A Trip Through The Shenandoah Valley

Recently, we make a trip down to Winchester, VA to visit with 200+ Goldwing friends of ours. While there we had a chance to do some exploring. A group of us rode down to Coleen, VA to visit the California Sidecar Company. They build trike conversion kits for all types of motorcycles as well as Escapade Trailers and of course Side Cars.

The ride down to the factory was very nice, there’s nothing like the site of 30+ Goldwings riding down the road, sort of like an open bag of M&M’s spilling on the floor and flowing down the stairs.

We arrived at the factory around noon. The factory is in a beautiful location nestled in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley with an absolutely gorgeous view of the mountains from their parking lot. Who wouldn’t want to work there? Of course it might be tough to work inside with that view begging from outdoors.

The people at the factory couldn’t have been nicer or more accommodating. They provided guided tours of the factory and afterward, a complete barbeque lunch with all the fixin’s. Now that’s what I call customer service.

After the tours and lunch the entire group was scheduled to go for a ride on Skyline Drive on the way back to the hotel.

Well, hubby and I didn’t feel like waiting around, for the rest of the group to be ready to go so we decided to head off on our own, besides we had our GPS so we were confident we could get back to the hotel. We were also getting tired of the group thing and wanted to go off exploring on our own for awhile. It was a great group of people but I can only take group rides for so long.

We headed out of the factory and made our way onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. We got to Skyline Drive and paid the $10 fee to enter, if you have an annual national parks pass that will get you in too.

We’d heard a lot of good things about Skyline Drive and were excited to finally be able to ride it and see what all the fuss was about. It wasn’t long before we were winding our way along the road enjoying view after fabulous view of the Shenandoah Valley. Pictures just don’t do it justice. There are Scenic overlooks all along the way where you can stop and enjoy the view because if you try to enjoy the view while riding you’ll probably end up off road. I had to constantly remind my husband to watch the road and not the view! I told him I would enjoy the view for both of us and take plenty of pictures so he could enjoy it later.

As beautiful as Skyline Drive is, you certainly can’t be in a hurry to get anywhere. The speed limit is 35 mph the whole way, and it is strictly enforced. 104 mi at 35 mph takes quite a while to complete. We were very happy we had left the big group behind and went off on our own. It was much more relaxing and enjoyable to go at our own pace. Although the pace is slow, the weather was perfect and it was a beautiful, enjoyable ride. Skyline Drive is a fairly technical road that features a lot of sweeping curves both up hill and down with a few switchbacks thrown in just to keep you honest. We don’t have many roads like that in our part of New York so my husband was a little out of practice, but by the time we were done, he had gotten a rhythm and we were humming along. It’s a great road to practice your riding skills. It’s a perfect road for the co-rider because there’s lots of scenery to enjoy along the way.

About halfway through, there is a place to stop with a snack bar and souvenir shop as well as a gas pump. We were happy to see it because we forgot to bring extra water with us and ours had run out. We also got a couple of commemorative pins to add to our collection.

The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful, more beautiful scenery and windy roads. The trip was not unlike my trip to the Grand Canyon a couple of years ago. When you first see the Grand Canyon it’s absolutely breath taking, but after you’re there for an hour or so it gets old. For anyone who hasn’t been there Skyline Drive is one of those “must do” roads on a motorcycle, it’s a great way to just kick back and take a nice leisurely ride through some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.

By the time we headed back to the hotel, it was after 5:00 so we decided to stop for dinner along the way since there wasn’t much right by the hotel. Once we got back into Winchester, we were beginning to wonder if we’d find anyplace to stop, when we say a Goldwing trike parked on the street below a sign that said “Cork Street Tavern”. We both decided right then and there, that’s the place for dinner.

So we parked the bike and headed in. It was a quaint dimly lit tavern, with a pretty good dinner crown and a busy wait staff. We elected to sit out on the patio which was surrounded by 10 ft walls all the way around so it was nearly enclosed but there was no roof. It would have been nice to have a view of the street to watch the world go by as we dined but it was nice just as well.

