30 Mile Point Lighthouse

In a normal summer we ride every weekend. We get up in the on a Saturday or Sunday morning have our "where do we want to go today" discussion over our morning coffee gear up and go. It's been a great way to see all there is to see in our corner of Upstate New York and beyond and has led to some great adventures over the years.

Unfortunately this has been anything but a normal summer between work and weather. It seems like every weekend has featured a threat of rain, hail and just downright nasty weather, not exactly the best weather for a leisurely ride around the countryside. I don't mind riding in the rain if I have somewhere I have to be, but I'm not going to choose to do it for no reason.

So when Saturday dawned bright and sunny with nary a drop of rain in the forecast, well we knew what we had to do. So we put the household chores on hold, piled on the bike, picked a direction and we were on our way.

It felt so good to get out riding again! Bright blue skies, with a few fluffy fair weather clouds just to break up the monotony and temps in the mid 70's....just about perfect! We decided to head west down the Lake Ontario State Parkway. The Parkway is the closest continuous roadway to the southern shore of Lake Ontario and is a nice ride because it runs through open country with many views of Lake Ontario. It's also nice because it's closed to commercial traffic so there are no big trucks to deal with and traffic for the most part is pretty light. The parkway also connects several state parks so you can stop off and enjoy a picnic or just take a break and enjoy some nice views of the Lake Ontario.

The only bad part about the parkway that the harsh Western New York winters has turned the western most portion into a "washboard". It's a pretty bouncy ride from Hamlin to the end of the Parkway!

At the end of the Parkway you jump on Rt 18 to continue your journey West. Cruising down Rt 18 we meander our way through the beautiful Western New York country side surrounded by corn fields, farm markets loaded with fresh produce and fragrant cow pastures. If you stay on 18 you can head into Niagara Falls we didn't want to go quite that far so we headed for Golden Hill State Park and check out the historic 30 Mile Point Lighthouse that's located in the park.

As we worked our way east down Rt 18 a brown sign announces our arrival at Golden Hill State park. The first entrance is the boat launch, so unless you want to test the amphibious characteristics of your bike, continue on for 100 yards or so to the campground entrance. Upon entering the part we stopped at the main office to pay our $6 entrance fee. It's actually a day pass that will get you into any other state park that same day. We've never been able to make it to more than 1 state park in a day, but if you're feeling ambitious you can make the most out of your $6.

The park features a nicely appointed campground that was pretty full this weekend and bustling with families riding bikes, playing softball and just enjoying a summer day together. If you're into camping this would be a nice place to spend a few days and explore the area. From here it's an easy ride to Niagara Falls, and you can get away from all the hustle and bustle of the falls at the end of the day and relax by the shores of Lake Ontario

After paying our fee we got back on the bike and we could see the lighthouse towering above the park just to our right. We made our way to the parking lot and started to explore the grounds. As we entered the light house we were greeted by a very enthusiastic tour guide who let us know that a tour was about to start shortly. The fee for the tour is a whopping $1 per person and is well worth every penny.

The tour guide gave a brief history of the building including a few anecdotal stories of what life was like for the lighthouse keepers who used to live on the premises and take care of the light house. After seeing the living quarters which have been meticulously restored to their original condition we were then led up the dark winding staircase 60 feet to the top of the tower where the light used to be. The view from up here is breathtaking. On a clear, low humidity day you can even see the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada almost directly across the lake.

During our visit the wind was howling briskly out of the west kicking up the lake and almost making you hang on for dear life a the top of the catwalk. If you had a hat on, there's a good bet it would have taken wind and not touched down till it landed in Kingston, Ontario at the far east end of the lake!

OK, now a little history lesson: The Thirty Mile Point lighthouse was named for the fact that it is 30 miles from the mouth of the Niagara river. The lighthouse was constructed in 1875 as a marker to warn boats of a hazard to navigation as there was a large sandbar jutting out from the coast at this point which had caused many a ship to go down. The lighthouse is 70 feet high and constructed of limestone which was shipped in from the Thousand Island region at the eastern end of the lake. The lighthouse used to house a Third Order Fresnel Lens which cost over $3500. and housed a kerosene flame could be seen for over 16 miles.

In 1935, the Coast Guard assumed control of the light house, and finally after the sandbar eventually eroded away, the lighthouse was decommissioned in 1959. It is now the showpiece of Golden Hill State Park and an interesting place to check out if you're ever in the area.
After our tour we walk the grounds for a while exploring the buildings taking some pictures and just enjoying a beautiful day on the shores of Lake Ontario. Finally we got on the bike and headed back home, but now before stopping for the obligatory ice cream along the way.

