Backroads March 2024

Publishers Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors Mark Byers, Dr. Seymour O’Life

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BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2024. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without speci c written consent from the publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosed suf cient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACKROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip &Rides® published are ridden on the sole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

FREE WHEELIN’

The hidden enemy

$38.30… that is the hidden enemy.

Back in 2017, we held a rally in West Virginia… at the Stonewall Jackson Resort.

We have always gotten mixed reviews on our choices of accommodations – more good ones than bad thankfully, but the Stonewall Jackson Resort got more than rave reviews; and an active call to return to the western West Virginia hotel.

It had so much to offer – great restaurants, a superior pool, and hundreds of miles of awesome riding in every direction.

But times change, as does leadership. The Stonewall Jackson was part of a state park and since we last visited they seem to have “woke up” and have quietly dropped the Jackson from Stonewall Jackson – heaven forbid they suddenly seem less that inclusive or in any way guilty of the nation’s struggles a century and a half ago.; and a heroic General fifty years earlier.

This is not the only Stonewall Jackson Hotel at which we have stayed in the past that has gone through a name change.

The Stonewall Jackson in Staunton, Virginia also had a massive historical make-over.

For those of you who remember there was a marvelous giant neon sign atop the hotel – which, for us, added a great Americana feel to the place. Well, they

BRIAN RATHJEN

removed that back in the middle of COVID (when few were looking) and changed the name too. What was once named for a famed and tough general is now named for how many hours in a day…Hotel 24 South (I’m surprised they kept south).

According to the management, “The hotel’s ownership selected a name which reflects a new generation of excellence and respects our community, our guests, and our history while being forward-looking and all-inclusive,” It seemed that protests against the name started in early June, around the time of those oh-so-peaceful 2020 street gatherings. That’s when the hotel released a statement saying they were going to change the name of the hotel and move away from the historic moniker of the Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Conference Center.

The hotel added, “... Upon reflection, the owners recently decided that retaining the hotel’s historical name may no longer be appropriate. They believe it is important to consider the decisions of the past but move forward in a positive and enlightened way to create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. The decision has been made to thoughtfully and appropriately update the name of the property. The intent is to be respectful of the Shenandoah Valley’s rich history while honoring all of its citizens and leaders.”

They caved. And, the hotel lost a bit of its feel and appeal. Back in West Virginia, the same thing happened.

But I am not writing to make my point on how things have changed for the worse in the last few years – most of us know this – whether you will admit it or not.

What amazes me is that so many can applaud these changes yet stay silent when these same hotels and resorts

Continued on Page 9

eTernal CombusTion

I am in love with the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). Harnessing the power of exploding hydrocarbon mixtures billions of times in rapid succession inside cylindrical containers appeals to an elemental part of my psyche - my lizard brain of locomotion. The immediate response, both in acceleration and aural orchestration, to a twist of my right wrist never fails to bring a smile to my face and a song to my heart. Tonight I rode a 33 HP single about 20 miles and it growled like a little lion as it cavorted around the tachometer dial in search of the peak of its torque curve. Of my bigger machines, the Triumph triples tend to tickle that fancy the most, one in particular that exhales through an Arrow pipe, making sounds like a little Formula One car (before they were neutered).

I loathe the idea of twisting a throttle, only to be greeted by “HUMMMMMMM” even if they can generate wicked acceleration. I’ll take my oily, smelly, dinosaur-burning babies any day and I won’t have to search - mostly in vain - for a charging station where I can while away several hours as fossil-fuel powerplants miles away replenish my ride’s energy storage units. I vividly remember last summer’s experience with a four-wheeled machine of that ilk and the hours it took to restore even a fraction of its charge. No way: give me a pump with mid-octane, corn-squeezins-free, aromatic hydrocarbons and set me free!

Rathjen, Kamil, and I were browsing the York swap meet a couple weekends ago, reveling in a panoply of amazing vintage motorcycles and a couple acres of parts for them. I said to Brian, “I hope this never goes away. Can you imagine coming here looking for a battery for your bike’s propulsion system?” We agreed that it would be a real downer to walk up and down aisles of lithium-ion cells, wiring bundles, and various types of circuitry. We are not electricians, we are mechanics! That isn’t solder paste under our fingernails and in the cracks in our fingers, it’s oil and grease! Saying something like, “Excuse me, sir, but do you have the Exceleron EEEX-THX-1138 mega-cell with the early CMOS power controller?” would be the stuff of nightmares for me.

Those of you who appreciate vintage, ICE-powered British motorcycles will also recoil in horror at the following request: “Excuse me, sir, but do you have the electric motor harness for a 2030 Triumph Green Triple - you know, the one made by Lucas?” Yes, friends, imagine the Prince of Darkness making not only the stuff that controls the lighting, but also the motor! The old joke about Brits drinking warm beer because Lucas can’t make a proper refrigerator either is apropos in that case. I have seen the results of a Lithium-ion thermal runaway and to say it is bomb-like is putting it mildly. You can call me a luddite if you want, but anyone who has ever chased electrical gremlins through any kind of machinery will tell you that it is the pinnacle of frustration. Right now, I have an almost-new KLX-250 that runs wonderfully… until it pops the 10 Amp ignition control fuse, which it did several times at the Shenandoah 500 and led me and the bike to complete the first day in the back of a pickup truck.

Continued on Next Page

WHATCHATHINKIN’ SHIRA KAMIL

don’Tbe s.a.d

I love March. Mostly because it contains my birthday - the Ides of March - where I’ll have a Caesar salad to celebrate. Unlike most people I know, I relish every one that comes my way. But it also has so many great events and special days to embrace.

March - named for the god of war, Mars - was a time to resume military campaigns that were interrupted by winter. Well, let’s ditch that idea and instead resume our riding season.

The early Roman calendar considered March the first month, as it brought spring with the vernal equinox (March 19 this year) and the start of new beginnings. Circle back to that riding season idea and the time to begin those planned rides dreamt about during those cold winter months.

March 10 will bring Daylight Saving Time. Yes, we’ll lose an hour but we’ll gain that extra bit of sunlight at the end of the day to extend those early spring rides.

on The mark

I still have not found the culprit, but I have gotten very adept at finding and changing that fuse (regrettably, after having to remove the seat each time). Usually, with an ICE bike, other than totally blowing the engine (which I have done), I can usually nurse it home. My experience with electrical stuff is to the contrary.

No, I want eternal combustion! I want my fossil fuel burned directly underneath me and at my behest, not a hundred miles away. I want the sound

This January was a particularly dismal period, with hardly a sunny day to be seen. The onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder was a tough one to beat, with every morning bringing clouds, rain and general gloom. So come February’s Groundhog Day and old Punxsatuney Phil giving the green light to an early spring, I put those duldrums in their proper dark place and turned by face to the long-absent bright light that ended the sun drought at sunset.

Perhaps you have heard the saying ‘If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb’ but do you know how that started? One interpretation is that the constellation Leo, the lion, rises in the east at the beginning of March while Aries, the ram, sets in the west at the end of the month. Thus coming in like a lion and out like a lamb. Cast aside the darkness and hitch your wheels to that lion and go roaring into the sun, like the Phoenix rising from the ashes of this gray winter. If nothing else is on your calendar, make plans to join us for our Spring Break May 16-19 ‘cause we never said never, did we? ,

and fury of barely-controlled explosions happening multiple times a second, commanded by my right hand. I want to smell the result, especially if it is race-gas from the bike adjacent to me on a track or the two-stroke emissions of my trail-riding buddies. If they leave me behind, I can frequently track them, like a Castrol bloodhound, by their smells. If I shut my own motor down, I can also find them by their sounds, which sure as hell aren’t HUMMMMMM and WHIRRRR and THRUUMMMM. People want to ride Thumpers, not Hummers, or at least the Usual Suspects and I do. ,

BACKLASH Letters to the Editor

More MotoVermont

Hey Brian & Shira

Glad to see you hooked up with Eric & Spenser,they are a couple of good passionate moto guys.

