Island hopping

Posted NEW LONDON MC blog Monday, August 9, 2010  
The Club had a good turnout for the Thimble Island Ride, A.O.B. was 10am at Dunkin Donuts,Montville Ct. (Where Else?). After the morning coffee and bull session, the Club mounted up and headed down 32 to 163, picked up 395 south to 95 south for a meet at the rest area in Madison with the western contingent. From this point the Road Cap. moved aside and handed the lead to Mister Natale. We did have one moment on the highway when a car following a boat in the slow lane decided he had enough of being stuck there and cut left to pass the boat. The problem was the formation was there. After a few horns, some verbal abuse and a couple dozen I95 waves, he tucked his tail between his legs and his car back in his own lane. His move left was REAL close to being messy with Hazlet recieving the impact.

Once Natale was in charge,he led us down 95 to Branford and Leete's Island to Thimble Island road, (Jo was dockside) once there we parked the bikes and jumped on a tour boat. The boat (bar open, always a good thing) proceeded out and around the islands showing us that there are people still around with way too much money. I mean, Palm Trees? They bring them out in the summer, plant them around the island estates so these people can believe they are in the Carib, then three months later the trees are removed and stored in a green house until the following year.

Finished with the boat ride, Natale took us back along the shoreline on rte 146 to Guilford where we stooped for Lunch at..."The Place".

After eating the Club set off on the roads again, heading for, what else, Ice Cream. Natale took us up through the areas backroads, through Fanghorn Forest to Durham.

You do tend to get thirsty during summer rides but that is not the case here, the Club is actually across the street trying to eat ice cream before it melts.

Leaving there we continued up 17 crossing over more back roads to rte 154, which brought us down to rte 82, across the Ct river and back to Salem 4 corners where the entire formation broke up in diferent directions.

In an effort to make the rides more enjoyable...
there was a "Special Gift Run" put on during the ride, where anyone quick and agile enough could have won a new hat or Cash.

Both were dropped along the way and while many in the back saw the gifts go by, they were not able to collect the goodies.

The hat was donated by Jim, the Cash by me.

Maybe I'll use twenties on the Chicken Run.

klay

PS: Arriving at Dunkin Donuts on 85 in Waterford I found that not all the give-a-way cash made the drop, found some of it caught between

This Club has a bad influence on the Youth

Posted NLMC blog August 6

Lincoln, New Hampshire White Mountains

NEW LONDON MC

A Photo and story Collective











Posted on New London MC blog Friday, August 6, 2010 

July 30th, 2010 – August 1st, 2010Friday, July 30th: El Presidente and menor left their residences' at 8:30 am en route to meet the club at Friendly's Restaurant off Exit 82 in Norwichtown. We pulled in the parking lot , Shot the shit for a while, then Tom rounded up the troops for a little Rider's Meeting. We saddled up on our bikes, I use the word “our” loosely because the bike I was on isn't “mine” but a loaner. We headed up I-395 N for Lincoln, New Hampshire. One hundred miles into the trip, we stopped in Massachusetts for fuel. We fueled up and pulled off to the side because we were waiting for another member to find where we were with her car. She arrived and we started to take off, but ...one problem. El Presidente's bike would not start (another Harley not heard from). Tom and Mark L tinkered with it a little bit, but to no avail, the bike was going nowhere. Luckily enough for The Prez and the rest of the group, there was a local Harley Davidson shop about 10 minutes from where we were. (Jim, has a theory as to why there are so many Harley Shops, “because sooner or later...they will all be dead on the road). Tom called the shop and within 10 minutes, the tow truck came to take my father's bike to the shop to be serviced. My father hopped in the truck with the guy, after it was loaded and off they went. The rest of us got on our bikes and then my bike wouldn't start. This was only a temporary thing because of a vapor lock thing Suzuki does. Tom came over and within 5 seconds and one push the bike started. With everyone started, off we went for the Harley shop. TWO HOURS LATER, my father's bike came out and we were on our way again to New Hampshire. We hit some 5 mph traffic and about 5:00 pm, we finally had arrived at the Indian Head Resort. We checked in and some of us went on a recon mission looking for some cocktails and beer for later. We came back to the hotel and met everyone else for dinner. Now, the evening begins. Some people spent some time in the pool after dinner, while others spent the rest of the night in their rooms. Let's just say some of the evening's activities involved two members being totally bombed, some playing drums on the table and some people “trying” to dance. I guess you will need to talk to the Road Captain because he tells the story the best. So, as usual, we closed out the bar, and everyone that was left went back to their room to crash for the night.