Great rides demand great photos

Riding on the back of a motorcycle presents many photo opportunities, but they are easy to miss if you don't have a camera handy. For years I used a basic Sony point-and-shoot camera by this year I decided to upgrade my equipment to something that would provide some better quality images.

I opted for a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) Camera as opposed to a standard "point and shoot". The DSLR allows me to be more creative with shutter speeds and aperature settings so that I can create more compelling photos. The 10 mega pixel resolution, though not the highest available allows me to get great high resolution photos. And of course being digital as opposed to film, I can shoot hundreds of pictures and just delete the bad ones and keep only the ones I like.

The camera I choose, after much research is an Olympus E-510. It's a great entry level DLSR that has alot of features and as far as I was concerned, gave me the most bang for the buck. The e-510 is lightweight and fits comfortably in your hand with the controls right at your fingertips. There are 2 features I found on the Olympus that the other models didn't offer when I bought mine. The first was image stabilization, other manufacturers build it into their lenses, Olympus built it into the camera. I really helps when you're shooting from the back of a moving motorcycle! The other feature that stood out was "live view" this means that you can see exactly what you're shooting on the LED screen. Now I know what you're thinking, what's the big deal, I can do that with my cheap camera phone or point and shoot camera well yes you can, but that feature is not usually found on DSLR's because there is a mirror in front of the sensor so displaying a live image on the LED screen required temporarily lifting the mirror. Olympus is one of the first manufacturers to offer this feature on a DSLR, others are now catching up.

So now that I have a nice camera, I really needed a way to hold it securely while shooting on the bike, I certainly didn't want my $700+ camera and lens making a impact with the pavement. I had tried using a neck strap, but I found it cumbersome, and it's hard to get on and off with a helmet on! I needed something better. I finally came across the ProStrap. The ProStrap is a comfortable leather wrist strap that attaches to the right (or left) side of your camera and cinches securely to your wrist. The ProStrap helps make a comfortable secure grip on your camera so that if the camera were to slip from your hand, it will only dangle harmlessly from your wrist.

My final investment was to get a camera bag big enough to carry just the camera with a lense but small enough to wear without getting in the way. I choose the Lowepro Cirrus TLZ 25. It's a holster style camera bag that you can wear around your neck or on your belt. I personally think it's a little big for a belt, I wear it with the strap diagonally across my chest and with the case sitting on my left hip. The camera is protected from weather and debris and is readily available when I need it. The camera rests in the bag with the lens pointed down so that retrieving the camera from the bag and being ready to shoot takes only seconds. I simply unzip the top of the bag, slide my wrist through the strap cinch it up tight, pull out the camera, and I'm ready to shoot. It doesn't require alot of movement or wiggling which is very important when riding on the back of a bike.

Now that I've got an awesome system, I can't wait for our next ride so I can share some great pictures with you.

Cruisin & Snoozin the Skill of Moto-Napping

So there we were, making our way home from our latest adventure exploring the great roadways of Virginia. It had been a busy couple of days, late nights, early mornings, lots of great roads to ride, but all good things must come to an end and we were now on our way home. The riding conditions were perfect, clear blue skies, temperatures in the mid 70's, a nice long boring stretch of road, I was comfortably settled into my seat on the back of the Goldwing, awesome music on the XM radio streaming through my headset, the bike humming along, I was in a state of complete relaxation and before I knew it... my eye lids started to get heavy, I leaned my head back and just like that, I was napping or more appropriately -- moto-napping.

Now this isn't the first time I've caught a few z's on the back of the wing, I do it a lot actually and I've talked to other Goldwing passengers who regularly nap on the back of their motorcycles. It's so common in fact that I decided it needed a name, hence, moto-napping. Yes, that's a word, or it is now that I made it up. Have fun with it, use it in a sentence as often as you can, amaze your friends and neighbors, before you know it, moto-napping will be a household word and you can say you heard it here first!

So what exactly is moto-napping. First of all moto-napping isn't deep, long lasting sleeping, we're talking about light, restful, napping, similar to power napping. Studies show that power napping has many benefits including reduced stress, increased productivity and improved memory just to name a few. All good benefits right, so it's possible moto-napping can provide similar benefits, although there are no studies to prove so don't hold me to it.