I’ve done several trips with them,leaving in March for the Arizona trip with them. Hope you guys are doing well.

Happy Healthy,

Walter Siegordner

Walter,

So nice to hear from you, and glad that you are riding and hanging with Eric & Spenser – really nice guys we have known for many years. Have an awesome time in Arizona and we hope we run into you on the road sooner rather than later!

Hey, Brian and Shira.

I always trust your recommendations. Any thoughts on lodging near Cooperstown, NY for mid-late June? My nephew, who lives in Hawaii, will be playing in the tournament up there.

Love your magazine. Always great recommendations for local food joints.

Thank you,

Rich Palmer

Rich,

I wish I had a great and definitive inn for you...

But, depending on day of the week and event happening at the HOF, rooms can get scarce and almost prohibitive.

We did hold a rally at a place called the Lake Front - nice restaurant, at bottom of the Lake Otsego. (Which BTWis the headwater and beginning of the 444-mile Susquehanna River!)

We wish we had more for you, and if we can help, we will.

Hi Backroads,

Back in the December ‘23 Backlash column reader Bill Denton of Yardley, PA wrote in seeking help getting custom GPS routes into a Garmin. I learned to do this using a YouTube video by Greg Miller. If Bill searches “Greg Miller Garmin Zumo” in YouTube the video will come right up. He can watch that and get the idea.

Being a 3rd grader when it comes to instructions and things I don’t do regularly, I typed out a click by click document I’d be happy to share with Bill. Forward my email address to Bill and I’ll send him the pdf file version. Thanks for your excellent work Backroads team!

Keith Foster • Salisbury MD

Dear Editors,

I do love “Backroads”, and often get hungry reading about all the good roadside eateries there are in the northeast. But I do wonder about their GPS. When reading the excellent article about Taylor Guitars in El Cajon, Cailifornia (sic) I was amused by the last sentence, which says that if “... you are riding just west of San Diego ...” you will find the El Cajon factory. Sorry, but anyone riding just west of San Diego will find themselves in the Pacific Ocean; El Cajon is east!!

Another minor correction is in the Modern Classics article, where it is written that the Kawasaki Concours “had a two-decade run from 1996 to 2006.” The two-decades is correct, but the dates are ten years off, as the first Concours came in 1986 ... and I bought one.

Clement Salvadori

Yep, correct on both. This is what happens when you wear so many hats, and forgo wine during proof-reading. But, more importantly, Clem, for correctly identifying the sadly-placed mistakes in Backroads you have just won a brand-new Chrysler Cordoba and you can pick it up at the MWAG office.

Subscription thru Square

Always enjoy reading Backroads. It was great to meet you at the York vintage swap meet.

Best wishes,

Tony

Very easy to renew. Like reading about motorcycling in my local area and seeing pictures of Lisa and Keene.

Furman

Thanks Furman! We try to make it as easy as possible to renew via our website through the Square site. It’s safe, secure and immediate. Just visit our website: backroadsusa.com, hit the subscription link and you’re there.

As for Lisa and Keene; always great to see Lisa – Keene is a rare sighting like Bigfoot.

Dear Backroads,

Home from work. Backroads in my mailbox. Wrapped in plastic. Awesome. It’s pouring out. But I don’t care my Backroads is so well protected. New printer. Better quality.Happy camper.

As always, thanks for your help.

Lou • Howard Beach, New York

All the way to Carnegie Hall

Shira,

I appreciate your comparison of motorcycling to playing the piano in Whatchathinkin’. IMHO the lesson here is that when we’re tasked with a complex procedure involving exact actions at an exact but rapid pace, we must depend upon our subconscious to put it all together. There simply isn’t enough time to corner on a bike swiftly or play The Flight of the Bumblebee on an instrument, or pull off a complex basketball play, while trying to

think through every step consciously. Life can go by so rapidly that there’s simply not enough time to run it all through our conscious computer. Whatever the task, the trick to success is to practice the steps consciously until they become habits--which is to say controlled by the subconscious. Apparently, it takes about 20,0000 or so repetitions to get a conscious action to become subconscious, or “automatic”. Once the action is controlled by the subconscious, you can think consciously about overarching or “management” concerns such as lane position for best traction, or whether there might be a truck coming from around that blind turn, or where to stop for lunch. I haven’t discussed this concept with Ken Condon, but I believe that this business of allowing skills to become automatic is what he calls “riding in the zone.” In any case, interesting subject.

David Hough

Wow I’m beginning to feel my age, Not so much in my body but on my calendar. Appts. for eye MD, foot Md, colonoscopy etc.etc So in this month’s issue I started, as usual, with Mark and I remember the Sundays we rode to Bear Mountain. Then on to the Rt. 35 diner---but I’m the only one still riding now. Well on to Shira and rats I’ve got my mother’s arthritic feet and knees now--but at least I make sure to tell the kids to “have fun and make good choices.” Keep the focus on what you want to happen not what you are afraid might happen. Then on to Brian, as is my order, and no I’m not going there! Then to Welcome to the Jungle. Here is the killer. Last month my Eye MDsaid to me “Ann, do you take eye vitamins?” “No” I say and he says “You should.” I leave thinking really common geez. And there it was before my light starved eyes. YOU ARE OVER 60 and only seeing 1/3 of the light!! So in 6 months, when I see my eye MD and he asksabout eye vitamins, I’ll say “Ido” and he will smile the smile of success and I will not tell him it was Backroads that showed me the light.

Thanks for another great issue.

Ann Lockyer

INDUSTRY INFOBITES

MOTOGP TOCOMETO TENNESSEE?

Flatrock Motorsports Park and Motor Club, a new racing circuit in Tennessee, aims to become “a world-class motorsports destination” that could host IndyCar and MotoGP in the future, as ground breaking gets underway ahead of an initial 2024(?) opening.

Construction has begun on a 773-acre site just off I-40, some 30 miles west of Knoxville, Flatrock Motorsports Park will feature a 3.50-mile Circuit Club track, a 2.67-mile Grand Prix track that can be linked for nearly six miles of the Endurance circuit. However, the $100 million project is also targeting entertainment options that make it attractive to those who aren’t necessarily keen to drive, as it broke ground last October.

TRIUMPH’S ‘BRITISH INVASION” TOURA HUGE HIT!

We attended the British Invasion stop in Passaic, New Jersey in late January and were pleased to see the big crowd, the energy Triumph brought with them and their great 2024 line-up – especially the reveals of the new TF 250X dirt bike, their new 400 series , the all-new Tiger 900 and the very slick Daytona 660. Also on hand was the last of the classic Thruxton, the LE which was very pretty on all levels.

Thank you Triumph for a great night in the cold and dark of January!

Triumph Motorcycles spent a good part of the winter traveling around the nation with Reveal Parties, and making for some excellent evenings for riders looking for some two-wheel fun.

