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The further one travels west through Maryland the futher one gets from the urban sprawl of the Atlantic coastal region. Passing through Cecil, Harford and Carroll counties you will find yourself in semi rural farmland. We’re not talk’n mid west rural here but rural none the less. Frederick has quite a bit of development going on but past that things get pretty country. Frederick has the Cotoctin Mountain so this is also the point where our region becomes “not flat”. Entering Washington county the only development is Hagerstown and that is like a blip on the map along I70. Rt 40 cuts through Hagerstown and is National Pike/Dual Highway. Located on National Pike in Hagerstown is a great little campus that includes: Clarion Motel, Hager Hall Conference and Event Center, Barefoot Bernies and Cancun Cantina West. The Cancun Cantina holds motorcycle and hot rod shows frequently. Cancun Cantina East and West are both happening night spots! They combine night club atmosphere with country line dancing entertainment and biker friendly themes. Both locations are a lot of fun. I especially appreciate the West because it is connected to Barefoot Bernies Restaurant and the Clarion Motel making it an ideal motorcycle layover spot for trips heading west.

In my last post we were taking a butt break at the Citgo in Woodsboro, MD getting ready for the final leg of the day which would be a 27 mile jaunt over to the Clarion in Hagerstown. The Citgo is really a High’s Dairy Store and Citgo Gas Station on North 2nd Street with North 2nd Street continuing through the parking lot (according to Google Maps). So we hopped back on our motorcycles and exited the back of the gas station via North 2nd Street (even though we thought we were just in a parking lot) taking a right onto Woodsboro Pike and a quick left onto Woodsboro Creagerstown Rd Rt 550. You’ll ride for awhile through rural hilly country and eventually come to a small town called Thurmont. Cross Rt 15 and Rt 550 becomes Rt 77. Rt 77 is AWESOME!!! It takes you directly through Cotoctin Mountain National Park. Resist the urge to turn around and go back through the park if you can. Now entering Washington County. Take a left on Jefferson Blvd Rt 64. Follow Jefferson for 7 miles and take another left onto Eastern Blvd and take that for a short mile to Rt 40 National Pike. Make a right onto Rt 40. Jump over immediately to the left turn lane, pull a u-turn and bang a quick right into the motel entrance. Park the bikes, unpack the saddlebags and check in!

After an awesome day of riding this is the perfect ending. The Clarion is a nice motel so check in, grab a hot shower and change into comfortable clothes. We met up with our friends at Barefoot Bernies for dinner. The tropically decorated restaurant is a fun place with pirate manicans and bamboo furniture. We ate, drank and talked about the ride for hours. We joked and had a blast. When the conversation died down we went next door to the Cancun Cantina for more drinks. Eventually a live country rock band took the stage and line dancing happened! We had an awesome time and got to bed early enough to get a good night sleep!

Note: the breakfast at the Clarion was a big disappointment

Woodsboro, MD to Hagerstown, MD 27 Miles

Woodsboro Creagerstown Rd Rt 550 to Rt 77 heading west

Left on Rt 64 Jefferson Blvd - 7 miles

Left on Eastern Blvd - 1 mile

Right on National Pike Rt 40 Dual Hwy

Immediate U-Turn

Right into Clarion entrance

Tags: Trips & Places To Go by Jay Green
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There are some awesome roads between Shrewsberry, PA and Hagerstown, MD that dip and weave along the Mason-Dixon Line. The country roads carry you through rolling hills with short steep inclines and twisty s-turns that weave their way through wheat and corn farms. The corn stalks were about 5′ high this June as we rolled on the throttle through the Maryland country side on our way to Hagerstown.

After our lunch break at Nikola’s Cafe in Shrewsberry it was looking a little cloudy but we didn’t care. The roads were calling us with their seductive come hither curves. Ok that sounded goofy, but I’m trying to make my writing a little less blah blah blah! 

Exiting the parking lot onto Old Farm we crossed the intersection and the road becomes Constitution Ave. Between here and our gas stop in Woodsboro, Maryland there are a plethora of country roads that need to be explored by you and your trusty motorcycle. Here are the directions to our next gas stop at the Citgo in Woodsboro which is not far from where my my parents live. This is a 53 mile leg and the Citgo, although not a Wawa or a Royal Farms, was a welcome break since it was the first post lunch stop. Thank God they have a bathroom!

Quiz: which bike is not a Harley and what is it?

