It is Sunday...There was a ride...were you there?

I expected to have to clear some frost off the seat this morning but I was mistaken... It was ice. A towel soaked with hot water cleared the ice, a dry towel to get rid of the now ice cold hot water and new ice and I was off. I cruised up to Gerry's and met him and Linda for the ride to DD in Montville for the A.O.B.
We hit the highway and I was thankful for the fairing and windshield, the chaps, and the heated coat and o-k, not working heated gloves, but they have good insulation even if there is no heat.  Gerry, no windshield or fairing was thankful for the layers of clothing and leather, Linda was thankful she was riding behind Gerry. We stopped at the Bank to grab some cash, I continued to Dunkin while Gerry stopped for gas, I was drinking my coffee watching bikes pull in and still no Gerry, more bikes...still no Gerry. Finally they came cruising in. In case you are not aware of this, newer Harley's have a key fob, it is a proximity security system, if you are close to the bike with the fob it will start, if you are not it won't. The bike will also not start when that little battery in the fob goes dead, as it did with Gerry. A five minute gas stopped turned into fifteen minutes while Linda ran across rte 32 to the store to buy a new battery, with the battery changed they finally arrived.

The ride headed out about 10:10am with Steve leading, and Dan in the E board spot, Jim was heading to the Irish Parade in Mystic and wouldn't be on the ride. Steve promised he would guide us to our destination without flaw.

We headed out rte 163 to rte 82 and stayed on that til we crossed the Conn river at Goodspeed then hooked a right on 154 and took that to Higganum. In Higganum we took Candlewood to Higganum rd. from there it was one back road after another, twelve bikes snaking along sometimes staggered sometimes single file to enjoy the roads. We picked up rte 68 and ran through Cheshire, we made one rest stop (drainage, hey it was cold OK)

 Then it was more back roads and single file running until we arrived at 1303 Meriden Avenue and "Sam the Clams". http://www.samtheclams.net/ .We parked out back, went in and ate lunch. Sam the Clams has a rather extensive menu and as far as I could see everything that was ordered was excellent and abundant. The Club devoured things like Oysters on the half shell, shrimp cocktail, lobster bisque, chili nachos, chicken nachos, Whole belly clams, scallops, fried fish, baked sole, grilled swordfish, fried shrimp, BLT club, etc etc.

After lunch the temperature has gone up, it was at least 46 degrees F, by this time, meaning the ride home would be warmer.

      With the meal over, some of the riders headed out to find 691 and rte 9 to 95, leaving five of us to take a longer circular route back. We rand down through back roads again, single file through Wallingford, Durham, Fanghorn forest, to Guilford, where we grabbed route 80 and headed east through Madison to Deep River. We grabbed 9 north in Deep River and went to exit 7 to rte 82 and stopped at the Dunkin in Tylerville to have a cup of coffee, warm up and say goodbye to those who would be dropping off as we headed home. We ran 82 with a small detour through The Hopyard, then 82 to 85. By the time we turned on 85 it was down to Dan and myself, he continued home on back roads at Chesterfield while I made a stop at Davids place, after all...what is a ride without...

                                                                                                     Ice Cream.

Another absolutely great ride, winter is over, and with a little more practice...maybe we won't b so rusty...

klay