AMACELEBRATINGTHEIR

100-YEARANNIVERSARYTHROUGHOUT 2024

The American Motorcyclist Association is gearing up for a year-long, historic celebration as it proudly commemorates its 100th anniversary in 2024. For a century the AMA has been at the forefront of promoting and protecting the interests of motorcyclists, creating a vibrant community of enthusiasts dedicated to the joy of riding.

Since its inception in 1924, the AMA has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of motorcycling in the United States. With a rich history rooted in passion, advocacy and the freedom of the open road, the AMA has become a driving force for riders across the nation.

As one of the largest motorcycling organizations in the world, the AMA has consistently championed the rights of motorcyclists from all walks of life, evolving to embrace a diverse and growing community of riders. If you are not a member now is an excellent time to join.

SUZUKI HOMOLOGATESTHE NEW GSX-8R FOR MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP RACING

The 2024 Suzuki GSX-8R sportbike takes the parallel-twin platform to a new level with MotoAmerica Twins Cup competition as a prime target.

“The GSX-8R is a significant motorcycle for us, our dealer body, and most importantly, Suzuki riders,” said Kerry Graeber, Suzuki Motor USA’s Senior Vice President. “The heart of this motorcycle is an all-new 776cc parallel-twin engine that delivers exceptional perfor-

Free Wheelin’

Continued from Page 3

– that were once easy and reasonable to deal with - began adding or increasing their “add-on” charges.

Take the Stonewall (Don’t say Jackson) – we have been trying to get a return rally here for a few years, but even though they were willing to drop the room price –the state and the resort need to get just that much more

Their email stated: “We can extend a reduced guestroom rate of $169. With resort fees/$17 and sales tax/$11.16 and occupancy tax/$10.14, the rate per night is $207.30.”

That is the Hidden Enemy – the extra $38.30 per room, per night.

Let’s not consider all the money 60 or so riders will spend at the restaurants and bars. Nope… maybe the Stonewall needs the money for new letterhead and such?

It seems that today so many hotels, inns, and resorts have deemed it okay to appease perceived wrongs and the few very vocal chuckleheads, and then whack their actual customers, whom I have noticed come in all sizes, colors, and persuasions. It’s really about money and virtue signaling. But mostly money.

We have seen rates along the Hudson Valley and the Catskills sail into the Crazy Eddie Zone.

Their prices are insane!

We are not sure what the solution is… yet. But don’t raise the bar on your hotel expectations for future Backroads Rallies – We’re a lucky bunch, as our Backroads Family seems to be happy just to ride and be together, and that will work for us. ,

mance. Combining ample torque and a broad powerband, we’re confident the 8R is a great choice for riders competing in MotoAmerica’s highly competitive Twins Cup Championship.”

Suzuki has a rich history of success competing in Twins Cup Roadracing. The legendary SV650 V-Twin motorcycle won the first-ever Twins Cup race and went on to earn that series’ inaugural championship in 2018. Suzuki dominated this series for several years, winning multiple championships.

The 2024 Twins Cup series, along with the MotoAmerica Roadracing championship kicks off at Daytona International Speedway on March 7 through March 9, 2024.

The Signing of the Knox-Porter Resolution Where World War One Really Ended

It was called “The War to End All Wars.”

We all know how that worked out.

Still, that first great conflict in Europe took a terrible toll on the nations involved with an estimated 0 million humans dying from one cause or another. The United States, who entered the war late, lost nearly 117,000 men and women.

The fighting finally ended in 1918, as the infusion of American troops and resources into the Western front finally tipped the scale in the Allies’ favor. Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies on November 11, 1918.

Still, it became all about bureaucracies, and the paperwork, and not everyone agreed on everything.

On November 19, 1919, and again on March 19, 19 0, the United States Senate voted against ratifying the Treaty of Versailles, forestalling American participation in the League of Nations. The treaty was very Euro-centric and took away on paper at least the ability for only the United States’

Congress to declare war. In a speech on April 1 , 19 1, before a special congressional session, President Harding reconfirmed American opposition to the League of Nations, calling on Congress to pass a peace resolution independent of the League. Senator Philander C. Knox of Pennsylvania introduced a resolution the following day, and it passed the Senate in late April.

The United States House of Representatives had its own slightly different resolution introduced by Representative Stephen G. Porter, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Passage of the House resolution was delayed in deference to negotiations between the Allies and Germany over a reparations settlement. In late June the House and Senate reconciled their differences, and the Knox–Porter joint resolution passed Congress on July 1, 19 1 now it just needed to be signed by the President of the United States. But where was he? Guess….

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTERIOUS AMERICA

He was playing golf. We guess it is a Presidential thing; we’d rather be riding.

Saturday, July 2 was a beautiful day in New Jersey and the golfers were at it early at the Raritan Valley Country Club.

While on the green word arrived that a courier was on his way from the Raritan train station, having traveled from Washington with the signing copy of the resolution. Harding walked back to the estate, signed the document, and then returned to complete his round of golf.

you know where

Routes 206, 208 & 28 come together; the infamous Somerville Circle? Well, this horrible bit of traffic mess was where the Frelinghuysen estate stood.

The article in the next day’s New York Times concerning the signing started with the words, “War with Germany ended as it began, by Congressional declaration and Executive signature on American soil.”

This was truly an important piece of American History… so whatever happened to where this all occurred.

The Frelinghuysen estate was destroyed by fire in the 1950s, and the site is now occupied by a shopping center and one of the busiest “Damn Jersey Traffic Circles” in the state. Do

This is a prime example of the horrible Mallification of our nation. Strip malls, chain this and that – the stripping away of the unique flavor that made each town its own – it is no wonder we seek the backroads.

But we are in search of Hidden History – so right behind the large Guitar Center (Okay, maybe that is a plus) and in front of P.C. Richards, you will find a small plaque. Just twenty words, two names, and one date mark the final end of one of the worst conflicts in mankind’s history.

It is sad in many ways that we sometimes think so little of a past before ‘social media’, and our own life experiences. I can think of 20 million reasons this place should be far grander, and important. O’Life Out! ,

Wanamakers General Store presents

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN

buFFaloand more

4041 riner road, riner, Virginia 24149

540-381-9764 • www.buffaloandmore.net

Wed-Sat: 12pm-7pm • Sunday 12pm-6pm • Closed Mon. + Tues.

Looking for something a little different? So were we during our Backroads big rally this August, as we were cutting through Virginia.

Shira had scoped out the route and with a little bit of searching came across a most notable restaurant, serving up just a bit more than your average local Old Dominion eatery.

Welcome to Buffalo and More. For the last decade and a half, Connie Hale and Carla George have been at the helm of Buffalo and More… Guess what meat dominated their menu.

You got it…buffalo. But not just any buffalo, these women raise their own bison; so not only is this place farm to table, but the meals could almost walk to the kitchen themselves.

The restaurant has an easy and very downhome feel to it, and when a place is packed with locals you know you have a winner. I do think Carla was a bit worried when a dozen motorcycles rolled up with a baker’s dozen hungry riders, but she quickly recovered and her down to Earth charm kinda won us over.

tasty places to take your bike

Buffalos are not the easiest animal to raise as they can be downright ornery and dangerous. While we were waiting for our meal Carla told us of a time when one of the beasties decided to take her out. She had to climb a tree to escape, but the buffalo was not deterred by this and tried to pull her off her perch with his horns – which are substantial. Carla said when it was all said and done, “It was the best hamburger she ever had.”