Part 3 - 53 Miles

From Nikola’s Cafe cross the intersection onto Constitution

Follow signs that direct you to Rt 851 if there are such signs

Right on East Main Street in New Freedom

Left on Steltz Rd Rt 851

Continue to follow Rt 851 as it makes several turns

Left on Lineboro Rd PA Rt 516/MD Rt 86

Left on Hallie Ave and follow to traffic light (this left is for group rides to make the next right turn easier)

At traffic light take a right on Hanover Pike Rt 30

Left on Bachmans Valley Rd

Right on Rt 97 Littlestown Pike

You can follow Rt 97 all the way into Pennsylvania and take a left on Rt 194 but this is the way we did it…

At the very crest of a long steep hill on Rt 97 in Maryland there is a left turn onto Stone Road but it is too dangerous and difficult, even in a car, to cross left at the top of a hill in a blind turn with limited sight just as the hill dives back down the other side. It’s a busy road with plenty of oncoming cars. So as you come down the other side of this long hill on Rt 97 in Maryland before the Pennsylvania line look for Sprouts Daycare on the left side of the road. Pull a u-turn in their parking lot. Go back up the hill on Rt 97 Littlestown Pike and at the crest of the hill there will be a turn lane for Stone Road where you can safely make a right turn. Follow that to Rt 194 and make a left on Francis Scott Key Hwy and look for the Citgo on the right side.

Tags: Trips & Places To Go by Jay Green
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Last June Diana led her first overnight trip which was a huge success and played a big part in her receiving her Road Captain patch with First State HOG Chapter. This year Diana perfected the ride route and made the trip shorter but ten times sweeter. We had less riders this year which makes riding these back country roads more enjoyable. Everyone was impressed to find out we can travel from Newark, DE to Hagerstown, MD without traversing any roads with more than two lanes in either direction.

The obvious way to get out west would be to take I95 South to the Baltimore Beltway I695 and then shoot off onto I70 across Maryland at 70 miles per hour. It would be 120 miles of highway including the dreaded I95 and dodgy Baltimore beltway. Travel time would be over two hours. Many of our friends travel down Rt301 and cut under Baltimore and then scoot back up to western Maryland. Diana’s route took us across 150 miles of country backroads leaving about 9:30am and arriving in Hagerstown at about 4:00pm. We would stop for an hour lunch in Shewsbury, Pennsylvania and take two gas/rest stops. There would be no rush and we would arrive at the Clarion Motel in Hagerstown, Maryland in time to take a nice shower and change into comfortable clothes before dinner.

I’ll take you through the leg of the ride that goes from Newark, DE through Cecil and Harford counties in Maryland to the lunch stop in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania because this alone is a nice ride.

We met at he new Royal Farms in Newark, DE five minutes from our house. This has quickly become our most popular ride meet up point. I have become a huge fan of Royal Farms in the past two years. I like Wawa a lot but Royal Farms has inside seating and great fried chicken! The indoor seating is welcome in the hot summer and the cold winter when you need to either cool off or warm up while eating a cheap but tasty lunch on the road. They have gas, convenience store, food, small decent bathrooms and good size parking lots. Here’s Bill grabbing a little breakfast of champions before we leave the Royal Farms.

The first leg of Diana’s route gets us from the Royal Farms in Newark, DE to the Wawa in Conowingo, Maryland. We use local back roads to get onto Rt 273 West Telegraph Rd and merge with Rt 1 Conowingo Rd. You will be traveling through Cecil County into Harford County, Maryland. When you cross the Susquehanna River at the Conowingo Dam you are in Harford County.

From the Wawa we pull out onto Rt 136 and the scenery and country riding really start to kick in. Take a left on Rt 23 Norrisville Rd. The next turn is a right onto Rt 439 Old York Rd but for safety we pass it and pull into the Shell gas station on the left. The Shell does have a unisex bathroom on the outer right side of the building and we use this gas station as a rest stop on many of Diana’s rides. On this ride we just used the parking lot as a planned turn around to head back up Rt 23 so we could make a left onto Rt 439 Old York Rd. This sounds ass backwards but I will try to explain…

Rt 23 Norrisville Road is a country road with one lane in each direction and the locals get moving pretty quickly on a road like this. Rt 439 Old York Road is a sharp jackknife turn just after a steep decline in the road. If a group of motorcycles were to suddenly slow down after this dip in the road to navigate a sharp jackknife turn they would be sitting ducks! A speeding red neck in a camo painted pick up could come flying over the crest of the hill and take out several ducks before you can count how many guns are in his rack. So yes, in this case two left turns across the oncoming lane makes more sense than a right turn… however on the day of our ride we had to add an addendum to this policy.

