Baltimore for a convention that happens to be in Inner Harbor. Inner Harbor is EXPENSIVE. If you step just ONE BLOCK in the wrong direction, it's IMMEDIATELY apparent you are NOT in Inner Harbor anymore. I have passed through city suburbs, however, that didn't look so bad (except for the Carnies that Lokky decided to stop and ask for directions... I guess in Italy Carnies aren't skeezy... I had to have a 'talking with strange people' talk with him after that

)

If you are passing through, or don't mind riding either your scoot or the light rail for a while across town, then the area around BWI has some nice, cheap traveler hotels. It's not exactly off the grid, but if it's your kind of thing and you've never been, do yourself a favor and go to the Baltimore Aquarium.

We take route 301 up there from Richmond. I'm not sure if 301 continues farther north, or what it's like past Baltimore... but I know if you need to go south out of Baltimore it's a great route to take.

Post by **ericalm** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 5:42 pm

Great idea. We have many Baltimore area scooterists. They may be more likely to respond to a thread with a subject specific to riding/lodging/etc. in that area.

BootScootin'FireFighter · Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:01 pm

Baltimore unfortunately has a bad rap that's very undeserved. Maryland as a whole has some aggressive drivers, but the city itself is rich in history and has some fun roads to ride. Falls Rd is a nice north south ride into downtown, the east side is very industrial, but I'd suggest Philadelphia Rd (Rt 7) or Belair Rd (US 1) coming from the NE, you should be fine. If you take 7, you'll have to briefly get on 40 in some parts, but not anything you won't be able to handle. As far as parking, I'd try to find an underground garage space. Unfortunately there's not a very pleasant route from Baltimore to Washington, since it's all suburban sprawl. I may just take the BW Parkway next time I end up that way.

Being in Philly, if you're looking for a fun 2 day roadtrip, you could do a Delmarva loop down DE 1 and US 113 south to Norfolk. Cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge / Tunnel, then turn around before the southern portal just before the tollbooth and you can cross again heading north. Stay near Pocomoke MD or Cape Charles VA overnight. Lots of beautiful farms and scenery. Then you can take US 13 north, or US 50/301 back home. I did a similar loop of the Chesapeake Bay this past fall and it was awesome! I plan to do it again but avoid Ocean City, and use that time saved to ride through Colonial Williamsburg. The Delaware Beach towns are nice, but Ocean City sucks.

Chesapeake Bay Loop

Post by **jrsjr** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:18 pm

LunaP wrote: If you step just ONE BLOCK in the wrong direction, it's IMMEDIATELY apparent you are NOT in Inner Harbor anymore.

I know just what you mean. We stayed in that area for a couple days. You can hear the sirens all night and all day in our room.

Raiderfn311 · Post by **Raiderfn311** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:28 pm

I work with a guy from Baltimore. He says its not as bad as say, 20 years ago when there were throngs of hookers hanging outside motels. He's told me about pimps riding their girls around and stopping next to your car."Want a date?" It's supposed to be better but I would make sure that I was in a safe place come sundown.

DanteG · Post by **DanteG** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 8:26 pm

Boots :

That's exactly the kind of info that I was looking for ... thanks !

Southerner · Post by **Southerner** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:30 am

If you're familiar with Roadrunner magazine, they give pretty good trip advice. In fact, that's mostly what they're about. It's mostly MC-related but I do recall at least one tour they did on an MP3 500. I don't recall any mention of bad neighborhoods to avoid, though.

Another route would be to check with the local chambers of commerce. They would be able to point you to the local interesting spots. I expect the larger metros will have this info on a website somewhere. I doubt a chamber would be likely to direct you to something in a rough area. Wouldn't make them look good.

neotrotsky · Post by **neotrotsky** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 2:43 am

I've never really stressed about that, considering I like to think I'm quick on my feet and generally, 90% of the people out there are decent folks. 5% really don't care about you no matter what, and only 5% are dangerous enough to even worry about. Then an even smaller percentage of that will actively take time out of their day to make you an issue. In short: People are nice, even if the smallest percentage *may* be an issue. Just use common sense.

Getting info from the locals is a great way to plan! Never hurts to ask the people who LIVE there. Also, part of touring is going to places just outside of your comfort zone. And, it can be fun! I'm a huge fan of it myself and have found myself learning alot more about myself and other places by taking a few "educated" risks but knowing my limits and my outs.

That, and a freshly charged cellphone, full fuel tank, a clear line out of down an a Sigma 9 never hurt either

Don't stress the small stuff. Ask the locals, make new friends and plan ahead and then just go for it! It is an adventure after all

bluebuddygirl · Post by **bluebuddygirl** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:01 am

Raiderfn311 wrote:I work with a guy from Baltimore. He says its not as bad as say, 20 years ago when there were throngs of hookers hanging outside motels. He's told me about pimps riding their girls around and stopping next to your car."Want a date?" It's supposed to be better but I would make sure that I was in a safe place come sundown.

It was even a bit over 20 years ago when the area right outside the inner harbor was considered bad news (mid 80's). My husband and I visited there about 6 years back and walked from downtown to the Inner Harbor area to Fell's Point and back again, with absolutely no problems. I might have the order of those areas mixed but the hotel was by the baseball field and we walked all over.

neotrotsky · Post by **neotrotsky** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:13 am

bluebuddygirl wrote:
Raiderfn311 wrote:I work with a guy from Baltimore. He says its not as bad as say, 20 years ago when there were throngs of hookers hanging outside motels. He's told me about pimps riding their girls around and stopping next to your car."Want a date?" It's supposed to be better but I would make sure that I was in a safe place come sundown.
It was even a bit over 20 years ago when the area right outside the inner harbor was considered bad news (mid 80's). My husband and I visited there about 6 years back and walked from downtown to the Inner Harbor area to Fell's Point and back again, with absolutely no problems. I might have the order of those areas mixed but the hotel was by the baseball field and we walked all over.

Places change. A good example is where we are moving to in Phoenix: Grand Avenue. Now, I mention that and local Arizona residents will instantly say "WTF?!?!". Grand Avenue and Van Buren were Phoenix's Skid Row. Nothing but crack hotels, hookers and gang bangers. But, the city has spent MILLIONS cleaning up both regions and now it's paying off! The city bought out ALL the crack motels on Grand Avenue south of McDowell Rd, and sold them to developers or community action groups and churches. After doing that, crime dropped 91 PERCENT in the first year! And, if all goes well by next month we'll be moving into a newly renovated 1950's motel converted into 1-bedroom and artist studios right on the same track. There's a half dozen new arts galleries, a few theaters (including the one we got married at!) and some kitchy bars down there now. It's beginning to liven up.

So, when planning, make sure to use the resource of forums since many things can change in a year, and who better to ask than those who are there.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:29 pm

neotrotsky wrote:Also, part of touring is going to places just outside of your comfort zone. And, it can be fun! I'm a huge fan of it myself and have found myself learning alot more about myself and other places by taking a few "educated" risks but knowing my limits and my outs.

Exactly. Collecting my disassembled bicycle from the baggage claim at Gatwick Airport about to start a 6-week tour of Britain, sharing a dormitory with a dozen strangers at a budget hotel in central Amsterdam, wandering communist East Berlin on my own for the day with just a few dollars worth of Ostmarks in my pocket, going to the gay bar in Reykjavik and drinking until the sun came up (around 1am that time of year), riding a 50cc scooter across the Mackinac Bridge... these are the stories I will bore people with for the rest of my life.