Speaking of burgers… Carla and Connie will get one to the table with a smile and the ladies offer the Bison Quarter Pounder and even the Double Quarter Pounder. They have a large choice of toppings so you can create a Bison Burger of your own. The house specialties bring a wonderfully Hickory smoked brisket and the Bruno special is a huge half-pound ground bison steak.

Where else can you get a Bison Hot Dog? No place we know.

You can also order a BBQ Platter, or go Mexican with one of their quesadillas – veggie, cheese, bison, or pork. Tacos are also on the menu, as well as smoked chicken and shrimp, brought in daily from the Carolinas, as well. Buffalo and More has a good selection of sides, both hot and cold, that are all homemade. Hand-cut fries, BBQ and pinto beans, cooked cabbage, green beans, and fried okra. Their homemade chips are amazing, as are their Buffalo Ears… okay, not really ears, but delicious anyway, and the fried pickle spears got devoured as soon as they hit our table. For you sandwich lovers, you can go brisket, sloppy

Joe, and even get your bison-built Philly Cheese steak-style.

On the table, they have four different BBQ sauces – tomato-based, Carolina hot vinegar, sweet vinegar, and delicious sweet Baby Rays.

The restaurant does sell package meat and it was a shame that we couldn’t have brought some buffalo home… I have a mince recipe that would have done it justice.

When touring through Virginia spin by the town of Riner and stop by Buffalo and More – we promise you will not be disappointed. Here’s a ride from Morton’s BMW in Fredericksburg, VA for a long summer day, with a cozy Inn nearby should you want to spend the night. Enjoy! ,

The Oaks Victorian Inn, 311 E Main St, Christiansburg, VA 24073 540-381-1500 • theoaksvictorianinn.com

Download .gpx here: www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/o8obmh

Wytheville VA Tourism presents WE’RE OUTTA HERE

100 main sTreeT, berea, kenTuCky 40403 844-684-9427

During last season’s Grand Finale Road Rally, we got a chance to visit some great hotels and towns – one of which was the Historic Boone Tavern. This inn and restaurant are part of Berea College, founded in 1855 by the abolitionist and Augusta College graduate John Gregg Fee. Berea College admitted both black and white students in a fully integrated curriculum, making it the first non-segregated, coeducational college in the South and one of a handful of institutions of higher learning to admit both male and female students in the mid-19th century. The college began as a one-room schoolhouse that also served as a church on Sundays on land that was granted to Fee by politician and abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay. Fee named the new community after the biblical Berea. Although the school’s first articles of incorporation were adopted in 1859, founder John Gregg Fee and the teachers were forced out of

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads

the area by pro-slavery supporters in that same year.

After the Civil War they returned to the town and in 1866, Berea’s first full year after the war, it had 187 students, 96 black and 91 white. It began with preparatory classes to ready students for advanced study at the college level. In 1869, the first college students were admitted, and the first bachelor’s degrees were awarded in 1873. Almost all the private and state colleges in the South were racially segregated. Berea was the main exception until a new state law in 1904 forced its segregation. The college challenged the law in state court and further appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in Berea College v. Kentucky. When the challenge failed, the college had to become a segregated all-white school, but it raised funds to establish the Lincoln Institute in 1912 in Simpsonville, Kentucky, to educate black students. In 1950, when the Day Law was amended to allow integration of schools at the college level, Berea promptly resumed its integrated policies.

Berea College is one of only 34 colleges nationwide—and the only Kentucky college—to receive Money Magazine’s highest rating. The magazine rated 736 colleges with above-average graduation rates on quality, affordability, and future earning potential.

Today Berea College offers free tuition for both whites and blacks, male and female– and this has been so since 1892.

The Historic Boone Tavern is part of the school and has its own interesting history. Nellie Frost was the

hisToriC boone TaVern hoTel

wife of Berea College’s president, William G. Frost, and she saw the success her husband and the college were having and how the number of guests had grown with each passing year.

She saw the need for the college to have a place to house all their guests in comfort, with a flavor and flair that befitted Berea College.

With her insistence, the college broke ground for what would become the Historic Boone Tavern in 1909. The building itself cost $20,000 and was designed by the New York architectural firm of Cady & See. It was a student project and learning experience from the beginning with all the bricks used being created by the students in the College “brickyard.” The building was constructed by the college’s own Woodwork Department and Nellie named the new inn after her Appalachian hero Daniel Boone.

Ever since, the tavern has been visited by such luminaries as the Dalai Lama, Henry Ford, President and Mrs. Coolidge, Elanor Roosevelt, and Miss Armenia 1982.

Originally built with 25 guest rooms, it now has 63, all beautifully appointed and with a soft richness about them… thanks to an 11-million dollar renovation, and the Boone Tavern truly is historic, as it is a member of the Historic Hotels of America listing.

The staff at the Boone Tavern was as nice as could be and were always able

to accommodate even our larger groups. The beautiful and welcoming lobby, complete with accessible piano, saw us gathering for pre-dinner drinks served graciously at the Frost Café. Dinner was taken one night at the Boone Tavern Restaurant and all were satisfied and happy with the service and meal. If you should like a bite to eat before heading out to explore, the same restaurant will accommodate with everything from oatmeal to omelettes.

The town of Berea was a good one to stroll around when it was a bit misty outside, with a plethora of artisans (Berea is the Folk Arts & Crafts Capitol of Kentucky) showing their wares in both the Visitor Center & Shoppe and the Artisan Village, just a short walk from the hotel. The roads surrounding this town, and this part of Kentucky itself, seemed made for serious motorcycle riding.

When exploring the Blue Grass State plan on a stop at the Historic Boone Tavern we promise you will not be disappointed. ,

BIG CITY GETAWAY

skylands museumoF arT

15 rouTe 15, laFayeTTe, nJ 07848

skylandsmuseum.org • 212-563-2044 • inFo@skylandsmuseum.org

Hours: Wednesdays + Saturdays Noon to 4pm or by appointment

The Northwest Corner of New Jersey. Tucked away in that triangle bordering on the Delaware River, Pennsylvania and New York. Still lots of open land, farms, the Walpack Valley with its pristine, almost primitive, nature. Most people who live in New Jersey think of this area – Sussex and Warren counties – as a pass through to get to the Poconos or their summer home/ winter cabins on Lake Wallenpaupack or beyond.

And for those of us who live here, that’s just fine. We are happy in our somewhat isolated nature. We know of the beauty, openness, best stops for a great meal and terrific riding in which we live. We are certainly happy to share it with those who are willing to make the effort to visit. And now there is one more exquisite stop to add to that draw – the Skylands Museum of Art.

Opened in October 2023, this project is brought to us by Ailene Fields and Neil Zukerman, both passionate about art. Ailene is a sculptor and believes her best expression is through her sculptures, which she describes as ‘a process of finding what has been trapped within since time immemorial and allowing it to reveal itself to the world. For much of my career, what I liberated were animal and human figures caught in particular

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

moments of reflection that revealed some essential aspect of their being.’ Neil, who was a curator, author and owner of CFM Gallery in NYC, passed in 2021 before seeing the Skylands Museum of Art brought to fruition. His many collaborative projects connected him with artists from all over the world and many of the works on display came from his personal collection. Neil believed that art was only enjoyable if it challenged people and that it can come from anywhere. The Skylands collection reflects this adoration for art and its versatility.

