The decision is made. I'm going to head south and stay with the good
weather. If I'm looking for a tropical storm front I'll stay closer to
home in Florida and don't need to drive to Maine to see one. I've seen
Maine in the rain so many times that I've lost count. Seeing Maine in
the sun = 0. I suppose I probably would get lost if it wasn't raining,
but I'm willing to let that wait for another time.
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When I went to bed last night something kept bothering me
about the name of the town, Newburgh, but I couldn't put my
finger on it. Orange County led me to believe I was near Orange
County Choppers. As it turns out, I could have walked to their
shop and was within 2 minutes on the bike. If I would have
realized that, they had Sunday hours and I could have stopped
in. On the other hand, first thing in the morning suites me just
fine. |
Say what you will about these guys, they sure have built an empire
for themselves. Looking through the window, the bikes are works of art,
but I'll leave the ownership of one to somebody else. I wonder if they
would look good with a Russell Daylong Seat? What surprises me is that a
large number of their corporate bikes are in the showroom. Shouldn't
they be in someone's office building somewhere?
The area around the Delaware Water Gap is always
a pleasant ride and represents the border between Pennsylvania
and New Jersey. The water gap is so named as it indicates a
place where the river cuts through the mountains. This area is
heavily wooded with tiny roads which can be paved or not. The
Appalachian Trail is nearby. Old Mine Road cuts through the
National Recreation Area. Tree covered roads are the norm with
the downside being the slow posted speeds. In my national park
stamp hunting days, this area was ripe with stamps. The only
ones I care about now are postage stamps.
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At the I-80 end of the Delaware Water Gap I hop on the big
road in search of a dealership open on Monday. It's time for an
oil change and there are several dealers along the way. Koups in
Harrisburg, PA is convenient and I'm sure they can make room for
a simple oil change. No other Suzuki dealer has refused to do
this when I was on a trip. If the service was something more
involved, I would make an appointment. |
Well, the service manager at Koups looks at me like I just asked to
have an engine rebuilt. They're explanation was that the Ducatis they
sell are all breaking down and they don't have the time. I wonder how
Suzuki would feel about that. Either way, it's their right and I head
down the road to Mechanicsburg, PA and West Shore Suzuki. The first
thing I notice is that the showroom is wall-to-wall trophies. This is a
dealership that is involved in the sport. They take me in right away and
make me feel at home. The price for full-synthetic oil and filter is
very reasonable and the service is quick. Time to head to Front Royal
for the night. |