The right motorcycle and proper technique, allow moto-napping to be accomplished successfully and without injury. I should know, I do it all the time, and most of the time, my husband, the driver, doesn't even know I'm napping. That's the key to successful moto-napping, never let your rider know you're catching a few winks! If you do they will probably try to keep you awake, the theory being if they can't sleep, why should you. I never did agree with that theory.

Moto-napping is more than simply a matter of closing your eyes and snoozing. There is a real skill to successful napping on a motorcycle, at least if you want to do it properly and more importantly safely. Several things need to be take into consideration. In the wrong hands, moto-napping can lead to injury or at the very least the pain of a bruised ego, from an unplanned extrication from said motorcycle.

"Yea but if you're napping, you'll miss all the great scenery."

Let's face it, not everywhere you ride on a motorcycle involves breath taking scenery and windy, curvy roads. More often than not you're riding long, boring stretches of road. You know the ones I mean like anywhere on the New York Thruway, b-o-o-o-o-ring or The Ohio Turnpike between Cleveland and Toledo, "wake me when we get there" doesn't begin to describe it. You simply can't wait to get to your destination and off that "Godforsaken flatter than a pancake" stretch of road. The only thing that makes it even remotely exciting is the occasional mindless cager veering into your lane for no reason because they "didn't see you" on your bright red 900 lb motorcycle. That kind of excitement I can do without, thank-you.

Now, if you live in Ohio or New York (I live in NY), don't get mad at me, you know as well as I do those stretches of road are anything but interesting. They do serve a purpose, as they make it quick and easy to get from point A to point B. A lot of you may be saying "you're on a motorcycle, you shouldn't be on the superslab anyway". Well, that's true, but sometimes you just gotta get there so you do what you have to do. The sad part is that both states actually make you pay to enjoy the boredom. We paid to ride Skyline Drive but at least that had entertainment value and gorgeous scenery.

Moto-napping is the perfect way to counteract the boredom of such roads, and helps you reach your destination rested and ready to go. Let's face it, you probably don't want to waste your time sleeping when you get to your destination that would just be wrong. Why not be rested when you get there.

Choosing the right bike.

Obviously, not every motorcycle is suited to napping, but then not every motorcycle is suited to long distance riding either. The best motorcycles for moto-napping are those with large cushioned seats, nice large, comfortable backrest. Arm rests are optional, they do make napping easier but are not necessary for successful resting. The Honda Goldwing is of course the king of "napping bikes" but other good choices are Harley Davidson Ultra Classic, BMW 1200LT and the Yamaha Venture to name a few, I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of any. If you can think of other ones, post a comment and let me know. It also helps to have an intercom system with a radio or MP3 player to listen to your favorite tunes, an Ipod or other pocket MP3 player with ear buds will also do. Moto-napping is virtually impossible on something like a sport bike or any V-Twin with a passenger seat the size of a postage stamp, and if there's no back rest, forget it, you'll be on the pavement in no time. That may lead to a more permanent nap than you were originally planning. Not to mention, gaggles of laughter from your rider and those around you.

Ok, you have the right bike now what?

There are 2 requirements that lend themselves to moto-napping. You should be on a long trip 200-300 miles at least, after all what's the sense of napping if you're just going down the street for ice cream. The second requirement is that you are on a long, straight boring stretch of roadway. No one wants to be napping when there's great scenery to look at. That would defeat the purpose of riding a bike in the first place. If you're on the road to simply nap, then just take the car, it's easier.

So you're settled into the nice comfy pillion seat of your bike, awesome tunes streaming through your headset, you're on a long boring stretch of road, the bike just humming along down the road, looks like you're ready to start your nap. First, lean back in your seat so you're comfortable and gently close your eyes. It helps if you have a tinted shield or tinted glasses on so that you're rider won't know what you're up to, plus the tint will help keep the sun out of your eyes.

It's very important that you not fall in to a deep R.E.M. sleep, just a simple light catnap to take the edge off. If you fall into a deep you may run the risk of the dreaded "helmet smack". Helmet smack is when your helmet and that of your rider unexpectedly "smack" together when the motorcycle comes to a stop or makes another sudden move you're not prepared for. This may cause your rider to exclaim "what the f***!" and then you'll have some explaining to do. Trust me they just won't understand moto-napping so you're better off avoiding it altogether.

The secret to moto-napping is quietly drifting in and out of a gentle, restful totally relaxed state. No deep sleep, no dreams, and definitely no snoring! You will find that in this state you can still control your movements such as keeping your head from flopping around or slouching from side to side in turns. And you won't be in deep enough sleep that you can't instantly wake up if your rider asks you a question. They tend to get a little anxious if they ask you a question and you don't answer, they think you have fallen off or something.