Housed in an unassuming building on Route 15 in Lafayette, NJ, the Skylands Museum of Art brings much more to the eye and imagination than one would think. Offering artwork in all mediums from stone, metal, glass, mixed media, paintings, etchings and so much more, we were overwhelmed with the amount of creativity and the wonderful use of space. You will find several whimsical sculptures dotting the outside paths before even entering the building. Once inside, you’ll have three floors of very diverse art to explore.

The first floor brings us into the world of fairy tales, some which will be quite familiar and those that are a bit more obscure, but all presented in a way to bring a smile or raise an eyebrow. Another room is filled with dragons but not those belching fire

Warren County Tourism presents

and terrorizing town folk. These fanciful creatures are depicted in a much friendlier manner, almost begging for a belly rub or an invitation home. The Great Room brings larger sculptures, many with a staircase theme, and ‘Phoenix’, David Klass’ steel and bronze sculpture for the tragedy of 9/11. Be sure to notice the pieces that adorn the way as you head up the staircase. The hallway brings us Salvador Dali’s artwork while the separate rooms offer sculptures and paintings of real animals, artistic depictions of heads and flowers, as well as pieces focused on the human psyche. What I thought as the most intriguing room was that which housed the Baba Yaga series. Baba Yaga is a Ukrainian fairy tale about a witch who lives in a house made of skulls that walks the forest on chicken feet. If you happen to enter her house, she assesses your worth and, if she finds you worthy, she ensures your future. But, if she does not find you worthy of success, your fate is less pleasant. Ailene presents Baba Yaga’s feelings about some modern artists and their works.

The top floor, a long wide room, is devoted to mythology with works showing famous characters from the fables of ancient Greece and Rome, as well as Nordic and other cultures. There are benches on which to sit to

reflect on these amazing pieces.

The presentation and lighting throughout the museum are superb. Each piece shines in its own space yet plays well with the theme of the room. As is welcome in the art world, the use of negative space is well done with plenty of room to circulate and take in the details. The hope of Ailene and the folks involved with Skylands Museum of Art is that you’ll experience a sense of wonder at both the imagination and skill it takes to turn a rock or blank canvas into the beautiful objects seen and you will take a moment to breathe and enjoy the wonderful gift of our lives. That is exactly what we did during our visit – marveling at the talent of these artists and taking an hour or so to escape the toils of our lives and immerse ourselves in the world of their imaginations.

Skylands Museum of Art is a perfect stopping point while enjoying the twistalicious roads in Sussex and Warren counties. You can arrange a visit outside of their regular hours – just give them a call. Expand your horizons, both artistically and geographically – take a ride to the northwest corner of New Jersey and be amazed. ,

beenie’s iCe Cream

38 morris sT, morrisToWn, nJ 07960

862-260-9221 • beeniesicecream.com • Hours: Mon-Sun: Noon-10:30pm Morristown is not only a very historic spot in New Jersey, but it is full of some great eateries, the NJPAC with its fine performances and, for the past seven years, a place to get some terrific homemade ice cream.

I recently was visiting one of my most favorite sushi restaurants – Monster Sushi – and had the hankering to finish off the day with some ice cream. I poked around and found a spot which I had not previously tried. It is just a touch off the Morristown Green – a lovely piece of park worth wandering through – and more importantly has a public parking lot across the road – most times an issue in this busy burg. Beenie’s Ice Cream came about from a love of ice cream. Tony Franco, owner and ice cream churner, was a manager of an ice cream shop, juggled between art classes and professionally playing drums in NYC. He found that he truly enjoyed running a small business and ice cream (who doesn’t love ice cream?) and the seed was planted. His head was full of ideas to bring ice cream from ‘good to great’ so, with testing recipes in hand, as well as paint brushes to decorate the new shop, he set off on his new adventure. Adding to his new adventure was Andrea, Tony’s future wife, who he met just a few months before Beenie’s opened, and together they have scooped out a wonderful spot for us to enjoy one of our favorite foods in the world. PS: Beenie was Tony’s family dog growing up.

Tony and Andrea make their ice cream, of which there are 38-ish flavors, every day. As they are so generous to tell us on their website, there are three things that make an ice cream great: creaminess, texture and flavor. Beenie’s ice cream incorporates American creamy with a heavy, full-bodied milky richness using a high, but not too high, milk fat content; Italian texture which is a balanced, quality recipe and proper freezing, similar to gelato; and artistic flavors. I don’t even know when it began, but wild and wacky flavors began infiltrating ice cream shops, with some so over-the-top that they were purely for shock value. Beenie’s not only has innovative flavors but the tried-and-true, which are all done delectably.

Tony and Andrea, more than making the best ice cream they possibly can, truly want you, the ice cream consumer, to be happy and their way of trying to make this happen is to do what they are passionate about, and that is making ice cream.

Beenie’s shop is colorful, playful and very, very inviting. From the pink and white awnings outside to the picnic tables and décor inside, you’ll be smiling before you even take your first lick. Their friendly staff will happily spoon you up a sample before you make your final choice – I could not pass up the Rosemary Olive Oil, which was just as it sounds; creamy, with a full flavor of rosemary and an undertone of olive oil. As I didn’t want to push my luck, I refrained from trying their breakfast cereal ice creams such as Cinnamon Toast Crunch® and Dunkaroos or one of their best sellers, Midnight Snack (Captain Crunch ice cream with chocolate-covered potato chips!) and went straight for one of my favorite flavors, toasted coconut. The beachy coconut ice cream was super smooth and the chocolate-dusted coconut flakes added a perfect crunch to the flavor. Some of their other tantalizing flavors include Black Cherry Amaretto (amaretto liquor ice cream with black cherry halves and Callebaut chocolate chunks), Honey Lavender, Golden Oreo, and Minecraft (Caramel Oreo ice cream with chocolate cake crunchies, green butter cream and red sprinkles for Redstone). Should it be necessary, Beenie’s has you

covered with dairy-free flavors such as S’Mores and Mango Sorbet. They have new flavor releases the first of every month, so set a reminder to stop in and check them out. You can have yours in a choice of waffle, wafer, sugar or gluten free cone as well as atop a Belgian waffle or simply in a cup. There are many toppings to enhance your experience, from cake crunchies to mini Gummy Bears. Once you have ice cream in hand, take a step into Beenie’s Backyard and read some of their favorite reviews, artfully painted on the walls.

And after you’ve finished, you’ll want to take a peek into the freezer and perhaps take home one of their ‘vault’ flavors such as Thai Iced Tea, Glazed Donut or Mexican Horchata. For those special days, Beenie’s has one-of-a-kind ice cream cakes which can be orders or ready-togo for those last minute presents. Need a little bakery fix with your ice cream? How about a Chompwich – cookie butter ice cream and fudge swirl, sandwiched between two gourmet, salted chocolate chip cookies baked from the local bakery Artist Baker. OH-MY-GOD!

There are many great way to enjoy Morristown, from history to music and food, and some great roads to get you there. But the pinnacle of your visit should certainly be Beenie’s Ice Cream. ,

words + images: Brian Rathjen

Awakened by a stewardess, with Spain somewhere below On the threshold of adventure God, I do love this job so…

Jimmy Buffet – Far Side of the World… (Our first quote since you flew west, Jimmy – but never the last. Thank you, friend … Sail on Sailor!)

The old road that winds along the Ebro River had been flanked for the last bunch of miles by orchards deep with lemon and orange trees.

The sun, which had been plaguing us for the last hour, had finally dropped below the peaks that make up the Catalan mountains.

