Bloomsburg,PA 8-15/16/17-14

May have rode 1200 miles in 3 days.Toured eastern back road coal country PA. Beauty beyond words. Stopped in Centralia,PA. Thats the town the gov't shut down,condemned and tore all the buldings down because of a still burning under ground coal fire.You can still see smoke coming up thru the cracks in the ground/roads. It was weird. all the roads are still laid out like a town,just no buildings.Its been burning since 1962 and they expect it to burn another century. Centralia was used as the town used for the inspiration of the game and movie called "Silent Hill". Ended up in Pottstown as one of my friends Aunt lived there. Very nice people and they had made us a BBQ dinner of chicken,corn cob and baked potatoes. I felt bad as we basically had to eat and run. As it was we got back to the hotel(Budget Patriot Inn) at 10pm and those back roads aren't as freindly looking in the damned dark. Expected a deer to jump out the whole 3+ hours we road home and that was the express route too. We Americans are blessed. Our greatest resource of beauty and interest is our very own country. The bike museum was fantastic. I hope to have pictures up in a week or so.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_ob...in_pennsylvania_destroyed_by_a_mine_fire.html
and

http://billsbikebarn.com/




Eagle in the museum made of old air cleaners and exhaust pipes.

Pennsylvania is a whole lot of state. I know when crossing it either east to west or visa versa it sure seems to take forever. While people may rave about Florida or California etc..I think Pennsylvania back roads are awsome and one could probaboly spend a life time just riding around in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is a great state to ride in. In the early 70s I Lived for a while in the southeast corner of the state out in the country and rode all over. Once through Pittsburg was enough for me, though - worst pothole-broken-street city I ever saw.

Been to Bills Bike Barn a few times...Just off 80 as I remember...Another thing to do is a tour of the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville, PA...We do that at least once a year...

I've spent a lot of time in Pittsburgh and the city is broke since foreign steel took over the USA. BUT Ya never been on the Brooklyn Queens expressway, I278 in NYC. Kidney buster.

From Potstown,PA we took the 2 lane 476 expressway which the natives call "Surekill Interstate" as it runs near Shuylkill. It was dark, the cars were flying and the guy leading didn't realize we still had out sunglasses on. We were finally able to get him to pull over at a truck stop.Daaaaaaaayum that was hairy as he was rocking the high speed lane not realizing the last guy was getting tailgated by someone who wanted to go 80mph+! Once we got that straightened out it was nice,cool relaxing ride back to Bloomsburg.

Is that the stretch of I-95 North after crossing the GW bridge? Not, thats the Cross Bronx expressway? Either way that road is jacked too.

Yep, that is a shirtty highway too.

Shoot...should have given you a heads up and maybe you coulda met us there? The more the merrier.

I'd really like to have spent a couple days in the area, it was just that beautiful and the locals were warm and freindly. Even met a gaggle of GW riders from Western PA and we all got along infamously at the hotel and ran into each other again at Bill's.

Those kinds of adventures are priceless. There are some GW riders here who call themselves the "Resurrection Riders" - a good bunch of Christian guys. I run into them every now and then on the road or in an eatery.

I expect it would be pure hell on a hardtail.

Equals kidney belt,lol.

Heres the 2 guys I rode with. The one standing had a 2003 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500c and she rocks the interstates at 80+MPH no problemo.

I already gotta wear a double hernia belt - kidney belt would be tooo much LOL.

Mid September I'm riding into Pennsylvania with about 10 bikes from the club. We are going to do the York factory tour then explore for a few days. Should be a good time.

There is some great riding in the Amish country which isn't too far from there...Personally I would not stay in York...Much nicer in the country...

It's the annual HD open house. Big party at the motor company , test rides, tours, food etc. then on Friday night is the York Bike Night. The city streets close down except to bikes. There is a bike parade and stages setup for bands. 3 years ago I went and I met Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top. He was walking out of a bar as I was walking in. Git to talk briefly and a photo together. If never been to this event you should try it. We will tour around the area also.

Did that back in 99...Way too crowded and confusing back then...Factory tour was pretty good as was the museum...No cameras allowed and hard hats were required...