Heads up I-90 and 219 travellers

[BeastieGirl]

Condstruction just after the exit ramp to 219 - I had planned on running I-90 to 79 but by the time I hit the 219 exit I had enuff hwy riding. There was a big gridlock which I didn't see until after I exited I-90.

219 was so nice I just kept going - then decided to run over to Front Royal - sitting right now in a McDonalds in Breezewood.

For those wondering if its worth making a colour run - right here its just turning - some spots were a little more touched with colour - by
ridgway was beautiful.

But hey its 20+ C out there - who really cares what colour the leaves are?

[Carmen]

I guess you're riding solo again. Have fun and bring back some pictures.

[MacDoc]

Good stuff - got in 350k today in afternoon and evening locally - just got in.
Sure is nice out. Send pcis

[nobbie48]

Small world. I pulled into Breezewood Best West about 6:00PM. 219 was a mixed bag. The last stretch of it in New York was the annoying thump of shifting concrete. No plans for tomorrow other than starting the Skyline.
I brought camping gear but not sure if I'll use it. If you see a silver Goldwing with Ont plates that might be me.

[Rotten_Ronnie]

We missed all that, we're in Gowanda NY headed for PA tomorrow.

[mototrek]

We're on our way back - presently at the Dubois Manor slump!! But rolled in at 8:20 pm (FRiday) and everything was full. Ate supper at Hosses/Bosses Steak and Sea food, or whatever. Really good food and cheap! There was a football game going on at the Stadium, - so the town was packed and many were tanked up.

Over the last two days we were in West Virginia - New Stanton, Fairmont and Buckhannon. I found the favorite roads, 250, 50 26 all had a little too much traffic for my liking. A buddy needed a front tire - bought the tire in Fairmont and had it mounted inn Clarkesburg! Then back on the road and we managed to increase our mileage/hour appreciably. But we were unable to get down to Webster Springs because of timing. Will have to wait til next season.

Back in Pennsylvania. Saturday will find us heading up the 255 to Weedville and the 555 to Driftwood. We won't be staying in Benezzette and will prolly not see any elk! But we will have a brew in Renovo on Saturday - The leaves are rather "dull" Browns, yellows - but no Bright Reds, Yellows or Golds - and the weather is dry and the sun is golden - all day.

Pictures? Jeesh - who has time!! Took a couple - a nicde covered bridge off of 281. Will post when back in Markham.

Pretty snozzy now - it's 12:53 AM -- snoooooozz

[Carmen]

We're on our way back - presently at the Dubois Manor slump!! But rolled in at 8:20 pm (FRiday) and everything was full. Ate supper at Hosses/Bosses Steak and Sea food, or whatever. Really good food and cheap! There was a football game going on at the Stadium, - so the town was packed and many were tanked up.

Hoss Steakhouse is where I had my meal paid for by benevolent strangers back in June on my return from WV. I found it strange how they take your order before you're even seated. And yes I agree it is very cheap to eat there. I also stayed in Dubois overnight. I used the Best Western. It was nice but a little pricey at $95. I suggest Clearfield Pa as a stop over instead of Dubois. Clearfield has the nicest Super 8 I have ever seen and it was only $62.

[mototrek]

Ohhhh good Gawd!!

Is there no other life on 219 than Ellicotville??

I have never seen so many people, cars, pedestrians and gawkers than in an attempt to get through Ellicotville. It almost ruined 5 perfect days of riding from the GTA, to West Virginia and Pennsylvania... on the way home - 45 minutes to get through that "YUPPY" suck town!

I'm almost positive I saw 60 percent Ontario plates.. All from frikkn' Unionville I bet!

But - It was a tremendous ride. Now I am making it up to my wife. Thanksgiving in Bracebridge - nice turkey dinner tonight. With kids in the UK and Halifax - there's just the two of us here - so a stay in Bracebridge gets me back in the good books.

Glad she didn't want to go to F-Fin' Ellicotville! LOL!
(Can't believe this weather - it's never been so nice for so many days over so much of my riding country. Something to be thankful for!)

Happy Thanksgiving Riders!

[polarized]

I just came back from two nights in WV as well. It only took 20 minutes to get through Ellicotville, which I thought was frigging ridiculous. My left hand was so sore by the end of it.

I also found there to be quite a lot of traffic in through WV, particularily the 50 and the 219 around Elkins(forest festival going on there).

Beastiegirl: I had few options Saturday night so I decided to book it to Blackwater state park and guess what, it was totally full, had to stay at another campground down the road!

[BeastieGirl]

I just came back from two nights in WV as well. It only took 20 minutes to get through Ellicotville, which I thought was frigging ridiculous. My left hand was so sore by the end of it.

I also found there to be quite a lot of traffic in through WV, particularily the 50 and the 219 around Elkins(forest festival going on there).

Beastiegirl: I had few options Saturday night so I decided to book it to Blackwater state park and guess what, it was totally full, had to stay at another campground down the road!

I actually didn't stay there - trip seemed to take on a life of its own - very little from what I had planned. I stayed in a national park - Big Ben off Smoke Hole Road - the foliage in WV (and Maryland) was spectacular. Still making my way home - just about to hit I79 from Cranberry - got some good pix - Rte 33 was gorgeous!

[slowbird]

But hey its 20+ C out there - who really cares what colour the leaves are?

You lucky SOB.