Miles before the turn we got stuck behind a huge self-propelled combine. It moved so slowly you would think it was powered by little gerbils on a wheel inside the motor. Traffic was backing up behind us. The road was too hilly and curvy for a group of motorcycles to safely pass. If you are patient the combines usually pull off the road into a nearby farm just when you think you can’t take it anymore. It felt like this one was going to lead us forever! When we came up on our right hand turn crawling at 10 miles an hour we took the right hander without any danger of getting run over by the creeping cars behind us.

Rt 439 Old York Rd will cross over I83 and end at Rt 45 York Rd. Take a right and go up York Rd heading north into Pennsylvania. York Rd will become Susquehana Trail Rt 3001 in PA. When you come into Shrewsbury you will come to a four way intersection with a traffic light. Take a right on Old Farm Lane and go into the shopping center. Have lunch at Nikola’s Cafe. Call ahead of time and reserve the outside table for your friends and enjoy. The number is 717-235-2200

Riddle: What has 2 bills, 2 colors, 2 wienners, 2 greens & 2 parisons?

This is a favorite lunch ride that Diana likes to do so this part of the route can stand on it’s own and the shrimp salad sandwich is worth the ride. The roads get even tastier from here to Hagerstown!

Part 1 - 36 Miles - Roll at 9:30am

Royal Farms Rt 72 and Old Baltimore Pike Newark, DE

Right on Old Baltimore Pike

Right on Otts Chapel rd

Left on Elkton Rd

Right on Rt 277 Fletchwood Rd/Elk Mills rd

Right Rt 213

Left Rt 273 Telegraph Rd

Left Rt 1 Conowingo rd

Right into the Wawa at Rt 136 in Conowingo

Part 2 - 31 Miles

From Wawa exit left onto Rt 136 Whiteford Rd

Left on Rt 23 Norrisville Rd

Do a turnaround at the Shell on the left side and take a right back onto Rt 23

Left on Rt 439 Old York Rd

Right Rt 45 York Rd

Becomes Rt 3001 Susquehanna Trail in Pennsylvania

Make a right at the intersection with Constition on the left and Old Farm on the right

Pull into the shopping center behind the 1st Marina Bank in Shrewsbury, PA exactly at noon for lunch.

Tags: Trips & Places To Go by Jay Green
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In order to attend the Williamsport HOG Chapter’s annual River Rat Poker Run we have to make a common choice: take the highway and get there fast, or take our time and enjoy the backroads.

Unfortunately some motorcycle riders from our home state here in Delaware don’t know the fantastic backroads that meander along the Mason-Dixon Line that designates the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania. So the choice is made for them. Sure you can make good time on Interstate 70! You can make it there and back in a day and still do the poker run! But do you really want to do it like that? This event takes place at the end of June and that’s a busy day to be pack’n into a hot possibly muggy summer day. There is another way…

Since I’m married to a lady rider and First State HOG^® Road Captain who knows how to connect those backroads along the Maryland Pennsylvania border the choice is easy! I’ll follow the Mrs and take the twisted country roads through meandering hills and rolling farms. I’ll enjoy the ride and arrive in Hagerstown, Maryland in time to enjoy a fun dining experience at Barefoot Bernie’s and grab a few drinks with my friends at the Cancun Cantina West. Maybe I’ll take a dip in the pool at the Clarion Motel before calling it a night. This is the second year Diana has made this a First State Chapter trip and we have dubbed it the Smell The Flowers Ride because we know you can get there and back in a day but we would rather “take the time to smell the flowers” as they say! Since this is a Maryland trip we really call it the Smell the Black-eyed Susans Ride but our Delaware friends don’t get the connection.

If your heading west through Maryland I recommend staying at the Clarion and enjoying the experience at Barefoot Bernies and the Cancun Cantina West. All three buildings are attached making it a great destination since you can have some serious fun once the kick stands are down for the evening. There is usually a big biker bash the same day as the Williamsport HOG^® River Rat Poker Run and maybe that’s more your speed. My speed is get back on those backroads in the morning and enjoy a guided HOG^® poker run through historic battle grounds.