Saturday, July 31st:
El Presidente and company leave to go back to Connecticut because they wanted to be there for the MDA run. So the rest of us left about 10:00 am to head to North Conway. We first stopped at another Harley Davidson shop because someone had lost a pair of gloves after he left them on his trunk. We then stopped at a diner, “I Don't Remember the Name,” and had some lunch. This is after going up and down the road about three times trying to find a place to eat that could sit a large group. Everywhere we went, it was at least 30 minute wait to almost an hour. The place we stopped at I recommend to anyone who is in the area, this place has good food and good service. I am saying this after not receiving my New England Clam Chowder until I had already eaten my main coarse. Not the waitress' fault, but the kitchen's. Anyways, off we went back to the hotel. On the way back, we took the Kangamangus highway, which is always a fun road. We get back to the hotel, unwind for a little bit and met back up to go to dinner at a Italian Restaurant down the street where we had eaten last year. Upon arriving to the restaurant, there wasn't really any parking. Tom had led and I was in the second slot. We pulled in and picked a parking spot only to realize it would be tough to back out, so we decide to do a little off-roading. We parked and went in. While waiting for our food, some people had felt the need to move the tiles that were in the tables around. So the food had arrived, we ate, and off we went back to the hotel for the night. No shenanigans again like the previous night. Everyone went back to their rooms to rest up for the ride home. I went back to my room, drank my reserves, watched the Yankee game. Yes, the Yankee game. I was stoked because I was in New Hampshire and they had a channel that was broadcasting it.
Sunday, August 1st: The Ride Home

. We left the Indian Head around 9:30 am. Part of the way home, we took the Kangamangus again and tried it going in the other direction. We stopped for gas, and then later stopped for gas again where we had lunch at Burger King. We said our goodbyes and off we went home for Connecticut. I believe this was the first NLMC away trip this year we did not get one ounce of rain. After this trip, you wonder why this club is never invited back twice to anywhere. Frickin bikers! Stay tuned for the Rockport story.
JR



(I've noticed that JR takes the time to give a restaraunt his recomendation but never tells you the name of the place.)

klay

Yup

Posted New London MC blog Friday, August 6, 2010

Are you one of those people who find themselves followed by...let's say "those people"? Maybe you attract them? You don't quite know why, but you can be in a room of 200 people and "they" find you. For some reason out of all the people there, they have to say "hello" to you. That's it, just "Hello". Then there is that uncomfortable silence...before they tell you some inane piece of information that no one else would care about, but "they" feel you need to know.

You smile at them, and wish they would go away...but for some reason, YOU are thier "New Friend".

and by the way...they won't leave...ever.

I have had this happen to me, minding my own business, I had someone walk up and smile at me, one look at them and you just know...

He's not going to go away

klay

Lake Placid 2010

Posted Friday, August 6, 2010  NEW LONDON MC


July 16th, 2010 – July 18th, 2010

I know this story is a little late, but always better to be late then never.
Friday, July 16th, The Ride up
About 8:30 am, El Presidente, La Primera Senora, and Menor left for Dunkin Donuts around 8:40ish in the morning. We arrived to Dunkin and greeted by about 20 other club members. The AOB was for 9:00 am and left on time at 9:30ish....hahahaha. En route to Lake Placid, we picked up our New Haven people, the Natales and Llorets on an on-ramp from Jennings Road in Hartford. First stop for gas was at a truck stop off the highway. We had stopped at a bar for lunch, where this bar was not ready for a large party. The bar was separated into two rooms. The first room where you walk in was the bar, and the second room was kind of a dining area with a pool table in the middle of the room. They had one woman bar-tending in one room, and taking orders in the other. We were there for about two hours because she had forgot to put in one table's order. I have to give her credit though, for being the only one working, she did an outstanding job. If I ever have the chance to go back there again, I will. I don't know if I can speak for those people who waited forever to get their food. From there we left the bar en-route to the Golden Arrow Resort, where we stayed at in Lake Placid arriving there between 5:30 pm and 6:00 pm. We checked in, and checked out the Resort. We later met for dinner about 7:00 pm in the lobby. I ate light because the food was so good in the last place we ate, I had no room. After we ate some people went off and did their own thing, myself and some others headed for beach side of the hotel for some cocktails and beer. When the party was over, I decided to check out the bars that were on the strip. I had two bars to go to, one was the hotel bar and the other...wasn't. I thought I'd go to the other bar before going to the hotel bar because I thought it would be more things going on. Boy was I wrong! Total snooze fest! So I made my way over to the hotel bar where it was hopping. Stayed there for a bit and went back to the hotel for the night.