I was heading back from Deals gap around Oct 1st-2nd. A cold front had moved in and my trip from Roanoake, VA to Winchester, VA was cold, windy with light showers....last day from Winchester, VA to home was Raining with freezing tempuratures. I passed through 1 town in Southern NY state and it was SNOWING!

[BeastieGirl]

Ohhhh good Gawd!!

Is there no other life on 219 than Ellicotville??

Fortunatelly I hit it on Friday and not too bad - still slow, but its always slow. I actually didn't hit much in the way of traffic at all, except trying to get to Skyline Drive from Breezewood - US 522 was completely closed off for about an hour so some town could have their fall festival parade - think it was Berkley Springs. So turned around, stopped for a coffee and met a biker who gave me a detour route, which proved to be great (except a couple of particuarly gravelly corners) - River Road over the Ptomac to Fairfield to 9, then cut back to town to just the other side of the parade route - no traffic there - heh heh.

[crankcall]

Ellicottville, the 219 has never been busier than this past weekend, all the way down to PA was packed, from Springville down into the valley was wall to wall leaf watchers , and state troopers. If you got into town fri eve was ok but saturday and sunday forget it. The locals actually take the sideroad and cross over through Little Valley and avoid the highway into the village .

Weather in upstate NY couldn't have been better, and all the plates aren't from Unionville, all my friends down there are burlington hamilton, brantford folks.

[BeastieGirl]

Some pix.
http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...d%20mini-tour/

[Rotten_Ronnie]

Ellicottville, the 219 has never been busier than this past weekend, all the way down to PA was packed, from Springville down into the valley was wall to wall leaf watchers , and state troopers. If you got into town fri eve was ok but saturday and sunday forget it. The locals actually take the sideroad and cross over through Little Valley and avoid the highway into the village .

Weather in upstate NY couldn't have been better, and all the plates aren't from Unionville, all my friends down there are burlington hamilton, brantford folks.

I avoided all of that on Friday night by staying in Gowanda NY, then riding through Amish country to the west of 219 and east of 62 into Alleghany State park.

True, 120 had more traffic on it than I'd ever seen before on Saturday, but thankfully most of it was westbound.

[nobbie48]

Fortunatelly I hit it on Friday and not too bad - still slow, but its always slow. I actually didn't hit much in the way of traffic at all, except trying to get to Skyline Drive from Breezewood - US 522 was completely closed off for about an hour so some town could have their fall festival parade - think it was Berkley Springs. So turned around, stopped for a coffee and met a biker who gave me a detour route, which proved to be great (except a couple of particuarly gravelly corners) - River Road over the Ptomac to Fairfield to 9, then cut back to town to just the other side of the parade route - no traffic there - heh heh.

I got through but it took a half an hour to get past the lawn sales, hot dog vendors and whatever else. Ended up in Lynchburg after the Skyline. The Skyline was beautiful in a sedate mannner but I was running low on gas and took an exit to refuel and the road going down off the Skyline was well paved but not sedate. Other than the ominous Motorcycles beware sign "High collision area".

It also seems like the road crews down there are more intellegent than up here. One road towards Lynchburg was a sharp right sweep and then there was a sign warning of loose gravel. It slowed me down and it wasn't an issue but up here the road crews throw down any crap and tough luck if you hit it without warning.

2500 kms without a close call, near miss or oopsie and then I just about fell getting into the shower when I got home.

[BeastieGirl]

http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...d%20mini-tour/

I had actually typed a little narrative re the pix - but somehow I guess I “timed out”. The pictures of the marina were taken somewhere in Maryland on my way back. The river pix were leading into my campground - river is the Ptomac. A few are from Snowshoe Mountain and a few from Skyline - it was hazy and the colours really didn't pick up in the pix.

I had meant to go further than Breezewood Friday night, but saw a sign for a $30.00 motel room - I didn’t even know you could get still get $30.00 motel rooms - or at least ones where you could stay all night.

I had done a little of the Skyline Drive last time I was in the area - found it slow and kind of monotonous - but relaxing. This time I found it even slower and honestly, I think there are a lot more roads and highways in Virginia and WV that are more fun, with better views, a heck of a lot faster and don’t cost $10.00. But that’s just me. After I exited the Skyline, my plan was to head north on 33 and at least I got the 33 right. It took me about ½ hour to clue in I was actually heading south - this is why I travel with a GPS.

So - turning round and now heading north on (about 3 hours behind schedule with my couple of unplanned detours) - I decided reaching Blackwater Falls with daylight left, while still feasible, left me with no Plan B if it was full. So when I saw a sign for Seneca National Park campgrounds on 33 (just before it turns into 28 ) - I turned in, only to find it was full. The campground manager though was great and called around to find if there were any spots open nearby. Which is how I ended up at Big Ben - in Smoke Hole. Smoke Hole Road is beautiful - but the side road heading into the campground itself is a mess - a bit is paved, but about 3 miles are a narrow combination of dirt and gravel and potholes that rattle your teeth. Actually not too bad if you kept in the tire tracks - once you knew where the potholes were. The campground was beautiful and many of the pictures are taken right around there. But no facilities, except flush toilets and running (cold) water. I was happy to just relax and do a couple of day trips on day 3 - ran up to Snowshoe and some of the pix are from there - but the road running up Snowshoe Mountain was covered in gravel - not just on the shoulders, but everywhere in the curves.

So all in all it was a good close off to the touring season - and that weather!!

[Pearlzzzzz!]

Glad you're home safe Beastie Gal
So much suspense, and nano details.
Enjoyed reading the posts.