The running line was this was ‘not’ a Backroads Tour, rather just some friends joining up for an 8-day romp in Spain - orbiting the final round of MotoGP in Valencia to be held at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo – not far from the ancient port city.

We had all arrived in Barcelona a few days earlier, and after a day of sightseeing in the famed Iberian city, and lunching at one of our favorite restaurants – Los Caracoles - we put ourselves in the capable hands of IMTBike (Iberian Moto Tours). We had ridden with IMTBike several times, and the owner, New Jersey native Scott Moreno, has been a long-time friend, as well as a faithful Mets fan - and that counts with us - but more importantly we were confident that our riding companions were going to be brought into a marvelous mix of Spanish culture, superb routing, incredible paradors and restaurants and, oh yes… MotoGP!

Barcelona to Tortosa

We met our guides for this foray, Sergi Besses and Guillermo Gutierrez (AKA Slim and Willie), the night before, having a welcoming meal atop Barcelona’s old bullfighting ring. Bullfights have been banned in Catalonia for more than a decade, and the old stadia bull ring has been transformed, sadly, into a huge shopping mall. Regardless, the venerable stadia looked amazing although I am not much into the sport. I have been told I am full of bull, but have never stepped into the ring with one.

After breakfast, we strolled over to IMTBike Barcelona headquarters to pick up our machines, and to make time out of the busy city.

The night before we had a

short meeting, to go over the next day’s route – something that would be repeated each night before dinner. This would give us all a solid idea of where we’d be riding and what we’d be seeing.

But let me tell you that words cannot portray how awesome, and intense, the roads of this part of Spain are. Spain is the second most mountainous country in Europe, right behind Switzerland, and the roads have only gotten better since the Romans first began to carve them thousands of years ago.

Sport Riding here demands enthusiastic and passionate riders, along with serious road craft, and riding skills. This is no Sunday ride.

Heading out of the busy city of Barcelona was no easy trick, but we managed, and then heading west and then south, the roads quickly opened up and crisscrossed between long sweepers and then onto some very technical mountain roads – the same that were once a course for World Rally Races.

As the pavement rose higher the route got more and more intense and technical.

Like I said – not a Sunday ride.

We had a well-deserved lunch in the town of Prades, and I have to think that we riders were internally calculating how tough this tour might be. That’s good – a riding plan is always a good thing.

The hot soup did the job of warming our bones as the mountain and the town, at 3,100 feet, had made the trade between fun and twisty with cold and a bit breezy.

IMTBike works in partnership with BMW and all of us were on Berliner machines. Shira and I two-up on an R 1250 RT sport-touring machine; others on GS and F-machines.

The RT was a bit bigger than my own GS bike at home – and I had Shira on the back. After the first morning’s charge there needed a bit of adjusting on the

suspension; and at lunch swapping to the Dynamic (sport)-mode suspension settled the two-tone ‘black on black’ machine very nicely; which was great as the afternoon’s riding was even more challenging than the morning. We had eaten more sunlight than food

at lunch, thus the later hours were spent wrestling through very tight mountain roads, with an ever-decreasing vision; as Sol likes to prove who the boss really is before he settles to the west.

But as twilight faded into dusk, we rode up the steep hill and into the courtyard of the Castle of Zauda – a fortress built by the Moors back in 850, and now a Spanish Parador; one of the many castles turned hotel found in this part of the world.

It was Thanksgiving Day - and we got to spend it with the family we chose – the Backroads family.

Tortosa to Mora de Rubielos

Satori:

(Japanese) Sudden enlightenment and a state of consciousness attained by intuitive illumination representing a spiritual goal. Without a major city out of which to fight, we got a decent jump on the day, heading south towards Maestrazgo, a name that dates back to the Templar Knights. The road would start with superb tarmac and long straights followed by increasing sweepers – a rider’s paradise. It was not long before we ran across other riders heading south as well.

Yesterday we rode through oranges – today it was olive trees – miles and miles of them – some with farm workers knocking the branches around to have the ripe olives drop to the tarp below. These olives still had a long way to go before they reached a martini in Monkey with a Gun.

Spain is famous for so many things, but I did not know that the region was also known for its dinosaurs. They even have one, the Morelladon Beltrani, a big Bronto-type beast named for the region.

We had planned a coffee stop at a walled city called Morella, which was hard to miss; even miles away. The road wound up along ancient high and arched Roman walls, and then through an arched opening into the town itself.

While the rest of the group went in search of a coffee break, I had other thoughts as I had spied the Temps de Dinosaures….the local museum. Coffee I could get later – local prehistoric creatures, or bones thereof, I needed to see now.

Although small, it was impressive, especially when you know these bones were discovered just miles away.

Back on the road, our day’s journey began to get more twisty and, if possible, more technical than the previous day’s romp.

By early afternoon I think we all needed a break and could use a meal, and we stopped at a tiny roadside café’ and local swimming pool too.

It was very local. Very.

No menu… “This is what we have and we’re happy to serve you plenty of it,” and they did. Plates of sausages, pork, beef & blood, pork rind, and fried eggs, awesome fries, salads, and breads; and I honestly think that this was one of the best roadside meals I have had in a long time.

Maybe the first Great All-Spanish Diner Run?

Our last 100 kilometers toward our night’s stay were through a combination of deep pine forests, mountains with a chalky, almost corky feel to them, and even deeper gorges – that were gorgeous.

The pace was always on the sporty side, but the run into the town of Mora de Rubielos demanded total satori.

Be one with the bike, the curves, and your pace.

I am not sure how Shira was able to sit there… I know I could not.

Shira is either an odd duck or has far too much trust in my skills.

She is an awesome pillion.

The town was built around a true fortress constructed in the 1300s, and while Shira joined the other women for a bit of spa, I went exploring the fortress.

It dominates the region, and its history is one of mixed rulings. It changed hands often, but as magnificent as it was it seemed the one thing all the rulers had in common was in their very creative ways and means of killing and dispatching their enemies.

The giant open-air square was lined with siege machines, huge versions of trebuchets, and giant crossbows that would be, for being naughty in their sight, lobbing telephone poles at their enemies.

The catacombs were spectacular, as was the art gallery that, I thought very ironically, had so many paintings of lovers. Let us celebrate the best of humanity… then kill as many as we can.

I fear we have gotten not much better.

Mora de Rubielos to Valencia and the Circuit Ricardo Tormo

For some of us, this trip was all about the next two days. The 2023 MotoGP season saw some 21 race weekends in 18 different nations, and it all would come down to the final two races at Circuit Ricardo Tormo this weekend. Half the group seemed to be mildly interested. Four of us were ready to leave for the track the night before.

We did get an early and very cold start as the first half of the route followed through the mountains and gorges mimicking the flow of the Turia River. They call this region the Alto Turia Basin, and its beauty made it hard to stay truly focused on the road as it played and danced like an angry viper. The region has long been a UNESCO site and it made for a stunning, if very cold morning, but got us that much closer to the races.

We had a roadside picnic of sorts, and then a larger contingent went one way, and five of us headed to the races.

I am sure they had a nice time, but we ride a lot. We do not get to see MotoGP often – Texas, maybe - so given the choice of riding through a few more mountains, or seeing some of the most talented riders on the planet compete in races that would determine the World Championship?

It’s MotoGP time!

We spent the next two days at the track and the Spanish city of Valencia. It was the usual free day, but this had some very fast benefits, with Saturday’s sprint and Sunday’s final races

Like all cities, it was a bit of a confusing dance to get out, especially on a Monday after MotoGP.