The menu was fairly standard tavern fare, a few dinners and some pub sandwiches and traditional sides. My husband had a ruben and I decided on the grilled salmon on croissant (my lame attempt at eating healthy). The food was excellent, the service was great. We’re definitely going back next time we’re in town, and we’re bringing friends with us.

All in all we had a great trip to Virginia. It’s always nice to add states to your “States I’ve visited list” and to make some new friends along the way.

What's motorcycle touring without a great trailer!

So we're busy getting ready for our first motorcycle trip of the season. 4 fun filled days in Winchester, VA with 150 or so of our Goldwing friends. I thought I'd show you what has quickly become our favorite travel accessory our Aluma MCT Trailer. In fact, we just finished lining it with carpet to give it a more finished look. First the story behind this little gem.

Back in 2003, when we first got our Goldwing, my husband was looking for a utility trailer for his business, we were out for a ride and stopped into a local trailer dealership. After looking at the utility trailers we were on our way back to the bike when we spotted a small motorcycle trailer in front of the showroom. We went over to take a look. It was white with aluminum trim, it was boxy and clunky looking and not very aerodynamic at all.

We both decided that it was probably the ugliest thing we had ever seen compared to other trailers we had looked at. It was nothing like the sleek, low profile, "painted to match the bike" trailers we'd previously looked at by companies like Bushtec , Hannigan and Tailwind. We left thinking "who in their right mind would own one of those." You know what they say, never say never!

Fast forward 3 years and we're now the proud owner of one of those "ugly" Aluma trailers (also affectionately referred to as a hot dog cart for obvious reasons), go figure! After seeing them in use up close and personal, and talking to the very happy owners, we decided it fit our needs and budget. Besides the look actually grows on you. Aluma trailers have developed almost a cult following in the Goldwing community and after owning one I can see why. They are a great value for the money, for around $1700 you get 13.4 cu. ft. of cargo room which may not sound like much but you can get quite a bit of stuff in this little gem.

The trailer is very customizable to fit your needs, plus, you can easily also strap some items to the top for extra storage. It pulls easily down the road and it's completely waterproof (don't ask how I know, that's a whole other story!). Having a trailer has changed the way we travel. For the first 3 years we had the bike we it was always quite a ritual to get everything we needed in the bike especially if the trip was more than a couple of days. The limited space on a motorcycle, yes even on a Goldwing, really teaches you how to travel light and pack only the bare necessities. You quickly realize that one pair of jeans really can last you more than 1 day so you decide that "wear a pair and pack a pair" goes a long way. No matter how light you pack, it seems there's always something you end up leaving behind...ok, maybe I just forgot it!

Now we have plenty of room for all of our necessities, not that we over-pack, but we take what we need, plus folding chairs for post ride BS sessions in the parking lot, rain gear, covers for the bike, extra helmets and a cooler for cold beverages and snacks. We never have to worry about getting everything to fit. We even have room for souveniors. Here are some things we've learned in the 2 years we've been pulling a trailer behind our Goldwing:

• If it's pouring rain and you need to turn right at a steeply inclined intersection, don't stop on the incline, continue around the corner until you can safely stop on a level surface.
• A swivel hitch will allow the bike to lay down with out affecting the trailer (don't ask!).
• When traveling with others who do not have a trailer and swear they will never pull a trailer, always leave room for some of their stuff it'll end up in your trailer.
• Always pack the Corona and Captain Morgan(for above mentioned parking lot BS sessions) first and be sure it is secured before anything else.
• Just because it will if in the trailer, doesn't mean you have to take it.
• The flat surface on top makes a great serving area for cocktails, snacks, and yes even hot dogs!

As an added bonus, my husband has even found a way to use the trailer in our home heating & cooling business. During air conditioning season he hitches the trailer up loaded with his service tools and performs air conditioning cleanings on the bike. It's quite a conversation piece and gets much better gas mileage than his service van!