The riders arrived at Dunkin on time, in my opinion the count was close to perfect, I like not having to have road guards or a tail gunner. In my opinion any count between 2 and 10 is good. We had myself, Biker Joe, Sandwich, Tammy, Marty (same bike) and Hoss.
The "Oil Man" and "Trip D" stopped by to see us off, they would not be riding with us, the Green Alien was loaded with baggage on top of baggage and they were heading to Rochester New Hampshire.
Marty's bike is out of service so they were both on Tammy's, but Tammy had other ideas, and before we left Dunkin she had secured a seat on the back of Charlene, Marty might find himself in trouble now, because she found at the end of the day her butt didn't hurt and she could have slept on the back of the bike on the return trip.
We cruised up 163 to 87, took the Beaumont into Willimantic, then 14 to 203, and 6 to 198. Around Woodstock Valley we grabbed 171which took us up and across route 84 and into Massachusetts. This is where I was not sure of the route and had to refer to my Tom designed GPS system. I planned the route to pass through State Parks, past lakes and reservoirs. In Holland I told Tammy to look for Sturbridge road, as I passed Stafford road she said Sturbridge rd, it turned out the road on the left was Stafford the one opposite it was Sturbridge, U-turn loop(1), put us back on track. We picked up Massachusetts route 148 across route 20 in Fiskdale, then arrived in Brookfield. According to a glance at Google maps, 148 is straight across route 9, this was not the case. A look at my T.D. GPS and found I had no note about route 9, but having spent a lot of time up that way in years past, I knew if I turned left on 9 I could pick up 67 in West Brookfield, this added two miles to the route. As we approached North Brookfield we ran into 148 again, it turns out a quick right on 9 and the first left would have had us on our planned route, no big deal.
We took 67 north through Oakum and Barre Plains onto route 32 then to Barre where... we jumped right on 62. Two miles up the road and there was an intersection the only indication of the route was a sign that said 62. No arrows no directions so I took it to mean straight was 62, Wrongo! By now I was looking for a gas station for the bikes with smaller tanks. We came to a Tee intersection, I figured where ever 62 was, 31 should be to the east and both of these would come together, so I turned right, right onto one of the crappiest roads I have ever been on, nice scenery, crappy pavement. This turned out to be Williamsville road which was actually running north-east. After too many miles in the wrong direction it dropped us out in Templeton on rte 101. Now, not knowing exactly where we were or where the roads we wanted were I headed west on 101 in hopes of getting back to 32 and back tracking. All the time looking for a gas station. This worked, a left on 32 and we found ourselves back at Barre.
There in the center of town was a gas station, Joy!!! We pulled in, Then Tammy noticed the cones...No Gas sold here. The ride total now would be 134 miles. Tammy, Joe and Marty went into a pizza house to pick up their lunch, The gas station told us the next closest gas station was 15 miles south on 32, (back in Barre Plains). Not great. Joe came out of the pizza house where the girl said there was a gas station 10 miles north on 122, also not great. As we stood there deliberating, a tall, big, older biker type arrived, asked us if we were looking for gas, where we were going and what route we were using. We told him. Turns out that if we went east on 62 then turn left at the white house with the Barre Dam sign at the four way intersection, then rode up that road to the next intersection that would be 68, if we turned left, there would be a gas station right there. Total maybe 8 miles. We thanked him and headed up 62. The trip was now estimated at 137 miles up. I headed up 62 where after a few miles I rode right past the intersection we wanted, loop u-turn (2). The biker was correct we were fueled and headed down 68 to 62. (Don't believe what anyone says about the fuel stop, they are lying).
62 took us east to 31 and Mountain road, a few miles up the road and there was the park entrance, loop u-turn (3). We pulled in, $2.00 per bike (Tammy's treat) and rode to the summit for lunch. I believe we were about an hour late in arriving there.
Leaving the Hill I had planned on running back to 62, to 140, through Worcester to 12 and home...I changed my mind. We took 31 straight down to Spencer, grabbed 9 through East Brookfield and Brookfield, picked up 67 through Warren and Brimfield and arrived at Palmer. I had Joe quizzical, he watched the route 32 south sign go by and thought, "Why is he still heading west?) Ah-ha!!! Little did he realize!!! I wanted dessert!!.
We stopped in Palmer, after a unexpected right turn, right turn, left turn, left turn, at The Steaming Tender. This is the Old Boston and Albany Railroad, Central Vermont Railroad, Ware River Railroad Union station. Coffee, Tea and dessert (Whiskey Bread Pudding). Sandwiches idea of dessert was mozzarella sticks and Marinara.
Finished we headed south on 32, Joe jumped off in Willimantic on Route 6. The rest of us continued to Franklin. At the DD on 32 at 87 Tammy moved back with Marty, Sandwich and myself headed into Norwich for route 2 east and Hoss went south.
All in all a fantastic day of riding, sure it was longer than expected, Add to the travel up time another 103 miles from the mountain to Palmer and south on 32. (Not counting individual routes as we separated). And it was a little later in getting home than expected, (I parked the bike at (6:15). But like Tammy said, who cares, it was a great ride and no one has to be anywhere).
klay
You think that's it? Wrong, let me tell you about that big biker dude and the woman in the cage. After telling us where to get gas, a woman pulls in, He asks her, "You looking for gas?" She said, "Yes, my low fuel light is on." The biker asked, her, "How long has it been on?" She said,"Yesterday".
He replied,"I don't know what to tell you." and walked away.
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There was also the young girl who pulled into Dunkin before we headed out in the morning, Her right front tire was almost flat. Joe walked over and told her, She asked "do I have to put air in it?" Joe then spent the next few minutes explaining a gas station air pump, how to tell when you put enough in, and how to do it. And he had to show her what the tire valve looked like.
Doesn't anyone teach their kids the basics before sending them out in the world?
klay
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