The kickoff was breakfast in Canaseraga NY; for the uninitiated, that's code for "Small Town USA".
Two blocks of old buildings, a diner, a post office and the WORLDS LARGEST DEMOLITION DERBY (or so I'm told).
Makes me think of John Cougar Mellencamp singing 'Small Town'.
Anyway, the precursor to the Demo was a Fall Festival Parade, which delayed our departure a while.
The route down was new to me and absolutely outstanding. Our Club President and Road Captain for the day gets two big thumbs up for outstanding weather & road selection. The only hiccup was meeting up with another club member on the way at a gas station where there happened to be a gaggle of what appeared to be multi-cultural Life-Stylers (that's polite code for a cruiser crowd that wasn't just HD).
Being the club FNG (Friendly New Guy) I said hello to the only guy other guys from our group were talking to.
"Are you Tony? Hi, I'm Daryl, good to meet you."
At which time, our Prez, who had just finished talking to him (and had called his cell 5 minutes prior looking for him) said
"Is that you Tony? Didn't recognize you."
With requisite intro's out of the way we elected to head out before we got caught up in the gaggle.
We went by the site of the Austin Dam disaster of 1911. http://www.gendisasters.com/data1/pa/fl ... in1911.htm
This track includes my ride to get to breakfast & part my separate ride back; but you get the idea. The gap at the start from Canaseraga is the Twilight Zone common around some small towns, don't go here at night, by yourself...you might hear banjo's in the distance.
FWIW; our club president is a local (but not by birth).
Lunch was in one of my favorite towns, the only one I've been in w/ gas pumps on the sidewalk. This pic's from a different ride, but put in here for reference. We all gassed up prior to getting there, since when I was there the last time the guy at the pump suggested that I might find hi-test @ the other two places in town if they hadn't sold out & closed already (I checked, they did, ended up back here getting regular).
The only place in town to eat that I know of is the hotel (the only hotel too).
The food was good, but the pics weren't, so leave it to your imagination.
Getting ready for the rest of the ride.
I was fortunate to follow our road captain for a while; it's inspiring to watch someone ride that's been around the block a few times (or more). Tried my hand at on-road photography; autofocus is great. That's him; he's even on a Beemer (when I first met him a few years ago he was on a Hayabusa, then a Goose, and now w/ a nice Brick in the stable.
Even at a modest speed between twisties;
The remainder of the route was also outstanding; only a slight delay behind three Lifestyler's enjoying their white knuckle adrenaline rush through the twisties at gut wrenching (sub posted limit) speed. They were leaning every bit of two or three degrees, with remarkable finesse on the apehangers. Anyway, these guys spoiled my hope of getting some of the best french fries I've ever had, since they pulled into the Coastal 1-pump gas stop / general store / restaurant. No way we'd stop now.
The track in PA.
I broke off a few miles short of the end, using the GPS in compass mode to keep me pointed toward home.
The planets were truly in alignment this day; it is one that I'll remember fondly over the winter.
DLS