Story to be continued…

Tags: HOG®, Trips & Places To Go by Jay Green
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The 10th Annual Gettysburg Bike Week will be July 7th thru 10th. The 2011 event has moved from the Eisenhower Hotel & Conference Center to the Granite Hill Camping Resort. The activities include concerts, bike shows, poker runs, tattoo contests, burn out contests, ride in bike show, fireworks and the vendor village. Gettysburg is undergoing road reconstruction and the parade of chrome has been canceled. Hopefully the construction won’t be too bad.

Click here to review our coverage of the 2010 event.

Tags: Trips & Places To Go by Jay Green
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Today was a great day! Saturday May 28th, 2011 was the launch of the 2011 Patriot Tour and the annual Rolling Thunder HOG Pin Stop at Fort Washington Harley-Davidson.

The Patriot Tour opening ceremony took place this morning at Wisconsin Harley-Davidson. For the second consecutive year the Nation of Patriots will send an American flag around the country to honor the US armed forces. The flag will travel from one Harley-Davidson dealer to another traveling 14,000 miles through 48 states in 100 days. HOG Chapters like First State will carry the flag and do most if not all of the riding. This is a fantastic undertaking and I will be receiving the flag at Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson on Fathers Day. I will escort the flag to Harley-Davidson of Washington DC on June 20th with members of First State HOG Chapter. Once there I will pass the flag on to Assistant Director, Dan Claffey, of Fort Washington HOG Chapter. I saw Dan earlier today and got this awesome action shot of him directing traffic.

Harley-Davidson of Washington DC hosted the launch party and HOG pin stop for Rolling Thunder XXIV as they do every year. Hundreds, if not thousands, of riders congregate at the dealership the day before the Rolling Thunder demonstration. There are vendors, bands, free food and VIP’s from Harley-Davidson. If it weren’t for other local businesses, volunteers and their HOG Chapter the dealership would be shut down. However the Fort Washington HOG Chapter and other volunteers do an amazing job of directing traffic and helping out in a number of ways. I have seen them work the pin stop, help out in the parts department and hand out water bottles. In fact I got a great picture of Director Sandi Claffey aka Sparkles of Fort Washington HOG giving out water to hot ladies walking by. I personally want to thank Sandi for our water and Papa Johns for the mountains of free pizza that they gave out to hungry bikers like me and Diana.

Below is a picture of the band stage, notice there is no orange in this one picture.

Here is a picture of two HOG regional managers, one officer of Fort Washington HOG and others working the Harley-Davidson Pin Stop at Rolling Thunder XXIV.

We went to the pin stop in 2010. Click here to read that story. The main reason we traveled down again this year was to test out our ride route for the upcoming Patriot Tour Ride on June 20th. I do not want to ride the DC beltway, too dicey! My goal is to avoid the beltway and take scenic backroads. Many of you may be thinking that there is no way to get to Fort Washington, Maryland without hitting the congestion of being in our nations capital. You might not believe there are scenic backroads in this area. But you would be wrong. I have a pretty good route and I am proud of it. Most of you reading this can handle getting down Rt 301 from Delaware and crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and getting off of Rt 50/301 in Annapolis at the exit for Rt 2 South which is Solomons Island Road. This is the same exit you take for Harley-Davidson of Annapolis.

From Rt 2 South, Solomons Island Road, I do the following:

1. Take a left at Rt 214 East Central Ave
2. Take a right onto Rt 468 Muddy Creek Road - Awesome backroad!
3. Take a right on Swamp Circle Road - this is just a cool little farm road short cut, you can take Rt 256
4. From Swamp Circle or Rt 256 take a right on Rt 258 Bayfront Road East - Nice backroad!
5. Get onto Rt 4 North - a very nice parkway!
6. Get off at the exit for Rt 223 South and follow Woodyard Rd - still nice backroad!
7. You’ll start to come to some congestion and cross under Rt 5
8. Woodyard becomes Piscataway
9. Take a right on Steed Road
10. Another right on Allentown Road
11. A left on Tucker Road
12. Take Tucker to Palmer Road
13. Follow Palmer across Rt 210 Indian Head Highway and you are there!

The Mrs and I had another fantastic ride, I won’t call it an adventure. But we had a great ride today with the minor exception of riding under a few sporadic rain clouds and Diana getting hit in the eyes by small insects several times throughout the day. Some say she attracts small pests!

God bless all HOG Chapters around the world! Without the great HOG organization and people events like the Patriot Tour and Rolling Thunder Pin Stop might not be able to happen. You guys and gals in Fort Washington are awesome!

We welcome your comments below. Thank you in advance.

Tags: HOG®, Trips & Places To Go by Jay Green
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