Heading south along the coast, we had miles of rice paddies flanking our right, and this ran into what is called the Natural Park of Albufera, which means “Little Sea,” in Arabic. This lake is the largest in Spain, and hundreds of birds were to be seen as we rode past. Here the lake mixes with the sea and this is the land where “Paella” was created.

Near Sueca we turned west and back into the mountains and if we thought the first few days were fun, this day simply added a new dimension.

deciding the world championship before the great remix for the 2024 season, seeing Marc Marquez leaving Honda for Ducati.

Our group dinner celebrated the regional dish of paella and the wonderful seafood offerings. The free night in Valencia saw Shira and I finding our chosen restaurant closed and having some excellent Spanish pizza and seafood instead, wondering at the magnificence of the architecture and being entertained by the street performers scattered along the main pedestrian thoroughfare and surrounding squares.

Valencia to Alicante

The deep blue Mediterranean had long smooth waves lapping the port city of Alicante. To the east, the full moon, called the Frost Moon here in Spain, rose with a powerful majesty spilling its own golden light across the bay, while its brother Sol settled deeper into the west.

Since November’s Beaver Moon is the last full moon before the winter solstice, some refer to it as the Mourning Moon, and according to pagan traditions, isa time to let go of past troubles or grief and look forward to a new season and soon, a new year.

Today’s ride was so spectacular that certainly any misgivings, or deeds done over the last months, were left spinning in the dust along the magnificent mountains of Spain.

With the MotoGP races done and now in the mirror, with Pecco Bagnia and Ducati retaining the World Championship, we still had a bunch of days to spend exploring southern Spain with IMTBike.

This part of Spain is truly one of the most amazing, and astounding places on the planet for sport bike riding. The first few days were very technical, but here the roads opened just the slightest bit and allowed for hours of splendid riding. Still, this day was very intense and very tiring. I can do very technical, but not my favorite. Dial the road open just a tad and add superb pavement and little traffic and then toss in some serious mountains to go up and down and, like a great paella infused with so much diversity, you have the perfect sport riding day. We found lunch at a small town sandwiched in between the mountains along a wide valley of orange trees, and then headed back up for another few hours traveling south and back towards the sea. The deep pine tree forests of the north were replaced by palm trees, and here and there you would spy a sign in both Spanish and Arabic. We certainly were in southern Spain.

By twilight, we scooted into Alicante, with its paradise-like weather, and the impressive Castle Santa Barbara with its 10,000 steps overlooking it all

with a protective eye. With our lodging hugging the shoreline, most of us took the time to dip a toe into the Mediterranean – some a bit more.

It was right about then the moon showed up and made it a place for romance as well. Let’s just fade to black, shall we?

Alicante to Mojácar

We headed out a bit later than usual, riding from the coast on the Spanish version of the interstate and then off along some small farm roads through the agricultural heartland of Spain, desperately looking for a long wet rainy season that has been missing for a long year.

When we had lunch, we got into a long conversation with a Spanish woman who had lived for decades in the United States. She was so happy to hear us all chat and our accents made her smile. The first time a New York native has ever heard this. I swear.

Sometimes you must realize that life is an endurance run, not a sprint race, and the last few days we had been on a very quick and sporty pace in some very challenging terrain.

Today the roads were more open and sweeping. A blessing and a curse, as “The Bad” likes to bite when you are not expecting it.

And, it did – with us having to deal with a bad road incident.

Bad enough for air support.

We did what we could, but nobody wants The Bad to join a ride – ever; and then we gave it to the Spanish professionals. All would be good and healed in time; still with sobering thoughts running through our heads we altered the route to get into the Mediterranean beach town of Mojácar before sunset. I cannot say enough about how superb, professional, and steady our guides Sergi and Willy were during this ordeal. All is easy when all is well – the true test of riders, and especially guides and tour companies, is how they handle adversity and crisis.

Thank you IMTBike… and the local police, pilots, and medical facility.

Mojácar to Alpujarras

With news from the previous day’s incident better than we’d thought, we prepared for the day but stopped to pick up some small Indalo Men.

The Indalo Man talisman, a stick figure with an arch over his head, is all over Mojácar and is the village’s good luck symbol as well as the adopted emblem of Almeria province.

It was also the insignia used by the Indaliano Movement of Mediterranean Art, based in Mojacar and founded by the Alimerian painter Jesus de Perceval in the 1940s. Its heritage has links to the prehistoric painted cave markings of Cueva de los Letreros in the Sierra Maria natural park in the north of the province.

We thought it a good idea for the rest of the tour, and it could not hurt.

The town itself has a history, with warring between Christians and Muslims, the discovery of silver that caused a boom, and then the closing of the mines-with many emigrating to the US – one being Jose Guirado Zamora, born in Mojacar in 1901.

We know him by his more famous American name… Walt Disney; or so the local legend says…

Mother Sun, Father Moon

You’re both up there, hanging in the sky

But I’m stuck here on Earth, if I had wings I could fly…

Jonathon Rochet

This day’s ride, compared to the end of the previous day’s finish with a dark cloud of road dust kicked up by a helicopter’s rotors filling our visors, was Mary Poppins - practically perfect in every way.

We first rode down the eastern edge of the Iberian Peninsula, with the early morning light illuminating the mountains.

Rounding a corner and heading west you could see a somewhat rare sight.

The bright sun at our six, and a giant full moon straight ahead. We all were in a very good groove, all riding solidly, and making time westward towards Andalusia, one of Spain’s most famous regions. America is famous for so many things. It is hard to go anywhere on the planet and not see something American, but our morning coffee stop was far more American than many American places.

Following Sergi’s smooth lead, we rolled into the Tabernas Desert and up

to a restaurant called – Route 66; and boy did this place celebrate one of our most famous backroads!

All things Americana – a caddy on the roof, a Harley inside, chairs made from the seats of American sedans – Elvis, Marilyn, Jake & Elwood and a giant poster put up to lure tourists to Fort Bravo – Texas Hollywood. This is where they filmed many of the greatest B-western movies: Sergio Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy”: “A Fistful of Dollars,” “For a Few Dollars More” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” Parts of “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Cleopatra” were also filmed here.

We then headed up… way up, along Collado Garcia Pass - this month’s cover shot!

Nearly 36 kilometers long and gobbling up altitude with every serpentine curve. Atop the pass, we parked and walked out onto the cliffs. The view was astounding, and the road, from high above, truly one of the most impressive and photogenic we have ever seen.

Lunch was found a bit later – with soups, chicken, fish, and assorted meats to be had – it seemed this tour was almost as much about the excellent food, as the stupendous riding. Our afternoon’s ride brought us further west, to the region the Spanish call Las Alpujarras.

Many American riders have no idea how mountainous this nation is, and as we rounded the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, to our north was Mulhacén, the highest mountain on the Spanish mainland, and the highest mountain in Western Europe outside of the Alps. The mountain is 11,424 feet high. To put that into perspective Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States, is 6,288, or as Jack Reacher might say just 55% of the height.

As our day’s romp tallied forth, we could see mountain villages, blazingly white, clinging to the southern flanks of the Sierra Nevada, cloven by deep, sheltered valleys and gorges that run down towards the Mediterranean Sea.

The road seemed to tear through the mountains, as if the Spanish road engineers had simply laughed at the challenge of mixing pavement and peaks, and created some of the most splendid roads in all of Europe.