Saturday, July 17th: first day
Today, the plans were do what you would like. There is no set plan that people had to stick with, so people were on there own. So, some people went for a ride to Lake George and some people went for a ride to some mountain. The good story doesn't start until dinner time where PCO made “friends” with the waiter. Yes, I said waiter and not waitress. I will let the PCO tell the story, actually go see the Road Captain, he tells it better. Anyways, we left the restaurant with plans to return to beach side for more beers, cocktails and snack food (which the Adams supplied.) So El Presidente and Menor went back to the room and stocked up on booze. We left the room and headed to the beach only to find that nobody was there. Both confused and puzzled, I gave the Road Captain a call. He states, “Jason, I have Craig, Rich, my brother and I out on the deck – no beer and we are locked out.” I don't believe a word the man says and tell him he's full of shit. Tom knowing I wasn't believing him puts Rich on the phone and says the same thing. Now I start to believe. I go up to the room where they were because they said the door was unlocked. I went to the door, and definitely not unlocked. I called Tom back and they make the plan to come outside where they were and they would drop down a key. So the hero that I am, come running around to the rescue of my four brothers. Mark Lloret takes and empty coffee cup and puts the key (electronic key)it. and dropped it down. I go went to their room and released them. Apparently, according to Tom, the girls that they were with decided it would be funny to lock them out. So now a freed Road Captain, Tom got the idea to leave his belt draped over the railing to make it look like they had climbed down. Turns out they had them believing this, until Nelly remembered Craig was with them and she just didn't buy Craig climbed down on Tom's belt into my room. Anyways, we drank, had a good time and everyone went to bed.



Sunday, July 18th: The ride home
. The ride home is never as fun as the ride up because it means the vacation is over and for most part, this means people have to go back to work the next morning. We left the Golden Arrow about 9:30 am I think. We took a ride through Vermont and stopped at a pizza place I used to eat at during my snowmobile days. Speaking of snowmobile days, while at the pizza place, that was all I could think of, the past, with all the good times I had while in Vermont. Anyways, there is nothing to report about the trip home. El President, La Primera Senora and Menor returned home about 5:00 pm.

I guess in all rides with the New London Motorcycle Club, it is never a memorable ride unless something happens. Whether it was someone drank too much alcohol or people get locked out of their hotel room. I guess you really had to be there to understand the humor.

JR

The Run to the Sun

Posted Friday, August 6, 2010   New London MC blog

On Sunday the 1st of August 18 members of the Club (15 motorcycles) mounted their bikes at Dunkin, with one member joining us for part of the ride, and headed to rte 2 in Norwich, then rte 2 to Glastonbury with the Pres and Road Seargent Joe F. leading the way. Destination, the Elks Club in South Glastonbury. It was a pleasant ride with no one getting lost, o-k we had o make a U-turn but that was because the turn came up quick...We were never lost. We arrived at the Elks and found they had horses at the entrance, (?) made no sence to me, where were the Elk?
We parked the bikes, signed up for the ride, gave our money, received our free T-shirt, free pin, and $15.00 voucher for the Buffet at Mohegan Sun. I am not sure of the rest of the Club but free food motivates me, almost as much as free money.
The turnout was less than last year but it was still a nice size. With State Police escort, the column hit the road to return to rte 2 for the ride to the Sun. It is absolutly amazing how many people who have motorcycles and ride them, can't ride. The group was set up in formation and ran staggered, it is absolutly AMAZING how many people have no clue what staggered means, hell, they have no clue what formation means. We had people in the pack that were riding so far back it looked like a different group of bikers. Once we were on the roads the Club began passing these roving road hazards, the last thing you want is to go into a corner and have the person who is supposed to be in front or behind you and off to the side, riding right next to you. Worst yet when you find out that to make a turn they require an entire lane plus some to accomplish it.

With the wanna be bikers, now more to the rear of the column and someone elses problem the ride continued along route 2 with two State Police motor-cops blocking intersections and on ramps, with an occasional caged cop helping out. In my opinion the only two people on the ride who really had a good time were the cops, block a lane, fly past the column running on the lane paint, squeezing their way between bikes and parallel traffic to get back to the lead and block another ramp.
Arriving at Mohegan Sun we were directed to the top floor of the Winter entrance parking garage, where many of the bikes tested the volume of their exhaust stacks between the rows of cars and concrete. Once inside we headed for the free food. Buffets are great, I mean there is nothing like having rows of free food lined up in front of you with a all you can eat promise. Chinese, Italian, seafood, Turkey, Pork, moo cow leg, mussels, cold shrimp. salad, soups and dessert. Ahhhh Heaaven. remember there is always room for Jello...and pudding, pie, cakes, cookies, ice cream, etc....
The ride was put on and sposored to help the MDA by Mikes Famous Harley, The Elks and Mohegan Sun.