So that, in a nutshell is the fine art of moto-napping. It's definitely a developed skill, but it's handy to have so go out and practice, practice, practice and before you know it, you'll be moto-napping like a pro and when you arrive at your destination, everyone will wonder why you're not exhausted from the long trip. Go ahead and try it, then come back and let me know about your moto-napping adventures. Recommend it to your co-rider friends and send them here to learn the basics. Come on all you professional co-riders, let's start a new trend, after all why should the riders have all the fun. If you can think of any additional tips to help make moto-napping easier and safer, post a comment here so that we can all benefit from your experience.

Rain or no rain, we're outta here!

Outside temperature was 38 degrees, wind gusts: 20-30MPH, "passing showers", perfect riding weather right? Not exactly, but this is Upstate New York, if we waited for "perfect" riding weather we'd never ride! Besides we had places to go and people to see.

Our destination was Winchester, VA to meet up with a few (200+) Goldwing riders and do some riding and socializing. The first big trip of the season and we were packed and ready to ride, the weather be damned!

We bundled up, saddled up and hit the road around 10am. Our theory was, if we don our raingear, it won't rain. Ok, it was only a theory, but it was worth a shot. And it worked for the most part, besides the raingear served double duty in that it helped keep us warm too.

The weathermen actually got this forecast right for a change when they said passing showers, they weren't kidding. One minute we'd be riding under blue skies and sunshine, but we could see large black clouds on either side threatening to get us wet, then we'd make a turn and head into the showers for a brief instant then ride out of them. If I didn't know better I'd say our GPS, the Lowrance IWAY 500c was heading us right into the showers on purpose! I will say though, after having ridding in torrential downpours and thunderstorms, the rain we saw on this trip was nothing more than an inconvenience.

Our route took us on the due south, Rt 390 south to Rt 15 winding our way through the hills of Pennsylvania and picking up Rt 81 in Harrisburg and right into Winchester. I'd forgotten what a pretty ride Rt 15 is from just south of the NY state line to Williamsport, PA. It's a nice 4 lane divided highway with graceful sweeping curves winding their way through the rolling hills of Northern Pennsylvania. We definately have to take this ride in the fall, it has to be absolutely gorgeous when the colors are in bloom.

As we got further south the wind picked up and boy was that fun, especially driving around the big trucks on Rt81. One minute you're riding along minding your own business and the next a blast of wind grabs the bike and sends it sliding into the next lane which is usually already occupied by some sort of traffic. It's nerve racking enough for the rider but as a passenger it's very unsettling because you're totally helpless to do anything. I can see my husband leaning the bike into the wind, trying desperately to bring the bike back into the lane, soI just hold my breath and fight every urge I have to "help" lean the bike! It makes for quite an interesting ride and really cuts into my nap time.

By the time we got to Winchester, the rain was gone and the sun was out and stayed out for the rest of the weekend, to our great delight. It was still a little gusty but that wasn't much of an issue. We were staying a the Courtyard by Marriott in Winchester, Va. Great hotel, great service and our discounted room rates included breakfast every morning. At most hotels that usually means bagels and sweet rolls, but not here. Breakfast included everything, waffles, hot and cold cereal, fruit, scrambles eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, biscuits and gravy and an omelet station, all at no extra charge. What a deal!

The manager even provided a water hose out back so we could wash our bikes. Goldwingers are very particular about keeping their wings clean when they ride. I'm not sure why, they just get dirty again. Personally I think it's a guy thing, it gives them a chance to hang out and discuss oil changes and crush washers.

After checking into the hotel and unpacking, it was time to relax and socialize with old friends and meet new ones as groups continued to arrive from all over the region as the night wore on. We even had one rider all the way from Hawaii!!

Later, we ventured out for some dinner. We headed into town in search of a place to eat. We stumbled across a Texas Steakhouse, now normally we try to stay away from chain restaurants when we're traveling, but since we don't have any Texas Steakhouse's in New York we thought we'd give it a try. It turned out to be an excellent choice, I'll post a review later.

After dinner we headed back to the hotel for an evening of socializing and story telling. It's become a tradition at these events that we all gather in the parking lot in the evening, enjoy some adult beverages and socialize. It's alot of fun and we've made some great friends over the years.

Next: Our trip to California SideCar company and Skyline Drive