Evening found us all safe, happy, and ensconced in a hotel that was part parador and part high-end vineyard. That’d surely work for us… as we wined and dined and begrudgingly prepared for our last riding day in Spain.

Alpujarras to Malaga

We had one final day through the mountains of the Spanish Sierra National Park, before running down to the southern edge of Spain, just a few hours ferry from Northern Africa and Morocco.

Once again Spain did not disappoint as the terrain was as mixed as our emotions that day. We were all so pumped to be riding here, yet all knowing this Iberian trek was to be put into the mirrors at the end of the day. This entire group, having become friends over the years, rode together like a traveling band – in tune and harmonic. And whether or not it was an “official” Backroads Tour – it was an official Backroads family.

We stopped atop one peak, alongside a long-abandoned set of buildings, reveling in the vista and chatting with a bunch of other riders who had come to Spain from Romania. This particular piece of road, with yet more twists and turns, seemed to beg for a

motorcycle hangout, like the Hawks Nest or Newcomb’s Ranch, and this would (and might have been) a perfect spot.

Our last lunch on the road was taken at a restaurant high in the park, with a massive fireplace blazing and trophies of several animals along the wall.

Up on the hill was a small chapel that, except for the flowers at the steps, looked too unused for a bit as well. I hiked to it and looked in. Small, simple but immaculate - and looking down at the BMWs and our sun lighting the mountain tops, I thought it was about as perfect place as any in the world this day.

With just 80 kilometers to go we followed Sergi up and over the last of the passes heading to the sea, one lined with goats, as curious of us as we were of them.

By late afternoon we rode into Malaga and rolled the machines into IMTBike’s southernmost complex. Shuttled to our final hotel, we reconvened later for a walk through the Malaga street, festooned for the winter holidays, and our farewell dinner, complete with wonderful piano background music by a very talented young man. It was ten days of motorcycle heaven, and but for the one incident, the entire trip was flawless in so many ways. IMTBike does a stellar job. Their bikes,

guides, crew, and routes are the top of the moto touring business. The accommodations and the food… there are no adequate adjectives for what IMT mixes together.

And, there was MotoGP… the pinnacle of motorsports racing. Watching on television is great, but nothing beats being there in person, and to be at Valencia for the World Championship was a rare and special treat – and even more fun with friends.

IMTBike has guided and self-guided tours all around Spain and Portugal, as well as Italy, France and the Alps and forays into Thailand, Vietnam and Japan. Morocco is magical, a trip we will never forget, and this last adventure was magnifico in so many ways as well.

Gran trabajo y gracias!

IMTBike.com

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

CARDO PACKTALK EDGEPHONES

Many of us talk rider-to-rider on every ride, but what if you are riding along with a four-wheel friend - wife, husband, or friend with a Corvette or ass-kickin’ 1972 Ford Pinto? Would it not be neat to be able to communicate without resorting to overly dramatic hand gestures and yelling?

Cardo has an answer, although they perhaps were not designed for this application. Cardo’s PACKTALK EDGEPHONES are ideal for parents and motorcycle coaches, delivering real-time, in-the-moment communication with riders in action. With agrowing need to assist those on the sidelines, the PACKTALK EDGEPHONES are comfortable to wear, easy to use, and robust to withstand outdoor conditions.

These new headsets from Cardo are excellent and were designed for training, but for some riders, who have a significant other not getting on the bike and driving along with the ride, this looks to be a product that would make the ride better and more inclusive. The ability to have a conversation would be superb.

“The introduction of our new PACKTALK EDGEPHONES provides the superior solution for coaches, instructors, parents, and production professionals who need a direct line of communication with riders,” said Alon Lumbroso, chief executive officer, of Cardo Systems. “PACKTALK EDGEPHONES offer the ultimate form factor and a seamless level of integration with PACKTALK EDGE and its premium mesh network on PACKTALK EDGE delivers.” These headsets work with current PACKTALK EDGE Bluetooth /Mesh units which are simply attached like they currently do to your helmet with Cardo’s excellent Air Mount System. They allow users to communicate easily and effectively within an intercom network of up to 15 people with crystal-clear premium JBL audio. The PACKTALK EDGEPHONES can pair with other Cardo units that utilize Bluetooth connectivity as well.

The headsets have sound powered by JBL, fold easily into their storage case, weigh just ½ a pound, and come with passive noise reduction as well as a noise-filtering detachable microphone.

The CardoPACKTALK EDGEPHONES accessory is available for $149.95 from Cardo now - PACKTALK EDGE module extra. www.cardosystems.com

The

Color insideThe lines

On a recent road trip out west, I stopped in an odd gift shop called Charlie Brown Farms, along the edge of the Mojave Desert. While taking in all the stuff I would probably never buy I did come across an awesome motorcycle coloring book – it was outstanding and I bought a few to maybe give as gifts. It was a gift shop after all.

In typical all-about-me fashion, l kept one for myself, and I find myself picking it up every few days and taking some colored pencils to it.

So far so good, and unlike when you see kids going at coloring books with scrambled results; I have found that, as an adult (?) I am more methodical, slower, and very persnickety about my colors, pencil sharpness, and staying in the lines.

With motorcycle coloring books, as with riding itself, it seems slow, methodical and attempting to be precise might, at first, seem harder to do, but allows for both the shading of motorcycles in a book and the piloting of motorcycles around the backroads to be a finished product with which you are happy.

When we were in Spain for the finale of MotoGP in Valencia, we spent eight days riding south through the Iberian Peninsula, on the road that varied between wonderfully wide and open sweepers and some of the most technical and tightest mountain climbs we have ever ridden.

Part of this journey brought us into the region where all the great Spaghetti Westerns were filmed – making Clint Eastwood a star. Clint has some of the most quoted lines ever. In a more recent film called Cry Macho he tells a young man he is trying to mentor to “Go where you’re lookin’, and look where you’re goin’.”

A variation of this is said over and over by motorcycle riding instructors. Back in Spain, our ride was on the sporty side, but after the MotoGP Races, I did not feel the need to keep up with the lead group. Shira and I were twoup on a larger machine and there was no reason to ‘Cry Macho.’ Rather, I took it down a notch, and I took the rest of the tour to not work on not being fast – but closer to perfect; which I did on a few turns, and not so much on others. But that is the point, right? Even Pecco Bagnia is not ‘perfect’ all the time. No one can be, but we must learn to color inside the lines; and there are, on most roads, real lines in which to color.

Many riding instructors - Reg Pridmore, Ken Condon, and the like - repeatably talk about the correct line riding through a turn. While Reg’s line might be more track-oriented, Ken preaches the same thing on the street – a late apex – to place the motorcycle beneath you in the prime spot to roll on out of the turn.

Late apexing allows you to stay on your side of the road – to color inside the lines.

Trail braking into the turn is another great thing to work on as well – as it allows you to keep the machine’s suspension working as it should, and not sacking it out and making the bike unstable with a quick twist off the throttle and a stab at the brakes. Gently squeezing the front brake, while slightly staying on the throttle until close to the apex, and then slowly releasing the

brakes while throttling out works brilliantly. You can practice this with an orange. Softly squeeze and softly release.

If your machine could talk to you, it might tell you that it WANTS to go through the turn, and any sudden and unexpected, or unneeded, inputs just get it confused… and a confused bike can quickly become unrideable. Once a bronco is bucking, it is very hard to settle down – just like Mike from Cry Macho.

Slow is faster. Slow and methodical makes it easy to color inside the lines.