klay

Rock climbing in New Hampshire

Posted Thursday, August 5, 2010 New London MC blog  
A small assemblage of travelers met in Nowichtown accompanied by an "old red" Harley and "Son" of Harley then headed north for breakfast at Zips in Dayville. After eating "Old red" and "son" headed south west to practice and then for a ride with the Club.
The five remaing wanderers (4 bikes and a car) proceeded north, Now wearing protective headgear as they would be traveling through the State of Mordor. For some reason the evil that is Mordor demands bikers to wear headgear whilst traveling their land. Twas a fast ride through that sorrowful land but upon reaching the bright free land of New Hampshire all was right with the world again, allowing those who wished, to have the wind in their hair.
The weather was bright and the sun shining as the party arrived at Gunstock Mountain in Gilford for the Rock Climb event. The band found a comfortable area, set up chairs and watched the show, enjoying the local comestibles, such as Italian Sausage grinders or French Fries served in Disposible Dogfood dishes.

Part way through the show, the skies brought forth a Spate and most of the crowd rose and headed for the buses back to the Ski Lodge to get away from the precipitation. The rain fell in a deluge for a while and the crew decided to depart so they dressed in their finest aquatic protective gear mounted their steel steeds and headed out and the storm came to an end. The travelers continued south to Tilton for lunch and as usual ordered and ate too much as they watched the weather on their little black boxes threaten horrendous deluge and cataclysms to come. After dining the bikers decided to continue south and home wearing their foul weather gear to ward off any volatile attacks from the gods above. As they proceded south the Gods above looked down on these puny mortals and decided to give them one more sprinkle and then turn on the heat to make their ride home comfortable wearig their foul weather turned sauna suits.
The motto of the story... take a car, like I did...AC on, dry, music...traveling as nature intended. Sitting on my ass in total comfort. (Can I get a scotch on this flight?)

Youtube link
http://www.youtube.com/user/klayofthemystics#p/a/u/0/JN8t-MN8cHI



klay

(yeah...the bike was in the shop)

Wednesday's Middlesex County ride and dine

Posted Thursday, August 5, 2010  New London MC blog
Sandwich and I rode to Old Saybrook Diner to meet the other members who would be attending. He was running a tad late and sent me an E-mail as to that effect, explaining the delay...not something I will reprint here...or ever text someone. there are some things, that....don't need a specific explaination.
We had orders to park to the rear of the restaurant so as not to get the place excited since we weren't eating there.

For the first time since the big Vin started these Wednesday nights, it actually didn't rain. Turnout could have been better and hopefully will be once more people find out they have a place to ride to on Wednesday night. We had eight peopl on the ride and two who came down to see us off before heading out. two of the eight met us at the restaraunt.

I am not sure how many people in the Club find themselves a little throttle heavy like myself, but there was nowhere to try it because we were stuck behind a car for the entire of Bokum road, and, I wasn't leading. (For some reason that I have not figured out yet, people frown on it when you pass the rides leader) So I stayed in place like a good person (grr) and rode into Ivoryton for dinner at a small pub with a really cute waitress across from the playhouse.
This pub has a unique menu, they have mini burgers, small burgers, regular burgers and Monster burgers. To my delight I found they had one of my favorite meals there, a Marshmallow Fluff/Peanutbutter sangwich, Reuben and I both had one, he ordered his with a Bacon Tomato grilled cheese sandwich and chocolate milk,(Frozen Chocolate milk). I had mine with a mini Bleu burger (not really mini!!!) and Hot cocoa (It was sort of a kid moment, fluffanutter and cocoa. We walked in and were seated by a really cute blonde waitress. We sat around and talked while we ate, Steve D'. (Pirate Girl's guy) demolished the Monster burger except for a peice of bacon. The really cute waitress was working for the first time by herself and had a couple problems. Wrong order here, forgotten meal there, but you know what? She didn't do to bad for someone by themselves. At one point she stood at the reciept desk, there was a low level light shining up at her, she had her head tipped slightly to one side and a nearby fan blew on her, making here hair fly in the wind. It kinda looked like it could be a Hollywood commercial.
Actually I probably won't be going back, there was a long wait for the food, the floors are uneven and the table requires propping. One of us received the wrong order (rude cook) and one of us got nothing and had to re-order after the rest of us received our food and the milk is frozen.So while the food was good, there were quite a few reasons to keep me from going back....


The waitress was really cute though....

Did I mention she was really cute?



klay

We were talking today about everything NOT Connecticut

Take a ride anywhere west or south. (NYC excluded) and it is an entirely different world. People you don't know, never met, and are not trying to sell you something, come up and talk to you. Their friendliness is scary. Coming from Ct. our first reaction when someone you don't know comes up to you and starts talking, is to back up and put your hand close to where you keep your gun. We aren't use to it, up here if someone walks up and starts talking they are either trying to sell you something or are not right, (Crazy and or nuts).