Letters From West Virginia

[emptysea]

8 October 2016 - Saturday

Dear Cheryl,

Thank you and Jennifer for waking up early to have breakfast with those of us going on this new adventure and thank you for waiting around the extra few minutes while Laura rode home to grab her purse which she had left there. As you know, our start was a little delayed, but I bet you were surprised how close to on time we actually were. Heck, I was not even the last person ready to ride!

You were long asleep when I finished loading my bike.
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Thanks for taking a few pictures as we headed out. I'm bummed that I couldn't get my lanyard camera working. Maybe someone else has a point-and-shoot I can borrow later in the week. I brought the lanyard just in case.

The momentary chaos that is the gearing up process
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Proof that I wasn't the last one ready!
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Mike and Judy joining the group.
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Our ride from Park Ridge to Columbus, OH (Marysville, actually) was uneventful. Typical flat-as-a-pancake riding through Indiana and Ohio. I'm sure you remember it from our North Carolina trip in 2013. Nothing has changed except the number of political signs lining the roads. We took US30 into Ohio. You know how much I like to ride on historic roads and historic Lincoln Highway ran coast to coast over most of what is US30 today. Since we were trying to make quick time, we did not stop at any historical markers or anything of that sort. I'm sure there are some points of interest along the route and maybe we'll check that out next year when you're back to riding.

After 30, it was on to US33, which took us to Marysville. Not at all excited by the amount of Ohio State Buckeye signage, but when in Rome, and all that. US33 was interesting because it went through a few commercial centers with their typical aluminum/steel buildings lining both sides of the road for about 1/4 mile. I always wonder "why here?" when I see these outposts.

We stopped for gas along the way and a guy pulled up on a vintage BMW. We all talked awhile. He was waiting for his buddy to get gas for his own vintage bike. He looked familiar, but I'm beginning to think that all vintage bike enthusiasts try to look like Peter Egan (He's a writer - I'll explain when I get home) so maybe that's why I thought that.

I know it's not your style, but pretty cool bike, eh?
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Marysville, Ohio is the home of a HUGE Honda facility. Absence of my Ferret-cam prevents me from showing you, but Mike A told me that they used to make Goldwings here; at least that's what I think he told me.

It took us a few tries to finally land at our hotel for the evening; it's one of those places that you can plainly see from the main road, but the entry roads are not so clearly marked. Hampton Inn. Nice hotel, but they wouldn't let us park on the canopy, even with Glen pouring on his charm.

Mike G and I are bunking together this trip. He has warned me that he snores. I have kept my own snoring problem to myself in hopes that he thinks it's just him sawing wood at night.

We did a healthy 300+ miles today with another similar day planned for tomorrow. I brought a flask and my growler, but we didn't find a brewpub to fill the latter on the way to Marysville. Oh, by the way, if you noticed that some of your rye whiskey was gone, it didn't evaporate
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Well, that's all from our first day. It was weird not seeing you in my rear-view as I lead the group down. There's a comfort I feel when I see you to my right and two seconds behind. I miss that and it saddens me just a little to be on a motorcycling adventure like this without my favorite rider. I can tell that Laura misses you terribly already. We all do. Hope you have a safe flight to visit Kristin in NC. I'll write again tomorrow.

Love,

Matt