It's about the ride.

The sun rose today in glorious fashion, lighting up the early morning sky and producing little to no actual warming virtues. I loaded up the bike, still camera, video camera, CB, and headed west to meet the Club for the Sunday morning mystery ride. I opted not to wear the chaps and I went with Bald head and cut off gloves, I  filled the tank at the local OPEC representative and continued along 184 towards New London. About a half mile down the road I realized that chaps would probably had been a good idea and that cut off gloves and no noggin cover was a stupid one.

Arriving at DD I found people were wearing a mix of leather protection and I decided that I would wait until 10am (A.O.B) to see if the air would warm a little more. Steve held the riders meeting, picked his blockers, explained the new procedure for passing highway traffic and we were off. The sun had warmed the air to where it was rather comfortable so I continued with the cut offs and no chaps but did choose to wear the leather head wrap. We ran up 395 to 169, passed through Newent, and  Canterbury on our way to meet up with the Windham county group which we met at rte 14...two of them. We ran north on 169 through Brooklyn, where we lost half the Windham contingent (?), Pomfret and Woodstock, and North Woodstock. Just short of the State line Steve realized we were making too good of a time and took an alternate route to burn up time. We crossed west on 197 to 198 skirting Bigelow Hollow State Park then arrived at "Two Cousins Pasta and Grille" in Massachusetts. "Two Cousins" a restaurant specializing in Italian cuisine, and it was closed...not that it mattered because this was not our destination, this was a stop to put on helmets before proceeding into that most evil of lands where helmets are required and out of state handguns are forbidden. I put on full gloves. We passed through Southbridge then south ...into Connecticut, then north again through Quinebaug and Dudley to the City of Webster and our destination..."The Lodge" over looking beautiful Lake Cowabunga dude...no that wasn't it...Lake Cha-something un-intelligable-Maug.  Locals call it Webster Lake.

The lakes true name is  Lake Chaubunagungamaug,  It is derived from the Algonquaian language of the Nipmuc Indians. NOW...Some History... "Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg" is listed as the longest place name in the United States, but there is evidence that this 45 letter long name was invented by a local newspaper man in the 1920s who claimed that it meant " You fish on your side, I fish on myside, nobody fish in the middle", but this is actually cute local history because the original Nipmuc name  Chaubunagungamaug, is closer to "Fishing Place at the Boundaries -- Neutral Meeting Grounds" in translation. 

Enough of that!!!

We ate at the Lodge, great place, great food, damn fine service, the waitress doesn't write down the meals, the sides, the appetizers, or the drinks and you still get the right food in front of you, well, the drinks threw her a little because she took the orders while we were still milling around at the table before sitting and didn't sit where we were at when she took the orders. I had a Baked Haddock with Lobster stuffing cooked in sherry, Mr Natale had an Italian dish, something like veal chicken Parmesan over linguine (go figure) and Dana had.... wait for it....The....All you can eat....Chicken...with pasta and sauce...and french fries!!! Sound familiar?

The Adam's blasted off after eating to places unknown while Steve Natale led us through a local neighborhood and a dead-end cul-de-sac. Did I just say that? Steve Natale led us south through some pretty country along some fine roads, rte 16 though Douglas Sate Park, down 96 to 98 to 102 and 14, or something like that, across 14 into Connecticut, across 14 through Sterling to Moosup where we jumped on 395 south to rte 138. We took 138 to 201 to 165 and Buttonwood farms where we had, what else...ice cream, before we each went our separate ways home.

Some photos of the day:

The Helmet stop

The Lodge

After Ice cream Aerobics

Another great day riding with friends. It doesn't matter where we go, or which way to choose to get there, it's all about the ride, and the people you are with.

klay